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Corpus #3
Kalahari
Deep in the Kalahari Desert, a Corpus lab protects a dangerous secret…
But what happens when that secret takes on a life of its own?
When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert without a guide. It’s up to Sarah, the daughter of zoologists, to keep them alive and lead them to safety, calling on survival know-how from years of growing up in remote and exotic locales. Battling dehydration, starvation and the pangs of first love, she does her best to hold it together, even as their circumstances grow increasingly desperate.
But soon a terrifying encounter makes Sarah question everything she’s ever known about the natural world. A silver lion, as though made of mercury, makes a vicious, unprovoked attack on the group. After a narrow escape, they uncover the chilling truth behind the lion’s silver sheen: a highly contagious and deadly virus that threatens to ravage the entire area—and eliminate life as they know it.
In this breathtaking new novel by the acclaimed author of Origin and Vitro, Sarah and the others must not only outrun the virus, but its creators, who will stop at nothing to wipe every trace of it.
But what happens when that secret takes on a life of its own?
When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert without a guide. It’s up to Sarah, the daughter of zoologists, to keep them alive and lead them to safety, calling on survival know-how from years of growing up in remote and exotic locales. Battling dehydration, starvation and the pangs of first love, she does her best to hold it together, even as their circumstances grow increasingly desperate.
But soon a terrifying encounter makes Sarah question everything she’s ever known about the natural world. A silver lion, as though made of mercury, makes a vicious, unprovoked attack on the group. After a narrow escape, they uncover the chilling truth behind the lion’s silver sheen: a highly contagious and deadly virus that threatens to ravage the entire area—and eliminate life as they know it.
In this breathtaking new novel by the acclaimed author of Origin and Vitro, Sarah and the others must not only outrun the virus, but its creators, who will stop at nothing to wipe every trace of it.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2015
About the author
Jessica Khoury
27 books2,432 followersJessica Khoury wrote her first book at age 4, a fan fic sequel to Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, which she scribbled on notebook paper, stapled together, and placed on the bookshelf of her preschool classroom. Since that day, she's dreamed of being an author.
When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.
Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.
When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.
Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 530 reviews
October 23, 2018
This is a very thrilling, fast-paced story with lots of nature and a little sci-fi.
The biggest star of this book is the gorgeous, massive Kalahari desert in southern Africa. This is an incredibly atmospheric book to read, which will delight nature lovers.
The daughter of two zoologists, Sarah is a smart and capable teenage girl. She's spent her entire childhood living in remote research camps located in exotic places. In exchange for much-needed funding, Sarah's father has agreed to host an educational safari for five teenagers, but soon after their guests arrive, her father goes missing, and Sarah is left alone.
It's now up to Sarah to search for her father while keeping the group safe and alive in the harsh desert. Equally troubling, there have been sightings of an aggressive "silver" lion in the area. Not gray, not white... silver.
Kalahari is the third installment in the Corpus series by Jessica Khoury, but it can certainly be read as a stand-alone, which is what I did. It was quite the thrill ride with plenty of heart-stopping moments.
The biggest star of this book is the gorgeous, massive Kalahari desert in southern Africa. This is an incredibly atmospheric book to read, which will delight nature lovers.
The daughter of two zoologists, Sarah is a smart and capable teenage girl. She's spent her entire childhood living in remote research camps located in exotic places. In exchange for much-needed funding, Sarah's father has agreed to host an educational safari for five teenagers, but soon after their guests arrive, her father goes missing, and Sarah is left alone.
It's now up to Sarah to search for her father while keeping the group safe and alive in the harsh desert. Equally troubling, there have been sightings of an aggressive "silver" lion in the area. Not gray, not white... silver.
Kalahari is the third installment in the Corpus series by Jessica Khoury, but it can certainly be read as a stand-alone, which is what I did. It was quite the thrill ride with plenty of heart-stopping moments.
July 6, 2017
This was a great adventure and I enjoyed it much more than Vitro. Although all three books feature young females in an exotic location fighting Corpus, they are all three quite different. Kalahari was much more of an adventure and story of survival than anything else. It was very high suspense and I really enjoyed it.
There was much more of a romance than Vitro. Although Sam was not as swoon-worthy as Eio, he was still very sweet. Sarah was pretty incredible. I loved Pia, but Sarah was impressive too. I am not sure which I prefer as a heroine. There wasn't a lot of science in this one. Of the three books this one had the least science. But there was a great deal of environmental stuff if that interests you.
I am not sure if this is a trilogy or if the series will continue. I expected Corpus to be taken down in the end, but they were not, so I am wondering if maybe there will be more books.
There was much more of a romance than Vitro. Although Sam was not as swoon-worthy as Eio, he was still very sweet. Sarah was pretty incredible. I loved Pia, but Sarah was impressive too. I am not sure which I prefer as a heroine. There wasn't a lot of science in this one. Of the three books this one had the least science. But there was a great deal of environmental stuff if that interests you.
I am not sure if this is a trilogy or if the series will continue. I expected Corpus to be taken down in the end, but they were not, so I am wondering if maybe there will be more books.
March 31, 2015
I definitely have a soft spot for Khoury's Corpus series. They're more like companion books, really, but each time a new one comes out, I just know that I'll have to read it and that I'll really enjoy it.
Why is this? Well, because I know her books will always have a dash of romance, a couple of interesting characters, an awesome setting, some aspect of morality/depth, and most importantly, a whole heap of what I like to call...
