9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great premise, disappointing execution, August 22, 2010
This review is from: New Life Incorporated (Kindle Edition)
First of all, I'll admit I bought this book for Kindle because it was only $0.89 and because of the high reviews. I thought the premise sounded very interesting if a bit cliche - evil corporation vs. small ragtag group of "freedom" fighters. The book had lots of problems: 1. the characters were completely one dimensional, 2. the future elements were completely unbelievable and not integrated tightly into the story (hmm, not sure what to do here - oh yeah, I'll use some cool future-tech to move the story along), and 3. the world wasn't explored fully and hence wasn't very compelling. Why was the public so set against the resistance? How was it that common acts of violence and rape and murder were common-place and ignored by the authorities?
I felt compelled to write this review to balance the super-high five star reviews. This was a good, first attempt at writing. It is not a 5-star work.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't Understand the Premise, August 20, 2010
This review is from: New Life Incorporated (Kindle Edition)
I wanted to like this novel. I generally find futuristic science fiction to be interesting, and you can't judge it on believability because...well, who is to say how "believable" one version of the future is compared to another?
Even with that remarkable amount of leeway, this book tanked for me. The major problem I had was that no explanation is given for the violence between the "Lifers", ie those that elect to get the expensive chip which will give them 50 more years of life, and the "Resistors" or those who choose not to get the longevity chip. At the highest ranks New Life Incorporated it becomes obvious that their "take over the world" domination plot revolves around the importance of these chips, but I never understood why ordinary citizens (unaware of the plot) would react so strongly and violently to someone's choice to get or not get the chip. I don't understand how it would affect either party. Yet the reader is thrown into violence from the first chapter where Lifers are hunting down and beating up Resisters after dark in the streets, and protesting their homes without any explanation as to why they are so fiercely persecuted. I kept waitihng for the author to back up and explain how events evolved to that situation, but no explanation came.
Writing was stilted in my opinion, and character transformations were rushed. One main character transformed from psychologically damaged to trusting in just a few chapters, and after only a few superficial contacts with another character.
All in all, save the time and the 89 cents. I bought and read "Crack Up" for a similar price in the Kindle edition and it was leaps and bounds ahead of this novel in writing, plot, and character development.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this author and this is no exception!, October 30, 2009
This is not my first book by Mrs. Hooley, and this one did not disappoint. I loved the characters, the sci-fi aspect, the plot and the interwoven pieces of humanity that made it real, such as love and regret. She grabs you from the start, and takes you for journey in all of her books. In this one in particular you are introduced to a world born out of her imagination, yet are drawn to the characters as if they were in your world. I recommend this book highly.
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