Relegation

The Van Winkle Project #3

by Karri Thompson

The end is near—and I’m fated to save humanity.

I’m feared, yet revered. The presidents are leery of me, but I’ve read the files. And I know the truth—at least, I think I do. And I’m the one who is going to tell the clones. They deserve to know.

Michael and I have been forced to fight, to kill. We’ll do anything to keep our daughters safe and free. But we can’t do it alone. There’s a rumor about a secret society eager for battle… and we’re going to find them. Help them end the government’s corruption.

It’s my duty, my calling as the first mother of the new world I want to create.

This started with me, and that’s where it’s going to end.

Genres: Suspense, Dystopia

344 pages, paperback

First published June 4, 2018

About the author

Karri Thompson, a native of San Diego, attended San Diego State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in education. When she’s not writing novels and teaching high school English, she can be found nerding out at San Diego Comic-Con and cooking delicious meals for her family. Karri is the recipient of the San Diego Book Awards Best Published Young Adult Novel for 2014.

Reviews

[Cheryl Whitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed on Behalf of http://bookaddict.blog,
I afraid you will have to excuse me, I just emerging from the future after reading the three books in the series one after another. First we have Mirror X where Cassie a seventeen year old was killed in a helicopter accident 2022. Cassie’s grandfather believed in cryogenics and placed Cassie in the company specialist S.T.A.S.I.S in Los Angeles.
So poor Cassie is awakened in 3022, we memories of just before the accident. Helpless in a bed with a body so wasted she cannot move. It doesn’t take long for Cassie’s real personality come peeking out, but she knows she can’t do anything until she is fit enough. This book finishes a story arc as they escape to Tasma to complete there project.
The Ascendancy
You just so know the perfect peaceful world is not all it seems ,and after being betrayed they get ready to implement the project in Tasma.
I not going to give to much away except to say I could see these books in a film format in my head as Michael and Cassie move through regions not knowing who to trust after being let down after Cassie finding out the truth of what happened to her.
In this brave new world a plague decimated the population 500 years before. One side effect left all women infertile, so for the last 500 years they have used cloning. Unfortunately the female clones are infertile. So all the populations left are all clones, and he who has the technology has the power.
This is a great trilogy as we watch the world trying to change and to be free. Let me say I enjoyed this immensely and I still firmly trapped in the 3020s. I hope these come in an Audio format, and these are written for YA market so we have plenty action, underhanded behavior. The only unpleasant things that happen is what is in context to the story. This old bird thoroughly enjoyed my trip to the future.
 

[Suey_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Received an Advanced Readers Copy during a blog tour with InkSlingerPR in exchange for an honest review***

Well shits kiddos, that was a bumpy ride! I will admit I was happy yet sad to see this series end and more importantly I struggled a bit with my rating. I know, it is crazy - there is a lot to love about this series. Though it was a far-fetched, exaggerated plot I still stand by my previous comments, that is what fiction is and it was a damn good though process. I thoroughly enjoyed where Thompson was taking this series between the backbone of the overall storyline and the characters. 

I was really pleased to see once again Cassie shined more as a female heroine. I was afraid going into RELEGATION that she might digress to what her personality was like in MIRROR X, but surprise surprise she was still a strong, badass worthy character. I like how she was willing to save humanity while being a free individual, not compromising herself or her happiness. Michael - well finally Michael semi redeemed himself in my eyes... sort of. He still irks me, his personality just bothers me and though the chemistry between Cassie and him feel off set, I still rather enjoyed their overall dynamic. That sounds like a contradiction but I promise it isn't! Though I understand they have this romantic entanglement, one that I felt didn't mesh entirely, I overall enjoyed their partnership and how it revolved around the plot development.  

One of my biggest pet peeves, one that almost made me go down in the review was there was this lingering pace issue and plot holes I continue to see in each book, however it was push-pull for me in the enjoyment department as more scenarios were added. At many points there was a new threat that came into the mix with very little evolution, yet the playout of these moments were still throttling to your heart rate. They were enjoyable, yet random - make sense? Ugh, I am tempted to put a spoiler, but I shall not! I will say there were just interesting twists and turns that at points seemed useless yet played out in an intriguing fashion. 

Overall, I really enjoyed a lot about this series. RELEGATION was a decent ending for the series. The backbone of this series was phenomenal, I loved the basis for the idea of everything and the characters had their intriguing qualities. I do however feel, that though I am satisfied with the ending, there were points that I felt Thompson missed out wasted potential. Missing depth on dynamics, plot holes on scenarios that could have been explored more. 

Though that is my personal opinion, it did not deter my enjoyment in the least bit. I really liked where the characters ended up, how things tied around to a degree was... well satisfying.I look forward to seeing what is next for Karri Thompson. 

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Krutz and Ink publishing for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a fair review.


Cassie and Michael are back, they have found one of their daughters and they are on the run to Autonomy. There they hope to help get the project back on track and help save humanity. Cassie also wants to let the clones know the truth.


She also wants all of her children back as they were only able to save VM2. Cassie also has a weird reaction when she comes face to face with one of her clones. She knows that it is due to ancestral memory, that seeing herself awakening memories lost in her DNA. Cassie and Michael work together to get the program restarted and find their missing children, but most of all to create hope for the future. A future in which humanity is legitimately reborn.


