Scan barcode
pewterwolf's review against another edition
2.0
Guest Review Taken From Book Angel Booktopia
BZRK... I’m not 100% sure how to describe this book as this is a ... well... a hard thing to explain. But here’s my attempt. BZRK, the first in a new series, is about nanos and biots. Not sure what these are? These are nanobots and biots, the biological counterpart of nanos. And here, it seems the world is in danger from these. Or rather, the group known as AFGC, who want to “rewire” the most powerful minds of the world: the President of the United States and the British Prime Minister, to name two. But BZRK has to stop them. Enter Sadie and Noah, the teenagers with their private reasons to join. But with the stakes so high and failure meaning they might lose their sanity, losing isn’t an option...
Now, this is my first Michael Grant book (never read his Gone series, though I have been told I should loads of time in the past), I don’t know what my reaction would be. And, I hate to say, I’m a bit “muh” over it. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I’m just in the middle, not sure with myself if I like or not.
Ok, let’s talk about this book’s good point. Once you got your head into this, it was a fast thriller that played out on two levels: in real life and in nano (or “down on the meat”). And with technology at the level it is at the present moment, you sometimes go “This could/might be possible...”
But, there are problems with this book. The first problem I had was when the story or the action scene jumped for human to nano/biot. For the first half of the book, I sometimes had to reread paragraphs to go “OK. Where am I again?” so I didn’t get confused. And near the end of the book, I suddenly started seeing the nanos and the biots like the robot-cookies from Despicable Me.
Another problem I had was the characters. I’m sorry, but I want to be gripped by the characters very quickly. I want to read their story and want to rush back to the book because of them. And with these characters... it took a long time to warm to them or the situation. And the reason I feel for this was that I never felt like I had time to get to know the characters. I would have a chapter (at the most) with one character before it jumped to another character, whether they were the good guy or the bad guy. I never “clicked” with any of the characters.
I’m still unsure on how I feel about BZRK. This wasn’t my cup of tea. But I’m sure all the Gone fans will love this and am sure that some of you guys will enjoy it a lot more than me. So please, don’t let me review put you off. If you want to read this book, READ IT!
BZRK... I’m not 100% sure how to describe this book as this is a ... well... a hard thing to explain. But here’s my attempt. BZRK, the first in a new series, is about nanos and biots. Not sure what these are? These are nanobots and biots, the biological counterpart of nanos. And here, it seems the world is in danger from these. Or rather, the group known as AFGC, who want to “rewire” the most powerful minds of the world: the President of the United States and the British Prime Minister, to name two. But BZRK has to stop them. Enter Sadie and Noah, the teenagers with their private reasons to join. But with the stakes so high and failure meaning they might lose their sanity, losing isn’t an option...
Now, this is my first Michael Grant book (never read his Gone series, though I have been told I should loads of time in the past), I don’t know what my reaction would be. And, I hate to say, I’m a bit “muh” over it. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I’m just in the middle, not sure with myself if I like or not.
Ok, let’s talk about this book’s good point. Once you got your head into this, it was a fast thriller that played out on two levels: in real life and in nano (or “down on the meat”). And with technology at the level it is at the present moment, you sometimes go “This could/might be possible...”
But, there are problems with this book. The first problem I had was when the story or the action scene jumped for human to nano/biot. For the first half of the book, I sometimes had to reread paragraphs to go “OK. Where am I again?” so I didn’t get confused. And near the end of the book, I suddenly started seeing the nanos and the biots like the robot-cookies from Despicable Me.
Another problem I had was the characters. I’m sorry, but I want to be gripped by the characters very quickly. I want to read their story and want to rush back to the book because of them. And with these characters... it took a long time to warm to them or the situation. And the reason I feel for this was that I never felt like I had time to get to know the characters. I would have a chapter (at the most) with one character before it jumped to another character, whether they were the good guy or the bad guy. I never “clicked” with any of the characters.
I’m still unsure on how I feel about BZRK. This wasn’t my cup of tea. But I’m sure all the Gone fans will love this and am sure that some of you guys will enjoy it a lot more than me. So please, don’t let me review put you off. If you want to read this book, READ IT!
mandikaye's review against another edition
4.0
BZRK As a huge fan of the Gone series, I was certain I’d love anything that came from the depths of Michael Grant’s imagination – and I was not disappointed.