... Scientist Sneakery! Yep, certainly sounds like a term I coined. What links the three books in Khoury's series is that each stumbles upon the work of a super-secret lab funded by the Corpus company, whose experiments, well, are quite ambitious and not always for the benefit of all of humanity.
I actually participated in a blogger panel once about the portrayal of science as 'evil' in Sci-Fi, and I mostly ended up writing about this series! (I also called the Corpus scientists "my favorite evil scientists," haha!) I think I find Corpus so fascinating to read about because of how frighteningly real such a company could be. I mean really, how many Corpus-like companies could be out there??
Now, on to Corpus' latest endeavor, in the Kalahari Desert of central Botswana...
While at first I was a little dubious about the setting, as I gradually gained more knowledge of it I was fascinated by the Kalahari, and how much life was to be found in the (semi)desert. Since I don't come from an arid or dessert-like climate, this is something that I've only recently been learning, like during a recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park. From the Bushman's traditional survival skills to run-ins with some of the Kalahari's most dangerous residents (like a young, sexually frustrated bull [male] elephant!), the setting really came to life in the most vibrant of ways, and included deeper messages abut the environment.
Our MC, Sarah, basically lives the life many of us imagined as kids watching the Discovery channel. She's basically an older Bindi Irwin, if you know what I mean. She is the child of two zoologists, and has grown up riding elephants, stealing baby kangaroos, and learning to track in the Kalahari. Her cool factor is basically through the roof, even if she has a little trouble socializing with her peers (who aren't that abundant in the Kalahari).
Besides having such a plain name, (Sarah? Really?) I think I was a little annoyed by how flat a character she seemed to be. In such a packed action story, there just doesn't seem to be too much time for characterization. She does stand out in 2 major ways, however: in her kick-ass survival skills, and in her struggles over dealing with the recent death of her mother. Her struggles really made me sympathize with her, and her desert skills were what made me believe in her and root for her. Seriously, shoutout to anyone who can survive in the desert with practically no supplies, all while being hunted by mercenaries!
As for the other teens trying to survive the desert -- characters don't really seem to be Khoury's strong point. But while I was pretty lukewarm about the characters in the beginning, I managed to warm up to them some, just like they did to each other throughout their crazy adventures through the Kalahari. Some of them were pretty good for providing a much-needed laugh in the face of danger.
The romance, while cute enough, didn't steal too much of my attention -- it almost feels like the book didn't really need it. In some parts, it even feels a little like insta-love, but the reason for this is revealed later. But what Sarah did definitely need was the emotional support that Sam provided, as they connected over their mutual loss of a family member. This was what I found most touching, romantic or otherwise.
But of course, it is Corpus once again that steals the show. The book never really feels slow, per say, but after the group encounters a silver lion (scientist sneakery!!), everything kicks into high gear, and I couldn't tear myself away from the rest of the book.
Though the characters are a bit weak, Kalahari's kick-ass setting and evil-scientist sneakery make for an entertaining read.
Why is this? Well, because I know her books will always have a dash of romance, a couple of interesting characters, an awesome setting, some aspect of morality/depth, and most importantly, a whole heap of what I like to call...
... Scientist Sneakery! Yep, certainly sounds like a term I coined. What links the three books in Khoury's series is that each stumbles upon the work of a super-secret lab funded by the Corpus company, whose experiments, well, are quite ambitious and not always for the benefit of all of humanity.
I actually participated in a blogger panel once about the portrayal of science as 'evil' in Sci-Fi, and I mostly ended up writing about this series! (I also called the Corpus scientists "my favorite evil scientists," haha!) I think I find Corpus so fascinating to read about because of how frighteningly real such a company could be. I mean really, how many Corpus-like companies could be out there??
Now, on to Corpus' latest endeavor, in the Kalahari Desert of central Botswana...
While at first I was a little dubious about the setting, as I gradually gained more knowledge of it I was fascinated by the Kalahari, and how much life was to be found in the (semi)desert. Since I don't come from an arid or dessert-like climate, this is something that I've only recently been learning, like during a recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park. From the Bushman's traditional survival skills to run-ins with some of the Kalahari's most dangerous residents (like a young, sexually frustrated bull [male] elephant!), the setting really came to life in the most vibrant of ways, and included deeper messages abut the environment.
Our MC, Sarah, basically lives the life many of us imagined as kids watching the Discovery channel. She's basically an older Bindi Irwin, if you know what I mean. She is the child of two zoologists, and has grown up riding elephants, stealing baby kangaroos, and learning to track in the Kalahari. Her cool factor is basically through the roof, even if she has a little trouble socializing with her peers (who aren't that abundant in the Kalahari).
Besides having such a plain name, (Sarah? Really?) I think I was a little annoyed by how flat a character she seemed to be. In such a packed action story, there just doesn't seem to be too much time for characterization. She does stand out in 2 major ways, however: in her kick-ass survival skills, and in her struggles over dealing with the recent death of her mother. Her struggles really made me sympathize with her, and her desert skills were what made me believe in her and root for her. Seriously, shoutout to anyone who can survive in the desert with practically no supplies, all while being hunted by mercenaries!
As for the other teens trying to survive the desert -- characters don't really seem to be Khoury's strong point. But while I was pretty lukewarm about the characters in the beginning, I managed to warm up to them some, just like they did to each other throughout their crazy adventures through the Kalahari. Some of them were pretty good for providing a much-needed laugh in the face of danger.
