The Lost Code (The Atlanteans, #1)

Dec 29, 2012 Blythe rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1-star, 2012-reads, almost-fell-asleep, caught-in-a-bad-romance, disappointments, hooray-for-masochism, i-totally-saw-that-coming, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, losing-my-faith-in-humanity, project-dystopian, snark-bait-ooh-ah-ah, take-your-insta-love-and-leave, unmet-potential, read-reviewed

This review contains minor spoilers for The Lost Code.

I knew upon reading the first two, painful pages of The Lost Code that it would not end up being a book that I'd like, but me, being the horribly optimistic and good-hearted person that I am (laugh and I'll make you read this book) trudged on hoping that The Lost Code would garner at the very least two stars from me.

And this is what I get for being optimistic and good-hearted. *sigh* I should just stop being an overall amazing person. (Agai...more

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May 22, 2012 Giselle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, mythology

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this. The blurb gives off a dystopian, sci-fi feel to it. It obviously has some mythology too with the series titled The Atlanteans. So I wasn't sure how all this would fit together in one novel. Well, let's just say that it doesn't lack in originality! A futuristic dystopian world, domes, special genes, Greek mythology, secrets, and an adventure like no other. This is what you can expect from the world created in The Lost Code. Regardless of...more I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this. The blurb gives off a dystopian, sci-fi feel to it. It obviously has some mythology too with the series titled The Atlanteans. So I wasn't sure how all this would fit together in one novel. Well, let's just say that it doesn't lack in originality! A futuristic dystopian world, domes, special genes, Greek mythology, secrets, and an adventure like no other. This is what you can expect from the world created in The Lost Code. Regardless of my rating, I was truly absorbed in this world at the start. It's so different, so much potential running through these pages that I had truly high hopes for it. I can honestly see some readers enjoying this, but I think it would attract specific tastes rather than a general readership.

My problems began with the slow, drawn out way the story is told. We start with a bang with Owen dying, this is then followed by lots of strange happenings that very much intrigued me. But then it takes a very long while to get further into the plot. We spend a lot of time with mostly unproductive tedious details and lengthy paragraphs about the summer camp the book is set in, instead of fleshing out the world and characters, or most importantly, moving on to the heart in the story: the mythology. With over 400 pages, I found myself getting bored and wanting to get to the point. By the time this happened - almost 3/4 through - my enthusiasm for it had died down so much that I wasn't able to enjoy the stronger ending.

This future is bleak. The world is basically uninhabitable because of the sun's deadly rays. People are forced to live underground or inside these Eden domes where everything is fake, but perfect. I didn't particularly buy this. Not the future itself - that is actually plausible, but the domes aren't especially believable. For one, how do they go about getting resources to keep the domes alive? And everyone is so care-free about it all. I never sensed the urgency that you get from dystopian futures where everything is on the brink of destruction. Making the setting inside this perfect, pretend world removes the dismal feeling I was expected to garner.

Our protagonist Owen is a character that I initially found interesting. He's very self conscious without much social experience. He's a bit of an outsider in his cabin but then he starts to realize he's different - very different. However, I never got to know him much more than this. I felt disconnected from him personally, this led me to become a bit detached from the story overall, not really feeling it. I also had a very hard time with his internal dialogue which he refers to as "technicians" dealing with his different organs and needs.

"The technician watching my heartbeat whispered to his neighbor, who was in charge of my blood-oxygen levels. Her screen flashed ominously. A persistent beeping made her head shake. 'There's not much more I can do', she said. 'We're going to need air'." - (Quoted from the uncorrected proof)

He has conversations and watches them "work" like this. Those parts just made me uncomfortable; I found it so bizarre. It's part of the reason I couldn't relate to Owen. There is also a little romance but I never felt real passion or chemistry between them. This may simply be because of everything stated above.

By the end, the story does pick up quite a bit with elaborate Atlantis mythology. If you can get past the overly descriptive nature of the book, the premise has immense potential. The ideas are clearly new and creative; it could become an overall great series especially with some more character development. I'd recommend this to fans of Percy Jackson, but expect a more lengthy, slower paced adventure.

