What do you think?
Rate this book
Assassin Fall #1
Project Pandora
Tyler Bennett trusts no one. Just another foster kid bounced from home to home, he’s learned that lesson the hard way. Cue world’s tiniest violin. But when strange things start happening—waking up with bloody knuckles and no memory of the night before or the burner phone he can’t let out of his sight— Tyler starts to wonder if he can even trust himself.
Even stranger, the girl he’s falling for has a burner phone just like his. Finding out what’s really happening only leads to more questions…questions that could get them both killed. It’s not like someone’s kidnapping teens lost in the system and brainwashing them to be assassins or anything, right? And what happens to rogue assets who defy control?
In a race against the clock, they’ll have to uncover the truth behind Project Pandora and take it down—before they’re reactivated. Good thing the program spent millions training them to kick ass...
Even stranger, the girl he’s falling for has a burner phone just like his. Finding out what’s really happening only leads to more questions…questions that could get them both killed. It’s not like someone’s kidnapping teens lost in the system and brainwashing them to be assassins or anything, right? And what happens to rogue assets who defy control?
In a race against the clock, they’ll have to uncover the truth behind Project Pandora and take it down—before they’re reactivated. Good thing the program spent millions training them to kick ass...
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2017
9 people are currently reading
966 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 11, 2017
He was powerful.I had so much fun reading this book! Throw together some eugenics, some teenage angst and a few involuntarily murderous spy kids and you've got Project Pandora. I'd recommend this one to anyone who likes conspiracy theories and villains with whom you can sympathize.
He was evolving, and each kill took him one step closer to being.
"I am Hell," he said and took the night's silence as confirmation. "I am Hell, and she is mine."
The book follows three teenagers in the DC area who were all once part of a mysterious Academy, trained to be leaders and killers, but now they live semi-normal lives and have no recollection of their eccentric pasts. Slowly they begin to put pieces of memories together and try to break the hold this conspiratorial organization has on their minds.
Chapters are divided into "case notes", which are third-person accounts of the present story, and status reports made by the Pandora organization. The latter were a great addition to the general plot because they gave a look into the villains' plans and into the main characters' past at the Academy. This was especially helpful for getting a deeper look into Hades' personality.
Which reminds me - what really makes Project Pandora fantastic is Hades. A character who at first glance appears to be a flat villain with homicidal tendencies turns into complex love-to-hate, hate-to-love figure. Despite his anger issues, in a book where every core character is a murderer, Hades becomes something like an anti-hero as the plot progresses.
It was a habit of his, just like the polite etiquette he couldn't seem to shake. Always respect his superiors and always be prepared for violence. Of course, sometimes the latter habit trumped the former. He had a tendency to murder his superiors.Ha.
Beyond that, I'm a serious sucker for the "bad guy is only sweet for one girl" trope, which Hades basically personifies. So what if he beats guys into a bloody pulp when they disrespect his lucky lady? It's all in the name love, folks.
Case in point:
"Sublimation."
"What?"
"That's what the doctor calls it. It's the same reason I work out." Hades leaned toward her, his lips rising in a seductive smile. "A way to alleviate the urge."
She felt a tingling deep in the pit of her stomach. "What urge?"
"To devour you, Miss Hawthorne," he said and seized her.
I'll add some spoilery thoughts on the ending after the release of the book. :)
ARC kindly provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2024
Tyler Bennett has spent most of his life going from one foster home to the next without having anyone in his life that he can trust so he's mostly a loner. Tyler has been unaware though that there is something about himself that even he doesn't realize, he's a member of Project Pandora and is being controlled and used as an assassin with no memory of the events until now.
As Tyler begins regaining memories and control from the voice giving him order he realizes that he's not the only one being used by Project Pandora. Tyler finds that he's going to have to learn to trust others within the group if there will be any hope of them surviving the Project.
Project Pandora is the first book in the Olympus Experiments by Aden Polydoros. The series begins following four young adults with the chapters changing the point of view between them as their stories begin to unfold and find out how they are involved in the project. The story is a bit of suspense mixed with some romance with the relationships forming between the characters.
I did start off this one finding it a bit confusing in the beginning trying to remember which characters was which as each of them also have a Greek code name used when they are under the influence of the project. Then there is also parts between chapters where the "subjects" in the project are also referred to as a number so that also added in trying to keep track of who was being referred to at which point.
The story however was a fun one to follow as it built throughout the book. The opening pages throws the reader right into an assassination and builds the intensity of what and where could this go from here. I did find myself at the end with that thought too of that's it....where's this going to go from here on out as it is obvious there's much more for the author to tell in any following installments.
After reading this installment to the series I decided on giving it 3.5 stars but I have a feeling that now that I am more familiar with the characters and how the story works the ratings will probably go up from here.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
As Tyler begins regaining memories and control from the voice giving him order he realizes that he's not the only one being used by Project Pandora. Tyler finds that he's going to have to learn to trust others within the group if there will be any hope of them surviving the Project.
Project Pandora is the first book in the Olympus Experiments by Aden Polydoros. The series begins following four young adults with the chapters changing the point of view between them as their stories begin to unfold and find out how they are involved in the project. The story is a bit of suspense mixed with some romance with the relationships forming between the characters.
I did start off this one finding it a bit confusing in the beginning trying to remember which characters was which as each of them also have a Greek code name used when they are under the influence of the project. Then there is also parts between chapters where the "subjects" in the project are also referred to as a number so that also added in trying to keep track of who was being referred to at which point.
The story however was a fun one to follow as it built throughout the book. The opening pages throws the reader right into an assassination and builds the intensity of what and where could this go from here. I did find myself at the end with that thought too of that's it....where's this going to go from here on out as it is obvious there's much more for the author to tell in any following installments.
After reading this installment to the series I decided on giving it 3.5 stars but I have a feeling that now that I am more familiar with the characters and how the story works the ratings will probably go up from here.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
September 17, 2017
3 Stars
This story starts in high-gear and doesn’t slow down once. Focusing on Tyler and several other teens, the group starts to realize they are connected not only to each other but something much bigger. (Read: The word assassin is in the title.)
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review, thank you Entangled Teen for the opportunity!
I’m a sucker for a good assassin story anyway, but I was really excited for this one because the cover resembles my favorite murderchild Natasha Romanoff. However, I wasn’t expecting such a strong sci-fi element. There are fascinating conversations about eugenics and (being vague to avoid spoilers) ‘test-tube babies’ and it raises all those fun ethical questions sci-fi is so good at.
There’s also a fun use of Greek Mythology with everyone’s code-names/personalities matching those of the gods. Hades was a personal favorite of mine (as he usually is) and this interpretation of his character was dark, angsty and really kept the plot moving.
As many fun elements this contained, there were some issues with the characters and writing style. The plot moves so quickly I’m not certain it allowed time to understand any of the characters (outside of Hades). Several of the side-characters seem particularly underdeveloped and have very stilted dialogue. For instance, there’s one scene where an MC smokes pot only at the goading of his friends, and it all felt too bad after-school special for me. The MC’s friend seemed to exist pretty much only for this scene and has extremely little motivation or personality.
Outside of that, there were several places were the word choice was… odd. I’m not a fan of the word ‘leonine’ to describe the hot-guy’s eyes. It just doesn’t flow smoothly and I’m certainly not fan of it multiple times.
Overall:
This was certainly fun, and holds a lot of potential. If the character-work improves and the sentence structure cleans up a bit, I think the scary-real-science and fast-paced-plot will make for an awesome series.
This story starts in high-gear and doesn’t slow down once. Focusing on Tyler and several other teens, the group starts to realize they are connected not only to each other but something much bigger. (Read: The word assassin is in the title.)
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review, thank you Entangled Teen for the opportunity!
I’m a sucker for a good assassin story anyway, but I was really excited for this one because the cover resembles my favorite murderchild Natasha Romanoff. However, I wasn’t expecting such a strong sci-fi element. There are fascinating conversations about eugenics and (being vague to avoid spoilers) ‘test-tube babies’ and it raises all those fun ethical questions sci-fi is so good at.
There’s also a fun use of Greek Mythology with everyone’s code-names/personalities matching those of the gods. Hades was a personal favorite of mine (as he usually is) and this interpretation of his character was dark, angsty and really kept the plot moving.
