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Revived
From the author of Forgotten comes this riveting new thriller about "the God Project," a government program that can bring people back from the dead.
It started with a bus crash. Daisy Appleby was a little girl when it happened, and she barely remembers the accident or being brought back to life. At that moment, though, she became one of the first subjects in a covert government program that tests a drug called Revive. Now fifteen, Daisy has died and been Revived five times. Each death means a new name, a new city, a new identity. The only constant in Daisy's life is constant change. Then Daisy meets Matt and Audrey McKean, charismatic siblings who quickly become her first real friends. But if she's ever to have a normal life, Daisy must escape from an experiment that's much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined. From its striking first chapter to its emotionally charged ending, Cat Patrick's Revived is a riveting story about what happens when life and death collide.
It started with a bus crash. Daisy Appleby was a little girl when it happened, and she barely remembers the accident or being brought back to life. At that moment, though, she became one of the first subjects in a covert government program that tests a drug called Revive. Now fifteen, Daisy has died and been Revived five times. Each death means a new name, a new city, a new identity. The only constant in Daisy's life is constant change. Then Daisy meets Matt and Audrey McKean, charismatic siblings who quickly become her first real friends. But if she's ever to have a normal life, Daisy must escape from an experiment that's much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined. From its striking first chapter to its emotionally charged ending, Cat Patrick's Revived is a riveting story about what happens when life and death collide.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 8, 2012
About the author
Cat Patrick
15 books1,631 followersCat Patrick is the author of middle grade books Tornado Brain and Paper Heart, as well as young adult books Forgotten, Revived, The Originals, and, with Suzanne Young, Just Like Fate.
Find her online at www.catpatrick.com.
Find her online at www.catpatrick.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,139 reviews
June 5, 2013
As readers, we love to hate our Too Stupid To Live characters. Those loveable Mary Sues who knowingly walk into impossible situations, do irresponsibly stupid things like singlehandedly confronting monsters and angry men who could beat them up with a finger. They're the horror movie equivalent of the innocent virgin who walk down a basement when we, the viewer, are screaming at them to just stop in front of the screen. But as much as we make fun of these characters...they have one thing in common: they're as hard to kill as cockroaches. Not so for our heroine in this book, no. Daisy is literally Too Stupid To Live. So much that she dies multiple times (twice in the same way!).
It's rather appropriate that her name is Daisy, given that she's constantly pushing them up.
Our intrepid heroine first died at the age of four, through no fault of her own. She was in a group of fourteen kids travelling in a bus when there was an accident, then they were chosen to be in a test group for a drug called Revive. The drug, aptly named, revives people from death. It has been kept a secret all these years by the creator of the drug (known as God), and each subject of the experiment lives with jack-of-all-trade Agents who pretend to be their parents. Every time a child dies, he or she and their "family" move on to a new home, a new place, a new identity. The drug is such a secret that they can't even fly, lest the drug is stolen or discovered during baggage check. I thought the premise for all the moving and secrecy was idiotic, and the heroine herself is not much better.
In the beginning of the book, Daisy dies from a bee sting. She's allergic to bees, she knows that. But why didn't she have an Epi-Pen on her?
"I spent way too long deciding what to wear, leaving only five minutes to arrange my hair into something resembling a style. I left for school in a rush, remembering the EpiPen, which probably would have saved my life, halfway down the block. I wasn’t so late that I couldn’t have gone back, but for some reason I didn’t."
Her previous deaths were caused by similarly treacherous situations:
"I wolfed down my PB&J, then started in on my grapes, stuffing more than a handful in at once. A monstrous red grape got lodged in my windpipe."
Well, she was only five and a half then, so, accidents do happen.
But then...in the summer before seventh grade:
"I died from asphyxia...if we're getting technical: I was swimming near some houseboats at the reservoir and got carbon-monoxide poisoning from an idling boat."
Carbon monoxide poisoning? What the actual fuck? How stupid do you have to be to be swimming behind a boat for that long? I do not claim to be an expert on carbon monoxide poisoning, but I do know that it takes enclosed space. To be in the open air, swimming near an idling boat...maybe a few hours? Again, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? How do you die of carbon monoxide poisoning from swimming on a lake?!
Daisy's personality is not terribly endearing. She's a typical teenager, which is to say she is very silly, very concerned with boys and popularity. There's nothing wrong with that, given the age of the character, but when reading a book, I would like my heroines to be a little more mature and show some signs of introspection and growth. There is very little of it in this book. Daisy has died so many time that she's taken it for granted in herself, and when it comes to death in someone she slowly comes to care about, she completely freaks out and acts irrationally.
The Revive project is an extremely secretive one. If Daisy were a CIA agent, she wouldn't last half a second, because the instant she falls for Matt and learns that his sister (and her friend) is dying, she spills the beans. Knowing the secrecy of the project, knowing how important it is, she endangers herself and this important secret right away, which I thought was unbelievably foolish. Falling in love with a boy and then throwing away everything just like that is not a hallmark of a deep, complex character, but of a shallow, stupid, foolish little teenager who thinks only of herself and her best interests (which for the moment, rests in keeping her friend alive so she can continue her mission of dating said friend's SUPER HOT BROTHER).
The premise of the book lacks credibility, too. Why do they have to keep running away when she dies? It's not that uncommon for someone to die for a short while, then brought back to life. It's not that incredible at all. It's certainly a lot easier to be brought to a hospital or brought somewhere private to receive the injection, particularly when the agents with whom she is assigned also masquerades as a paramedic. Children have stupid accidents all the time, especially kids with allergies, and it's so much simpler to explain away a hospital visit than to create a new identity, completely clean out the old house and the hidden secret lab, brainwash and monitor the previous town's residents so nobody suspects anything's wrong. Oh, and kill off anyone who suspects anything's out of the ordinary with the grieving family who just left town. So much fewer bodies to clean up. Literally. It's one of the worst premise I've ever read in a YA sci-fi, and that's saying considerably, given the gaping plot holes that frequent too many pieces of YA sci-fi and dystopian fiction these days.
In every good mystery, there is an element of subtlety involved. The reader should always be guessing, the allusions and clues need to be there, but with such style and finesse that it's hard to discern. Not so with this book. The clues are as subtly hidden as a purple polka-dotted cow.
"Movement near a planter catches my eye: A man in a blue button-down and jeans is standing there, waiting for someone. The funny thing is that he looks right at me when I look at him. He watches me for a second like a curious stranger might, then looks away, taking out his phone and typing on the keyboard...He’s got the same robotic look that Cassie has, that the agents in the cleanup crews have."
HMM. WHO COULD HE BE, I WONDER?
And Matt, lovely, dreamboat Matt. Sooooooooooo much hotter than Jake Gyllenhall (I swear to god that's what she says). Unbelievably gullible, naive Matt, who buys Daisy's incredibly story at the drop of a pin. And need I mention this jewel?
"[My girlfriend] started college this year. We felt like it wouldn’t work long-distance. Well, I felt that way. She wanted to stay together.”
Now, in addition to jealous, I feel inferior. My lanky fifteen-year-old self is no match for a college girl. Possibly reading my anxiety, Matt adds, 'She’s a bitch.'"
Such a gentleman. I can see why Daisy fell for him. As God (the creator of Revive, not the actual Lord, although it would have been true either way) says to Daisy: “Bad move...What a colossal waste of Revive you were.”
I couldn't have said it better myself.
It's rather appropriate that her name is Daisy, given that she's constantly pushing them up.
Our intrepid heroine first died at the age of four, through no fault of her own. She was in a group of fourteen kids travelling in a bus when there was an accident, then they were chosen to be in a test group for a drug called Revive. The drug, aptly named, revives people from death. It has been kept a secret all these years by the creator of the drug (known as God), and each subject of the experiment lives with jack-of-all-trade Agents who pretend to be their parents. Every time a child dies, he or she and their "family" move on to a new home, a new place, a new identity. The drug is such a secret that they can't even fly, lest the drug is stolen or discovered during baggage check. I thought the premise for all the moving and secrecy was idiotic, and the heroine herself is not much better.
In the beginning of the book, Daisy dies from a bee sting. She's allergic to bees, she knows that. But why didn't she have an Epi-Pen on her?
"I spent way too long deciding what to wear, leaving only five minutes to arrange my hair into something resembling a style. I left for school in a rush, remembering the EpiPen, which probably would have saved my life, halfway down the block. I wasn’t so late that I couldn’t have gone back, but for some reason I didn’t."
Her previous deaths were caused by similarly treacherous situations:
"I wolfed down my PB&J, then started in on my grapes, stuffing more than a handful in at once. A monstrous red grape got lodged in my windpipe."
Well, she was only five and a half then, so, accidents do happen.
But then...in the summer before seventh grade:
"I died from asphyxia...if we're getting technical: I was swimming near some houseboats at the reservoir and got carbon-monoxide poisoning from an idling boat."
Carbon monoxide poisoning? What the actual fuck? How stupid do you have to be to be swimming behind a boat for that long? I do not claim to be an expert on carbon monoxide poisoning, but I do know that it takes enclosed space. To be in the open air, swimming near an idling boat...maybe a few hours? Again, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? How do you die of carbon monoxide poisoning from swimming on a lake?!
Daisy's personality is not terribly endearing. She's a typical teenager, which is to say she is very silly, very concerned with boys and popularity. There's nothing wrong with that, given the age of the character, but when reading a book, I would like my heroines to be a little more mature and show some signs of introspection and growth. There is very little of it in this book. Daisy has died so many time that she's taken it for granted in herself, and when it comes to death in someone she slowly comes to care about, she completely freaks out and acts irrationally.
The Revive project is an extremely secretive one. If Daisy were a CIA agent, she wouldn't last half a second, because the instant she falls for Matt and learns that his sister (and her friend) is dying, she spills the beans. Knowing the secrecy of the project, knowing how important it is, she endangers herself and this important secret right away, which I thought was unbelievably foolish. Falling in love with a boy and then throwing away everything just like that is not a hallmark of a deep, complex character, but of a shallow, stupid, foolish little teenager who thinks only of herself and her best interests (which for the moment, rests in keeping her friend alive so she can continue her mission of dating said friend's SUPER HOT BROTHER).
The premise of the book lacks credibility, too. Why do they have to keep running away when she dies? It's not that uncommon for someone to die for a short while, then brought back to life. It's not that incredible at all. It's certainly a lot easier to be brought to a hospital or brought somewhere private to receive the injection, particularly when the agents with whom she is assigned also masquerades as a paramedic. Children have stupid accidents all the time, especially kids with allergies, and it's so much simpler to explain away a hospital visit than to create a new identity, completely clean out the old house and the hidden secret lab, brainwash and monitor the previous town's residents so nobody suspects anything's wrong. Oh, and kill off anyone who suspects anything's out of the ordinary with the grieving family who just left town. So much fewer bodies to clean up. Literally. It's one of the worst premise I've ever read in a YA sci-fi, and that's saying considerably, given the gaping plot holes that frequent too many pieces of YA sci-fi and dystopian fiction these days.
In every good mystery, there is an element of subtlety involved. The reader should always be guessing, the allusions and clues need to be there, but with such style and finesse that it's hard to discern. Not so with this book. The clues are as subtly hidden as a purple polka-dotted cow.
"Movement near a planter catches my eye: A man in a blue button-down and jeans is standing there, waiting for someone. The funny thing is that he looks right at me when I look at him. He watches me for a second like a curious stranger might, then looks away, taking out his phone and typing on the keyboard...He’s got the same robotic look that Cassie has, that the agents in the cleanup crews have."
HMM. WHO COULD HE BE, I WONDER?
And Matt, lovely, dreamboat Matt. Sooooooooooo much hotter than Jake Gyllenhall (I swear to god that's what she says). Unbelievably gullible, naive Matt, who buys Daisy's incredibly story at the drop of a pin. And need I mention this jewel?
"[My girlfriend] started college this year. We felt like it wouldn’t work long-distance. Well, I felt that way. She wanted to stay together.”
Now, in addition to jealous, I feel inferior. My lanky fifteen-year-old self is no match for a college girl. Possibly reading my anxiety, Matt adds, 'She’s a bitch.'"
Such a gentleman. I can see why Daisy fell for him. As God (the creator of Revive, not the actual Lord, although it would have been true either way) says to Daisy: “Bad move...What a colossal waste of Revive you were.”
I couldn't have said it better myself.
June 18, 2012
As soon as I finished reading Revived, I rushed to GoodReads to check my friends’ ratings, and they were exactly what I expected them to be: eight out of ten gave this book three stars, just like I did. In my experience, there are two types of three-star ratings: the I-liked-this-but-didn’t-love-it three stars and the I-have-no-idea-how-to-rate-this three stars. Revived undoubtedly belongs to the former. It wasn’t bad by any standard, but it certainly wasn’t captivating either. I suppose describing a book as merely enjoyable isn’t much of a compliment when I so badly hoped to need the words like exciting, mind-blowing and spectacular.
Dying is very unpleasant. Fifteen-year-old Daisy McDaniel should know, she’s done it five times so far. Each time, she was brought back with an experimental drug called Revive. She was five when she died the first time, together with 20 other children, most of whom were also brought back from the dead. Now they’re all part of a secret experimental program and they’re living under different names all over America.