"'Uh . . . Guys? Is this what I think it is?' Sam took a look, then gave a low whistle. 'Bees?' 'Sickos,' Joey muttered. 'What do they do—sprinkle them on their cereal?'" [speaking of the Corpus scientists]
The romance, while cute enough, didn't steal too much of my attention -- it almost feels like the book didn't really need it. In some parts, it even feels a little like insta-love, but the reason for this is revealed later. But what Sarah did definitely need was the emotional support that Sam provided, as they connected over their mutual loss of a family member. This was what I found most touching, romantic or otherwise.
"'The pain does fade, Sarah.' I looked up at him. His eyes were gentle and unwavering. 'Does it?' 'It doesn’t go away, but one day you wake up and find it’s a part of you.'"
But of course, it is Corpus once again that steals the show. The book never really feels slow, per say, but after the group encounters a silver lion (scientist sneakery!!), everything kicks into high gear, and I couldn't tear myself away from the rest of the book.
Though the characters are a bit weak, Kalahari's kick-ass setting and evil-scientist sneakery make for an entertaining read.
April 13, 2015
Okay, time for a thoughtful review.
I'm not going to lie to you guys at all. I didn't expect anything from this book. This is not the kind of book I'd pick up on a whim or anything. I've never heard much about the series, so it wouldn't have gotten my attention that way, either. I probably would have added this to my never-ending TBR list, as I do with practically every new YA book, but I doubt I would've ordered it from anywhere.
What a disappointment that would've been, right? So right now, you can imagine just how suddenly happy I've come to be to have gotten a chance to read this from FirstReads. So, thank you to them!
This is my first time reading a Jessica Khoury book. I understand this is a companion series, so you can read it in any order, which was really nice to know. I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did, considering it's a bit sci-fi--which is one of my least favourite series, if I'm honest.
But in the end, it wasn't all that science-y! Kalahari has a lot of action going on throughout the entire novel! I didn't find it to be edge-of-your-seat action or the holy-hell-this-is-gonna-give-me-anxiety kind, but still plenty of action.
You've 4 American teenagers and 1 Canadian, all incompetent on how to survive in the semi-desert. You've got 1 girl who knows this area pretty well, but under stress and in the care of 5 teenagers? With no other authority figures? And so much grief? Not to mention there's something out there, more dangerous than your average poachers--well, you've got a recipe for disaster right there.
And that is what is delivered.
That having been said, I must tell you how much I adored the main character, Sarah. Although she didn't have to deal with the teens, she did so, time and time again. She saved them, she kept them fed, she had them under her wing. Without her, they would've been caught, they would've starved, gotten lost, died. No matter how many times they went at Sarah for being insensitive or not capable, you could clearly see how wrong they were. And it was extremely hard for Sarah! She'd just lost a friend, reopening the wound that was her mother, and her dad's missing--it's crazy. On top of that, the Poachers 2.0, as I called them, are after a silver lion, something that's not part of nature--which is a bright clue-in to something that's not supposed to be in nature. A disease that wasn't supposed to see the light of day.
With a disease and deadly people with guns wanting to kill you, well they were screwed. Sure, Sarah did lost her cool a few times, but only a few. If I had been in that situation, haha, bye.
At first, I didn't like the other characters. Kase was annoying, his girlfriend Miranda was the typical city girl chic type that would bitch about everything. Joey was a player and one of those jokes-about-everything type; Avani couldn't stop showing off her SAT vocabulary and proving she knows everything about everything. Sam was a bit too interested in Sarah for some reason. I'm glad Khoury made them like that--not only because of character-trait diversity, but because you see how far everyone's come since the beginning of the trip. Those teenagers were expecting an education safari trip--not to be running for their lives! You see them grow up and slowly become friends--especially Sarah. She wasn't technically...raised around people her own age, so hanging out with these city kids was a bit of a new thing for her.
You can tell the author did her research for this book. You come across your fair share of wild animals in Kalahari, so of course you'd need to study behaviour, appetite, action-reaction stuff... I'm no good at that, but you know what I mean. But on top of that, there's the research for the science part of the book--the science part that ties everything in together. It was interesting to read.
The romance wasn't heavy, which was a great thing, because you're in the damn desert, first of all, and second, YOU'RE TRYING TO STAY ALIVE. There was no love triangle bullshit, no insta-love. Rather a weird way to admit it, and it was pretty see through (you could tell from the beginning who it would be). But it was light-hearted and cute. I really enjoyed it, surprisingly.
I don't know what else to say except that holy hell this was amazing . Definite 5 stars.
Holy hell this was amazing.
I'm not going to lie to you guys at all. I didn't expect anything from this book. This is not the kind of book I'd pick up on a whim or anything. I've never heard much about the series, so it wouldn't have gotten my attention that way, either. I probably would have added this to my never-ending TBR list, as I do with practically every new YA book, but I doubt I would've ordered it from anywhere.
What a disappointment that would've been, right? So right now, you can imagine just how suddenly happy I've come to be to have gotten a chance to read this from FirstReads. So, thank you to them!
This is my first time reading a Jessica Khoury book. I understand this is a companion series, so you can read it in any order, which was really nice to know. I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did, considering it's a bit sci-fi--which is one of my least favourite series, if I'm honest.
But in the end, it wasn't all that science-y! Kalahari has a lot of action going on throughout the entire novel! I didn't find it to be edge-of-your-seat action or the holy-hell-this-is-gonna-give-me-anxiety kind, but still plenty of action.
You've 4 American teenagers and 1 Canadian, all incompetent on how to survive in the semi-desert. You've got 1 girl who knows this area pretty well, but under stress and in the care of 5 teenagers? With no other authority figures? And so much grief? Not to mention there's something out there, more dangerous than your average poachers--well, you've got a recipe for disaster right there.
