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trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"Good morning, orphans."
"Hooah!"
This was a disturbing and violent story. The author did not go lightly with the idea of the boot camp and the brutal tactic used to try to reform these kids. As the entire story slowly spiraled into complete madness, it was almost hard to read.
I will definitely read book 2. For as violent and scary as the story line was, it wasn't completely unrealistic either. There are a lot of "boot camps" off US soil that we have no idea what happens there.
"Hooah!"
This was a disturbing and violent story. The author did not go lightly with the idea of the boot camp and the brutal tactic used to try to reform these kids. As the entire story slowly spiraled into complete madness, it was almost hard to read.
I will definitely read book 2. For as violent and scary as the story line was, it wasn't completely unrealistic either. There are a lot of "boot camps" off US soil that we have no idea what happens there.
marklpotter's review against another edition
3.0
A bit on the brutal side for YA but a well written piece. Having read this and watched Intelligence I can't find anything substantial in their connection. The one concept that ties them together isn't unique to Phoenix Island but it is an interesting take. This is a quick and nicely districtacting read.
sjj169's review against another edition
3.0
This book blends in shades of Lord of the Flies, Mad Scientists and Bootcamp. Carl is a orphaned teen who just cannot stay out of trouble. He does fight for the underdog. If he sees someone being bullied he can't help himself. (boxing champion) He even takes out an entire football team for bullying a kid he didn't even know. He ends up in court again after many encounters and is given "bootcamp" at Phoenix Island. No outside contact with foster family at all, no emails, no phone calls, nothing. Until he is 18 years of age.
Once he gets to the island different things begin to happen that makes him begin to question how his drill sargents have so much power. Some of the talk between the teens became somewhat corny to me at this point. I did really like the Ross character. I wish the author had taken even more time with him.
The book ends up twisting and turning in several different directions. I've read that there is a tv show coming out that is based on this book but I looked at it and it seems to be nothing like this book. I would have loved to see how they would go with this story.
All in all it's a decent book. I did think at once point that if they used the word Hooya one more time that my head would split open and start spinning around.
samiism's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
This is an action-packed book. So much action in fact that I skimmed towards the end. I liked the pacing when I started, though. The story reminds me of [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] and [b:Battle Royale|57891|Battle Royale|Koushun Takami|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331235272s/57891.jpg|2786327], both of which I enjoyed.
Now, I had a brief army reserve stint a few years ago so reading the military jargon and activities brought me back to those grueling days. Every "Hooah!" was a punch in the gut. But at least I didn't suffer the way the orphans did.
Carl is easy to empathize with. He doesn't come off as a Gary Stu, although he does have a slight hero complex. He reminds me of my boyfriend, who is a kickboxer. He would enjoy this book. I was exposed to enough boxing terminology to not have to look up the stuff that Carl was doing, at least.
Octavia, on the other hand...where do I even begin? Her name? OCTAVIA, really?
All in all, this was a fun read. Too much telling for my taste, and not much showing. This would probably make an alright movie instead.
This is an action-packed book. So much action in fact that I skimmed towards the end. I liked the pacing when I started, though. The story reminds me of [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512] and [b:Battle Royale|57891|Battle Royale|Koushun Takami|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331235272s/57891.jpg|2786327], both of which I enjoyed.
Now, I had a brief army reserve stint a few years ago so reading the military jargon and activities brought me back to those grueling days. Every "Hooah!" was a punch in the gut. But at least I didn't suffer the way the orphans did.
Carl is easy to empathize with. He doesn't come off as a Gary Stu, although he does have a slight hero complex. He reminds me of my boyfriend, who is a kickboxer. He would enjoy this book. I was exposed to enough boxing terminology to not have to look up the stuff that Carl was doing, at least.
Octavia, on the other hand...where do I even begin? Her name? OCTAVIA, really?
All in all, this was a fun read. Too much telling for my taste, and not much showing. This would probably make an alright movie instead.
markmtz's review against another edition
2.0
I picked up this novel after I learned it was the inspiration for a short-lived CBS television series, Intelligence. As it turns out, the book and the show have only one thing in common. The main character of each has a microchip implanted in his body. In the novel. it's not about the microchip, or "cheep", as the evil doctor, whose hobby is making kids "sing" with torture, calls it. It's about the sixteen year-old kid with a passion for boxing who has been manipulated into a vicious juvenile boot camp that secretly trains kids to be mercenaries for a megalomaniac out to remake the world to his own standards. The story is well-written but after finishing, I don't feel a need to continue in the series. Curiously, I think the television series would have been more interesting if it had adapted the novel instead of merely taking inspiration from it.
theknepper's review against another edition
4.0
This is a thrilling, fast-paced novel. John Dixon does a great job telling an intriguing story with unexpected twists that had me wondering what would happen next throughout the entire book. This is exceedingly well written with an impressive cast of characters and fantastic imagery. The characters, settings, and situations are described so well it is easy to imagine exactly what these people and places are like.