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May 26, 2012 Phoebe added it

Shelves: intergalactic-academy-reviews, science-fiction, science-fantasy

Full review at The Intergalactic Academy

In many ways, Kevin Emerson’s The Lost Code feels like a throwback to the slim YA science fiction novels of decades past. Told through the accessible, easy narration of Owen, it describes a picture of a typical suburban adolescent experience–a summer spent at summer camp–with a heavy science fiction twist. The Lost Code is set in the future, where mankind lives under Eden Domes, perfect paradises of weather and ecology, safe from the horrors of the ravage...more Full review at The Intergalactic Academy

In many ways, Kevin Emerson’s The Lost Code feels like a throwback to the slim YA science fiction novels of decades past. Told through the accessible, easy narration of Owen, it describes a picture of a typical suburban adolescent experience–a summer spent at summer camp–with a heavy science fiction twist. The Lost Code is set in the future, where mankind lives under Eden Domes, perfect paradises of weather and ecology, safe from the horrors of the ravaged world beyond. Owen has come from a human settlement to spent the summer living as suburban kids once did. That doesn’t mean his life is easy, however–he has to confront bullies, hormones, his own health problems, not to mention the gills he suddenly and inexplicably sprouts while underwater.

All of this sounds promising, and it’s made more so by the easy narration utilized by Emerson. In concept and prose, this is the sort of “boy book” that many librarians and teachers crave. It talks to teens on their level; it’s easily digestible and conceptually fun; it would make both a great beach and fit in well on the shelf of a reluctant reader.

But it simply doesn’t live up to all this promise. The first and most significant problem is that it’s just too long. Though the first chapter features Owen’s apparent death (gripping!), the subsequent hundred pages have no true conflict to speak of. Owen deals with a few cardboard cut-out bullies at camp, then falls in with another crowd of teenagers who have likewise sprouted gills. They swim. A lot. And trade conspiracy theories. And flirt and tease. But this was all described in extremely mild, even nostalgic terms. We’re told the stakes are high, but we never feel it. You never doubt for a second that Owen is going to beat the bullies, find people who appreciate him, or get the girl, and so it’s not a particularly interesting read.

When the more significant plot elements kick into gear, it feels too little, too late. Discussions of the ancient Atlantean mythos are particularly dull. Characters hash out and rehash their theories in thudding monotone. And the people having these conversations are mostly undeveloped. Though by the novel’s conclusion I’d begun to get some sense of Owen himself, even his love interest, Lilly, was fairly undercooked. I’d be a loss to tell you anything about her personality at all, only a few hours after finishing the novel.

It’s too bad–cut down by about half, to the length of Animorphs and other successful earlier series in this vein, I think The Lost Code could have been really fun, fluffy and entertaining. This isn’t the type of novel that would ever appeal to lit snob sci-fi fans, but it is evocative of the great commercial science fantasy that’s come before, from Barsoomian adventure stories to Flash Gordon to Star Wars. The problem is that all those serial stories were tightly paced and above all, riveting. The Lost Code instead meanders–when it really should fly.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had such high hopes for this book but ended up being really disappointed. It wasn't because the story was bad per se - because it was good though not great - but it didn't really exist. I know that doesn't make sense, but hopefully I can explain.

I felt the REAL story didn't start begin until Chapter 16 (in my version, page 155 out of 276). That's more than halfway through the book, and after that, it was just about them finding out about who they really are and plans to escape. And the latter...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Soumi(in love with Puck) Roy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-arcs, paranormal-others, sci-fi, owned-copy, sea-creatures, si-fi, books-i-reviewed, young-adult, signed-copies

A myth surrounded by mist, a legend waved through stories after stories, generations after generations, but no one know the truth. I grew up listening to several bed time stories on Legend of Atlantis but I never thought I will find a YA fiction based on that, I couldn’t help but being was extremely curious and took an immediate interest in the book.

Author Kevin Emerson introduces us to a post global warming era where the ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have raised, and the Sun can burn you down...more A myth surrounded by mist, a legend waved through stories after stories, generations after generations, but no one know the truth. I grew up listening to several bed time stories on Legend of Atlantis but I never thought I will find a YA fiction based on that, I couldn’t help but being was extremely curious and took an immediate interest in the book.

Author Kevin Emerson introduces us to a post global warming era where the ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have raised, and the Sun can burn you down. The human kind is living inside a sealed and secured dome that artificially controlled. The story follows Owen Parker, a shy and very average boy living inside such a dome called Eden. After a drowning accident in swimming coaching, he finds himself discovering about his heritage and others like him, who are different from ordinary human beings. Descendent from a highly advanced ancient race call The Atlanteans, Owen can restore the lost knowledge and save the remaining human kind.

WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND

Mythology is a very common in Young Adult novels, but featuring lost city of Atlantis is utterly unique and immensely interesting. I was fascinated by author’s description of Atlantis; the lost city resides below sea level, it was so vivid and life like. The Lost Code was an intelligent blending of mythology and fantasy into dystopia.
Atlantis has always been shrouded by mystery and the truth of its existence is long buried, I must say it was a brave and brilliant attempted by the author to dig up through the traditional knowledge and give it his own twist with a taste of dystopia.

