Mindwalker by A.J. Steiger

Series: Mindwalker (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: memory, brainwashing, psychology, love, technology

Setting: The city of Aura in the United Republic (in the future)

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Lain Fisher

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 393 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: Alfred A. Knopf

Summary/ product description: “At seventeen, Lain Fisher has already aced the Institute's elite training program for Mindwalkers, therapists who use a direct neural link to erase a patient's traumatic memories. A prodigy and the daughter of a renowned scientist-whose unexplained death left her alone in the world-Lain is driven by the need to save others.

When Steven, a troubled classmate, asks her to wipe a horrific childhood experience from his mind, Lain's superiors warn her to stay away. Steven's scars are too deep, they say; the risk too great. Yet the more time Lain spends with him, the more she begins to question everything about her society. As she defies the warnings and explores Steven's memories, it becomes clear that he's connected to something much bigger…something the Institute doesn't want the world to discover.

Lain never expected to be a rule breaker. She certainly didn't plan on falling in love with a boy she's been forbidden to help. But then, she never expected to stumble into a conspiracy that could ignite a revolution.”

My Review:  This book was surprisingly awesome. I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s a unique kind of dystopian book in that it’s set in a society where psychological differences separate people. There it a Type system. Type 1 is most stable, type 4 and 5 least stable mentally. Lain is type 1, Steven is type 4. Steven was kidnapped when he was younger and wants Lain to erase those memories because she is a Mindwalker. It’s Lain’s job to help rid people of disturbing memories. When Lain begins helping Steven against the rule, she starts to uncover something big. And a romance develops between them.

This it such an entertaining read. Steven’s lines are often funny and memorable. Lain’s a great narrator. The romance is funny and kind of good-girl/bad-boy. It’s not as cliché as it sounds. These are some great memorable characters and we get to discover their pasts. There’s a lot of mystery too them. There are quite a few twists in the story too.

The whole idea of Mindwalking is really interesting. This device called a Gate enables you to see and feel what a person is thinking and experience their memories. It’s like virtual reality, but real events.

There’s just such a great story here. It’s a kind of under the radar book. There are similarities to other series here, but it’s pretty unique. Minder by Michelle Jaffe and Uninvited by Sophie Jordan and Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam are the closest comparisons.

Cover Art Review: Beautiful colors and title treatment.

City 1 by Gregg Rosenblum

Series: Revolution 19 (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-Fi

Subjects: robots, survival, adventure, post-apocalyptic, rebellions

Setting: Massachusetts or New York, about 50-75 years in the future

POV/Tense: 3rd person, past tense. Rotating between Nick, Kevin and Cassie

Age/Grade Level: Teen 13+

Length: 279 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover  

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen and Alloy Entertainment

Summary/ product description: “In the explosive conclusion to the thrilling Revolution 19 series, the time has come to win the cities back from the bots—or die trying.

After finally reuniting at a rebel camp, siblings Nick, Kevin, and Cass are willing to do anything to stay together—and free their parents from bot rule. But the leader of the rebel camp has her own ideas. Cruel and determined, General Clay won’t let anything stand in the way of her plan to destroy the robots and all the brainwashed humans. This means their parents’ lives are at stake, but Nick, Kevin, and Cass can’t desert the rebels when they’re so close to freedom. How far will they go to save the world they believe in?

Created in conjunction with Alloy Entertainment; Howard Gordon, the showrunner of 24 and Showtime’s Emmy Award– and Golden Globe–winning Homeland; and James Wong, the executive producer of American Horror Story; City 1 is the gripping finale to the exhilarating Revolution 19 series.”

My Review:  This is the 3rd and final book in the Revolution 19 series about a post-robot-apocalypse society. This series has not resembled Terminator or even I, Robot in the least. It’s written for teens and feel like it’s specifically for those 13 to 15, maybe younger even because the lower reading level. It’s an okay series overall, but it’s not exciting as I had hoped. All the books are pretty short, which is fine, but I feel like not much happens in then, so there’s not much to review.

