You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Required disclosure - I was sent this book as a winner of a giveaway on GoodReads.
I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting when I won the giveaway, and that's fine. It's nice to try something new once in a while, and when someone sends me something for free I'm more inclined to ensure I work my way through it and give it a shot.
I didn't need that inclination with Strikers as, within the first chapter or so, I was already enjoying it!
According to the blurb at the back, the author is a serving naval officer so it's perhaps unusual that the main setting is an arid Texas with water only featuring much later in the story. It's a simple first-person tale of a young girl brought up in a town subject to strict rules and unfair governance, as is the rest of the state of Texas.
Why is Texas under these restrictions? We aren't clearly told at the beginning, but we accept them... as our central character does. After all, that's how things always have been as far as she's concerned.
If I had to liken it to anything at all, it's probably Hunger Games but it's nowhere near as grand or formulaic. The story is more about the characters' journey - both geographically and through life - than that of Katnis in HG.
I'm not sure if it's aimed at a young adult audience, but it's perfectly suitable for them and I would say it's the ideal place to file it. Nothing too sexual or violent occurs - certainly compared to other books aimed at the 13-16 year old market - and the way that the main characters communicate with the listener are easy to read yet sympathetic. Although we're following a girl around, her experiences with the opposite sex ring remarkably true in my own male mind from around that point in my life!
The whole book is well written with good pacing and chapter size; just big enough for "one more before bedtime" addiction. The characters are well-rounded and believable. There are enough questions and tension to keep you interested without things getting too silly or extreme.
I'd definitely be interested in reading another volume, if one comes out.
I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting when I won the giveaway, and that's fine. It's nice to try something new once in a while, and when someone sends me something for free I'm more inclined to ensure I work my way through it and give it a shot.
I didn't need that inclination with Strikers as, within the first chapter or so, I was already enjoying it!
According to the blurb at the back, the author is a serving naval officer so it's perhaps unusual that the main setting is an arid Texas with water only featuring much later in the story. It's a simple first-person tale of a young girl brought up in a town subject to strict rules and unfair governance, as is the rest of the state of Texas.
Why is Texas under these restrictions? We aren't clearly told at the beginning, but we accept them... as our central character does. After all, that's how things always have been as far as she's concerned.
If I had to liken it to anything at all, it's probably Hunger Games but it's nowhere near as grand or formulaic. The story is more about the characters' journey - both geographically and through life - than that of Katnis in HG.
I'm not sure if it's aimed at a young adult audience, but it's perfectly suitable for them and I would say it's the ideal place to file it. Nothing too sexual or violent occurs - certainly compared to other books aimed at the 13-16 year old market - and the way that the main characters communicate with the listener are easy to read yet sympathetic. Although we're following a girl around, her experiences with the opposite sex ring remarkably true in my own male mind from around that point in my life!
The whole book is well written with good pacing and chapter size; just big enough for "one more before bedtime" addiction. The characters are well-rounded and believable. There are enough questions and tension to keep you interested without things getting too silly or extreme.
I'd definitely be interested in reading another volume, if one comes out.
I'm usually terrified of self-published YA dystopian novels, because they're usually little more than poorly written and edited fanfiction versions of popular trilogies in the genre. Strikers, however, does not fall into that category. I didn't find spelling errors on every page, and the book was different enough to not feel derivative of any other series.
That's not to say it was without issues. While I don't want to get into spoiler territory, I am curious as to how the man at the head of the line recognized Karas toward the beginning of the novel. My inability to suspend disbelief over such a pivotal plot point almost led to me putting down the book early on.
But I stayed with it, and found it to be an okay read. It wasn't groundbreaking. but it was different enough to interesting, and the author was clever enough to leave quite a few loose ends that I'm sure will be picked up in future books. While I can see where others might be intrigued by the world she laid out, I'm not planning on continuing the series. I'm not opposed to reading more from the author, but I just don't feel like this particular series is for me.
2 out of 5 stars.
That's not to say it was without issues. While I don't want to get into spoiler territory, I am curious as to how the man at the head of the line recognized Karas toward the beginning of the novel. My inability to suspend disbelief over such a pivotal plot point almost led to me putting down the book early on.
But I stayed with it, and found it to be an okay read. It wasn't groundbreaking. but it was different enough to interesting, and the author was clever enough to leave quite a few loose ends that I'm sure will be picked up in future books. While I can see where others might be intrigued by the world she laid out, I'm not planning on continuing the series. I'm not opposed to reading more from the author, but I just don't feel like this particular series is for me.
2 out of 5 stars.
I'd really loved this author's "Between" series [b:Between Life and Death|41144092|Between Life and Death (Between Life and Death #3)|Ann Christy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534273554l/41144092._SY75_.jpg|45084084]. This premise sounded right up my alley, so I borrowed it on Kindle Unlimited and started reading. While it was good ... it just never quite grabbed me. I'm not sure why. It just ended up being a story of these people escaping from their city, facing the wild (both the environment and other people) trying to get to a new place. I liked the characters, but never really got to care overly about them, enough to be impacted when something happened. It dragged a little. Not planning on reading the sequels, although who knows, maybe I'll give them a try if I get in the mood.
I really got into this book and loved tagging along in the adventure with this gang of Strikers. The relationship that develops between them all was very real and emotional. Best of all.. no cliff hangers. I was glad the author saw the story through and didn't leave a lot of questions unanswered.