Persistence of Vision

Mar 15, 2013 Scott Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful! Constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Thrilling and sometimes disturbing insight into how we see our own reality and how others might perceive it through our eyes.

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Feb 07, 2013 Meganm922 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, series-i-want-to-finish, requests-completed

Persistence of Vision was incredible! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the premise blew me away. The two opposing theories of collectivism versus individualism were taken to a whole new level in a complex futuristic dystopia with psychological and neurological explanations. The idea seemed so plausible and I loved the way the author focused a lot on brain chemistry being the key. It was such a unique story and I really love the way it was executed. I hate to make the book seem like a far out sc...more Persistence of Vision was incredible! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the premise blew me away. The two opposing theories of collectivism versus individualism were taken to a whole new level in a complex futuristic dystopia with psychological and neurological explanations. The idea seemed so plausible and I loved the way the author focused a lot on brain chemistry being the key. It was such a unique story and I really love the way it was executed. I hate to make the book seem like a far out science fiction full of technological and complicated things because it wasn’t written in a such a way that I felt it was over my head at all. It was incredible without being technologically overwhelming.

The book is written in third person from Maggie’s point of view, which I enjoyed. I felt like I connected with Maggie immediately. She was a strong character, but she also had moments of where she felt small and useless due to her memory loss. She was complex and relatable, especially as the reader is thrown into a world where not a whole lot is recognizable. Maggie’s ability to compare things and figure out how to understand the advanced technology made it easier for me as the reader to understand it, too. I really felt for her, too, as she struggled to make sense of Marcus and her feelings and missing memories and there was a level of conflict there that I really enjoyed.

I loved all of the characters of Interchron. Marcus was a great character and the tension and affection between him and Maggie was interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat from a romantic standpoint. Karl was a sort of carefree character that provided some comedic relief in just the right places. And Doc was one of those wise characters that had a wealth of information. All of the characters had their own issues and depth and I felt like I really knew them all by the time I was finished reading.

I could gush forever about how much I really liked the storyline. The world is so interesting to me and I felt just as eager as Maggie to learn more about it and the abilities of all the people. Learning how the world ended up the way it is was absolutely incredible to me and I’m still kind of blown away by how much I loved it. I just love how it takes some ideas that have been present forever and takes it to a futuristic level the way that it did with so many connections to schools of belief, psychology, sociology, and neurology. The plot was adventurous and yet there was so much room for character development and growth and romance. I could see it all in my head as I was reading and it’s one of those books I’d love to see made into a movie.

I definitely recommend this book to others, even if dystopian novels or science fiction isn’t really your cup of tea because it doesn’t quite fit into just one genre. It’s dystopian, fantasy, science fiction, new adult, romance, with supernatural elements all mixed together. It’s a great story all around with memorable characters and it’s definitely worth reading! I can’t wait to read more books by Liesel K. Hill and I am already eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Krystianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, on-my-shelf, science-fiction, time-travel, favorites

I have no words right now. This book was absolutely spectacular. This is definitely a new favorite of mine and it will have a special spot on the shelf. The ending was amazing and I finally received some long-awaited answers. I'm super thrilled for the next book! If you love time travel and dystopians, then this is a must read for 2013.

Full review to come soon.

UPDATED January 21, 2013

In Persistence of Vision, we follow Maggie, a young girl who keeps having the same memories. About a year or so...more

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May 07, 2013 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Liesel K. Hill’s Persistence of Vision takes a look into the very complicated and compelling life of Maggie Harper. She was taken from her time and brought into the future where she became part of a rebellion against a group of collective hives that are enslaving the population. For a year, she fought alongside with the rebels and established solid bonds with people. She’s even found the love of her life. During one of their missions, Maggie gets captured and has her mind erased. When she’s resc...more Liesel K. Hill’s Persistence of Vision takes a look into the very complicated and compelling life of Maggie Harper. She was taken from her time and brought into the future where she became part of a rebellion against a group of collective hives that are enslaving the population. For a year, she fought alongside with the rebels and established solid bonds with people. She’s even found the love of her life. During one of their missions, Maggie gets captured and has her mind erased. When she’s rescued, she has no recollection of the past year and the rebels decide to return her back to her original timeline. Back in Las Vegas, she has a difficult time explaining to herself about the bruises on her and the feeling of lost times. The rebels realized that the protection of mankind will need to have Maggie return to their timeline. Now she’s back in a world where she is fighting the collectives alongside people she doesn’t know, while all of them know her personally.

This amazing science fiction novel takes readers into a futuristic world where time travel exists and a war that is beyond imagination. Author Liesel’s world-building is highly complex and totally intriguing. Through her descriptive story-telling style, she manages to deliver a world of scientific advancements and technologies that are easy to follow. Written in third person through Maggie’s point of view, readers are given a first-hand experience as she discovers and learns this new world that she has been thrown into. Her experiences with the rebels are felt with full impact with Liesel’s potent writing.

In a world where humans are on the verge of extinction, the villains are presumed to be really bad. Indeed they are! Selfish and only caring for their needs, their acquirement of time travel encourages them to enslave the human race throughout all of history. For Maggie, it either means to fight or just be another victim of their evil bidding.