As many fun elements this contained, there were some issues with the characters and writing style. The plot moves so quickly I’m not certain it allowed time to understand any of the characters (outside of Hades). Several of the side-characters seem particularly underdeveloped and have very stilted dialogue. For instance, there’s one scene where an MC smokes pot only at the goading of his friends, and it all felt too bad after-school special for me. The MC’s friend seemed to exist pretty much only for this scene and has extremely little motivation or personality.
Outside of that, there were several places were the word choice was… odd. I’m not a fan of the word ‘leonine’ to describe the hot-guy’s eyes. It just doesn’t flow smoothly and I’m certainly not fan of it multiple times.
Overall:
This was certainly fun, and holds a lot of potential. If the character-work improves and the sentence structure cleans up a bit, I think the scary-real-science and fast-paced-plot will make for an awesome series.
July 31, 2017
4 phenomenal stars for this book!!!!
First of all, I wanted to thank the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! I truly ended up liking it way more than I was expecting and it was definitely a binge read for me.
The storyline intrigued me straight from the first chapter, although the character that really deserves every. single. mindblowing. star. is Hades - He was hands down my favourite character in this story and I lived for his POV chapters. His character was just so well crafted and his backstory was just !!! like I am shook?? at how quickly I fell in love with him? The romance buildup in this story was perhaps a little insta-love ish but for someone who lives for slow burns, I found it quite enjoyable and I couldn't help but be swept along with the characters' feelings for each other (especially Elizabeth and *surprise surprise* Hades)
The whole storyline kept me on the edge of my seat because I was so curious about what had happened to the characters in reality and what the project's intentions really were! I really wish some things hadn't ended the way they did - hence resulting in me becoming an emotional and miserable mess. But I guess a book that can make you experience such a wide array of emotions is what I'd call a good read and Project Pandora would fall into that category for sure.
I look forward to the release of this book and cannot wait for everyone to experience this emotionally wrecking ride ~ I am already anticipating the release of the sequel and excited to read more of the author's upcoming works!
First of all, I wanted to thank the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! I truly ended up liking it way more than I was expecting and it was definitely a binge read for me.
The storyline intrigued me straight from the first chapter, although the character that really deserves every. single. mindblowing. star. is Hades - He was hands down my favourite character in this story and I lived for his POV chapters. His character was just so well crafted and his backstory was just !!! like I am shook?? at how quickly I fell in love with him? The romance buildup in this story was perhaps a little insta-love ish but for someone who lives for slow burns, I found it quite enjoyable and I couldn't help but be swept along with the characters' feelings for each other (especially Elizabeth and *surprise surprise* Hades)
The whole storyline kept me on the edge of my seat because I was so curious about what had happened to the characters in reality and what the project's intentions really were! I really wish some things hadn't ended the way they did - hence resulting in me becoming an emotional and miserable mess. But I guess a book that can make you experience such a wide array of emotions is what I'd call a good read and Project Pandora would fall into that category for sure.
I look forward to the release of this book and cannot wait for everyone to experience this emotionally wrecking ride ~ I am already anticipating the release of the sequel and excited to read more of the author's upcoming works!
August 21, 2017
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I liked this book. I decided to read this book because I really liked the premise of the story. While there were parts of the book that were really exciting, this was never a book that was hard for me to put down. I did want to see how everything would work out but I just didn't feel a rush to get there. In the end I thought that it was a pretty good story.
There were some things that I really liked about this book. I thought that the overall concept was very exciting. Teenage assassins? Yes, please! The backstory about how this organization started and how everything worked were some of my favorite parts of the book along with some of the sections of the book when the agents were on the job. I liked those parts of the book enough that I really wish that there had been more of them. I thought that the action scenes in the book were very exciting and really enjoyed all of them.
There were also some things about the book that I didn't like quite as much. I think that there were probably too many points of view in this book. Some of the points of view were really quite similar. I don't think that having four different points of view helped this book at all. I really preferred the parts of the story that gave us Hades point of view a lot more than any of the others. I think that it really slowed the book down to have so many different points of view. I had a few other issues with motivation and coincidences.
I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks the concept sounds interesting. This was an exciting story with quite a few interesting twists. I am a bit on the fence on whether I will continue this series or not at this point but I am definitely open to reading more of Aden Polydoros work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Entangled Teen.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one and thought the concept was exciting. I did find the book rather easy to set aside at times. I enjoyed Hades point of view in the story much more than the other three characters.
I liked this book. I decided to read this book because I really liked the premise of the story. While there were parts of the book that were really exciting, this was never a book that was hard for me to put down. I did want to see how everything would work out but I just didn't feel a rush to get there. In the end I thought that it was a pretty good story.
There were some things that I really liked about this book. I thought that the overall concept was very exciting. Teenage assassins? Yes, please! The backstory about how this organization started and how everything worked were some of my favorite parts of the book along with some of the sections of the book when the agents were on the job. I liked those parts of the book enough that I really wish that there had been more of them. I thought that the action scenes in the book were very exciting and really enjoyed all of them.
There were also some things about the book that I didn't like quite as much. I think that there were probably too many points of view in this book. Some of the points of view were really quite similar. I don't think that having four different points of view helped this book at all. I really preferred the parts of the story that gave us Hades point of view a lot more than any of the others. I think that it really slowed the book down to have so many different points of view. I had a few other issues with motivation and coincidences.
I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks the concept sounds interesting. This was an exciting story with quite a few interesting twists. I am a bit on the fence on whether I will continue this series or not at this point but I am definitely open to reading more of Aden Polydoros work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Entangled Teen.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one and thought the concept was exciting. I did find the book rather easy to set aside at times. I enjoyed Hades point of view in the story much more than the other three characters.
August 17, 2017
*Disclaimer: An ARC of Project Pandora by Aden Polydoros was provided to me by Entangled Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
--
Initial Post Reading Thoughts:
Well that was definitely intriguing! I'm not sure I've ever read a story like that before. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs that were used in this story, especially once we discover how all of these characters are connected. The story was a tad slow paced and I'm not sure how I really felt about the writing style just yet, but the concept was very unique and intriguing!
--
What I Liked
The Unique Concept. Project Pandora has a pretty creative and unique storyline. While it did remind me a little bit of the Winter Soldier’s storyline within Captain America: Winter Soldier/Civil War, it added it’s own twists and original concepts to make it it’s own.
The Multiple POVs. I’m a sucker for multiple character perspectives. It’s just something that I love within a story, especially when it’s done right. There were four POVs within Project Pandora and we quickly come to realize who each of these characters are and how they are all connected to one another.
The Connections. As mentioned above, each of the featured characters are connected even though they have no idea that they are. I really liked that aspect of this story and how everything slowly unravels to reveal how exactly each character is connected.
Hades. What can I say? I love a great evil / damaged character. They always end up being some of my favourite characters. They all have such interesting pasts and you want to learn more about what made them the way that they are. Hades was the perfect example of this type of character.
--
What I Didn’t Like
The Pacing. Project Pandora moved at a bit of a slow pace for me personally. I struggled a bit at first to really get into it. I did however really start to get into it about 40% of the way through! From that point on the pacing was great!
The Lack Of Answers? I get it, this is going to be a series and obviously you can’t have all of the questions answered right away within the first book. However, I did still feel as though not enough questions were answered. I didn’t need it all, but I would have liked a little bit more you know? Most of the only answers we got were toward the end of the novel and I really would have liked them to have been expanded on a little more.
--
Overall, Project Pandora was a very intriguing and unique story that featured some great characters! The ending to this first book in the series was intense and I can’t wait to see where the story goes in book two!
April 30, 2018
4.5 stars
I received this copy by the kindness of those at Entangled Publishing. Be assured that the following opinions are all my own and that even though this book was given to me, it doesn't affect my thoughts about how I felt about this book at all.
This book has me sold on anything related to mind control/behavior conditioning. Even though I am an avid supporter of behavior modification, I would never push it to the extreme that was done in this book. But now I am fascinated and want to read more books about it! Normally, I try and steer clear of topics like that because I found that I couldn't stand the unreliability of the narrator. But this...Aden Polydoros is onto something. There was that unreliability but it was done in such a way that I didn't mind it at all.
I found that I really liked the four different POVs. Four is a good number. Not too much, not too little. I can remember who everyone is and their stories. There was more variety, which is always a good thing. In between the POVs were interviews or status reports, things of that nature. It added a mystery...more like a need for me to know more. The whole book was like this. It gave just enough information for you to be satisfied but forced you to read on if you truly wanted to know what was going on. When you continued to read, you were rewarded with more information that made everything just click. I wasn't forced to continue reading, I wanted to read more becuase I needed to know what was going on.