After getting stung by a bee and dying for the fifth time, Daisy must move to Omaha with two agents who are posing as her parents. She’s had a lot of practice moving around, but there’s one thing she’s never done: she’s never made friends; so it’s no small surprise when she strikes an immediate friendship with the school’s golden girl, Audrey. Audrey has an older brother, Matt, and he and Daisy soon realize that they like each other a lot. With Audrey on one side and Matt on the other, Daisy is happier than she’s ever been, but the Revive program is going through some changes and God, the mysterious scientist behind it, is not acting like himself at all.
The more I read, the more I realized how much wasted potential there is in Revived. In the right hands, this story could have torn me apart and then allowed me to put myself back together. In Cat Patrick’s hands, however, it ended up being mediocre: neither the writing nor the plot have any obvious flaws, but I just couldn’t help thinking how much more it could have been. I felt kind of sad when I should have been sobbing, I smiled inwardly when I should have been grinning like a lunatic, and the scenes that should have made me swoon left me lukewarm at best.
The relationship between Daisy and Matt was sudden, but it didn’t bother me as instalove usually does until she decided to reveal all her secrets to him after four days of relationship. As soon as I relaxed and started enjoying the fact that neither of them was proclaiming eternal love, Daisy chose to endanger herself, the agents she was living with and dozens of other people in the program for some boy she’d only just met. No matter how many right decisions she’d made after that, I couldn’t forgive her for her recklessness and stupidity.
I think Cat Patrick could write better books, four and five-star books, if only she’d dare to further explore the emotional reactions of her characters. I have high hopes for her next project.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
Dying is very unpleasant. Fifteen-year-old Daisy McDaniel should know, she’s done it five times so far. Each time, she was brought back with an experimental drug called Revive. She was five when she died the first time, together with 20 other children, most of whom were also brought back from the dead. Now they’re all part of a secret experimental program and they’re living under different names all over America.
After getting stung by a bee and dying for the fifth time, Daisy must move to Omaha with two agents who are posing as her parents. She’s had a lot of practice moving around, but there’s one thing she’s never done: she’s never made friends; so it’s no small surprise when she strikes an immediate friendship with the school’s golden girl, Audrey. Audrey has an older brother, Matt, and he and Daisy soon realize that they like each other a lot. With Audrey on one side and Matt on the other, Daisy is happier than she’s ever been, but the Revive program is going through some changes and God, the mysterious scientist behind it, is not acting like himself at all.
The more I read, the more I realized how much wasted potential there is in Revived. In the right hands, this story could have torn me apart and then allowed me to put myself back together. In Cat Patrick’s hands, however, it ended up being mediocre: neither the writing nor the plot have any obvious flaws, but I just couldn’t help thinking how much more it could have been. I felt kind of sad when I should have been sobbing, I smiled inwardly when I should have been grinning like a lunatic, and the scenes that should have made me swoon left me lukewarm at best.
The relationship between Daisy and Matt was sudden, but it didn’t bother me as instalove usually does until she decided to reveal all her secrets to him after four days of relationship. As soon as I relaxed and started enjoying the fact that neither of them was proclaiming eternal love, Daisy chose to endanger herself, the agents she was living with and dozens of other people in the program for some boy she’d only just met. No matter how many right decisions she’d made after that, I couldn’t forgive her for her recklessness and stupidity.
I think Cat Patrick could write better books, four and five-star books, if only she’d dare to further explore the emotional reactions of her characters. I have high hopes for her next project.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
May 7, 2012
After dying 5 times, Daisy is kind of tired of it all. Having to relocate each time: a new school, new routine, new last name - a whole new life. It gets tiring after a while not getting to keep your identity. An interesting plot with a fast pace and short chapters, Revived is surprisingly easy to fly through.
Revived is the drug that can bring people back to life. This drug has been secretly tested on a few kids - Daisy included, and controlled by an anonymous eerie guy they call God; his agents - the disciples; and the subjects - converts. We did not delve into this secret project much more than this. Consequently, you can't look into it too deeply without raising questions. Mostly whys and hows. This could have been fine if it was the first in a series where we would still have a chance to examine this further, but for a standalone I felt the information was scarce. Likewise, the promised sinister goals don't feel as sinister when we only vaguely know about these people. But there are some fun, though not unpredictable twists, which gives an overall entertaining plot. However, regardless of the synopsis, this book reads more like a contemporary with some added supernatural events so this doesn't become a very big problem.
The characterization is what makes it the most engaging. Daisy has a very relatable voice that you can see grow inside this book when she develops relationships with Audrey and Matt, her first real friends. Being able to come back to life has given her a nonchalant attitude about death. So when faced with real, no coming back, death, she's at a loss. Suddenly, everything is being doubted. Is the Revive project really a positive thing? Is it fair that she can cheat death? We touch base on a lot of subjects: From death, to experiencing her first love, to her amazing relationship with her "fake" father - I could feel her joy and her pain. We see her at her best, but also at her worse; making her an intricately written character.
Falling in love for the first time is bliss; but it's also confusing. The romance plays a pretty big part in Revived. Daisy and Matt develop a believable and truly sweet relationship. Like any teenage romance, there are bumps in the road; the ones in this story are particularly steep. Although clever and undeniably loving, Daisy may be a bit too trusting. I was surprised by how quick she gave away her enormous secret to her boyfriend. Maybe it's just simple naivety, but after keeping it for so long she was quick to spill the beans. It was definitely not the smartest idea.
Quick and entertaining, Revived is filled with compelling characters that will lead you in a fun, but also emotionally-profound story. It's a delightful read that I would recommend if you enjoy contemporary novels with sci-fi elements.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Revived is the drug that can bring people back to life. This drug has been secretly tested on a few kids - Daisy included, and controlled by an anonymous eerie guy they call God; his agents - the disciples; and the subjects - converts. We did not delve into this secret project much more than this. Consequently, you can't look into it too deeply without raising questions. Mostly whys and hows. This could have been fine if it was the first in a series where we would still have a chance to examine this further, but for a standalone I felt the information was scarce. Likewise, the promised sinister goals don't feel as sinister when we only vaguely know about these people. But there are some fun, though not unpredictable twists, which gives an overall entertaining plot. However, regardless of the synopsis, this book reads more like a contemporary with some added supernatural events so this doesn't become a very big problem.
The characterization is what makes it the most engaging. Daisy has a very relatable voice that you can see grow inside this book when she develops relationships with Audrey and Matt, her first real friends. Being able to come back to life has given her a nonchalant attitude about death. So when faced with real, no coming back, death, she's at a loss. Suddenly, everything is being doubted. Is the Revive project really a positive thing? Is it fair that she can cheat death? We touch base on a lot of subjects: From death, to experiencing her first love, to her amazing relationship with her "fake" father - I could feel her joy and her pain. We see her at her best, but also at her worse; making her an intricately written character.
Falling in love for the first time is bliss; but it's also confusing. The romance plays a pretty big part in Revived. Daisy and Matt develop a believable and truly sweet relationship. Like any teenage romance, there are bumps in the road; the ones in this story are particularly steep. Although clever and undeniably loving, Daisy may be a bit too trusting. I was surprised by how quick she gave away her enormous secret to her boyfriend. Maybe it's just simple naivety, but after keeping it for so long she was quick to spill the beans. It was definitely not the smartest idea.
Quick and entertaining, Revived is filled with compelling characters that will lead you in a fun, but also emotionally-profound story. It's a delightful read that I would recommend if you enjoy contemporary novels with sci-fi elements.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
November 13, 2016
Revived is okay. It is less sci-fi and more of contemporary/realistic fiction, in my opinion. This is fine actually, I understand it. Revived just wants to tell a story where the main character is aiming for a normal life-- attend school, have friends, etc-- even it is somehow hopeless, especially if one is a part of secret experiment running by a secret organization. Then add the twist that this secret organization isn't really worth trusting for.
It's nothing new. I have read several novels with this kind of plot but I have no issues with it whatsoever, I just hope for the best that in the end I will like it or even love the book.
But the thing with Revived is that my hope has been shoved under the rug by the insta-love, I ended up overly unsatisfied in the end.
The main character (Daisy) is so head-over-heels with her love interest, it's irritating and eye-roll worthy. I mean whenever she sees the guy, a paragraph of description of his handsome appearance will follow. It is just too much for me to bear.
Daisy is also a naive character who can't keep her mouth shut. For being a part of a highly confidential experiment, she is so inclined to share, to her newly-found friends or should I say boyfriend, what her life has become just because of the 'right words' he says about her. And because she doesn't want to lie to them anymore.
Anyway, I did like the friendship between Daisy and Audrey. It's a happy friendship that makes me feel better as I've read about it. It brought some light to a quite dark, should-be-thrilling novel.
I also like the last few chapters who quite satisfy my craving for some real suspense and thrilling action. Though, I do think it has been set aside for so long thus, it didn't manage to redeem the enormity of the novel. I've been entertained (not really) by a lot of cliches and tropes in this book that when I reached the climax, I don't dig it anymore.
It's too late.
It's nothing new. I have read several novels with this kind of plot but I have no issues with it whatsoever, I just hope for the best that in the end I will like it or even love the book.
But the thing with Revived is that my hope has been shoved under the rug by the insta-love, I ended up overly unsatisfied in the end.
The main character (Daisy) is so head-over-heels with her love interest, it's irritating and eye-roll worthy. I mean whenever she sees the guy, a paragraph of description of his handsome appearance will follow. It is just too much for me to bear.
Daisy is also a naive character who can't keep her mouth shut. For being a part of a highly confidential experiment, she is so inclined to share, to her newly-found friends or should I say boyfriend, what her life has become just because of the 'right words' he says about her. And because she doesn't want to lie to them anymore.
Anyway, I did like the friendship between Daisy and Audrey. It's a happy friendship that makes me feel better as I've read about it. It brought some light to a quite dark, should-be-thrilling novel.
I also like the last few chapters who quite satisfy my craving for some real suspense and thrilling action. Though, I do think it has been set aside for so long thus, it didn't manage to redeem the enormity of the novel. I've been entertained (not really) by a lot of cliches and tropes in this book that when I reached the climax, I don't dig it anymore.
It's too late.
July 7, 2012
Revive has one of the most unique premises I’ve come across in YA, but fails to deliver since it seems to leave out the actual plot of the book in the flap that so deceivingly made me think this was a good book.
In modern times, there is a secret government project that has made an experimental drug known as Revive, which can revive people back to life. Daisy is one of many test subjects, who all died in a bus crash one day and have since then been relocated, given new last names, and given Revive every time they die. They also live with new people, in Daisy’s case Mason and Cassie, who are her legal guardians that are agents for the project. After Daisy dies for the fifth time (somebody’s a klutz), they’re relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, where she meets Audrey and Matt McKean, and makes friends outside of the test subjects for the first time in her life.
Some people were disappointed because they thought it was a dystopian novel, but it turned out to be a modern day science fiction.
Others, like me, are disappointed because this isn’t science fiction like we were told it was by the people who thought it was dystopian, but because it’s a contemporary romance masquerading behind a flimsy science fiction façade.
The romance isn’t even very good, it comes up out of nowhere, you know it’s going to happen, there’s nothing between the two, Daisy’s reasons for falling in love with them are nonexistent, and it took up far too much of the book.
The whole book was far too mundane for my tastes. Hanging out with her best friend and the friend’s brother (i.e. the love interest), school, visiting other people, hanging out with more friends, doing more ordinary things, and mentioning of science-y things.
Do you know what a huge flaw in this book is? WE DON’T KNOW HOW THE HECK PEOPLE MADE REVIVE. So you expect me to believe that people just randomly found out a drug that you inject somebody with a syringe with, but you’re not going to tell us how this amazing discovery was made. Okay, I’m not going along with that. I’m sorry, but if you’re trying to be a science fiction book with contemporary elements (or be a contemporary novel with science elements in the background compared to the romance like this book), you need to explain the science elements. And if you can’t even give us a stupid, random reason at all, then the author should not be writing science fiction.
I did not find one character in this book relatable or just likeable. There very flat, I didn’t connect with them, didn’t sympathize with them, and they’re not going to be people that I’ll be thinking about months from now. The love interest felt flat, and of course he was uber-hot. Audrey should be the one we really sympathize with the most, since you find out some big secret about her health, but I didn’t. Daisy was whiny, she was far more concerned with friends and boys to advance the plot in any significant way other than finding stuff by chance, and oh my God, how many times can you get freakin’ stung by bees?! You’re deathly allergic to them, so why don’t you ever learn to be more careful?!
I’m not an expert on CPR, but I know for a fact the chances of you being brought back to life with CPR after being dead for twelve minutes is virtually impossible. So don’t you dare try and pull that on me, I know for a fact that she should’ve been brain dead by the time you “saved” her. So the climax of this stupid book is just not only virtually medically impossible, but it’s very convenient for Daisy and it comes too easy.
Maybe I was just expecting far too much from this book, but I think it’s the fact that the marketing team was trying to make it look either far better or far different from what it really was: some starry-eyed teen romance with random sci-fi elements to try and hook readers (but only a reader who doesn’t care how the heck it’s possible, just that it’s there).