Persistence of Vision will immediately pull you in, grab you tightly and never seem to let go. Liesel vividly mixes fantasy with real-world politics and ethical issues and it becomes very difficult to step away from the story. As this is the first book in the Interchon Series, the ending presents answers that only lead to more questions. The “to-be-continued” ending is done well as readers will be eager to find out what the second book will lead these memorable characters into.(less)

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Mar 04, 2013 Lehua Parker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Imagine you wake up in Las Vegas to discover you’re missing hours in blackout that you fear is the result of a drugged assault. Now imagine that a few months later, just when you’re finding your groove, you get attacked again, but this time you’re rescued by a mysterious stranger who takes you to a remote location and tells you that he’s from the future.

Yeah, Maggie had a tough time with that one, too.

Past, present, and future blend a little in this series and a good portion of the beginning of...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Page Girl added it

Shelves: action, adventure, dystopian, romance, science-fiction, series

Persistence of Vision by Liesel K. Hill is a science fiction new adult novel filled with mystery, twists and romance. You find yourself in a future world of time travel reminiscent to Star Trek's First Contact and Anthem by Ayn Rand. As the reader you are right there with Maggie, the main character, reeling from the discoveries and scientific advancements in brain research, technologies and of course a dominating world power. Hill's writing is descriptive and thought out, leaving no gaps in her...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Goldie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, adventure, boys, family, fantasy, friendship, magic, murder, mystery, paranormal, paranormal-romance, science, secrets, self-discovery, dystopian, futuristic

Originally posted in My Book Musings. Do visit my blog for the 8-question interview with Liesel K. Hill!

*Copy was provided by the author for an honest review.

There are some books that I just cannot finish (i.e. The Shack), and I thought Persistence of Vision would be one of them. In fact, after three chapters I put the book down because I did not enjoy it, but I persisted and started to enjoy the book by the fourth chapter or so. I’m actually feeling a little put out that it ended so abruptly, a...more Originally posted in My Book Musings. Do visit my blog for the 8-question interview with Liesel K. Hill!

*Copy was provided by the author for an honest review.

There are some books that I just cannot finish (i.e. The Shack), and I thought Persistence of Vision would be one of them. In fact, after three chapters I put the book down because I did not enjoy it, but I persisted and started to enjoy the book by the fourth chapter or so. I’m actually feeling a little put out that it ended so abruptly, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the Interchron series.

There were several things I did not like about the book. For the first few chapters, I did not like the storytelling. It felt so raw and untried, showing signs that this is the first book of the author. And there was this mention of “rainbow of hazel”, I think in reference to someone’s eyes, which I truly do not understand. Is this like a monochromatic hazel hue? Second, by the third chapter, there was still no mention of Maggie’s whole name. In fact, in the whole book there was no reference to her whole name. I think knowing someone’s whole name is important, as it is part of her identity. And that is not something she has lost or forgotten. (For the record, it’s Harper. The detective referred to Jonah as Mr. Harper, but Maggie was never called Ms. Harper or Maggie Harper anywhere else in the book, aside from the book flap). Third, a major character was only revealed in the end. I mean sure, he was referred to around the middle of the story, but his name was only stated at the end.

By the end of Persistence of Vision, there were several questions still unanswered, such as what happened to Jonah for him to get all those terrible scars on his leg? Where did Maggie get her power boost? There was no mention of what happened to her family the first time she left, how long she was gone in her own time, what explanation she came up with. I’m hoping these are questions that will be answered in the next book/s!

There were also some mistakes in the punctuation and grammar. There is one part in the story where the statement of one character lacked a closing punctuation mark. Also, there was a grammatical error (i.e. “And when they’re abilities fail…”) which the editor should have spotted. I do not hold it against them though. Being a copy editor myself, I know how it is to make a minor error after reading so many pages day in, day out.

You might be wondering why I still finished the book and why I still gave it four stars. When I finished Persistence of Vision, I knew it was deserving of such a rating. Now here is why you should give this book a chance.

After my initial difficulties in reading the book, I found that the plot is actually very fresh, which is something that I’ve been looking for the past year. I think this is my first dystopian novel, so reading the book was quite a revelation for me. The plot had interesting twists and turns, and I am looking forward to its development in the next book or so. The idea of pitting collectivism and individualism in fiction was new to me. Those are very strong themes in the book; heck, the plot revolves around the whole battle between the two. I like the viewpoints from each side, which Liesel thankfully provides. In fact, I find myself, while not lured towards collectivism, at least sympathetic of how others can be attracted towards it. Escapism, after all, is not unfamiliar to me.

I truly enjoyed the book because it felt researched, despite it being fiction and fantasy. There were explanations for the scientific concepts mentioned. (Do check out the 8 Qs with Liesel for more info about this!) I even looked up whether the concept persistence of vision truly exists (for the record, it does).

The characters are quite likeable. Marcus is my favorite because while reading I kept envisioning him like Michael (Shane West) in the TV show Nikita. Doc makes me think of an old man with white hair...kind of like Einstein crossed with Lenard from Big Bang Theory, I suppose. I am so psyched to know why in the world that particular line chilled him. But I'm thinking it relates to B. There is so much more about these characters to be explored!

The writing improves as the book progresses, making it easier for me to get lost in the story and for my imagination to get fired up and be right where they are. Well, behind Maggie as she blows up crates. I love it when the author can create a picture enough for me to visualize it as I read along. I think Liesel would soon be giving us fantastic sequels, and I'll be right there with you reading them.

