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barefootmegz's review against another edition
5.0
[This is a truncated review. The full, original review can be found on my blog at https://barefootmeds.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/zzzzn-znnn-zzzzzn-the-body-electric-by-beth-revis/]
I know it sounds like a massive cop-out, but it really is true that the less you know about the story up front, the better.
This is a plot-driven novel. Actually, that’s an understatement: this is a novel that is constantly moving and that I couldn’t put down! But what I mean is that the characters aren’t the sole focal point, so some reviewers have commented that the characters weren’t very well-developed. I liked the characters, and although I maybe wouldn’t be able to write an in-depth character analysis of each one, it didn’t bother me. Mostly because I was too busy worrying about what was going to happen next!
Despite my excitement to read this, I was a little worried, because HYPE. But it was awesome.
I liked Ella. She was hardcore and realistic, and FIERCE. No silly little impulsive actions for her, no sirree. (Except for that one time when she, like, had to run for her life).
Oh, and THE WORLD. I did not read Revis’ other books but I gather that there are a few references to Across the Universe. I’ve never been to Malta, but the way Revis paints it gave me vivid imagery, and made me do a gazillion image-searches and I’m already planning my next holiday there! But she also created a whole new part to Malta that you will just need to read to see how cool it is.
There is a bit of a dystopian element present, but if you pay close attention to the end you’ll see that it’s not the usual trope regarding big governments. It’s pretty open-ended, which I thought was good.
Also, this is a standalone novel, whoop-whoop!
Finally, the writing: it is fluent and non-pretentious, easy-to-read, and just great. There is no pseudo-intellectual banter. It’s great action-packed sci-fi with a good dose of real life thrown in.
“Maybe being alone in the sea, with its unexplored depths, its clawing-finger waves, really is safer compared to the land, where there are people and malice and death.”
As for the bees… you’ll notice them on the cover. You’ll notice subtle references to them. I worried that they were just a fun aesthetic element. Oh no. Nope. They are a big part of it, and I love them (except for when they are seriously creepy once or twice).
For me, this book deserves every bit of hype. I’m a big fan of Ella and her darling parents, and now also of Malta.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I know it sounds like a massive cop-out, but it really is true that the less you know about the story up front, the better.
This is a plot-driven novel. Actually, that’s an understatement: this is a novel that is constantly moving and that I couldn’t put down! But what I mean is that the characters aren’t the sole focal point, so some reviewers have commented that the characters weren’t very well-developed. I liked the characters, and although I maybe wouldn’t be able to write an in-depth character analysis of each one, it didn’t bother me. Mostly because I was too busy worrying about what was going to happen next!
Despite my excitement to read this, I was a little worried, because HYPE. But it was awesome.
I liked Ella. She was hardcore and realistic, and FIERCE. No silly little impulsive actions for her, no sirree. (Except for that one time when she, like, had to run for her life).
Oh, and THE WORLD. I did not read Revis’ other books but I gather that there are a few references to Across the Universe. I’ve never been to Malta, but the way Revis paints it gave me vivid imagery, and made me do a gazillion image-searches and I’m already planning my next holiday there! But she also created a whole new part to Malta that you will just need to read to see how cool it is.
There is a bit of a dystopian element present, but if you pay close attention to the end you’ll see that it’s not the usual trope regarding big governments. It’s pretty open-ended, which I thought was good.
Also, this is a standalone novel, whoop-whoop!
Finally, the writing: it is fluent and non-pretentious, easy-to-read, and just great. There is no pseudo-intellectual banter. It’s great action-packed sci-fi with a good dose of real life thrown in.
“Maybe being alone in the sea, with its unexplored depths, its clawing-finger waves, really is safer compared to the land, where there are people and malice and death.”
As for the bees… you’ll notice them on the cover. You’ll notice subtle references to them. I worried that they were just a fun aesthetic element. Oh no. Nope. They are a big part of it, and I love them (except for when they are seriously creepy once or twice).
For me, this book deserves every bit of hype. I’m a big fan of Ella and her darling parents, and now also of Malta.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
carolinevaught's review against another edition
5.0
Original posted on: acrossthebookiverse.blogspot.com
This is a joke, right? I'm missing the last one hundred pages, this isn't really a standalone, surely there's more, because this isn't fair. A story such as this needs to have more than 460 pages dedicated to it!
In the future, nanobots are a daily occurrence. Everyone has them, a part of everyone's life, especially when your name is Ella Shepherd and your parents are famous scientists. Ella's father is dead, killed by a terrorist attack on the lab he was working in and her mother has a disease called Hebbs Disease, which is fatal and causes the brain to deteriorate. Her mother has developed a way for people to relive their best memories, but everything changes when theory becomes reality. Ella can walk through people's memories, something that was only thought to be theoretical. Her life is throw into chaos and it certainly does help when a mysterious boy shows up. Ella isn't sure who to trust. Can she trust the mystery boy that has attachments to her father, but seems to have secrets? Can she trust her government? Can she even trust herself?