At times I couldn’t tell who the enemy was. I found myself going back and forth on a few characters. Others I loved or hated the entire time. To me, this is a testament to great character development. The plot weaves and winds in such a way that I had no idea what was coming. At several points, I changed my mind on how I wanted the story to end. I was captivated from cover to cover.
I thought this book was superb. I sincerely hope the story continues.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
At times I couldn’t tell who the enemy was. I found myself going back and forth on a few characters. Others I loved or hated the entire time. To me, this is a testament to great character development. The plot weaves and winds in such a way that I had no idea what was coming. At several points, I changed my mind on how I wanted the story to end. I was captivated from cover to cover.
I thought this book was superb. I sincerely hope the story continues.
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
sheldonnylander's review against another edition
3.0
Carl Freeman has gotten in trouble one too many times. So when a judge orders him to a remote island boot camp for troubled orphaned youth (pretty specific criteria for entry there), at first it seems like a harsh punishment and environment to send a sixteen year old kid into. That is before Carl and his friends discovers that not all is as it appears to be on Phoenix Island and things go from harsh to hellish.
Thus begins (and I do mean begins) the story of Phoenix Island by John Dixon, a respectable if flawed first novel that also served as the basis for the short-lived CBS series “Intelligence.” Things ramp up pretty quickly and the reader doesn't have to wait long for the ugly side of Phoenix Island to come to light. And that's part of the problem. More on this in a moment.
Carl is likeable and maddening at the same time. He is a young boxer who has a short temper, but what really sets him off are bullies picking on the weak. Carl has a noble streak in him, and most of the times that he's gotten into trouble have involved him stepping in to defend someone who couldn't defend themselves. It's a likeable if simple trait in an age where anti-heroes seem to be the order of the day. But he also tends to revert back to boxing metaphors for nearly everything, which becomes annoying. I understand that this is Dixon's background, but he need to realize that not everyone is as into boxing as he is and the boxing metaphors become distracting.
The problem with his character come in with his naiveté. Carl, quite frankly, is not that smart. And this is where the above mentioned problem begins to rear its head. It quickly becomes obvious that something is very, very wrong on Phoenix Island. And yet Carl and his friends play along for a lot longer than someone with the aforementioned noble streak should. And as they piece it together, I felt myself wanting to scream at the page what is so blatantly obvious that they just don't seem to grasp. This might be a way of trying to show that they're inexperienced kids, but I found it frustrating and it starts to bring back the previously suspended disbelief very quickly.
Aside from the rather frustrating character flaws that seem to be extremely plot-convenient, the plot runs very quickly. As I mentioned earlier, things ramp up fast, so there's not much of a preamble before the meat of the book starts. It becomes a roller coaster of action and espionage. As a side note, the reader would be well-advised not to get too attached to any of the characters as Dixon seems be taking a cue from George R. R. Martin, and Dixon does not shy away from the darker, more violent aspects of Phoenix Island.
With characters that are likeable but frustrating, a fast but oddly convenient plot, and a dark if somewhat unbelievable tone, Phoenix Island is an easy read and at the very least a respectable first book despite its numerous flaws. I understand that this will be the first part of a series, which based on the ending of this one can only illicit the response of “Well, duh!” I will be reading the second book and watching to see if Dixon learns from the mistakes he made with Phoenix Island. There is definitely a budding talent here, but he could use a little more refining.
Phoenix Island by John Dixon earns 3 brain chips out of 5.
Note: An electronic copy of this book was provided to this reviewer by the publisher for free through NetGalley. This has in no way affected the content of this review.
Thus begins (and I do mean begins) the story of Phoenix Island by John Dixon, a respectable if flawed first novel that also served as the basis for the short-lived CBS series “Intelligence.” Things ramp up pretty quickly and the reader doesn't have to wait long for the ugly side of Phoenix Island to come to light. And that's part of the problem. More on this in a moment.
Carl is likeable and maddening at the same time. He is a young boxer who has a short temper, but what really sets him off are bullies picking on the weak. Carl has a noble streak in him, and most of the times that he's gotten into trouble have involved him stepping in to defend someone who couldn't defend themselves. It's a likeable if simple trait in an age where anti-heroes seem to be the order of the day. But he also tends to revert back to boxing metaphors for nearly everything, which becomes annoying. I understand that this is Dixon's background, but he need to realize that not everyone is as into boxing as he is and the boxing metaphors become distracting.