You know how I felt when I read the last word in the book? I was in disbelief. I couldn’t quite believe that’s the last page. I kept flicking the page in my Nook tablet, but no, that was it. I am so glad that this is a series, so there is more to look forward to! And I do want to get my hands on the next books. I’m feeling slightly giddy in anticipation already.(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-read-in-2013, 5-stars-2013, paranormal-read-in-2013, read-in-2013

Maggie our main character really makes it easy to understand the world you find yourself in.At first we see she is afraid and scared as she and her brother have a lapse in memory and lose 12 hours. She really grows and comes into her own as the story progresses. I love how you get to see her compare the different time periods. Marcus I love. He seems so strong, so caring and he even has a power that I think suits him perfectly. There is tons more of characters to get to know but these two are m...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-for-author, for-review, in-my-collection

Huge thank you to Liesel Hill for providing me a copy of her novel, Persistence of Vision (Interchron #1 in exchange for an honest review.

Persistence of Vision (Interchron #1) starts off with Maggie Harper and her brother partying it up in good old Las Vegas, But then without warning Maggie has these visions that happen so quickly that before she can release what’s happening she wakes up 12 hours later in a hotel room with her brother and with no recollection of how she got there you know that s...more
Huge thank you to Liesel Hill for providing me a copy of her novel, Persistence of Vision (Interchron #1 in exchange for an honest review.

Persistence of Vision (Interchron #1) starts off with Maggie Harper and her brother partying it up in good old Las Vegas, But then without warning Maggie has these visions that happen so quickly that before she can release what’s happening she wakes up 12 hours later in a hotel room with her brother and with no recollection of how she got there you know that saying what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas well were about to find out if it’s true.

Then where thrown into Maggie’s life about year later she still trying to come to terms of what happen in Vegas that night but she is trying to move on from that night and then she gets attacked by some guy who has this weird spider looking web tattoo across his face .Then out of nowhere here’s another guy coming to her rescue and now Maggie is on the run with this guy and the only thing she knows about him is that his name is Marcus and somehow she has a connection to him.

Then Maggie is dragged into a world at war where humans are being enslaved by something called the Collective Hives and they will stop at nothing to have Maggie killed what a thrill ride from then on. Marcus lets Maggie know he is part of a rebellion fighting against the hive and that Maggie is a Prophet brought fourth to help save mankind. It’s a lot for a girl to take in I tell you but that doesn't stop Maggie’s she is a heroin all her own she is strong, brave ,fierce and she is not giving up without a fight.

One of the things I loved about Liesel’s writing was how scientific she was especially when it came to the brain I could not put this book down it was like an explosion of knowledge thrown at you and with the twist of dystopian my new found love I could have asked for anything better!!! I need to stop writing cause if I don’t I’m going to start spilling all these spoilers if you haven’t read dystopian yet I suggest you start with Persistence of Vision (Interchron #1) you won’t be disappointed.(less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Lyra Gill rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review is also posted HERE

I've read my fair share of New Adult novels over the past few months, but this is the first New Adult novel I've come across that doesn't adhere to contemporary sub-genre. Upon reading the blurb, I knew that I had to read this book - I love stories with Sci-Fi aspects, and I felt that the time has come for me to explore other novels under the general umbrella of New Adult. And let me tell you - I don't regret reading this novel one bit!

This is not your average dyst...more This review is also posted HERE

I've read my fair share of New Adult novels over the past few months, but this is the first New Adult novel I've come across that doesn't adhere to contemporary sub-genre. Upon reading the blurb, I knew that I had to read this book - I love stories with Sci-Fi aspects, and I felt that the time has come for me to explore other novels under the general umbrella of New Adult. And let me tell you - I don't regret reading this novel one bit!

This is not your average dystopian read - as a matter of fact, I'd have to say that I consider this novel to be more Sci-Fi in nature. Readers are introduced to concepts (some truly exist and while some were invented by Hill) that are very scientific, and I was truly awed at how apparent it was that Hill paid due attention to the most infinitesimal of details while writing this novel. Everything was meticulously researched - no random terms were thrown around haphazardly - and every piece of information had its purpose towards the general plotline. Moreover, I didn't come across any plot holes (and we all know that plot holes are rather difficult to escape in dystopian and Sci-Fi novels), and simply put, I'm impressed at how polished and tightly edited this novel was.

The first few chapters were jam-packed with vital information in regards to the world created by Hill, and I suggest that the readers pace themselves to absorb as much as they can. Through everything is explained in a manner that is easy to understand - we relearn things with Maggie as she struggles to recuperate through her time loss - my brain did end up screaming 'information overload' a few times. It actually took me a while to get through the first few parts of the book because there was just too much to learn! Also, because the first part of the story deals with Hill establishing her world and her characters, the pacing is a little slow, but don't let that discourage you - once Maggie accepted her role in the grand scope of things, the story picks up, and you're in for one heck of a ride.

I do wish we could have had known more about the characters though. Obviously, I ended up knowing quite a lot about Maggie since we're in her head most of the time, but the other characters are all the more intriguing, and I think they haven't been explored enough. While I did appreciate that we relearned things with Maggie, I truly wish we could have had the chance to see the POVs of some of the secondary characters. (Can I just mention how cool some of their abilities are? I don't want to spoil things so I won't state what those abilities are exactly, but they're really amazing!) Moreover, I loved how they cared so much about Maggie, and yet at the same time, it was obvious to me that they were hiding something from her and I have to know what that is!