There was a bit of a learning curve at the beginning of the novel, and I just had to hope that things would be explained later on but they were, of course. Things like the differences between nanobots and biots. Or which side was the good guys – I wasn’t sure about that for a good while there. Of course, I think that’s the sign of a good novel (though, if you’ve read the summary up there you know which side is which – I hadn’t read that previously. I’d only read the book flap, which is quite different).
The character development wasn’t as strong as I’d have liked it to be – which is why it doesn’t get the full five stars. I’m hoping that we get to dig a little deeper in the next one. This one was more about the nano technology than it was about the characters, which detracts a little from what they’re fighting for in the first place – humanity.
The other hang up I had in reading it was whether or not I agree with the idea that morality can be suspended if the end result is a win for the good guys. Both the good guys and the bad guys (who somehow believe they are the good guys) made several questionable choices that indicate that the end may justify the means. It makes you question what you know and believe and what you would do to fight for what you believe in. Would I make the same choices Vincent did with Anya? Would I be willing to use biot technology to rewire someone else’s brain – to take away his free will – even if I knew in my heart he was the bad guy? I don’t know. I honestly don’t.
It’s a fascinating question that Grant asks the reader. It’s been several weeks since I finished the book, and these are all things that I’m still thinking about. This book hasn’t left me yet. Grant has definitely left his mark with this one.
There was a bit of a learning curve at the beginning of the novel, and I just had to hope that things would be explained later on but they were, of course. Things like the differences between nanobots and biots. Or which side was the good guys – I wasn’t sure about that for a good while there. Of course, I think that’s the sign of a good novel (though, if you’ve read the summary up there you know which side is which – I hadn’t read that previously. I’d only read the book flap, which is quite different).
The character development wasn’t as strong as I’d have liked it to be – which is why it doesn’t get the full five stars. I’m hoping that we get to dig a little deeper in the next one. This one was more about the nano technology than it was about the characters, which detracts a little from what they’re fighting for in the first place – humanity.
The other hang up I had in reading it was whether or not I agree with the idea that morality can be suspended if the end result is a win for the good guys. Both the good guys and the bad guys (who somehow believe they are the good guys) made several questionable choices that indicate that the end may justify the means. It makes you question what you know and believe and what you would do to fight for what you believe in. Would I make the same choices Vincent did with Anya? Would I be willing to use biot technology to rewire someone else’s brain – to take away his free will – even if I knew in my heart he was the bad guy? I don’t know. I honestly don’t.
It’s a fascinating question that Grant asks the reader. It’s been several weeks since I finished the book, and these are all things that I’m still thinking about. This book hasn’t left me yet. Grant has definitely left his mark with this one.
pezzo's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
joshgg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
carolineroche's review against another edition
3.0
The concept is fantastic and the action fast paced and exciting. Grant's descriptions of the close up views of the human body have a great 'yuk' factor. However the book is weak on characters. The protagonists are wooden and it is hard to care for any of them. Grant spends so much time on the action 'down in the meat' that he neglects to flesh out his characters properly. Having said that it is a great action packed fast paced book for boys but not for anyone who wants to empathise with the characters. It is therefore weaker than the Gone series where Grant manages to combine both action and believable characters, but a good, if superficial, read nonetheless.
vikingwolf's review
The word 'nano' in a book description leaves me very wary about the story, after a bad book experience from Michael Crichton in the past. His nano related book nearly made my head explode! I had already bought the Gone books which were sitting unread on my shelf, so I thought I'd give this one a try anyway. To be honest I wish I'd went with my gut feeling and avoided this book.
As soon as the book started, I knew that this was a mistake. The opening with Sadie watching the accident etc was ok as a start to a novel, but as soon as the Bug Man was introduced, everything went downhill rapidly. After a few pages of nanos, macro, twitcher, spinners, bugs, laying wire and nanobots, I was left wondering what the hell the author was talking about. There was so much technical jargon that it made my head spin like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. THe plot of these twisted people controlling nanos in people to make them do things might well be good in theory but the author then felt compelled to drown the reader in confusing technobabble for good measure, which totally switched me off from the plot. For those who know little about science, this book was confusing and far too complicated to get into.
My relief at the story switching back to Noah and his brother who became mentally damaged after serving in Afghanistan was short lived as we went into a section with characters using wall to wall f bombs, which I hate in a book. If an author has to rely on swearing for no obvious reason, which adds nothing to the plot, it means to me that they are not clever enough to use good dialogue to tell the story. I don't mind swearing when it is is needed in the plot and serves a purpose but this was just thrown in there for the sake of it.