In modern times, there is a secret government project that has made an experimental drug known as Revive, which can revive people back to life. Daisy is one of many test subjects, who all died in a bus crash one day and have since then been relocated, given new last names, and given Revive every time they die. They also live with new people, in Daisy’s case Mason and Cassie, who are her legal guardians that are agents for the project. After Daisy dies for the fifth time (somebody’s a klutz), they’re relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, where she meets Audrey and Matt McKean, and makes friends outside of the test subjects for the first time in her life.
Some people were disappointed because they thought it was a dystopian novel, but it turned out to be a modern day science fiction.
Others, like me, are disappointed because this isn’t science fiction like we were told it was by the people who thought it was dystopian, but because it’s a contemporary romance masquerading behind a flimsy science fiction façade.
The romance isn’t even very good, it comes up out of nowhere, you know it’s going to happen, there’s nothing between the two, Daisy’s reasons for falling in love with them are nonexistent, and it took up far too much of the book.
The whole book was far too mundane for my tastes. Hanging out with her best friend and the friend’s brother (i.e. the love interest), school, visiting other people, hanging out with more friends, doing more ordinary things, and mentioning of science-y things.
Do you know what a huge flaw in this book is? WE DON’T KNOW HOW THE HECK PEOPLE MADE REVIVE. So you expect me to believe that people just randomly found out a drug that you inject somebody with a syringe with, but you’re not going to tell us how this amazing discovery was made. Okay, I’m not going along with that. I’m sorry, but if you’re trying to be a science fiction book with contemporary elements (or be a contemporary novel with science elements in the background compared to the romance like this book), you need to explain the science elements. And if you can’t even give us a stupid, random reason at all, then the author should not be writing science fiction.
I did not find one character in this book relatable or just likeable. There very flat, I didn’t connect with them, didn’t sympathize with them, and they’re not going to be people that I’ll be thinking about months from now. The love interest felt flat, and of course he was uber-hot. Audrey should be the one we really sympathize with the most, since you find out some big secret about her health, but I didn’t. Daisy was whiny, she was far more concerned with friends and boys to advance the plot in any significant way other than finding stuff by chance, and oh my God, how many times can you get freakin’ stung by bees?! You’re deathly allergic to them, so why don’t you ever learn to be more careful?!
I’m not an expert on CPR, but I know for a fact the chances of you being brought back to life with CPR after being dead for twelve minutes is virtually impossible. So don’t you dare try and pull that on me, I know for a fact that she should’ve been brain dead by the time you “saved” her. So the climax of this stupid book is just not only virtually medically impossible, but it’s very convenient for Daisy and it comes too easy.
Maybe I was just expecting far too much from this book, but I think it’s the fact that the marketing team was trying to make it look either far better or far different from what it really was: some starry-eyed teen romance with random sci-fi elements to try and hook readers (but only a reader who doesn’t care how the heck it’s possible, just that it’s there).
May 15, 2012
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars!
Imagine dying 5 times — and being brought back to life after every single death! This is Daisy's life in a secret government agency led by an ominous figure they call "God" and as a test subject to a drug that they call Revive. *cues oooh-ing*
Revived was nothing like I expected it to be! Instead of a fast-paced book about a zombie-like test subject, this book has more of a contemporary feel to it: sweet, warm, easy to relate to. I may be an expert at guessing what's going to happen in a book early on, but the deceiving first half made me unprepared for the surprise twist in the faster last quarter!
Daisy is a character I adored from the get-go. Along with co-hosting a hilarious blog (yup, she's a blogger!) with her best friend Megan, she has such a big heart and brings the word real to teenager without being unbearable. They say curiosity killed the cat, but Daisy's curiosity is what drives the mystery behind the whole God operation.
Matt's a nice guy (although he's definitely no Luke Henry!), but I just couldn't connect with the romance. It didn't have enough development or chemistry to entrap me, and the way that Daisy told Matt everything so soon made me want to shake her. But you'll love the other colourful characters, like Matt's sister Audrey and Daisy's "parents."
With the same kind of flowing prose and smile-worthy cast that Cat Patrick brought in Forgotten, added to a fresh new idea never taken up before, Revived asks you the question: What would you do if you had the chance to live again when other people didn't? :)
BUY or BORROW?: This book wasn't exactly the intense must-buy I was expecting, but it shouldn't be a book you skip over! I actually really adored it and am glad to have it on my shelf. ;)
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
Imagine dying 5 times — and being brought back to life after every single death! This is Daisy's life in a secret government agency led by an ominous figure they call "God" and as a test subject to a drug that they call Revive. *cues oooh-ing*
Revived was nothing like I expected it to be! Instead of a fast-paced book about a zombie-like test subject, this book has more of a contemporary feel to it: sweet, warm, easy to relate to. I may be an expert at guessing what's going to happen in a book early on, but the deceiving first half made me unprepared for the surprise twist in the faster last quarter!
Daisy is a character I adored from the get-go. Along with co-hosting a hilarious blog (yup, she's a blogger!) with her best friend Megan, she has such a big heart and brings the word real to teenager without being unbearable. They say curiosity killed the cat, but Daisy's curiosity is what drives the mystery behind the whole God operation.
Matt's a nice guy (although he's definitely no Luke Henry!), but I just couldn't connect with the romance. It didn't have enough development or chemistry to entrap me, and the way that Daisy told Matt everything so soon made me want to shake her. But you'll love the other colourful characters, like Matt's sister Audrey and Daisy's "parents."
With the same kind of flowing prose and smile-worthy cast that Cat Patrick brought in Forgotten, added to a fresh new idea never taken up before, Revived asks you the question: What would you do if you had the chance to live again when other people didn't? :)
BUY or BORROW?: This book wasn't exactly the intense must-buy I was expecting, but it shouldn't be a book you skip over! I actually really adored it and am glad to have it on my shelf. ;)
(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)
May 31, 2012
When I first heard about this one, a lot of people were tossing around the word 'dystopia'; at the time I was reading
Slated
, which is a dystopia, and which is about a girl whose memory is wiped and she has to start over. When I heard about this I thought the concept was pretty similar, and I was curious to see how they'd play off of each other. But this is not dystopian after all. Nor do I think it was meant to be, and I think it's stronger for not taking that path. Revived takes place now, and is told in a way that makes it completely plausible for this type of thing - covert experiments on new drugs, somewhat shady government outfits, etc. - to be going on right under our noses. I think a lot of authors would have tried to make this a doom-and-gloom dystopia, and I think that's probably why so many people were tossing around that word. But I have to say, I'm really glad it's not. I appreciate that Cat Patrick didn't take that route, and instead made it a more insular, more relatable story. As contemporary science fiction, it works; as a dystopia, it would fall flat.
But because I had been anticipating a dystopian story, this didn't entirely go where I was expecting it to. And even once I started reading the story and realized that it wasn't dystopia, readjusted my perception and thought I had the story all figured out, it still didn't go exactly where I was expecting it to. And this was a good thing. I mean, it did go there in the end, it worked its way back to the shady covert sci-fi thing, but there was a detour through some much more human, relatable territory I wasn't expecting, and it made it more interesting and poignant as a result. Much more human and natural than it would otherwise have been. I don't want to risk giving anything away, but I was pleasantly surprised by the places Patrick took this and the way it sort of muddled genres into something realistic and authentic for Daisy, the MC.
And speaking of, Daisy was a really good main character, and she was surrounded by an excellent supporting cast. I really loved her relationships with other people in the book and how organic they felt; there could have been some risk of insta-lovey-ness, but this was one of those rare cases of the speed of things making absolute sense. The relationships are a very believable level of gooey, and tempered by some darker, real-life things, which, coupled with the characters' reactions to those things, keeps the story safe from disgusting YA love levels. I also especially loved Daisy's relationship with her not-really-father/secret-agent, Mason. This was such a great dynamic and it really brought a lot of personal feel to the story, especially compared to most YA lit, where adult characters and parental figures are mostly dead, missing, or absentee.
I really loved the "God Project", the secret testing of the drug Revive. Patrick explores the murkiness of the morality in a thing like this, with how the project was dealt with, the shadowy megalomaniacal aspect, the carelessness with life that would come from being able to cheat death, etc. Daisy's realizations of the chances she's been given and how cavalier she has always been about death when she suddenly has to confront the finality of it was effective and well done, and it gave the book dimension I wasn't expecting. I did see the end and the villains coming a mile away, but in a dramatic irony/intentional way, not an obtuse, why-doesn't-she-get-it? way. And there were a couple of things that were revealed here and there - the depth of the conspiracy and the zealotry - that I wasn't expecting but was pleasantly pleased to find.
All in all, Revived was very quick, readable and entertaining. It's also a very rare stand-alone (woot woot!), which always makes me happy - I love when an author can give you just 1 complete novel and not be afraid to leave the ending just open enough that you can build your own idea of what will happen to the characters and what their futures will hold. And on a random note, I love the cover. It's one of those rare instances of a "pretty" cover actually meaning something to the book, but in an abstract, thoughtful way. Well done.
But because I had been anticipating a dystopian story, this didn't entirely go where I was expecting it to. And even once I started reading the story and realized that it wasn't dystopia, readjusted my perception and thought I had the story all figured out, it still didn't go exactly where I was expecting it to. And this was a good thing. I mean, it did go there in the end, it worked its way back to the shady covert sci-fi thing, but there was a detour through some much more human, relatable territory I wasn't expecting, and it made it more interesting and poignant as a result. Much more human and natural than it would otherwise have been. I don't want to risk giving anything away, but I was pleasantly surprised by the places Patrick took this and the way it sort of muddled genres into something realistic and authentic for Daisy, the MC.
And speaking of, Daisy was a really good main character, and she was surrounded by an excellent supporting cast. I really loved her relationships with other people in the book and how organic they felt; there could have been some risk of insta-lovey-ness, but this was one of those rare cases of the speed of things making absolute sense. The relationships are a very believable level of gooey, and tempered by some darker, real-life things, which, coupled with the characters' reactions to those things, keeps the story safe from disgusting YA love levels. I also especially loved Daisy's relationship with her not-really-father/secret-agent, Mason. This was such a great dynamic and it really brought a lot of personal feel to the story, especially compared to most YA lit, where adult characters and parental figures are mostly dead, missing, or absentee.
I really loved the "God Project", the secret testing of the drug Revive. Patrick explores the murkiness of the morality in a thing like this, with how the project was dealt with, the shadowy megalomaniacal aspect, the carelessness with life that would come from being able to cheat death, etc. Daisy's realizations of the chances she's been given and how cavalier she has always been about death when she suddenly has to confront the finality of it was effective and well done, and it gave the book dimension I wasn't expecting. I did see the end and the villains coming a mile away, but in a dramatic irony/intentional way, not an obtuse, why-doesn't-she-get-it? way. And there were a couple of things that were revealed here and there - the depth of the conspiracy and the zealotry - that I wasn't expecting but was pleasantly pleased to find.
All in all, Revived was very quick, readable and entertaining. It's also a very rare stand-alone (woot woot!), which always makes me happy - I love when an author can give you just 1 complete novel and not be afraid to leave the ending just open enough that you can build your own idea of what will happen to the characters and what their futures will hold. And on a random note, I love the cover. It's one of those rare instances of a "pretty" cover actually meaning something to the book, but in an abstract, thoughtful way. Well done.
February 17, 2013
I read Cat Patrick's debut and, while I struggled with the premise (a lot) I really enjoyed her writing style, enough that I wanted to read her sophomore novel, Revived.
From the outset, I really enjoy Cat Patrick's breezy writing style. Her narratives are so easy to slip into, her characters likeable. Daisy narrates like a breath of fresh air. She's chatty and vulnerable and just the right kind of unique, with passions and quirks. It's Daisy that held me fast to the story.
The premise is so intriguing. The set-up is really well done. The mystery and clues and little investigations were compelling enough. Yet, as the plot progressed I found myself more unsettled. Things started feeling messy: like there were all these foundations laid for awesomeness and then the book shifted into a kind of romance? But even so, there were little seeds of doubt thrown in with the love interest that had me unsettled and wary. The friendship Patrick crafted between the two girls was great, and then when things happened, it felt like it went nowhere and nearly served no purpose?
I feel a bit like there was this awesome premise, that got too complicated and it was all mashed up with a real contemporary vibe and in the end neither the sci-fi-ish stuff, not the contemporary stuff worked for me.
Call me conflicted: I liked the characters, but got lost in the story. I loved the premise but the characters got in the way of really smashing it.
From the outset, I really enjoy Cat Patrick's breezy writing style. Her narratives are so easy to slip into, her characters likeable. Daisy narrates like a breath of fresh air. She's chatty and vulnerable and just the right kind of unique, with passions and quirks. It's Daisy that held me fast to the story.
The premise is so intriguing. The set-up is really well done. The mystery and clues and little investigations were compelling enough. Yet, as the plot progressed I found myself more unsettled. Things started feeling messy: like there were all these foundations laid for awesomeness and then the book shifted into a kind of romance? But even so, there were little seeds of doubt thrown in with the love interest that had me unsettled and wary. The friendship Patrick crafted between the two girls was great, and then when things happened, it felt like it went nowhere and nearly served no purpose?
I feel a bit like there was this awesome premise, that got too complicated and it was all mashed up with a real contemporary vibe and in the end neither the sci-fi-ish stuff, not the contemporary stuff worked for me.
Call me conflicted: I liked the characters, but got lost in the story. I loved the premise but the characters got in the way of really smashing it.
