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Control
(Control #1)
by
When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn’t even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts,
...more
Hardcover, 393 pages
Published
December 26th 2013
by Dial Books for Young Readers
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Start your review of Control (Control, #1)

Oct 19, 2013
Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies
rated it
did not like it
Shelves:
tstl,
jericho-fucking-barrons,
dystopian,
action,
boarding-school,
boring-main-character,
ya,
romance,
siblings,
sci-fi

This is a cheap designer knockoff of the X-Men series, with none of the complexity, none of the compelling social issues, and a completely preposterous faux-dystopian world. Instead of the jaw-dropping skills of the X-Men, we have a completely lackluster cast of so-called mutants with the combined powers of lulling me the fuck to sleep. There is rampant girl-on-girl hate and passive-aggressive criticism on provovative dress. There is a special, special girl.
“You’re so much more extraordinary...more

I had a lot of fun reading Control. I really was expecting something very different than what it ended up being and I like that! I like that it was very much not what I thought it would be. I didn't know how much I was going to like it but about 150 pages in things started really rolling and I had trouble putting it down! I find Lydia Kang's world in Control to be so interesting. I'm fascinated by it and how it will continue to fill out. Here's my full review/discussion/booktalk: http://youtu.be
...more

Jul 01, 2013
Isa Lavinia
rated it
did not like it
Shelves:
young-adult,
dystopia,
mary-sue,
tstl,
awful,
problematic,
sci-fi,
trigger-warnings,
too-much-drama,
disappointment

tw: misogyny, slut shaming, abuse, miscarriage, and I'm probably forgetting 15 other things
This book is everything that's wrong with YA: slut-shaming, girl-on-girl hate, hypersexualization of everything girls do even when it's not even remotely sexual, a verbally and emotionally abusive love interest who kisses the protagonist while she's drugged, weak worldbuilding, boring stereotypical characters, an attempt at a love triangle, absurd dialogue, girls only realizing their worth if a boy po ...more

Jan 31, 2012
Melodramaticfool
marked it as abandoned
*0* shiny, pretty, interesting, want, yay!
...more


I was desperate to love this book, I wanted to hug it and love it, and share it with everyone that I met and tell them it was awesome, but it was not. BUT IT DEFINITELY IS NOT AT ALL A FORM OF X-MEN, THAT IS JUST OFFENSIVE TO THE X-MEN. A review I read said : “This was like… X-Men meets Graceling meets the future meets AWESOME.” You sir, are a liar.
“I can feel it in my neurons.” This is an actual line.
I don’t recommend this as a dystopian read, or a science-fiction read, but it is definitely a ...more
“I can feel it in my neurons.” This is an actual line.
I don’t recommend this as a dystopian read, or a science-fiction read, but it is definitely a ...more

(3.5 stars)
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were very interesting and the story was nicely paced. The only problems I had was the world building and the character development. I had a hard time grasping the world and I felt like I was kind of thrown into it and expected to figure out everything on my own. I also think that it was hard to really care for any of the characters, because I didn't feel like I got to know them well enough in the beginning. Either way this book was really fu ...more
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were very interesting and the story was nicely paced. The only problems I had was the world building and the character development. I had a hard time grasping the world and I felt like I was kind of thrown into it and expected to figure out everything on my own. I also think that it was hard to really care for any of the characters, because I didn't feel like I got to know them well enough in the beginning. Either way this book was really fu ...more

Absolutely terrible.
DNF at 57%. This is one of those times where I legitimately think I’ve read a different book that my friends. In theory, Control should have worked for me. I really loved the idea of a conspiracy and the secret being in Zel’s genes. I really thought these were great ideas and I was completely looking forward to reading about it. Then I started reading and my happy cat died.
Slut-shaming
Zel, our main protagonist, is constantly slut-shamming another girl named Vera, who is very ...more
DNF at 57%. This is one of those times where I legitimately think I’ve read a different book that my friends. In theory, Control should have worked for me. I really loved the idea of a conspiracy and the secret being in Zel’s genes. I really thought these were great ideas and I was completely looking forward to reading about it. Then I started reading and my happy cat died.
Slut-shaming
Zel, our main protagonist, is constantly slut-shamming another girl named Vera, who is very ...more