And that is what is delivered.
That having been said, I must tell you how much I adored the main character, Sarah. Although she didn't have to deal with the teens, she did so, time and time again. She saved them, she kept them fed, she had them under her wing. Without her, they would've been caught, they would've starved, gotten lost, died. No matter how many times they went at Sarah for being insensitive or not capable, you could clearly see how wrong they were. And it was extremely hard for Sarah! She'd just lost a friend, reopening the wound that was her mother, and her dad's missing--it's crazy. On top of that, the Poachers 2.0, as I called them, are after a silver lion, something that's not part of nature--which is a bright clue-in to something that's not supposed to be in nature. A disease that wasn't supposed to see the light of day.
With a disease and deadly people with guns wanting to kill you, well they were screwed. Sure, Sarah did lost her cool a few times, but only a few. If I had been in that situation, haha, bye.
At first, I didn't like the other characters. Kase was annoying, his girlfriend Miranda was the typical city girl chic type that would bitch about everything. Joey was a player and one of those jokes-about-everything type; Avani couldn't stop showing off her SAT vocabulary and proving she knows everything about everything. Sam was a bit too interested in Sarah for some reason. I'm glad Khoury made them like that--not only because of character-trait diversity, but because you see how far everyone's come since the beginning of the trip. Those teenagers were expecting an education safari trip--not to be running for their lives! You see them grow up and slowly become friends--especially Sarah. She wasn't technically...raised around people her own age, so hanging out with these city kids was a bit of a new thing for her.
You can tell the author did her research for this book. You come across your fair share of wild animals in Kalahari, so of course you'd need to study behaviour, appetite, action-reaction stuff... I'm no good at that, but you know what I mean. But on top of that, there's the research for the science part of the book--the science part that ties everything in together. It was interesting to read.
The romance wasn't heavy, which was a great thing, because you're in the damn desert, first of all, and second, YOU'RE TRYING TO STAY ALIVE. There was no love triangle bullshit, no insta-love. Rather a weird way to admit it, and it was pretty see through (you could tell from the beginning who it would be). But it was light-hearted and cute. I really enjoyed it, surprisingly.
I don't know what else to say except that holy hell this was amazing . Definite 5 stars.
Holy hell this was amazing.
May 14, 2018
I enjoyed so much in this book starting with the cover! It immediately drew my attention. The character building for the MC was great but not so great for the other characters. The world building was phenomenal and one of my favorite parts.
The evil Corpus labs are at it again with another highly unethical experiment.
Sarah grew up with zoologist parents and had a great education all over the world. She learned a lot of survival skills and more than most people want to know about animals. A few months after her mom dies, Sarah and her dad are out at the Kalahari Desert and he goes out but doesn't come back.
Sarah pack up herself and five teens from the camp to go find her dad and she finds herself on an adventure she didn't bargain for. This book is non-stop action and when they come across a mercury lion everything ramps up more. They have to figure out how to stop Corpus labs from poisoning everyone as Sarah holds out hope of finding her dad safe and sound.
The evil Corpus labs are at it again with another highly unethical experiment.
Sarah grew up with zoologist parents and had a great education all over the world. She learned a lot of survival skills and more than most people want to know about animals. A few months after her mom dies, Sarah and her dad are out at the Kalahari Desert and he goes out but doesn't come back.
Sarah pack up herself and five teens from the camp to go find her dad and she finds herself on an adventure she didn't bargain for. This book is non-stop action and when they come across a mercury lion everything ramps up more. They have to figure out how to stop Corpus labs from poisoning everyone as Sarah holds out hope of finding her dad safe and sound.
June 29, 2020
Guys. Guys.
This book was the best book I've read in a long time. I'm not kidding with you. If I could give this book 10 stars, I absolutely would!!!
There's so many things that I loved about Kalahari. First, LOOK AT THAT COVER! It's DROP DEAD GORGEOUS AND NO ONE WILL EVER CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE. I know, I know, readers aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but this book cover is perfection like I've never seen it.
The characters and the story line fit together with such satisfaction. The characters each had a different personality, carved and written so well that I found myself rooting for them throughout the whole book. The main character, Sarah, was strong and knew what she was doing. As a daughter of zoologists and having spent her entire life in exotic locales, she had a brain full of survival instincts and wilderness tactics. I ended up really admiring her.
I loved how the group of six teenagers started out hating each other. They definitely weren't perfect by any means, but they grew to become friends and rely on each other, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I especially loved Sam and Avani. Sam and Sarah were SO cute together, and Avani was just like me- practically a walking encyclopedia.
The plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I'm surprised I didn't finish the entire thing in one day! From outrunning an indestructible silver lion to defending against snakes and wild elephants, I learned a bucketful about the semi-desert of the Kalahari and all of its inhabitants. The group of teens constantly battles the forces of nature, an evil scientific organization bent for the kill, along with starvation, dehydration, and exhaustion, and my heart was thrumming at all of the danger!
The ending had my mind BLOWN. It was so expertly done that I wanted to read the book all over again!! I really wanted a little epilogue at the end, but oh well.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I guess that's what fanfiction is for!
All in all, this book was spectacular! Anyone that enjoys a fast-paced, slightly sci-fi, Young Adult adventure story should pick up Kalahari. I can promise that you won't regret it. I'll be picking up more books by Jessica Khoury, for sure!!
This book was the best book I've read in a long time. I'm not kidding with you. If I could give this book 10 stars, I absolutely would!!!