Plotwise, this novel is wholly original. I haven't read anything that is remotely close to what this book brings to the table, and I honestly found myself agog at some of the things that happened throughout the course of the novel. Moreover, I found it incredible that Hill managed to tie together a multitude of different aspects to create an engrossing read, and I can't wait to see what else Hill has in store for her readers in the succeeding sequels!
(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Nickie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

One afternoon, Maggie and her brother black out and wake up in a strange hotel room. Police are mystified since the two seem to be unharmed, and none of their personal possessions are stolen. Maggie lives the next year in a state of mild paranoia, trying to piece together what happened that day, and why she was the target.

A year later, Maggie is attacked in her home, but rescued by a mysterious stranger. The stranger...more I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

One afternoon, Maggie and her brother black out and wake up in a strange hotel room. Police are mystified since the two seem to be unharmed, and none of their personal possessions are stolen. Maggie lives the next year in a state of mild paranoia, trying to piece together what happened that day, and why she was the target.

A year later, Maggie is attacked in her home, but rescued by a mysterious stranger. The stranger, Marcus, tells Maggie that her blackout was a consequence of being transported into the future. In Marcus's time, collectives of human (think of Star Trek's Borg) unite human brains into communes. He and the remaining free humans resist being pulled in to the collectives, and need Maggie's unique talents to help.

What I liked about this book:
The premise. It's no secret that I love science fiction. We're living in an age of great change -- within one hundred years of the discovery of penicillin, we mapped the human freakin' genome. About 60 years after man first flew in an airplane, we put people on the moon. THE MOON, guys! Hill applies this acceleration of technology to a new (to me) area -- the mapping of brain functions and brain chemistry. In Hill's vision of the future, all brain functions have been perfectly recognized, so they can be perfectly exploited. It's a fascinating idea that was explored throughout the book.

Hill also does a great job exploring the tension and awkwardness between Maggie and Marcus. When Maggie had previously been taken to the future to help, she and Marcus had a relationship. Her memory was wiped when she returned to her time, so when she sees Marcus again, she feels very conflicted. He remembers a relationship that she can't recollect.

What I didn't like about this book:
There were several areas in this story heavy on exposition, which were a bit hard to wade through. Some of the explanations of the science could have been better integrated throughout the story.

While some of the characterizations were rich and complex (Hill did a great job with the leads, Maggie and Marcus), a few of the background characters got left behind.

Final verdict:
3 1/2 stars. I'm rounding up to four since I can't do half stars, and I liked it too much to round down. I know this sounds like a weird description, but the book was like a NA Twilight mixed with Star Trek, and it was pretty darn good, too. Hill explores some of the hive mind idea explored by TNG in the Borg collectives, and infuses a close look at the people and relationships. I'd recommend this to fans of light science fiction.(less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Charlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-request, ebook

This is such an interesting high concept dystopian novel. The discoveries that have occurred in this author's vision of the future is backed by some very convincing science that is very well explained and adds depth to the world-building. It is very detailed though, so the reader must really pay attention to take it all in. The mystery of Maggie's past is maintained throughout as pieces of the puzzle are gradually revealed. It's a very intriguing way to develop a story that keeps you turning pag...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Fara Nani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, favourite, received-for-review

Review on blog: Tumbling In Books

Who cares about that weird tattooed eye man cover? This book is freaking awesome! Mind power y’all!

I admit, it starts off a bit slow in the beginning of the book what with the scientific terms and all(maybe I was just having a reading slump. But thank God that I’m in Sophomore year or I won’t be able to understand those scientific terms!). But once it was through with that phase everything was like a climax!

In Persistence of Vision, it definitely shows that Lies...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Angela R. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

When I first received this book, having won it through a Goodreads giveaway, my first impression was "why the heck did want this again?" Reading the blurb on the back, it smacked of young adult dystopian novel with enough teenage angst and sappy (but innocent) romance to make me puke. Kind of like the Hunger Games, but even more implausible. Seriously, the main character is a member of the "Brain Chemistry Optimists" or "BCO" and learns to use the magical powers of her brain?

However, once I sta...more When I first received this book, having won it through a Goodreads giveaway, my first impression was "why the heck did want this again?" Reading the blurb on the back, it smacked of young adult dystopian novel with enough teenage angst and sappy (but innocent) romance to make me puke. Kind of like the Hunger Games, but even more implausible. Seriously, the main character is a member of the "Brain Chemistry Optimists" or "BCO" and learns to use the magical powers of her brain?

However, once I started reading I somehow got sucked into Hill's vision of the future. The main character Maggie was very sympathetic, and made a completely absurd situation seem reasonable. Poor Maggie learns that the "blackout" she experienced a year ago was really caused by time travel to the future where she helped the BCOs in their war against the collectives. Now Maggie is back in the future with no memories of her previous time there, save for a few flashes of memories which she doesn't understand. She has a boyfriend, Marcus, whom she can't remember, friends she doesn't know, and an important place in a prophesy that nobody will fully explain to her. On top of this, she needs to learn how to unlock those psionic powers in her brain that apparently all humans possess but only in the future learn how to use.

