Reviews

Entanglement by Dan Rix

namaria's review

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5.0

Every day, I receive a message from Bookbub about the various deals that are taking place on Amazon. This book appeared on the list recently, and when I read the description, I thought it was interesting. I'm a sucker for soul mates, especially when there's science thrown behind it to make it sound plausible. I also love novels that have you on the edge of your seat, and this book certainly seemed to get a lot of high marks from the readers. So I decided to take the deal and download it to my Kindle.

I was not at all disappointed in having done that! I was immediately enthralled with the characters and the plot. A co-worker said my name while I was engrossed in one particular chapter, and I looked up, slightly dazed and confused, and said, "What?" as if I had no idea where I was. She started giggling and said, "Hi!" I said, "Oh... hello," and immediately looked back at my Kindle to continue reading. "Geez," she said, "I liked the sassy Jessie from last week!" I looked up again with a sheepish smile on my face and said, "But it's a really good book." Then I looked down again and forgot about her. And so it went until the end of the novel.

I'm fortunate in having a job that lets me do a LOT of reading, and I can honestly say not many books have that effect on me. I'm normally an energetic, bubbly person that annoys the crap out of my co-workers. So when a novel has me so spellbound that I barely recognize my name, the author did a pretty darn good job.

kreated_kaos's review

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2.0

I did not like this book almost at all. It dragged in places and honestly a lot of it just made no sense. I mean people are getting murdered and attempting to murder kids and where are the parents in all this? A lot of it just isn't realistic. I am all for fiction but at least make it so that it is believable.

hannas_heas47's review

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3.0

The beginning of the book was a great idea for a new dystopian novel but towards the middle and the end of the book it got confusing and there was almost too much to follow. I liked the characters and they had amazing chemistry but the whole aspect of the clairvoyant part of the brain was lost on me

elderkinhv's review

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mysterious tense fast-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

2.5

jezzebelljc's review

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5.0

All About Halfs, But a Whole Enticing Story!

Rix contacted me and asked if I might review his book, and after reading the first three chapters on his website, I was hooked.

The Good

The story concept for Entanglement is fascinating. It is a concept that works and yet is still out of the realm for anything that is happening in the here and now. It is difficult for me to imagine a life where at the age of eighteen I would have met my half and gotten married, all because they were born at the same time as me. Difficult to imagine, but an incredibly interesting take on where our science could possibly go one day, so it is all believable.

Also, I really enjoyed being inside Aaron's mind for most of the book. I read story after story from the girl's point of view and this was stimulating and a unique break from what I am used to. I did get to be inside Amber's head as well at times, and really the spacing between was well done and the best of both worlds.

Then there was the mystery aspect which had me guessing, then changing my mind, then guessing again. I read so much that books can really become predictable and this one kept me on my toes.

The Bad

There was a pretty large amount of cursing. One of the characters has a catchphrase that he says each time he appears in the book that in fact contains a curse word. While I find it funny when he says it, unfortunately I can't let my child read this book.

The Romance

I don't want to give a lot away here because of the premise of the book. Aaron is approaching his 18th birthday and he is not looking forward to it because there are complications with his clairvoyant channel and his chances of having a half do not look good. When he meets Amber who is also not looking forward to her 18th birthday and already has a boyfriend, the book really starts getting good.

Conclusion

I literally could not put this book down. I had to force myself to go to sleep. I was way too curious about what on earth was going to happen and the ending did not disappoint. I was on my toes through the whole story and was really surprised by an invigorating read. I would definitely recommend this.

This review is also on JC's Book Haven. The author sent this for an honest review.

felinity's review

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4.0

This takes the term "my other half" to a whole new level. What if your "other half" were just that - someone with whom you have a psychic bond, the one who was born at exactly the same time as you? And what if you met too soon, or too late?

Rix's alternative history has official meetings on the 18th birthday, when life partners are introduced, but teenagers are still teenagers, hormones still run rampant, and care is even more important if you don't want to literally damage your real relationship (even though you haven't met yet). And obviously people are still people, and power is very desirable... and there are always ways to manipulate or use a system.

A great read. I had one minor plot point annoyance
Spoiler(why on earth wouldn't the officials tell Aaron the bad news *before* the day, rather than potentially let his parents waste thousands of dollars, as well as raising his hopes, on something that will never happen?)
but otherwise a good page turner!

dmsiebs's review

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4.0

Loved it. Just like his other books. They keep me guessing and wondering what's going to happen next. I wish there was a second one to continue

joyful808's review

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2.0

Ugh. I really haven't had luck with books lately. This synopsis held such promise. Unfortunately, the characters grated on my nerves.