There's so many things that I loved about Kalahari. First, LOOK AT THAT COVER! It's DROP DEAD GORGEOUS AND NO ONE WILL EVER CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE. I know, I know, readers aren't supposed to judge books by their covers, but this book cover is perfection like I've never seen it.
The characters and the story line fit together with such satisfaction. The characters each had a different personality, carved and written so well that I found myself rooting for them throughout the whole book. The main character, Sarah, was strong and knew what she was doing. As a daughter of zoologists and having spent her entire life in exotic locales, she had a brain full of survival instincts and wilderness tactics. I ended up really admiring her.
I loved how the group of six teenagers started out hating each other. They definitely weren't perfect by any means, but they grew to become friends and rely on each other, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I especially loved Sam and Avani. Sam and Sarah were SO cute together, and Avani was just like me- practically a walking encyclopedia.
The plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I'm surprised I didn't finish the entire thing in one day! From outrunning an indestructible silver lion to defending against snakes and wild elephants, I learned a bucketful about the semi-desert of the Kalahari and all of its inhabitants. The group of teens constantly battles the forces of nature, an evil scientific organization bent for the kill, along with starvation, dehydration, and exhaustion, and my heart was thrumming at all of the danger!
The ending had my mind BLOWN. It was so expertly done that I wanted to read the book all over again!! I really wanted a little epilogue at the end, but oh well.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I guess that's what fanfiction is for!
All in all, this book was spectacular! Anyone that enjoys a fast-paced, slightly sci-fi, Young Adult adventure story should pick up Kalahari. I can promise that you won't regret it. I'll be picking up more books by Jessica Khoury, for sure!!
August 28, 2018
Five stars because it’s one book that made me want to read more about the sand and desert and survival books. It made me love reading sickness spreading kind of books just because of the silver sickness and it made me love it more because of the bees. They’re the cure to the sickness and it was surprising and completely unexpected and just the fact that the author involved a Canadian character made me love it more just because I am one too and I’m so proud and happy. It was a really impressive book and the fact that Sam stayed with her even though she was about to die made my heart burst with more love for this book and If i were to class all of Jessica Khoury’s books I would class origin first second Kalahari and the forbidden wish last and vitro I didn’t like for a reason but I forgot why so I won’t get into details but other than that I love Jessica Khoury’s books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2015
Wow. Now that was a thrilling read. Full review to come.
August 1, 2015
FINALLY A BOOK I ENJOYED THIS BOOK WAS PERFECT IT REMINDED ME OF AN EPISODE OF SCOBBY DOO
September 23, 2018
I was so obsessed with this book...I couldn't put it down! Even though I didn't realize it is a series, it still made sense to me! Amazing experience!
June 28, 2020
good I guess. I didnt read the first ones so I dunno
January 14, 2020
Whew. Finally finished my reading challenge for 2019. This book certainly didn't go below my expectations. Thought I haven't read Vitro and Origin, the story wasn't directly connected to them so it was okay. Kalahari took us deep into the semidesert of the savanna, where elephants and lions roamed wild and free. The author's knowledge about wildlife and survival tactics is admirable, and it's really interesting to see them in the story. Its combination with man-made plague is thrilling and you wouldn't be able to stop for long. The plot kicked in in the first chapter, wasting no time. It was fast-paced and dangers at every turn. The interaction between the six teenagers was a delight to read, each one got their very own personality and at times you just want to strangle one of them with the protagonist.
All in all, a very pleasing book, with solid backgrounds and plot. The only thing lacking was the writing style, a little plain for my liking, but I'm hard to please in that department.
All in all, a very pleasing book, with solid backgrounds and plot. The only thing lacking was the writing style, a little plain for my liking, but I'm hard to please in that department.
August 30, 2016
I really liked Kalahari. It started off slow but the story built up. There were so many unanswered questions in the story but it all came together in the end. It was a real "OHHHH I GET IT" moment. It had just the right amount of romance too - it wasn't over powering the rest of the story. The Kalahari desert in general seems like a very serene place. I love the story and the way it was written. I really enjoyed the book and hope to read more of Jessica Khoury's books soon.
September 21, 2018
I thought that the book was SO AMAZING! I really enjoyed the whole story. My favorite part of the book was how Sarah and the others find their way out since they got lost in the middle of nowhere. The book was very interesting and adventurous.
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February 6, 2017A very very very good book. You must read it!!!
August 12, 2018
This book was on my 6th grade reading list this Summer. I absolutely loved all of the action and adventure and the silly, side story between Avani and Joey. I did NOT like the second half of this book. It was really awkward and way too lovey dovey. The message I got from this book is that all women need a big, strong man to come and save them and that all girls need boyfriends. The main character forgot all about saving her dad and went galavanting off with her new boyfriend. What a great lesson. This message is demeaning to women and all young teenage girls who read this book. Also in the second half (but more towards 70%), you had no idea what was going on. The main character used the word ‘fuzzy’ probably 8 or 9 times, which describes just how I felt when reading this. Everything was FUZZY and CONFUSING. There was no plot at all. The only thing the girl cared about was her boyfriend not touching her because of her Metal disease. All she thought about was kissing him which was an inaccurate representaion of what women and girls mostly think of. I would not recommend this book to my friends. So, so sorry if you like this book, it just wasn’t for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2017
This definitely wasn't my type of read. i wouldn't have read it if I hadn't needed to for a challenge. The characters were okay but not real enjoyable. They all were so different from each other. So of course when things got rough it was hard for everyone to get things done. I'm just glad that everything worked out in the end.