You read the above plot summary and probably think this is only something a young adult reader would find interesting, and I do think that is the target audience for this book. Though there is plenty of action, much of the plot deals with Maggie's feelings and sense of finding her place in the world. Her relationship with Marcus is very innocent and sweet. Good guys are all good, and bad guys bad. There is a fresh and naive feel to the writing, not the gritty realism of many adult novels. That said, I LOVED it! The plot twists kept me guessing and riveted to turning those pages as fast as I could. I read this book in 2 days. I absolutely COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN, and that is the best review I can give. Looking forward eagerly to the next one!(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Elicia (Girl in the Woods Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

You can also find this review at http://girlinthewoodsreviews.blogspot...

Detailed Review: I like to think that there are two groups of authors in this world:

a) Authors who can make a fantastic story using the most ordinary circumstances and mythology.

b) Authors who use their imagination to create stories that are just as good as the first group's.

This author certainly lands in group B. Why? This is just totally AMAZING. Let me tell you 5 reasons why:

1. Original. Ah. I feel like I'm sitting and...more

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Jan 19, 2013 ~Kate~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, arc, dystopian, ebooks, new-adult, own, author-a-z, new-to-you-author, title-a-z, 4-stars, funny-in-parts, heartbreaking, recommend, romance

When I first started this book I was really confused as to what was happening it even got to the point of me wanting to stop reading it, but, I continued on through and it got so much better that I didn't want to put it down. Things do get explained and then there would be other questions thrown into the equation but these ones didn't make the story confusing. There was still unanswered questions at the end of the story which i can't wait to find the answers in the next book. I loved that there...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4review, fun, interesting, sf, time-travel, mental-powers, female-lead

Overall, the tale was an interesting one bringing together several tropes I had not found in one book before. There’s the super hero-like mental abilities, time travel, a dystopian future, the fight for individualism, and a main character with lost memories. Stir thoroughly, add a dash of Evil Overlords, a pinch of romance, and a hint of some other world memory goddess, and you have a fascinating plot. While I believe each of the characters could have used more description, each had their own di...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Allison (Rally the Readers) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, kick-arse-heroines, time-travel

Also posted on Rally the Readers.

* A copy was provided by the author for review.

4.5 Stars

Dystopians have become remarkably popular ever since the The Hunger Games . They usually maintain the same guidelines: a broken society, often as a result of plague or war, and a group of righteous characters devoted to mending the tattered world. Therefore, my taste for regular dystopians has sadly been waning. I just don't like the conformity that is now following this genre. Reading Persistence of Vision...more Also posted on Rally the Readers.

* A copy was provided by the author for review.

4.5 Stars

Dystopians have become remarkably popular ever since the The Hunger Games . They usually maintain the same guidelines: a broken society, often as a result of plague or war, and a group of righteous characters devoted to mending the tattered world. Therefore, my taste for regular dystopians has sadly been waning. I just don't like the conformity that is now following this genre. Reading Persistence of Vision has been utterly refreshing. It's different. Not in the one or two new unique things different, but in an entirely new twist different. There's time-traveling and other various supernatural abilities. It's like X-Men meets dystopian, meets sci-fi! Everything mixed well together and contributed to the enjoyability of the story.

Persistence of Vision is one of the most mysterious books I have ever read. As the reader, you are left with gaps in the information. This wasn't a bad thing; actually, it was rather intriguing. I like figuring things out; I'd like to fancy myself the Sherlock Holmes of the book world, so it was really fun piecing together the pieces of the puzzle. The main character, Maggie, had missing memories, resulting in the mystery bit of the book. This was all very clever.

Maggie was a great heroine. She was fearless without being unrealistic. She took what she learned in stride and did the best with what she had. This was admirable, especially since everything about this world was complicated. I feel like I need to go into more detail about the story line. So, in the future, society has crumbled, hence the dystopian genre, and everyone is pretty much mindless and telepathically chained to each other. This is called the collective. Now, the intentions were good. The collective made the world an easier place to understand, but then the baddies became power hungry and went on a world domination rampage. The rebels, or the individualists who are not linked to the collective, do what they do best—rebel. Maggie is obviously in the middle of all of this, being the prophecy's "executioner" of the collective. The whole plot line can be quite confusing, and I think that's where Maggie's memory loss came in handy. The reader doesn't have to shield himself or herself from an information overload. The world was explained slowly as Maggie relearned everything.

The other characters were very likable. Marcus was Maggie's love interest. They had romantic history, but after Maggie lost her memory, things obviously changed to a more awkward note. He was sweet and patient through all of this. I did, however, like David better. I am not ashamed to say that I gleefully ship David and Maggie, rather than Marcus and Maggie. My favorite character was Karl. I usually become annoyed with secondary characters, especially if they are purposely placed as comic relief. That wasn't the case with Karl; I found him hilarious. He has a sense of humor that I can relate to. Karl would enthusiastically crack a very funny joke and everyone else would just roll their eyes and tell him to shush. That happens to me all the time! I feel you, Karl!

The world building was well thought out and, for the most part, neatly and evenly covered. One of the two things that bugged me was Jonah, Maggie's brother. Jonah was introduced into the book, seemingly important, and was dropped off within the first thirty pages. The guy seemed significant enough. He was there when Maggie disappeared into the future, but nothing that happens to him is ever elaborated on. Jonah must know something; he was right there! The other little thing that bothered me was the lack of interaction with the true antagonist. I wanted to know more about this bad guy and I barely got anything. The team didn't really get into the thick of the action until the end of the book, and all of that seemed to happen in a blur.