The boyfriend/villain/Clive could have easily inserted a "vwaahaha" of evil intent with the numerous times he warned off Aaron/Buddy/Number-Eleven with, "this will be the last time you see her". Her being the girl every boy seems to believe is visually perfect. But her character was utterly unlikable.

*note - adult language

awexis's review

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4.0

As much as this book makes me a bit confused, the world building is quite fascinating. I'm not a huge fan of science and I do think that the feeling is mutual between the two of us. Hehehe. So yes, I don't know what is Quantum Entanglement really meant. And since I am a bit lazy to do a research about it (cause I know, like Aaron, I wouldn't understand sh*t about it) I just let Dan Rix explain it through the book.

Dan Rix, I believe is a magician. For me, that is. Why? He is really good at making me read his books. He could make you read the book continuously. He got this powers of attracting readers, he knows what will make the readers continue reading his books. I am so impressed with him. Even if I don't understand some parts of the book, I cannot help but read it all the way. I want to know more. I want to know the history of Entanglement. I want to know what will happen to the characters in his story.

Entanglement is basically a story about soulmates. But in this case, it is based on Science and not some magic or destiny or whatever. Your soulmate or half will be determined once you are 18 years old. For Aaron Harper, he dreaded his birthday. He doesn't believe in that entanglement voodoo. And he got reasons as to why he thinks like that. You will actually know about it from the first Chapter.

Clairvoyant, as far as I understand it, is a psychic who can see the future. But in this book, it was like it is something that can be pulled out of our heads. >.< Confusing for me who is hated by science. lol. Maybe it is really simple but well, you should love Science to understand his terms.

As for the characters, I think they are well developed. They got their own set of behaviors. Although I like them, Aaron and Amber, I can't say I liked how they interact with each other. It was like hot for a minute and then cold for the next. I mean, if they like each other why do they have to say things like that to one another?

Although I have some issues with this book, I rated this a 4 stars. I enjoyed some parts. I like it but the science bit is - I think - too much for a reader who is not that familiar with that kind of terms. Entanglement is a fast paced book that can make you read it in one sitting. I recommend it to all Science Fiction fans. I truly believe they will like it. :) Science nerds! This is your book! Definitely!!! :)

scarlettlovesbooks's review

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3.0

Two main things I like about this book - the premise and the writing. I thought the premise was unique and immediately drew me in. I haven't really come across a YA fiction about soul mates, but more on a scientific rather than a paranormal level, so this was a novelty for me. Next, I thought Dan Rix's writing was effortless and overall well done. It was to-the-point and did not dwell on overly-flowing and unnecessary descriptions. Other elements I liked in the book were the fast pacing, the suspense, and the action sequences.

Unfortunately once I got into the book, the plot execution kept me scratching my head in confusion. I just found it too convoluted and disjointed. For example, it seems several of the characters are bi-polar; their intentions seem to switch from good to bad at the drop of a hat. And for this, it was extremely difficult for me to relate to any of them.

I also had a problem with the world-building. I was under the impression that this was a dystopian society, as indicated by the title of the book. But to me, it kind of felt like normal, everyday, present society, with the exception of the whole quantum entanglement aspect. Unless you're stupid enough to follow this juvegamy movement, which I interpreted is a choice and not a requirement, the world doesn't seem to be so oppressive or dystopian-like. Kids still go to school, play sports, hang out with friends, own cars, date, etc. When they turn 18, they find their soul mates and that's that. Unless you're a philanderer at heart, who wouldn't ultimately want to meet their soul mate?

I also found this book riddled with plot holes. One glaring example is Aaron's parents. They must be the most oblivious parents on the planet! First, where were they when Aaron turned 18 and was supposed to meet his half? The whole premise of the book was leading up to this important stage in someone's life, and Aaron's parents were nowhere to be found. Also, when everybody and their mother were breaking into Aaron's house in the middle of the night, did they sleep through the whole thing?

I did like the relationship between Aaron and Amber. It was fairly obvious from the start that they were meant to be. I just couldn't help but want to knock some sense into them when they keep falling into Clive's and Casler's traps.

There are so many more things I could say, but I think you get the gist of what my overall feeling about this book. I still enjoyed it and kept me engrossed til' the very end. I just wish it was better executed.