An Ordinary Boy

The story was narrated by Owen, a less-than-ordinary boy who doesn’t fit with adjectives such as dashing or brave. But there is something special about him that makes him extraordinary who can change fate of our world. .
The world we know has long gone, devastated and ravaged by heat and epic change in global climate. People have taken shelter inside a seemingly perfect dome that is not so perfect. Climate change is not that big issue anymore, so what went wrong is past? Descendent of an ancient legendary race, only Owen can unlock the forgotten knowledge in his very gene and restore the balance what went wrong thousand years ago, how his ancestor nearly destroyed the world while advancing their technology beyond limit. Discovering his heritage, he welcomed the changes within him.

The romance thing didn’t play a major part, although I enjoyed both Lily and Owen. They were polar opposite, where Lily was gorgeous and smart, brave and bold, Owen was shy, reserved and down to earth. It’s not a romance novel but their magnetic attraction added some spicy flavor in this book.

The Lost Code is a whole package of surprises with action, myth and little romance. Stated with slow pace, the book gradually picks up speed and went fast by the end. The Lost Code is definitely worth buying and I will not miss the next books
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Jan 23, 2013 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

“History is always written to serve the powerful.”

This was a good book!! :D

This book has some instances of sciency elements in it: When it talks about what it's like outside, the genetic code, DNA, and stuff like that. It also has some mythology about Atlantis about it, though it's not quite like the tradition story of it being underwater and all.

Likes:

Loved the action scenes!
The romance. I liked how there was some, but not enough that it dominates the whole book.
Descriptions of how life was l...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Vivien rated it 3 of 5 stars

Based on an ARC.

‏The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. Earth is becoming a wasteland.

When Owen arrives at Camp Eden, one of the only remaining habitable places on earth, he never imagined that his life would take a dramatic turn. The knowledge he would discover, just may be the key to discovering forgotten history. Little did he know what transformations he would go through

This was a refreshing take on the dystopian genre that seems to be everywhere right n...more

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May 22, 2012 Kellie Sheridan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

As soon as I saw the description for this book I knew I wanted to read it. Atlantis! The idea here is that the planet is in pretty rough shape due to some pretty drastic climate changes. Now the worlds population is living either underground or in what are essentially bio domes, but even those are failing and quickly.

The Lost Code is partly a story about summer camp but it reads like pure adventure, complete with underwater cities, secret codes at ancient legends. Thankfully, we don't get droppe...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Danny rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
I really love the story idea!!! I love all things Atlantis. The beginning was little slow for my taste but it faster and more compelling towards the second half. I loved the mix of science, magic and ancient lore. However, the characters were not so easy to connect to...

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May 08, 2013 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow - a lot of people found this book disappointing... I'm surprised. I liked it very much. Other reviewers have done great plot summaries, so I won't re-invent the wheel. But I do want to present an alternate view of the story, and address some of the reviewer complaints:

I gather that people wanted more action/adventure and less of the main character's camp experience. Some folks felt that the story didn't really begin until the last few chapters, but it didn't seem that way to me - I thought t...more Wow - a lot of people found this book disappointing... I'm surprised. I liked it very much. Other reviewers have done great plot summaries, so I won't re-invent the wheel. But I do want to present an alternate view of the story, and address some of the reviewer complaints:

I gather that people wanted more action/adventure and less of the main character's camp experience. Some folks felt that the story didn't really begin until the last few chapters, but it didn't seem that way to me - I thought the purpose of the first book was to make the awful environmental conditions very clear and give the main character, Owen, time to grow into his new identity. Because the story focuses on Owen himself, rather than leaping right into the mystery of his heritage, he has time to become real to readers. We're following along as he learns to use his newly acquired gift and gains enough confidence to start defending the underdog characters around him. The plot premise is that a high-school kid will save the world; watching Owen grow as a person convinces readers that he has the noble character for the job, as well as the unusual superpower.

One reviewer mentioned that the characters spend a lot of time swimming. To be fair, the book is about kids from Atlantis. Presumably they will swim a lot. But in each swimming scene, more of the story reveals itself: the uneasy truce between five kids with a shared secret, the link to Owen's heritage, the problems with the biodome's manufactured habitat, and yes, the budding romance between Owen and one of the camp councilors-in-training.