The ending killed me. I would love to say that Ally Holmes foresaw everything that went down, but I can't. Persistence of Vision is a complicated book. It's impossible to unravel all the secrets in one go, though I did have fun trying. I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't imagine what's in store for the sequel.(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-egalley-for-review

Holy insane meatballs! That's how I will describe this book. I had no idea what to expect when I accepted this book for review.....a fantasy, new adult book?? What?? I was intrigued, and I am very, very happy with the end result!

This is one of those stories that is very hard for me to write a review for. There was so much going on, that I can not put a synopsis into words. You just have to read this book for yourself to find out what all the hype is about!

There were parts of the story where I wa...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Dia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read other book reviews at Book Junkie Joint.

A well-planned and well-written, thrilling dystopian which is like a mix of the movie Push, and the hit TV series Heroes!

The beginning of the story was slow because of the confusion of the lead female from whose point of the view the omniscient narrator was telling the story. Perhaps, it may make the reader feel confused as well. I know I did feel a little bit off at the beginning, but giving the story time to take root and unfold would be the best co...more Read other book reviews at Book Junkie Joint.

A well-planned and well-written, thrilling dystopian which is like a mix of the movie Push, and the hit TV series Heroes!

The beginning of the story was slow because of the confusion of the lead female from whose point of the view the omniscient narrator was telling the story. Perhaps, it may make the reader feel confused as well. I know I did feel a little bit off at the beginning, but giving the story time to take root and unfold would be the best course of action to take. I’m pretty glad I continued reading!

Aside from being a dystopian, young adult story, Persistence of Vision also largely incorporates sci-fi elements and political ideologies into the storyline. It’s literally a mish-mash of so many things, but the author was able to weave a compelling story in such a way that it wasn’t confusing or unclear.

The plot was very well-planned, and the whole book was very well-written. Even though I haven’t experienced living in the world where the characters in this book existed, I could picture out everything clearly. From the way the individualists live, to the Interchron compound, and even how David struggled to break away from the collective – everything was picturesque and very detailed. I could even picture this book being made into a movie!

As for the characters, everyone was distinct enough that I was able to differentiate one from another. By the end of the story, this may sound weird but I felt that I even personally knew each character myself. I especially adored David because he’s a combination of honesty, vulnerability and courage, and I loved how his growth was portrayed in the story. Also, I wish to know more about Nat and Doc because they are intriguing. I bet they know a lot more than they openly let on. Smart people can often be sneaky and conniving, after all.

By the end of the story, what was unclear at the beginning finally made sense, but more questions were left unanswered and I really wanted to read more!

What were Marcus and Karl planning to do? What made Maggie give up her memories? What was it about Marcus that made Maggie want to give up her memories? What about Colin and his blood-sucking whatever? Where will they find a replacement Concealer? Where will they find a Deceiver? And how were they going to complete the prophesied members? When will Maggie and the other individualist reunite? I have so many questions that I want answered, I’m already awaiting Book 2!

I highly recommend this book to people who are fans of super powers and super heroes! And also to those who might want to read a thought-provoking dystopian story!
(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Sarika Patkotwar rated it 3 of 5 stars

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Persistence of Vision from author Liesel K. Hill in exchange for an honest review. We thank Liesel for the book!

"In a Persistence Of Vision, you keep seeing something that was there, even after it's gone. You look at the sun and then you shut your eyes, and you'll still see a purple sun flaring behind your eyelids. Persistence Of Vision is the term for the phenomenon of seeing it, even after it's gone."

Absolutely cool stuff, right?
I read Persistenc ...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Reeses rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: recieved-for-review

Originally posted: Reese's Reviews
I received a copy of this book for an honest review!
Holy toast and bread! This book is honestly one of the most mind blowing and complex books I have ever ever read. Liesel Hill has taken writing and world building to a whole new level. Before I start my review I would like to say thank you to Liesel for following my blog and asking me to be apart of her blog tour.

Maggie Harper's is in Las Vegas with her brother having a drink when suddenly she sees a flash of i...more Originally posted: Reese's Reviews
I received a copy of this book for an honest review!
Holy toast and bread! This book is honestly one of the most mind blowing and complex books I have ever ever read. Liesel Hill has taken writing and world building to a whole new level. Before I start my review I would like to say thank you to Liesel for following my blog and asking me to be apart of her blog tour.

Maggie Harper's is in Las Vegas with her brother having a drink when suddenly she sees a flash of images and then almost 12 hours later Maggie and her brother find themselves wake them up in a hotel room with no memory of how she got there.

Exactly a year later she finally thinks his life is back to normal although feeling as if something crucial is missing from her life when she's attacked by a man with a strange tattoo who seems to recognize her. Next thing she knows the man she had seen right before she was taken in Las Vegas shows up at her door and saves her. Now she's running for he life up the mountain with this strange man into, the future.

Maggie then finds out she's been in this strange world before. She knew these people and became a crucial part of this rebel team who is fighting against the collectives. Struggling with relearning all this information and fighting to remember everything she has forgotten, including Marcus the man who she feels safe around. She learns that she has powers and she is the tool to bring down the collectives once and for all. When more and more pieces come together she begins to find out that her situation and memory loss are far more complicated than anything she or the others could have imagined.

Maggie's world is complex and amazing. There are people with amazing powers and the world while both amazing is also deadly and unsafe. The world is so intricate and vast it's amazing. A lot of the terminology had to do brain's and science and it was all over the place with awesomeness. Since I'm a psych major I found the way Liesel described and made her world so amazing and wonderful. To think if brains could do what she said was so amazing.