I really liked Hades and Elizabeth's story more than Tyler and Shannon's. Hades was the definition of an anti hero. I couldn't help but like him. I felt so bad for him because of how he was conditioned. I just wanted him to be happy. I love how devoted he was to Elizabeth. Their story just made me smile and my heart all gooey. I would love to get a book about just those two because they were just my favorite.
Shannon and Tyler's story was good but I didn't care for it as much. But there's was different than Hades and Elizabeth's. It was more slow burn and it was about a different part of Project Pandora. I appreciated their story. They reminded me of Russian sleeper cells. Only with children...unless the Russians used children. I have no idea.
Overall, I am pleased with this book. This is a great start to what I'm sure will be an awesome series. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, which I hope we will get soon. Because after that ending, I have to know more.
I received this copy by the kindness of those at Entangled Publishing. Be assured that the following opinions are all my own and that even though this book was given to me, it doesn't affect my thoughts about how I felt about this book at all.
This book has me sold on anything related to mind control/behavior conditioning. Even though I am an avid supporter of behavior modification, I would never push it to the extreme that was done in this book. But now I am fascinated and want to read more books about it! Normally, I try and steer clear of topics like that because I found that I couldn't stand the unreliability of the narrator. But this...Aden Polydoros is onto something. There was that unreliability but it was done in such a way that I didn't mind it at all.
I found that I really liked the four different POVs. Four is a good number. Not too much, not too little. I can remember who everyone is and their stories. There was more variety, which is always a good thing. In between the POVs were interviews or status reports, things of that nature. It added a mystery...more like a need for me to know more. The whole book was like this. It gave just enough information for you to be satisfied but forced you to read on if you truly wanted to know what was going on. When you continued to read, you were rewarded with more information that made everything just click. I wasn't forced to continue reading, I wanted to read more becuase I needed to know what was going on.
I really liked Hades and Elizabeth's story more than Tyler and Shannon's. Hades was the definition of an anti hero. I couldn't help but like him. I felt so bad for him because of how he was conditioned. I just wanted him to be happy. I love how devoted he was to Elizabeth. Their story just made me smile and my heart all gooey. I would love to get a book about just those two because they were just my favorite.
Shannon and Tyler's story was good but I didn't care for it as much. But there's was different than Hades and Elizabeth's. It was more slow burn and it was about a different part of Project Pandora. I appreciated their story. They reminded me of Russian sleeper cells. Only with children...unless the Russians used children. I have no idea.
Overall, I am pleased with this book. This is a great start to what I'm sure will be an awesome series. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, which I hope we will get soon. Because after that ending, I have to know more.
Read
July 3, 2017What an intense story with interesting characters! I'm one of those people who doesn't often watch action movies as I find that they often are more surface level than my preferred dramas, showing the action sequences instead of developing characters in interesting ways. With Project Pandora, though it is a very action-packed story, the action isn't at the expense of interesting characters with well-developed back stories, interesting internal thoughts, and development over the course of the book. I, for one, can't wait to see what happens with the main characters I've grown to love in Project Pandora in the next installment in the Assassin Fall series.
Read
August 16, 2017Switching between four points of view, we are introduced to four teens who have been mind-controlled into becoming trained killers.
Only the memory blocking begins to fail . . .
This is another entry into the killer teens subgenre, in a contemporary setting. It took me a while to get into it as the voices sounded largely the same, making it difficult for me to tell the characters apart, though as the story builds, that becomes less of an issue.
I think teen readers will enjoy the tension and action; adults are more likely to wonder what the point of teenage mind control is, when there are so many more effective methods, such as hiring hitmen. Particularly when the kids, as described, don't take elementary precautions--not watching for surveillance cams, etc.
Also, what's the point of the project? But this is a series, and no doubt all will be made clear. Polydoros writes vivid action scenes, and manages to create a sympathetic anti-hero in Hades especially, resulting in insta-love romance.
Altogether it's got all the elements for a popular teen series.
Copy provided by NetGalley
Only the memory blocking begins to fail . . .
This is another entry into the killer teens subgenre, in a contemporary setting. It took me a while to get into it as the voices sounded largely the same, making it difficult for me to tell the characters apart, though as the story builds, that becomes less of an issue.
I think teen readers will enjoy the tension and action; adults are more likely to wonder what the point of teenage mind control is, when there are so many more effective methods, such as hiring hitmen. Particularly when the kids, as described, don't take elementary precautions--not watching for surveillance cams, etc.
Also, what's the point of the project? But this is a series, and no doubt all will be made clear. Polydoros writes vivid action scenes, and manages to create a sympathetic anti-hero in Hades especially, resulting in insta-love romance.
Altogether it's got all the elements for a popular teen series.
Copy provided by NetGalley
August 15, 2017
3.5 Stars
I was intrigued by the premise of Project Pandora and as always, I love reading new authors. This is Aden's debut novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect. And for his debut novel, I think Aden did a decent job.
Project Pandora isn't exactly a YA romance as the blurb seems to make you think it is. It's definitely more YA thriller/Sci-Fi with a touch a romance added to it, which I didn't mind at all. I really enjoyed the idea of this book, it was the delivery that pulled me back from this loving this book. And this book is told from 4 POV's and not just the two mentioned in the blurb, so that was a little misleading too.
This book is told in third person, which is ok for me. But when there are 4 POV's in third person, it gets a little difficult to figure out who's POV I was reading because I had a hard time finding the differences between the characters and their thoughts. When telling a story in third person, there will be a lot of inner dialogue. However, in this book there was a lot of purple prose and that hurt the flow of the book for me. I found myself getting bored at times and wanting to skim through parts just so I could see what happened next.
The thrill and mystery of this book is what made me give it 3 1/2 stars. While I may have skimmed parts because they felt too long, it was the plot that didn't make me stop reading. I needed to know where the story was going and what would happen next. It was intriguing and could see this easily being made into a movie.
Overall, it was good read. I didn't ever feel the need to stop, I just wish I could have read less inner dialogue and moved the book at a slightly faster pace. The characters were fairly well developed, but as I said, it was sometimes hard to tell which POV I was reading from at times because their voices were not distinct enough in that right.
I will definitely be checking out the next book from Aden.
I was intrigued by the premise of Project Pandora and as always, I love reading new authors. This is Aden's debut novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect. And for his debut novel, I think Aden did a decent job.
Project Pandora isn't exactly a YA romance as the blurb seems to make you think it is. It's definitely more YA thriller/Sci-Fi with a touch a romance added to it, which I didn't mind at all. I really enjoyed the idea of this book, it was the delivery that pulled me back from this loving this book. And this book is told from 4 POV's and not just the two mentioned in the blurb, so that was a little misleading too.
This book is told in third person, which is ok for me. But when there are 4 POV's in third person, it gets a little difficult to figure out who's POV I was reading because I had a hard time finding the differences between the characters and their thoughts. When telling a story in third person, there will be a lot of inner dialogue. However, in this book there was a lot of purple prose and that hurt the flow of the book for me. I found myself getting bored at times and wanting to skim through parts just so I could see what happened next.
The thrill and mystery of this book is what made me give it 3 1/2 stars. While I may have skimmed parts because they felt too long, it was the plot that didn't make me stop reading. I needed to know where the story was going and what would happen next. It was intriguing and could see this easily being made into a movie.
Overall, it was good read. I didn't ever feel the need to stop, I just wish I could have read less inner dialogue and moved the book at a slightly faster pace. The characters were fairly well developed, but as I said, it was sometimes hard to tell which POV I was reading from at times because their voices were not distinct enough in that right.
I will definitely be checking out the next book from Aden.
August 3, 2017
I have a full non-spoiler video review of this on my channel: https://youtu.be/SCr2RlPm1BQ
The synopsis of this book is a little misleading. This is from the point of view of more than two characters (four to be exact), and it is way more than a romance (which the summary makes it seem it is).
This is about teenagers who have been born in labs, and brainwashed to fill government positions and also to become assassins. As they grow older, they are placed into homes and their memories are erased. In order to fill out assassination jobs, they carry burner phones, but can never remember the actual job after it is done.