December 4, 2022
From the first few pages, I got the feeling that this was gonna be an exciting journey. It had extremely high potential. Likable characters. Evolution of team dynamics. Realistic character transformation. If only the author didn’t stray into sci-fi. That would have been better for my taste.
May 18, 2020
TRIGGER WARNINGS: SUICIDE, ANIMAL SHOOTING, MURDER SHOOTING OF CHILDREN
I have read this book many times over and each time I have loved it more and more. From the characters to the plot and the writing all of it was just awesome! I hope to write a review soon.
I have read this book many times over and each time I have loved it more and more. From the characters to the plot and the writing all of it was just awesome! I hope to write a review soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2018
I would give this more of a 3.5, because it didn't really spark my interest. I felt like it could have had a better beginning, but it was a good read. It definitely had its moments, and it was better than Origin and Vitro, in my opinion.
December 29, 2022
A decent read, not my favourite.
November 12, 2014
Jessica Khoury has returned to the world where Corpus exists and is on the verge of eerie scientific experimentation. The third installment in this companion series follows Sarah, a girl who has lived all over the world, in all sorts of conditions while her parents recorded their scientific discoveries. Four months after her mother's death, five teenagers arrive to learn about life in the Kalahari desert. Suddenly, they're left alone after Sarah's dad and Theo, one of her parents' friends, go looking for poachers nearby. When they don't return at the designated time, Sarah decides that she will go search for them in the morning.
When she finds things she was hoping not to see and her dad - thankfully - not one of them, she and people she's only known a day are without any guidance. With the help of her years of expertise on surviving in strenuous circumstances and navigating the Bush, they find themselves on an adventure they weren't expecting—and definitely aren’t going to enjoy. Sarah learns that "[e]very one has a secret that will break your heart" and the world she has always been a part of is smaller than she thought. It is a story of discovering oneself and learning new secrets of her character that she hadn't even known.
In addition to her new self-discoveries, her world begins changing even more when she realizes that the nature she had once been so sure of is being corrupted. When the mercury lion nearly harms the group, leading them to scientific experimentations that would not only harm them but the rest of the world, the group of five, who have very little in common, have to band together to save something bigger than themselves.
I enjoyed the scientific aspect of the story and how Khoury makes the experiments believable. I felt as if I was really in the Kalahari, even though I've never been there myself, the entire time I read the novel. Vivid imagery and involving problems with the landscape made it not only a great setting for a story but an interesting one, also. While traveling the landscape, she remembers things about her mom and advice that she gave her over the years. “’People are like stars, but it’s stories that turn us into constellation. If we don’t tell our stories, we burn alone in the dark’” is one of the few novelties she kept from her mother, and Sarah realizes that she wants her constellations to shine bright, her new friends, one in particular, may help with that. Having friends is something that was difficult for Sarah to have because of the constant moving. The only time she was truly attached was at a school in one of the places her parents stayed for awhile. The new friendships she makes start out rocky but were interesting to read and watch grow, especially with Sam. Being accepted is something that Sarah constantly struggles with, but she realizes that the person she is just what they need. There are wonderful life lessons, such as making every day count and to enjoy each one no matter what problems arise.
Also, I recommend all of Jessica Khoury's book, which do not have to be read successively.
When she finds things she was hoping not to see and her dad - thankfully - not one of them, she and people she's only known a day are without any guidance. With the help of her years of expertise on surviving in strenuous circumstances and navigating the Bush, they find themselves on an adventure they weren't expecting—and definitely aren’t going to enjoy. Sarah learns that "[e]very one has a secret that will break your heart" and the world she has always been a part of is smaller than she thought. It is a story of discovering oneself and learning new secrets of her character that she hadn't even known.
In addition to her new self-discoveries, her world begins changing even more when she realizes that the nature she had once been so sure of is being corrupted. When the mercury lion nearly harms the group, leading them to scientific experimentations that would not only harm them but the rest of the world, the group of five, who have very little in common, have to band together to save something bigger than themselves.
I enjoyed the scientific aspect of the story and how Khoury makes the experiments believable. I felt as if I was really in the Kalahari, even though I've never been there myself, the entire time I read the novel. Vivid imagery and involving problems with the landscape made it not only a great setting for a story but an interesting one, also. While traveling the landscape, she remembers things about her mom and advice that she gave her over the years. “’People are like stars, but it’s stories that turn us into constellation. If we don’t tell our stories, we burn alone in the dark’” is one of the few novelties she kept from her mother, and Sarah realizes that she wants her constellations to shine bright, her new friends, one in particular, may help with that. Having friends is something that was difficult for Sarah to have because of the constant moving. The only time she was truly attached was at a school in one of the places her parents stayed for awhile. The new friendships she makes start out rocky but were interesting to read and watch grow, especially with Sam. Being accepted is something that Sarah constantly struggles with, but she realizes that the person she is just what they need. There are wonderful life lessons, such as making every day count and to enjoy each one no matter what problems arise.
Also, I recommend all of Jessica Khoury's book, which do not have to be read successively.
March 23, 2015
***I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads - First Reads program in exchange for a review***
I was excited to read a new installment of the Corpus books, after enjoying Origin immensely. That being said, I had high hopes for this book, and was disappointed in it from the very beginning. Perhaps I am just growing out of my enjoyment of young adult fiction, or I am just really getting tired of how shallow so much of it seems to be getting lately. In any case, this book was a disappointment from the first page. The character development was poor, and I couldn't make myself like any of them. They lacked common sense throughout the book, and I read the whole thing, hoping to see them grow a bit. There was no real growth, and no great development of the characters. The actions of the adults that created the premise for this whole story to begin were so far-fetched, and unbelievable to me, that it was hard to appreciate any other part of this book. No responsible adult would do what this character did, in my opinion.