Overall, this book was awesome. It was a tad slow for me to start with taking in the new world and trying to understand and put to use the terminology. However, once Maggie's story was in full swing I could not put this book down for a moment. I hope you all pick up a copy ASAP, because this book is amazing and i am so dying right now for the second book because that ending was just, WOW! (less)

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Feb 17, 2013 Lee (Rally the Readers) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, new-adult, dystopian, for-review, futuristic

Also posted on Rally the Readers.

* A copy was provided by the author for review.

4.5 Stars

At this point in my reading life, I feel like I’ve read enough dystopian novels to realize that I have a love/hate relationship with them. When I can immerse myself in the world and think, hey, this could really happen, we’re OK. When the world lacks enough details of how it came into existence or worse, is just nonsensical, well, we have a problem. Knowing our rocky history together, I now try to be extra s...more Also posted on Rally the Readers.

* A copy was provided by the author for review.

4.5 Stars

At this point in my reading life, I feel like I’ve read enough dystopian novels to realize that I have a love/hate relationship with them. When I can immerse myself in the world and think, hey, this could really happen, we’re OK. When the world lacks enough details of how it came into existence or worse, is just nonsensical, well, we have a problem. Knowing our rocky history together, I now try to be extra selective about the dystopians I choose to read. I’m still bound to make mistakes, but happily, Persistence of Vision was not one of them.

This book revolves around the idea that in the future, the human brain will be mapped, its inner workings unlocked like never before. Tapping into the power of previously unused areas of the brain has made abilities like healing and telekinesis possible. As with all discoveries, however, there are some who would exploit this knowledge for nefarious purposes, and that is the scenario Persistence of Vision poses. The majority of the population lives in collectives, linked together through the mind. A group of individuals, of which the protagonist, Maggie, is a part, fights to free those in the collectives. I loved this concept and the crystal clear manner in which the formation of the collectives was explained. Liesel K. Hill’s world building is top-notch here. I never felt overwhelmed by scientific facts and jargon; the details were presented in a logical, eloquent flow that made this world easy both to understand and to find plausible.

Although most of the story focuses on Maggie, I thought that the book had an ensemble feel to it as well because of how fleshed out the supporting characters are. It’s quite fitting because working as a team is so vital to Maggie and her companions in order to bring down the collectives. I liked reading the team members’ back stories about how they ended up at Interchron, their mountain base of operations. As for the characters themselves, Maggie is a strong, resilient heroine who doesn’t allow her memory loss to become a cause for self-pity. She has to relearn everything she’s forgotten since leaving Interchron and being returned to her own time and willingly does so because the mission is so important. I loved Karl, one of Maggie’s best friends on the team, for his vibrant personality and sense of humor. I have to say, Karl has one of the coolest abilities among the team: time travel. I also liked how Marcus, the healer of the group, gave Maggie plenty of space upon her return to Interchron. The two were once close, but Maggie recalls nothing. It’s obvious that Marcus wishes she could, but he never presses her about their past together, which I found very sweet.

In a genre that sometimes gets bogged down in overcomplicated scientific explanations and disaster scenarios that stretch credulity, Persistence of Vision always maintains its focus on the story. And it’s a story that I found extremely fascinating—the battle to retain individuality and free will in a world mostly fallen to collectivism. This is an excellent sci-fi/dystopian novel with one of the most thought-provoking premises I’ve read about in a dystopian. Liesel Hill’s writing and storytelling are both stellar, and I eagerly await the next installment of this series.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Jen {The Book Twins} rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-fiction, mythology, time-travel, romance, new-adult

Posted @ my blog
The Book Twins | YA & Adult reviews

Meet Maggie Harper. She and her brother are having a night out on the town in Vegas, that is until she then wakes up with the last 12 hours of her memory missing. Disappeared.
After unable to find out what happened during those hours missing. The police couldn't do anything either, so Maggie has no choice but attempt to move on with her life. One thing she does remember is a flash of a guy.

Flash forward a year and Maggie doesn't like to form...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Daphne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-challenge

Wooot! First Blog Tour Ever! Huge thank you to Liesel Hill for inviting me to be a part of her tour and providing me a copy of her debut novel, Persistence of Vision! :D

*Does Happy Dance*

photo t-swift-happy-dance_o_GIFSoupcom.gif

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's move onto the actual book, shall we? Persistence of Vision was definitely something I have never encountered before! I'm usually a pretty eclectic reader when it comes to books, but the Sci Fi/Time Travel genre has never been of interest to me. I've tried read...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, dystopian, own

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Hill's debut. The cover does not help out the book, nor does the synopsis accurately convey what Persistence of Vision is really about, in my opinion. What I found in Persistence of Vision was a well-written, quite readable, and thought-provoking novel that defies easy classification, or even easy explanation.

Ever since Maggie and her brother were drugged and found in a hotel room with half a day of their lives unaccounted for, she's fel...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off, I would like to thank Ms. Liesel K. Hill for asking me to review this book and sending me a copy. Totally did not regret saying yes to her offer. :) Since, I feel so thankful, I'll be doing this review in my normal reviewing posts way. ;)

The Cover:
I think the cover is scary. LOL. When my English teacher saw it, she was like 'ooohhhhh'. I'll tell you why she saw it later... i like how I know who the guy is when I just began to read the book. So, good job explaining there. ;)

The Chara...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Brandee Price rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm so glad I stepped a bit out of my box to read this exhilarating, suspenseful debut! Persistence of Vision is well-paced, well written and contains time travel, super-neurochemical powers, mystery, space ships, political ideology...it's filled with so much goody-goodness and keeps you on the edge of your seat needing to know what happens next. It's a pretty impressive feat to weave all these elements together to create a compelling story, and Ms. Hill accomplishes just that!