I think the folks who didn't particularly like the book probably gravitate to stories with lots of plot twists and action, and prefer that authors leave the introspection and philosophy out of it (which is not a bad thing! Plot twists and action are awesome!) That said, I found it chilling whenever a character described the earth "as it used to be," because the descriptions included references to real events: actual cloning experiments, atmospheric damage, toxic spills, global warming, the growing influence of big business. I wouldn't blame anybody who felt the book came off like a lecture - it sometimes struck me as preachy, and I liked the story - but for the most part, I felt the link between the global wasteland described in the story and real-life environmental issues added an extra level of tension.

As for the slower pacing, my impression is that the author used this first book to set groundwork for the next books in the series. Because we know the enemies, conditions and Owen's backstory, the author won't have to explain any of that in later novels; he can just dive right into the action scenes, knowing we'll understand the who and why. I'm pretty sure the pacing will pick up in book two, and stay fast until the end of the series.

I'm really glad I read the reviews, because now I'll know whether to recommend the book to somebody looking for new dystopian titles. If you read sci-fi and fantasy stories for the action and danger, and generally like books that start with a bang and don't let up, then The Lost Code probably won't be your cup of tea. If you like stories that dwell on characters' motivations and incorporate underlying themes - if you prefer the characters to interact and form relationships between action scenes - you might enjoy The Lost Code.

I guess it's easy to tell which kind of reader I am...
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Jan 01, 2013 Jennavier rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's so much to love about the Lost Code, but I'll try to keep it brief. Owen is an every-boy, not someone that anyone would think is special. Yet as he comes into his own in this dystopian setting you start to see that he really might be the one who can save his world. Add a cute girl and a creepy nemesis and the story is good to go.
I cannot say enough about Emerson's portrayal of teen dynamics. It was so spot on it gave me goosebumps. Very few adults can write about the shifting and exclusi...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: caitlin, dystopian, series, young-adult

The Lost Code, the first in the Atlanteans Trilogy, is like a summer read out of my past, with a modern YA twist. I mean, it takes place at a summer camp, like all the best R.L. Stine books. A summer camp with more going on than meets the eye, also much like an R.L. Stine book. But it also has this dystopian setting just outside the camp, giving it this weird feeling because everyone in the camp knows it’s a lie, a lie that cannot last.

I thought the world building here was excellent. Like, a sum...more The Lost Code, the first in the Atlanteans Trilogy, is like a summer read out of my past, with a modern YA twist. I mean, it takes place at a summer camp, like all the best R.L. Stine books. A summer camp with more going on than meets the eye, also much like an R.L. Stine book. But it also has this dystopian setting just outside the camp, giving it this weird feeling because everyone in the camp knows it’s a lie, a lie that cannot last.

I thought the world building here was excellent. Like, a summer camp out of the 1990s smack dab in the middle of post-apocalyptic world where the Earth is tearing itself apart shouldn’t make sense, but it did. And it worked. And I liked that you never quite knew everyone’s motivations or loyalties.

Now, all that being said I did have a couple things I didn’t like. The plot moved along rather slowly and while it was nice to build the mystery of everything I really just wanted the characters to DO something. And the main character, Owen Parker, read a little young to me. I don’t remember if his age was ever mentioned, but he was among the older campers. And, age aside, he read (to me anyway) like the main character of a middle grade novel. While most of the characters around him read like young adult characters.

Does that even make sense? There was nothing wrong with his characterization, it just wasn’t what I was expecting from a young adult post-apocalyptic novel. I’m hoping he grows more with the books, and we see him become “older” and more of a leader. We got to see glimpses of this near the end of The Lost Code, but I would’ve liked more.

Leech, one of Owen’s mysterious cabin mates and a bit of a bully, was a very interesting character. I liked how he seemed to have the best situation out of anyone in the camp but things weren’t all that they seemed in his life. I’m really, really looking forward to seeing more of him in the rest of the series.

As for the love interest, Lilly, I liked that she was a little older and had probably the most personality of any of the characters in this book. I really enjoyed her story and how out of place and out of time she felt. She kind of represented the whole camp that way. A thing from the past that did not fit into the world surrounding it. I’m not quite sure where I hope her story goes. I liked that she wasn’t automatically part of the mythology but she still could be. Though, I can also see this leading to a love triangle in future books and I’m not cool with that at all.

I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

This book was reviewed at WhatchYAreading.net on June 5, 2012.(less)

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Nov 23, 2012 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, young-adult, for-boys, dystopian, adventure, series, fantasy-magic, norse

It started out slow. About twenty pages in I was wondering "Do I really want to read this?", but it wasn't painful, so I decided to keep going for a bit.

