Book Review: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

Author: Emily Suvada

Series: This Mortal Coil #1
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date:  November 7th 2017
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: RivetedLit
Blurb (from Goodreads):

In this gripping debut novel, seventeen-year-old Cat must use her gene-hacking skills to decode her late father’s message concealing a vaccine to a horrifying plague.

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

I was kindly encouraged to read this book by not one, not two, but FOUR different friends. Clo, Haley, Kal, and Soph have all instructed me to read this book, and when four bloggers tell you to read a book, you don't resist it, you don't put up a fight, you just read it. I am very glad that I listened to these awesome people.

Book Review: Shadows and Dreams by Matthew Cody

Author: Matthew Cody
Series: ReMade #1.1
Audience: +16
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Serial Box Publishing
Release Date: September 14th 2016
My Rating: 3.5 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

You live. You love. You Die. Now RUN. ReMade is a thrilling sci-fi adventure that will take readers past the boundaries of time, space, and even death.

This is the 1st episode of ReMade, a 15-episode serial from Serial Box Publishing. This episode was written by Matthew Cody.

Holden Black never imagined his crush knew his name, much less that he’d suddenly be driving her to a party. But life can change in a second, especially when you’re 16. A look. A flash of headlights. A scream. What do you do when the unexpected jumps straight to the unbelievable, the dream becomes a nightmare, and waking changes everything except your heart’s desire?

ReMade Season One: In one moment the lives of twenty-three teenagers are forever changed, and it’s not just because they all happen to die. “ReMade” in a world they barely recognize – one with robots, space elevators, and unchecked jungle – they must work together to survive. They came from different places, backgrounds, and families, and now they might be the last people on earth. Lost meets The Maze Runner in this exciting serial adventure.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and Serial Box Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of this review in any way.

I've never read a serial before. It's a new concept for me, and since I love TV shows, I thought it would be awesome to see how that concept could be applied to a book.

Shadows and Dreams is a pretty interesting start for this story. I wasn't really sure exactly what was happening, at first. I felt as confused as Holden for a while there, not knowing what is true and what isn't. Then it all became a little clearer as the story went on.

Just like you would expect in a TV show episode, a lot of stuff happens. I think I was most confused about the fact that there aren't many things that were explained. It kind of felt like a pilot episode, not that that's a bad thing. I did, however, feel like the action moved a little bit too fast towards the end, compared to how long the actual book is. I wouldn't have had any issue with the pacing had the book been even 10-15 pages longer, because I would have had more time to get into the story, and to believe that Holden and his companions really were in danger from those robots.

I'm curious enough about what happens next to pick up the second "episode" and read it. I am also intrigued by the idea that each episode has a new author, or at least some of them. I am hoping we'll get to learn more about Holden and his companions, not just get introduced to new characters in each issue. All in all, a pretty interesting way to tell a story, and I'm going to keep reading to find out more.