shelbymarie32's review
5.0
I was intrigued with this, then I was addicted. A book about an underground city sounded interesting enough and I knew I would like this but I ended up loving it and enjoying it so much more than I thought I would. The book started in an already well established world and the story focuses on the characters and the inevitable of reaching the surface. And as all that happens you get to see and understand how this world came to be.
This is a lot more than just trying to get back to the surface, there is politics, what it means to live, survival, Etc. The characters at first seem a little bland but as the story furthers along the characters start showing their personalities and everyone has their own voice. There is quite a bit going on, many points of view. At the beginning of every chapter you read a recording from the past and a glimpse at how an underground city came to be. The writing is very good and flows well. It definitely hooked me from the start. And I'm quite eager to read on after the ending. The ending was so good and the epilogue was even better. I actually didn't expect it although I should have but I didn't.
I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. It's a quick gripping read with so much going on and leaving you wonder what could be next?
This is a lot more than just trying to get back to the surface, there is politics, what it means to live, survival, Etc. The characters at first seem a little bland but as the story furthers along the characters start showing their personalities and everyone has their own voice. There is quite a bit going on, many points of view. At the beginning of every chapter you read a recording from the past and a glimpse at how an underground city came to be. The writing is very good and flows well. It definitely hooked me from the start. And I'm quite eager to read on after the ending. The ending was so good and the epilogue was even better. I actually didn't expect it although I should have but I didn't.
I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. It's a quick gripping read with so much going on and leaving you wonder what could be next?
irongold's review
4.0
Great ending with an epic final battle. Writing was well done. Only problem was some occasional language.
reads_must's review
4.0
The Amber Project
The Variant Saga #1
Dystopian
J. N. Chaney
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention and I couldn't wait to read it.
The pacing was very slow for the first 30%. I actually almost left it as a DNF because I was struggling but I persevered and at around the 55% mark, it got a lot more interesting and then I couldn't stop reading.
Sometimes the technology and the details became info dumps and were a little confusing.
Part of the storyline is told through transcripts of audio recordings and it took me a little while to get used to them. There are time jumps through the book too and sometimes I had to go back and check the times and places.
I really liked the exploration of the surface and what the characters discovered. It was the most interesting part of the plot, for me.
The characters were well developed. Alex was annoying and I couldn't wait for him to get what he deserved, I liked Mei and her intelligence and Terry, the MMC, had good character growth.
I'm very curious about the ending and what happens next, so I will definitely check out the next book.
The Variant Saga #1
Dystopian
J. N. Chaney
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention and I couldn't wait to read it.
The pacing was very slow for the first 30%. I actually almost left it as a DNF because I was struggling but I persevered and at around the 55% mark, it got a lot more interesting and then I couldn't stop reading.
Sometimes the technology and the details became info dumps and were a little confusing.
Part of the storyline is told through transcripts of audio recordings and it took me a little while to get used to them. There are time jumps through the book too and sometimes I had to go back and check the times and places.
I really liked the exploration of the surface and what the characters discovered. It was the most interesting part of the plot, for me.
The characters were well developed. Alex was annoying and I couldn't wait for him to get what he deserved, I liked Mei and her intelligence and Terry, the MMC, had good character growth.
I'm very curious about the ending and what happens next, so I will definitely check out the next book.
pelargonia's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
angsaysroar's review
2.0
Initially, I had already formed a poor opinion of this book after reading the synopsis. It was too similar to books I’ve read before, however, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot, considering, I am generally a big fan of Dystopian, Apocalyptic genres. The novel itself, I thought was mediocre but the premise was not what I expected. It’s true there were some elements that were similar to other Dystopian, Apocalyptic genres, but there were some variances in the plot that engaged me enough that I was able to at least finish the novel. As much as I wanted to like the book, there were some aspects that left me wanting more and the plot lost a lot of the potential due to lacking development of center pieces that draws a reader in, and as a result, the hook, line, and sinker fell short, leaving me with a sense of bewilderment and the inability to decide how I truly felt once I finished the novel.
Characters
The Amber Project focuses around the main character, Terry, from ages 7 to 15. During this time, the author fails to add enough depth and substance to his character, impacting the reader’s ability to truly relate to the protagonist. If anything, I found that he came off as weak-willed, which to some extent was the intent of the author, and whiny. It left an undesirable taste and rather then finding a connection, I was more interested in the parts of the novel that did not involve his story line.
There are of course supporting characters as well, which had, in my opinion the same problem. The author tried to add depth and substance but fell short and while I found myself wanting to relate to each of the varying characters and their individual stories, I found I could not. The backstories felt forced and incomplete, preventing any short of connection with these characters.
