The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals.
When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.
After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?
The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.
***
(Contain harsh comments. Beware if you like this book.)
I do not enjoy this book AT ALL. I don't even know how I got through it. This book has so many problems that I can't even begin to name all of them. So I'm just going with three of the biggest problems.
1) The prioritizing just sucks. And I mean plain SUCKED. I get that the robbery is why Ciere and the team go all reckless and stuff for a job that is dangerous. But can you please focus on the job more and stop talking about the whole robbery thing for like half a book? What's the point? And Daniel's point of view... I don't even know what's the point of it. Like I know he betrays Ciere unintentionally. But seriously, the author can explain that bit without using his point of view. And it wasn't until the last... I don't know, two chapters? do we finally figure out the purpose of Daniel being a narrator. Where's your priority?
2) A lot of things go unexplained and I'm just so furious. Like the part where Daniel is (kind of) heart-broken (not in a romantic way) when he sees Ciere's betrayed face. Come on, if you want me to feel the sort-of heartbreak, tell me how close they were before? And I found out little about it. How are you supposed to convince me that they have a close friendship if you don't even explain it briefly other than just throwing out some vague stuff there? That's not an explanation! A lot of background information is unexplained as well. Like the fact that the US and China and the European Union are former allies, but now they're enemies. Why? I don't understand, and there's no explanation for it either. NONE. Wow, thanks a lot.
3) The character build-up does not impress me either. Devon is probably the only person I can possibly like (and Alan, though he doesn't really appear until after three-forth of the book, which sucks). The others? Meh, I don't really care about them. If you want me to feel something for a character, at least show something about him or her? Even Ciere's character seems blurry to me, and she's the main protagonist. Other than that she's an illusionist and she's good at escaping, nothing. Not to mention other supporting characters. I'm done. I can't like a book if I can't even feel anything for the book.
To put it mildly, this is not a successful YA book set in a dystopian world. If you are planning to read this book, I suggest you don't.
Rating: 3.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment