What do you think?
Rate this book
The Body Electric
The future world is at peace.
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is as it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust?
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is as it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust?
351 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2014
About the author
Beth Revis
46 books6,390 followersBeth Revis writes books. She also eats too much chocolate, wishes she could travel more, and prefers puppies to people. Beth lives in rural NC with her boys: one husband, one son, two very large puppies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 571 reviews
Want to read
December 30, 2014WHAT IS THIS I DONT EVEN CARE I KNOW IT SHALL BE MINE
December 26, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Body Electric by Beth Revis
Publication Date: October 6, 2014
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
The future world is at peace.
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is at it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn't even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust?
What I Liked:
This is December's Pili-Pushed novel! To read all of my reviews of books recommended by Pili at In Love With Handmade, browse the "Pili-Pushed" tag of my blog! I've enjoyed the books she's recommended to me so far... to be honest, I expected to love this one, because I love Beth Revis's debut series.
First, let me state that I am a HUGE fan of Beth Revis. I loved her Across the Universe books - Across the Universe was my favorite book of 2011. When I heard about the self-publication of The Body Electric, I was thrilled! A new Revis book! More science fiction! We need more science fiction in the Young Adult age level. However, unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.
Ella's father worked on a revolutionary creation - until he was killed. He was trying to create a human brain, but the problem with that is that you can create it, but you can't force it to think, like humans do. In a world of androids and bots and advanced technology, this creation would be revolutionary. As the government knew. Ella's mother created Reverie, in which one person could delve into another person's mind, while that person was in a dreamlike state. But Ella slowly realizes that something is wrong with her. Her memories are not complete, which she starts to understand when she meets someone from her past, a past that she doesn't remember.
What worked for me: the world-building, for one. I love how Revis constructs and builds the setting of this novel. It's very futuristic, with highly advanced technology, such as androids and robots and clones and things. Ella's parents are obviously scientific geniuses, but the whole planet is full of amazing science.
Revis did a good job of setting up the conflict and mystery. I wondered where she was going with certain things (like the bees, and Ella's hallucinations, and Jack), which is good... except in the end, it didn't really work for me. But initially, I liked the mystery of things.
Read on for things I didn't like... unfortunately, there were a lot of them.
What I Did Not Like:
Blaaahhh. This makes me so sad. I didn't like Ella, I didn't like the science fiction aspect of this book (though the world-building was great), I didn't like the romance, I didn't like the mystery, and I was a bit confused (says the ENGINEERING major... keep in mind, I'm well-versed in things like statics and mechanics and physics and things like that).
I didn't like Ella. From the start, I had a feeling I wouldn't like her. I found her behavior, initially, very childlike, and in the end, she was still not as mature as I would have hoped. I can't put my finger on it, but something about her was so immature and childlike and naive and stupid. This persona dictated her decisions. I don't think she's very tough or smart at all - mostly, she's running and hiding or doing rash, stupid things.
I didn't like the science fiction of the book. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was cool at first... until I realized that not much made sense. It's hard to describe this without spoiling things. But like, the whole cyclone thing doesn't make sense. It's clones don't feel, then, how do, um, certain people, feel? Like, love and comfort and whatnot?
And why is Ella NOW seeing the hallucinations of her father? I'm not entirely sure what the trigger was. Why was she seeing her father NOW? I can *kind of* extrapolate why she's able to see him in general, but I'm not sure of the WHY NOW. Even the WHY is sketchy.
The hallucinations in general - the bees, for example - were not really explained either, as to why they were occurring now. It wasn't too frustrating at first, because I figured it would all be explained later, but as I kept reading I kept getting more frustrated, and I realized that I would get no real answers. And I never did.
I didn't like the romance. I can't say much specifically about it, because that's some serious spoiler-ness, but I didn't like it. I didn't like the introduction, the progression, the backstory, nothing. Ella and the boy just did NOT work for me. I didn't think Ella liked him from the start, so when she magically started dancing to his tune, I wasn't really buying it.
I liked Jack, but I found him to be very one-dimensional. I couldn't relate to him, I didn't find him heroic or swoonworthy or all that great. He just wasn't a developed enough character for me.
I mentioned the mystery of things, as well as my confusion. Well, yeah, I was confused towards the end of this book. I LIKE science fiction. I have a head for it, and usually, I have no problems keeping up. I'm an engineering major - heavy on the math AND science - so it's my LIFE to keep up with these things. But I don't think Revis did the best job with the science. Like, the thing about the cyclones. I can't go into specifics, but if you really think about what Revis was trying to create, it doesn't quite make sense with what she set up in the world.
I didn't like the ending at all. Certain things were revealed, and I was all like, wtf? It felt like such a cop out, the easy way to explain things. Things that weren't even fully explained. The constant use of reveries in the end didn't seem right. The ending, in terms of Ella, and Jack, and Ms. White, and Ella's mother, just didn't sit well with me, and didn't make sense scientifically. Someone write a scientific paper on clones and these "cyclones" and then I'll be more open to the idea of these.
Obviously, a lot of my problems revolved around me not really buying the science of this book. But I also didn't like protagonist (which is a problem) or the love interest (that's really all he was, if so much), or the story.
Would I Recommend It:
Not really. I mean, it's gotten good reviews so far, but I personally didn't like this new book by Revis. Her Across the Universe series is REALLY GOOD though. So. There's that.
Rating:
2 stars. Meh. I tried, okay? I love Beth Revis, and I'll give any of her books a shot!
The Body Electric by Beth Revis
Publication Date: October 6, 2014
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
The future world is at peace.
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is at it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn't even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust?
What I Liked:
This is December's Pili-Pushed novel! To read all of my reviews of books recommended by Pili at In Love With Handmade, browse the "Pili-Pushed" tag of my blog! I've enjoyed the books she's recommended to me so far... to be honest, I expected to love this one, because I love Beth Revis's debut series.
First, let me state that I am a HUGE fan of Beth Revis. I loved her Across the Universe books - Across the Universe was my favorite book of 2011. When I heard about the self-publication of The Body Electric, I was thrilled! A new Revis book! More science fiction! We need more science fiction in the Young Adult age level. However, unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.
Ella's father worked on a revolutionary creation - until he was killed. He was trying to create a human brain, but the problem with that is that you can create it, but you can't force it to think, like humans do. In a world of androids and bots and advanced technology, this creation would be revolutionary. As the government knew. Ella's mother created Reverie, in which one person could delve into another person's mind, while that person was in a dreamlike state. But Ella slowly realizes that something is wrong with her. Her memories are not complete, which she starts to understand when she meets someone from her past, a past that she doesn't remember.
What worked for me: the world-building, for one. I love how Revis constructs and builds the setting of this novel. It's very futuristic, with highly advanced technology, such as androids and robots and clones and things. Ella's parents are obviously scientific geniuses, but the whole planet is full of amazing science.
Revis did a good job of setting up the conflict and mystery. I wondered where she was going with certain things (like the bees, and Ella's hallucinations, and Jack), which is good... except in the end, it didn't really work for me. But initially, I liked the mystery of things.
Read on for things I didn't like... unfortunately, there were a lot of them.
What I Did Not Like:
Blaaahhh. This makes me so sad. I didn't like Ella, I didn't like the science fiction aspect of this book (though the world-building was great), I didn't like the romance, I didn't like the mystery, and I was a bit confused (says the ENGINEERING major... keep in mind, I'm well-versed in things like statics and mechanics and physics and things like that).
I didn't like Ella. From the start, I had a feeling I wouldn't like her. I found her behavior, initially, very childlike, and in the end, she was still not as mature as I would have hoped. I can't put my finger on it, but something about her was so immature and childlike and naive and stupid. This persona dictated her decisions. I don't think she's very tough or smart at all - mostly, she's running and hiding or doing rash, stupid things.
I didn't like the science fiction of the book. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was cool at first... until I realized that not much made sense. It's hard to describe this without spoiling things. But like, the whole cyclone thing doesn't make sense. It's clones don't feel, then, how do, um, certain people, feel? Like, love and comfort and whatnot?
And why is Ella NOW seeing the hallucinations of her father? I'm not entirely sure what the trigger was. Why was she seeing her father NOW? I can *kind of* extrapolate why she's able to see him in general, but I'm not sure of the WHY NOW. Even the WHY is sketchy.
The hallucinations in general - the bees, for example - were not really explained either, as to why they were occurring now. It wasn't too frustrating at first, because I figured it would all be explained later, but as I kept reading I kept getting more frustrated, and I realized that I would get no real answers. And I never did.
I didn't like the romance. I can't say much specifically about it, because that's some serious spoiler-ness, but I didn't like it. I didn't like the introduction, the progression, the backstory, nothing. Ella and the boy just did NOT work for me. I didn't think Ella liked him from the start, so when she magically started dancing to his tune, I wasn't really buying it.
I liked Jack, but I found him to be very one-dimensional. I couldn't relate to him, I didn't find him heroic or swoonworthy or all that great. He just wasn't a developed enough character for me.
I mentioned the mystery of things, as well as my confusion. Well, yeah, I was confused towards the end of this book. I LIKE science fiction. I have a head for it, and usually, I have no problems keeping up. I'm an engineering major - heavy on the math AND science - so it's my LIFE to keep up with these things. But I don't think Revis did the best job with the science. Like, the thing about the cyclones. I can't go into specifics, but if you really think about what Revis was trying to create, it doesn't quite make sense with what she set up in the world.
I didn't like the ending at all. Certain things were revealed, and I was all like, wtf? It felt like such a cop out, the easy way to explain things. Things that weren't even fully explained. The constant use of reveries in the end didn't seem right. The ending, in terms of Ella, and Jack, and Ms. White, and Ella's mother, just didn't sit well with me, and didn't make sense scientifically. Someone write a scientific paper on clones and these "cyclones" and then I'll be more open to the idea of these.
Obviously, a lot of my problems revolved around me not really buying the science of this book. But I also didn't like protagonist (which is a problem) or the love interest (that's really all he was, if so much), or the story.
Would I Recommend It:
Not really. I mean, it's gotten good reviews so far, but I personally didn't like this new book by Revis. Her Across the Universe series is REALLY GOOD though. So. There's that.
Rating:
2 stars. Meh. I tried, okay? I love Beth Revis, and I'll give any of her books a shot!
March 20, 2015
Absolutely adorable. Loved it!
I am at a loss for words because this book really took my breath away.
And I need to tell you more...
I need to tell you how beautifully written it is, how amazingly vivid the world is, how incredible and fleshed out the characters are, how mind-blowing and breathtaking the plot is, how unreliable but relatable Ella is, how deeply she feels the loss of her father and how much she tries to keep her mother in her life for as long as she can. Not to mention just how nice Jack is and how I wanted to know more of their story.
Obviously, I can’t tell you much about the story itself, but rest assured that it blew my mind so badly that I can hardly think straight. I loved Across the Universe series, but this one might be even better. Or maybe just as much, I don’t know for sure… The fact is I really love this author and I can’t wait to read more from her.
I dived into this book without knowing much about it. And that was a good thing because I was surprised with each step I took, with each page, and nothing makes me happier than enjoying a good book.
THE BODY ELECTRIC is probably the most vivid dystopian story I’ve ever read. Those dreams were so awesome (!) I have no words to express my excitement. They alone would make for a great movie. Also, the turnarounds were absolutely crazy. And just how amazing the idea of reliving great memories is, huh? Not to mention the influence Ella had on them, without even knowing. Fantastic, I tell you, this story is fantastic! And yes, this means that I really loved everything about this book and it exceeded all my expectations – which were considerably high to begin with.