Plot
As, stated earlier the plot had several similarities to other Dystopian, Apocalyptic novels. The idea that each member of society had a specific role delegated to them at a specific age is reminiscent of Lois Lowery’s The Giver. The modifications to the human genome in an effort to save humanity is found again in Veronica Roth’s Divergent, even the need to live underground after a the earth is rendered unlivable is similar to several novels, leaving the book’s history, predictable at best. In short, there was nothing overtly original in regards to the history of the planet and the people still residing there, failing again to truly draw me in.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Amber Project was okay. It didn’t have any characteristics that caused me to dislike the novel but it also did not have any outstanding moments that gave me a reason to want to continue the saga. Several parts of The Amber Project were too predictable and predicated on what seems, the standard plot devices for novels in the same genres. It’s not a book I would outright recommend but it’s also one I might tell a colleague to check out if they were looking for something to pass the time between novels. I can say, I am not sure I will be continuing the series as it seemed the ending was a bit forced and a second thought to the author based on the way the novel concluded.
Characters
The Amber Project focuses around the main character, Terry, from ages 7 to 15. During this time, the author fails to add enough depth and substance to his character, impacting the reader’s ability to truly relate to the protagonist. If anything, I found that he came off as weak-willed, which to some extent was the intent of the author, and whiny. It left an undesirable taste and rather then finding a connection, I was more interested in the parts of the novel that did not involve his story line.
There are of course supporting characters as well, which had, in my opinion the same problem. The author tried to add depth and substance but fell short and while I found myself wanting to relate to each of the varying characters and their individual stories, I found I could not. The backstories felt forced and incomplete, preventing any short of connection with these characters.
Plot
As, stated earlier the plot had several similarities to other Dystopian, Apocalyptic novels. The idea that each member of society had a specific role delegated to them at a specific age is reminiscent of Lois Lowery’s The Giver. The modifications to the human genome in an effort to save humanity is found again in Veronica Roth’s Divergent, even the need to live underground after a the earth is rendered unlivable is similar to several novels, leaving the book’s history, predictable at best. In short, there was nothing overtly original in regards to the history of the planet and the people still residing there, failing again to truly draw me in.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Amber Project was okay. It didn’t have any characteristics that caused me to dislike the novel but it also did not have any outstanding moments that gave me a reason to want to continue the saga. Several parts of The Amber Project were too predictable and predicated on what seems, the standard plot devices for novels in the same genres. It’s not a book I would outright recommend but it’s also one I might tell a colleague to check out if they were looking for something to pass the time between novels. I can say, I am not sure I will be continuing the series as it seemed the ending was a bit forced and a second thought to the author based on the way the novel concluded.
savannahj's review
3.0
3.5, but I don't want to round it up to the same level as other 4 stars...It's an engaging story that really had me hooked at parts, but I feel like the characters were somewhat lacking. They didn't really feel real, I couldn't picture any of them, and sometimes they'd make decisions for reasons that aren't explained and don't make sense, so that makes it easy to guess where the plot is going sometimes. I don't regret reading it, but I don't think I'll continue the series anytime soon. If the concept seems really interesting to you, I say go ahead and read it, but if you're on the fence, you could pass over it without regretting much.
dom1976's review against another edition
4.0
After an toxic gas named Variant, the world is destroyed and the remaining people are living underground. Set in the futur after the catastrophy, they rely on a group of «Mothers» who are tested at a Young age to repopulate the world. Maya is one of their top «Mothers» and one day she agrees to carry a child without knowing anything about the father. Her son Terry is not like the others, he's altered. On 7th birthday, he's happy because he's going to his first day of school. What he doesn't know is that the moment he sets foot in the school he's staying for the next 10 years to be trained as a soldier. The most bizarre is that a lot of kids are also celebrating the same birthday as him and are selected to become soldiers too.
As the years go by , we see them grow up, trained and educated all part of the of the plan to try to go back to the surface.
It was a really great story, well written and the mystery and suspense made you want to read more of the book. The ending does not disappoint.
As the years go by , we see them grow up, trained and educated all part of the of the plan to try to go back to the surface.
It was a really great story, well written and the mystery and suspense made you want to read more of the book. The ending does not disappoint.
ameliapancake's review against another edition
4.0
Really good story, and I'm eager to start reading the next book in the series.
littlefrye04's review against another edition
4.0
This book captivated my attention from beginning to end. The author did a great job depicting a small population of people living in an underground bunker after the world collapsed. They are merely existing. I loved the characters. I recommend it to sci-fy lovers