August 9, 2012
Revived committed suicide early on, but somehow it was saved. It was... Revived. Dun, dun, dun.
The Science. Oh dear god, the science!
"Revive" is a drug which brings the recently dead back to life though it heals no wounds and cures no disease.
Adrenaline, anyone? Has this not been discovered in this world yet? Why yes, it has. Daisy has epi-pens on hand for a deadly allergy. So how is it any different from adrenaline? There's no answer because Revive's discovery was never explained. Nor is the state of any "Revived" individual. Are they the living dead? Still human? Able to reproduce? No idea.
Also:
A bus crash with no survivors would mean lots of corpses with fatal injuries. Only those who'd died by passive means, like asphyxiation, might be revivable. (Yet they tried the drug out on a child with a foreign body piercing his brain. *facepalm*) Then again, in this experiment, no other treatment can be performed in addition to Revive's administration. No CPR. This means no circulation of oxygenated blood to the brain, heart and lungs -critical organs this drug needs to work on. So how is it going to get to its target destination from the injection site? No defibrillation to restart the heart. The drug would have to be administered with 5 minutes of flat-lining to avoid risking brain damage or brain death. But it would do no good if Revive can't be transported around the body in order to do its job.
Actual revival rate: MINISCULE.
Viability of drug (under these conditions): NONE.
In conjunction with other resuscitation methods it would probably act like adrenaline, possibly keeping someone alive long enough for surgery. But for the sake of secrecy and the experiment the success rate of the drug would be so close to zero it wouldn't be worth using.
That CPR trick at the end is:
(a) MEDICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. 12 minutes dead (timed anyway, death had to have occurred much earlier - see below) with no intervention? Nothing you can do, they're dead and gone.
(b) LOGISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. Not enough time for help to arrive and still be of any use.
Epic science fail on the science fiction front.
Realistic contemporary YA front
Great. There were definitely some perfectly portrayed emotional moments concerning . Even though I guessed correctly about what was up with Audrey it didn't take away the fact that I haven't encountered this issue in paranormal or sci-fi YA before. It was different, new.
Daisy's parental figures, there are three, were all present and/or made an appearance. No disappearing parent syndrome, although caring Mother #1 was replaced by robo-Cassie a.k.a. uncaring Mother #2, or the fem-bot as Daisy calls her. Then there's Mason who I suspected had difficulty staying objective instead of treating his "daughter" like a lab rat, as he should.
Matt, Daisy's love interest, isn't a jerk. Nor is he abusive. He does act out, but he has every reason for doing so, and he apologises for his behaviour. Overall, he's responsible and caring.
Megan is a teenage transgendered character, something I've never encountered in fiction. She's my first. There were a couple of moments I really felt she was a flamboyantly camp stereotype, most commonly attributed to gay males, but I overlooked this for her valuable insight and understanding.
The only thing I didn't get were the cultural references to music. Way before my time (I'm 25).
The Conspiracy
While I anticipated parts of it I wasn't frustrated by its small element of predictability. It was satisfactory.
Readability
Despite the science fails, I kept reading. And eagerly, too. That says a heck of a lot. High quality writing, a fast pace and it demonstrated an excellent understanding of difficult emotions, like guilt and grief.
Cringe-worthiness: Some. The ooey-gooey crush developing into a romance, the divulging of dangerous secrets when it wouldn't benefit a certain party, and a little Mary Sue-ness.
"The Joneses"
Anyone who's seen this movie will know what I mean. Presenting a fake family unit to the outside world, selling the perfect family to the public when in reality none of them are related or romantically involved with each other, and all of them employees of the same organisation. It's all pretend. David Duchovny is Mason, playing the role of Dad, with the same ensuing emotional development of deepening attachment to a character, but in this case, of the father-daughter variety. Fake names, documents, moving house every time the cover's blown, again, all reminiscent of the movie.
The head of the organisation in the book is nicknamed "God" for playing god by resurrecting the dead. His employees are his "Disciples", and Revived children, "Converts". It makes a surreal sort of sense.
Conclusion
Usually, failing so completely on the science will earn a book 1, maybe 2 stars, and will be forever consigned to the shit-list shelf. No, 3 stars this time. Even though the romance seemed typically thin at first, it grew into something real, while the emotions of all involved were also authentic. I didn't hate the characters, a common complaint with me. Being a stand alone also helps its case. If I see other works by Patrick in my local library's catalogue, I wouldn't say no to reading them, but I wouldn't trust the science!
The Science. Oh dear god, the science!
"Revive" is a drug which brings the recently dead back to life though it heals no wounds and cures no disease.
Adrenaline, anyone? Has this not been discovered in this world yet? Why yes, it has. Daisy has epi-pens on hand for a deadly allergy. So how is it any different from adrenaline? There's no answer because Revive's discovery was never explained. Nor is the state of any "Revived" individual. Are they the living dead? Still human? Able to reproduce? No idea.
Also:
A bus crash with no survivors would mean lots of corpses with fatal injuries. Only those who'd died by passive means, like asphyxiation, might be revivable. (Yet they tried the drug out on a child with a foreign body piercing his brain. *facepalm*) Then again, in this experiment, no other treatment can be performed in addition to Revive's administration. No CPR. This means no circulation of oxygenated blood to the brain, heart and lungs -critical organs this drug needs to work on. So how is it going to get to its target destination from the injection site? No defibrillation to restart the heart. The drug would have to be administered with 5 minutes of flat-lining to avoid risking brain damage or brain death. But it would do no good if Revive can't be transported around the body in order to do its job.
Actual revival rate: MINISCULE.
Viability of drug (under these conditions): NONE.
In conjunction with other resuscitation methods it would probably act like adrenaline, possibly keeping someone alive long enough for surgery. But for the sake of secrecy and the experiment the success rate of the drug would be so close to zero it wouldn't be worth using.
That CPR trick at the end is:
(a) MEDICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. 12 minutes dead (timed anyway, death had to have occurred much earlier - see below) with no intervention? Nothing you can do, they're dead and gone.
(b) LOGISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. Not enough time for help to arrive and still be of any use.
Epic science fail on the science fiction front.
Realistic contemporary YA front
Great. There were definitely some perfectly portrayed emotional moments concerning . Even though I guessed correctly about what was up with Audrey it didn't take away the fact that I haven't encountered this issue in paranormal or sci-fi YA before. It was different, new.
Daisy's parental figures, there are three, were all present and/or made an appearance. No disappearing parent syndrome, although caring Mother #1 was replaced by robo-Cassie a.k.a. uncaring Mother #2, or the fem-bot as Daisy calls her. Then there's Mason who I suspected had difficulty staying objective instead of treating his "daughter" like a lab rat, as he should.
Matt, Daisy's love interest, isn't a jerk. Nor is he abusive. He does act out, but he has every reason for doing so, and he apologises for his behaviour. Overall, he's responsible and caring.
Megan is a teenage transgendered character, something I've never encountered in fiction. She's my first. There were a couple of moments I really felt she was a flamboyantly camp stereotype, most commonly attributed to gay males, but I overlooked this for her valuable insight and understanding.
The only thing I didn't get were the cultural references to music. Way before my time (I'm 25).
The Conspiracy
While I anticipated parts of it I wasn't frustrated by its small element of predictability. It was satisfactory.
Readability
Despite the science fails, I kept reading. And eagerly, too. That says a heck of a lot. High quality writing, a fast pace and it demonstrated an excellent understanding of difficult emotions, like guilt and grief.
Cringe-worthiness: Some. The ooey-gooey crush developing into a romance, the divulging of dangerous secrets when it wouldn't benefit a certain party, and a little Mary Sue-ness.
"The Joneses"
Anyone who's seen this movie will know what I mean. Presenting a fake family unit to the outside world, selling the perfect family to the public when in reality none of them are related or romantically involved with each other, and all of them employees of the same organisation. It's all pretend. David Duchovny is Mason, playing the role of Dad, with the same ensuing emotional development of deepening attachment to a character, but in this case, of the father-daughter variety. Fake names, documents, moving house every time the cover's blown, again, all reminiscent of the movie.
The head of the organisation in the book is nicknamed "God" for playing god by resurrecting the dead. His employees are his "Disciples", and Revived children, "Converts". It makes a surreal sort of sense.
Conclusion
Usually, failing so completely on the science will earn a book 1, maybe 2 stars, and will be forever consigned to the shit-list shelf. No, 3 stars this time. Even though the romance seemed typically thin at first, it grew into something real, while the emotions of all involved were also authentic. I didn't hate the characters, a common complaint with me. Being a stand alone also helps its case. If I see other works by Patrick in my local library's catalogue, I wouldn't say no to reading them, but I wouldn't trust the science!
January 21, 2018
3.5 stars
I was and still am amazed at the idea behind this novel. Sure, coming back from the dead isn't a novel idea (although Daisy doesn't eat brains...) but the idea of a secret government agency? An entire underground experiment being launched with children from a bus crash as the test subjects? Parents that are really secret agents? That's just awesome. The cool factor of Cat Patrick's Revived still hasn't worn off for me.
I think the most interesting part of this novel for me besides the concept was the development of Daisy's view on the program throughout the novel. It's understandable that Daisy -- having died and been revived five times -- is supportive and grateful to the Revive project in the beginning of the novel. It's influenced her in so many ways; having two agents as parental figures has resulted in an analytical, adaptable girl and she's a character very easy to slip into the mind of.
And then. Stuff happens in this book. There's a completely life-changing event in Daisy's life that forces her to step back from the happy bubble she's been living in and really change her perspective on life and the Revive drug. I really liked seeing Daisy grow and start to question what she's been made to believe her entire life. She does some admirable things and I loved that she stayed real and honest.
Matt and Audrey, the McKean siblings that Daisy befriends are simply wonderful. They're both such open and kind people that it made me smile every time Daisy was with them. The relationship with Daisy and Matt is nothing earth-shattering but it has a sweet and genuine quality that I adored.
Backed up with solid writing and a fascinating premise, Revived is sure to make you question who should really have control over life and death.
Cover Comments: THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HARRY POTTER REFERENCE. Death. The veil. You knoooooow.
I was and still am amazed at the idea behind this novel. Sure, coming back from the dead isn't a novel idea (although Daisy doesn't eat brains...) but the idea of a secret government agency? An entire underground experiment being launched with children from a bus crash as the test subjects? Parents that are really secret agents? That's just awesome. The cool factor of Cat Patrick's Revived still hasn't worn off for me.
I think the most interesting part of this novel for me besides the concept was the development of Daisy's view on the program throughout the novel. It's understandable that Daisy -- having died and been revived five times -- is supportive and grateful to the Revive project in the beginning of the novel. It's influenced her in so many ways; having two agents as parental figures has resulted in an analytical, adaptable girl and she's a character very easy to slip into the mind of.
And then. Stuff happens in this book. There's a completely life-changing event in Daisy's life that forces her to step back from the happy bubble she's been living in and really change her perspective on life and the Revive drug. I really liked seeing Daisy grow and start to question what she's been made to believe her entire life. She does some admirable things and I loved that she stayed real and honest.
Matt and Audrey, the McKean siblings that Daisy befriends are simply wonderful. They're both such open and kind people that it made me smile every time Daisy was with them. The relationship with Daisy and Matt is nothing earth-shattering but it has a sweet and genuine quality that I adored.
Backed up with solid writing and a fascinating premise, Revived is sure to make you question who should really have control over life and death.
Cover Comments: THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HARRY POTTER REFERENCE. Death. The veil. You knoooooow.
October 10, 2012
I wasn't expecting the emotional aspect of death & bereavement captured in this book.
I did think it would be paranormal romance but government conspiracy I adore. Fab narrative voice, utterly unique premise, defies classification.
Revived is the highly anticipated second novel from Cat Patrick. Although I hate to compare books and authors my reaction to this book was the same as when I read Delirium after Before I Fall. As a reader, I think there is a style of writing you love more than others making you prefer a particular book over another even if it is by the same author. For me it was Before I Fall with Lauren Oliver and now its Forgotten with Cat Patrick.
Don’t get me wrong there isn’t anything negative I have to say about this book its just that I personally preferred Forgotten. Possibly its the romance within the narrative that tips the scales for me.
Revived is told in first person narrative from Daisy’s perspective. Daisy is part of a secret drug trail for Revive, a drug that actually brings people back from the dead. Such an utterly unique premise delivered in a realistic and believable fashion.
Daisy is understandably a loner by necessity. Constantly on the move to protect her and prevent the discovery of the Revive testing. Moving is unavoidable when Daisy develops an allergy to bee stings causing an anaphylactic shock she has to be revived from. She can’t risk people knowing she’s alive thanks to the miracle drug. She takes solace in decorating and creating a unique space for herself with each move. However, this last move has caused something to unlock deep within Daisy; she realizes that while she may have been ‘revived’ she isn’t living.
Daisy finds herself forming a friendship and a romance. However, her friend has secrets of her own that adds a whole new dimension to the story.
The story as a whole reads like a mystery while tackling some really weighty issues such as death and bereavement. The element of the drug testing provoked questions relating to the quest for power, ‘playing god’ if you will alongside the themes of control and manipulation. The narrative examines the extent some people are willing to go to in order to obtain something as powerful as a drug that can bring back the dead in most circumstances. Both the good and bad were identified in having this type of ability.