The romance seemed forced, contrived, and childish – but, considering they are children, I suppose that it may appeal to the YA crowd this book is aimed at. I feel the romance of this story distracted from the plot, and was totally unnecessary to move the plot along.
I keep hoping for more background story on Corpus – that is the biggest reason I signed up to read this story – hoping for more insight into this mysterious, wealthy corporation fooling around in science and research, but there was nothing new. I hoped for more delving into the science portion – something more along the lines of Michael Crichton, and was disappointed in the lack of depth.
The descriptions of the Kalahari and animals seemed accurate, and the story moves along quickly – very easy to start and finish this book in a day, with a few (predictable) plot twists, which should make this a quick, simple read for someone.
This is listed as a 3rd in a series, however, stands alone, with no need to read the previous books, although I would recommend reading Origin, and skipping over this one.
I was excited to read a new installment of the Corpus books, after enjoying Origin immensely. That being said, I had high hopes for this book, and was disappointed in it from the very beginning. Perhaps I am just growing out of my enjoyment of young adult fiction, or I am just really getting tired of how shallow so much of it seems to be getting lately. In any case, this book was a disappointment from the first page. The character development was poor, and I couldn't make myself like any of them. They lacked common sense throughout the book, and I read the whole thing, hoping to see them grow a bit. There was no real growth, and no great development of the characters. The actions of the adults that created the premise for this whole story to begin were so far-fetched, and unbelievable to me, that it was hard to appreciate any other part of this book. No responsible adult would do what this character did, in my opinion.
The romance seemed forced, contrived, and childish – but, considering they are children, I suppose that it may appeal to the YA crowd this book is aimed at. I feel the romance of this story distracted from the plot, and was totally unnecessary to move the plot along.
I keep hoping for more background story on Corpus – that is the biggest reason I signed up to read this story – hoping for more insight into this mysterious, wealthy corporation fooling around in science and research, but there was nothing new. I hoped for more delving into the science portion – something more along the lines of Michael Crichton, and was disappointed in the lack of depth.
The descriptions of the Kalahari and animals seemed accurate, and the story moves along quickly – very easy to start and finish this book in a day, with a few (predictable) plot twists, which should make this a quick, simple read for someone.
This is listed as a 3rd in a series, however, stands alone, with no need to read the previous books, although I would recommend reading Origin, and skipping over this one.
Read
March 20, 2015Fun adventurey thriller! One of my favorite THINGS is people being forced to survive in the wilderness under terrible conditions, so this was totally my catnip (despite some of the positively MINDNUMBING choices some of the characters made. If I'd been one of those city kids, I %100 would have sued Sarah's dad for abandoning me in the middle of the desert with his teenage daughter, taking the only car, only satellite radio, and all the new food supplies with them). The romance is pretty useless, but I quite enjoyed the actual adventuring parts.
March 11, 2015
I really enjoyed this third Corpus book. I think I liked it more than the second. I especially enjoyed the setting as I don't know anything about the Kalahari. However, Origin is still my favorite because we learned more about Corpus and the people who worked for them. I feel like the last two books are mostly just teens who are constantly in danger in an unusual place. I would like a little more of the science. Maybe I preferred Origin because the main character was on the inside where the last two books the main characters have been on the outside.
October 27, 2015
I am glad I kept reading this trilogy. Origins didn't impress me much but Vitro was better and Kalahari was the best. Gripping and thrilling until the very end.
July 26, 2020
When a group of teenagers come to the Kalahari desert for a conservation research program, resident Sarah Carmichael is dreading the social interaction that comes with babysitting a rich couple, a know-it-all, a clown, and the nice guy. But after Sarah’s father suddenly goes off to chase some poachers, the babysitting is looking to be much more permanent. Sarah is left stranded in the vast desert with hardly any resources, a fear of losing her dad, and five clueless teenagers. If this wasn’t bad enough, they come face-to-face with a silver lion that absorbs bullets and is seemingly made out of mercury. As the stories of Sarah’s mother’s death and the silver lion start to entwine, the group of six realize that the Kalahari hides much more secrets that they would have ever thought.
I thought that “Kalahari: by Jessica Khoury was a stunning novel. The plot has the perfect amount of escalation and I love how minor plot points like the death of Sarah’s mother start slowly becoming part of the main story. The story seemingly starts out like a survival story, but it quickly becomes sci-fi when they start discovering animals infected with a silver virus, just like the lion. Besides the plot, the characters are also well written. They seem to be very stereotyped in the beginning, but as they get more and more scared for their lives, they become much more 3-dimensional. They slowly expose their hidden problems to each other, as if they wanted to tell someone just in case they didn’t survive. It’s almost telling the reader that you shouldn’t immediately stereotype people right away, especially if your first impression was when they were feeling uncomfortable. The whole story is about layers. Nothing is made up of one surface. There is always something underneath.
-Kate, Grade 9
I thought that “Kalahari: by Jessica Khoury was a stunning novel. The plot has the perfect amount of escalation and I love how minor plot points like the death of Sarah’s mother start slowly becoming part of the main story. The story seemingly starts out like a survival story, but it quickly becomes sci-fi when they start discovering animals infected with a silver virus, just like the lion. Besides the plot, the characters are also well written. They seem to be very stereotyped in the beginning, but as they get more and more scared for their lives, they become much more 3-dimensional. They slowly expose their hidden problems to each other, as if they wanted to tell someone just in case they didn’t survive. It’s almost telling the reader that you shouldn’t immediately stereotype people right away, especially if your first impression was when they were feeling uncomfortable. The whole story is about layers. Nothing is made up of one surface. There is always something underneath.
-Kate, Grade 9
November 9, 2020
The book "Kalahari" by Jessica Khoury is filled with mystery. There is some information to help you understand my review. There is a girl names Sarah Carmichael who lives in the Kalahari desert with her dad. Sarah's mother died a few months before from a bee attack. A man named Theo helps them in the desert. Five teens, Joey, Avani, Miranda, Kase, and Sam, are headed to the desert for a educational safari. When a lion that is running lose trying to kill people, Sarah's dad and Theo set out to help leaving Sarah at the camp with the five teens. When something bad happens Sarah and the five teens are trying to solve a mystery.
There are many reasons why I gave the book "Kalahari" four stars. I think the setting is the one of the best parts. I never knew anyone could live in the Kalahari desert so it is interesting to think of myself living in the desert. The book is more interesting since I don't live in the Kalahari desert, and it's not in Galway where I am from. The most interesting part of the book was the mysteries of it. There were some deaths, disappearances, what happened to some animals, and what will happen in the end. This makes the book more interesting because with out the mysteries the book wouldn't be as exciting as it is. This book has a lot of great factors. There are a lot of points in the books that make you excited and want to keep reading.
The book "Kalahari" by Jessica Khoury is a good book. The setting is very interesting and different from other books I have read. The mysteries of the book were the best part. It keep you on the edge and questioning what will happen which will make you want to read more. I think anyone who like mystery books would enjoy reading this. I really did enjoy this book.
There are many reasons why I gave the book "Kalahari" four stars. I think the setting is the one of the best parts. I never knew anyone could live in the Kalahari desert so it is interesting to think of myself living in the desert. The book is more interesting since I don't live in the Kalahari desert, and it's not in Galway where I am from. The most interesting part of the book was the mysteries of it. There were some deaths, disappearances, what happened to some animals, and what will happen in the end. This makes the book more interesting because with out the mysteries the book wouldn't be as exciting as it is. This book has a lot of great factors. There are a lot of points in the books that make you excited and want to keep reading.
The book "Kalahari" by Jessica Khoury is a good book. The setting is very interesting and different from other books I have read. The mysteries of the book were the best part. It keep you on the edge and questioning what will happen which will make you want to read more. I think anyone who like mystery books would enjoy reading this. I really did enjoy this book.
March 3, 2022
Kalahari is a great dystopian book filled with mystery and fun. It's the third book in its series. It's about a girl named Sarah. She lives in a semi-desert with her dad. After her mom died she has been really depressed. So when her dad was planning on showing five teens around the safari, Sarah was going to observe. After there was a radio call that there were possible poachers in the area Sarah's dad went to go investigate. She was left with everyone else. After a day she was starting to get worried so they went to go try to find her dad. They stumbled into a metallic lion, acting extremely aggressive. So then they encountered a science laboratory where they were creating other animals like that lion. There was soon a scientist that explained to them that there was a huge disease called malerium that can be passed by touch. It's previously made to cure any disease that enters your body, but eventually, it thinks that everything is diseased so it starts eating up your body, once it gets to your brain it turns you into a mindless monster. So Sarah tries to bring all the others to safety back home, and then go look for her dad. Others kept looking with their group in order to capture them. Sarah finds the real truth about how her mom died based on a voice memo, she was infected with malarium. She wasn't infected completely because she was stung by killer bees that worked as an antidote. After an encounter with a silver animal, Sarah got infected but was trying to keep it from the others. Once they were captured by the group of scientists, Sarah was really starting to become fully infected. After they were able to defeat the team of scientists Sarah was put into a hospital where she was able to be saved. I like this book because it's full of action and it's one of my favorite genres, dystopia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2018
I hope that this isn't the last book, there needs to be something that is all about the downfall of Corpus. Normally I don't read book out of order, but for this series it didn't seem to really matter, the only thing that connects is Corpus, so I wasn't completely lost on anything. Not a bad book, I wound't go around to people telling them to read this, but I would recommend this anyone who reads this. It has a little romance, but the main focus is their adventure/travels.
One thins I have to say about this book though is that I was SO pleased to finally find an author who had characters arguing with each other in there for a REASON, and it ACTUALLY MADE SENSE! Normally I get so annoyed with authors because when they try and have characters fight it is for no reason, and the fight doesn't make any sense. There was nothing to spur the fight, the thing they are fighting over could really just of been a simple discussion. Or, the fight doesn't feel real at all, it is just to fake, the words are too carefully chosen. The fights in this book were realistic, and you could imagine people actually saying something like what the characters said in the book. So thank you Jessica Khoury for writing a fight that was realistic, and that I actually liked (the style of, I didn't like the fact that they were fighting, but again, I could believe it).
One thins I have to say about this book though is that I was SO pleased to finally find an author who had characters arguing with each other in there for a REASON, and it ACTUALLY MADE SENSE! Normally I get so annoyed with authors because when they try and have characters fight it is for no reason, and the fight doesn't make any sense. There was nothing to spur the fight, the thing they are fighting over could really just of been a simple discussion. Or, the fight doesn't feel real at all, it is just to fake, the words are too carefully chosen. The fights in this book were realistic, and you could imagine people actually saying something like what the characters said in the book. So thank you Jessica Khoury for writing a fight that was realistic, and that I actually liked (the style of, I didn't like the fact that they were fighting, but again, I could believe it).
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