The characters are...more I'm so glad I stepped a bit out of my box to read this exhilarating, suspenseful debut! Persistence of Vision is well-paced, well written and contains time travel, super-neurochemical powers, mystery, space ships, political ideology...it's filled with so much goody-goodness and keeps you on the edge of your seat needing to know what happens next. It's a pretty impressive feat to weave all these elements together to create a compelling story, and Ms. Hill accomplishes just that!

The characters are solidly written and although the novel is told mainly from 2 POVs, I really felt as though there weren't main characters...more that the team is the main character. The team is the (operative) arm of BCO or Brain Chemistry Optimists. They are the group of individualists fighting against the collectivists to maintain humanity.

The team consists of Maggie, Marcus, Karl, Doc, Joan, and Clay. There is a prophecy regarding maintaining world order and each of the members plays a specific role.

Maggie is a tough little cookie. She is attacked in her home, saved by someone that seems vaguely familiar, thrust into a future that needs her in order to maintain a certain way of life, and is told she has actually been there before but she has no memory of it. That she is the key to the prophecy is astounding to her. Her role on the team is Executioner.

Marcus, whom Maggie was acquainted with in her earlier visit to the future, is a talented Healer. Karl is a Traveler, meaning he can time travel which is handy when moving Maggie around in time. Doc is a Witness and studies the prophecy rigorously as well as maintaining detailed records of BCO's history. Joan and Clay serve the team as Protector and Concealer which are important in protecting the team members during missions.

I felt the beginning of the book started of a little slowly but that was mainly due to the world-building going on. Once that was established, the story took off and I had a hard time putting it down. I really enjoyed the science that was incorporated into the story. It was fascinating to read about brain functioning and although some of it is fiction for the story, a lot of it is actual science. I love getting to learn something while reading for fun! :) All the revelations at the end of the book...holy cats! However, I think I ended up with just as many questions as I got answers in those last few chapters! I'm not sure how many books are slated for this series, but I am definitely looking forward to the next installment! (less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, new-adult-reading-challenge

Let me start by thanking Liesel again for asking me to be a part of her blog tour, in exchange for my honest opinion of her book.

This book seemed to be slightly out of my preferred reading genre when I first read about it, but I am so thankful I took the time to read it! Liesel has created an incredible imaginary future world where the medical advances of the human brain has opened up many doors in the way of medical research, where (just one example) people have the ability to turn off lights...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Ruty B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, blog-tour, dystopia, science-fiction, from-the-author, for-review, new-adult

Imagine if somehow a whole year of your life was deleted from your memory. And now, imagine finding out that you have spent that year in the future, fighting a threat to humanity. I don’t know about you, I would probably freak out or run away screaming.

Maggie suffers a mysterious attack in Vegas with her brother; she has a blackout and has no memories of twelve hours of her life. A few months later a scary man with a tattoo on his face tries to kill her and the story begins exactly the moment Ma...more Imagine if somehow a whole year of your life was deleted from your memory. And now, imagine finding out that you have spent that year in the future, fighting a threat to humanity. I don’t know about you, I would probably freak out or run away screaming.

Maggie suffers a mysterious attack in Vegas with her brother; she has a blackout and has no memories of twelve hours of her life. A few months later a scary man with a tattoo on his face tries to kill her and the story begins exactly the moment Marcus saves her life and takes her to the future.

A future where individualities are at risk and a small group of people is trying to bring down the collectives. Maggie will discover what happened to her the first time there and will re-learn to use her brain and the energy around her to save the humankind.

Maggie feels real because as any other real persons she is not perfect, she has flaws and strengths. She accepts easily all that Doc says but still hesitates. She is a bit uncomfortable with everyone knowing things about her, but she doesn’t freak out. She is just a little curious about what she did the first time there but she is precautious about what and when to ask.

Marcus is an enigmatic character. At times I would have liked to see more of him or read more dialogues that show what kind of man he is, but after learning why he acts as he does around Maggie I fell in love with him. I understood why he tries to give Maggie space, he loves her but she has no memories of him. Imagine that! Given the circumstances he acts like a mature, rational, sensitive and loving person and it is difficult not to like him.

One of the secondary characters worth mentioning is Karl. This guy is amazing, is the typical guy that would scary you for his looks but is really funny, with a big heart. The rest of the characters are well described, each one with a well define personality and with a role in the story.
The science-fiction in the story is not overwhelming, which I loved it, the argument of the collectives is easy to understand and believable. All the brain functions, the way they sense energy and use it, is explained in simple details and anyone can follow the idea.

It has some different rhythms, sometimes the story goes really fast and at times it goes slower. The final chapters are full with actions and discoveries; these are the high moments in the story. We are blown away with some encounters and the revelations they bring.

Overall, Persistence of vision is a well written sci-fi dystopia with great characters and the potential to be a great series. And surely will leave you waiting for the sequel.

*** I received a copy from the author in exchange of an honest review. ***(less)

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Persistence of Vision (Interchron #1)

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