While I didn't find myself completely "lost" in the book, I did become somewhat engrossed. I think it was the mix of sci-fi, dystopian, and myth that kept me hooked. Also, I really liked Owen. He was just an "average" guy - not the dark, brooding, beefy types that seem to always claim the spotlight in YA these days. Owen was averagly awkward.

Th...more It started out slow. About twenty pages in I was wondering "Do I really want to read this?", but it wasn't painful, so I decided to keep going for a bit.

While I didn't find myself completely "lost" in the book, I did become somewhat engrossed. I think it was the mix of sci-fi, dystopian, and myth that kept me hooked. Also, I really liked Owen. He was just an "average" guy - not the dark, brooding, beefy types that seem to always claim the spotlight in YA these days. Owen was averagly awkward.

The world has basically been destroyed due to the ozone layer completely disappearing. Everything is hot and the sun is brutal. There are very few people left alive. Some live within bio-domes called Edens, the others live mostly underground. Owen lives in the Hub, an underground cave, and his dad is thrilled when Owen wins a chance to stay a camp in Eden for a month.

Owen is a little shy, and doesn't like his bunk mates. Then something bizarre happens, he nearly drowns, but instead grows gills. He finds that he's not the only one. He meets another girl, Lilly, who also has gills. They discover that Eden is more than a place to live, there are some creepy underhanded dealings taking place, and part of it has to do with them.

Eden, and all the other Eden domes, are built near ancient worship sites of the Gods. The dome that Lilly and Owen are in, is built over an ancient temple, covered in Norse drawings. It used to be part of an ancient civilization known as Atlantis.

Owen and Lilly are trying to find out what their role is in the new world, while avoiding the evil director, Paul, and find a way out of the dome.

(view spoiler)

I like the concept. It definitely dragged in a few spots, but mostly a good read. I would like to read the next in the series. I just hope it's a little shorter. (less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Amy Jacobs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I have read many books in the Adult Genre featuring the mystery of Atlantis or at least has some sort of premise of Atlantis in the plot. So when this book appeared in my review list, I decided to give it a go and see how it would fare in the Young Adult Genre.

While I enjoyed the book and the character of Owen, I did find the book lacking in some ways. To me, it seemed that the other characters dragged the book down. I couldn't bring myself to enjoy them that much. It wasn't any one particular...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A really original dystopia filled with mystery, Greek mythology and well-rounded cast of characters — but also a very slow plot.

Opening Sentence: The morning after I arrived at Camp Eden, I drowned for the first time.

The Review:

So this book could probably have been a hundred pages shorter. The thing is, without those hundred pages, I’m not sure Emerson could’ve pulled off the summer-camp-on-a-dying-planet aspect off. Humanity is tearing Ear...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, teen

I really liked this book. I knew immediately that I wanted to read this when I saw the book. Anything that has Atlantis in the title is on my to-read list, and combined with the whole post climate apocalyptic world thing going on I had very high hopes, even with it being a YA fantasy book. For the most part these hopes were realized. We definitely got the dystopian atmosphere with The Rise, high radiation levels, nomads, the spread of mass disease and plagues, gill people, a splash of romance wi...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Dena rated it 2 of 5 stars

As I started to read this one, I had a few misgivings - most of which related to the Atlantis Connection. I was dreadfully afraid that there would be mermaids for some reason. Yes, I know it was just me. Mermaids aren't mentioned anywhere in the book description! However, I was hesitant.

However, as I started to read I realized that I liked it. I liked Own and really enjoyed the world building. I was interested in the world inside the dome and outside. I wanted to know how the world got this way...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-in-a-series, atlantis, fantasy-science-fiction, young-adult, dystopia

I admit to a deep fascination with fiction relating to Atlantis - so I had some high hopes for this YA adventure set in a dystopian future. For the most part, the book is a success - it is a lot of fun to read, and definitely has some real adventure and excitement. Unfortunately, it is a bit slow to start and portions of the middle seem slow-paced as well. This may have to do with the amount of detail Emerson squeezes into his novel to offer an authentic feeling world, crippled with high tempera...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson takes place in a post apocalyptic wasteland. Owen has won a place in a summer camp that takes place inside a protective dome. However soon after starting he drowns. After being saved he wakes up in the clinic and then soon finds that he has a big secret. A secret that must be kept from those in charge and one that could save the world.

This is an interesting mash-up of mythology and dystopia. Owen lives in a land that's almost uninhabitable and he finds that an anci...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Anila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: galleys-are-win, reviewed

Alright. *cracks knuckles* Time to get back into the reviewing game.