The portrayal of the secret government department and the testing controls were really well developed. The test subjects lives akin to those of people placed in the witness protection program. Daisy is the only orphan and is placed in the care of one of the agents, Mason. Their relationship although professional does take on elements of the traditional father/daughter structure providing a really sweet element to the character development in the plot.
There are a number of twists within the narrative that maintain the action and pacing. While Daisy’s narrative voice is fabulous I can’t say I developed any real connection to her or to any of the other characters for that matter. Although I will admit to crying in parts of the book, lol.
Although I enjoyed Revived, I didn’t love it in the same way as I loved Forgotten. I am aware of a few people who have the opposite opinion proving just how subjective reading is
I did think it would be paranormal romance but government conspiracy I adore. Fab narrative voice, utterly unique premise, defies classification.
Revived is the highly anticipated second novel from Cat Patrick. Although I hate to compare books and authors my reaction to this book was the same as when I read Delirium after Before I Fall. As a reader, I think there is a style of writing you love more than others making you prefer a particular book over another even if it is by the same author. For me it was Before I Fall with Lauren Oliver and now its Forgotten with Cat Patrick.
Don’t get me wrong there isn’t anything negative I have to say about this book its just that I personally preferred Forgotten. Possibly its the romance within the narrative that tips the scales for me.
Revived is told in first person narrative from Daisy’s perspective. Daisy is part of a secret drug trail for Revive, a drug that actually brings people back from the dead. Such an utterly unique premise delivered in a realistic and believable fashion.
Daisy is understandably a loner by necessity. Constantly on the move to protect her and prevent the discovery of the Revive testing. Moving is unavoidable when Daisy develops an allergy to bee stings causing an anaphylactic shock she has to be revived from. She can’t risk people knowing she’s alive thanks to the miracle drug. She takes solace in decorating and creating a unique space for herself with each move. However, this last move has caused something to unlock deep within Daisy; she realizes that while she may have been ‘revived’ she isn’t living.
Daisy finds herself forming a friendship and a romance. However, her friend has secrets of her own that adds a whole new dimension to the story.
The story as a whole reads like a mystery while tackling some really weighty issues such as death and bereavement. The element of the drug testing provoked questions relating to the quest for power, ‘playing god’ if you will alongside the themes of control and manipulation. The narrative examines the extent some people are willing to go to in order to obtain something as powerful as a drug that can bring back the dead in most circumstances. Both the good and bad were identified in having this type of ability.
The portrayal of the secret government department and the testing controls were really well developed. The test subjects lives akin to those of people placed in the witness protection program. Daisy is the only orphan and is placed in the care of one of the agents, Mason. Their relationship although professional does take on elements of the traditional father/daughter structure providing a really sweet element to the character development in the plot.
There are a number of twists within the narrative that maintain the action and pacing. While Daisy’s narrative voice is fabulous I can’t say I developed any real connection to her or to any of the other characters for that matter. Although I will admit to crying in parts of the book, lol.
Although I enjoyed Revived, I didn’t love it in the same way as I loved Forgotten. I am aware of a few people who have the opposite opinion proving just how subjective reading is
May 3, 2012
Cat Patrick is, perhaps, one of the leading voices in Young Adult fiction. This is her second published novel and the second time she had me completely spellbound by the story, plot, and relationships between characters. Her last book, Forgotten, was so original in plot, I loaned it out so much I think I lost it. That protagonist remembered tomorrow and days after that. Not yesterday.
This time we meet Daisy, age 15, as she is dying. Again. She's kind of bummed about it. She was just starting to like it where she was and dying kind of hurts. Oh, well. Next scene is Daisy and her faux parents driving away. They have to start over in a different location, change their last names, you know. The usual things you do when you die and then revive.
So it's really a government project. 11 years ago a bus crashed and 21 children died. All but 6 were revived with a secret injection. They were relocated and the experiment continues. Daisy was already an orphan so she lives with agents, Mason and Cassie. They move to Omaha and start over. Again. Each playing their part. Daisy gets to reinvent herself and decides she wants a friend. Audrey, a girl at school befriends her and Daisy starts growing roots. She gets a boyfriend. Her first kiss. Sleepovers, girl talk, dating, hanging out. Meanwhile, something is up with the program and the puppet master who pulls the strings. There are also situations that come up that threaten her identity.
Although a clever story, it goes deeper than just that. Without overplaying the religion and God card, Daisy begins to question what comes after this. Someday she will die for good. She believes in God, creator of the earth and has an overall belief of afterlife but has never explored it as much as she is forced to do so when she is in Omaha.
*Slight spoiler alert* Somebody close to Daisy dies.For good without Revival. The story explores how relationships continue after a shared loss, when the death is not optioned with a reviving but a real, gut-wrenching loss. Also, family relationships are touched upon in many forms; brother/sister, dad/daughter, mother/child. This part is not deeply explored but the book does give it a platform.
Excellent book. Great idea. Writing is cohesive. My one complaint is that I wanted to know what happened to Daisy's parents. It's not part of the story. I just wondered.
This time we meet Daisy, age 15, as she is dying. Again. She's kind of bummed about it. She was just starting to like it where she was and dying kind of hurts. Oh, well. Next scene is Daisy and her faux parents driving away. They have to start over in a different location, change their last names, you know. The usual things you do when you die and then revive.
So it's really a government project. 11 years ago a bus crashed and 21 children died. All but 6 were revived with a secret injection. They were relocated and the experiment continues. Daisy was already an orphan so she lives with agents, Mason and Cassie. They move to Omaha and start over. Again. Each playing their part. Daisy gets to reinvent herself and decides she wants a friend. Audrey, a girl at school befriends her and Daisy starts growing roots. She gets a boyfriend. Her first kiss. Sleepovers, girl talk, dating, hanging out. Meanwhile, something is up with the program and the puppet master who pulls the strings. There are also situations that come up that threaten her identity.
Although a clever story, it goes deeper than just that. Without overplaying the religion and God card, Daisy begins to question what comes after this. Someday she will die for good. She believes in God, creator of the earth and has an overall belief of afterlife but has never explored it as much as she is forced to do so when she is in Omaha.
*Slight spoiler alert* Somebody close to Daisy dies.For good without Revival. The story explores how relationships continue after a shared loss, when the death is not optioned with a reviving but a real, gut-wrenching loss. Also, family relationships are touched upon in many forms; brother/sister, dad/daughter, mother/child. This part is not deeply explored but the book does give it a platform.
Excellent book. Great idea. Writing is cohesive. My one complaint is that I wanted to know what happened to Daisy's parents. It's not part of the story. I just wondered.
July 23, 2012
WOW! The best book I have read so far this year, no contest. I absolutely loved it.
This book had it all. The characters were amazing, the writing was so undeniably breathtaking, and the story line was so original! I mean, I actually got chills at the end of the book because it was just that good. (Not that the actual ending gave me chills, but just the entire book in general.) I was a little sad when I was done reading it because I wanted more!
All I can say is PLEASE read this book. I am actually disappointed that more people aren't talking about this book and Cat Patrick herself.
I look forward to now reading her book, Forgotten, and all the books she writes in the future. This book converted me into a Cat Patrick fan, I must say!
I have so much more I could gush about this book but I will spare you. Just go buy it, or get it from your library because I have a very hard time thinking that you would regret it. :)
This book had it all. The characters were amazing, the writing was so undeniably breathtaking, and the story line was so original! I mean, I actually got chills at the end of the book because it was just that good. (Not that the actual ending gave me chills, but just the entire book in general.) I was a little sad when I was done reading it because I wanted more!
All I can say is PLEASE read this book. I am actually disappointed that more people aren't talking about this book and Cat Patrick herself.
I look forward to now reading her book, Forgotten, and all the books she writes in the future. This book converted me into a Cat Patrick fan, I must say!
I have so much more I could gush about this book but I will spare you. Just go buy it, or get it from your library because I have a very hard time thinking that you would regret it. :)
March 30, 2018
My review can also be found here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
This is a novel that has a cool concept, but feels as if it is trying too hard to capture a teenage audience. It feels as if the author forgot what it was actually like to be a teenager. Or maybe I just wasn’t so frivolous and boy obsessed. Or maybe the beginning just didn’t interest me. Who likes to read about normal teenage life? I know some people love contemporary romance, but I find it rather boring. My interests are the unusual, the extraordinary, the dark and fantastical. The beginning of this fell flat for me. I almost gave up reading because the beginning was so vanilla.
This book tackles the question that is almost never approached with books that involve some sort of key to immortality. What about the sick people? Who decides who gets to live and who dies? What are the limits to immortality? These questions are almost never answered, but they are in this book.
A lot of this book felt like it was trying too hard. Daisy, the main character, isn’t even awake for what should be the climax of the book. The plot, what plot? The plot sucks and is practically nonexistent. Some parts just felt so forced. It’s a cool concept, the life saving drug and the witness protection kind of lifestyle, but this book did not fulfill its potential by a long shot. I think a large part of the reason that it fell so flat is because the characters were so basic. Their personalities were vanilla and they had virtually no flaws. At least it was a quick read, because I’m disappointed.
This is a novel that has a cool concept, but feels as if it is trying too hard to capture a teenage audience. It feels as if the author forgot what it was actually like to be a teenager. Or maybe I just wasn’t so frivolous and boy obsessed. Or maybe the beginning just didn’t interest me. Who likes to read about normal teenage life? I know some people love contemporary romance, but I find it rather boring. My interests are the unusual, the extraordinary, the dark and fantastical. The beginning of this fell flat for me. I almost gave up reading because the beginning was so vanilla.
This book tackles the question that is almost never approached with books that involve some sort of key to immortality. What about the sick people? Who decides who gets to live and who dies? What are the limits to immortality? These questions are almost never answered, but they are in this book.
A lot of this book felt like it was trying too hard. Daisy, the main character, isn’t even awake for what should be the climax of the book. The plot, what plot? The plot sucks and is practically nonexistent. Some parts just felt so forced. It’s a cool concept, the life saving drug and the witness protection kind of lifestyle, but this book did not fulfill its potential by a long shot. I think a large part of the reason that it fell so flat is because the characters were so basic. Their personalities were vanilla and they had virtually no flaws. At least it was a quick read, because I’m disappointed.
May 12, 2012
O.M.G! This book was sooooo good! They really need to make a movie about it!!!
It really sucks you in from the very first pages, after every page you turn you just want more, more and more.. Revived begins with a AWESOME cover.. mysterious and unique just like the story itself.
The story is really unique .. filled with suspence, action, drama, romance, humor, a hot guy :) and a very very good story..
Defenitely a MUST READ for people who like books that are filled with suspence, real life drama, romance, secret goverment projects, and so much more!!
Prepare yourself for a ride on THE most awesome emotional-rollercoast!
It really sucks you in from the very first pages, after every page you turn you just want more, more and more.. Revived begins with a AWESOME cover.. mysterious and unique just like the story itself.
The story is really unique .. filled with suspence, action, drama, romance, humor, a hot guy :) and a very very good story..
Defenitely a MUST READ for people who like books that are filled with suspence, real life drama, romance, secret goverment projects, and so much more!!
Prepare yourself for a ride on THE most awesome emotional-rollercoast!
October 14, 2012
In a sea of sad girls in pretty dresses, harsh dystopias and sexy vampires it can be a challenge to find a book that doesn’t give you the impression of ‘been there, read that.’ Although Cat Patrick is a relative newcomer to the young adult arena, Revived is her sophomore book, I think that her books have such an original feel to their plots as demonstrated by Revived.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
March 23, 2012
Cat Patrick throws us into the miracles of Daisy's life right from the beginning of the novel. It's not often the main character dies within the first two pages. Even rarer when she's walking, talking and travelling out of state by the third page. Cheating death is a natural phenomenon to Daisy. She should have died at the age of 5 when she was involved in a tragic accident, but instead she was selected for a secret scientific experiment to test a drug called Revive. Rightfully named, as it brings the gift of life back to it's subject with a well-timed injection. But with each death, she and the agents acting as her parents must relocate, adopting with new identities to avoid awkward questions like, "How the *BEEP* are you alive?!" After her fifth death, Daisy Appleby becomes Daisy West, and while she's accustomed to settling into a new school, she's not familiar with growing emotionally attached to people. But Omaha is home to the McKean siblings, a girl and a boy who are about to unintentionally rumble Daisy's entire world.
Daisy has a very real, girl-next-door kind of vibe. She's an easily likable character, her emotions and sweetness make her relatable, while her unique upbringing give her a compelling aura. In ways, she does take life for granted. Death is not a threat she's really had to fear, with the Revive drug just an injection away from bringing her back. But that all changes the more she becomes invested in her new life. She may have outwitted death all these years, but it strikes back in a way she never expected, forcing Daisy to reassess her own life, the ethics of the Revive drug and especially to question the motives of the man who created it. She shows visible growth as the novel progresses and I really enjoyed watching her change.
While I'm not sure any can live up to the heart-fluttering, sugary sweet romance of Luke and London from Cat's debut novel, Forgotten, Daisy and Matt were an endearing pair. It's nothing mind-blowing, but the blossoms of first love. It begins as an innocent attraction, cute and genuine, but the rosy hue doesn't last forever and their loyalty is tested when an event completely shatters their worlds. Something that could either draw them closer together or be the bridge that painfully separates them forever...
