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ana98_'s review against another edition
3.0
Apparently i took this book from my local library back in 2015 and never returned it whoops. So i figured I’d quickly read it and then return it!
This book gave me middle school vibes and i felt like i was an adolescent again and it felt great. I honestly enjoyed this book ngl and i was not expecting it to have sm death in it. I gave it 3 stars bc it was an old quick read. It’s between a 2.8-3. It’s not higher bc is not super in depth.
Once they got back into the facility there were only like 50 more pages. It should have been longer. It ended way too quickly, there needed to be more. And everything shut down after a month.. there were a few other things that was like ehh that’s not right but it’s a YA SCI if book it’s not that serious.
Ik there were no love interests which was great but at the end Carly ended up w Lucas, which ig made sense but after all the romance novels I’ve been reading i was like oh ya she’s def gonna end up like Chris bc it’s an enemies to lovers thing (help). Honestly this wasn’t a happy ending and lowkey was shocked about cam. The whole Carly mystery thing was a bit confusing to read.
Anyway a nice lil quick read that was nostalgic.
This book gave me middle school vibes and i felt like i was an adolescent again and it felt great. I honestly enjoyed this book ngl and i was not expecting it to have sm death in it. I gave it 3 stars bc it was an old quick read. It’s between a 2.8-3. It’s not higher bc is not super in depth.
Once they got back into the facility there were only like 50 more pages. It should have been longer. It ended way too quickly, there needed to be more. And everything shut down after a month.. there were a few other things that was like ehh that’s not right but it’s a YA SCI if book it’s not that serious.
Ik there were no love interests which was great but at the end Carly ended up w Lucas, which ig made sense but after all the romance novels I’ve been reading i was like oh ya she’s def gonna end up like Chris bc it’s an enemies to lovers thing (help). Honestly this wasn’t a happy ending and lowkey was shocked about cam. The whole Carly mystery thing was a bit confusing to read.
Anyway a nice lil quick read that was nostalgic.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 for this one I think.
As soon as I read the summary of Hardwired by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie I knew I wanted to read it. The idea that there is a gene that determines whether someone is predisposed to act a certain way and then the thought that the government would use this to control a population of people is interesting to me and I couldn’t wait to dive into this story.
We are immediately pulled into Lucas’ story as he is currently locked away at the testing facility to make sure that even though he has the gene, he is clear to join society. As he and his roommate are poked and prodded and then pushed to their limits to determine whether they will snap or not, Lucas and Sam work together to keep each other sane and balanced. They also see more than the others locked away and because of that, they notice some odd things going on with the facility as they near the date they should be transported to the reintegration facility.
The story picks up speed when the group is on their way to the reintegration facility and Lucas and Sam are the sole survivors of the crash. When they cross paths with the group responsible for the accident, Lucas is stunned to find out why they did what they did and also who they are.
Overall I liked Lucas but I have to say I didn’t connect with him for some reason. Yes, I felt bad for his situation and the impact this testing has had on his family but I didn’t totally feel invested in him. And when the rebel group was added into the mix, his relationship with Carly didn’t line up for me. Throw in the end of this story and it all felt a bit choppy and rushed.
This book has an interesting concept and while the writing is well done, I thought the development of the character relationships and the pacing needed some work.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
As soon as I read the summary of Hardwired by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie I knew I wanted to read it. The idea that there is a gene that determines whether someone is predisposed to act a certain way and then the thought that the government would use this to control a population of people is interesting to me and I couldn’t wait to dive into this story.
We are immediately pulled into Lucas’ story as he is currently locked away at the testing facility to make sure that even though he has the gene, he is clear to join society. As he and his roommate are poked and prodded and then pushed to their limits to determine whether they will snap or not, Lucas and Sam work together to keep each other sane and balanced. They also see more than the others locked away and because of that, they notice some odd things going on with the facility as they near the date they should be transported to the reintegration facility.
The story picks up speed when the group is on their way to the reintegration facility and Lucas and Sam are the sole survivors of the crash. When they cross paths with the group responsible for the accident, Lucas is stunned to find out why they did what they did and also who they are.
Overall I liked Lucas but I have to say I didn’t connect with him for some reason. Yes, I felt bad for his situation and the impact this testing has had on his family but I didn’t totally feel invested in him. And when the rebel group was added into the mix, his relationship with Carly didn’t line up for me. Throw in the end of this story and it all felt a bit choppy and rushed.
This book has an interesting concept and while the writing is well done, I thought the development of the character relationships and the pacing needed some work.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
raven_nivhaar's review against another edition
DNF
TW: suicide
Where do I begin...? This had such an interesting premise that it unfortunately did not live up to. I read up to page 100, then skimmed ahead. I was not impressed.
One of my major issues with this book was the misogyny that seemed endless. The writing was lackluster in places and was monotonous in others, and descriptions were lacking.
There was a whole chapter where attempts were being made to sway Lucas and Chris into returning to the facility where there wasn't a single mention of if they had taken shelter or not, before both boys curl up into sleeping bags and go to sleep. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS. Now, perhaps I missed something but throughout that entire chapter, there wasn't a single mention of anything. It wasn't until the next chapter that I even realized that they were still just in a random clearing in the snowy woods.
In addition to that, there was no sense of urgency. There were several instances of sentences such as ["No," I screamed.] and ["Move," he yelled], the exact circumstances for these exact quotes would be spoilers, but just know that it should have elicited more urgency from both characters.
Overall, it's misogynistic, lackluster and just downright frustrating. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
TW: suicide
Where do I begin...? This had such an interesting premise that it unfortunately did not live up to. I read up to page 100, then skimmed ahead. I was not impressed.
One of my major issues with this book was the misogyny that seemed endless. The writing was lackluster in places and was monotonous in others, and descriptions were lacking.
There was a whole chapter where attempts were being made to sway Lucas and Chris into returning to the facility where there wasn't a single mention of if they had taken shelter or not, before both boys curl up into sleeping bags and go to sleep. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS. Now, perhaps I missed something but throughout that entire chapter, there wasn't a single mention of anything. It wasn't until the next chapter that I even realized that they were still just in a random clearing in the snowy woods.
In addition to that, there was no sense of urgency. There were several instances of sentences such as ["No," I screamed.] and ["Move," he yelled], the exact circumstances for these exact quotes would be spoilers, but just know that it should have elicited more urgency from both characters.
Overall, it's misogynistic, lackluster and just downright frustrating. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
esrazk's review against another edition
2.0
the plot had so much potential but they wasted it... there was literally 1 thing going on in the book. them trying to escape. that's it...
viktorian's review
2.0
Thanks to Netgalley and lux/Llewellyn for the ARC! This didn't affect my review in any way, other than when I got to read the book.
Seriously awesome concept, and a well done main male character and male supporting character, but this book made me sad because with some tweaking, I think it could've been THG, Divergent, and Maze Runner levels. It had SO much potential, but it was weakened by pacing, some missing narrative style, repetitiveness, and overlooking its strengths (Lucas and Chris's friendship, the creepy nature of the facility, the tension with the gene and societal pressures) in favor of the weaker ones (Carly, namely, unnecessarily repeated meta). Also, the epilogue annoyed me so hard.
Maybe more review to come later?
Seriously awesome concept, and a well done main male character and male supporting character, but this book made me sad because with some tweaking, I think it could've been THG, Divergent, and Maze Runner levels. It had SO much potential, but it was weakened by pacing, some missing narrative style, repetitiveness, and overlooking its strengths (Lucas and Chris's friendship, the creepy nature of the facility, the tension with the gene and societal pressures) in favor of the weaker ones (Carly, namely, unnecessarily repeated meta). Also, the epilogue annoyed me so hard.
Maybe more review to come later?
astoriedsoul's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
In the wake of America's suffering from skyrocketing youth violence and crime, scientists have finally discovered the answer to why: the 'warrior' gene, a genetic flaw that predisposes teens to violent acts. To prevent and fix the rise in crime, mandatory detainment of those youths found to have the gene are sent away to research facilities to test whether or not they may become violent. The tests are designed to stack the odds against them, but if they survive, they're reintegrated back into society, usually to devastating ends. Lucas is the next victim of the government's and American public's fear. Having already lost his brother and friends to this inhumane treatment, Lucas must survive for his family's sake. However, soon Lucas becomes wrapped up in a plot to free kids from the centers and expose the truth behind the government's lies they have perpetuated in the name of security.
I must say that Hardwired was quite a fun and exciting read. The action and drama don't stop for a second as Lucas and Chris race to save their friends within the research compound within which they are held prisoner at the government's behest. It's definitely a difficult book to put down (it's short enough to read in one sitting), though I had to take more time with it because of work. If you start this book, plan to not get up until you're finished.