I have a deep love for the idea of Atlantis. It combines my affection for lost civilizations with my interest in natural disasters and my boundless enthusiasm for wild semi-magical technologies. More than once I've toyed with Atlantis concepts of my own, and someday I'd like to actually take a crack at writing one, if I can worldbuild it to my own satisfaction. So naturally, when I saw 'book one of the Atlanteans' on the cover o...more Alright. *cracks knuckles* Time to get back into the reviewing game.

I have a deep love for the idea of Atlantis. It combines my affection for lost civilizations with my interest in natural disasters and my boundless enthusiasm for wild semi-magical technologies. More than once I've toyed with Atlantis concepts of my own, and someday I'd like to actually take a crack at writing one, if I can worldbuild it to my own satisfaction. So naturally, when I saw 'book one of the Atlanteans' on the cover of The Lost Code, I knew it had to come home with me.

This book came so close to being what I wanted. So close. The protagonist, Owen, develops gills very early in the book and the descriptions of them and of swimming with them were simply fabulous, as were the descriptions of what had happened to the world following the melting of the ice caps and the subsequent Great Rise. I was excited because look! Science! In a YA book! And there was enough about aquatic organisms and ecosystems that I thought maybe this was gonna go all the way, was going to be the marine-centric science fiction Atlantis that I wanted from it.

And then... around the halfway point, I'd say, came the twist that told me I was wrong. The nature of Atlantis changed and from then on I got a lot less invested. Blah blah blah secret experiments, blah blah blah same old cardboard villain I've seen in a whole lot of other YA books, blah blah blah smoochy romance and romantic! tension! caused by outside forces... blah blah blah huge infodumps. But then the ending was rather snappy, and I came away feeling not-quite-satisfied but plenty entertained, and so: three stars and I'll read the next one because why the heck not; this one went quickly.

A couple of miscellaneous notes, because like I said I'm getting back into the swing of reviewing and the re-entry's a bit rough:
- Owen's tendency to describe his body as if it were being run by tiny people was confusing at first, then interesting, then annoying. Unfortunately these hypothetical technicians had more personality in their dialogue than some of the main characters; therefore, his digressions were a problem for me not because of their weirdness, but because I didn't want to switch back to normal Owen-narration.
- I like the idea of the 'Cryos' a lot, and their characterization in relationship to their situation. That was neat enough that I'll handwave the unlikeliness that we'd have gotten working cryogenics tech by the time of the Great Rise.
- None of the characters had as much personality as I would have liked, but I appreciated the fact that Lilly seemed to have an investigative bent and was suspicious of things, and that she payed attention to her surroundings. I wish she'd had real interests, but I'll take vague personality traits in love interests when I can get 'em, especially since in the beginning of the book she was basically just That One Hot Chick Who's Out Of Owen's League. Any personality is better than that.
- Owen's use of the word 'screwed' when wondering about Lilly and Evan's past relationship bugged me. Look, dude, if you're gonna think about whether or not they had sex, think about it that way. This is kind of a personal pet peeve, but I find 'screwed' to be an annoying euphemism.
- Lilly's reaction to having hurt and possibly killed someone, even an enemy, was really believable and sympathetic for someone her age and with her background.

I think basically what I felt when I finished this book was that I wanted more, and not in the sense that I immediately craved a sequel. I wanted more worldbuilding, more science, more action (the pacing in this book is pretty weak, though I didn't notice until I finished because gosh those descriptions of swimming were fun), more characterization, more originality. It was competent enough that I'm optimistic about the sequel being able to deliver these things, and readable enough that I'll take the time to find out if it does. (less)

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May 28, 2012 Majibookshelf Juhina & Farah added it

The Lost Code was another anticipated book of 2012 for me. The cover is really cool, though I don't like it when they show the character's faces because I want my imagination to decide how they look. The synopsis was a bit weird, but it did sound very interesting. I expected this book to be full of fun, adrenaline, and excitement. I'm sorry to say that it wasn't as great as I expected it to be, but it was good overall.
The main protagonist is a boy, which wasn't clear for me until a while. Owen's...more

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May 09, 2012 Dorine White rated it 4 of 5 stars

