David Sines
This was a surprising read. I was honestly bored for about the first half. The book is extremely clean though, I don't recall anything vulgar. So, I kept going. The ending payoff was well worth the long build up. The time travel was very well thought out.
Read if:
-You enjoy a good time travel story.
-You don't like profanity.
-You don't like sex scenes.
Don't read if:
-You can't be patient.
-Survival stories easily creep you out. (There was only one thing I thought was gross, and it really wasn't that bad—mildly disturbing.)
I didn't care for this. I think I get why it's popular. It's a very rare perspective in literature—which I appreciate. But I didn't find the story compelling.
Read if...
-You want a better understanding of Native American culture without reading a non-fiction book.
-You have no clue what being part Native American is like.
Don't read if...
-You don't like profanity.
-You don't like sexual references.
-You don't like drug references.
-You don't like references to spirits.
It was a real effort to get myself to read this. First I tried watching the spoof—couldn't do it. Then I tried the movie while multitasking—couldn't get into it. The idea is so appalling and thus didn't interest me in the slightest. But finally, I found the book for sale dirt cheap at the local library and knew this was the only way I'd make myself get through it. Here are my thoughts.
The first half of the book was surprisingly slow. Knowing that the horrible Hunger Games were coming, the intro seemed to drag a bit. So I was almost looking forward to it. Perhaps that was the plan? I had a general idea of the ending of the games—and thought I was going to be disappointed at one point—but the ending was done well. It paid off very well in my opinion.
I don't recall any profanity.
Obviously, there's violence. Plenty mentions of blood and types of wounds. More than necessary, but it doesn't linger on these events for long unless it's for trying to stop the bleeding or the like.
Would I read the next one?
I'm not eager to, but I'm curious. I probably will at some point.
Check out these reviews from Readers' Favorite:
“The descriptions were vivid, the pace was just right, and the mystery was almost a character in the story. To say that I loved the story would be an understatement.” - Rabia Tanveer (5 Stars)
“Like all great works of science fiction, this book poses some big questions about mankind's social and technological direction of travel and its implications. I was entranced by the concepts on show in this story with the idea of a compromised A.I. and the battle to control it. David Sines portrays a vision of the future in which such technology feels tangibly real and constantly ominous. The characters whose lives are touched by the ideas of the story are wonderful to learn about, with Nora and Alai providing distinctive contrasting viewpoints on the narrative as it unfolds. Both are complex characters who are well-realized and given plenty of room in the plot to grow and develop as the events challenge their beliefs and perspectives. It's challenging for science fiction books to balance a story rooted in nuanced characters against the ideological message they intend to explore, but Nora and Alai: Trust manages to excel in both fields, creating an unmissable work of speculative fiction.” - K.C. Finn (5 Stars)
“Filled with mystery, suspense, and plenty of thrills, Nora and Alai: Trust is an entertaining adventure odyssey bound to entice young adult sci-fi lovers. Author David Sines builds on a unique and compelling premise to keep readers hooked throughout the pages. Sines doesn't waste much time putting readers into the thick of the action, and right from the get-go, you find yourself catching up to the breakneck pace of the plot with its unexpected twists and turns.” - Pikasho Deka (4 Stars)
Uniquely Captivating
I'll be honest, I wasn't especially drawn to the story when I listened to the audiobook sample and read the description. It seemed a little too odd. But I'm really glad I gave it a try. Molly was a terrific heroine and a pleasure to get to know. I eagerly look forward to another book by Nita Prose.
There was some foul language, mostly toward the end, but overall very clean—no pun intended.
Like the first book, I wasn't convinced I was going to enjoy this. But it was more interesting than most, so I plugged along. And I'm very happy I did! The last parts came together so smoothly and made for a fascinating conclusion with a thrilling epilogue to top it off. Can't wait to dig into the next one.
I was vastly disappointed. However, I believe this is meant as Literature and NOT commercial fiction, which Literature isn't my area of expertise. So I'm not rating this book.
The book reminded me of the two dramas about artificial intelligence over a decade ago—Artificial Intelligence and the one starring Robin Williams. If you happened to love those movies, you might enjoy this.
I feel I must add a note about the book description. It claims to be thrilling, but it is not in anyway. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out who on earth would find this thrilling.
Rachel is in a mental hospital and believes herself to be responsible for parents deaths. When a reporter becomes a friend and interviews her, new evidence comes to light that makes her question everything. Returning to her home, she begins to remember.
This is a great psychological thriller. My first impressions were that it was odd after a casual mention of a talking spider. As it goes on, there are more talking animals but it starts to make sense, and then you begin to wonder if you are right or wrong–it gets cleared up at the end nicely.
This story is also very clean–aside from the obvious murders. There is one slightly disturbing instance involving ‘the wicked sister' writing words on a belly with a knife, but that's honestly the worst and not too bad–easily skippable.
An intriguing story
Abandoned is a very intriguing story, with a feel-good ending, about a reporter (Eric) who interviews a man about to commit suicide. The man's only comment before his death is a cryptic request.
Being the hard worker he is, Eric follows his nose and reveals the news story of a lifetime. But that's just getting started. He soon finds himself on a journey with the whole world as his audience.
Even when I suspected what was about to happen, I couldn't stop myself from smiling at their triumph.
This also gives a unique look into the life of a reporter. Throughout the book are articles from the protagonist about the ongoing story, which gives it a very artistic touch.
Content is relatively clean—small use of profanity. And though sex is briefly mentioned, it does not go into ridiculous detail.
Sadly, I can't recommend this book to anyone. The writing is very good. But honestly, I had to stop reading it. The language was constantly vulgar. Plus, there is a whole chapter dedicated to the process of one of the characters planning and, I have to assume, committing adultery–I gave up before finding out for sure. HARD PASS. Would have been quite enjoyable otherwise.
It took me a long time to get into this book. The writing is very good. Very leisurely too. I did enjoy it. But I didn't find it enthralling.
There is profanity in this book, but not vulgar and constant. It is though, frequently—if not entirely—from the kids. It also mentions topics of death and rape, but not in depth.
The underlying message about racism and prejudice is done very admirably.