Revolution 19

Revolution 19 #1

by Gregg Rosenblum

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Robots, Fantasy

266 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2013

About the author

Gregg Rosenblum works at Harvard, where he wages epic battles against technology as an editor/webmaster/communications/quasi-IT guy. He graduated from UC San Diego and has an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College. He lives in Boston with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[B · Rating 1 out of 5]

ROBOT. APOCALYPSE.

Now that you have that concept in your head, let me ask you which of the below pictures best matches the image you have in your head upon thinking of scary, menacing robots in a robot apocalypse:

Picture A:

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Or Picture B:



If the image to appear in your head at my mention of a robot apocalypse even slightly resembled Picture A, then run away from Revolution 19. (But don't run too fast, because these robots roll, and you want to give them a slight chance, right?) Now, if, when I mentioned robot apocalypse, the image in your head resembled the horrifying Picture B, then enjoy Revolution 19! Try not to scare yourself too much, though. I understand that the concept of rolling robots with lasers (or, as they are referred to in this book, 'lases', so you know they mean business), is truly horrifying.

Needless to say, however, when I came across Revolution 19, pitching itself to be, *ahem* "[...] a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want - action, drama, mystery, and romance.", I was pretty excited. Unfortunately, all that excitement got the better of me, as I soon found out that every little thing in that pitch was a cruel, cruel lie. Let's break down those lies, shall we?

[Semi]-Lie #1: A cinematic thriller unlike anything else.

Was Revolution 19 cinematic? Yes. However, it was cinematic to the point where the entire novel felt like one long, poorly written screenplay. Which I guess makes sense, considering Revolution 19 is "created by Alloy and award-winning writers/directors Howard Gordon (Showtime's Homeland and NBC's Awake) and James Wong (Final Destination films)." If I had known before starting this book that Revolution 19 had come from a packaged company, I most likely would have avoided it at all costs. But, what makes the above statement a lie is the "unlike anything else" part. For starters, if you want to say that your book is unlike anything else, it's probably not the best idea to compare it to other works such as Terminator. It kind of defeats the whole purpose of saying that it's unlike anything else when you're comparing it to something else. Secondly, the only reason Revolution 19 is unlike anything else is because it's worse than anything else. While most robot apocalypse novels and movies are action packed and fun to read/watch, Revolution 19 was anything but that.

Lie #2: With a dynamic cast of characters [...]

NO. Oh, God no. No no no no no. To say that Revolution 19 had a dynamic cast of characters is just about as truthful as saying Fifty Shades of Grey is worthy of a literary prize. For me, a dynamic character means that the character is strong, smart, self-reliant, likable , and is met with a certain amount of character development from the beginning of the novel to the end. The characters in Revolution 19 met absolutely none of those quotas. Each and every character in Revolution 19 is unlikable to the point of sheer frustration, stupid beyond belief, and are met with little to no character development whatsoever. With each and every page turned, I was hoping that the horrifying rolling robots would just shoot all the characters dead and then roll over the bodies a countless amount of times.

That never happened.


Looks like it's time to take matters into my own hands.

I don't know who said that Revolution 19 had a dynamic cast of characters, but to say that it does is a travesty, and quite honestly, an insult to books that actually do have a dynamic cast of characters.

Lie #3: [...] this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want - action, drama, mystery, and romance.



This book has what? Action? NO. Revolution 19 has shoddy attempt after shoddy attempt of action, but each scene is just about as thrilling as watching a popsicle stick for eight hours waiting to see if it will do tricks. Drama? What the hell are you talking about? Mystery? WHAT MYSTERY? Romance? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? STOP LYING TO ALL OF US!

That's it for the lies told to us by the synopsis, but I'm still not done with this book. Before going into Revolution 19, I had a sinking feeling that there would be poor world-building, but the world-building in Revolution 19 was practically non-existent! The most amount of world-building we're provided with is a short, little paragraph before the prologue barely explaining how the world came to be. Hell, you get more world-building just by reading the tagline on the book's cover than actually reading the book!

As well as that, the writing is poor at best, filled with horrible descriptions of the world, and more importantly, the robots, which are laughable at best, and the overuse of "he said, she said" drove me up the wall. You know, there are other ways to express dialogue than 'said', and 'whispered', right?

In the end, if my endless ranting weren't enough of an indication, I definitely would not recommend Revolution 19 to anyone looking for a fun, action packed, and thrilling read about a robot apocalypse. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, really. I have literally no positive things to say about Revolution 19. I'm sure there are some good young adult books about a robot apocalypse, but Revolution 19, unfortunately, is not one of them.

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like I'm in a slump right now. I've been craving some sci-fi, but they last two books have done less than impress me. What is going on? What do I have to do, start lowering my standards? Is it too hard to ask for a dynamic cast of characters, action, drama, mystery and romance?! Oh...wait. Didn't this book promise me that? Huh. Well, let's get one thing out the way right now. That blurb is misleading.

But before we get into all that, I want to take you on a flashback. Yes, a flashback. Back to yester-year...

I don't know why, but I have this soft spot for robots. Perhaps even more than the average person should. Every time I see a book or TV show about them, I have this strong uncontrollable urge to read/watch it. Now, a few years back, there was this show that came on FOX called The Sarah Conner Chronicles that showed John Conner's life as a teen on the run with his mom. I faithfully DVR'd it every week. I thought it was gripping and amazing. Though, clearly my opinion mattered very little because the show was eventually moved to Friday night - which is the kiss of death in TV land - and then, later cancelled. I was pretty bummed out about it. I mean, why do they cancel all the good shows? WHY?

*ahem*

Right, so about Revolution 19, because I'm betting you didn't click this review to find out my life story and robots (or did you?). Believe it or not, the above paragraph had a point. The point being, when I heard about Revolution 19 I knew I had to have it. I was SO excited and hoped that I could somehow fill the void in my robotic heart that FOX left in my chest like a leaking hole of utter despair. But I was failed again! A-a-and the hole just keeps getting bigger with every awful YA sci-fi book I read until I feel like it's just gonna swallow me whole and I can't breathe and I'm sitting in a corner, singing a Justin Timberlake song, crying a river and, and, and.... oh dear. It's like I've become the Anti-Steph: Bella Swan. I've become emotionally compromised. Quick! Someone get Spock!



Long story short, Revolution 19 disappointed me for three very good reasons.

The Characters:

So the blurb says, "With a dynamic cast of characters..." Okay, yeah. Let's go with that and pretend that was the case here. Maybe, just maybe this book could have gotten 2 stars from me if I cared about one character. But the truth of the matter is that none were developed enough. Ever heard of the phrase 'one track mind'? That's similar to how I found these characters. They were all 'one track-traited'. The three protagonists are each given basic traits that they embody throughout the novel. Kevin (13) likes technology, Cass (15) is athletic and Nick (17) is brave/stubborn/fearless/determined/stupid?

That's all we know about these characters and it seemed that was all they knew about themselves too. Take, for example, Kevin. Everything was going to shit and all he could think about at times was, "Oh! Is that a 3D TV? Check out the resolution on this!" He did this every time and new, shiny piece of equipment was introduced like clockwork. Nick chose any and every opportunity to do something stupid at the personal risk of people trying to help him. He displays a blatant disrespect for the family that takes him and his siblings in by sneaking out and disobeying their rules of remaining hidden from the robots. But he's labeled as being brave. Is he remorseful for the trouble he causes them? Not in the slightest because he does it over and over again. I have a feeling that this novel was extended thanks to the sheer stupidity of most of his decisions. Don't get me wrong, I expect a certain level of mistakes being made by a teen cast (or any cast of characters for that matter), but I also expect common sense to be utilized.

And then there is Cass, whose role I'm not entirely convinced was needed besides Rosenblum throwing an athletic girl into the story just to say, "Hey, look! Progression!" Great. She can run. But, of course, she gets subtly sexually harassed by two characters, one of whom throws so many sexual innuendos at her, that she later ends up liking. Of course. The other one really disturbed me: The kids find some guy living in the woods, who stares at Cass the entire time, licking his lips. She folds her arms over her chest and the narrative alludes to her being uncomfortable. Who wouldn't? That was the book's first biggest strike for me. Some dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels do this thing that irritates me:

Female character + sexual harassment (minor or on larger scale) = LOOK HOW BAD MY WORLD IS!

I just do not like how female characters are used like that. And one could argue that her role will be larger in book two (based on the ending), but it just feels like a convenient way to include her into the story line. Or better yet, move the plot along when it's clear her role serves no other purpose.

The supporting cast only serve to provide a way out to the main characters. Every time they get in trouble we are then introduced to another character that has just the skill set needed to get them out of the fix they're in. They have no substance, especially Lexie, who claims she risks her life for them because she is bored and is looking for some fun. -_- Right.

Furthermore, there is no romance. A couple of smiles dispersed throughout the novel and two kisses made of random, do not equal romance.

The Writing:

Definitely not my cup of tea. I like my narrative with a little more depth and complexity than Revolution 19 offered. Have you ever read a movie script before? That's how this book reads. It's very fast paced and not in the sense that things are just happening rather quick. It's more of an issue of things not being properly explained, giving off an over all rushed feeling. Though this should not surprise me since Revolution 19 was planned from the beginning to be both a YA series and film. And in that respect, I could see this working well on-screen with good actors, but it didn't translate well in book form. For example, there is virtually no world building and it feels like the author is heavily relying on the reader's knowledge of The Terminator to build his story. There is a brief prologue saying robots took over world and that's pretty much all you get. Let me not forget the weird slang/terminology of the time period that seemed entirely forced and distracting.

The Robots:

I knew going into this book that the author and company was pulling heavily on The Terminator to create this story. And I was okay with that because in my mind I got to see scary robots destroying things, chasing little humans around. Not unreasonable, right? Well imagine my surprise when robots are described as having  flat and featureless faces except for rectangular openings for their eyes. Oh and did I mention they roll? So basically, the world has been taken over by a bunch of Wall-es, huh?



Oh, whoops! They are also 8ft tall. So the more accurate depiction would be Number 5 from Short Circuit .



Awesome. Mankind gets enslaved by evil robots, whose true crime will be reminding us forevermore of bad 80's movies. The world is so screwed. (Okay, so I totally loved that movie, but that is besides the point, people!)

I mean, is that even remotely scary? The other 'bots' are no better as just pieces of metal that hovers. But the thing that gets me, is that the robots take themselves so seriously that they TALK IN ALL CAPS. All the while, I'm thinking why are humans afraid of these robots? Oh, right. Their "lasers". *snort* You remember that moment in Toy Story where Woody is chewing out Buzz at the gas station? Well, every time one of those 'bots' came rolling around I'm like:



Random Thing that Has Nothing to do With the Story, but Still Annoyed Me:

Why is the cover model a girl? (Yes, it's a girl as she is wearing eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara on the cover.) In the novel, it's Nick that has the robotic eye and I'm pretty sure he is of Y chromosome variety. Cover, y u lie 2 meh?

 

In conclusion, I'm sad this didn't do much for me and I can't say I'd really recommend it to anyone either. When it all boiled down to it, Revolution 19 is a lackluster novel with a premise that had potential, but instead yielded a boring plot, boring cast of characters and equally boring robots. I will have to continue on my search for fabulous YA Sci-Fi reads. Unfortunately, this was not one of them.

 

ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review. 

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum is the first book of the sci/fi dystopian series by the same name. This series reminded me a bit of a young adult version of Terminator, the set up to the world at least. We jump in joining the characters who have been in hiding for years after robots rose up and attacked the humans. It had a fairly good pace and plot to it that left me rating this one at 3.5 stars.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Mitch · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were actually tears in my eyes after I finished this, and not because Revolution 19 is particularly emotional or poignant. Nope, I couldn't stop laughing at how awful this train wreck is - it's exactly what I'd imagine a Michael Bay book would be like, if he ever wrote one - so let's just say, between this and Dark Eyes, the majority of Writers Guild of America members should stick to their day jobs and leave the book writing to people who know the difference between screenplay and prose.

I'm going to cut Gregg Rosenblum some slack though and not make any unfavorable comparisons to Terminator, because I do get the feeling he's aiming for something a bit more high concept - I, Robot. So I did some digging and Rosenblum actually cites that as one of his influences (Isaac Asimov's seminal novel, not the Will Smith movie), except, to avoid copyright issues maybe, Revolution 19 isn't even anywhere close to the Asimov novel. In fact, it's not even close to the Will Smith movie either, it's more like the worst case scenario of the movie except a hundred times shittier. I mean, the entire premise of Revolution 19, the Great Intervention, robots taking over the world to save mankind from ourselves, is clearly based on the evolution of the Three Laws of Robotics as seen in the movie (and explored in Asimov's book).

For those unfamiliar with Asimov’s work, the Three Laws are:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

So what do the Three Laws have to do with robots taking over the world? Basically, the First Law originally requires robots to protect humans individually, except eventually their artificial intelligences extended the law and interpreted it as a directive to protect humanity from ourselves, leading to the whole enslavement of mankind for the good of peace and to prevent violence thing. Of course, Asimov’s solution is the Zeroth Law of Robotics:

0. A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

Rosenblum on the other hand doesn't or possibly can't explore the intricacies and ethical quandaries of artificial intelligence in any meaningful way, so what we're left with instead is a lame derivative plot that lacks any sort of theme whatsoever. Just imagine instead of Will Smith’s character defeating evil artificial intelligence V.I.K.I. at the end of I, Robot, we’re now all beholden to our new servant droid overlords, and they’ll rant at us in C-3PO’s annoying voice if we disobey like the characters in the book do. And we’re going to obey, because the psychological torture of being ‘lectured’ to by C-3PO’s soundalike will cause irreparable mental harm and selective amnesia and eventually force us into toeing the line. Ha.

Of course, it doesn’t help either that the writing actually is of Michael Bay screenplay quality:

Four soldier bots were waiting for them at the city limits. The bots towered over the humans—they were at least eight feet tall and as wide as two men. They raised their lase arms and aimed a warning shot at the survivors’ feet. Chunks of street rubble sprayed out, one small piece striking the young boy in the left eye. He screamed and fell, clasping his hand over his face. Blood ran between the boy’s fingers. His father pulled off his own shirt, picked up the still-screaming child, and pressed his shirt against the boy’s face. The boy clawed at his father’s hands, but his father held him tight against his chest.

I’m sure that quote would look great with Bay’s signature explosions and the four giant killer robots showing off all their whirly parts of death in glorious computer rendered 3D graphics, but on paper, stage direction isn’t going to cut it, sorry - although actually, I’m still thinking about the lecture-y torture sessions and the resulting ambiguously inflicted psychological trauma, because that quote is actually the best example of robot on human violence in the entire book, and it's from the Prologue.

But you know what’s even worse? Even the characters are like Michael Bay caricatures. *shudders*

“You were staring at your stomach like a monkey that had just discovered its belly button,” said Cass.
“Drop it, Cass!”
“Like a monkey saying, ‘Oh my God, what is this hole doing in my belly?’”

Does that remind anyone else of Shia LaBeouf’s random rambling in Revenge of the Fallen?

Or:

“Right, what’s there possibly to worry about?” she said. “Just some surgery in the garage with a drunk doctor.”

Yeah. I think I’ve said enough, so I’ll just close this review with some of the awesome Hollywood logic that pervades this book:

“Our parents are here, because if they’re not here they’re dead, and they can’t be dead. So we’re here to rescue them.”

What an utter fail.

[Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was there to like about this book other than how quick it was to read? There was zero world building and the characters were two dimension archetypes. I don't think I'm ever going to consume a robot apocalypse story done well.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

Revolution 19 is so far my biggest disappointment of winter 2013 releases. I thought it was going to be AMAZING! With a great cover and a great blurb, I envisioned a crazy world thrown into war and chaos, with Terminator Transformers whooping ass left and right and a group of brave teens standing up for FREEDOM and THE FREE WORLD and THE RIGHT TO LIVE! What did I get? A book that reads very much like a lame cartoon with 12-year-old "save the world!" kids as the main characters.

Let's start with the world building: that's easy because there was none. I read the blurb about how robots were designed to fight human wars and then turned their weapons against the humans. I thought OMG THIS IS AWESOME! I'll get to learn all about this war, why and how humans created robots, what went wrong, maybe they got too intelligent or there was a glitch in the software, and how the robots decided to take over the world, and what steps they took, and what their end-game was..... nope. None of that. The ONLY piece of world building information we get is in one tiny paragraph in the beginning that basically reiterates the synopsis.

At first we called it system-wide malfunctions when the robots stopped fighting at exactly 2:15 P.M. Greenwich mean time, August 17, 2051. They had been designed by humans to fight our wars, but for twenty-two hours the battlefields were silent. We called it a blessing and the beginning of a new peace. Then when the robots began killing again, now targeting their human commanders, we shook our heads and called it fatal programming errors. When, a day later, the skies over cities on six continents grew dark with warships, we began to understand. And when the bombs rained down and then legions of bot footsoldiers marched into the burning ruins, killing any humans who resisted and dragged away the rest of us, we finally called it what it was: revolution.
—Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

That was the end of the world building. After that, we just know the robots are there and accept it. No more questions answered. No more world developed. That's it.

If you're going to write a scary robots-take-over-the-world sci-fi book—the kind that people love to imagine might happen—why would you make the robots lame? This is the stuff people love to fantasize about! They love imagining extremely high-tech humanoid robots with fierce intelligence and crazy weaponry. So please explain to me why you would choose to load up your book with robots that just sound... lame?

[The robot] was roughly the shape of a man, but broader, taller, more boxlike, and rolling rather than stepping.

Their faces were the same dull metal as the rest of their bodies, flat and featureless except for two rectangular openings where eyes would be.

Robots that are boxlike? They have WHEELS? Their faces are flat and featureless? Are we talking about WALL-E? Is that what we're so afraid of? When I imagine robots—especially ones that take over the world—I imagine looking into their HUMAN-LIKE eyes and seeing fierce, scary intelligence. I imagine them being scary and metallic, but also molded in the human image—not boxlike. The more similar they are to humans, the scarier the story. But instead of going that route, Revolution 19 loaded up its book with robots that are essentially big boxes on wheels.

Okay, onto the characters. I didn't care about any single character in the book. First, apparently they're teenagers:

"How old are you?" asked Mrs. Tanner.
"I'm seventeen," said Nick. "My sister is fifteen, and my brother is thirteen."
—Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

But ALL of them act like 12-year-olds. They're all immature, make stupid decisions, and bicker over ridiculous things. Oh and Lexi "flirts" the way a girl might flirt in 6th grade.

"[Kevin] hated when Nick called him 'Kid.' Like Nick was so grown up and Kevin was just a useless little child."
—Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

The character development was non-existent. Each character is given a very specific personality at the beginning of the book, and they maintain it from start to finish. They don't grow, they don't change, they don't get better. Kevin is the tech geek who is miraculously some kind of computer/tech genius, despite living in the forest all his life. Anytime he seems a comm or a TV or any piece of technology he goes "OMG I HAVE TO LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS!" Cass is the sporty girl. That's about it. She's athletic, she runs fast, and any time there's any kind of sports or movement-related thing, she just dominates at it. And then there's Nick. Since Nick is the oldest, he's the "brave" one who's all self-sacrificing and has to leap into all danger (stupidly) in order to "protect his family." This results in him making loads of stupid decisions that oftentimes compromise their goal. One example:

Lexi takes Nick & Co. to the re-education center, where they think maybe their parents are being held. Lexi gives them one simple instruction: don't get too close. The area is surrounded with CPs and if they get too close, the robots will spot them and apprehend them immediately.

"Can we get closer?" says Nick. [..]
"No," said Amanda[..]. "Come on, let's go back."
"Amanda's right," said Lexi. "Not safe."
"Come on, just a few blocks closer," said Nick. He knew it wasn't smart, that he was pressing his luck, but they were here now, and he had to get a closer look.
[..]
"I need to get closer." [Nick] took a step toward the checkpoint.
Lexi grabbed his arm. "No, you idiot!" she hissed.
"I need to look!" Nick said, too loudly, yanking his arm away.
[..]
The robot, with a graceful burst of speed, glided over the kids' heads and then hovered in front of them on the sidewalk. "YOU WILL HALT AND RECEIVE YOUR INFRACTION, OR YOU WILL BE DETAI—" The robot cut itself off mid-word and began pulsing a bright red. "YOU ARE LACKING IDENTIFICATION IMPLANTS. REMAIN HERE AND YOU WILL BE PEACEFULLY DETAINED."
—Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

So Lexi says "Don't go closer, you'll get caught" about 8 times, Nick doesn't listen all 8 times, Nick gets caught and almost captured, Lexi (smartly) runs away, then when Nick sees her next, he thinks to himself:

He grinned back at her, feeling his cheeks flush, but then reminded himself, as he broke into a jog toward the door, that Lexi and Amanda had abandoned them back at the re-education center.
—Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Yeah, she abandoned you because YOU didn't listen to her and YOU got yourself caught. Did you seriously expect her to stick around and risk her life for your stupidity? [/rage] Kevin made countless stupid decisions like this that ultimately didn't help anyone. It was extremely frustrating for me to see him make bad move after bad move, and it's not like they were stupid decisions that happened to have a good outcome.. most of them were just really pointless and if anything, they jeopardized their goal.

Finally, the plot. The reason I compared Revolution 19 to a cartoon, is because it has that "kids have all the power" vibe. Robots take over the world, the poor helpless parents get captured, and only the kids can SAVE THE WORLD! Sounds like a cartoon, does it not?

And like a cartoon, this book is also riddled with happy coincidences. Any time something goes wrong, someone shows up to save the day. The kids are lost in the forest, and a random dude stumbles out who they get directions from. The kids go into a restaurant, order their food, realize they have no money and don't know how to pay, and they meet Lexi, a girl who decides to help them because she's bored. The kids are being chased by robots and have nowhere to hide, and they run into a sympathetic storeowner who lets them hide in their basement. The kids can't go around town because they don't have identity chips, and Lexi happens to know someone who can make fake ones... etc.

And before anyone gets excited, there is no romance in Revolution 19, even though it was promised in the blurb. There is a 17-year-old boy (or a 12-year-old in a 17-year-old body), and a similarly aged girl, but that's it. They kiss ONCE, randomly. But there is no romance. There is no flirting (unless you count the girl calling Nick a "rock star" a million times), there is no sexual tension, there is no love, there is no lust; there is only one silly kiss.

"You broke out?" said Lexi. "And made it across town again?" She smiled. "Now you're just trying to impress me."
—Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

At the end of the day, Revolution 19 might be a book geared towards kids.. Like 12-year-olds. It has that vibe; it has characters who feel really young, it has a somewhat ridiculous plot that may appeal to daydreaming young'uns, and maybe to a 12-year-old that boy-girl relationship might seem romantic. But for your average young adult, Revolution 19 sums up to being very sub-par on all levels. If you're looking for something dangerous, dark, intense, and full of frightening robots and mind-blowing action, don't read this book. Go read Partials by Dan Wells instead. Now THAT'S a book about creepy, intelligent robots taking over the world. And it's epic.

[YA Reads Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on www.yareads.com, Reviewed by Nichole.

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed.



Oh my gosh, guys, I loved this book SO. MUCH! It's a dystopia about robots who basically take over the world. Some people escaped to the woods when the robots first took over, and they lived in secret communities. Revolution 19 focuses on three teens in particular, Cass, Kevin and Nick. After their community is destroyed, the three teens take off to the city to find their parents.

Once they arrive in the city, the teens realize they have a much bigger problem than they first realized. They've never seen money, they don't know how to pay at restaurants...they basically don't know the rules. All they know is that every single person that lives in the city has direct communication to the robots...and the robots are swarming the streets.

Thankfully, Lexi, another teen who lives in the city, realizes what their problem is and who they are. She takes them under her wing and lets them stay in her house with her family. From there, relationships bloom, lives are put in jeopardy, and the teens must stick together while they try and find a way to save their parents and destory the robots.

First I want to start out with the world and the characters. Rosenblum created such a unique world (honestly, it kind of reminded me of I-Robot with Will Smith), and I was blown away with how much dedication and detail he put into the book. Robots are not something that I have read much about, and I was impressed that they actually scared me! The robots weren't friendly little creatures. They were intense bullies who would zap you into oblivion without a second thought.

The characters were amazing and supported the story line very well. I especially loved Cass and Farryn. Let me say it again....I LOVED THEM! Farryn was oh so gorgeous, and Cass just delivered the spunk and uniterest when it came to him. I cannot wait to see more from them in the second book.

The brothers, Nick and Kevin were also amazing, but I really loved Nick's time in reeducation. I felt that that section of the book really developed the story. I have to say that I was a little nervous that Revolution 19 wouldn't have the correct amout of fear and action, but I was wrong. Revolution 19 was packed with so many twists and turns that it left my head reeling.

I would honestly encourage everyone to go read Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum. It was an action packed page-turner that I will not forget for quite some time. Gregg Rosenblum produced an outstanding debut, and I cannot wait to see more from him in the future!



Pages: 272

Publisher: HarperTEEN

Publication Date: January 8th, 2012

Rating:4



Teaser Quote: "Piece of cake," said Kevin. "Nick was the muscle, I was the brains, and Cass played dodgeball."

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite earlier reviews I read about this book, I liked it.

The basic storyline: Bots now control the cities and everyone in it. Citizens are micro-chipped and are trackable at all times. "Freeman's" still exist outside the cities in "Freeposts"...that is until the Bots either capture or kill them.

Cass, Nick, Kevin and their parents are living in one such Freepost until one day the Bots come. The children manage to escape, but their parents are captured. They are taken to the nearest city for re-education where they will learn to live in the bot controlled environment.

Cass and her brothers are determined to rescue their parents from the city which proves to be no easy task with "spherebots" patrolling the streets constantly, ready to call the "Petey's" at any sign of disturbance on suspicious behavior.

They formulate a plan with the help of Lexi, Amanda, Farryn and Doc (who they met upon entering the city) to find their parents and escape the city once more....

I found the plot very simple to follow and it moved along at a nice even pace. The ending left an opening for a sequel, but I wasn't thrilled with it.....The characters were all likable in their own way but wish a little more emphasis was placed on Cass. I felt she was slightly overlooked in the story as a whole.

Overall, I enjoyed the concept of the novel and would look forward to reading a sequel........


http://lostinmyyouth.blogspot.ca/2013...

[Katie_la_geek · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this review and more visit my blog

Revolution 19 wasn’t exactly anything new but it does do some things a little differently and it was enjoyable. The best way to describe it is The Chronicles of Narnia meets The Terminator, a bizarre mixture but one that kind of works.

Revolution 19 was bizarre for other reasons too. It seemed that for every good point there was also a negative to counteract that and vice a versa. For example, I really loved that this was a book about 3 siblings who were all equally important to the story for various reasons. It is a welcome change from the ‘I am an island’ singular hero we often see in YA dystopia. But the issue with there being three heroes was that in a book of this length there was just not enough time to get to know them as individuals. I knew their names, what they were into, how they are different but not what makes them tick. In the end it meant that I didn’t connect to them as much as I would have liked to, which in turn meant this book lost some of its emotional impact.

Another amazing thing about this book was the robots. They are so superior to humans, so advanced and perfect. There were a few moments where they had real depth. I felt like they truly believe that what they are doing is for the best for all. There were also moments where I thought they might have the ability to feel emotions like fear and pity. And there was a hint this maybe, somehow these robots wanted to be human. The problem was there was just ‘hints’ and ‘ideas’ and ‘clues’. They were never explored or explained which is a real shame. I hope that if this series continues it is something that will be looked at more closely because it has the potential to be really interesting.

The storyline was full of amazing action scenes; I read it in one evening because it fairly gripping and easy to read. But when I got to the end I had to ask myself what the point was. It seemed to me that not much had changed from the beginning to the end. They went through a lot of stuff but for no real purpose. I thought, based on the name, that there would be a Revolution but in the end that was only a hint as well.

All in all Revolution 19 is a fast and fairly enjoyable read if you like action, it did not quite live up to what I hoped it would be but if there is a sequel I would happily read it.

The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read up to 25 percent, skimmed until 50 percent and then skipped everything else (legit, didn't even bother to read any of it) and read the last chapter. AND I STILL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS PATHETIC.

Full review to come.

[Savannah (Books With Bite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One reason I had to read this book is because it reminded me of Terminator and my husband is a MAJOR fanatic of Terminator. I told my husband about it and of course he was interested in it so he told me to read it and then let him what it was about. I am glad about that fact that it is not at all exactly like Terminator. It's certainly has it own appeal that I think anyone can enjoy.

Once again, the human race is enslaved by robots. The robots are not killing humans (well technically there are, but I will go into that later) instead, they are forcing the humans to become perfect. No cussing, no fighting, everyone works, all kids go to school the humans are forced to watch the wars they created and to learn not to make those mistakes again. I really liked that yes the robots had a good idea for peace. The minute a human went out of control they were sent to a detention center where they taught the rules. If they don't comply then, bye-bye human.

The love interest is one that I expected yet went further than what I thought. Even those these barely had time for each other, I loved the loyalty they created. She risked everything for an outsider barely knowing him. And he in returned help all that he can. I liked that they both fought for what they believe in. They even had the parents help. Great friendship bonds are form that can last a lifetime.

Revolution 19 is an great story of a perfect city controlled by machines. Machines forcing and mandating every single rule without leniency. Scenes that the author created gave me goosebumps with the way the machines controlled humans. It's just creepy!! If you want a great read sure to raise the hairs on your neck, read Revolution 19.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
Nick, Cass, and Kevin live in the wilds, hiding from the robots that rule humankind in the cities. When their home is destroyed and their parents taken, they wander around for a bit before deciding that they will have to go to the robot city to try and rescue their parents.
Can they rescue their parents? Or will the robots get them first?


This was an okay story, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of the series.

I didn’t really connect with the characters in this story; they were immature, and stupid. They walked straight into the robot city with no clue what they were doing, ordered food at a restaurant with absolutely no idea of how they would pay for the meal, and just generally made poor decisions.

The storyline was just about passable, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it all that much, and there were things that just didn’t sit right with me. For instance when they look at the menu in the café and talk about all the great things on it – pizzas, hot dogs etc. but having lived in the wilds all their lives, how would they even recognise what these foods were?
To be honest I just found this book dull, and the stupidity of the characters just bothered me. I also got a bit fed up with all their stupid slang phrases that they used, and the general lack of a sensible plan most of the time.
Overall; just about okay, but I’m not reading the next one.
6 out of 10.

[Cassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Seriously, it was great. It was suspenseful, it was fun, THERE WERE ROBOTS!!!



Honestly, it was worth it for the robots. And there were a million kinds of robots, which made it even better. The siblings were great in this book. I love how they looked after each other and their ultimate goal was to get their parents out of this place they had feared all of their lives.

In some ways, it has a very 1984 type feel. There are quite a few people who don't like how the world is, don't like that robots are ruling everything and that your whole memory can be revamped, essentially. But at the same time, someone is always watching and there are citizens always willing to turn you in.

If you get sent to the correctional facility (which, we see the horrors of in the book.), they basically use negative reenforcement to make you conform. You'll be beaten, electricuted and pretty much anything else the robots can think of to make you a "productive" member of society. Often times, people lose themselves and their memories entirely.

If nothing else, one of the main character's name is Cassy, which clearly makes it a superior book.

Plus, you know, the robots.

[Damaris (GoodChoiceReading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolution 19 is one of those books that the plot is not out of this world and unique, but it flows nicely, has great characters, and keeps you interested until the very last page. It has enough action in every chapter to keep you turning the pages, and tons of mystery and suspense. The robots didn’t scare me, though, nor did I feel that it was really that hard to defeat the robots.

I guess I just wasn’t sold on the whole “Robots took over the world” concept. This is what I mean by the plot not being out of this world. It’s a light Sci/Fi read honestly, which I am okay with since I am just now stepping into the sci/fi world.

Even though I didn’t find the story to be unique, it was entertaining enough to finish. I loved the three main characters, Kevin, Nick, and Cass. They were family, friends, and the closeness they had with each other was a nice change for me. Lately it seems most of the books I read a brother, or some type of family member is betraying the other. I think the bond these three characters have is what really kept me reading.

I rate it 3.5 stars and look forward to reading the next book in the series. I recommend this book; especially if you’re looking for a light, and fast read.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't want to be too harsh since this book isn't targeted towards me, but this was pretty bad. It's like one part terminator mixed with 3 parts disney channel sitcom. Don't even get me started on the ending.

Only bright spot is that it's very short.

[Jose Estrada]

This book is crazy and kinda brutal, but its really goooooooddddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mitchell Simpson Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum follows the story of three kids, Nick, Cass and Kevin, who have lived their entire life out in the wilderness with their family in a small town called a freepost. Long ago humans created bots to replace the jobs and work that were deemed too undesirable for humans to do, such as fight on battlefields and in wars. The bots eventually became sentient, realising that in order to help humanity, they had to save the humans from themselves. They turned on their human commanders, killing all those who resisted and taking away the rest and brainwashing them to be the “perfect” citizens the robots had envisioned. Those who were not captured started small towns far away from a place called ‘The City’, which was believed to be where humans were captured and used as slaves. Nick, Cass and Kevin are part of a freepost which consists of them, their family and other friends who have come and joined the community as a rebellion against their robot oppressors. When their freepost is attacked and parents taken away, they are forced to infiltrate The City and break them out from the inside.

This book fantastically keeps the reader interested through constant action and suspense that will leave the reader on the edge of their seats. Rosenblum also weaves intriguing themes and irony into the chaos, including man’s inhumanity to man, the inhumanity inevitably passed on to the currently ruling robots and the very violence from which the bots believe they are protecting the world. It brings up the idea of sentience, and the direction our world could be heading with the future advancements of artificial intelligence. The main moral that this book tries to target is that no matter how perfect you believe that you can build something to replace humans, the original flaws of the human race will always shine through, such as the very closed minded way of thinking the robots have which is displayed in this book. The robots, who believe that “In order to save this world and the human race, robot masters must first save the humans from themselves, and all the pain and war they cause”, are ruthless, and that is their downfall in their way of thinking. They choose to do things ‘for the greater good’ almost too much, and turn the world into a lifeless shell of what it once was.

The character development in this book could have used some work. There is little backstory and explanation to some of the actions of the main characters, which seem to be purely random. There is much left to wonder about who the characters actually are and what their personalities are like, which makes the book almost frustrating as the way the characters act is left unjustified. Cass, who is the typical sporty leader stereotype girl, has almost no character development at all, she seems to act based purely on instinct and with no reason at all. It would have been great to see this book get really deep into the character’s personalities and their morals, which would have gotten the reader hooked onto this book not only for the great action inside, but for the character’s story too.

Overall, Revolution 19 has a fantastic and action-packed story guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat, it’s definitely worth a read.

[usagi ☆ミ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy. Where to start? This was a pretty big disappointment me for me, guys. In pretty much all areas. If you know me, you'll know that not only am I a huge "Terminator" fan, I'm also a huge "Homeland" fan. And considering this was concocted by not only the author and the creator of "Homeland", it makes this a double disappointment. Yet, somehow, I'm not surprised this is a packaged TV deal, and I can easily see it doing well in a YA TV-aimed market. However, what I found inside was not only a bad "Terminator"-esque story, but a whole lot of other things that I feel like sci-fi, regardless if it's YA or adult, have been dead horses beaten even deader than they were before. If you're looking for something new or original with "Revolution 19", you may want to look elsewhere. The only really positive thing I can say about this book is that it might get young YA into sci-fi, which is always a good thing.

Let's start with the worldbuilding: anyone familiar with the "Terminator" franchise will know the robots turn against their creators trope of sci-fi is one that's now kind of a standard thanks to James Cameron. Unforuntately, "Revolution 19" also uses this concept, with the "terrifying" addition of cities where humans are taken to be "re-educated" and if that doesn't work, death. There are also ships that fly that are curiously like the Hunter/Killers from the "Terminator" franchise that kill humans from the sky if they get too close for comfort. So much of this is ripped from one of my favorite sci-fi works of all time that it's painful. But here's the best part: there are no terrifying, flesh-melting and oh my god they're metal inside androids. The robots trying to destroy the rest of the human race if they can't pacify them are closer to Wall-E (yes, you heard me right, that adorable little dude).

What? Yes, you heard me. Giant Wall-Es, cuddly as can be, trying to destroy the rest of humanity.

Aside from that, there's a journey aspect, very Tolkien-esque, to go get their parents back from a city that, if they don't submit to, will pretty much eat them alive. I thought by that part of the book I'd be pretty fascinated. But I wasn't.

From the jump, the writing was incredibly flat. No sense of sensory imagery and language, only a vague framing of a hidey-hole where one of the last bastions of free humanity (though we don't know how many of those are left). There wasn't even a Resistance-like area set up! Humanity is literally hanging on by its fingernails. I was actually kind of disgusted at how tame they'd become. I was actually starting to root for the robots on this one.

There was no kind of characterization or definite worldbuilding, and all of the characters felt very 1D, not even 2D. It all felt very colorless, very flat, and I got bored, fast.

So, guys, I can honestly say that there was nothing that really caught my eye here. I can't really recommend "Revolution 19", but that's just me. "Revolution 19" will be out from HarperTeen on January 8, 2013 in North America, so check it out then, and let me know what you think.