CONCLUSION:
I wish more books were like this one – with an unpredictable plot, strong characters and unique world building. Yes, it is still a dystopian world and the characters want to change the system, but the beauty sits in the nuances, in the details, in the beautiful images created through words, and Beth manages that magically.
I loved this book and I can’t wait for another one!
Happy midnight reading
Read the full review at: ReadingAfterMidnight.com
____________________________________________
Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________
MY BEAUTIFUL (signed) LIMITED EDITION PACK:
_________________________________________
PRE-READINGthoughts RAMBLINGS:
Aaah, this sounds so amazing!!!!
Be mine, you beautiful book, be mine and soon!
I am at a loss for words because this book really took my breath away.
And I need to tell you more...
I need to tell you how beautifully written it is, how amazingly vivid the world is, how incredible and fleshed out the characters are, how mind-blowing and breathtaking the plot is, how unreliable but relatable Ella is, how deeply she feels the loss of her father and how much she tries to keep her mother in her life for as long as she can. Not to mention just how nice Jack is and how I wanted to know more of their story.
Obviously, I can’t tell you much about the story itself, but rest assured that it blew my mind so badly that I can hardly think straight. I loved Across the Universe series, but this one might be even better. Or maybe just as much, I don’t know for sure… The fact is I really love this author and I can’t wait to read more from her.
I dived into this book without knowing much about it. And that was a good thing because I was surprised with each step I took, with each page, and nothing makes me happier than enjoying a good book.
THE BODY ELECTRIC is probably the most vivid dystopian story I’ve ever read. Those dreams were so awesome (!) I have no words to express my excitement. They alone would make for a great movie. Also, the turnarounds were absolutely crazy. And just how amazing the idea of reliving great memories is, huh? Not to mention the influence Ella had on them, without even knowing. Fantastic, I tell you, this story is fantastic! And yes, this means that I really loved everything about this book and it exceeded all my expectations – which were considerably high to begin with.
CONCLUSION:
I wish more books were like this one – with an unpredictable plot, strong characters and unique world building. Yes, it is still a dystopian world and the characters want to change the system, but the beauty sits in the nuances, in the details, in the beautiful images created through words, and Beth manages that magically.
I loved this book and I can’t wait for another one!
Happy midnight reading
Read the full review at: ReadingAfterMidnight.com
____________________________________________
Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________
MY BEAUTIFUL (signed) LIMITED EDITION PACK:
_________________________________________
PRE-READING
Aaah, this sounds so amazing!!!!
Be mine, you beautiful book, be mine and soon!
August 24, 2015
Read for the 2015 Reading Challenge: #13 A book set in a different contry
I love a good fresh sci-fi, especially if it is YA, we don’t get much of those. Beth Revis nailed it once more. With a cool main idea, great characters that feel human, and more mysteries than you think are hidden in the story. Revis creates her world and gives us just the enough explanation for all the technology it has so we find it interesting and fun. The science makes sense in her fictional-world but is not over-explained with more details than needed, it only accompanies the story that involves a much more human moral.
"I suppose you can turn any scientific study into some kind of weapon; that's just human nature."
Me encanta esta autora, todo lo que he leído de ella es fresco, inteligente, ligero y divertido. Sus historias cortas me fascinan, sobretodo The Turing Test, que fue la historia corta que inspiro este libro. Aunque les recomiendo que lean The Body Electric primero y después la historia corta porque puede que se spoilen algo.
Este libro trata sobre lo que paso en la tierra mientras todo lo de Across the Universe sucedía en el espacio, como sobrevivió la Tierra, que cambios hubo, etc. En el futuro que Revis nos muestra ya todo se puede controlar con nanobots, que te ayudan a desplayar imágenes en tus ojos, oír cosas sin necesidad de audífonos, etc. Ella, la protagonista, trabaja en un Spa con su mama, este Spa te permite revivir tus momentos más felices, y la tecnología detrás de eso la creo su madre.
Básicamente todo cambia cuando se da cuenta que puede conectarse a otra persona y entrar en esos momentos. Y a partir de ahí la historia comienza. Tiene una introducción algo larga a mi parecer, que la usa para describir la ciudad donde vive, porque vive ahí, como se formo el gobierno que esta, etc. A mi me pareció muy interesante pero puede ser algo lento para otra persona.
Una nota importante: No lean la sinopsis que viene en GR, es mas si llegan a comprar el libro no lean la sinopsis del libro. Porque te explica como las ¾ partes de la trama general y muchas veces solo estas esperando a que la protagonista descubra lo que tu ya hiciste leyendo la sinopsis. Aunque no dice nada de la ultima 4ta parte que es la mejor de todas.
En un punto de la historia las cosas se ponen muy filosóficas/emotivas, antes estaba todo muy ligero y padre pero sentía que le faltaba cierta chispa que yo se la autora es capaz de tener. La cuarta parte lo compensa, nos intenta dar a pensar en donde reside nuestra humanidad.
El romance entre Ella y Jack se manejo perfecto, es bastante sutil al principio y ligero pero bonito al final. El desarrollo estuvo bastante bien y como se complementa con la historia principal es solo un punto extra. La autora maneja bien el misterio de una forma juvenil y es muy buena dando chispazos creepy como lo que pasa con Ms. White al final.
En general es un buen sci-fi que alguien que ya se leyó ATU disfrutaría más, así que les recomiendo que lean esa trilogía primero para que se emocionen como yo cuando hacen ciertas menciones. Pero si quieres un stand-alone sci-fi que sea ligero pero interesante, The Body Electric te lo recomiendo mucho. A pesar de tener un nivel bastante juvenil, Beth Revis le da una chispa muy interesante, no intenta ser sumamente inteligente pero no pierde estabilidad con el mundo y las reglas que crea. Muy recomendado.
PD: No aman la portada? ME ENCANTA! es tan verde y bonita! :'D
I love a good fresh sci-fi, especially if it is YA, we don’t get much of those. Beth Revis nailed it once more. With a cool main idea, great characters that feel human, and more mysteries than you think are hidden in the story. Revis creates her world and gives us just the enough explanation for all the technology it has so we find it interesting and fun. The science makes sense in her fictional-world but is not over-explained with more details than needed, it only accompanies the story that involves a much more human moral.
"I suppose you can turn any scientific study into some kind of weapon; that's just human nature."
Me encanta esta autora, todo lo que he leído de ella es fresco, inteligente, ligero y divertido. Sus historias cortas me fascinan, sobretodo The Turing Test, que fue la historia corta que inspiro este libro. Aunque les recomiendo que lean The Body Electric primero y después la historia corta porque puede que se spoilen algo.
Este libro trata sobre lo que paso en la tierra mientras todo lo de Across the Universe sucedía en el espacio, como sobrevivió la Tierra, que cambios hubo, etc. En el futuro que Revis nos muestra ya todo se puede controlar con nanobots, que te ayudan a desplayar imágenes en tus ojos, oír cosas sin necesidad de audífonos, etc. Ella, la protagonista, trabaja en un Spa con su mama, este Spa te permite revivir tus momentos más felices, y la tecnología detrás de eso la creo su madre.
Básicamente todo cambia cuando se da cuenta que puede conectarse a otra persona y entrar en esos momentos. Y a partir de ahí la historia comienza. Tiene una introducción algo larga a mi parecer, que la usa para describir la ciudad donde vive, porque vive ahí, como se formo el gobierno que esta, etc. A mi me pareció muy interesante pero puede ser algo lento para otra persona.
Una nota importante: No lean la sinopsis que viene en GR, es mas si llegan a comprar el libro no lean la sinopsis del libro. Porque te explica como las ¾ partes de la trama general y muchas veces solo estas esperando a que la protagonista descubra lo que tu ya hiciste leyendo la sinopsis. Aunque no dice nada de la ultima 4ta parte que es la mejor de todas.
En un punto de la historia las cosas se ponen muy filosóficas/emotivas, antes estaba todo muy ligero y padre pero sentía que le faltaba cierta chispa que yo se la autora es capaz de tener. La cuarta parte lo compensa, nos intenta dar a pensar en donde reside nuestra humanidad.
El romance entre Ella y Jack se manejo perfecto, es bastante sutil al principio y ligero pero bonito al final. El desarrollo estuvo bastante bien y como se complementa con la historia principal es solo un punto extra. La autora maneja bien el misterio de una forma juvenil y es muy buena dando chispazos creepy como lo que pasa con Ms. White al final.
En general es un buen sci-fi que alguien que ya se leyó ATU disfrutaría más, así que les recomiendo que lean esa trilogía primero para que se emocionen como yo cuando hacen ciertas menciones. Pero si quieres un stand-alone sci-fi que sea ligero pero interesante, The Body Electric te lo recomiendo mucho. A pesar de tener un nivel bastante juvenil, Beth Revis le da una chispa muy interesante, no intenta ser sumamente inteligente pero no pierde estabilidad con el mundo y las reglas que crea. Muy recomendado.
PD: No aman la portada? ME ENCANTA! es tan verde y bonita! :'D
November 14, 2014
4.5 stars
For a while after I finished The Body Electric, I struggled to gather my thoughts and figure out how to appropriately express my feelings. My experience with this book felt, for those few shocked minutes, far too important to be put into my unskilled English sentences. But I had to try, I had to do what I can to help this book get the attention it absolutely deserves.
I always enjoyed Revis’ work, but I never experienced it this intensely. The Body Electric brings something new to the table, both in worldbuilding and characterization. It is certainly a big step forward for Beth Revis herself and for Young Adult Science Fiction in general. Truth be told, this book doesn’t read like YA at all. Revis held nothing back, she didn’t try to make things more simple or accessible to a younger audience. This book is an explosion of creativity and emotions with no barriers whatsoever, and as such, it deserves all the praise it can get.
The issues Revis explores aren’t new to the science fiction genre. In fact, she herself mentions that she owes a great literary debt to Phillip K. Dick and his Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. She even named Ella’s father, the groundbreaking scientist, Phillip K. Shepherd, which is a nod to the famous author inside the story itself. But even though it’s been dissected so many times before, the question of what truly makes us human has never been answered with any level of certainty. Therefore, it is still just as important as it was 50 years ago or more.
The author’s note informs us that the worldbuilding was inspired by Revis’ traveling, but it would have been obvious anyway. The images of Malta are too vivid, from the colors, certain traditions and smells, to the people and their ways. But Malta isn’t at the center of this story. Revis created a whole new city on a bridge between the two main Maltese islands, a city built to become the home of a new government. New Venice has everything technology has to offer 250 years from now, but it also celebrates what was lost – the old Venice, swallowed by water a long time ago. New Venice was built after a horrible war, when large nations became united in their attempt to achieve peace and a new government was formed. Ella doesn’t remember the war, she was born in New Venice a year after it ended. She is the daughter of two brilliant scientists, but lately her life has been a series of disasters. Her father died in an attack on his lab, her mother is terminally ill, and Ella herself sometimes sees and hears strange things, things that make her doubt her own mind.
The romance is central to the plot, but it stays in the background most of the time. I loved how it was done, it was important, but never all-consuming and overwhelming. Faced with an obviously unreliable narrator and a boy who claims to know her very well, I became obsessed with uncovering the truth about them and about Ella’s life since her father died. Revis has achieved something that doesn’t happen often anymore – she created a story that swallowed me completely and made me forget about everything else in the world.
The book loses a bit of its strength in the second half as things become far more complicated and difficult to comprehend. Nevertheless, it is an amazing story altogether, an experience I’m unlikely to forget. Read this if you liked Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? or Bernard Beckett’s Genesis. Or even if you didn’t, just read it. You need this book in your life.