I did go into this book expecting something completely different. The US cover gave me more of a dystopian feel, with the impression that there would be lots of action and intensity. That's likely my own fault for reading too much into it. While I do love the US art, the Australian one (shown above) has a more softer, contemplative, contemporary feel which is a truer representation of the story. So really, that was my only problem: My expectations were different to what the story shaped up to be. And the fact that I couldn't help but compare it to Forgotten, because that was one of my favourite reads last year. And while I did enjoy Revived (obviously!), I had to tell my inner voice to shut the heck up and stop saying, "He's nice, but he's no Luke Henry..." etc.
Once again Cat has pieced together a beautifully written novel. I won't say if she leaves us on a happy or sad note, but I love that her endings feel very realistic and not always what you typically expect from these kind of YA books. Just as she did in Forgotten, Cat is brilliant at surprising you with a well-timed twist that in retrospect, you really should have seen coming, but just didn't see the clues until the very last minute. The second half of the novel picks up the pace as suspicions arise, the mystery deepens and our protagonist is weighed down by an emotional upheaval that inspires some thought-provoking questions. Revived is an engaging read from a wonderfully talented author with a penchant for a unique premise!
Daisy has a very real, girl-next-door kind of vibe. She's an easily likable character, her emotions and sweetness make her relatable, while her unique upbringing give her a compelling aura. In ways, she does take life for granted. Death is not a threat she's really had to fear, with the Revive drug just an injection away from bringing her back. But that all changes the more she becomes invested in her new life. She may have outwitted death all these years, but it strikes back in a way she never expected, forcing Daisy to reassess her own life, the ethics of the Revive drug and especially to question the motives of the man who created it. She shows visible growth as the novel progresses and I really enjoyed watching her change.
While I'm not sure any can live up to the heart-fluttering, sugary sweet romance of Luke and London from Cat's debut novel, Forgotten, Daisy and Matt were an endearing pair. It's nothing mind-blowing, but the blossoms of first love. It begins as an innocent attraction, cute and genuine, but the rosy hue doesn't last forever and their loyalty is tested when an event completely shatters their worlds. Something that could either draw them closer together or be the bridge that painfully separates them forever...
I did go into this book expecting something completely different. The US cover gave me more of a dystopian feel, with the impression that there would be lots of action and intensity. That's likely my own fault for reading too much into it. While I do love the US art, the Australian one (shown above) has a more softer, contemplative, contemporary feel which is a truer representation of the story. So really, that was my only problem: My expectations were different to what the story shaped up to be. And the fact that I couldn't help but compare it to Forgotten, because that was one of my favourite reads last year. And while I did enjoy Revived (obviously!), I had to tell my inner voice to shut the heck up and stop saying, "He's nice, but he's no Luke Henry..." etc.
Once again Cat has pieced together a beautifully written novel. I won't say if she leaves us on a happy or sad note, but I love that her endings feel very realistic and not always what you typically expect from these kind of YA books. Just as she did in Forgotten, Cat is brilliant at surprising you with a well-timed twist that in retrospect, you really should have seen coming, but just didn't see the clues until the very last minute. The second half of the novel picks up the pace as suspicions arise, the mystery deepens and our protagonist is weighed down by an emotional upheaval that inspires some thought-provoking questions. Revived is an engaging read from a wonderfully talented author with a penchant for a unique premise!
May 2, 2012
The cover of the book is so gorgeous and it is only when I started reading the book that I realized the subtle meaning of it and nearly swooned at how sly the symbolism is. The book deals with coming back from death yeah? So the model pictured on the cover is tearing the “veil,” that is, she is literally coming back from the dead. Cool stuff, very cool stuff.
Okay, now let us move forth to the review proper. The premise is fresh and innovative (and the zombie free novel wins points too). Daisy is a likeable character with a readable voice. During the first few pages of the novel, I was immediately struck by her nonchalance where death is concerned. It does not seem to mean a lot to her. Especially the fact that despite knowing that she has a deadly allergic reaction to bee stings, she consciously leaves behind the medicine that could save her life. So that really did not sit well with me but I realized later that Patrick was laying down the foundation for Daisy’s education.
What follows is an intriguing mix of science, intrigue, romance and friendship. More on the romance later. First we need to talk about the friendship. I like how Patrick takes time and care to build up the friendship that is such a huge part of this novel. It is a genuine friendship and not a means to an end. The fact that Daisy makes her first real “normal” friend makes the culmination of the friendship even more poignant and you will need to read the book to figure out the cryptic statement. The romance. This is what I had some trouble with. Honestly, the love interest sounded amazing. Hot, kind and nice. You know, truly nice. Do you know how difficult it is to find truly nice, boyfriend material guys? Very difficult, I assure. And I was all gungho about him until he said something that made me take a step back and question myself.
Maybe it is because I am an older reader and maybe more attuned to stuff like this and perhaps more sensitive to it but in a scene when the protagonists are talking about the love interest’s ex-girlfriend, he, quite casually, says “She’s a bitch.”
Everything came to a screeching halt right then. I find it extremely off putting that just to assuage his current love, the guy is calling his ex names. It makes me wonder how he would react when and if his relationship with Daisy breaks up and it makes me question his niceness. There were so many other things he could have said but the fact that he called his ex names just to calm Daisy’s insecurities makes me lose all respect for him. Calling your ex names does not seem like love-interest-ey behavior to me.
That said, I found Daisy’s gradual journey to understanding death and grief fascinating. The book demands a lot emotionally from you but I think the pay off equalizes the demand. Would I recommend the book to you? Well, I liked it. I thought it was an interesting take on the paranormal. While the scientific portion that explains this Wonder Drug is missing, there is plenty of action and intrigue to make it an entertaining read. Make up your own mind.
Okay, now let us move forth to the review proper. The premise is fresh and innovative (and the zombie free novel wins points too). Daisy is a likeable character with a readable voice. During the first few pages of the novel, I was immediately struck by her nonchalance where death is concerned. It does not seem to mean a lot to her. Especially the fact that despite knowing that she has a deadly allergic reaction to bee stings, she consciously leaves behind the medicine that could save her life. So that really did not sit well with me but I realized later that Patrick was laying down the foundation for Daisy’s education.
What follows is an intriguing mix of science, intrigue, romance and friendship. More on the romance later. First we need to talk about the friendship. I like how Patrick takes time and care to build up the friendship that is such a huge part of this novel. It is a genuine friendship and not a means to an end. The fact that Daisy makes her first real “normal” friend makes the culmination of the friendship even more poignant and you will need to read the book to figure out the cryptic statement. The romance. This is what I had some trouble with. Honestly, the love interest sounded amazing. Hot, kind and nice. You know, truly nice. Do you know how difficult it is to find truly nice, boyfriend material guys? Very difficult, I assure. And I was all gungho about him until he said something that made me take a step back and question myself.
Maybe it is because I am an older reader and maybe more attuned to stuff like this and perhaps more sensitive to it but in a scene when the protagonists are talking about the love interest’s ex-girlfriend, he, quite casually, says “She’s a bitch.”
Everything came to a screeching halt right then. I find it extremely off putting that just to assuage his current love, the guy is calling his ex names. It makes me wonder how he would react when and if his relationship with Daisy breaks up and it makes me question his niceness. There were so many other things he could have said but the fact that he called his ex names just to calm Daisy’s insecurities makes me lose all respect for him. Calling your ex names does not seem like love-interest-ey behavior to me.
That said, I found Daisy’s gradual journey to understanding death and grief fascinating. The book demands a lot emotionally from you but I think the pay off equalizes the demand. Would I recommend the book to you? Well, I liked it. I thought it was an interesting take on the paranormal. While the scientific portion that explains this Wonder Drug is missing, there is plenty of action and intrigue to make it an entertaining read. Make up your own mind.
July 7, 2012
Spoilers
After dying in a bus crash at age 5, Daisy Appelby was saved by the experimental drug, Revive. Since the bus crash she's been Revived a further four more times. As the drug is still in it's testing stage, Daisy isn't allowed to reveal the existence of Revive to anyone. So everytime Daisy dies she has to relocate and change her surname to ensure that no-one can investigate her miraculous recovery.
Since Daisy is an orphan she must pretend that the two government agents she lives with are her parents. When Daisy's 'parents' Revive her after dying from a bee sting at school, they're all forced to move somewhere new again. Daisy promises that she'll make an effort to fit in and make friends when she moves. At her new school, Daisy meets brother and sister, Audrey and Matt who take her under their wing. As Daisy finds herself becoming closer to Matt and Audrey, she struggles to keep the truth about Revive to herself.
-There didn't seem to be much plot or action in the first 75% of the book - it was very slow and boring. All that happened was Daisy moved to a new town after being Revived, she became friends with Audrey, found out Audrey had cancer, she got closer to Matt and then Audrey died. It was all so meh and it was hard to feel upset about Audrey since she wasn't a fleshed out character. I couldn't take Daisy's grief seriously either since she hadn't even known Audrey very long.
-I didn't like Daisy very much, she was pretty much the typical YA heroine - she was a loner at school and like all other bland YA heroines she only started to really enjoy herself when she met the love interest. For the most part, Daisy came across as childish, shallow and judgemental. The only reason she even seemed to like Matt was because of how attractive he is, she went on and on about his looks - it was so irksome.
-Daisy literally became obsessed with Matt after one coversation, so much so she zones out when Audrey talks to her so she can fantsize about Matt. It was pathetic that all Daisy was interested in was Matt. Daisy was so naive - she tells Matt about the top secret government program she's in after only spending a few days with him. It's hard to root for a main character that trusts so easily and stupidly tells someone she barely knows all her secrets.
-Matt was an ok love interest, I didn't have much feeling for him because the only thing I really knew about him was how he was the best looking guy in school.
-I was annoyed by how Daisy and co kept calling the the head of the Revive program, God. It was quite jarring and it bought me out of the story.
-It was hard to belive how many times Daisy had died - she's only 15 and she's already died five times. Daisy's deaths are pretty much written of as her being clumsy - I don't think being clumsy could have caused Daisy to die that many times.
I'm pretty sure Revived is a stand alone novel, everything was more or less tied up at the end. I think younger teenagers would enjoy this, but older audiences would maybe find it a tad dull.
After dying in a bus crash at age 5, Daisy Appelby was saved by the experimental drug, Revive. Since the bus crash she's been Revived a further four more times. As the drug is still in it's testing stage, Daisy isn't allowed to reveal the existence of Revive to anyone. So everytime Daisy dies she has to relocate and change her surname to ensure that no-one can investigate her miraculous recovery.
Since Daisy is an orphan she must pretend that the two government agents she lives with are her parents. When Daisy's 'parents' Revive her after dying from a bee sting at school, they're all forced to move somewhere new again. Daisy promises that she'll make an effort to fit in and make friends when she moves. At her new school, Daisy meets brother and sister, Audrey and Matt who take her under their wing. As Daisy finds herself becoming closer to Matt and Audrey, she struggles to keep the truth about Revive to herself.
-There didn't seem to be much plot or action in the first 75% of the book - it was very slow and boring. All that happened was Daisy moved to a new town after being Revived, she became friends with Audrey, found out Audrey had cancer, she got closer to Matt and then Audrey died. It was all so meh and it was hard to feel upset about Audrey since she wasn't a fleshed out character. I couldn't take Daisy's grief seriously either since she hadn't even known Audrey very long.
-I didn't like Daisy very much, she was pretty much the typical YA heroine - she was a loner at school and like all other bland YA heroines she only started to really enjoy herself when she met the love interest. For the most part, Daisy came across as childish, shallow and judgemental. The only reason she even seemed to like Matt was because of how attractive he is, she went on and on about his looks - it was so irksome.
-Daisy literally became obsessed with Matt after one coversation, so much so she zones out when Audrey talks to her so she can fantsize about Matt. It was pathetic that all Daisy was interested in was Matt. Daisy was so naive - she tells Matt about the top secret government program she's in after only spending a few days with him. It's hard to root for a main character that trusts so easily and stupidly tells someone she barely knows all her secrets.
-Matt was an ok love interest, I didn't have much feeling for him because the only thing I really knew about him was how he was the best looking guy in school.
-I was annoyed by how Daisy and co kept calling the the head of the Revive program, God. It was quite jarring and it bought me out of the story.
-It was hard to belive how many times Daisy had died - she's only 15 and she's already died five times. Daisy's deaths are pretty much written of as her being clumsy - I don't think being clumsy could have caused Daisy to die that many times.
I'm pretty sure Revived is a stand alone novel, everything was more or less tied up at the end. I think younger teenagers would enjoy this, but older audiences would maybe find it a tad dull.
May 7, 2012
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Daisy is a part of a top secret project called Revive not as an agent--known as Disciples--but as a test subject--referred to as Converts. What does Revive do? Simply put, it brings people back from the dead; the downside? Every time Daisy dies, she has to relocate with her "parents." It's in Omaha that she meets Audrey, who she quickly befriends, and Matt, a boy who catches her interest on Daisy's first day of classes. Once there and settled into her new life, she'll discover things about Revive that will put a new spin on things and she'll have to ask herself whether or not she should do--well, I'll let you read Revived to find out.