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

[Eric Townsend · Rating 1 out of 5]

A whirlwind of a story, Revolution 19 leaves you feeling exhilarated and wondering what will happen next to the young group.

That is, until you actually think critically whatsoever about the story itself and the details that are presented. You see, Revolution 19 as a preteen/older-kids book works wonderfully. There isn’t a bunch of information that they won’t understand, the book is fast paced with plenty of action to keep the reader’s attention which is vital with the younger generation’s seemingly small attention spans, and there are robots, hard to go wrong with a book about robots for a 10-year-old.

For the “Young Adult” audience that the book was designed for, however, it just doesn’t cut it. There are too many areas where the story just isn’t plausible. The robots are supposedly so advanced that they were able to overthrow humans on a seemingly global scale yet they have a hard time tracking down small pockets of humans who live in the wilderness within a few days walking distance from a city that the robots control. The characters happen to not be caught by any of these “intelligent” robots while walking through the city despite the fact that they would have no clue where the patrolled areas are and are dressed completely differently than the citizens. There are a plethora of other coincidences (meeting the right people, simple solutions to highly complex problems that don’t seem realistic at all) that just give Revolution 19 a fake feel to it.

The characters, *sigh*, well they certainly don’t feel like teenagers. Again, as is the theme with the book, it feels like the characters are younger than they are. They feel flat, there is hardly any information given on them to give any depth despite the fact that the first three chapters are each told from a different point of view, one for each of the siblings. We find out that Cass is a bit of a tomboy, Nick is the standard semi-arrogant older brother and Kevin is a talkative tech-geek. That’s pretty much it. They are just means to an end and I felt as if I could take any cardboard cutout character, throw them into one of their roles and the story would have played out the same. Also, the romances in Revolution 19 are as automatic and simplistic as it gets, oh and completely unprovoked as well. There are no similarities/differences given to attract any of them to another, but does that stop a little hooking up from happening? Of course not. Ugh.

The book, admittedly, was exciting. Eight-year-old me probably would have enjoyed it quite a bit, but there were too many flaws too reconcile the book overall. I wanted to like it, it just didn’t work out.

Rating 1.5/5

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolution 19 is a fantastic debut by Gregg Rosenblum. Not only is the cover awesome, but the story was unique, and even better than I had imagined. This was an easy read, and very easily draws the reader into the story-line.

A Robot Revolution erupted twenty years ago. The designed bots that were designed to fight the wars. These bots became so advanced and in the process began taking over the very people who relied on them. Survivors captured were taken to the city, and others that had escaped lived out in the wilderness. There were Freeposts set up where survivors lived. It was like their make-shift community. Using scavaged goods, (pre-Revolution) they created shelters and other facilities.

Kevin, Nick and Cass were siblings among this specific Freepost, and on a "school" lesson, a tech piece is found. Kevin hid this from his family, but what he didn't know, is that what he found would essentially catch the eye of the bots.

It was too late once Nick figured out what his brother had hidden from them. The bots came. The bots killed. The journey to escape these advanced tech bots was adrenaline packed. These bots aren't small, little robots that you picture in a children's book. They were at least eight feet tall and wide as two men.

When their parents didn't show up, they immediately knew they were taken to the city. Everyone in the Freepost believed those captured and taken to the city were used as slaves. I loved how the author twisted the view of the Freeposters, and the ones that lived within the city's thoughts about how each other lived. On their mission to find their parents, they meet a few new friends that hesitantly assist them and ultimately add excitement into this thrilling story.

This ends off on a cliffhanger, and I absolutely cannot wait to find out how the next installment will pan out. I really liked the characters and their courage they displayed. Whether it was a sacrifice or a complete idiotic attempt to saving their parents, it all panned out allowing more adventure and adversity into this fun and exciting story.


Thank you Harper Teen for providing this ARC

[Matthew Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

** Courtesy of guest reviewer Skylar Baker, my 14 year-old daughter **

It took me approximately 10 hours in all to finish REVOLUTION 19, a stunning feat for me considering the “busy” life I uphold. This book gives a wonderful new twist on the whole “robots overthrowing the human race” genre. After I read the first two pages, I was completely hooked. REVOLUTION 19 left me on the edge of my seat from the minute I picked it up and can simply be described as “an explosion on paper.”

REVOLUTION 19 puts the reader right in the heart of the action and is chocked full of thrills and suspense. Each character is well developed, the author’s voice is strong, and the attention to detail is phenomenal. Heck, author Gregg Rosenblum does such a good job with his descriptions that I could describe for you the personalities of each main character right now if I wanted to!

Rosenblum takes careful time to weave and flesh out the storyline throughout the book, always taking the time to add the heart-stopping action we all love. He embeds an underlying current of suspense into the reader’s mind, so there’s practically never a boring scene.

REVOLUTION 19 isn’t just your classic Sci-Fi-robo-thriller but gives a whole new outlook on the concept of robots taking over humanity. It incorporates the typical genre traits, such as survival, action, taking-down-the-whole-robot-empire thing; but Rosenblum gives this book unique character (literally and figuratively) by twisting the plot into something exceptionally surprising and even more epic.

If you are interested so far in REVOLUTION 19, I would advise you to pick it up as soon as it hits stores, because you’ll be missing out on the next Hunger Games if you don’t. Gregg Rosenblum takes your mind on a never-before conceived journey and will leave you begging on your knees for the next book to come out. Check this one out for sure.

[Once · Rating 3 out of 5]

closer to 4 star than 3. Review coming closer to release date.

updated:

When I started Revolution 19, I was ready to be blown away. The blurb really sold the concept of this book to me. Come on when you know that Robots are taking over and you are the little person now, it has to be good. Welllllll, it was good, it just didn't blow my mind like I had thought it would. The story was simple and felt a little like I have read it before. I think if the author would have added one more unique part this this book, it would have been stellar. That being said, I still enjoyed reading it. Its like the simple story you pick up after finish a very complex one, easy to understand and the flow is paced.

Revolution 19 is based around Kevin, Nick and Cass and of course Robots. When they were young, the robots turn on the human race and decided to control the humans like cattle, that's if you were chosen to be kept alive. Cass lost her folks this way and was kept with Kevin and Nick as part of their family. Now current day, those humans who have survived are living hidden out in the wilds. That's until they discover that humans are alive but have been programmed and live in cities with microchips. So its like Terminator meets Stepford Wives in this story. The 3 characters go to the extreme to even get false microchips installed in their heads, does it work? you will have to read Revolution 19 to find out.