For a while after I finished The Body Electric, I struggled to gather my thoughts and figure out how to appropriately express my feelings. My experience with this book felt, for those few shocked minutes, far too important to be put into my unskilled English sentences. But I had to try, I had to do what I can to help this book get the attention it absolutely deserves.
I always enjoyed Revis’ work, but I never experienced it this intensely. The Body Electric brings something new to the table, both in worldbuilding and characterization. It is certainly a big step forward for Beth Revis herself and for Young Adult Science Fiction in general. Truth be told, this book doesn’t read like YA at all. Revis held nothing back, she didn’t try to make things more simple or accessible to a younger audience. This book is an explosion of creativity and emotions with no barriers whatsoever, and as such, it deserves all the praise it can get.
The issues Revis explores aren’t new to the science fiction genre. In fact, she herself mentions that she owes a great literary debt to Phillip K. Dick and his Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. She even named Ella’s father, the groundbreaking scientist, Phillip K. Shepherd, which is a nod to the famous author inside the story itself. But even though it’s been dissected so many times before, the question of what truly makes us human has never been answered with any level of certainty. Therefore, it is still just as important as it was 50 years ago or more.
The author’s note informs us that the worldbuilding was inspired by Revis’ traveling, but it would have been obvious anyway. The images of Malta are too vivid, from the colors, certain traditions and smells, to the people and their ways. But Malta isn’t at the center of this story. Revis created a whole new city on a bridge between the two main Maltese islands, a city built to become the home of a new government. New Venice has everything technology has to offer 250 years from now, but it also celebrates what was lost – the old Venice, swallowed by water a long time ago. New Venice was built after a horrible war, when large nations became united in their attempt to achieve peace and a new government was formed. Ella doesn’t remember the war, she was born in New Venice a year after it ended. She is the daughter of two brilliant scientists, but lately her life has been a series of disasters. Her father died in an attack on his lab, her mother is terminally ill, and Ella herself sometimes sees and hears strange things, things that make her doubt her own mind.
The romance is central to the plot, but it stays in the background most of the time. I loved how it was done, it was important, but never all-consuming and overwhelming. Faced with an obviously unreliable narrator and a boy who claims to know her very well, I became obsessed with uncovering the truth about them and about Ella’s life since her father died. Revis has achieved something that doesn’t happen often anymore – she created a story that swallowed me completely and made me forget about everything else in the world.
The book loses a bit of its strength in the second half as things become far more complicated and difficult to comprehend. Nevertheless, it is an amazing story altogether, an experience I’m unlikely to forget. Read this if you liked Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? or Bernard Beckett’s Genesis. Or even if you didn’t, just read it. You need this book in your life.
May 7, 2015
I need to write a review but just thinking about it makes me feel like this: https://youtu.be/F_XaIuw6K6Q
Ok, fine.
FINE!
I'll write this review now.
If any of my reviews bring on trolls, this will be the one.
This is going to be a mean review. You should probably stop reading here, people who love this book. You're not going to like what I have to say.
I'll start with nice things:
Here's the one thing I really liked: This is set in future Malta. Yes, Malta! Not exactly common ground for a sci-fi YA novel, right? I thought that was super cool.
The story is ok. It would have been fine as a dystopian YA story...but...
Wait, no, I want to do some 'splainin'
I feel as if I’ve been tricked.
I suspect, however, that I tricked myself.
I try to steer clear of self/indie published books. I think I’ve mentioned the sheer volume of those things that come across my desk and how they create within me an anger so strong that I flip my desk regularly. I think I’ve also mentioned how offended I am by poor writing. Many of the self-pubbed titles I see/scan are highly aggravating to my brain, my eyes, my entire soul because of the overall terrible quality these books tend to exhibit.
That being said, I will read a SP/IP book from time to time but I always know what I’m getting into beforehand and I try to be a little more forgiving (the authors of the books in question probably have found me quite unforgiving but I’m about to show you unforgiving) because I understand not everyone can afford an editor and not everyone has friends who can cold read with a critical eye. I remind myself of that as I gnash my teeth and roar my angry roars. It helps.
This book...I don’t know why it was on my To Read list. When I’d put it on my list, no one I knew had read it so I wasn’t swayed by another GoodReader; there were hardly any GR reviews at all, actually. All I can figure is I thought it looked pretty and decided I needed to read it based on the cover alone. It really is a lovely cover, all green and bee-ful.
I didn’t realize this was a self-published dealie and I was floored at all the writing problems I’d encountered by the end of the first chapter. Had I understood it was a self-published title, I wouldn’t have read it. After I realized what I’d gotten myself into, it was too late. (It wasn't too late, I could totally have returned it to the library and walked away. Why didn't I? WHY? Now I have to write a bad review)
I feel tricked.
I did not like this book at all.
I'm going to stick with the the original and maybe the the cover
Ok, fine.
FINE!
I'll write this review now.
If any of my reviews bring on trolls, this will be the one.
This is going to be a mean review. You should probably stop reading here, people who love this book. You're not going to like what I have to say.
I'll start with nice things:
Here's the one thing I really liked: This is set in future Malta. Yes, Malta! Not exactly common ground for a sci-fi YA novel, right? I thought that was super cool.
The story is ok. It would have been fine as a dystopian YA story...but...
Wait, no, I want to do some 'splainin'
I feel as if I’ve been tricked.
I suspect, however, that I tricked myself.
I try to steer clear of self/indie published books. I think I’ve mentioned the sheer volume of those things that come across my desk and how they create within me an anger so strong that I flip my desk regularly. I think I’ve also mentioned how offended I am by poor writing. Many of the self-pubbed titles I see/scan are highly aggravating to my brain, my eyes, my entire soul because of the overall terrible quality these books tend to exhibit.
That being said, I will read a SP/IP book from time to time but I always know what I’m getting into beforehand and I try to be a little more forgiving (the authors of the books in question probably have found me quite unforgiving but I’m about to show you unforgiving) because I understand not everyone can afford an editor and not everyone has friends who can cold read with a critical eye. I remind myself of that as I gnash my teeth and roar my angry roars. It helps.
This book...I don’t know why it was on my To Read list. When I’d put it on my list, no one I knew had read it so I wasn’t swayed by another GoodReader; there were hardly any GR reviews at all, actually. All I can figure is I thought it looked pretty and decided I needed to read it based on the cover alone. It really is a lovely cover, all green and bee-ful.
I didn’t realize this was a self-published dealie and I was floored at all the writing problems I’d encountered by the end of the first chapter. Had I understood it was a self-published title, I wouldn’t have read it. After I realized what I’d gotten myself into, it was too late. (It wasn't too late, I could totally have returned it to the library and walked away. Why didn't I? WHY? Now I have to write a bad review)
I feel tricked.
I did not like this book at all.
I'm going to stick with the the original and maybe the the cover
April 29, 2015
Androids and bees and dead scientist dad, oh my! The Body Electric by Beth Revis had me on the edge of my seat within the first few chapters and kept me going until the very end. Read the rest of the review here on October 20, 2014
October 18, 2014
✮✮✮ 3,5 I love SF stars ✮✮✮
Ready to go to New Venice? Yeah? Let's go!
✸ The plot : The story takes place on Earth, in New Venice, on a time readers who read Across the Universe know : they talk about Godspeed, dammit! Of course I totally jumped - I was all, "Oh. My. Solar glass?". Understand : We deal with androids and FRX here.
This book belongs to the SF genre. You've been warned.
Here's the thing : I'm willing to explain the plot to you. I really am. But you know what? Less you know about it and more you'll enjoy it. Want to know a secret?
*whisper* I didn't read the blurb of The body electric before reading. Even now, I'd be incapable of summing up it → I totally trusted Beth Revis here. And despite the fact that the book doesn't end in my favorite shelf, I have no regrets.
Of course I guessed some parts and the story we are told isn't the most original and wonderful I read. But I was surprised sometimes, and always, always interested. That's all that matters, isn't it?
✸ First of all, because of the writing. Remember how I was impressed by the writing of Beth Revis in Across the universe? Thanks thanks thanks, she did it again. What's exceptional, you're asking? No metaphors and no so-called poetry, no impressive great show of style, no. But something only a few authors succeed in : to give us a SF story which is never boring. Maybe that can be explained by the fact that she uses tricks I'm a sucker for : fluid sentences and short chapters. The body electric is a fast-paced, action packed book. And you know what? I'll check all the books she'll write. Yep.
Nevertheless, this book doesn't reach the level of awesomeness of Across the universe, especially in two domains :
- The humor : This book isn't funny. Not at all. Nope. I kind of missed the inner monologues of Elder and Amy.
- The characters didn't move me at all. Be careful, I'm not saying they are bad, no, but they didn't strike me as being unforgettable.
✸ Ella doesn't seem like the average female lead I would appreciate : she isn't funny, doesn't know how to fight - Plus she's filled with a hardness I struggled to wash off, a sort of shell of indifference which never really disappears, even when she's worried about her mother. I must admit that I had a hard time connecting with her. Is it the consequence of a lack of characterization? Sure. Partly. But this also can be explained by her personality : she's not suited for being this relatable and kind heroine. No.
Yet I enjoyed following her. Why?
Because her reactions are healthy and trust me, that's pretty rare in young adult.
- She doesn't want to be touched by a guy she doesn't know, even if he's attractive. Actually she throws a fist at him when he tries. Good girl.
- She doesn't trust people she doesn't know. Hey! Isn't the exact warning all parents in the world give their children? Right? Too bad most of these heroines don't follow it.
❝You don't trust me." He says the words hollowly.
"Of course not," I say immediately. "I don't know you.❞
- She's able to see beyond the idealistic crap which are often thrown at young adults heroes. Let's discover a little example. During a reverie, a character says that :
❝Nothing more than family. You gonna fight for something, you fight for something that you're willing to die for. I wasn't willing to die for my government, Secessionary or UC. But I was willing to die for the people I love.❞
Okay, so call me cold-hearted, but I rolled my eyes at that.
And just after Ella thinks that :
❝I choke down a snort of derision. Idealistic mantras like that are what made the Secessionary War so bad.❞
- Even if she's not really confident, she doesn't hesitate to call others on their crap, given us the opportunity to smile so big it hurts - yes, I love heroines who can have repartee. Love it.
❝You don't know. You tell me Akilah's messed up, but you don't know how and don't know how to fix her. You tell me I am messed up, but you don't know how. You tell me that you had nothing to do with , but you. Don't. Know. Who. And you tell me I should trust you, but you know what? I don't know how.❞
✸ I struggled more with Jack. Don't get me wrong, his personality should appeal me : he's broody, loyal, courageous, sometimes funny. Yeaaah, he's all that. I think. He seems to be. No, really. I guess. Right?
I don't know him. I must admit that the fact he's a bit hollow drove me mad because hey! that guy seems really interesting, let's meet him, dammit! Sometimes we have insights of his very true personality and I was thinking, yes yes yes, go on, go on - unfortunately he always goes back in his corner full of shadows. How disappointing!
To sum up : I like it while I was willing to love it. What a shame.
❝His head dips close. "Don't forget, Ella," he says in a low voice, only for my ears.❞
Ready to go to New Venice? Yeah? Let's go!
✸ The plot : The story takes place on Earth, in New Venice, on a time readers who read Across the Universe know : they talk about Godspeed, dammit! Of course I totally jumped - I was all, "Oh. My. Solar glass?". Understand : We deal with androids and FRX here.
This book belongs to the SF genre. You've been warned.
Here's the thing : I'm willing to explain the plot to you. I really am. But you know what? Less you know about it and more you'll enjoy it. Want to know a secret?
*whisper* I didn't read the blurb of The body electric before reading. Even now, I'd be incapable of summing up it → I totally trusted Beth Revis here. And despite the fact that the book doesn't end in my favorite shelf, I have no regrets.