As two of these assassins meet, they both feel as if they have done something bad that they can't remember and find the burner phones they carry to be confusing and terrifying. This is a story more about how they come to realize what is going on and what they plan to do about it.
This was a really fast read; it is full of action and because it follows four points of views, there is rarely a dull moment in the plot. The story line itself is also pretty original, dealing with some science and politics and managing to blend romance and friendship into the mix.
While the premise of this was engaging and interesting, the characters were not so much. They had no development and I wasn't really invested into any of them, three of the four lacking character really at all. They felt like throw away characters.
Also felt this was really confusing at times. I didn't understand the Greek mythology references or why they needed teenage assassins, but maybe that gets explained later.
I do think that now that the basics are explained that the storyline only has room to grow and I think this series shows a lot of potential.
The synopsis of this book is a little misleading. This is from the point of view of more than two characters (four to be exact), and it is way more than a romance (which the summary makes it seem it is).
This is about teenagers who have been born in labs, and brainwashed to fill government positions and also to become assassins. As they grow older, they are placed into homes and their memories are erased. In order to fill out assassination jobs, they carry burner phones, but can never remember the actual job after it is done.
As two of these assassins meet, they both feel as if they have done something bad that they can't remember and find the burner phones they carry to be confusing and terrifying. This is a story more about how they come to realize what is going on and what they plan to do about it.
This was a really fast read; it is full of action and because it follows four points of views, there is rarely a dull moment in the plot. The story line itself is also pretty original, dealing with some science and politics and managing to blend romance and friendship into the mix.
While the premise of this was engaging and interesting, the characters were not so much. They had no development and I wasn't really invested into any of them, three of the four lacking character really at all. They felt like throw away characters.
Also felt this was really confusing at times. I didn't understand the Greek mythology references or why they needed teenage assassins, but maybe that gets explained later.
I do think that now that the basics are explained that the storyline only has room to grow and I think this series shows a lot of potential.
April 17, 2017
Just finished reading PROJECT PANDORA by Aden Polydoros over the weekend. It's AMAZING! This SciFi suspense thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an expertly crafted book, whether you prefer YA or adult literature.
July 2, 2017
*This is a review and an interview with the author.* Usually, I save my interviews for my blog (http://chaptersthroughlife.blogspot.c...) however, in this case, I think some background information would be useful to understand if this book is for you.
My Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥
Project Pandora wasn't what I expected. It reminded me of a mixture of Kyle XY and Blindspot (Both starring Jaimie Alexander). I would say its unique and a little outside the box. I haven't read anything like it before, and I feel the synopsis of the book doesn't do it justice.
Project Pandora is a mystery, suspense novel with romance mixed in. It has violence and action throughout and is set-up to leave you wanting more. Project Pandora is just the beginning.
I would recommend reading a sample of this book before deciding if it is for you.
Tyler Bennett has trust issues. He is a foster child who moved around a lot. Now he is beginning to lose himself. He can't remember how he got his injuries or what he did the night before. He is questioning himself never mind others.
Shannon has a thing for Tyler but could they be closer than they realise already? They are drawn to each other but learning their secrets could get them both killed. Pandora's box should never be opened. Not even to take a little peek. If you haven't guessed Project Pandora contains Greek mythology.
This book is written as a story but also contains case notes. It's dark, especially for a teen read. For the right audience, this is going to knock your socks off, however, unfortunately, this book wasn't for me.
Now for the interview with the lovely author, Aden Polydoros.
Question One; what was your inspiration behind Project Pandora?
The inspirations for Project Pandora came from Project MKULTRA, the experiments performed by Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron, and the eugenics movement. The Bourne Identity movie was also an influence.
Question two; Project Pandora is your debut novel. It has an underlying theme of Greek mythology which we all know is a mixture of good and evil. Is this a subject you have a special interest in?
Greek mythology is definitely an interest of mine. Mythology in general has always fascinated me, but Greek mythology has a special place in my heart because my dad's side of the family is Greek. Right now, I'm reading up on Egyptian and Slavic mythology for two other stories (unrelated to Project Pandora) I'm playing around with.
Question three; The book has a darker side to it than most teen reads. Was this your intention from the start?
Yes and no. The first scene I wrote in this story was the first chapter, which takes place from Tyler's point of view as he performs an assassination. I knew from the beginning that it would be a dark, gritty story. I just didn't plan for it to end up as dark as it did.
I began writing it when I was eighteen, so I wasn't much older than the protagonists in the story. I was going through a rough spot then and used writing as a way to channel my emotions, so a lot of that can be seen in my characters' personalities. Tyler got my depression, Elizabeth and Shannon got my doubt and anxiety. Hades got my existential crisis, sort of. It was nice to create a book about characters suffering from anxiety and depression that didn't focus on their mental illnesses.
Question four; Did the book turn out the way you expected?
No. Hades was originally going to be a minor character with only a few chapters from his point of view. I planned to make him the antagonist and an irredeemable jerk. Instead, he turned out more morally ambiguous than I intended, and in the process of edits, became my favorite character. Needless to say, he also upped the story's body count a fair amount...
Question five; Project Pandora is just the start of this series do you already have something in the pipeline for the next installment?
I have written the sequel and an accompanying novella. The novella will mainly focus on Hades's backstory, since his past influences his behavior more than with other characters.
Thank you so much for answering my questions Aden Polydoros and I hope this helps readers.
I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Happy reading everyone :)
My Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥
Project Pandora wasn't what I expected. It reminded me of a mixture of Kyle XY and Blindspot (Both starring Jaimie Alexander). I would say its unique and a little outside the box. I haven't read anything like it before, and I feel the synopsis of the book doesn't do it justice.
Project Pandora is a mystery, suspense novel with romance mixed in. It has violence and action throughout and is set-up to leave you wanting more. Project Pandora is just the beginning.
I would recommend reading a sample of this book before deciding if it is for you.
Tyler Bennett has trust issues. He is a foster child who moved around a lot. Now he is beginning to lose himself. He can't remember how he got his injuries or what he did the night before. He is questioning himself never mind others.
Shannon has a thing for Tyler but could they be closer than they realise already? They are drawn to each other but learning their secrets could get them both killed. Pandora's box should never be opened. Not even to take a little peek. If you haven't guessed Project Pandora contains Greek mythology.
This book is written as a story but also contains case notes. It's dark, especially for a teen read. For the right audience, this is going to knock your socks off, however, unfortunately, this book wasn't for me.
Now for the interview with the lovely author, Aden Polydoros.
Question One; what was your inspiration behind Project Pandora?
The inspirations for Project Pandora came from Project MKULTRA, the experiments performed by Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron, and the eugenics movement. The Bourne Identity movie was also an influence.
Question two; Project Pandora is your debut novel. It has an underlying theme of Greek mythology which we all know is a mixture of good and evil. Is this a subject you have a special interest in?
Greek mythology is definitely an interest of mine. Mythology in general has always fascinated me, but Greek mythology has a special place in my heart because my dad's side of the family is Greek. Right now, I'm reading up on Egyptian and Slavic mythology for two other stories (unrelated to Project Pandora) I'm playing around with.
Question three; The book has a darker side to it than most teen reads. Was this your intention from the start?
Yes and no. The first scene I wrote in this story was the first chapter, which takes place from Tyler's point of view as he performs an assassination. I knew from the beginning that it would be a dark, gritty story. I just didn't plan for it to end up as dark as it did.
I began writing it when I was eighteen, so I wasn't much older than the protagonists in the story. I was going through a rough spot then and used writing as a way to channel my emotions, so a lot of that can be seen in my characters' personalities. Tyler got my depression, Elizabeth and Shannon got my doubt and anxiety. Hades got my existential crisis, sort of. It was nice to create a book about characters suffering from anxiety and depression that didn't focus on their mental illnesses.
Question four; Did the book turn out the way you expected?
No. Hades was originally going to be a minor character with only a few chapters from his point of view. I planned to make him the antagonist and an irredeemable jerk. Instead, he turned out more morally ambiguous than I intended, and in the process of edits, became my favorite character. Needless to say, he also upped the story's body count a fair amount...
Question five; Project Pandora is just the start of this series do you already have something in the pipeline for the next installment?
I have written the sequel and an accompanying novella. The novella will mainly focus on Hades's backstory, since his past influences his behavior more than with other characters.
Thank you so much for answering my questions Aden Polydoros and I hope this helps readers.
I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Happy reading everyone :)
June 27, 2018
*4.5* oooohhh deaaarrr looooordddd.
This book was amazing from page 1. I fell into a reading slump around the time I was supposed to read it and it really helped me get out of my slump. It was so easy to fly through and the pace was exactly the way I wanted it to be. Fast at times, taking its time when it needed to.
I was haunted by how GORGEOUS Hades is. I mean, everyone, I’m telling you to go get yourself a Hades and I demand Aden Polydoros to tell us who inspired him to create Hades so we can go date that person or, better yet, have his babies.
Literally, nothing about this book was done in a way that’s anything less than perfect, in my POV. All the characters had their flaws and they were so real and I got attached to almost all of them. I didn’t care much for Shannon and Tyler at first but I began to love them towards the end. I can’t wait to see how all the characters will develop further in the upcoming sequel (BETTER HURRY UP AND PUBLISH IT SOON)!
To read my full review, click here: https://lebookworm7.wordpress.com/201...
This book was amazing from page 1. I fell into a reading slump around the time I was supposed to read it and it really helped me get out of my slump. It was so easy to fly through and the pace was exactly the way I wanted it to be. Fast at times, taking its time when it needed to.
I was haunted by how GORGEOUS Hades is. I mean, everyone, I’m telling you to go get yourself a Hades and I demand Aden Polydoros to tell us who inspired him to create Hades so we can go date that person or, better yet, have his babies.
Literally, nothing about this book was done in a way that’s anything less than perfect, in my POV. All the characters had their flaws and they were so real and I got attached to almost all of them. I didn’t care much for Shannon and Tyler at first but I began to love them towards the end. I can’t wait to see how all the characters will develop further in the upcoming sequel (BETTER HURRY UP AND PUBLISH IT SOON)!
To read my full review, click here: https://lebookworm7.wordpress.com/201...
July 5, 2017
With shades of Jason Bourne, morally ambiguous characters, and trained teenage assassins, I absolutely devoured this book in two days. This is a dark, intense YA read I found difficult to put down.
Although this book is heavy on action, all the characters are captivating and well-developed - but by far, my favorite is Hades. He's cunning, dangerous, and untrustworthy, but with such a tragic backstory, I dare you not to like him. He made the book for me. I've read the author is working on a novella detailing Hades's past - can't wait to get my hands on that one.
Told from four POVs, I'd highly recommend this YA sci-fi/thriller to older teens and fans of espionage, conspiracy theories, and psychological thrillers. Project Pandora knocked it out of the park.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
Although this book is heavy on action, all the characters are captivating and well-developed - but by far, my favorite is Hades. He's cunning, dangerous, and untrustworthy, but with such a tragic backstory, I dare you not to like him. He made the book for me. I've read the author is working on a novella detailing Hades's past - can't wait to get my hands on that one.
Told from four POVs, I'd highly recommend this YA sci-fi/thriller to older teens and fans of espionage, conspiracy theories, and psychological thrillers. Project Pandora knocked it out of the park.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
July 28, 2017
I received an ARC from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
(3.5)
Well, every expectation I had for this book before going into it was completely wrong. The first few chapters too really. Just letting you know that if you saw my first update, I was completely wrong. I had forgotten that the story is told from four perspectives, and really, their code names kinda give away the ships. Lemme see, is Persephone going to end up with Apollo or Hades?? Well gee, I guess we'll never know.
I can really be dense sometimes.
(Although, did Apollo's "other half" have to be named Artemis?? I mean, in Greek mythology they're twins... it's mildly Game of Thrones like.)
The completely wrong expectations were because this was unlike anything I have read before. I was expecting typical YA 'teen has missing/altered memories, seeks answers and revenge', add a love interest and you're good to go! And, well, it was that, but also not? It was much darker than expected, and definitely on the older side of YA. And most of that darkness was due to Hades. Like whoa man, his thoughts are full on.
And speaking of characters’ inner monologues… they did go on a fair amount. The story is told in third person, and as has been previously discovered, I can stand bad characters but not bad writing. The characters were actually quite good, all developed and unique, and the writing wasn’t bad - in fact it was everything you’d want from a good author - there was just too much of it. Usually I don’t mind purple prose but… it was quite excessive. Almost every little thing was described with a lot of detail and even more metaphors. Especially a character’s feelings. In a rare turn of events, there was actually too much show instead of tell. Almost every feeling was told to us through the characters behaviour and actions. All of this bogged down the story and that, and my unfortunately timed book slump, meant it took me a while to get through this. If even a quarter of it had been cut out I feel as though the story would have been a bit faster paced and kept my attention more readily.(get it?? More readily??? *cackles*)
Other than that, my biggest complaint was that not once, but twice the line “She wasn’t aware she was holding her breath until she heard the air hiss through her clenched teeth” was used. I mean, A+ for a new variation of it, but it’s still the same, overused line. I can only hope that because I was lucky enough to read an ARC, it’s not actually in the final, printed copy. It’s not even a big deal, I just greatly dislike that phrase. That and the word ‘giggle’.
I was debating whether to give this 3.5 or 3.75 stars, but I said that this would be an honest review, and honestly, in my honest opinion, I have to honestly give this an honest 3.5 stars. Honestly. It is definitely in a more ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ kind of way, as I canhonestly easily see how other people loved this. I thought the actual story was awesome, and the characters were great, it was just the writing man. It just needed to be trimmed down a little, and then I would have devoured it. Or maybe just eaten it quickly and burnt my tongue, but it would have made it easier to digest… so to speak. Other than that it was quite well written, and if a bit of flowery writing doesn’t bother you, then go forth and eat up this book!
(3.5)
Well, every expectation I had for this book before going into it was completely wrong. The first few chapters too really. Just letting you know that if you saw my first update, I was completely wrong. I had forgotten that the story is told from four perspectives, and really, their code names kinda give away the ships. Lemme see, is Persephone going to end up with Apollo or Hades?? Well gee, I guess we'll never know.
(Although, did Apollo's "other half" have to be named Artemis?? I mean, in Greek mythology they're twins... it's mildly Game of Thrones like.)
The completely wrong expectations were because this was unlike anything I have read before. I was expecting typical YA 'teen has missing/altered memories, seeks answers and revenge', add a love interest and you're good to go! And, well, it was that, but also not? It was much darker than expected, and definitely on the older side of YA. And most of that darkness was due to Hades. Like whoa man, his thoughts are full on.
And speaking of characters’ inner monologues… they did go on a fair amount. The story is told in third person, and as has been previously discovered, I can stand bad characters but not bad writing. The characters were actually quite good, all developed and unique, and the writing wasn’t bad - in fact it was everything you’d want from a good author - there was just too much of it. Usually I don’t mind purple prose but… it was quite excessive. Almost every little thing was described with a lot of detail and even more metaphors. Especially a character’s feelings. In a rare turn of events, there was actually too much show instead of tell. Almost every feeling was told to us through the characters behaviour and actions. All of this bogged down the story and that, and my unfortunately timed book slump, meant it took me a while to get through this. If even a quarter of it had been cut out I feel as though the story would have been a bit faster paced and kept my attention more readily.
Other than that, my biggest complaint was that not once, but twice the line “She wasn’t aware she was holding her breath until she heard the air hiss through her clenched teeth” was used. I mean, A+ for a new variation of it, but it’s still the same, overused line. I can only hope that because I was lucky enough to read an ARC, it’s not actually in the final, printed copy. It’s not even a big deal, I just greatly dislike that phrase. That and the word ‘giggle’.
I was debating whether to give this 3.5 or 3.75 stars, but I said that this would be an honest review, and honestly, in my honest opinion, I have to honestly give this an honest 3.5 stars. Honestly. It is definitely in a more ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ kind of way, as I can
August 3, 2017
Project Pandora is about four teens that are involved in this project where they are sent to out to kill people. They are given code names Shannon is Artemis, Tyler is Apollo, Elizabeth is Persephone and then there is Hades who has no other name.
Hades is aware of what he is and knows what he does while Shannon, Elizabeth and Tyler have no memories of who they are or what they do. Shannon and Tyler have lived in foster homes all their lives and Elizabeth has always had her parents. Hades beings aware of who he is and what he is; lives with one of the head leaders of Project Pandora.
When Shannon and Tyler meet and Elizabeth and Hades meet and their memories start falling apart they all start wondering who they are and about what they have done. When memories start falling apart Project Pandora also starts falling apart from the inside. When their memories start coming together they start to wonder if inside of all of us are we all capable of killing? Do we all have darkness inside of us? And if we are capable; what would it take for us to act on this darkness?
Project Pandora is filled with lots of suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what is around the next corner. This one would make a fantastic movie one that I would love to see on the big screen. When I was reading Project Pandora it was like I was seeing a movie that was being played out in my head. Being a conspiracy theorist myself I really enjoyed reading Project Pandora and can’t wait for more.
Would I recommend Project Pandora? Why yes of course I would to anyone who loves a great suspense and books that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Hades is aware of what he is and knows what he does while Shannon, Elizabeth and Tyler have no memories of who they are or what they do. Shannon and Tyler have lived in foster homes all their lives and Elizabeth has always had her parents. Hades beings aware of who he is and what he is; lives with one of the head leaders of Project Pandora.
When Shannon and Tyler meet and Elizabeth and Hades meet and their memories start falling apart they all start wondering who they are and about what they have done. When memories start falling apart Project Pandora also starts falling apart from the inside. When their memories start coming together they start to wonder if inside of all of us are we all capable of killing? Do we all have darkness inside of us? And if we are capable; what would it take for us to act on this darkness?
Project Pandora is filled with lots of suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what is around the next corner. This one would make a fantastic movie one that I would love to see on the big screen. When I was reading Project Pandora it was like I was seeing a movie that was being played out in my head. Being a conspiracy theorist myself I really enjoyed reading Project Pandora and can’t wait for more.
Would I recommend Project Pandora? Why yes of course I would to anyone who loves a great suspense and books that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
April 8, 2017
An electric thriller that feels like a conspiracy theory yanked from today's headlines. Full of characters who are not black and white but a dirty mottled gray, yet still seeking for redemption. Darker than your normal young adult story, Pandora Project takes you out of the box to someplace new that exposes the darker side that lives in all of us.
July 5, 2017
“Project Pandora” is a really intense and creative YA sci-fi/thriller. We follow four teenagers who are all part of Project Pandora. They all have code names from Greek mythology and perform special jobs (e.g. assassin). Hades is the only one who is aware of his role/job, and he suffers greatly psychologically from the physical/emotional abuse and his role as a murderer. The others have varying degrees of anxiety/depression from their dissociative identities which are triggered with specific phrases.
Elizabeth, or Persephone, is a senator’s daughter and expected to behave and dress perfectly at all times. She finds herself drawn to a stranger at a banquet, Hades, and does not want to play her perfect role if it means staying away from him. They become closer and begin to date as things spiral out of control. Shannon (Artemis) and Tyler (Apollo) go to a nearby public school, and they are attracted to each other- unknowing that their extracurricular activities include murdering people together. Things really begin to change as Hades begins to evolve and break free from the reigns of his captors and Tyler is able to resist the assassination brain washing.
In part, the book follows teenage romance, but the bigger part of the book focuses on Project Pandora and the control a group of people have over the teens. We get the idea that this is all a very small part of a much bigger plot, and it seems that this will be continued in a sequel. There is main character death here, which I am including in my review for people who may want the warning! The book is extremely intense and really only appropriate for older teen audiences, mostly because of violence, torture, and abuse.
Overall, I found it enthralling and hard to put down as we follow these four unique but engaging characters on their journeys of self-discovery. Despite the many viewpoints, it was easy to follow and the story unfolds beautifully! I am looking forward to seeing where this series may go in the future.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Elizabeth, or Persephone, is a senator’s daughter and expected to behave and dress perfectly at all times. She finds herself drawn to a stranger at a banquet, Hades, and does not want to play her perfect role if it means staying away from him. They become closer and begin to date as things spiral out of control. Shannon (Artemis) and Tyler (Apollo) go to a nearby public school, and they are attracted to each other- unknowing that their extracurricular activities include murdering people together. Things really begin to change as Hades begins to evolve and break free from the reigns of his captors and Tyler is able to resist the assassination brain washing.
In part, the book follows teenage romance, but the bigger part of the book focuses on Project Pandora and the control a group of people have over the teens. We get the idea that this is all a very small part of a much bigger plot, and it seems that this will be continued in a sequel. There is main character death here, which I am including in my review for people who may want the warning! The book is extremely intense and really only appropriate for older teen audiences, mostly because of violence, torture, and abuse.
Overall, I found it enthralling and hard to put down as we follow these four unique but engaging characters on their journeys of self-discovery. Despite the many viewpoints, it was easy to follow and the story unfolds beautifully! I am looking forward to seeing where this series may go in the future.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
October 24, 2017
Much Different than I was expecting!!!!! I finished this a few months back and just forgot to do a review. Since its been awhile, I don't remember everything about the book besides it was different but Interesting first book in a series. It was interesting that the characters other identities, had to do with Greek mythology. My favorite has to be Hades because for some reason he could never take to the reprogramming. Tyler/ Apollo, is the first one to realize something is wrong with him. Then we have Shannon/ Artemis, who is tied in with Tyler. And Elizabeth/ Persephone, and of course, her and Hades has quite a bit of history together. Which they both at first didn't know what those ties were.
I have to say I didn't like how the book ended, of course that is because of the major cliffhanger, which had me confused. And why it got 4/5 instead of 5/5.
I can't wait to say what happens next. I am so glad that I requested and was approved for this book, by the way of Netgalley. I will definitely recommend this book, and will definitely continue this series.
I have to say I didn't like how the book ended, of course that is because of the major cliffhanger, which had me confused. And why it got 4/5 instead of 5/5.
I can't wait to say what happens next. I am so glad that I requested and was approved for this book, by the way of Netgalley. I will definitely recommend this book, and will definitely continue this series.
November 8, 2017
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I found this really hard going.
Although there was plenty of action I just could not relate to the characters which felt wooden and lacking in depth.
I found this really hard going.
Although there was plenty of action I just could not relate to the characters which felt wooden and lacking in depth.
August 1, 2017
I received this book for free to review through Entangled Teen and NetGalley, and then found myself on a blog tour for it! That's cool. I want to thank Entangled Teen and NetGalley for letting me read and review a copy early. As always, my review is going to be 100% honest thoughts on the book. What I liked, what I might not have liked. I won't lie to you.
My favorite part about this book is that it's an action thriller. I love those types of books! I don't think the YA genre has enough action thrillers. They are just fun to read. The action keeps me on the edge of my seat, with the pages flying by.
Project Pandora is about a secret program where kids are born and bred for nefarious purposes. I got a smidgen of an Orphan Black vibe with this. I really enjoyed that whole shadowy project vibe. Discovering all the secrets, and trying to unearth the purpose of why this all was happening was pretty interesting.
I enjoyed the writing of this story. It was good. It had a nice flow and kept me reading.
This book had some pretty intense scenes too! Some things that really shocked me, and made me feel bad for the characters.
This novel was split into four different character points of view, which I don't know was really necessary. My favorite character to read about was Hades. I found him the most interesting. He's not a good guy. His time in the Program has messed him up. He's a touch psychotic, kind of scary, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him and intrigued by him. His story packed the most feels.
My second favorite character was Tyler. He's more the good guy character. The guy who's realizing what he has been forced into and trying to get out.
As for the two other perspectives, Shannon and Elizabeth, I didn't feel like they were really necessary. Everything could have been told from Tyler and Hades' points of view, and I feel I would have got the same story. Elizabeth and Shannon had some interesting moments, but I feel the book could have done better with less main characters to follow.
I also don't feel like this book had much of a plot. It had a cool concept, but I sometimes wondered what was the point of everything? What were they going to do next? What the ultimate plan was? How were they going to stop Project Pandora? A lot of the time, it just felt like the characters were running here and then there with no real purpose.
I thought this book was a lot of fun. I love action thrillers, conspiracies, assassins, and secret government programs. They are a good time to read. The ending left me with questions that I want answers to. I would recommend this book. Thanks Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5
Olympus is rising...
My favorite part about this book is that it's an action thriller. I love those types of books! I don't think the YA genre has enough action thrillers. They are just fun to read. The action keeps me on the edge of my seat, with the pages flying by.
Project Pandora is about a secret program where kids are born and bred for nefarious purposes. I got a smidgen of an Orphan Black vibe with this. I really enjoyed that whole shadowy project vibe. Discovering all the secrets, and trying to unearth the purpose of why this all was happening was pretty interesting.