The problem with his character come in with his naiveté. Carl, quite frankly, is not that smart. And this is where the above mentioned problem begins to rear its head. It quickly becomes obvious that something is very, very wrong on Phoenix Island. And yet Carl and his friends play along for a lot longer than someone with the aforementioned noble streak should. And as they piece it together, I felt myself wanting to scream at the page what is so blatantly obvious that they just don't seem to grasp. This might be a way of trying to show that they're inexperienced kids, but I found it frustrating and it starts to bring back the previously suspended disbelief very quickly.
Aside from the rather frustrating character flaws that seem to be extremely plot-convenient, the plot runs very quickly. As I mentioned earlier, things ramp up fast, so there's not much of a preamble before the meat of the book starts. It becomes a roller coaster of action and espionage. As a side note, the reader would be well-advised not to get too attached to any of the characters as Dixon seems be taking a cue from George R. R. Martin, and Dixon does not shy away from the darker, more violent aspects of Phoenix Island.
With characters that are likeable but frustrating, a fast but oddly convenient plot, and a dark if somewhat unbelievable tone, Phoenix Island is an easy read and at the very least a respectable first book despite its numerous flaws. I understand that this will be the first part of a series, which based on the ending of this one can only illicit the response of “Well, duh!” I will be reading the second book and watching to see if Dixon learns from the mistakes he made with Phoenix Island. There is definitely a budding talent here, but he could use a little more refining.
Phoenix Island by John Dixon earns 3 brain chips out of 5.
Note: An electronic copy of this book was provided to this reviewer by the publisher for free through NetGalley. This has in no way affected the content of this review.
rflacrtna's review against another edition
5.0
Simplesmente um livro que revira o estômago de tão bom. Alguma editora publica a continuação eu preciso completar a coleção.
cowmingo's review against another edition
4.0
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Holy crap I think it's going to be a while before my heart stops racing. I don't even know where to start. This was disturbing, action packed, thought provoking and at times incredibly disgusting (there is a scene with bugs that made me want to hurl). The author wrote so descriptively that I felt like I was there with Carl and frankly, I didn't want to be. I see how they got a tv show from this story but after reading about the tv show, I will of course stick to the book form. Definitely worth a read if you like action packed (slightly disturbing) freaky sciencey fiction kind of stuff.
Holy crap I think it's going to be a while before my heart stops racing. I don't even know where to start. This was disturbing, action packed, thought provoking and at times incredibly disgusting (there is a scene with bugs that made me want to hurl). The author wrote so descriptively that I felt like I was there with Carl and frankly, I didn't want to be. I see how they got a tv show from this story but after reading about the tv show, I will of course stick to the book form. Definitely worth a read if you like action packed (slightly disturbing) freaky sciencey fiction kind of stuff.
nicoleabouttown's review against another edition
4.0
When I first received a copy of Phoenix Island by John Dixon for review, my first thought was ‘this is going to be a The Lord of the Flies rip off’. Yeah, I was wrong about that. While it does have a feel to it, it is so much more.
In Phoenix Island we are introduced to 16-old Carl whose hatred for bullies, talent for fighting, and multiple arrests have lead to him to being sentenced to serve his time at Phoenix Island for two years. But Phoenix Island isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill young offenders institution. Phoenix Island is in fact a boot camp for juvenile delinquents. And this is where the fun starts because it becomes pretty clear very quickly that life on Phoenix Island isn’t what it seems!
I’m not going to say any more about the plot at the risk of giving stuff away. What I will tell you is that you need to pick up this book. Why? Well, I will tell you.
Phoenix Island is a well plotted thriller novel. The action is enough that it lends to the furthering of the plot, but it doesn’t overdo it at the same time. Once you start reading, you really can’t stop. The characters are actually pretty dynamic, and you really find yourself connecting with Carl in particular as the story moves along.
Phoenix Island by John Dixon is actually one of the better dystopian thrillers I have read in a while. Quite honestly once you’ve read Phoenix Island it will be pretty easy to understand just why it is the basis of a TV show.
In Phoenix Island we are introduced to 16-old Carl whose hatred for bullies, talent for fighting, and multiple arrests have lead to him to being sentenced to serve his time at Phoenix Island for two years. But Phoenix Island isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill young offenders institution. Phoenix Island is in fact a boot camp for juvenile delinquents. And this is where the fun starts because it becomes pretty clear very quickly that life on Phoenix Island isn’t what it seems!
I’m not going to say any more about the plot at the risk of giving stuff away. What I will tell you is that you need to pick up this book. Why? Well, I will tell you.
Phoenix Island is a well plotted thriller novel. The action is enough that it lends to the furthering of the plot, but it doesn’t overdo it at the same time. Once you start reading, you really can’t stop. The characters are actually pretty dynamic, and you really find yourself connecting with Carl in particular as the story moves along.
Phoenix Island by John Dixon is actually one of the better dystopian thrillers I have read in a while. Quite honestly once you’ve read Phoenix Island it will be pretty easy to understand just why it is the basis of a TV show.