Lucas and Chris are fun, badass characters. Lucas has been through a lot in his life up until the moment the story starts. He's experienced a lot of tragedy, and he knows what fate awaits him if he survives the compound. He seems a real and likeable character, and Chris is a nice sidekick, offering a backbone to Lucas's tendency to care too much about things.
I do have a few complaints about the book, mainly that it lacked in-depth world-building. I wanted to know more about this futuristic version of America. What happened to make the government think it would be okay to imprison the youth of America, without Constitutional oversight, without any moral qualms, and what made the American people in this world follow this path? All we know is that there is a surge in youth crime, but the forced research imprisonment seems extreme. To make this all plausible, the world and development of the background should be fleshed out a lot more.
The government lies, secrets, the research into the gene and how this all came about should also be explored more. Further development of all of this would have made the story much more engaging and believable.
The overall story, or plot, seems incredibly rushed--again, this book was too short. With further development, I feel like this book could be the first in a duology or trilogy. We meet Lucas and Chris, we have a small sense of where they're being held, what's happening to them, and they are able to escape, come back and work to shut down the facility, but it all happens way too quickly. This is perhaps an issue with pacing as well. There's no anticipation or build-up to the end--the epilogue further rushes the story. We need more from Ms. Trembley's side; what did she do to get everyone to listen to her? There's a giant passage of time that is unaccounted for.
Still, this was a fun book, with characters I like, and I will definitely buy a copy of this book. It had a lot of potential that still delivers on this front, but needs development in the overall content of the story. If you want a fun rainy day read, look into this book.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review, which does not influence my opinions.
This review originally appeared on my website: The Literarium
In the wake of America's suffering from skyrocketing youth violence and crime, scientists have finally discovered the answer to why: the 'warrior' gene, a genetic flaw that predisposes teens to violent acts. To prevent and fix the rise in crime, mandatory detainment of those youths found to have the gene are sent away to research facilities to test whether or not they may become violent. The tests are designed to stack the odds against them, but if they survive, they're reintegrated back into society, usually to devastating ends. Lucas is the next victim of the government's and American public's fear. Having already lost his brother and friends to this inhumane treatment, Lucas must survive for his family's sake. However, soon Lucas becomes wrapped up in a plot to free kids from the centers and expose the truth behind the government's lies they have perpetuated in the name of security.
I must say that Hardwired was quite a fun and exciting read. The action and drama don't stop for a second as Lucas and Chris race to save their friends within the research compound within which they are held prisoner at the government's behest. It's definitely a difficult book to put down (it's short enough to read in one sitting), though I had to take more time with it because of work. If you start this book, plan to not get up until you're finished.
Lucas and Chris are fun, badass characters. Lucas has been through a lot in his life up until the moment the story starts. He's experienced a lot of tragedy, and he knows what fate awaits him if he survives the compound. He seems a real and likeable character, and Chris is a nice sidekick, offering a backbone to Lucas's tendency to care too much about things.
I do have a few complaints about the book, mainly that it lacked in-depth world-building. I wanted to know more about this futuristic version of America. What happened to make the government think it would be okay to imprison the youth of America, without Constitutional oversight, without any moral qualms, and what made the American people in this world follow this path? All we know is that there is a surge in youth crime, but the forced research imprisonment seems extreme. To make this all plausible, the world and development of the background should be fleshed out a lot more.
The government lies, secrets, the research into the gene and how this all came about should also be explored more. Further development of all of this would have made the story much more engaging and believable.
The overall story, or plot, seems incredibly rushed--again, this book was too short. With further development, I feel like this book could be the first in a duology or trilogy. We meet Lucas and Chris, we have a small sense of where they're being held, what's happening to them, and they are able to escape, come back and work to shut down the facility, but it all happens way too quickly. This is perhaps an issue with pacing as well. There's no anticipation or build-up to the end--the epilogue further rushes the story. We need more from Ms. Trembley's side; what did she do to get everyone to listen to her? There's a giant passage of time that is unaccounted for.
Still, this was a fun book, with characters I like, and I will definitely buy a copy of this book. It had a lot of potential that still delivers on this front, but needs development in the overall content of the story. If you want a fun rainy day read, look into this book.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review, which does not influence my opinions.