I've read one book by Beth Revis before The Body Electric, and I loved it, so my expectations were pretty high. My expectations were met. Ella is such an interesting character. She has layers of emotion and strength, but as the story progresses we also see her fears, which (I shall not spoil anything) I find very understandable considering the circumstances. I would have loved to see more interaction between Jack and Ella at the end of the book and every time they were together I did a mental happy dance, but at the same time made me want to throw the book at the wall, because it. Is. So. Frustrating. There's almost always action going on, so I just kept flipping the pages. All of a sudden the book was over. How did that happen? The science alone is enough to keep my mind constantly interested, but the twists just throw a little extra something that makes me crazy. I still want more, I can't believe this is just a standalone, this world has so much that it could offer and I hope we see more of it in the future.
Side note: Across the Universe reference, don't think I missed you, I saw you and I love you.
This is a joke, right? I'm missing the last one hundred pages, this isn't really a standalone, surely there's more, because this isn't fair. A story such as this needs to have more than 460 pages dedicated to it!
In the future, nanobots are a daily occurrence. Everyone has them, a part of everyone's life, especially when your name is Ella Shepherd and your parents are famous scientists. Ella's father is dead, killed by a terrorist attack on the lab he was working in and her mother has a disease called Hebbs Disease, which is fatal and causes the brain to deteriorate. Her mother has developed a way for people to relive their best memories, but everything changes when theory becomes reality. Ella can walk through people's memories, something that was only thought to be theoretical. Her life is throw into chaos and it certainly does help when a mysterious boy shows up. Ella isn't sure who to trust. Can she trust the mystery boy that has attachments to her father, but seems to have secrets? Can she trust her government? Can she even trust herself?
I've read one book by Beth Revis before The Body Electric, and I loved it, so my expectations were pretty high. My expectations were met. Ella is such an interesting character. She has layers of emotion and strength, but as the story progresses we also see her fears, which (I shall not spoil anything) I find very understandable considering the circumstances. I would have loved to see more interaction between Jack and Ella at the end of the book and every time they were together I did a mental happy dance, but at the same time made me want to throw the book at the wall, because it. Is. So. Frustrating. There's almost always action going on, so I just kept flipping the pages. All of a sudden the book was over. How did that happen? The science alone is enough to keep my mind constantly interested, but the twists just throw a little extra something that makes me crazy. I still want more, I can't believe this is just a standalone, this world has so much that it could offer and I hope we see more of it in the future.
Side note: Across the Universe reference, don't think I missed you, I saw you and I love you.
tealattes's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
amym84's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
Are you tired of the stresses of everyday life? Do you wish to be able to go back to a simpler time? Well then, make an appointment at the Reverie Mental Spa. They have the finest scientists developing the latest technology that will let each patron relive their happiest day over and over again. Come on in and relax for an hour or two. Your dreams are safe in reverie.
About twenty years after the Seccessionary War, the world is at peace. Well, as peaceful as the world can get. Those who seek further escape from the stresses of everyday life can go to the Reverie Mental Spa to relive their happiest moment over and over again. Total relaxation. Ella Shepherd is interning at the spa, which features her mother’s invented technology, the reveries, as they’re called. When Ella discovers she’s able to enter other people’s reveries, it’s not long before the government comes calling and asks her to spy for them in order to root out possible terrorist cells trying to overthrow the government. Ella is all for helping out, until she starts having hallucinations featuring her dead father. When a boy named Jack—who apparently knows Ella, yet she has no recollection of him—warns her from trusting her best friend, Ella starts to question the possibility that her memories have been tampered with.
There are several classic sci-fi stories that Beth Revis pays homage to with The Body Electric. One stands out from the rest, but to tell you would be a kind of spoiler to anyone familiar with those stories already. There are ways to successfully adapt a classic story/concept, and Revis does it with such finesse (and you can truly tell she loves the source material from where some of these ideas came) that she turns around and makes the story her own.
I know oftentimes when so much of the plot is based in the theoretical, thereby forcing the reader to suspend what they believe is real along with the characters, it can be frustrating. Revis handles Ella’s situation very well in that by the beginning of the book Ella is already someone who does not trust easily. She thinks through her actions thoroughly with every decision she makes. Even if her decisions lead to more questions or are ultimately the wrong ones, I was never willing to give up on Ella and her fight to find the truth of herself. I liked going on the journey with her.
There were a few bits of info that I saw coming a mile away, but I liked going along with Ella in discovering how things ended up they way they did. I think by making some surprises easy to guess, Revis was then able to blindside me with the more surprising revelations later on.