I heartily recommend you start with the first book in the series, and I also will add that a reread is in order if you have read the first two. It took awhile for me to remember some of what happened in the first two books, and as a result I lost some of the connection I had with the characters from the first two books.


I did think this was a satisfying conclusion to the series. Cassie truly wanted to do right by everyone. She just didn't want to be a prisoner in order for that to happen.

[Zu Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

My relationship with this series went on a real roller coaster. I still love and enjoy the premise and idea behind this series, and book two was starting to show some promise, but this book just killed it for me.

SPOILERS AHEAD

It started out all right, and I thought it was going to surpass the second book. But then, half way through, it just spiraled down and bottomed out. I can tell you the exact moment when I realized things went wrong: the Koalaby. It was like from then on, the book had to out-do it's own ridiculousness on every turn. Seriously, what was the point of that thing? What person gives their child a hybrid experimental animal raised in a cage it's whole life? How is this animal not insane?!?!

Cassie is just WAY to perfect. She manages to calm an entire nation with one speech, and they believe her, just because. She's also a perfectly loving mother that doesn't suffer from any kind of emotional turmoil for suddenly being a mom to a toddler she didn't know about. I feel like there was so much potential to be explored that was just ignored so Cassie could be perfect. Every possible moment where Cassie has to make hard decisions is glossed over and justified.

The ending was just so unsatisfying, I felt like the author was rushing to get it done. The army of robots that just came out of nowhere? There was no build-up to this ending, it was very Deus-Ex-Machina. Also no real resolution, I felt like we needed an epilogue to wrap things up. So many loose ends weren't tied up. What about her grandfather? How did the society cope with their freedom? What did the program even end up looking like, didn't she have to have like twenty more daughters????

Again, I really felt like there wasn't enough reason to rebel. The society was literally at peace, and there wasn't really anything that showed this oppression from the government's monitoring, not really. Not enough that so many people were ready to die for it. I honestly was looking at the end trying to figure out why they were so happy to be un-banded. What difference did it really make?

All in all, I don't regret reading this. If you're looking for something to inspire you that's thought provoking, I'd pick this up. I just feel like this series missed so many opportunities to really explore and flesh out the wonderful idea that it had.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Relegation”, the thrilling conclusion to the “Van Winkle Project” saga, Cassie and Michael have escaped the horrifying recloning experiments in Area Four with their daughter VW2 and Travel, Victoria’s biological father. Returning to Autonomy, chased by Region One’s military they get a second surprise after crashing into the sea and swimming to shore as they’re taken to Risdon Prison by the island’s elite military patrol.

But once identified by Dolly Yardley, a Tasma geneticist, their adventure continues as they forge ahead with the Van Winkle Project with the blessing of new Prime Minister Dabner, planning an organ-cloning facility to further DNA cloning that will bring hope and strength to the population. But all too soon Cassie and Michael are swept up in a mission to not only rescue their daughters VW3 and Victoria but to work with Gemini, the secret organization unleashing a rebellion against President Harrington and his corruption.

In this fast-paced and action-packed plot, intensity and suspense continually build with the growing protests in Autonomy that forces the Prime Minister and Cassie to make a public statement; the introduction of a Cassie clone; a mission to find Victoria and VW3; as well as a rebellion to free Region One from President Harrington’s tyranny. At times I felt gaps in the story which could have been narrowed with more details; like why President Harrington continued the mindset and policies of his deposed predecessor. Even Cassie and Michael's roller-coaster romance seemed unending as she, uncertain of her feelings continually pushed him away while he was a diehard in his love for her. But, with multiple twists and turns, an intriguing plot and compelling characters the story kept me immersed until the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Relegation” the third book in a trilogy that kept me engrossed as it progressed swiftly and smoothly towards a violent confrontation, yet satisfying conclusion at the end.

[nightlyreadingheather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book in this series just gets better and better! This one starts out a little slow but is quick to ramp up the action.

I cannot even say too much about this last book for I do not want to give away any spoilers!!!! Just know that everything will be wrapped up nicely and we get a glimpse of the aftermath through a wonderful epilogue:) It had me smiling for the rest of the day after finishing.

These characters have gone through so much and they are ready to have their biggest battle yet. There will be tears and there will be hope but through it all, they will stick together to over throw the government that has taken their lives away from them.

I think that I may have loved all of the players in this book so much more in this installment. They really had their plan in place and were ready to fight for their lives. I am so glad that I gave this series a chance. I would love to see another book just to get an in depth idea of what happens after. The epilogue touches on it but there could really be so much more!

[Betty F · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a time. The ending wrapped it up in too neat of a bow for my liking, overall this series was wild AF. Clones, corrupt goverments, a secret uprising that could've been oh so fleshed out because Gemini sounds dope, could've been a bigger focus. Cassiegot me so mad when she broke down at the end and Michael had to snap some sense into her, I don't think that was necessary. She's shown she was strong through all this, waking up 1000 years in the future, being artificially inseminated without your consent, having to be the hope for a future population for this society of clones and then dealing with an evil man with a horrible agenda. Like who do you trust?! So yeah I stuck it through bc this is a wild concept and doesn't feel totally left like hey who knows some ish like this could happen lol

[T. Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

It want the 'edge of your seat' story like the first two books. However, I am glad to finally know the end of the story.