The characters were dull and as exciting as planks of wood. I never felt any connection to Noah or Sadie or really cared what happened to them, which is a big issue for me. If I don't like the characters I rarely like the book. The plot itself also went into a boring mode and my mind started wandering. It was obvious that this was not going to be a book that I would like so there was little point continuing. I'm now very concerned about reading the Gone series.
As soon as the book started, I knew that this was a mistake. The opening with Sadie watching the accident etc was ok as a start to a novel, but as soon as the Bug Man was introduced, everything went downhill rapidly. After a few pages of nanos, macro, twitcher, spinners, bugs, laying wire and nanobots, I was left wondering what the hell the author was talking about. There was so much technical jargon that it made my head spin like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. THe plot of these twisted people controlling nanos in people to make them do things might well be good in theory but the author then felt compelled to drown the reader in confusing technobabble for good measure, which totally switched me off from the plot. For those who know little about science, this book was confusing and far too complicated to get into.
My relief at the story switching back to Noah and his brother who became mentally damaged after serving in Afghanistan was short lived as we went into a section with characters using wall to wall f bombs, which I hate in a book. If an author has to rely on swearing for no obvious reason, which adds nothing to the plot, it means to me that they are not clever enough to use good dialogue to tell the story. I don't mind swearing when it is is needed in the plot and serves a purpose but this was just thrown in there for the sake of it.
The characters were dull and as exciting as planks of wood. I never felt any connection to Noah or Sadie or really cared what happened to them, which is a big issue for me. If I don't like the characters I rarely like the book. The plot itself also went into a boring mode and my mind started wandering. It was obvious that this was not going to be a book that I would like so there was little point continuing. I'm now very concerned about reading the Gone series.
futuristic_cashews's review against another edition
2.0
Okuyalı en az 1-2 yıl oldu ama hala aklıma geldikçe tırsıyorum
kaylielongley's review against another edition
2.0
Michael Grant’s Gone Series mystified me, pulling me into a puzzling world where children have unexpected, mutant powers. I wanted to like BRZK, as Grant’s storytelling is grippingly real, and the premise of this new series details neurology and nanotechnology. Instead, BRZK is a comedy of errors.
I’d rather make a list of my issues than review.
1) BRZK is driven by its plot, as its characters are unrealistic. Each character is given a few pages before Grant moves on to the next one. Often, these individuals are given the names of figures who have historically suffered from mental health issues, such as Sylvia Plath, John Keats, and Vincent Van Gogh. Dehumanizing.
2) The book’s first half – that’s right, 200 pages – acts as an exposition, detailing the presumed differences between nanobots and biots. BZRK details a time of war, but the writing seems shallow. This may be due to the fact that both nanobots and biots claim to have good intentions – freedom, happiness – but would rather battle, rewiring the world’s powerful as they do so, than combine their powers.
3) Though nanotechnology is intriguing, many pages highlight copious details about life on the nano level, rather than the macro level. Some speculate these technologies are the next big thing for humanity, so some may find Grant’s exploration of the body, in particular, the brain and eyes, fascinating. Others may feel disoriented as the book’s action simultaneously takes place in both realities.
4) Wordy writing and sloppy editing result in a hurried tone for most of the book, probably due to the fact that this is the first installment of the BRZK Series. I’ll stick to the Gone Series.
I’d rather make a list of my issues than review.
1) BRZK is driven by its plot, as its characters are unrealistic. Each character is given a few pages before Grant moves on to the next one. Often, these individuals are given the names of figures who have historically suffered from mental health issues, such as Sylvia Plath, John Keats, and Vincent Van Gogh. Dehumanizing.
2) The book’s first half – that’s right, 200 pages – acts as an exposition, detailing the presumed differences between nanobots and biots. BZRK details a time of war, but the writing seems shallow. This may be due to the fact that both nanobots and biots claim to have good intentions – freedom, happiness – but would rather battle, rewiring the world’s powerful as they do so, than combine their powers.
3) Though nanotechnology is intriguing, many pages highlight copious details about life on the nano level, rather than the macro level. Some speculate these technologies are the next big thing for humanity, so some may find Grant’s exploration of the body, in particular, the brain and eyes, fascinating. Others may feel disoriented as the book’s action simultaneously takes place in both realities.
4) Wordy writing and sloppy editing result in a hurried tone for most of the book, probably due to the fact that this is the first installment of the BRZK Series. I’ll stick to the Gone Series.