Why hello there, standalone! Or at least, I'm pretty sure Revived is a standalone--there's an epilogue and everything, although I certainly wouldn't have minded reading more about Daisy and the Revive program. Asides from having a gorgeous--and slightly creepy--cover, the plot is wonderful and best of all, it's easy to follow along and it grabs you--or at least, it certainly grabbed me. I won't get into how much I loved Daisy's room decorating skills (and Audrey's) or how I wouldn't mind her helping me decorate my room--but let's just say that I loved the room descriptions, yes?
Then there was Daisy who, as a character, starts off a bit uptight--for a very good reason--and she definitely lightens up and gets a life in Omaha. I won't get into her past, what brought her to the program, etc. but I will tell you that she's allergic to bees--and that it definitely plays a part throughout Revived. Audrey was another character that I really loved--she became fast friends with Daisy and again, I really can't say much more than that without giving spoilers. And then we come to Matt, who Daisy can't help but find attractive and they're relationship is slow going at first--and there's trouble in paradise on occasion--but overall? They definitely make a cute couple and yay for boys who are understanding! But honestly, I think I liked Mason the best and I know that people might not like him at first, but it's really towards the end of Revived when he grows on you. Yes, he's an agent but he's also--er, can't tell you that. I do hope that you like him too though! (Just to clarify, he plays Daisy's father.) Oh, and God--a nickname for the guy running the program--is a creeper, just letting you know now
I loved how the plot was paced and it definitely kept me engaged from start to finish--but I should warn you, it isn't non-stop action, so don't go into Revived thinking that it'll be that way. Also, it's definitely more plot-centric than romance-centric (which in this particular case, I'm definitely glad of).
Daisy is a part of a top secret project called Revive not as an agent--known as Disciples--but as a test subject--referred to as Converts. What does Revive do? Simply put, it brings people back from the dead; the downside? Every time Daisy dies, she has to relocate with her "parents." It's in Omaha that she meets Audrey, who she quickly befriends, and Matt, a boy who catches her interest on Daisy's first day of classes. Once there and settled into her new life, she'll discover things about Revive that will put a new spin on things and she'll have to ask herself whether or not she should do--well, I'll let you read Revived to find out.
Why hello there, standalone! Or at least, I'm pretty sure Revived is a standalone--there's an epilogue and everything, although I certainly wouldn't have minded reading more about Daisy and the Revive program. Asides from having a gorgeous--and slightly creepy--cover, the plot is wonderful and best of all, it's easy to follow along and it grabs you--or at least, it certainly grabbed me. I won't get into how much I loved Daisy's room decorating skills (and Audrey's) or how I wouldn't mind her helping me decorate my room--but let's just say that I loved the room descriptions, yes?
Then there was Daisy who, as a character, starts off a bit uptight--for a very good reason--and she definitely lightens up and gets a life in Omaha. I won't get into her past, what brought her to the program, etc. but I will tell you that she's allergic to bees--and that it definitely plays a part throughout Revived. Audrey was another character that I really loved--she became fast friends with Daisy and again, I really can't say much more than that without giving spoilers. And then we come to Matt, who Daisy can't help but find attractive and they're relationship is slow going at first--and there's trouble in paradise on occasion--but overall? They definitely make a cute couple and yay for boys who are understanding! But honestly, I think I liked Mason the best and I know that people might not like him at first, but it's really towards the end of Revived when he grows on you. Yes, he's an agent but he's also--er, can't tell you that. I do hope that you like him too though! (Just to clarify, he plays Daisy's father.) Oh, and God--a nickname for the guy running the program--is a creeper, just letting you know now
I loved how the plot was paced and it definitely kept me engaged from start to finish--but I should warn you, it isn't non-stop action, so don't go into Revived thinking that it'll be that way. Also, it's definitely more plot-centric than romance-centric (which in this particular case, I'm definitely glad of).
April 26, 2012
Ever since I read the blurb and saw the cover of Revived I wanted to read it, and when I managed to get an ARC in my hands I was ecstatic, and once I actually read it I was even more thrilled! Revived is amazing! Honestly, it's addictive, and the story just reels you in and keeps you hooked until the very last page!
I wasn't sure about Daisy at first, she comes off as kind of flippant, mostly because of how she views death after using Revive for so long. However, even with her flippant feelings towards death, I really liked her as a character. I found her to be hilarious, and I really liked getting to see her open up to Audrey and Matt. I have to say though, while I loved Daisy and Matt together, I loved her relationship with Mason even more. He may not be her actual father, but they had one of the most amazing relationships I've seen in YA between a child and their parental figure. He respects her, and while she may not always listen to him, she still loves him and you could tell he genuinely cared about her. Their relationship wasn't something that I was expecting, but I was thrilled that it was there. I also loved Daisy's friend, Megan, and the blog that they run together sounds awesome. It's also nice to see unconventional character types given the respect and attention that they deserve. I'll let you read about Megan in Daisy's story...no spoiler from me here. :P
Along with the fabulous relationships in this book, it has one amazing storyline. I'm not going to go into too much detail because this is the kind of story that is so much better to experience for yourself, but I absolutely loved it! I'm a sucker for a good conspiracy...and I'm sure that there's no shock that this book has a big once since it's described right in the description. :P I thought that Daisy was the perfect narrator to undercover it all, and I loved getting to experience everything clicking into place for her as she figured everything out.
Overall, I absolutely loved Revived, and I recommend it to anyone who wants an action-packed story that's also character driven. I will warn you that it might make you a bit squeamish at times because Daisy goes into detail about the times that she had to use Revive, but I didn't find it to be too much. However, I do know that I'm not the most sensitive person when it comes to that kind of stuff...I mean I do read zombie books, so I'm warning you just in case. :P That being said, I wholeheartedly suggest that you get your hands on a copy of Revived the first chance you get because this is one story you do not want to miss! :D
I wasn't sure about Daisy at first, she comes off as kind of flippant, mostly because of how she views death after using Revive for so long. However, even with her flippant feelings towards death, I really liked her as a character. I found her to be hilarious, and I really liked getting to see her open up to Audrey and Matt. I have to say though, while I loved Daisy and Matt together, I loved her relationship with Mason even more. He may not be her actual father, but they had one of the most amazing relationships I've seen in YA between a child and their parental figure. He respects her, and while she may not always listen to him, she still loves him and you could tell he genuinely cared about her. Their relationship wasn't something that I was expecting, but I was thrilled that it was there. I also loved Daisy's friend, Megan, and the blog that they run together sounds awesome. It's also nice to see unconventional character types given the respect and attention that they deserve. I'll let you read about Megan in Daisy's story...no spoiler from me here. :P
Along with the fabulous relationships in this book, it has one amazing storyline. I'm not going to go into too much detail because this is the kind of story that is so much better to experience for yourself, but I absolutely loved it! I'm a sucker for a good conspiracy...and I'm sure that there's no shock that this book has a big once since it's described right in the description. :P I thought that Daisy was the perfect narrator to undercover it all, and I loved getting to experience everything clicking into place for her as she figured everything out.
Overall, I absolutely loved Revived, and I recommend it to anyone who wants an action-packed story that's also character driven. I will warn you that it might make you a bit squeamish at times because Daisy goes into detail about the times that she had to use Revive, but I didn't find it to be too much. However, I do know that I'm not the most sensitive person when it comes to that kind of stuff...I mean I do read zombie books, so I'm warning you just in case. :P That being said, I wholeheartedly suggest that you get your hands on a copy of Revived the first chance you get because this is one story you do not want to miss! :D
April 5, 2016
A finished copy was provided by the publisher for review.
Rather slow in the beginning, and there wasn’t as much plot development in the middle of the book, so pacing sure was slow. Then all of a sudden, the ending came and finally some development appeared. I just wished there was more focus on the mystery of the entire operation. I was thinking it was this huge conspiracy, and evil was amiss with the leaders and all the agents, but I’m guessing my imagination ran away with me. It didn’t matter if this book caught my eye when perusing GoodReads for new titles. It didn’t matter that it had a cover that was so gorgeous and a colour so bright that I had to pick it up when it came out. Nope the premise of this story was exactly my cup of tea. Action, suspense, intrigue, all rolled into one book! Then to my surprise, I enjoyed Daisy explaining what the Revive program was about and thinking of all these repercussions. Is she adopted? Who are her real parents? Won’t people ever find out about her? How would it affect her emotionally? I had a lot of questions. I really wanted to give this book a perfect rating, but the lack of action in the middle parts just dropped the rating down one star.
As for the characters, holy Toledo! Teenage hormones abound! Daisy sure lives to fantasize about Matt! I mean read this quote:
“I think of the fact that he has the nicest boy feet I’ve ever seen…not that I’ve seen a lot of them.”—Daisy (64)
My face resembled a web of confusion. What did his feet have to with anything? (Maybe I’m just being bitter because in my opinion, feet are not pretty to look at.) I love the friendship that Daisy starts with Audrey. Finally Daisy gets to develop a relationship with a person and not run away again. It felt real, and all the little things they did were exact, shopping trips included. I did manage to enjoy the “father/daughter” relationship between Daisy and Mason, and having him as her guardian made her life so much easier.
Cat Patrick sure knows how to develop great relationships! Lastly, I was glad this was a stand-alone book and it ended just right. I do wish my questions were answered. Maybe I’ll imagine they were resolved in my head.
Rather slow in the beginning, and there wasn’t as much plot development in the middle of the book, so pacing sure was slow. Then all of a sudden, the ending came and finally some development appeared. I just wished there was more focus on the mystery of the entire operation. I was thinking it was this huge conspiracy, and evil was amiss with the leaders and all the agents, but I’m guessing my imagination ran away with me. It didn’t matter if this book caught my eye when perusing GoodReads for new titles. It didn’t matter that it had a cover that was so gorgeous and a colour so bright that I had to pick it up when it came out. Nope the premise of this story was exactly my cup of tea. Action, suspense, intrigue, all rolled into one book! Then to my surprise, I enjoyed Daisy explaining what the Revive program was about and thinking of all these repercussions. Is she adopted? Who are her real parents? Won’t people ever find out about her? How would it affect her emotionally? I had a lot of questions. I really wanted to give this book a perfect rating, but the lack of action in the middle parts just dropped the rating down one star.
As for the characters, holy Toledo! Teenage hormones abound! Daisy sure lives to fantasize about Matt! I mean read this quote:
“I think of the fact that he has the nicest boy feet I’ve ever seen…not that I’ve seen a lot of them.”—Daisy (64)
My face resembled a web of confusion. What did his feet have to with anything? (Maybe I’m just being bitter because in my opinion, feet are not pretty to look at.) I love the friendship that Daisy starts with Audrey. Finally Daisy gets to develop a relationship with a person and not run away again. It felt real, and all the little things they did were exact, shopping trips included. I did manage to enjoy the “father/daughter” relationship between Daisy and Mason, and having him as her guardian made her life so much easier.
Cat Patrick sure knows how to develop great relationships! Lastly, I was glad this was a stand-alone book and it ended just right. I do wish my questions were answered. Maybe I’ll imagine they were resolved in my head.
June 3, 2013
i decided to read this book because it is by the same author of my favourite book FORGOTTEN and i knew it would be amazing. This book is now a favourite along with forgotten.
This book fits under the category of 'a book written in 2011-2012'. This book was written in 2012. I didn't really find it any different to any of the other books I read. I don't have a specific time period that I read books from I just read the ones that are appealing.
My favourite quote from the book is 'Audrey never wanted to be anyone's heartbreak. So i'll always remember... But i will also move on.' This is my favourite quote because it is saying that Daisy will always move on. No matter what happens. Her dying or a friend.
Because during the book her best friend (audrey) that she meets in Omaha dies from terminal cancer. She cannot be revived because the drug doesn't work on unhealthy bodies. The drug only works on people who die while having healthy bodies. So in the quote Daisy is saying that Audrey never wanted to be anyones heartbreak. She didn't want her death to stay with people forever.
Something new i learned form this book is the way some people deal with death. Some shy away and some deal with it; go day by day. But then some people cannot deal with it, they pull away from the world.
A character that i found interesting from this book is AUDREY. She is Dasiy's best friend when she moves to Omaha. I found Audrey interesting because at first she is just a normal girl. She has a loving family, smart, pretty, and a really good friend. But then a twist appears and we are hit with the bombshell that she has terminal cancer and was given three years two and a half years ago. Daisy and Audrey become really tight. Daisy is also the girlfriend of Audrey's brother. But just when everything seems good, Audrey lapsed into a coma and does not wake up. Audrey has died.
Overall i truly love this book. I found every page interesting with every last word of every chapter leaving me shocked and excited for the next page.
This book fits under the category of 'a book written in 2011-2012'. This book was written in 2012. I didn't really find it any different to any of the other books I read. I don't have a specific time period that I read books from I just read the ones that are appealing.
My favourite quote from the book is 'Audrey never wanted to be anyone's heartbreak. So i'll always remember... But i will also move on.' This is my favourite quote because it is saying that Daisy will always move on. No matter what happens. Her dying or a friend.
Because during the book her best friend (audrey) that she meets in Omaha dies from terminal cancer. She cannot be revived because the drug doesn't work on unhealthy bodies. The drug only works on people who die while having healthy bodies. So in the quote Daisy is saying that Audrey never wanted to be anyones heartbreak. She didn't want her death to stay with people forever.
Something new i learned form this book is the way some people deal with death. Some shy away and some deal with it; go day by day. But then some people cannot deal with it, they pull away from the world.
A character that i found interesting from this book is AUDREY. She is Dasiy's best friend when she moves to Omaha. I found Audrey interesting because at first she is just a normal girl. She has a loving family, smart, pretty, and a really good friend. But then a twist appears and we are hit with the bombshell that she has terminal cancer and was given three years two and a half years ago. Daisy and Audrey become really tight. Daisy is also the girlfriend of Audrey's brother. But just when everything seems good, Audrey lapsed into a coma and does not wake up. Audrey has died.
Overall i truly love this book. I found every page interesting with every last word of every chapter leaving me shocked and excited for the next page.
March 11, 2012
This is one of those genres that hasn't hit the "oh no, not another one" stage": teen girl who, for some reason, isn't dead but should be (think Adoration of Jenna Fox or Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac more than If I Stay). Daisy was rescued from a bus crash when she was four, saved from death by Revive, an experimental drug. Since she was an orphan at the time, she's spent her life since then with agents (known as Disciples) who are studying the affects of this drug and monitoring the other Converts (those saved by the drug).
Daisy takes risks, like forgetting her EpiPen, and we open with her dying - again - and waking up as her "family" relocates yet again, this time to Omaha. Usually she's aloof, but this time she starts to become friends with Audrey, and then with Audrey's really hot older brother. As the book progresses the questions of what the drug has done, to her, to the other Converts, and to "God" (the man behind the drug) get raised, as do the ethics of the experiment. There's some real character growth here, more than in Jenna or Amnesiac.
I was going to give this four stars, not five, because her BFF Megan was a bit of a problem for me, as was the "isn't this a great thing to have happened to [another Convert]" and I wish Wade had been a bigger part of the story. I went with five because those felt like quibbles after the fact.
ARC provided by publisher.
Daisy takes risks, like forgetting her EpiPen, and we open with her dying - again - and waking up as her "family" relocates yet again, this time to Omaha. Usually she's aloof, but this time she starts to become friends with Audrey, and then with Audrey's really hot older brother. As the book progresses the questions of what the drug has done, to her, to the other Converts, and to "God" (the man behind the drug) get raised, as do the ethics of the experiment. There's some real character growth here, more than in Jenna or Amnesiac.
I was going to give this four stars, not five, because her BFF Megan was a bit of a problem for me, as was the "isn't this a great thing to have happened to [another Convert]" and I wish Wade had been a bigger part of the story. I went with five because those felt like quibbles after the fact.
ARC provided by publisher.
October 24, 2013
3 Stars. For I liked it a little but then I immediately regretted everything in the end.
It was great at first, I was intrigued by the concept of a drug that could bring a person back to life and a secret organization that handles these saved individuals. But then all my questions weren't answered like how the drug came to be; how did God discover it; how long will it continue to work until you die forever? Questions like that.
The excitement didn't even come until almost at the end which made me wonder if this was a series. And I wasn't really satisfied with how things ended. Daisy changed her name to Sophie and got relocated again. And she wasn't with Matt anymore so there was actually no point in telling him about Revive. Yeah, no point since Audrey died anyway. Uh. Damn.
The characters didn't change. I don't even consider Daisy's transformation into Sophie as growth of character because she was still pretty self-centered and useless. Her few sweet moments with Matt were nice but nothing memorable. Now that I come to think of it maybe I should give this a 2 star rating and put it on my never read again shelf... Hmm...
It was great at first, I was intrigued by the concept of a drug that could bring a person back to life and a secret organization that handles these saved individuals. But then all my questions weren't answered like how the drug came to be; how did God discover it; how long will it continue to work until you die forever? Questions like that.
The excitement didn't even come until almost at the end which made me wonder if this was a series. And I wasn't really satisfied with how things ended. Daisy changed her name to Sophie and got relocated again. And she wasn't with Matt anymore so there was actually no point in telling him about Revive. Yeah, no point since Audrey died anyway. Uh. Damn.
The characters didn't change. I don't even consider Daisy's transformation into Sophie as growth of character because she was still pretty self-centered and useless. Her few sweet moments with Matt were nice but nothing memorable. Now that I come to think of it maybe I should give this a 2 star rating and put it on my never read again shelf... Hmm...
May 4, 2013
A secret government program created Revive, a drug that brings you back from the dead. After a bus crash, the kids are used as test subjects, one of them being Daisy. Every time she’s revived, she changes her name, her house, her life. At fifteen, Daisy’s close to living the normal life, with real friends.
I think that Revive is, for lack of a better word, cool. It’s a great idea for a book, but I don’t feel that Cat Patrick brought it out in the best way. Don’t get me wrong, Revived is a good read, but it could be better. I liked that it’s not predictable, not completely, anyway. The whole God and disciples thing was… no. Didn’t like it. The writing was okay. The relationships between the characters, however, was not. Daisy, Audrey and Matt are supposed to be close, but it didn’t feel like that. Daisy and Mason were eh. But I liked the ending, for the most part. It’s sweet. (:
I think that Revive is, for lack of a better word, cool. It’s a great idea for a book, but I don’t feel that Cat Patrick brought it out in the best way. Don’t get me wrong, Revived is a good read, but it could be better. I liked that it’s not predictable, not completely, anyway. The whole God and disciples thing was… no. Didn’t like it. The writing was okay. The relationships between the characters, however, was not. Daisy, Audrey and Matt are supposed to be close, but it didn’t feel like that. Daisy and Mason were eh. But I liked the ending, for the most part. It’s sweet. (:
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December 12, 2020[YA book, Adult reviewer]
SUMMARY: A teen romance with a very light dusting of speculative SciFi. Daisy is a likeable but TSTL* (literally) 15 year old girl. Fortunately for her, there's a secret drug that's brought her back several times (not a spoiler; mentioned on back cover).
How many more times will Daisy die? Is there more to the Revive program than she's been told? Most importantly (ahem), will she find true love? Read and find out.
*Too Stupid To Live
VERDICT: Likely a 3-4+ star read for many younger readers (maybe 12-16 years). A 2+ for this adult reader.
DETAILS (no BIG big spoilers):
PARENTAL UNITS:
CONSIDER THESE YA BOOKS THAT I RATED MORE HIGHLY:
SUMMARY: A teen romance with a very light dusting of speculative SciFi. Daisy is a likeable but TSTL* (literally) 15 year old girl. Fortunately for her, there's a secret drug that's brought her back several times (not a spoiler; mentioned on back cover).
How many more times will Daisy die? Is there more to the Revive program than she's been told? Most importantly (ahem), will she find true love? Read and find out.
*Too Stupid To Live
VERDICT: Likely a 3-4+ star read for many younger readers (maybe 12-16 years). A 2+ for this adult reader.
DETAILS (no BIG big spoilers):
PARENTAL UNITS:
CONSIDER THESE YA BOOKS THAT I RATED MORE HIGHLY:
July 26, 2021
this book really brought me back to the 2012 dystopian / sci-fi / ya boom. and while that was my shit forevvvvver (and I still love reading it), this was just ok. daisy was sooooo annoying and I'm pretty sure she had every stereotypical teenage girl trait shoved onto her character! like bro chill, please stop putting yourself into dangerous situations and sticking your nose into literal secret classified documents. also, the "romance" was absolutely terrible. i hate matt, he is also annoying and needy and like too nice. chill. this story had soooo much potential and the premise could have been explored so much deeper, but it really wasn't. i really did like the "twists" (more like plot right turns but whatever) and i honestly wasn't expecting some of them (but they weren't blow my pants off). the writing was ... meh and audrey and daisy's friendship felt kinda forced and moved too fast (they were
besties like a day after daisy met her). anyways, this was kinda nostalgic because little me LOVED the 2012 boom mentioned above (it really was an iconic era)!!
besties like a day after daisy met her). anyways, this was kinda nostalgic because little me LOVED the 2012 boom mentioned above (it really was an iconic era)!!
July 28, 2020
This wasn't very good. The author rushed allll of the relationships to the point of ridiculousness, therefore I didn't care about anyone.
Here's how I would've ended it, even though you didn't ask.
At one point in the story, the main character replaced one of the bottles of Revive with water. I would have been an A-hole author and had it end with the main character dying for good because she needed revived and they put the vile of water in her system instead.
Am I evil?
Here's how I would've ended it, even though you didn't ask.
At one point in the story, the main character replaced one of the bottles of Revive with water. I would have been an A-hole author and had it end with the main character dying for good because she needed revived and they put the vile of water in her system instead.
Am I evil?
May 21, 2012
You can see more of my reviews on my blog: Forever 17 Books.
After reading the synopsis, I went into reading Revived expecting the storyline to be a little dark and full of science-fiction. Though I would have been more than happy to find that, I was also pleasantly surprised that it was not the case! Of course there are touches of it here and there but this book reads much more like a contemporary fiction.
After dying in a bus accident, Daisy becomes part of a super secret test on a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead. Unfortunately, Daisy has needed the use of this drug many times and after each time she needs to relocate and use a new identity. This sort of leaves Daisy to distance herself from making new friends, until her latest death leads her to Audrey and her brother, Matt. Here she learns what it is like to really live.
I really enjoyed the character of Daisy. She was so sweet and truly loved her friends. I think we get a lot of focus on friendships in this book. Daisy's really only close friend before her latest move was Megan, who is also in the Revive program. The best thing about them - they run a blog together! They talk about all sorts of things like music, movies and such, but it is a great way for them to connect with each other from afar and to connect with new people, anonymously. Her new friendship with Audrey I totally adored. Daisy needed someone to help show her what it was like to let loose and have fun, to step away from the secrecy. But not only that, she also never really thought of death as anything permanent, and why would she when she has Revive available to save her. This all changes when she meets Audrey, a carefree spirit who needed someone to see beyond her cancer. These two were so cute and silly together, whether it'd be sharing clothes or talking about Jake Gyllenhaal. I think these friendships were some of my favorite parts of this novel.
Besides meeting Audrey, Daisy falls head over heels for Matt. I think their relationship was cute and endearing. Matt has a hard time dealing with Audrey's cancer so Daisy entering the picture was exactly what he needed, for more reasons than one. My only complaint is that I wish we got a little more... oomph with their love story? I felt like it was just missing something and I am not quite sure what. Things are great and then get bad fairly quickly when she suddenly decides to share her secret, so perhaps an extra chapter or two to develop the relationship a bit more before that would have done it for me.
Of course there is the plot dealing with the Revive program. As Daisy starts to poke around when she is unhappy with the drug's limitations, she gets a little reckless with the secrecy. Daisy discovers a mystery case file and starts to question what it is the program is doing. This is where I may have yelled at my book a time or two. "Don't you know what happens when someone starts poking around secret government information?!" LOL But the storyline really picks up at this point to where I didn't want to put it down! I also really enjoyed the ending. I felt it stayed true to everything leading up to it and fit perfectly.
Overall I found this to be a highly enjoyable and easy read that both fans of sci-fi and contemporary fiction would enjoy!
After reading the synopsis, I went into reading Revived expecting the storyline to be a little dark and full of science-fiction. Though I would have been more than happy to find that, I was also pleasantly surprised that it was not the case! Of course there are touches of it here and there but this book reads much more like a contemporary fiction.
After dying in a bus accident, Daisy becomes part of a super secret test on a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead. Unfortunately, Daisy has needed the use of this drug many times and after each time she needs to relocate and use a new identity. This sort of leaves Daisy to distance herself from making new friends, until her latest death leads her to Audrey and her brother, Matt. Here she learns what it is like to really live.
I really enjoyed the character of Daisy. She was so sweet and truly loved her friends. I think we get a lot of focus on friendships in this book. Daisy's really only close friend before her latest move was Megan, who is also in the Revive program. The best thing about them - they run a blog together! They talk about all sorts of things like music, movies and such, but it is a great way for them to connect with each other from afar and to connect with new people, anonymously. Her new friendship with Audrey I totally adored. Daisy needed someone to help show her what it was like to let loose and have fun, to step away from the secrecy. But not only that, she also never really thought of death as anything permanent, and why would she when she has Revive available to save her. This all changes when she meets Audrey, a carefree spirit who needed someone to see beyond her cancer. These two were so cute and silly together, whether it'd be sharing clothes or talking about Jake Gyllenhaal. I think these friendships were some of my favorite parts of this novel.
Besides meeting Audrey, Daisy falls head over heels for Matt. I think their relationship was cute and endearing. Matt has a hard time dealing with Audrey's cancer so Daisy entering the picture was exactly what he needed, for more reasons than one. My only complaint is that I wish we got a little more... oomph with their love story? I felt like it was just missing something and I am not quite sure what. Things are great and then get bad fairly quickly when she suddenly decides to share her secret, so perhaps an extra chapter or two to develop the relationship a bit more before that would have done it for me.
Of course there is the plot dealing with the Revive program. As Daisy starts to poke around when she is unhappy with the drug's limitations, she gets a little reckless with the secrecy. Daisy discovers a mystery case file and starts to question what it is the program is doing. This is where I may have yelled at my book a time or two. "Don't you know what happens when someone starts poking around secret government information?!" LOL But the storyline really picks up at this point to where I didn't want to put it down! I also really enjoyed the ending. I felt it stayed true to everything leading up to it and fit perfectly.
Overall I found this to be a highly enjoyable and easy read that both fans of sci-fi and contemporary fiction would enjoy!
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