Of course I guessed some parts and the story we are told isn't the most original and wonderful I read. But I was surprised sometimes, and always, always interested. That's all that matters, isn't it?
✸ First of all, because of the writing. Remember how I was impressed by the writing of Beth Revis in Across the universe? Thanks thanks thanks, she did it again. What's exceptional, you're asking? No metaphors and no so-called poetry, no impressive great show of style, no. But something only a few authors succeed in : to give us a SF story which is never boring. Maybe that can be explained by the fact that she uses tricks I'm a sucker for : fluid sentences and short chapters. The body electric is a fast-paced, action packed book. And you know what? I'll check all the books she'll write. Yep.
Nevertheless, this book doesn't reach the level of awesomeness of Across the universe, especially in two domains :
- The humor : This book isn't funny. Not at all. Nope. I kind of missed the inner monologues of Elder and Amy.
- The characters didn't move me at all. Be careful, I'm not saying they are bad, no, but they didn't strike me as being unforgettable.
✸ Ella doesn't seem like the average female lead I would appreciate : she isn't funny, doesn't know how to fight - Plus she's filled with a hardness I struggled to wash off, a sort of shell of indifference which never really disappears, even when she's worried about her mother. I must admit that I had a hard time connecting with her. Is it the consequence of a lack of characterization? Sure. Partly. But this also can be explained by her personality : she's not suited for being this relatable and kind heroine. No.
Yet I enjoyed following her. Why?
Because her reactions are healthy and trust me, that's pretty rare in young adult.
- She doesn't want to be touched by a guy she doesn't know, even if he's attractive. Actually she throws a fist at him when he tries. Good girl.
- She doesn't trust people she doesn't know. Hey! Isn't the exact warning all parents in the world give their children? Right? Too bad most of these heroines don't follow it.
❝You don't trust me." He says the words hollowly.
"Of course not," I say immediately. "I don't know you.❞
- She's able to see beyond the idealistic crap which are often thrown at young adults heroes. Let's discover a little example. During a reverie, a character says that :
❝Nothing more than family. You gonna fight for something, you fight for something that you're willing to die for. I wasn't willing to die for my government, Secessionary or UC. But I was willing to die for the people I love.❞
Okay, so call me cold-hearted, but I rolled my eyes at that.
And just after Ella thinks that :
❝I choke down a snort of derision. Idealistic mantras like that are what made the Secessionary War so bad.❞
- Even if she's not really confident, she doesn't hesitate to call others on their crap, given us the opportunity to smile so big it hurts - yes, I love heroines who can have repartee. Love it.
❝You don't know. You tell me Akilah's messed up, but you don't know how and don't know how to fix her. You tell me I am messed up, but you don't know how. You tell me that you had nothing to do with , but you. Don't. Know. Who. And you tell me I should trust you, but you know what? I don't know how.❞
✸ I struggled more with Jack. Don't get me wrong, his personality should appeal me : he's broody, loyal, courageous, sometimes funny. Yeaaah, he's all that. I think. He seems to be. No, really. I guess. Right?
I don't know him. I must admit that the fact he's a bit hollow drove me mad because hey! that guy seems really interesting, let's meet him, dammit! Sometimes we have insights of his very true personality and I was thinking, yes yes yes, go on, go on - unfortunately he always goes back in his corner full of shadows. How disappointing!
To sum up : I like it while I was willing to love it. What a shame.
❝His head dips close. "Don't forget, Ella," he says in a low voice, only for my ears.❞
November 7, 2014
3.5 Stars
The Body Electric is a companion novel to the Across the Stars series. The great thing about this book is that it is a stand-alone novel and even if you haven’t read the Across the Stars series everything will make sense. However if you are like me and read Beth’s other series there are little Easter eggs from those other books throughout.
The Body Electric is what I would call Sci-Fi Lite. There are all kinds of futuristic devices and technologies and they are explained briefly but not in so much excruciating detail that I get distracted from the story. They also don’t overpopulate the story. Every piece of technology that was introduced had a place in the story from the nanobots used in people’s bodies, to the cuffs worn on people’s arms, the reverie chairs people used to relive dreams and the Andriods working throughout the city etc…
Basically in the future we are all smartphones. I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi part of the novel since it didn’t at all seem that far-fetched. This could really be a direction that the world would head.
The actual story is about Ella. She is just a girl trying to take care of her mother as she wastes away from a terrible disease. Ella is working at her mother’s salon that lets people relive their best memories in a dream state. In an attempt to help ease her mother’s pain she learns how to insert herself into these dreams/memories and guide them when her mother can’t do it for herself anymore. That sets in motion her involvement in trying to find out if a politician is a member of a terrorist organization and all the craziness that happens afterward.
When Ella is approached by Jack he tells her to be careful, her best friend can’t be trusted, Ella isn’t sure what to think. Worse, Jack says they were in love once and doesn’t understand why she can’t remember him at all.
Ella has no idea who to trust or what side to be on. Jack is caught up in the terrorist movement but the things around her don’t seem quite right and she must discover why. Each new discovery leads to more questions and the only thing that is clear is that someone is after her.
I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. There is a slight romance in the story but it never overshadows the mystery Ella is trying to solve. Every new revelation drew me ever farther into the story. The big reveal….I should have known, I totally should have known but it was done amazingly and I was really floored by it. The last 20% rushed a little as everything started falling into place and all the big stuff was revealed. There were a few small issues for me in this section, not everything was flushed well enough for me and I still had quite a few questions (not on major plot points, just some of the smaller nitpicky stuff) but overall I was really happy with my experience in this story.
If you haven’t read any of Beth Revis’s books than this is a good indication of if you would like her writing style and storytelling ability. If you read and liked the Across the Universe series than this should still be right up your alley.
The Body Electric is a companion novel to the Across the Stars series. The great thing about this book is that it is a stand-alone novel and even if you haven’t read the Across the Stars series everything will make sense. However if you are like me and read Beth’s other series there are little Easter eggs from those other books throughout.
The Body Electric is what I would call Sci-Fi Lite. There are all kinds of futuristic devices and technologies and they are explained briefly but not in so much excruciating detail that I get distracted from the story. They also don’t overpopulate the story. Every piece of technology that was introduced had a place in the story from the nanobots used in people’s bodies, to the cuffs worn on people’s arms, the reverie chairs people used to relive dreams and the Andriods working throughout the city etc…
My cuffLINK – the licensing, identification and networking key I wear around my wrist – is linked to the nanobots inside me. Twenty years ago, the only bots people used were for vaccines, but now everyone has nanobots. Enhancement bots ensure that everyone has good vision and hearing throughout their lives. Media bots connect to our wrist cuff, giving us the ability to display information directly into out retinas, or to listen to music of have conversations through the interface without using an earpiece.
Basically in the future we are all smartphones. I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi part of the novel since it didn’t at all seem that far-fetched. This could really be a direction that the world would head.
The actual story is about Ella. She is just a girl trying to take care of her mother as she wastes away from a terrible disease. Ella is working at her mother’s salon that lets people relive their best memories in a dream state. In an attempt to help ease her mother’s pain she learns how to insert herself into these dreams/memories and guide them when her mother can’t do it for herself anymore. That sets in motion her involvement in trying to find out if a politician is a member of a terrorist organization and all the craziness that happens afterward.
When Ella is approached by Jack he tells her to be careful, her best friend can’t be trusted, Ella isn’t sure what to think. Worse, Jack says they were in love once and doesn’t understand why she can’t remember him at all.
”You don’t know what it’s like,” he says finally, his voice so low I can barely hear it. “To have loved you the way I loved you, and for you do not even remember who I am.”
Ella has no idea who to trust or what side to be on. Jack is caught up in the terrorist movement but the things around her don’t seem quite right and she must discover why. Each new discovery leads to more questions and the only thing that is clear is that someone is after her.
I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. There is a slight romance in the story but it never overshadows the mystery Ella is trying to solve. Every new revelation drew me ever farther into the story. The big reveal….I should have known, I totally should have known but it was done amazingly and I was really floored by it. The last 20% rushed a little as everything started falling into place and all the big stuff was revealed. There were a few small issues for me in this section, not everything was flushed well enough for me and I still had quite a few questions (not on major plot points, just some of the smaller nitpicky stuff) but overall I was really happy with my experience in this story.
If you haven’t read any of Beth Revis’s books than this is a good indication of if you would like her writing style and storytelling ability. If you read and liked the Across the Universe series than this should still be right up your alley.
February 2, 2015
Oh man, that was A LOT of Science! And I'm not even complaining! I hope I have this when I was in Highschool. It might have gave me a boost to listen and not dozed off in science class. Okay! Reading The Body Electric is a huge step of me getting out of my comfort zone. See, I don't usually read Sci-Fi. I mean, there's some that I truly enjoyed and loved, but most of them I just tried then marked DNF. Its just not my cup of tea.
But Beth Revis is totally changing me. This is my first book from her and I'm instantly a fan. I'm pretty sure I'll be diving in to her trilogy soon because she's such an incredible writer and I have a feeling that I'll love the trilogy as well.
Ella is a feisty and smart character. Totally likeable and being in her head is such a smooth ride. She's flawed but makes smart choices and she's a caring and loving daughter! And absolutely not whiny. Ella can stand on her own and for that, I adore her. She makes the book so much easier to read. My heart broke for Jack. He is such a sweet guy! And being in his situation sucks and its great that the author didn't make the romance so cliche. Seriously, I'm relieved. Jack and Ella is a breath of fresh air.
The greatest part of this book is the science stuff. Yes, I just said that. It's amazing how it has an answer to everything questionable! It made the book so believable that I don't know whether to be impressed or scared (because you know, this might be our future!!) I guess, if I have a Jack then it'll be okay. Anyway, the explanations, the city descriptions, the science stuff... Beth Revis is a genius. That's the only explanation.
More of my reviews HERE.
But Beth Revis is totally changing me. This is my first book from her and I'm instantly a fan. I'm pretty sure I'll be diving in to her trilogy soon because she's such an incredible writer and I have a feeling that I'll love the trilogy as well.
Ella is a feisty and smart character. Totally likeable and being in her head is such a smooth ride. She's flawed but makes smart choices and she's a caring and loving daughter! And absolutely not whiny. Ella can stand on her own and for that, I adore her. She makes the book so much easier to read. My heart broke for Jack. He is such a sweet guy! And being in his situation sucks and its great that the author didn't make the romance so cliche. Seriously, I'm relieved. Jack and Ella is a breath of fresh air.
The greatest part of this book is the science stuff. Yes, I just said that. It's amazing how it has an answer to everything questionable! It made the book so believable that I don't know whether to be impressed or scared (because you know, this might be our future!!) I guess, if I have a Jack then it'll be okay. Anyway, the explanations, the city descriptions, the science stuff... Beth Revis is a genius. That's the only explanation.
More of my reviews HERE.
Want to read
October 1, 2014Elvis is my daddy, Marilyn's my mother, Jesus is my bestest friend~
March 12, 2020
Çok güzel bir kitaptı, niye puanı daha yüksek değil anlamadım 🤔eksikler fazlalıklar var ama hangisinde yok ki?bilimkurgu ağırlıklı distopya seviyorsanız bu kitap sizlik mutlaka okuyun ,yok bu türleri sevmiyorum diyorsanız uzak durun!!! Bu arada Evrenin Ötesi serisindeki uzay gemisinin ve Century-dünya adi filan geçiyor bu kitapta,ne yazık ki o serinin sadece ana hatlarını hatırlıyorum ☹sanirim bu kitapta yaşananlar o serideki zamandan sonraki bir gelecekte geçiyor...
Not:çevirmen bolca günümüzde nadiren kullanılan ki gençlerin hiç kullanmadığı, okurken yadsinan kelimeler kullanmış.
Not:çevirmen bolca günümüzde nadiren kullanılan ki gençlerin hiç kullanmadığı, okurken yadsinan kelimeler kullanmış.
December 10, 2014
Original Review at www.awesomebooknuts.blogspot.com
This was yet another book I read without reading the synopsis and...oh man...this book, was bloody brilliant! Period, end of story, Brilliant.
Where do I begin, this story is so unique and should have everybody reading it! It's an adventure with a very huge warning of big government and loss of freedom. It's a vivid dystopian
If you're a fan of Beth Revis's trilogy Across the Universe which is set in space about a spaceship named Godspeed. Well this is the story of what is going on in the future years after Godspeed left earth. I remember the ship bringing mentioned 1 or 2 times in the book which I thought was just so great!
Ella lives with her dying mother, her father died in a terrorist attack which left her devastated and alone, she has only one friend who is currently in the military. What I like about her is, she is so human, the grief she feels for a loved one, she has insecurities, her heart and mind are troubled, she seeks to find the truth. She was a great complex character and I was able to connect with her as a reader. I loved her.
Ella has the ability and technology to enter into peoples minds as they relive memories. When the government seeks her help in going into someone memories to seek out a terrorist, she is met with obstacles. The obstacles and a mysterious Jack who enters her life and warns her about friends and family-aren't what they appear to be, Ella seeks to find out the truth about her and her life.
Jack was just soooo CUTE! I loved him! He was sweet, and good, and a great male character. Just loved him. It's because of him and that helps set in motion everything that happens in the story.
What is so great about Beth Revis's writing for this story was the fact that Jack was less in the book then you'd think he would need to be. But how he has such a huge impact on the overall story, at first I kept thinking, "what about this Jack fellow?" "what does he have to do with all this?" Revis used him in a cool way to have him barely there-at first-and then he REALLY is in the story. I just thought it was brilliant!
I would recommend this book to anyone because it was adventurous, thought-provoking, clean and just fun.
Sexual Content: mild (knowledge that 2 characters had sex once, some kissing)
Language: mild
Violence: moderate (PG)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none
This was yet another book I read without reading the synopsis and...oh man...this book, was bloody brilliant! Period, end of story, Brilliant.
Where do I begin, this story is so unique and should have everybody reading it! It's an adventure with a very huge warning of big government and loss of freedom. It's a vivid dystopian
If you're a fan of Beth Revis's trilogy Across the Universe which is set in space about a spaceship named Godspeed. Well this is the story of what is going on in the future years after Godspeed left earth. I remember the ship bringing mentioned 1 or 2 times in the book which I thought was just so great!
Ella lives with her dying mother, her father died in a terrorist attack which left her devastated and alone, she has only one friend who is currently in the military. What I like about her is, she is so human, the grief she feels for a loved one, she has insecurities, her heart and mind are troubled, she seeks to find the truth. She was a great complex character and I was able to connect with her as a reader. I loved her.
Ella has the ability and technology to enter into peoples minds as they relive memories. When the government seeks her help in going into someone memories to seek out a terrorist, she is met with obstacles. The obstacles and a mysterious Jack who enters her life and warns her about friends and family-aren't what they appear to be, Ella seeks to find out the truth about her and her life.
Jack was just soooo CUTE! I loved him! He was sweet, and good, and a great male character. Just loved him. It's because of him and that helps set in motion everything that happens in the story.
What is so great about Beth Revis's writing for this story was the fact that Jack was less in the book then you'd think he would need to be. But how he has such a huge impact on the overall story, at first I kept thinking, "what about this Jack fellow?" "what does he have to do with all this?" Revis used him in a cool way to have him barely there-at first-and then he REALLY is in the story. I just thought it was brilliant!
I would recommend this book to anyone because it was adventurous, thought-provoking, clean and just fun.
Sexual Content: mild (knowledge that 2 characters had sex once, some kissing)
Language: mild
Violence: moderate (PG)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none
January 3, 2015
This book was better then I expected. I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi but when I get a good story like this I love it. I thought the “future” was pretty cool, I imagine that it must be hard to invent future technology without it seeming cheesy. Despite my enjoyment of this book I did find it lacking in some ways, the plot wasn't as developed as I would have liked, but by the end I had warmed up to it (my background soundtrack of “ Saving the World from Evil” may have contributed to this). I wouldn't mind reading more from the author, I think that the characters in this story could really become something special in time.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Read
July 30, 2015I was so thrilled when reading this book to realize its set in the same world as Across the Universe! So cool when phydus was mentioned. I love the whole description of the city and climatic reveals especially when I got near the end. The future stuff was excellent. I want a cuff and yet I don't, but I can totally see the benefit, especially when I go for a donut and it adds on more exercise. ;)
January 9, 2015
3.5 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Scripturient Books and NetGalley.)
This was an interesting sci-fi story, and I liked how it all came together at the end.
Ella was an interesting character, and it was obvious how much she’d been affected by her father’s death and her mother’s illness. I liked the way she went to great lengths to try and make things better, and to fight for those she loved, and how she wasn’t trying to make things better for herself, but for others. Although I did think it took her a long while to catch on about certain things!
The storyline in this was pretty good, although I got a bit sick of all the bees! They weren’t explained until right at the very end, and I really did get sick of them cropping up all the time!
Otherwise though the story was interesting enough and I liked the mystery over what exactly was going on, and what it had to do with her father’s death. There were a few twists that I didn’t see coming, and it really wasn’t clear until right at the end what was actually happening.
There was a bit of romance, and I liked what little we got. I also liked the mystery aspect to the romance, and that first kiss came out of nowhere!
The ending to this had a bit of action, and it all wrapped up pretty nicely, although I didn’t really like the conclusion to all those irritating bees.
7 out of 10.
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Scripturient Books and NetGalley.)
This was an interesting sci-fi story, and I liked how it all came together at the end.
Ella was an interesting character, and it was obvious how much she’d been affected by her father’s death and her mother’s illness. I liked the way she went to great lengths to try and make things better, and to fight for those she loved, and how she wasn’t trying to make things better for herself, but for others. Although I did think it took her a long while to catch on about certain things!
The storyline in this was pretty good, although I got a bit sick of all the bees! They weren’t explained until right at the very end, and I really did get sick of them cropping up all the time!
Otherwise though the story was interesting enough and I liked the mystery over what exactly was going on, and what it had to do with her father’s death. There were a few twists that I didn’t see coming, and it really wasn’t clear until right at the end what was actually happening.
There was a bit of romance, and I liked what little we got. I also liked the mystery aspect to the romance, and that first kiss came out of nowhere!
The ending to this had a bit of action, and it all wrapped up pretty nicely, although I didn’t really like the conclusion to all those irritating bees.
7 out of 10.
January 16, 2015
The Body Electric was a really different read to what I was expecting it to be, it actually made me want to stop and think that all this could actually happen in real life. It was at times quite scary thinking about. Imagine being able to relive one of your favourite memories. It would be brilliant to be taken to this special memory you’ve had especially when you’ve had a crap day, but imagine being able to do this with a person that was special to you, but no longer around anymore. This is what Ella’s mum offers at her Reverie Mental Spa, not only is this a great way of connecting with loved ones, but Ella’s mum hasn’t got long to live herself, she’s suffering from Hebb’s disease and so being able to relive those memories that she shared with her husband is important to her. However not everyone see’s the Reverie Mental Spa this way, there’s a lot of people out there who want to use this to their own advantage, and use it to control other people.
This whole idea of entering in other people’s dreams reminded me a lot of the film Inception, a film which I’ve seen countless times and totally love. Because reliving memories is one thing, but being able to enter someone else’s dreamscape and experiencing it too is scary, especially when you’re able to gleam information from it for your own advantage, or even influence what happens in that dream. Ella soon discovers this is something she is able to do, so she doesn’t want to share this with everyone, she knows what they will do with that information, but she discovers it’s a way she can help her mum when she’s too weak to relive her memories. But soon enough other people discover what can be done and approach Ella to do the same, they say it’s for the greater good, but when Ella finds herself in too deep is there anyone Ella can really trust?
I enjoyed this concept that Revis presented us with in The Body Electric, delving into people’s memories wasn’t as clear cut as everyone assumed it would be, being in some one’s mind and trying to make sense of everything whilst at the same time trying to remember that this wasn’t real life could be a real struggle. But I really liked Ella as a character, so if I was in her shoes I would probably do the same thing, especially if you’re told that you’ll be helping a lot of people out by doing it. I wish though that Ella thought things through before accepting, I know Ella had people who she couldn’t trust guiding her, and so it would seem like what she was doing was the right thing, but I’d wished she’d listened to somebody else more and earlier on. I really liked Jack, I understood that what he was saying was a lot of take in, but when you’ve actually stepped into his memories and realised he’s actually telling you the truth, don’t you think that you should try and trust him? I may be slightly more based towards Jack because I think he was able to win me over really early. He was a sweet guy, and you could tell that his feelings for Ella were genuine; I just wished that Ella was able to believe this sooner.
The Body Electric had so many things going on, that it could be a lot to wrap your head around, but I enjoyed the fast pace, the rebellious androids thrown in the mix, the thrill of the chase and the constant questioning of who we could really trust going on in the story. Also throw in a swoony character who had me firmly in his corner, I really ended up enjoying The Body Electric. Revis has created an exceptional story in The Body Electric that I look forward to binge reading more of her work soon.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
This whole idea of entering in other people’s dreams reminded me a lot of the film Inception, a film which I’ve seen countless times and totally love. Because reliving memories is one thing, but being able to enter someone else’s dreamscape and experiencing it too is scary, especially when you’re able to gleam information from it for your own advantage, or even influence what happens in that dream. Ella soon discovers this is something she is able to do, so she doesn’t want to share this with everyone, she knows what they will do with that information, but she discovers it’s a way she can help her mum when she’s too weak to relive her memories. But soon enough other people discover what can be done and approach Ella to do the same, they say it’s for the greater good, but when Ella finds herself in too deep is there anyone Ella can really trust?
I enjoyed this concept that Revis presented us with in The Body Electric, delving into people’s memories wasn’t as clear cut as everyone assumed it would be, being in some one’s mind and trying to make sense of everything whilst at the same time trying to remember that this wasn’t real life could be a real struggle. But I really liked Ella as a character, so if I was in her shoes I would probably do the same thing, especially if you’re told that you’ll be helping a lot of people out by doing it. I wish though that Ella thought things through before accepting, I know Ella had people who she couldn’t trust guiding her, and so it would seem like what she was doing was the right thing, but I’d wished she’d listened to somebody else more and earlier on. I really liked Jack, I understood that what he was saying was a lot of take in, but when you’ve actually stepped into his memories and realised he’s actually telling you the truth, don’t you think that you should try and trust him? I may be slightly more based towards Jack because I think he was able to win me over really early. He was a sweet guy, and you could tell that his feelings for Ella were genuine; I just wished that Ella was able to believe this sooner.
The Body Electric had so many things going on, that it could be a lot to wrap your head around, but I enjoyed the fast pace, the rebellious androids thrown in the mix, the thrill of the chase and the constant questioning of who we could really trust going on in the story. Also throw in a swoony character who had me firmly in his corner, I really ended up enjoying The Body Electric. Revis has created an exceptional story in The Body Electric that I look forward to binge reading more of her work soon.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
April 7, 2016
An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes pulled from the ARC may be incorrect and may be subject to change.
