Helpful Score: 1
Let me point out that I do not usually finish a book now unless I just have to find out how it finally unfolds. The ending of this book remained a mystery until the end which kept me reading. That being said, I was only marginally impressed. Like so many books these days, it seems endings are left open so the author can write future books to continue the story. I am probably not going to worry about watching for any future books to continue this story. Wish I had more glowing words to say, but I was just not impressed.
Wow! What a book that took me out of my comfort zone and I loved it!! A semi dystopian book with a love story twist, what more could a girl ask for? Written in the form of journal entries and a letter to a child, I connected with Joseph our main character from the beginning and was just waiting for him to find the love that would change his life.
Before you get to the love story, you must read quite a bit of guts and gore. If you have a weak stomach for death, then this may not be the book for you. But if you can handle it, there is more to this story than a man who is killing people. The bigger story of trying to find where one fits into a bigger picture is something that everyone tackles at one point in their life. Was he on the side of good or evil? Did we find out or do I still wonder? This made the book deep and it made me fall in love with the story even more.
Head to your closest store and grab this one. I noticed in Goodreads it said #1 - so is it the first in a series, I sure hope so!
Before you get to the love story, you must read quite a bit of guts and gore. If you have a weak stomach for death, then this may not be the book for you. But if you can handle it, there is more to this story than a man who is killing people. The bigger story of trying to find where one fits into a bigger picture is something that everyone tackles at one point in their life. Was he on the side of good or evil? Did we find out or do I still wonder? This made the book deep and it made me fall in love with the story even more.
Head to your closest store and grab this one. I noticed in Goodreads it said #1 - so is it the first in a series, I sure hope so!
All wars have rules!
1. No killing innocent bystanders.
2. No killing anyone under the age of eighteen.
3. Have a child before you are eighteen, the child must be turned over to the other side.
BREAK THE RULES YOU BECOME THE TARGET!
Children are indoctrinated at the age of 16 and begin their war training. On their eighteenth birthday they become the hunters and the hunted in the war of "us" vs. "them".
The war has gone on for generations, fought all over the world, with two distinct sides "good" and "evil". The terms vary based on which side you are on. Reasons for the war change depending on who you ask. Every killing is done in way to look random or like an accident right out in the field of innocents. Plus the "us" and the "them" are not even clearly identified by those fighting the war. There is one rule everyone knows, Paranoia will keep you alive.
When I finished this book, I said "Wow" and then sat back to contemplate the story I had just read. The news is filled daily with crime, scandal, and war. Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, gang wars, drug wars, political wars, but to think a war like the one described in this book never entered my mind. Many wars are entered into without exit strategies or based on unclear information but the fact that this war has divided two factions without even a clear inkling WHY? scares me more than any of the other wars.
This book takes us with Joe on his journey in this war. It is definitely an intense suspense thriller that at times will have you on the edge of your seat, but it is so much more than that. Children of Paranoia is a book that will make you stop and think.
What really knocked me for a loop is that this is Trevor Shane's first novel. He has created the character of Joe with so many layers, it is almost like peeling an onion and there is still more. He also surrounds Joe with other wonderful characters that the reader becomes invested in with a few short sentences. Joe's mother is just one of those characters, her actions were both shocking and understandable.
This story is heart stopping one moment and tear jerking in another. Shane has created a masterpiece you will pick up and not put down until the final word and then you will say "Wow" and sit back contemplate this story and then want to tell your friends all about it. Just like I did!!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Dutton, a division of The Penguin Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
1. No killing innocent bystanders.
2. No killing anyone under the age of eighteen.
3. Have a child before you are eighteen, the child must be turned over to the other side.
BREAK THE RULES YOU BECOME THE TARGET!
Children are indoctrinated at the age of 16 and begin their war training. On their eighteenth birthday they become the hunters and the hunted in the war of "us" vs. "them".
The war has gone on for generations, fought all over the world, with two distinct sides "good" and "evil". The terms vary based on which side you are on. Reasons for the war change depending on who you ask. Every killing is done in way to look random or like an accident right out in the field of innocents. Plus the "us" and the "them" are not even clearly identified by those fighting the war. There is one rule everyone knows, Paranoia will keep you alive.
When I finished this book, I said "Wow" and then sat back to contemplate the story I had just read. The news is filled daily with crime, scandal, and war. Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, gang wars, drug wars, political wars, but to think a war like the one described in this book never entered my mind. Many wars are entered into without exit strategies or based on unclear information but the fact that this war has divided two factions without even a clear inkling WHY? scares me more than any of the other wars.
This book takes us with Joe on his journey in this war. It is definitely an intense suspense thriller that at times will have you on the edge of your seat, but it is so much more than that. Children of Paranoia is a book that will make you stop and think.
What really knocked me for a loop is that this is Trevor Shane's first novel. He has created the character of Joe with so many layers, it is almost like peeling an onion and there is still more. He also surrounds Joe with other wonderful characters that the reader becomes invested in with a few short sentences. Joe's mother is just one of those characters, her actions were both shocking and understandable.
This story is heart stopping one moment and tear jerking in another. Shane has created a masterpiece you will pick up and not put down until the final word and then you will say "Wow" and sit back contemplate this story and then want to tell your friends all about it. Just like I did!!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Dutton, a division of The Penguin Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
The topic was a bit far fetched. However, The author drew you into the story so you believed every word. This book was very well-written and a terrific read.