No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
I just didn't like it.
Overused plot devices. X-Men concept (without the interesting abilities). Annoying characters (pretty much all of them). Very VERY slow plot. Terrible world building that didn't even make sense logically and I could never fully construct in my head. Unnecessary description. What felt to me as slut-shaming disguised in a YA book. Everything I don't like was a factor in this book, and therefore, it did not sit well with me, and it was a struggle to finish.
I wi ...more
No.
No.
No.
No.
I just didn't like it.
Overused plot devices. X-Men concept (without the interesting abilities). Annoying characters (pretty much all of them). Very VERY slow plot. Terrible world building that didn't even make sense logically and I could never fully construct in my head. Unnecessary description. What felt to me as slut-shaming disguised in a YA book. Everything I don't like was a factor in this book, and therefore, it did not sit well with me, and it was a struggle to finish.
I wi ...more

I couldn't even make it to the halfway mark. And apparently I would have only had slut-shaming and misogyny to look forward to. No thanks.
...more

This was a fun ride! I had two favourite aspects: 1) the focus on SCIENCE. A lot of the time science in books can feel really fake: I can tell that authors are just making things up.. and that's totally fine, but it felt really special in this book that the science felt reasonable and possible, and 2) the cast of characters! I genuinely really like the crew that we have here, and I look forward to seeing what happens to them in future books.
I did, of course, have some issues with this book too. ...more
I did, of course, have some issues with this book too. ...more

I really enjoyed this one. Mutations, saving someone you love? And the pacing was so fast I quickly devoured it. There's no surprise that the author is a doctor. Lots of scientific terms that just flew past my head lol
...more

Sweetest author! Can't wait for this one.
...more

Please, remind me to breath while I wait for this. I'll owe you big time.
...more

Jun 14, 2017
Colleen Houck
added it
Shelves:
death,
future,
secrets,
super-powers,
risk-taking,
secret-organizations,
doctors-medical,
friends,
parties,
sickness-disease
I love the futuristic setting and all the chemistry/medical descriptions. The different types of enhancements were wildly creative and cool! I think my favorite scenes were when vials were broken on enemies and you see the results. Scary and awesome. =)

Being the older sister comes with a lot of responsibility. Just ask Zelia! She's been catering to her little sis Dylia almost forever while their dad moves the family sporadically around the country doing some important but kind of mysterious science-y stuff. Lately Dylia has been growing up so fast Zel can hardly keep up but that's ok since their dad keeps an eye on everything. He might not be around a lot but he knows what is best and helps them make all of the important choices in life... unt
...more

Sounds like a YA book version of Gattaca...I'm in!!!
---
UPDATE 4/4/14
Lots of science in this one! Which is good for any science lover like me...

The romance was the highlight of the book. I love me some love-hate relationships and this has a pretty good one. No insta-love in sight!!! Oh, and...I so picture the end result of the book cover being something like this...

hehe ...more
---
UPDATE 4/4/14
Lots of science in this one! Which is good for any science lover like me...

The romance was the highlight of the book. I love me some love-hate relationships and this has a pretty good one. No insta-love in sight!!! Oh, and...I so picture the end result of the book cover being something like this...

hehe ...more

I really enjoyed Control. It was a bit slow in the middle, but there was never a word that didn't contribute to the story. Once I got to the end, I simply could not put the book down, and when I finished, I just wanted more. Most of the books I've read this summer have really cheesy or obvious endings, but in my opinion, Control has the perfect bittersweet ending.
My favorite part of the book were the characters. In a way, they very much reminded me of those in Veronica Roth's Divergent (which i ...more
My favorite part of the book were the characters. In a way, they very much reminded me of those in Veronica Roth's Divergent (which i ...more