I did enjoy some of the humor between characters. The dialogue was probably the best part of the book. The third person narration was dull, though. Some of the character relationships developed or were tested. Kevin learns about his and Nick’s grandfather, the designer of the bots. Cass and Farryn become a couple. Nick and Erica still like each other.

The rebels have issues with betrayal and want to kill Erica, but Nick want to use her to help. Kevin makes camo-suits, and decided to use one to enter the city unseen. Nick, Erica, and Cass also go into the city. They all have their own mission. The rebels are taking down the bots inside this city at the same time. Cass want to save her biological parents, who are brainwashed, so she goes to their building and convinces them to leave. Kevin is caught in the city and taken to meet someone important. Nick helps the rebels in their fight.

The different kinds of robots were interesting. The cities that robots put brainwashed people in seemed interesting, but kind of illogical. If robots are logical being and they want to be rid of humans, then why put them in cities? My only guess is that they need human creativity and engineering. I recommend this if you liked BZRK by Michael Grant, Cinder, or any other books that feature either robots or nano-bots. If you’re looking for teen Terminator, this is not it.

Cover Art Review: Cover similar to previous book. Not much to say.

Free To Fall by Lauren Miller

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Near-Future Dystopian Sci-fi Thriller

Subjects: technology, conspiracies, boarding schools, secret societies, mystery, brainwashing

Setting: Seattle, Washington, and then Theden, a boarding school in Massachusetts

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, paste tense: Rory Vaughn

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 469 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover 

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “What if there was an app that told you what song to listen to, what coffee to order, who to date, even what to do with your life—an app that could ensure your complete and utter happiness? What if you never had to fail or make a wrong choice?

What if you never had to fall?

Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.”

My Review:  I have not read a book with such a unique, solid, thought-provoking concept as the one behind Free To Fall. It’s relevant, realistic and completely possible. An app than can make choices for you? I surprised it doesn’t already exist. The Lux in like Siri, but in your own voice and it make decision for you based off of algorithms that weight opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses. I can choose what you eat, wear and do and you don’t have to think for yourself. It promises an easy and happy life. Sounds to good to be true. The Lux manipulates its users. It was created by the company Gnosis, which replaces Apple and almost all other tech companies.

The main character, Rory, constantly uses Lux to make her decisions. Rory herself is smart and study-happy. She likes math and other school subjects. She’s amazed when she gets into Theden. Theden is full of secrets and it uses Gnosis technology in the classroom.  Rory has a roommate named Hershey, which is a very odd odd, unique name for a girl.

Rory and Hershey go to a off campus café the first day a Theden and meet a guy named North. I love North, despite his strange hairstyle and tattoos. He’s not the kind of guy that Rory expected herself to like, but he turns out to pretty a pretty great guy. He’s into music and older computer technology. The romance is not instantaneous, but Rory has a desire to be with him instead of the guys at her school early on.

This book was full of the unexpected. There are conspiracies and secret societies and riddles and simulations. They’re all kind of strange thing. It’s not just one genera. It’s Dystopian sci-fi, but very near-future. It’s a thriller and a mystery and romantic. I read that this book started out as a script for a TV show. I can see how that’s likely. It would be awesome as a TV show or even a movie. It makes you think and it show us that it’s sometimes better to get away for technology. I see everyone on their smart phone when all I have is a cheap cell phone that can’t access the internet. I get jealous, but then I realize I don’t want to be leashed to my phone. I love my computer, but I like real books and nature too.

The climax was awesome and the book ended in a way that let us know that t is a standalone. I never expected to like this book as much as I did. The cover and the synopsis made it sound like it was contemporary. I’m so glad I gave this book a chance and I hope other sci-fi fans out there give it a chance too. I read Paralle by Lauren Miller last year and liked it, but this was even better. Lauren Miller know how to conceptualize a story and then bring it to life. If you enjoyed The Program by Suzanne Young, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam, then you may enjoy Free To Fall.

Cover Art Review: Kind of plain. The pixel effect is cool, but it’s not really eye catching. It fits the subject, but I wish is was shiny or had a more interesting image on it.