18 Jun 2015

Alive by Scott Sigler

Posted in Reviews, Science Fiction, Young Adult |

Book Title:

Alive

Book Author:

Scott Sigler

Book Series:

The Generations Trilogy, #1

Publishing Date:

July 14, 2015

Publisher:

Del Rey

Date Read:

June 17, 2015

Synopsis

For fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising comes a gripping sci-fi adventure in which a group of teenagers wake up in a mysterious corridor with no knowledge of who they are or how they got trapped. Their only hope lies with an indomitable young woman who must lead them not only to answers but to survival. “I open my eyes to darkness. Total darkness. I hear my own breathing, but nothing else. I lift my head . . . it thumps against something solid and unmoving. There is a board right in front of my face. No, not a board . . . a lid.” A teenage girl awakens to find herself trapped in a coffin. She has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there. Fighting her way free brings little relief—she discovers only a room lined with caskets and a handful of equally mystified survivors. Beyond their room lies a corridor filled with bones and dust, but no people . . . and no answers. She knows only one thing about herself—her name, M. Savage, which was engraved on the foot of her coffin—yet she finds herself in charge. She is not the biggest among them, or the boldest, but for some reason the others trust her. Now, if they're to have any chance, she must get them to trust each other. Whatever the truth is, she is determined to find it and confront it. If she has to lead, she will make sure they survive. Maybe there's a way out, a rational explanation, and a fighting chance against the dangers to come. Or maybe a reality they cannot comprehend lies just beyond the next turn.

My Review

In the back of the book, the author includes a note asking not to give any spoilers away when reviewing this book. While that might make this a difficult review, I definitely believe that this book needs to be experienced by reading it from start to finish, rather than just reading spoilers.

This actual story in this book was nothing at all what I was expecting this book to be about. Although I had read the plot multiple times, it still surprised me. This book was incredibly science fiction-y, deep, and, well, rather stunning at how well the setting was described.

Some of the characters in this book were likeable, yet it is hard to attach or care about others. Some of the things that the main character talked about and thought about were ridiculous, considering their position and the horrifying things that they were seeing and having to deal with. I’m not going to list any spoilers, but these kids come across some things that I couldn’t imagine dealing with.

I was really looking forward to reading this, and I’m not going to lie – it was a pretty decent book – just not what I was expecting. It was a rather fast read for me, but I felt like I was forcing myself to keep going at some points. It wasn’t that the book was boring – it definitely was full of action and very fast paced, but I kept feeling like it was missing something.

The entire plot in this book unfolds slowly, since these kids wake up with no memory of who they are, where they are, or how they got there. They have to piece everything together bit by bit. There are definitely some major plot twists I hadn’t seen coming, and they really make the book worth while.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.