Ella is finished school and is interning at her mom's Mental Health Spa. People plug in and they dream about the happiest day of their lives. Ella wants nothing more than to let her mom have peace with her disease and one day when she's trying to help her mom, she adds her own mind to the reverie and something starts to happen. She can control the dream, giving her mother a wonderful memory. The government wants this power of hers so she can stop any future wars from coming and to stop terrorists from hurting people. Then she meets a strange boy at the cemetery. He knows her, but she doesn't know him at all. When Ella starts seeing visions of her dead father and he keeps telling her little clues, she realizes she could be part of something bigger than her alone.
I LOVE the world that Beth created. It sounds so much like the future world that I wasn't surprised at all when people had nanobots directly inside their bodies. It sounded so creepy and cool at the same time. Beth just doesn't write about it, she describes it and you get a bigger and more clearer picture of the world she has set up.
Now I didn't quite understand the relationship between Jack and Ella, but sometimes I wanted to just slap her in the face. The things she would say, the things she would do were incredibly rude and mean. But then when we find out why she is that way, I completely understood. It made more sense too.
The parallels between our government and terrorism rang true in our own society.. I could see that some people might think parts of this fictional world could hold true in real life. And to be thinking about something as deadly as this could be treason. There were a lot of revelations at the end, and all I could think about was BAM! "There goes another truth..Holy will this ever end?" I didn't want it to end because it was insanely gripping. Sure, there was a predictable villain, but that's okay too because it just made it even worse having that person be the "bad guy."
Bonus content at the end with a Q&A, "A Brief History of the Unified Countries" and I also learned this story is what is happening on Earth while "Across the Universe" played out. Nice!
If you like your science fiction with a little intrigue, action and crazy world-building, pick this one up, you won't be disappointed!
Ella is finished school and is interning at her mom's Mental Health Spa. People plug in and they dream about the happiest day of their lives. Ella wants nothing more than to let her mom have peace with her disease and one day when she's trying to help her mom, she adds her own mind to the reverie and something starts to happen. She can control the dream, giving her mother a wonderful memory. The government wants this power of hers so she can stop any future wars from coming and to stop terrorists from hurting people. Then she meets a strange boy at the cemetery. He knows her, but she doesn't know him at all. When Ella starts seeing visions of her dead father and he keeps telling her little clues, she realizes she could be part of something bigger than her alone.
I LOVE the world that Beth created. It sounds so much like the future world that I wasn't surprised at all when people had nanobots directly inside their bodies. It sounded so creepy and cool at the same time. Beth just doesn't write about it, she describes it and you get a bigger and more clearer picture of the world she has set up.
Now I didn't quite understand the relationship between Jack and Ella, but sometimes I wanted to just slap her in the face. The things she would say, the things she would do were incredibly rude and mean. But then when we find out why she is that way, I completely understood. It made more sense too.
The parallels between our government and terrorism rang true in our own society.. I could see that some people might think parts of this fictional world could hold true in real life. And to be thinking about something as deadly as this could be treason. There were a lot of revelations at the end, and all I could think about was BAM! "There goes another truth..Holy will this ever end?" I didn't want it to end because it was insanely gripping. Sure, there was a predictable villain, but that's okay too because it just made it even worse having that person be the "bad guy."
Bonus content at the end with a Q&A, "A Brief History of the Unified Countries" and I also learned this story is what is happening on Earth while "Across the Universe" played out. Nice!
If you like your science fiction with a little intrigue, action and crazy world-building, pick this one up, you won't be disappointed!
November 12, 2014
(I got a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
I had planned on reading Across the Universe ages ago, yet never got to it. Instead, I got to this one—which, from what I understand, very loosely alludes to the former. I can confirm, in any case, that not having read Beth Revis's trilogy won't be a problem here: the present novel is a standalone, and previous knowledge isn't mandatory to follow its plot. Although I guess that, like me, you'll miss a few Easter Eggs.
The story follows Ella, a girl from Malta, who struggles daily to come to terms with how sick her mother is, struck with a degenerative disease for which there is no cure. The only "cure" so far has been developed by Ella's father; unfortunately, his death put a stop to any improvement in that regard. As a way of relieving some of her pain, Ella's mother (a scientist as well) has created the Reverie, a system that allows people to relive their best, happiest memories in a dream-like state. But what's been used so far as a recreational machine only has the potential to be so much more, especially after Ella realises she can link to a "dreamer", and enter his/her Reverie to spy on and/or manipulate it.
We're given to see the world through Ella's prism, which is at times a narrow one, focused, as mentioned above, on what's left of her family, and also her best friend Akilah (when they manage to communicate with each other, because the other girl is currently serving in the army). Information and world-building are thus done little by little; it's a method I tend to prefer to large info-dumps, so depending on a reader's preferences here, it may be a very good thing, or a problem. What I can say: I didn't feel it difficult to get the bigger idea, even though there were moments I would have want to learn just a little more about the rest of the world, most specificically the "secessionist", possibly "terrorism-infested" countries. This aspect made the novel feel like your average YA dystopia, but somewhat seemed both exploited and left on the side of the road at the same time.
I found Ella's quest in general interesting, raising many questions regarding who you can trust, how can you be sure you can trust them, who is who, whether conscience resides in the brain or in the body or is yet something even more impossible to grasp. There were a few nice twists in the book about that. I just regretted the scientific aspect behind those, behind the technologies developed, wasn't given more of an explanation—I'm not particularly a hardcore fan of hard-science SF, but I like having a little more meat on the bones, so to speak.
Another good thing about Ella: she wasn't the average girl-falls-for-boy YA heroine. When an unknown, handsome but somehow dangerous-looking guy grasps her wrist to "warn" her about something, she doesn't fall for his looks, she doesn't immediately trust him: no, she punches him, which is a reaction far healthier than a lot of crap I've read in novels with similar characters. She looks for him for answers, but she does so knowing she may have to betray him afterwards; she's ready to use him, not because she's deeply manipulative, but because she's wary, and aware that if she doesn't do it, she might fall into a trap. After all, she doesn't know him, while he keeps claiming the contrary: isn't that fishy? Those reactions don't necessarily make for a very likeable character at first, but they seemed to me definitely more believable than girl-falls-in-love-in-five-minutes. (Also there are tinges of insta-love, but they make sense... only explaining why would mean revealing too much.)
About the writing: the author delivers compelling chapters, and avoids the typical pit traps of weird metaphors (I've seen my share of those in YA lately...) and purple prose. This works pretty well in a no-nonsense way, and fits with the science fiction aspect.
The last chapters play a little too much on convenient happenings, which spoilt a little my enjoyment of the book. But overall, while not exceptional, I liked it. I'd deem it a 3.5*.
I had planned on reading Across the Universe ages ago, yet never got to it. Instead, I got to this one—which, from what I understand, very loosely alludes to the former. I can confirm, in any case, that not having read Beth Revis's trilogy won't be a problem here: the present novel is a standalone, and previous knowledge isn't mandatory to follow its plot. Although I guess that, like me, you'll miss a few Easter Eggs.
The story follows Ella, a girl from Malta, who struggles daily to come to terms with how sick her mother is, struck with a degenerative disease for which there is no cure. The only "cure" so far has been developed by Ella's father; unfortunately, his death put a stop to any improvement in that regard. As a way of relieving some of her pain, Ella's mother (a scientist as well) has created the Reverie, a system that allows people to relive their best, happiest memories in a dream-like state. But what's been used so far as a recreational machine only has the potential to be so much more, especially after Ella realises she can link to a "dreamer", and enter his/her Reverie to spy on and/or manipulate it.
We're given to see the world through Ella's prism, which is at times a narrow one, focused, as mentioned above, on what's left of her family, and also her best friend Akilah (when they manage to communicate with each other, because the other girl is currently serving in the army). Information and world-building are thus done little by little; it's a method I tend to prefer to large info-dumps, so depending on a reader's preferences here, it may be a very good thing, or a problem. What I can say: I didn't feel it difficult to get the bigger idea, even though there were moments I would have want to learn just a little more about the rest of the world, most specificically the "secessionist", possibly "terrorism-infested" countries. This aspect made the novel feel like your average YA dystopia, but somewhat seemed both exploited and left on the side of the road at the same time.
I found Ella's quest in general interesting, raising many questions regarding who you can trust, how can you be sure you can trust them, who is who, whether conscience resides in the brain or in the body or is yet something even more impossible to grasp. There were a few nice twists in the book about that. I just regretted the scientific aspect behind those, behind the technologies developed, wasn't given more of an explanation—I'm not particularly a hardcore fan of hard-science SF, but I like having a little more meat on the bones, so to speak.
Another good thing about Ella: she wasn't the average girl-falls-for-boy YA heroine. When an unknown, handsome but somehow dangerous-looking guy grasps her wrist to "warn" her about something, she doesn't fall for his looks, she doesn't immediately trust him: no, she punches him, which is a reaction far healthier than a lot of crap I've read in novels with similar characters. She looks for him for answers, but she does so knowing she may have to betray him afterwards; she's ready to use him, not because she's deeply manipulative, but because she's wary, and aware that if she doesn't do it, she might fall into a trap. After all, she doesn't know him, while he keeps claiming the contrary: isn't that fishy? Those reactions don't necessarily make for a very likeable character at first, but they seemed to me definitely more believable than girl-falls-in-love-in-five-minutes. (Also there are tinges of insta-love, but they make sense... only explaining why would mean revealing too much.)
About the writing: the author delivers compelling chapters, and avoids the typical pit traps of weird metaphors (I've seen my share of those in YA lately...) and purple prose. This works pretty well in a no-nonsense way, and fits with the science fiction aspect.
The last chapters play a little too much on convenient happenings, which spoilt a little my enjoyment of the book. But overall, while not exceptional, I liked it. I'd deem it a 3.5*.
April 9, 2015
ARC was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
3.5 stars
I haven't read yet Across the Universe series, so this is my first Beth Revis books. That’s why I didn't have any expectation when I requested it on NetGalley. I only hoped that I'll get a good story before I decide whether her series is worth reading or not. I'm glad I give it a go.
The first thing I recognize from this book is that it's more dystopia and sci-fi than I thought it will be. I've read so many YA books that called themselves dystopia stories but they are just a label to attract me to read them. There are more YA pseudo-dystopia and pseudo-scifi these days I thought it's hard to find one that I can enjoy. Thank goodness I really enjoy this book.
I like most of the things that build the story as a dystopia story. The worldbuilding, the reason of Ella's world into the way it is and the setting are believable and make sense for me.
Ella's story is a bit confusing to follow. It reminds me of The Inception and The X-Files. Fortunately I love those movies so that confusing part didn't make me back away from the story. Even more it makes me glue to it. At first there isn't clarity of what happen with the characters. And since they don't know either, I as a reader have to follow them blindly. It isn't a good feeling, to be honest, as I love when my mind wondering with the characters but the way the author intertwine each pieces of Ella and Jack's story makes me forget that I don't like the feeling. And in the end I just accept that and all I have to do is follow the story. It doesn’t mean that it isn’t interesting, though. There are twists and surprises along the story that I don’t see it at all. So when it happens I wonder why I didn’t think about it before. It really is a surprise which is good for me as it means that it is an unpredictable story.
If there’s one thing that I don't quite like is the way Ella keeps repeating the same thing again and again. It's a bit annoying it's like she thinks I will forget all those things if she doesn't tell me over and over. There are things that I think understandable when she tells me more than once, just like her dad saying about the eyes. It’s an important part of the story. And when she tells me over and over, it makes sense as I believe she wants to convince herself as well to tell me that it is an important part of the story. But I don’t like when she says that her bestfriend, Akila, lives in a poor district so many times. I get that Foqra district is for poor people without her telling me every time she talks about Akila. It might be a teeny tiny thing, but it’s kinda bothering me.
All in all, I think this is a good experience to know Beth Revis books. Now I cannot wait to read her Across The Universe series.
3.5 stars
I haven't read yet Across the Universe series, so this is my first Beth Revis books. That’s why I didn't have any expectation when I requested it on NetGalley. I only hoped that I'll get a good story before I decide whether her series is worth reading or not. I'm glad I give it a go.
The first thing I recognize from this book is that it's more dystopia and sci-fi than I thought it will be. I've read so many YA books that called themselves dystopia stories but they are just a label to attract me to read them. There are more YA pseudo-dystopia and pseudo-scifi these days I thought it's hard to find one that I can enjoy. Thank goodness I really enjoy this book.
I like most of the things that build the story as a dystopia story. The worldbuilding, the reason of Ella's world into the way it is and the setting are believable and make sense for me.
Ella's story is a bit confusing to follow. It reminds me of The Inception and The X-Files. Fortunately I love those movies so that confusing part didn't make me back away from the story. Even more it makes me glue to it. At first there isn't clarity of what happen with the characters. And since they don't know either, I as a reader have to follow them blindly. It isn't a good feeling, to be honest, as I love when my mind wondering with the characters but the way the author intertwine each pieces of Ella and Jack's story makes me forget that I don't like the feeling. And in the end I just accept that and all I have to do is follow the story. It doesn’t mean that it isn’t interesting, though. There are twists and surprises along the story that I don’t see it at all. So when it happens I wonder why I didn’t think about it before. It really is a surprise which is good for me as it means that it is an unpredictable story.
If there’s one thing that I don't quite like is the way Ella keeps repeating the same thing again and again. It's a bit annoying it's like she thinks I will forget all those things if she doesn't tell me over and over. There are things that I think understandable when she tells me more than once, just like her dad saying about the eyes. It’s an important part of the story. And when she tells me over and over, it makes sense as I believe she wants to convince herself as well to tell me that it is an important part of the story. But I don’t like when she says that her bestfriend, Akila, lives in a poor district so many times. I get that Foqra district is for poor people without her telling me every time she talks about Akila. It might be a teeny tiny thing, but it’s kinda bothering me.
All in all, I think this is a good experience to know Beth Revis books. Now I cannot wait to read her Across The Universe series.
December 14, 2014
4 nostalgic stars! different from across the universe but full with sci-fi elements! :-) I'm not sure if I'm gonna write a review yet .... it was definitely a very interesting read :-D
October 6, 2014
DISAPPOINTING.
Maybe review to come.
------------------------------------------------
BOOK BLURB REVIEW
The future world is at peace.
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is at it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust?
JUST TAKE MY MONEY MS.REVIS!
This has probably been the BEST blurb I've read all year! And it comes out in October!!
Maybe review to come.
------------------------------------------------
BOOK BLURB REVIEW
The future world is at peace.
Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.
But not all is at it seems.
Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…
Someone’s altered her memory.
Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.
So who can she trust?
JUST TAKE MY MONEY MS.REVIS!
This has probably been the BEST blurb I've read all year! And it comes out in October!!
May 7, 2015
3.75
When I read Across The universe I wasn't impressed. It's an enjoyable book, but still I haven't found it in me to actually finish the series. Then I saw that there would be a new book by Beth Revis and, since I was really curious, I checked the plot. Interesting, quite unique premise: check. And so, I decided to give it a chance. I'm actually really happy to say that I don't regret giving The body electric a chance. I saw the writer of Across the universe behind this book, but at the same time I could see a much more mature writer.
If you like ya-science fiction then, if I were you, I'd give this one a try. The premise is extremely interesting, the main character enjoyable and the very subtle romance is really cute. The novella that came with the ebook was so so, good.
Bonus points:
- Standalone book, nicely done, left me wanting for just a little bit more.
- Interesting premise, lots of potential.
- Sutble romance, no silly love triangles.
- Likable main protagonist.
Yes, the world-building could have been a little more polished, but still, The body electric is a good ya. And it pains me that this book, that is actually much better than others I've read, has few ratings on goodreads. Give it a chance guys!
When I read Across The universe I wasn't impressed. It's an enjoyable book, but still I haven't found it in me to actually finish the series. Then I saw that there would be a new book by Beth Revis and, since I was really curious, I checked the plot. Interesting, quite unique premise: check. And so, I decided to give it a chance. I'm actually really happy to say that I don't regret giving The body electric a chance. I saw the writer of Across the universe behind this book, but at the same time I could see a much more mature writer.
If you like ya-science fiction then, if I were you, I'd give this one a try. The premise is extremely interesting, the main character enjoyable and the very subtle romance is really cute. The novella that came with the ebook was so so, good.
Bonus points:
- Standalone book, nicely done, left me wanting for just a little bit more.
- Interesting premise, lots of potential.
- Sutble romance, no silly love triangles.
- Likable main protagonist.
Yes, the world-building could have been a little more polished, but still, The body electric is a good ya. And it pains me that this book, that is actually much better than others I've read, has few ratings on goodreads. Give it a chance guys!
February 22, 2015
For a person who really finds insects horrifying the fact that at the beginning of each chapter a huge bee is drawn in detail can be a serious reason not to read a novel .However, the bookworm in me won and although I missed some of the first lines of each chapter I read the novel.
This is a dystopian book in which the feelings of Ella , the main character , are vividly described . The reader can feel her grief over her lost father and her fear for her mother's life. It is deeply moving and there were times when I thought it was too overwhelming.
I loved the first part of the book , the descriptions of the city and they way the story unfolded to reveal a shocking truth that left me literally out of breath. In the second part , the characters fight to survive and to save each other in spite of their unusual circumstances.
I recommend this book to fans of A.I. and to readers who wonder about the things that make us human and inhuman.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
This is a dystopian book in which the feelings of Ella , the main character , are vividly described . The reader can feel her grief over her lost father and her fear for her mother's life. It is deeply moving and there were times when I thought it was too overwhelming.
I loved the first part of the book , the descriptions of the city and they way the story unfolded to reveal a shocking truth that left me literally out of breath. In the second part , the characters fight to survive and to save each other in spite of their unusual circumstances.
I recommend this book to fans of A.I. and to readers who wonder about the things that make us human and inhuman.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
Want to read
July 9, 2014OMG I just love that blurb!
I LOVED Beth Revis' "Across The Universe" trilogy and this one? I wouldn't miss it for the world!
Ahhhhh. Another book to look forward to. :D
I LOVED Beth Revis' "Across The Universe" trilogy and this one? I wouldn't miss it for the world!
Ahhhhh. Another book to look forward to. :D
October 2, 2014
☆.。.:*・°Actual Rating: 4.5 stars☆.。.:*・°
I thank thee, the standalone book God from above, for this wondrous piece of sci-fi fiction that has broken my 4 star and above drought. You are merciful. You are kind. You are generous (you were kind of holding out of me for a couple of months there but let’s forget that, shall we?
For those who’ve followed my vigorous whining episodes, you’d know that I’ve been craving for a book that could hold my attention. I can force myself to finish reading a lot of things. I don’t DNF if I’ve made a substantial dent because I have this thing where I think my time is money and I’d rather stay rich than poor and if I’ve wasted some buckaroos than I’m going to make it worth my while. What I needed was a book that would make me scramble to turn the pages, not out of obligation to get my money’s worth, but out of a personal obligation to sate my intense curiosity. This book does it for me. The Body Electric had me, hook line and sinker.
The Body Electric is the scariest type of dystopia (at least to me). It’s a world, post war, where we depend on the intelligence and ability of androids, robots—heck, technology in general. Ella Shepherd has a father who’s dead and a mother who’s afflicted by an incurable disease. It’s not looking up. Her parents
I had my eyes on The Body Electric months prior to it’s release. With a snyposis like that, who wouldn’t be intrigued. But what caught my attention the most was the absence of the hashtag and number. What does that denote? A standalone. Oh the winds blew that day and a holy light from above shined down. A standalone piece of sci-fi, dystopian with a plot that was as intriguing as they come. Could anything be better? But then came the weariness. I’ve never seen a dystopia done well as a standalone (discounting the archetypal works of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World). How could you fit such a demanding plot, character growth and world-building into such a short amount of time? In my head, you couldn’t. But this book could. You know why? Sacrifice. Here’s a favourite saying of mine (amongst the many): You can’t have everything (even though I try to because let’s face it, I’m probably too greedy for my own good). And so this book skimped on one component in it’s journey to greatness.
Alright, I’ll stop teasing. What this book lacked was a good, rhythmic pace. That is the only reason why it lost half a star. I couldn’t give that half a star because at times I felt cheated. As in, I didn’t have enough time with certain scenes. Pacing is a hard component to get right but when you do, it completes the book. It’s the bow right at the top of a present, you know? Sure, beautiful wrapping paper is great and all but when you see that big fat bow, you know it’s something else; it brings it together. But I understand why this would be fast-paced. Like I said, how could you fit such a demanding plot into one book?! It had to be rushed if we wanted this too be a readable length. I like a bit of extra time in scenes in order to really get that empathy machine going (I’ve got a lot of emotions to give to fictional characters. It’s a shame that these characters didn’t want to stick around and get some.) But I can see many people loving a fast-paced, action packed book. If you fall into that category then you are going to eat this book up and perhaps even ask for seconds.
The thing is, the premise to this—it’s a bit misleading. At heart, this is a book about War. I was shocked at how many passages made brilliant statements about the concept of war. It’s heartbreaking, a slap in the face, but it’s also true.
“The war never ends,” she repeats, her voice more firm now, none of the reminiscence lingering. “And there is always a price to pay. Always….”
We have a government and we have the rebels. But it’s not black and white, good versus bad, virtue versus sin. Because in a war, there is always a price (at risk of sounding like a broken record). The “good” side, no matter how they play it, often succumb to dirty tactics “for the greater good”, but you know what, death, killing, torture—none of that will ever be deemed good, no matter it’s cause.
“There are no winners here. There is no good and bad. By the time this is over, we’ll all have blood on our hands.”
Let’s take a moment to all think about that. It’s true, is it not? The Body Electric makes some great philosophical statements so on that alone, I'd recommend this book.
In terms of POV and whatnot, this book is written in first person. You’re probably all thinking, sure Jess, who cares, that’s how all YA is written. This one, however, stands out. Because our narrator is unreliable. She cannot make sense of reality and hallucinations, differentiate between the truth and the lies. So where does that leave the audience when that happens in 1st person? We’re just as kept in the dark.
And I no longer know who—what—I am.
They’ll be a lot of theorising in the process of devouring this book. We only know what Ella knows. And you know what? I don’t like being kept in the dark. It’s excruciating. But it works in this case because it evokes empathy. We’re experiencing the exact frustration that burdens Ella and so we understand her, hence it making it easier to relate to her. It always helps when the main character has a connection to the audience—disconnection can really make or break a book.
World-building wise, this book did well. There’s one book to establish everything so we don’t get that stringed out, “Let me withhold information from the audience because I’ve got a couple of more books to sell” situation. But it’s not necessarily an info dump either. It’s easy to immerse yourself into the context. The war that brought the world to its knees and the technology that allowed it to rise up from the ashes is explained to satisfaction. If you’re being picky, there’s about one or two plot holes but nothing major. The world-building left me content. Any new technology, concept, idea introduced is equated with a just enough background information and explanation. It’ll be enough for the best of us.
But I know what you’re all dying for. Jess, what about the romance? Don’t hold out on us. If you thought this book had no romance then you’ve got to go back and revaluate the works that fall under the Young Adult tree. Romance is a given, included in the synopsis or not. Here’s my biggest fear with romance in a dystopia: Love that eclipses the plot line, which nurtures irrationality, which promotes the death of self-preservation. Why? I just don’t think that’s necessarily authentic (but feel free to have a differing opinion to me.) I’m glad to report that The Body Electric saved me from a lot of groaning because we have a romance appropriate to the plot. (to an extent—it’s not perfect so don’t quote me on that) Yes, while the romance did integrate quite heavily with the plot line, I didn’t mind it too much. That’s all to do with one line that popped up:
“Your memories of me didn’t define who you were. Who you are. You’re still you, whole and complete, and everything that made you you is still there.”
HALLELUJAH. We have book that doesn’t use love to define it’s characters. It’s all I could ever ask for. What I like with my dystopias is for them to be a story of self-growth; of understanding one’s self; of self-exceptance (don’t judge me, I know I said the same thing in three different forms). I get that here.
But don’t get me wrong. We do have a little bit of romance over reality. I've got some thoughts on that, alright (hint: they’re unfavourable). But, that being said, this book does it satirically. Gave me quite a laugh, honestly.
If you’re thinking of grabbing this book then go for it. It’s labelled as science fiction/dystopia, but really, it’s a thriller. And that’s my favourite kind of genre. The twists and turns will have you grabbing the edge of your seat. I called the ending (not a favourite of mine) but when you take into account the amount of recordings on my phone (yes, I’ve resulted to recording notes because a) I like the sound of my voice—haha, I kid—and b) It’s a quicker, more efficient method) that were just of me saying incoherent things with the word “Wow” jammed between them, then you could say I enjoyed this. Very much.
So The Body Electric has reignited my love for science fiction and dystopias. I never thought that could happen (at least for the rest of this year) but hey, I love being proved wrong. For those that are a fans of fast-paced thrillers and a sense of “not knowing” (curtesy of that fabulous unreliable narration) then step right up for Revis serves this straight up on a golden dish. The fact that it’s a standalone just creates hearts in my eyes (yes, think straight to that emoticon. It’s applicable here.) This is definitely a sensational release for the month of October (where some really great stuff is coming out). You want this one to be something you devour for Halloween. You do. Honestly.
Many thanks to the author for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
______________________
You'll get a more eloquent review from me, I swear. In the mean time, have this:
OH THOSE SCRUMPTIOUS TWISTS!
You know what, I'm contemplating moving this to a five. It had minor faults but alas, it was pretty damn amazing. IT BROKE THE 4/5 STAR DROUGHT. C'MON. THAT'S SOMETHING.
It was a standalone. How does this even happen?!
(The point 6 is fruitless, isn't it? You can see that I'm slowly edging towards the five but I just can't bring myself to press it.)
August 26, 2017
Ella Shepherd, 18, is interning at Reverie Mental Spa for her mother and her mother's business partner. This is a luxury spa where people can come and be guaranteed to relive their favourite memory while asleep. Ella even learns to enter those dreams to help them along, aided by technology. But Ella is worried about her mother, who is terminally ill, and soon she has other concerns as she realizes that all is not as it seems because she starts seeing images of her dad while working, who has been dead some time, and he is trying to tell her something. Her memory seems to have been altered, or else she is going crazy, but she's not sure which, and it becomes difficult to know who to trust.
This is a well written book, but I just wonder why this wasn't published by the same Penguin imprint as the Across the Universe series. While it's not quite as good as Across the Universe (but then I thought Across the Universe and the series was even better than The Hunger Games series, and I like The Hunger Games), and is a very different story, I think that with the write editors and publishers it would have been. Don't get me wrong, this is still quite well edited, but some of the typesetting is ridiculous with lines cut off in the wrong places. At least with this Special Edition this was a problem. Not a problem with the writing.
This is a well written book, but I just wonder why this wasn't published by the same Penguin imprint as the Across the Universe series. While it's not quite as good as Across the Universe (but then I thought Across the Universe and the series was even better than The Hunger Games series, and I like The Hunger Games), and is a very different story, I think that with the write editors and publishers it would have been. Don't get me wrong, this is still quite well edited, but some of the typesetting is ridiculous with lines cut off in the wrong places. At least with this Special Edition this was a problem. Not a problem with the writing.
June 25, 2017
"Bende mi robotum yoksa lan?" diyecek kadar korkuya düşürdü beni kitap. Bilim kurgu ve ileri teknolojiye ilgi duyuyorsanız okuyun diyorum! Hatta bu zamana kadar okumamanız hata olmuş diyorum!
Uyarı!!! Aşırı derecede beyin yakıyor özellikle son 200 sayfa.
Uyarı!!! Aşırı derecede beyin yakıyor özellikle son 200 sayfa.
January 14, 2015
http://badbirdreads.com/review-body-e...
At A Glance
The Body Electric was suspenseful, mysterious, and created great images, but the pacing was off.
The Good
I have not read Revis's Across the Universe series, so I wasn't sure what to expect from The Body Electric. I was pleasantly surprised! The mystery kept me in the dark until it was ready to be revealed. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The romance gave us just a taste of what Ella and Jack had. The imagery was phenomenal. I could easily visualize all the futuristic designs and technology. The corrupt government was a slow burn, not in your face. You wouldn't even have known anything was wrong if Ella hadn't seen the clues. The whole package really left an impression.
Ella seems like an average girl at first, just trying to live life and take care of her dying mother, but boy does she have surprises waiting for her. The twist really stepped up Ella's character. It was both devastating but empowering to her. I like how all the little weird things about her came together in the end.
Jack was a bit of a mystery for most of the book, but I liked him in general. I would have liked to know a bit more about him, but I think not knowing so much was the point. His big reveal at the end genuinely surprised me. The side characters all added greatly to the story. The concept was extremely unique. Never read a book like it. It almost had an Inception (the movie) feel sometimes. Great writing and plot.
I guess there is an Easter Egg in this book in connection to Across the Universe. I wish I knew what it was, but I don't. This is a standalone book but I think it's cool that it had a little connection with Revis's other popular series.
The Bad
The pacing was a bit off. The beginning was slow and the end was fast and rushed.
When the mysteries were being revealed I didn't believe all the explanations given. Too convenient, not well thought out or cohesive.
The Snuggly
The romance is a very small part of the story which was fine with me, but I think some will wish it was more developed. Very young adult, no sex, barely any kissing.
Final Thoughts
This book only made me want to read Revis's other series. Good quality writing, plotting, and story telling overall. The pacing wasn't my fav, but I still loved this book. Very recommended.
Quotes
“The sea is a dangerous place because it makes you believe in forever.”
“If I can only see him in madness, is it worth trying to hold onto sanity?”
“What if eternity is nothing more than me, alone, in the darkness?”
"You don’t know what it’s like,” he says finally, his voice so low I can barely hear it. “To have loved you the way I loved you, and for you do not even remember who I am.”
Giveaway
The Body Electric was suspenseful, mysterious, and created great images, but the pacing was off.
The Good
I have not read Revis's Across the Universe series, so I wasn't sure what to expect from The Body Electric. I was pleasantly surprised! The mystery kept me in the dark until it was ready to be revealed. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The romance gave us just a taste of what Ella and Jack had. The imagery was phenomenal. I could easily visualize all the futuristic designs and technology. The corrupt government was a slow burn, not in your face. You wouldn't even have known anything was wrong if Ella hadn't seen the clues. The whole package really left an impression.
Ella seems like an average girl at first, just trying to live life and take care of her dying mother, but boy does she have surprises waiting for her. The twist really stepped up Ella's character. It was both devastating but empowering to her. I like how all the little weird things about her came together in the end.
Jack was a bit of a mystery for most of the book, but I liked him in general. I would have liked to know a bit more about him, but I think not knowing so much was the point. His big reveal at the end genuinely surprised me. The side characters all added greatly to the story. The concept was extremely unique. Never read a book like it. It almost had an Inception (the movie) feel sometimes. Great writing and plot.
I guess there is an Easter Egg in this book in connection to Across the Universe. I wish I knew what it was, but I don't. This is a standalone book but I think it's cool that it had a little connection with Revis's other popular series.
The Bad
The pacing was a bit off. The beginning was slow and the end was fast and rushed.
When the mysteries were being revealed I didn't believe all the explanations given. Too convenient, not well thought out or cohesive.
The Snuggly
The romance is a very small part of the story which was fine with me, but I think some will wish it was more developed. Very young adult, no sex, barely any kissing.
Final Thoughts
This book only made me want to read Revis's other series. Good quality writing, plotting, and story telling overall. The pacing wasn't my fav, but I still loved this book. Very recommended.
Quotes
“The sea is a dangerous place because it makes you believe in forever.”
“If I can only see him in madness, is it worth trying to hold onto sanity?”
“What if eternity is nothing more than me, alone, in the darkness?”
"You don’t know what it’s like,” he says finally, his voice so low I can barely hear it. “To have loved you the way I loved you, and for you do not even remember who I am.”
Giveaway
This is a tour wide giveaway
May 20, 2017
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MY THOUGHTS
I love the Across the Universe series, so I was excited when I found out that Beth Revis was writing another book! And I was not disappointed in this book!
What's probably my favorite thing about this book is how unique it is. Beth Revis does such an amazing job describing and building the world, and while it is a dystopian and most dystopian books seem like the same old thing, this book is completely different than any other. And this world is highly based on science and while the science is far-off, this books makes everything sound possible and believable.
The book is also very entertaining and it's hard to put down. There are so many twists and turns, along with the idea that Ella has no idea what is truth and lies, that you absolutely need to keep reading!
The romance is also very well done. It doesn't distrant from the plot, in fact, it's hardly there at all for a majority of the book. The romance is also done in a very interesting way...
One thing I would like to mention, is that the author does make a few references to Across the Universe in this book. It's not important to the story, but I just love it when an author gives a little wink to her other books!
Now, I loved this book, but for some reason, I can't give it a higher rating. I didn't have very many issues with this book. In fact, my only problem was just that I was a bit confused and overwhelmed at the end. There was just so many things that I had to wrap my mind around. But I don't blame the book or the author for this, as I get confused extraordinarily easily.
IN CONCLUSION
I'm sorry if my review is vague, but I want you to be shocked by the events in the book, just like I was. It's a very unique sci-fi read with lots of plot twists! I do recommend it, along with the author's other books!
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MY THOUGHTS
I love the Across the Universe series, so I was excited when I found out that Beth Revis was writing another book! And I was not disappointed in this book!
What's probably my favorite thing about this book is how unique it is. Beth Revis does such an amazing job describing and building the world, and while it is a dystopian and most dystopian books seem like the same old thing, this book is completely different than any other. And this world is highly based on science and while the science is far-off, this books makes everything sound possible and believable.
The book is also very entertaining and it's hard to put down. There are so many twists and turns, along with the idea that Ella has no idea what is truth and lies, that you absolutely need to keep reading!
The romance is also very well done. It doesn't distrant from the plot, in fact, it's hardly there at all for a majority of the book. The romance is also done in a very interesting way...
One thing I would like to mention, is that the author does make a few references to Across the Universe in this book. It's not important to the story, but I just love it when an author gives a little wink to her other books!
Now, I loved this book, but for some reason, I can't give it a higher rating. I didn't have very many issues with this book. In fact, my only problem was just that I was a bit confused and overwhelmed at the end. There was just so many things that I had to wrap my mind around. But I don't blame the book or the author for this, as I get confused extraordinarily easily.
IN CONCLUSION
I'm sorry if my review is vague, but I want you to be shocked by the events in the book, just like I was. It's a very unique sci-fi read with lots of plot twists! I do recommend it, along with the author's other books!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 571 reviews