I was NOT digging this book.
The main character, Zelia, is a complete moron. She's so judgmental and immature, it made me want to vomit all over my book. She's a complete bitch to the other female characters for how they dress and how they act around guys, but then does something ten times worse just a few pages later!
And then, the "humor" in this book was not humorous at all. It was borderline inappropriate and discriminatory. This line in particular really angered me:
The main character, Zelia, is a complete moron. She's so judgmental and immature, it made me want to vomit all over my book. She's a complete bitch to the other female characters for how they dress and how they act around guys, but then does something ten times worse just a few pages later!
And then, the "humor" in this book was not humorous at all. It was borderline inappropriate and discriminatory. This line in particular really angered me:
"I think you have a tra...more

Jul 30, 2012
Leigh Moore
marked it as to-read
Squee!!! So awesome. Can't wait to read it! :o)
...more

“Trust is essential when you're planning to lie to everyone you know.”
Yeah, girl, but the lying part? Totally not necessary.
The Gist: Zelia, a young biochemist, flees to a shadowy underworld of genetic mutants when her father, a brilliant geneticist, is killed in an "accident." However, Zel's sister, Dyl, is captured by another group of ruthless mutants, and Zel will do anything to get her sister back-- even betray her new friends.
Genre: Sci-fi (Dystopian, mutants)
"Cleanness": some violence, dis ...more
Yeah, girl, but the lying part? Totally not necessary.
The Gist: Zelia, a young biochemist, flees to a shadowy underworld of genetic mutants when her father, a brilliant geneticist, is killed in an "accident." However, Zel's sister, Dyl, is captured by another group of ruthless mutants, and Zel will do anything to get her sister back-- even betray her new friends.
Genre: Sci-fi (Dystopian, mutants)
"Cleanness": some violence, dis ...more

Control has been one of my most anticipated books of the year, so when I was offered a review copy I jumped at the opportunity to read it! And I must say, Control did not disappoint. It's was great Science fiction/Dystopian book, and the perfect one to end my year off with a bang!
I loved the Science aspect of Control, even though it got to be very confusing after a while. All the science and technical wording was a lot to take in and understand. And the science fiction part was the main worl ...more

4.5/5 stars.
Control by Lydia Kang was my book of the month for November. I went into it being a bit wary of the campaigning on the back of the book that promised a "ROMANTIC READ" and that usually brings up red flags in that the book will mostly center around the romance, but Control exceeded my expectations by a mile. After its slow beginning, I couldn't put the book down. The plot line, the characters, and all the mystery behind everything going on was so engaging and interesting, something I ...more
Control by Lydia Kang was my book of the month for November. I went into it being a bit wary of the campaigning on the back of the book that promised a "ROMANTIC READ" and that usually brings up red flags in that the book will mostly center around the romance, but Control exceeded my expectations by a mile. After its slow beginning, I couldn't put the book down. The plot line, the characters, and all the mystery behind everything going on was so engaging and interesting, something I ...more

Control is a futuristic dystopian story that includes solid characters, an interesting story and at times had me thinking of the X-men the way the kids in this story dealt with their genetic enhancements/challenges. When Zel and Dyl are suddenly orphaned they find themselves in a world neither of them could have imagined and from the first pages, we are taken on quite a ride.
Carus and Aureus are competing homes for orphaned children that have genetic anomalies. Zel and Dyl were given blood test ...more
Carus and Aureus are competing homes for orphaned children that have genetic anomalies. Zel and Dyl were given blood test ...more

Xmen in Pride and Prejudice form? How cool! If I had known that this book was a sci-fi P&P, I would have read it a long time ago, since that is my favorite book ever! But, I was thrown off by so many negative reviews and the fact that nobody seemed to mention it. I had a great time finding all of the Pride and Prejudice nuggets in the book. Such as:
The names:
Main Character - Zelia Benson. Zelia is an anagram for Eliza - Elizabeth Bennett.
Sister - Dylia - Anagram for Lydia, Elizabeth's sister in ...more
The names:
Main Character - Zelia Benson. Zelia is an anagram for Eliza - Elizabeth Bennett.
Sister - Dylia - Anagram for Lydia, Elizabeth's sister in ...more