Its giveaway time- and I have a great YA fantasy to offer up to my awesome readers. The Lost Code by author Kevin Emerson, is book one in the new Atlanteans saga and is published by Katherine Tegen Books. The author is donating one signed copy to a lucky winner. To enter just fill out the rafflecopter form below, if you don’t see it click ‘read more’.
The story- Welcome to the future of Earth, where the ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and solar radiation can kill you. Owen receives the...more Its giveaway time- and I have a great YA fantasy to offer up to my awesome readers. The Lost Code by author Kevin Emerson, is book one in the new Atlanteans saga and is published by Katherine Tegen Books. The author is donating one signed copy to a lucky winner. To enter just fill out the rafflecopter form below, if you don’t see it click ‘read more’.
The story- Welcome to the future of Earth, where the ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and solar radiation can kill you. Owen receives the special honor of attending Camp Eden, a summer camp under a protective dome that offers all the benefits of previous Earth life.
Owen is enchanted by real trees, animals and a beautiful lake. However, on his first trip into the water, he drowns. Yep, right to the bottom. Owen is saved by his DNA, which unlocks an old gene for gills, and sends Owen into a battle for the future. He finds other ‘extraordinary’ teens, and with their help begins unraveling the lost code of the Atlanteans, a code that can change the future and return Earth to its prime. Sounds great, but not everybody thinks so. The bad guys are out there, waiting to claim the power for themselves and send anybody in their way to death.
My Thoughts- Oh Yeah! I love end of the world stories, and this one is so different from what’s out there now that it will find a place on your shelf. Emerson does a great job creating a devastating believable future. The spin is the lost code, secret DNA that emerges in a few individuals granting them special powers and hope. The whole book you are trying to figure out the mystery, and the author does a great job of leaving clues, but not so many that the plot is given away.
Plus, there is intense action and drama. There is one scene in a laboratory that had me grossed out and left me in horror. I enjoyed trying to unravel the mystery, and you never seem to know who the good guys and bad guys are, until the end anyway.
The characters are well written and enjoyable. Owen and Lilly have a cute romance going on, and I have great hope it will continue into the rest of the series. This book is a great mix of science fiction and fantasy and will keep readers reading until the end. Go pick it up asap.
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Feb 19, 2013 Sam (CODE LYOKO EVOLUTION) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, really-bad, romance, mythology, didn-t-finish, genetic-mutation, 2013

It was more like a 2.3 star. So, I rounded down. Because it deserved it.

What is it about?
Basically, the world is in shambles (no surprise there) and there are these big dome thingies that people live in. Apparently, our main character and narrator, Owen, lives outside of this place, underground, and only came here as a prize winner something-or-other. He finds out he has gills and is decended from the Atlantians blah blah blah.

Characters?
We have Owen, who is a totally...not impressive main cha...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Amanda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases

I didn't finish this book. That's probably the best way to start this review -a confession. I didn't finish The Lost Code, because it was just too darn painful, and there are so many things sitting on my shelf right now that I'd rather spend my time with right now. Honestly, I tried to give this book a chance. I read half of it because I had to toss it aside. Why, you ask?

Let's see, where do I start?

The Lost Code is billed as some sort of YA Dystopian novel that's built on the classic myth of At...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an entertaining book and one that's hard to quantify. Obviously it's paranormal (as Owen is descended from the people who lived on Atlantis) but it's also very clearly dystopian (no ozone layer, sun will kill you without the strongest sunscreen possible). And it's also got a bit of a love story in it. (Although most YA novels do, so it's not like I'm really making the case for it being classified as a love story.)

I loved Owen. He's your average guy---I pictured him as being a little like...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Liz rated it 2 of 5 stars

After receiving an ARC, I was hopeful that my first opinion, that it's not something I would spend my own money on, would be incorrect.

And to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure.

Owen lives in a dystopian world, but you couldn't tell from the description. Since the majority of the book takes place inside the dome, an artificial environment made to look like healthy world. He comes from outside the domes, but there is little description of what it was like.

But, obviously, in a book series tit...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Pauline rated it 2 of 5 stars

The story had potential but something was missing... I don't know. I'm just not convinced.

First of all, you don't know how Owen looks or how old he is... You just know he's a teenager, he's skinny and then, not. I guessed, according to the writing and how Owen "felt" like, he is around 15 years old. He couldn't be older than that... And yet, the cover tells you otherwise. Oh well!

Actually, the only character whom we have a description of is what's her name (it slipped my mine), the object of Owe...more

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May 18, 2012 Bookphile rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, 2012, young-adult-sci-fi

The ending portion of the book was definitely stronger than the beginning. Still, I'm not all that excited about this book. It's not as well written as some other ya books I've read, and I wasn't really all that excited about any of the characters, though I didn't really actively dislike them either. I'm pretty ambivalent and would likely have just walked away from the series if the ending hadn't left me wondering what comes next. Still, I'm not entirely sure I'll read the next book. More comple...more The ending portion of the book was definitely stronger than the beginning. Still, I'm not all that excited about this book. It's not as well written as some other ya books I've read, and I wasn't really all that excited about any of the characters, though I didn't really actively dislike them either. I'm pretty ambivalent and would likely have just walked away from the series if the ending hadn't left me wondering what comes next. Still, I'm not entirely sure I'll read the next book. More complete review to follow.