This review originally appeared on my website: The Literarium
kristindowner's review
3.0
Original Post: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-review-hardwired-by-trisha-leaver-and-lindsay-currie/
*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
I want to start by saying I usually find books written by two authors to be difficult to read. Not because either author is bad, but because each one has their own style and sometimes those two tend to clash. But having read a Trisha Leaver story before, I wanted to give it a try on this one. Plus it sounded interesting and had some great cover art. Leaver and Currie delivered us an action packed story of government control, science, and a story of friendship all mixed into one.
Hardwired follows Lucas, a teen who tested positive for a violence-inducing gene said to cause violent outbursts in humans. Everyone with this gene is put into a special facility to rehabilitate them. But it turns out that those who do get out aren't all that positive and chummy. Some outsiders make a planned attack on the facility because they do not believe in what scientist and the government say is happening inside.
Basically... lots of action. The first part of the book is a bit slower, in my opinion. It's a lot of background and story building for what's to come. While it's not boring, it's a bit slower than what you are expecting when going into this book. It picks up nicely in the middle and there are some twists and turns throughout. Some I expected and others completely threw me off guard. I liked the action and the intense, suspenseful moments. I loved the relationship between Lucas and Chris. It was one of the bright spots throughout the book. Their bond kept you hopeful for good things in the end. And I enjoyed the writing style of Leaver and Currie in "Hardwired". I wished there was more character development, or getting to know a little bit more about who they were and where they came from. There were a lot of characters we met and learned nothing about in the end. Even with those few let downs, this book was a good read and I'd recommend it to someone wanting a little entertainment. Overall, not bad.
*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
I want to start by saying I usually find books written by two authors to be difficult to read. Not because either author is bad, but because each one has their own style and sometimes those two tend to clash. But having read a Trisha Leaver story before, I wanted to give it a try on this one. Plus it sounded interesting and had some great cover art. Leaver and Currie delivered us an action packed story of government control, science, and a story of friendship all mixed into one.
Hardwired follows Lucas, a teen who tested positive for a violence-inducing gene said to cause violent outbursts in humans. Everyone with this gene is put into a special facility to rehabilitate them. But it turns out that those who do get out aren't all that positive and chummy. Some outsiders make a planned attack on the facility because they do not believe in what scientist and the government say is happening inside.
Basically... lots of action. The first part of the book is a bit slower, in my opinion. It's a lot of background and story building for what's to come. While it's not boring, it's a bit slower than what you are expecting when going into this book. It picks up nicely in the middle and there are some twists and turns throughout. Some I expected and others completely threw me off guard. I liked the action and the intense, suspenseful moments. I loved the relationship between Lucas and Chris. It was one of the bright spots throughout the book. Their bond kept you hopeful for good things in the end. And I enjoyed the writing style of Leaver and Currie in "Hardwired". I wished there was more character development, or getting to know a little bit more about who they were and where they came from. There were a lot of characters we met and learned nothing about in the end. Even with those few let downs, this book was a good read and I'd recommend it to someone wanting a little entertainment. Overall, not bad.
esrazk's review
2.0
the plot had so much potential but they wasted it... there was literally 1 thing going on in the book. them trying to escape. that's it...
thatlibrarynerd's review
2.0
Give it a miss.
Editing, pacing, and atmosphere were major weaknesses in this book and they were distracting. A basic read-through should have caught punctuation problems and basic misuse of homophones. That, or someone really did get "doped up on heroine".
As for pacing, most of the book is spent on dialogue scenes. Regardless of what's going on, there's a dialogue scene. Several chapters are devoted to one conversation early in the book.
Atmosphere... I'll grant you that I read this in daylight, but there was simply no urgency. Readers are informed of the dangers, but it's difficult to feel--because don't worry, characters scared for their lives will still hold a conversation.
Editing, pacing, and atmosphere were major weaknesses in this book and they were distracting. A basic read-through should have caught punctuation problems and basic misuse of homophones. That, or someone really did get "doped up on heroine".
As for pacing, most of the book is spent on dialogue scenes. Regardless of what's going on, there's a dialogue scene. Several chapters are devoted to one conversation early in the book.
Atmosphere... I'll grant you that I read this in daylight, but there was simply no urgency. Readers are informed of the dangers, but it's difficult to feel--because don't worry, characters scared for their lives will still hold a conversation.
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