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bookishkandice's review against another edition
3.0
This book was another great writing by Stacey Berg. It is only 3 stars because it just didn’t do it for me. The appeal I had for the first book was washed away in the bleakness and dreariness of this book. The story seemed dragged out without much pertinent action. I was very underwhelmed with the action and felt disappointed with the ending.
colossal's review against another edition
4.0
We last saw Echo leaving the last city on a mission to either find other survivors of the Fall or more likely to die in the wilderness now that the woman she loves is beyond her. She's well on the way to achieving the latter goal when the she succeeds in the former, with another group of survivors finding her and nursing her back to health. And then she discovers that the Preservers have a similar technology to the Church, but the people who link to it can come and go.
If you liked [b:Dissension|27064459|Dissension (Echo Hunter 367, #1)|Stacey Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453473480s/27064459.jpg|47104978] then you know what to expect: dark future tale with a slow-burn plot that ratchets the tension throughout towards an action-packed and explosive conclusion. When Echo returns to the City and the Church things have changed, but everyone is still at their amoral Church-is-all worst and the interactions with the Preservers are predictably tense. The way that Echo has to overcome her grief and navigate through the politics of the City and the Church to maintain hope is just a great story.
A great conclusion to this two-parter.
If you liked [b:Dissension|27064459|Dissension (Echo Hunter 367, #1)|Stacey Berg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453473480s/27064459.jpg|47104978] then you know what to expect: dark future tale with a slow-burn plot that ratchets the tension throughout towards an action-packed and explosive conclusion. When Echo returns to the City and the Church things have changed, but everyone is still at their amoral Church-is-all worst and the interactions with the Preservers are predictably tense. The way that Echo has to overcome her grief and navigate through the politics of the City and the Church to maintain hope is just a great story.
A great conclusion to this two-parter.
coolcurrybooks's review against another edition
3.0
Regeneration is the sequel to the post-apocalyptic novel, Dissension. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy Regeneration as much as its predecessor. As Regeneration starts where Dissension left off, I think this is a series that needs to be read in order. Also, I can’t figure out a way to do any sort of plot synopsis without spoiling Dissension. So be warned, spoilers follow from here on out.
At the end of Dissension, Echo walks out into the desert with the vague and distant hope of finding someone else out there in the world. At the beginning of Regeneration, she succeeds. The community she finds is thriving, with healthy citizens and lush plant life. It’s a place Echo could never have imagined, and even better, the new community might have the knowledge and technology to help Lia. But could these strangers be a threat to the Church and everything Echo knows? And within Echo’s home city, trouble and revolt still boil.
That “still” might be a large part of my problem with Regeneration. I feel like this sequel covers much of the same grounds as the original. The entire trouble with the citizens and worry of revolt? It felt so stale. The most interesting thing about Regeneration was the part that was truly new: Echo’s discovery of another, outside community. The beginning of the novel, when Echo was among them, was probably the most interesting part of the book. But once we get back to the Church, everything starts to feel familiar.
Additionally, I found the pacing to be slower. When reading Dissension, I felt compelled to keep flipping the pages. My best guess as to why is fascination with Echo’s character and her arc, as she slowly learns to see herself as a person. Most of that seems to have disappeared in Regeneration, and there’s not any sort of character growth or emotional journey to make up for it. That, plus all the back and forth movement of the plot, made for a much slower read.
I did like the expansion of the world building with the new community, but ultimately Regeneration left me unsatisfied. At several points, I considered quitting but ultimately stuck with it out of a desire to complete the series. Then again, maybe I was just in a different frame of mind while reading Regeneration. Other reviewers seem to like it much more than I did, so maybe it’s just me.
Review from The Illustrated Page.
At the end of Dissension, Echo walks out into the desert with the vague and distant hope of finding someone else out there in the world. At the beginning of Regeneration, she succeeds. The community she finds is thriving, with healthy citizens and lush plant life. It’s a place Echo could never have imagined, and even better, the new community might have the knowledge and technology to help Lia. But could these strangers be a threat to the Church and everything Echo knows? And within Echo’s home city, trouble and revolt still boil.
That “still” might be a large part of my problem with Regeneration. I feel like this sequel covers much of the same grounds as the original. The entire trouble with the citizens and worry of revolt? It felt so stale. The most interesting thing about Regeneration was the part that was truly new: Echo’s discovery of another, outside community. The beginning of the novel, when Echo was among them, was probably the most interesting part of the book. But once we get back to the Church, everything starts to feel familiar.
Additionally, I found the pacing to be slower. When reading Dissension, I felt compelled to keep flipping the pages. My best guess as to why is fascination with Echo’s character and her arc, as she slowly learns to see herself as a person. Most of that seems to have disappeared in Regeneration, and there’s not any sort of character growth or emotional journey to make up for it. That, plus all the back and forth movement of the plot, made for a much slower read.
I did like the expansion of the world building with the new community, but ultimately Regeneration left me unsatisfied. At several points, I considered quitting but ultimately stuck with it out of a desire to complete the series. Then again, maybe I was just in a different frame of mind while reading Regeneration. Other reviewers seem to like it much more than I did, so maybe it’s just me.
Review from The Illustrated Page.
robynldouglas's review against another edition
4.0
This is a well-crafted world, and the heroine is so beautifully strong and limited - this book made me terribly sad for her in some ways.
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