Full review:

The Lost Code is one of those books where I think it's okay, then I strongly dislike it, then the ending redeems it a bit. In other words, it's a completely mixed bag. I was pretty sure I was going to give this book two stars, and then the ending happened and I realized that, if I had chopped off the first 3/4 of the book or so, I might have enjoyed it more. Of course, I wouldn't have been left with much of a book, but the last 1/4 is where the plot really kicks in and things get interesting. I think that if the book had started with the last 1/4 and gone on from there, it would have been a much better read. I can't help but feel that this is a situation where fewer books would translate into a better story. I'm all for series, but only if each book actually has something to say. Alas, this was the type of book where it felt like there was a lot of unnecessary filler in an attempt to stretch things into more than one book. Spoilers to follow.

First up, I will say right off the bat that I really, really disliked Owen's whole "technician" scenario whenever his internal dialog was explored. I just could not buy it. Maybe it's because my own internal dialog doesn't work this way but, regardless, every time it happened, I sort of cringed and wondered if anyone actually thinks that way. To me it felt too much like an intrusion from the hand of the author rather than an authentic window into the character's mind.

The thing that struck me as strangest about this book is that, even though the book is told from Owen's point of view, I never really felt like I knew him. Maybe that was because he was too busy having thoughts of technicians to explore his feelings about the things that were happening to him. He just never really came alive for me, and sometimes I actively disliked him because his thoughts seemed so juvenile, particularly when it came to his growing crush on Lilly. Whenever he started mooning over her, I was tempted to groan and skip ahead a few pages. I was also not very fond of Lilly. She seemed more like a collection of traits than like a person and, really, this is the problem with all of the characters in the book. None of them ever felt like a real person to me. I was always aware of them being characters in a book.

As for the secondary characters, I was interested in some of them, like Beaker, but they felt more like plot devices than people. I kept waiting for something unexpected to happen with Beaker and was disappointed when that moment never came. I can only hope these characters will be more developed in future installments, because it would do a lot for the story if they proved to somehow be a fully incorporated part of the plot.

Another annoyance of mine when reading these types of books is the setting. I just could not buy the whole idyllic summer camp is actually a den of horrors scenario. When characters live in a world with limited resources, it just doesn't make sense to me to place them in settings that seem so idle and frivolous. The logic behind this was far too flimsy to support it. I could buy that it was meant to be a playground for rich kids because the people in the Edens are blissfully oblivious to the real world, but the Edens are never developed enough for me to have been able to make this leap. I was much more interested in Owen's home in the Hub, or in the city, or in the nomads, but I never really cared about the summer camp, so I couldn't help but feel cheated by the unfulfilled promise of settings that struck me as much more interesting than the one about which I was reading.

One thing I did like, though, was the way Emerson used things like newscasts to good effect, in order to give the reader a taste of what the world looked like. I though this was a great way of providing some additional information without breaking the flow of the narrative and without giving me the impression that it was time for an info dump. I'd like more authors to take note of this technique because it's an effective way of showing the reader rather than telling.

My biggest disappointment with the novel, though, was the fact that so much of it is spent telling uninteresting details about the summer camp while the Atlantis mythology is doled out in tiny little bites. It's not that I wanted info dumps for this aspect of the story either, but it was annoying to me to have to sift through all the camp stuff in order to get to the really good stuff. I honestly thought the camp scenario could have been boiled down into a couple of chapters in favor of getting to the real story. I should have been hooked by the beginning of the book and not the ending, because it left me feeling ambivalent about whether I'll bother with any more books in the series. I'm not invested in the characters and I didn't find the camp particularly interesting, so that made me think this would be the first and last book I'd be reading in The Atlanteans. However, the ending did grab my attention, but I'm unwilling to read the next book in the series if it's going to be like this one: a lot of slogging through the boring stuff in order to get to the good stuff.(less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 02, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Family & Friends

Did I like the story? Yes

Could I read the story again? Yes

Will I let my 12-year-old daughter read it? Yes, she’s on page 45 now

Will I read the next in the series? Yes either from Library or at a good price, but I wouldn’t say that I’d stand at the bookstore at midnight waiting on release date.

Will I read other books from the same author? Yes

How many stars? Gave it 4 stars because I answered everything yes above :).

I did read a few reviews before I read the book (won via Goodread’s giveaway), an...more

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The Lost Code (The Atlanteans #1)

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