I enjoyed the writing of this story. It was good. It had a nice flow and kept me reading.
This book had some pretty intense scenes too! Some things that really shocked me, and made me feel bad for the characters.
This novel was split into four different character points of view, which I don't know was really necessary. My favorite character to read about was Hades. I found him the most interesting. He's not a good guy. His time in the Program has messed him up. He's a touch psychotic, kind of scary, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him and intrigued by him. His story packed the most feels.
My second favorite character was Tyler. He's more the good guy character. The guy who's realizing what he has been forced into and trying to get out.
As for the two other perspectives, Shannon and Elizabeth, I didn't feel like they were really necessary. Everything could have been told from Tyler and Hades' points of view, and I feel I would have got the same story. Elizabeth and Shannon had some interesting moments, but I feel the book could have done better with less main characters to follow.
I also don't feel like this book had much of a plot. It had a cool concept, but I sometimes wondered what was the point of everything? What were they going to do next? What the ultimate plan was? How were they going to stop Project Pandora? A lot of the time, it just felt like the characters were running here and then there with no real purpose.
I thought this book was a lot of fun. I love action thrillers, conspiracies, assassins, and secret government programs. They are a good time to read. The ending left me with questions that I want answers to. I would recommend this book. Thanks Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5
Olympus is rising...
August 4, 2017
I don't read a lot of suspense types of stories, but as I do enjoy watching those movies, this book was definitely one that fit into something I might like. And as I read it, I could totally see it being a movie. While at first I had a little issue telling the difference between some of the characters, specifically the two girls, after a while it got to make more sense. The idea behind Project Pandora was very intriguing, although I would have liked a bit more background information. You really felt for the characters, especially as their minds began to flash back to what they had done in the past, or what they were in the middle of doing. You felt the connection between the teens for sure. Hades, one of the main characters, and Elizabeth, or Persephone, had a connection that you really rooted for. Although at first Hades came off as a psychopath, which really he probably was, you really got to feeling for him the more you read about his life and what he'd been subjected to. On Goodreads it lists this as a series, and I could see there being more to the story, so I'll be interested to see if it does go on.
This is a very easy read, lots of excitement to keep you turning pages, needing to know just what is actually going on, and who is pulling the strings of these teens.
This is a very easy read, lots of excitement to keep you turning pages, needing to know just what is actually going on, and who is pulling the strings of these teens.
July 31, 2017
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
We've seen this theme before so it is all in the writing whether the story succeeds or fails. With Project Pandora, the technique is fine and the story flows smoothly. But it is also a book of unrelenting grimness and terrible apathy - there is no glimmer of hope here, no relief from greedy/crooked/broken figures to offset the bleakness of the world. For that reason, I can say that the book is decently written but also not a story I wish to continue further.The book follows four teens who are experiencing troubles in their lives along with memory loss. Tyler is an orphan living with a foster family, Shannon deals with mean girls and a jaded goth best friend, Elizabeth was in a car accident but deals with disaffected political parents who care only for appearances, and Hades is the walking wounded - a boy tortured physically and mentally for the sake of an organization who raises perfect kids from embryos and then molds then to their bidding. Tyler, Shannon, and Elizabeth will soon find out what Hades already knows - that they are all assassins and have been carefully conditioned to obey without hesitation when a murder needs committing.
Most of the book is the build up of the characters learning about the Pandora Project and how they exist within it. Which means we get a lot of murders and skulking, memory loss and questioning. Because this is YA, Shannon has a crush on Tyler while Hades Stalks Elizabeth through her incarnations. But the romance isn't the raison d'etre of the story - it is what compels Hades to be more than a broken shell but it isn't what can ever save him.
Those looking for nuanced characters won't find it here. EVERY adult is evil/uncaring in their own way. All the other kids in the book are mean or disaffected/disenfranchized in some way. Loose sex, drugs, etc. are devices to 'show' that they are unhappy teens acting out on others. Our main characters are cyphers - cryptic to show that even they do not know themselves.
There were weak points in the story telling. E.g, doing a 'love story' where the two characters are code named Hades and Persephone is rather obvious. As is the pairing of Apollo/Artemis. The Pandora project itself is risible and choices made by the characters are very deus ex machina to create a plot device/drama. The murders we see happen are to bad people who have done bad things to our heroes already - an easy out.
If you don't mind a healthy dose of pessimism and gloom in your books, you will likely enjoy the tale of teens learning they are murderers. Just don't expect a fluffy YA romance in there. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
August 4, 2017
Let me preface this to say that I received an advance copy of Project Pandora from Netgalley for a fair and honest review. However, I kept procrastinating on reading it until I started getting a ton of emails from the publisher that finally convinced me to bite the bullet (great marketing strategy, btw).
So why did I procrastinate? Well, for starters it wasn't necessarily a genre I gravitate towards. I've never cared much for the Jason Bourne series or political thrillers, but I requested it 1) because it's YA and 2) because the premise sounded interesting. And yeah, I liked the cover...I'll openly admit it.
Now that my confession is out of the way, I really need to say this: I LOVED IT! And now I'm dying to read the next installment and have no idea when it comes out! Aaargh!
I loved the premise. I loved the plot. I loved the characters. I loved the pacing (mostly). And I loved the writing. Usually a book only satisfies one or two of these things for me, but Project Pandora had it all. So color me sufficiently impressed.
So why only 4 stars?
As I said, I loved the pacing (mostly). The book starts off kind of slow and takes awhile to start revealing the mystery of Project Pandora. I don't think I really started realizing what was happening until I was a third of the way through the book. Thankfully, though, that time was mostly spent introducing the four main characters: Apollo/Tyler, Artemis/Shannon, Elizabeth/Persephone/Nine, and Hades/Two.
Which brings me to my second peeve: the characters had too many names! I mean, I'm ok with nicknames scattered here and there (if they called Tyler "Ty" it wouldn't have bothered me). But the various names for the various characters were so different that it became difficult at times to keep track of who was who. For instance, not only was Elizabeth known by all the names listed above but she was also referred to as "Subject 9 of Subset A." Five names for one character is just way too much.
Third peeve: the "ownership" problem where it came to guys over girls. It annoyed me to no end every time Hades said "She is mine" when referring to Elizabeth. Or the vibe that the girls somehow needed protection from the guys...Hello! They were all engineered to be deadly assassins! The girls should have been more than capable of kicking ass and taking names without a guy's help. Alas, they were portrayed as "the weaker sex" in need of saving.
Aside from this, I loved it. The characters stood apart from one another, each well developed and interesting. I found myself emotionally drawn to them and really feeling a sense of sympathy for how they'd been raised, treated, and manipulated.
And the premise really left me questioning the idea of identity and the outside forces that shape it in the individual. Seeing as that was a huge part of my grad research, that really drew me into the story even more.
Anyway, as I said before, I'm really looking forward to the next installment of this series and HOPING that it won't be too long a wait.
So why did I procrastinate? Well, for starters it wasn't necessarily a genre I gravitate towards. I've never cared much for the Jason Bourne series or political thrillers, but I requested it 1) because it's YA and 2) because the premise sounded interesting. And yeah, I liked the cover...I'll openly admit it.
Now that my confession is out of the way, I really need to say this: I LOVED IT! And now I'm dying to read the next installment and have no idea when it comes out! Aaargh!
I loved the premise. I loved the plot. I loved the characters. I loved the pacing (mostly). And I loved the writing. Usually a book only satisfies one or two of these things for me, but Project Pandora had it all. So color me sufficiently impressed.
So why only 4 stars?
As I said, I loved the pacing (mostly). The book starts off kind of slow and takes awhile to start revealing the mystery of Project Pandora. I don't think I really started realizing what was happening until I was a third of the way through the book. Thankfully, though, that time was mostly spent introducing the four main characters: Apollo/Tyler, Artemis/Shannon, Elizabeth/Persephone/Nine, and Hades/Two.
Which brings me to my second peeve: the characters had too many names! I mean, I'm ok with nicknames scattered here and there (if they called Tyler "Ty" it wouldn't have bothered me). But the various names for the various characters were so different that it became difficult at times to keep track of who was who. For instance, not only was Elizabeth known by all the names listed above but she was also referred to as "Subject 9 of Subset A." Five names for one character is just way too much.