I would recommend this read if you looking for a easy paced robotic dystopian tale. You will definitely take a journey alongside these characters and have a good time. I promised no death rays will hit you while reading this book.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really interesting. I completely loved the concept of the book and the way that you were introduced to the whole concept was really awesome. In a future world where we were over run by robots, this is where our tragic trio live. This new book is (I believe) the first in a new series.

I wasn't totally enthralled with this book like I thought I might be. I really loved the concept, and think that it is Robopocalypse for the younger crowd. I think the reason that I didn't really like it was that I didn't connect with the characters other than on a superficial level.

I felt badly that these things were happening to Cass, Kevin, and Nick, that their home was blown up and that they had to go rescue their parents, but I didn't get a feel for who they were past the protective big brother, the middle sister who was really adopted, and the little brother who just screwed everything up. I didn't care when a charactered died because she was given no depth or real personality.

I felt that this book really had a lot of potential, there was so much more to the revolution and what happened with the robots that was only hinted at, and I suppose that is understandable, but sometimes if the first book isn't received well, you don't get books two and three which can be really unfair for the reader.

I loved the cliffhanger ending, and I'm really hoping that we do get a second book to dive more into detail about Cass, Kevin and Nick. I liked that there was the beginnings of their seperate personalities, I just wish that there had been more development on that and less on the tech details that went over my head. This was a great quick read for a lazy afternoon.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZEBOTS!

What I loved: The synopsis was intriguing and I found myself sucked in from the prologue, THE PROLOGUE! It's not often that a book simultaneously cracks me up and scares the crap out of me at the same time but this one did!

Nick, Cass and Kevin are all strong characters willing to risk their lives to rescue their parents and keep each other safe in the process. Their journey takes them from a peaceful life in the woods into a city run by robots where resistance means "re-education" or worse.

It was refreshing to see that these teens don't back down when they realize the situation is larger than what concerns only them. They work together with their new friends in an effort to do the most good even if it costs them personally.

The mystery surrounding the creator of the bots and the re-education process was interesting and creepy, especially with all the technology we have at our fingertips.

What left me wanting more: Nothing, other than having to wait until Book 2 comes out. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Favorite Quote:
"Piece of cake," said Kevin. "Nick was the muscle, I was the brains, and Cass played dodgeball."

Final verdict: This is well written, fast paced, action packed and even has mystery and a little romance - something for every reader, including non sci-fi people like me. *smiles*

[Seeing Double in Neverland · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Full Review to go http://seeingdoubleinneverland.blogsp...

3 out of 5 Stars

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a science fiction/dystopian easy slow paced read.

[Gianne]

Reminiscent of Terminator (the movie)? I SAY YES.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy and awesome, the robot apocalypse! So great, really enjoyed these characters, can't wait to read more!

[Diane Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

I enjoy this story and it's nuances. I think this is the kind of book that requires the whole series be read. The ending definitely makes me want to keep reading!

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF page 60

[Faye, la Patata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can also be read on The Social Potato.

Thank you Edelweiss and Harper Teen for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review or opinion in any way.

I've had my fair share of post-apocalyptic and dystopian stories. There's nothing better (aside from zombies, that is...) than reading heroes and heroines entangled in a messed-up system and society and their struggle to liberate themselves from it. But you know, after reading a lot of such books, you come to the realization that many of these novels almost always have the same elements, and it has become difficult to find something truly original and creative. And then comes Revolution-19. It has robots. Robots who freakin' pushed the psycho button and turned agains their creators. The first time I read the blurb, I imagined hundreds of Terminator-like metal beings walking about and frigate and cruiser planes whooshing in the deep yellow-orange hue sky as it overshadowed the black, barren lands... yeah...

If you're wondering, no, Revolution-19 isn't like what I just described at all. I'd describe Revolution-19 as something "that could have been much more". While it boasts creativity in its setting, the lack of world building and characterization made it hard for me to truly like this book. I think it's a general rule that if you're writing about a dystopian world, the book needs to have a reasonable amount of description attributed to the construction of the new world and society. To be honest, throughout the book, I found it hard to imagine what kind of environment the events were taking place. The world-building was so minimal that it felt as if it didn't exist.

I mean, for starters, what did the Freepost look like? How about the City where remnants of a civilization still thrived? How come later in the book there's a City 64 and then a City 73 in the same city? There are many questions and loopholes that can be found here, questions that should have been answered beforehand, questions that contribute nothing to the "mystery" the blurb claims, questions that would have been non-existent if the world-building was written better. There's nothing wrong with the style per se, and I reckon it would work with particular kinds of stories, but not here. Not here, nope.

The characters - Nick, Kevin and Cass - lacked depth as well. The story, unfortunately, did not give me many chances to truly emphatize and relate with the three siblings. As a group, they were charming and an awesome bunch. They showed they cared for each other despite the petty arguments here and there, and they showed how teamwork can go a long, long way. But individually, they were plain, dull, and very one-tracked. I found it hard to relate to any of them due to the lack of internal narration. Sure, Kevin was a tech savvy, Nick was supposed to be the brawns, and Cass I guess somewhere in between x_x, but so what? What else? I didn't get to know about any of them intimately. This saddens me a little bit because I know they could have been interesting characters if they were just given more depth, and a little more insight to what they really felt. The story would tell us that Cass was feeling like this and Kevin was feeling like that, but it would not show us how they were feeling it. Because of this, they appeared somewhat simple-minded, when I know for sure they could have been more complex than that.

I also found a lot of awkward scenes... like for example, a romance that suddenly sprung out of nowhere between Nick and another character. They hardly interacted intimately and only flirted a few times, but near the climax, the kissed like they were a couple never going to see each other again. The reactions of certain characters felt forced as well, and tensions were not executed properly. An example would be a certain female character telling her parents she was going to do something risky, and the dialogue that transpired from that felt uncomfortable to read because the pace just seemed unnatural.

Despite all of these, though, I did enjoy it somehow. There are no terminator-like beings strutting about, and the robots presented may be laughable, but it gets brownie points for being creative. I still stand by with what I said that it could have been much more, and I hope the next book will be better than this. Thankfully, the ending indicated of a more formidable foe than the ridiculous sphere bots, so I'm looking forward to how the next book will be continued. For now, however, 3 stars.