I received this ARC from Penguin publishing in exchange for an honest review. I award this book 3.5 stars.
I've been dying to get my hands on this ARC because to my knowledge, it's the first YA medical thriller written by a bona fide physician. This is the kind of book I've always personally wanted to write, and so I was excited to see what Kang did with it. Overall, I think this is a strong first novel.
Control by Lydia Kang is the first in a trilogy about Zelia trying to find her sister, Dylia ( ...more
I've been dying to get my hands on this ARC because to my knowledge, it's the first YA medical thriller written by a bona fide physician. This is the kind of book I've always personally wanted to write, and so I was excited to see what Kang did with it. Overall, I think this is a strong first novel.
Control by Lydia Kang is the first in a trilogy about Zelia trying to find her sister, Dylia ( ...more

This is a unique, interesting, fast-paced story that takes place in 2150. A lot has changed in the world with automatic cars, auditory drugs, and people with genetic oddities (super-fast healing, four arms, two heads, and so on). It’s a very unique story in a very unique setting. Things I found at least remotely amusing were things like their calling cars “chars.”
Zel is an interesting character whom I found it easy to like. Once her sister is taken, she goes from timid, meek girl to tigress. She ...more
Zel is an interesting character whom I found it easy to like. Once her sister is taken, she goes from timid, meek girl to tigress. She ...more

Wow. I loved this way more than I expected.
Cy:
I liked him the moment Zelia talked about the smell of his shirt. HA. Go ahead and call me weird. It's been a while since I read a book about (view spoiler) so I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't like was that there was ANOTHER stubborn heroine that "sacrificed" themselves for the "greater good". Is that the only type of heroine for dystopians? Oh and some things were cliche as always. ...more
Cy:

I liked him the moment Zelia talked about the smell of his shirt. HA. Go ahead and call me weird. It's been a while since I read a book about (view spoiler) so I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't like was that there was ANOTHER stubborn heroine that "sacrificed" themselves for the "greater good". Is that the only type of heroine for dystopians? Oh and some things were cliche as always. ...more

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher after winning it in a Goodreads first-reads giveaway.
A blend of sci-fi and dystopia, Control had my interest from the very beginning. Zelia was a very likeable character and I found all the other unusual and quirky characters fun to read about. As far as the plot goes, there is nothing really new here, it uses the same basic tropes a lot of other YA books use. I think the main thing that sets this one apart from other books was it felt like the s ...more
A blend of sci-fi and dystopia, Control had my interest from the very beginning. Zelia was a very likeable character and I found all the other unusual and quirky characters fun to read about. As far as the plot goes, there is nothing really new here, it uses the same basic tropes a lot of other YA books use. I think the main thing that sets this one apart from other books was it felt like the s ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA contemporary sci/fi--Girl MC. [s] | 3 | 23 | Sep 17, 2019 11:17AM | |
Crazy for Young A...: Pair #2: Rachel and Sarah Nichole (January Besties) | 15 | 22 | Jan 20, 2017 08:58AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Control by Lydia Kang - Starting September 3rd 2015 | 7 | 8 | Sep 05, 2015 05:45AM | |
What genetic mutation would you want to have? | 1 | 12 | Jun 25, 2014 12:17PM | |
FINDING AUDREY RE...: Control: Reading Schedule! | 48 | 1537 | Feb 22, 2014 03:17PM | |
FINDING AUDREY RE...: Control: Discussion for Chapters 17-24 | 45 | 374 | Feb 20, 2014 01:56PM |
I love salt more than chocolate. I'm somewhat small, yet deceptively strong. Sort of like an ant.
I'm a part time doc, full time family member, and if you offer me snacks, I'll be a friend for life.
My adult fiction centers around historical mysteries in New York City, with splashes of forensics, anatomy, apothecary medicine, and chemistry! A BEAUTIFUL POISON takes place in 1918 at the height of th ...more
I'm a part time doc, full time family member, and if you offer me snacks, I'll be a friend for life.
My adult fiction centers around historical mysteries in New York City, with splashes of forensics, anatomy, apothecary medicine, and chemistry! A BEAUTIFUL POISON takes place in 1918 at the height of th ...more
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