The Body Electric is a book that will benefit from multiple readings in order to go back to pick up all the clues littered throughout. In true sci-fi fashion the ending doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Though on the surface the conclusion is solid and definite, I think there is a note of possibility, whether ominous or positive I cannot say, it’s open to the interpretations of each reader.
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
Are you tired of the stresses of everyday life? Do you wish to be able to go back to a simpler time? Well then, make an appointment at the Reverie Mental Spa. They have the finest scientists developing the latest technology that will let each patron relive their happiest day over and over again. Come on in and relax for an hour or two. Your dreams are safe in reverie.
About twenty years after the Seccessionary War, the world is at peace. Well, as peaceful as the world can get. Those who seek further escape from the stresses of everyday life can go to the Reverie Mental Spa to relive their happiest moment over and over again. Total relaxation. Ella Shepherd is interning at the spa, which features her mother’s invented technology, the reveries, as they’re called. When Ella discovers she’s able to enter other people’s reveries, it’s not long before the government comes calling and asks her to spy for them in order to root out possible terrorist cells trying to overthrow the government. Ella is all for helping out, until she starts having hallucinations featuring her dead father. When a boy named Jack—who apparently knows Ella, yet she has no recollection of him—warns her from trusting her best friend, Ella starts to question the possibility that her memories have been tampered with.
There are several classic sci-fi stories that Beth Revis pays homage to with The Body Electric. One stands out from the rest, but to tell you would be a kind of spoiler to anyone familiar with those stories already. There are ways to successfully adapt a classic story/concept, and Revis does it with such finesse (and you can truly tell she loves the source material from where some of these ideas came) that she turns around and makes the story her own.
I know oftentimes when so much of the plot is based in the theoretical, thereby forcing the reader to suspend what they believe is real along with the characters, it can be frustrating. Revis handles Ella’s situation very well in that by the beginning of the book Ella is already someone who does not trust easily. She thinks through her actions thoroughly with every decision she makes. Even if her decisions lead to more questions or are ultimately the wrong ones, I was never willing to give up on Ella and her fight to find the truth of herself. I liked going on the journey with her.
There were a few bits of info that I saw coming a mile away, but I liked going along with Ella in discovering how things ended up they way they did. I think by making some surprises easy to guess, Revis was then able to blindside me with the more surprising revelations later on.
The Body Electric is a book that will benefit from multiple readings in order to go back to pick up all the clues littered throughout. In true sci-fi fashion the ending doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Though on the surface the conclusion is solid and definite, I think there is a note of possibility, whether ominous or positive I cannot say, it’s open to the interpretations of each reader.
beccajoek's review against another edition
4.0
beth revis is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. even though this a companion book to her Across the Universe series you do not have to have read them to read this. I loved it.
eliathereader's review against another edition
2.0
Beth Revis ile tanışmam Edgar Casey Akademisi kitabıyla olmuştu. Okuduğum zaman çok beğenmiştim elbette yıllar öncesi olduğundan okuma zevkim de daha farklıydı. Yapay Düş bayağıdır listemde yer alan bir kitaptı bu yüzden sırf merakımı gidermek ve yazarı yine beğenecek miyim görmek için okudum. Gelecekte geçen Yapay Düş’te ana karakterin kendisini tuhaf olaylar içerisinde bulmasını konu ediniyor. Yapay zeka, düşleri yönetebilmek ve hafif bir distopik devlet derken olaylar da ilerliyor. Kitapta anlatılan dünya ilginç olsa da ana karakteri okuması keyifli değil. Kendisi en basit olaylarda bile önünü göremeyen, doğru olduğu bilinen bir şeye inanmak için 100 sayfa bekleyen ve mantığını sadece son dakikada konuşturabilen biri. Kitabın gereksiz uzunluğu da okuma zevkini baltalıyor. 480 sayfa ciddi anlamda bu kitaba fazla gelmiş. Ne yazık ki sevemedim ve gerçekten sevmeyi istemiştim. Evrenin Ötesi serisiyle yazar asıl olarak tanınıyor ancak okumayı düşünmüyorum bunun sebebi de kitaplarının bilimkurguya yeni başlayanlara daha çok hitap ediyor olması. Artık başlangıç seviyesi tarzındaki kitapları okumaktan hiç keyif alamıyorum ve zamanımı daha çok detaya sahip kitaplara ayırmak istiyorum. Bu yüzden yazarı bilimkurgudan çok fazla kitap okumamış ve genç yetişkin tarzı sevenlere rahatlıkla tavsiye ederim.
colltheresa's review against another edition
5.0
I genuinely do not understand all the low ratings, I am so in love with Beth Revis’s writing! I started this last night & absolutely devoured it. I never finish books this quickly! There’s action, a bit of love, mystery, loss, & government conspiracy theories! What more could a girl want?!