Third peeve: the "ownership" problem where it came to guys over girls. It annoyed me to no end every time Hades said "She is mine" when referring to Elizabeth. Or the vibe that the girls somehow needed protection from the guys...Hello! They were all engineered to be deadly assassins! The girls should have been more than capable of kicking ass and taking names without a guy's help. Alas, they were portrayed as "the weaker sex" in need of saving.
Aside from this, I loved it. The characters stood apart from one another, each well developed and interesting. I found myself emotionally drawn to them and really feeling a sense of sympathy for how they'd been raised, treated, and manipulated.
And the premise really left me questioning the idea of identity and the outside forces that shape it in the individual. Seeing as that was a huge part of my grad research, that really drew me into the story even more.
Anyway, as I said before, I'm really looking forward to the next installment of this series and HOPING that it won't be too long a wait.
August 12, 2017
This review was originally posted on Spinatale Reviews.
Project Pandora was an entertaining wild and crazy ride of a book that stayed with me long after I was finished reading. I was hooked as soon as I saw that the teenage assassins had code names based on Greek mythology. There's romance, friendship, a few identity crises, illegal human experimentation, and an evil shadowy organization. If that sounds good to you, definitely pick up this debut novel.
This book begins with Apollo brutally executing someone. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Apollo, or Tyler, has no idea of what he has done or even what he can do. In his mind, he is Tyler Bennet, a kid bounced around the foster system throughout his life. Enter Athena, Persephone, and Hades (seriously, the greek mythology references were awesome). Of them all, only Hade is aware of who and what they truly are.
The plot of this book appealed tremendously to both the thriller-loving part of me and the scientist part. For a debut writer, Aden Polydoros is skilled with creating tension while maintaining an air of mystery. I don't want to say too much about the plot because I don't want to give away any spoilers or ruin any of the surprises. I will say that I was a bit confused as to who was who in the beginning of the book but that quickly sorted itself out.
There were many ethical and moral dilemmas brought up in this book - it addressed eugenics, mind control, genetic manipulation, behavioral conditioning, and technology. There were beautifully interwoven into the plot of the novel, not too prevalent but definitely present. I do wish that we had learned more about Project Pandora, I feel as if we were only given half the pieces of the puzzle and expected to form a complete picture from them. However, this was the first book in the series so hopefully more details with be forthcoming in future installments.
As interesting as Tyler, Elizabeth, and Shannon were, Hades absolutely stole the show for me. He was such a wonderfully complex character and sometimes villain. I was never sure what to expect from him, except I knew that it would probably be romantic if it involved Elizabeth and incredibly bloody if it involved anything else. I loved his backstory and the glimpses we got into his internal struggles. Both the romances in this book were slightly predictable but entirely adorable. There was even one moment near the end when I may or may not have teared up.
Project Pandora is an interesting debut that will appeal to readers who enjoy a good thriller or who like darker science fiction. I will definitely be continuing with the series, i can't wait to see where the author takes it next.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Project Pandora was an entertaining wild and crazy ride of a book that stayed with me long after I was finished reading. I was hooked as soon as I saw that the teenage assassins had code names based on Greek mythology. There's romance, friendship, a few identity crises, illegal human experimentation, and an evil shadowy organization. If that sounds good to you, definitely pick up this debut novel.
This book begins with Apollo brutally executing someone. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Apollo, or Tyler, has no idea of what he has done or even what he can do. In his mind, he is Tyler Bennet, a kid bounced around the foster system throughout his life. Enter Athena, Persephone, and Hades (seriously, the greek mythology references were awesome). Of them all, only Hade is aware of who and what they truly are.
The plot of this book appealed tremendously to both the thriller-loving part of me and the scientist part. For a debut writer, Aden Polydoros is skilled with creating tension while maintaining an air of mystery. I don't want to say too much about the plot because I don't want to give away any spoilers or ruin any of the surprises. I will say that I was a bit confused as to who was who in the beginning of the book but that quickly sorted itself out.
There were many ethical and moral dilemmas brought up in this book - it addressed eugenics, mind control, genetic manipulation, behavioral conditioning, and technology. There were beautifully interwoven into the plot of the novel, not too prevalent but definitely present. I do wish that we had learned more about Project Pandora, I feel as if we were only given half the pieces of the puzzle and expected to form a complete picture from them. However, this was the first book in the series so hopefully more details with be forthcoming in future installments.
As interesting as Tyler, Elizabeth, and Shannon were, Hades absolutely stole the show for me. He was such a wonderfully complex character and sometimes villain. I was never sure what to expect from him, except I knew that it would probably be romantic if it involved Elizabeth and incredibly bloody if it involved anything else. I loved his backstory and the glimpses we got into his internal struggles. Both the romances in this book were slightly predictable but entirely adorable. There was even one moment near the end when I may or may not have teared up.
Project Pandora is an interesting debut that will appeal to readers who enjoy a good thriller or who like darker science fiction. I will definitely be continuing with the series, i can't wait to see where the author takes it next.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2017
I received a digital copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and voluntary review
Rating: 2,5 stars
A secret organisation(brainwashing) training teenagers to become perfect killers and leaders with code names based on Greek mythology? Hell. Yes.
But unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying the story as much as I had expected. I'm not even sure what to think about Project Pandora, if I'm completely honest. I don't think I've ever read anything like it before. It's very unique and cool but it didn't grip me. I wasn't hooked on the story, and also felt like skimming the middle. Perhaps because the book started off slightly too confusing in my opinion so that the story never pulled me in? I never started caring for the characters either, and I felt like they were a little predictable and boring?
The romance in this book is absolutely not lacking, but it was very unnecessary I believe and the codenames made a pairing a little.... Awkward?
All in all, I didn't enjoy reading Project Pandora very much but the premise of it is just so, so good that I don't want to give it less than 2,5 stars.
Rating: 2,5 stars
A secret organisation
But unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying the story as much as I had expected. I'm not even sure what to think about Project Pandora, if I'm completely honest. I don't think I've ever read anything like it before. It's very unique and cool but it didn't grip me. I wasn't hooked on the story, and also felt like skimming the middle. Perhaps because the book started off slightly too confusing in my opinion so that the story never pulled me in? I never started caring for the characters either, and I felt like they were a little predictable and boring?
The romance in this book is absolutely not lacking, but it was very unnecessary I believe and the codenames made a pairing a little.... Awkward?
All in all, I didn't enjoy reading Project Pandora very much but the premise of it is just so, so good that I don't want to give it less than 2,5 stars.
August 2, 2017
Project Pandora was a dark YA version of Jason Bourne meets the Manchurian Candidate. For the most part, I was interested in finding out what exactly Project Pandora was. Why were teens being turned into assassins, but yet, all memories were erased until they were "activated".
Hades was an interesting character but just too dark and sinister for my liking. Actually, I never really got attached to any of the MCs. I'm assuming we find out more about Project Pandora in the next book, but I was hoping to get a few more answers in this one.
I did like the use of Greek Gods as code names. Hades and Persephone, Apollo and Artemis, Zeus... Nice touch.
I'm not sure if I was invested enough in this book to read book 2. I'll decide when it releases.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for sending me an early copy of this book.
Hades was an interesting character but just too dark and sinister for my liking. Actually, I never really got attached to any of the MCs. I'm assuming we find out more about Project Pandora in the next book, but I was hoping to get a few more answers in this one.
I did like the use of Greek Gods as code names. Hades and Persephone, Apollo and Artemis, Zeus... Nice touch.
I'm not sure if I was invested enough in this book to read book 2. I'll decide when it releases.
Thank you to Entangled Teen for sending me an early copy of this book.
August 9, 2017
Project Pandora was interesting, creative, and fun to read. Hades, Persephone, Artemis, and Apollo are code names for four seemingly normal high school students by day but assassins by night. But under the careful instruction of Zeus, their memories of their kills and who each other are, aren't always clear.
This book intrigued me. I liked the concept that we knew each of the characters by their real names but also understood who they were by the Greek names. It was clever and well written. It had a good balance between the assassin part of the story and the teen angst that wasn't over done. I'm excited to read more!
This book intrigued me. I liked the concept that we knew each of the characters by their real names but also understood who they were by the Greek names. It was clever and well written. It had a good balance between the assassin part of the story and the teen angst that wasn't over done. I'm excited to read more!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews