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The Ambrosia Sequence #1
Hope's Daughter
Life should be simple for Cassie. For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have. Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her.As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Cusick-Jones
8 books67 followersAfter graduating from The University of Sheffield with an English Literature Masters in 2003, Melanie has been writing fiction - time permitting - ever since.
'Hope's Daughter', released in December 2011, was Melanie's debut novel and the first release from The Ambrosia Sequence, a YA dystopian series. The companion book 'The Rainbow Maker's Tale' was released in late 2013.
Children's book 'Faris and Jack' came out in 2016, bringing magic, horses and Hoofers together in an exciting new adventure story. Three further books in the 'Faris' series are planned, the next due for release in early 2018.
Melanie's latest YA project - due in 2023 - is 'Cirque de la Nuit' a stand-alone paranormal novel, before she returns to completing The Ambrosia Sequence, with three further books.
When she's not writing Melanie enjoys the wet weather of the north of England with her dogs or disappearing into a book for a few hours (no surprise there then).
'Hope's Daughter', released in December 2011, was Melanie's debut novel and the first release from The Ambrosia Sequence, a YA dystopian series. The companion book 'The Rainbow Maker's Tale' was released in late 2013.
Children's book 'Faris and Jack' came out in 2016, bringing magic, horses and Hoofers together in an exciting new adventure story. Three further books in the 'Faris' series are planned, the next due for release in early 2018.
Melanie's latest YA project - due in 2023 - is 'Cirque de la Nuit' a stand-alone paranormal novel, before she returns to completing The Ambrosia Sequence, with three further books.
When she's not writing Melanie enjoys the wet weather of the north of England with her dogs or disappearing into a book for a few hours (no surprise there then).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 15, 2017
This review can also be found on my blog: A Match Made in Heaven. It is also published on Pages From My Thoughts.
This book was an extremely pleasant surprise. It was wonderful! It started out calm and sweet, with beautiful prose and a pleasant tone. In that respect it reminded me of Matched (which I loved by the way). But it didnt take me long, by the time I started the second chapter, to realize that this was not Matched. This was its own unique story. I started to notice small things that didnt seem right. Like Cassie's strangely distant but extremely interested parents who questioned her every action. The tone quickly changed to something creepy and uneasy. There was something seriously wrong with Cassie's world.
Hope's Daughter is set in the distant future, after Earth was destroyed by global warming, and the few surviving humans live on a space station named Hope. The population is separated for living quarters according to family situation. Family Quarter for families with children, Married Quarter for those without children, and Retired Quarter for those whose children are married. As Cassie approaches the age where marriage is a possibility, she realizes others around her are beginning to disappear. They have "eloped" to the Married Quarter without a word or a good-bye. She knows this is the way it has always been, but now that it is happening to her friends she realizes how wrong it is. Then she meets Balik. After the barcode on her and Balik's wrists turn from black to red, they have no idea what caused it, but they know what it means. They're next.
For a good three quarters of this book my mind was racing, trying to make sense of the strange series of events. A constant mystery and sense of impending danger. I could not put it down! And Balik was great. At first I just saw that he was withdrawn and quiet, but thoughtful and sweet. A nice combo, but its been done before. But I eventually realized that I had misjudged him. I was really impressed with him as he opened up to Cassie, and I realized that the version of him I saw at first, was just the version he showed the public to hide the fact that he was dissatisfied with his world. Balik was willing to ask Cassie challenging questions, forcing her to look at the world differently. He is strong and confident, and physically capable, when no one else in their world is. These qualities are even more impressive when you consider their upbringing on the station. Balik was pretty much a godsend, just what Cassie needed to get her through the hard times ahead, to make her the person she needed to be, and just what I needed too. ;)
And the ending did not disappoint. I knew it would be a make or break ending, after all the questions that were raised. But thankfully all was explained in an interesting, if not entirely shocking, way. The immediate threat was removed and I was pleased with the ending, but it left just enough hanging to make me want to come back for more. I am very much looking forward to The Rainbow Maker's Tale (the events of Hope's Daughter from Balik's POV) and the sequel, Outlanders!
This book was an extremely pleasant surprise. It was wonderful! It started out calm and sweet, with beautiful prose and a pleasant tone. In that respect it reminded me of Matched (which I loved by the way). But it didnt take me long, by the time I started the second chapter, to realize that this was not Matched. This was its own unique story. I started to notice small things that didnt seem right. Like Cassie's strangely distant but extremely interested parents who questioned her every action. The tone quickly changed to something creepy and uneasy. There was something seriously wrong with Cassie's world.
Hope's Daughter is set in the distant future, after Earth was destroyed by global warming, and the few surviving humans live on a space station named Hope. The population is separated for living quarters according to family situation. Family Quarter for families with children, Married Quarter for those without children, and Retired Quarter for those whose children are married. As Cassie approaches the age where marriage is a possibility, she realizes others around her are beginning to disappear. They have "eloped" to the Married Quarter without a word or a good-bye. She knows this is the way it has always been, but now that it is happening to her friends she realizes how wrong it is. Then she meets Balik. After the barcode on her and Balik's wrists turn from black to red, they have no idea what caused it, but they know what it means. They're next.
For a good three quarters of this book my mind was racing, trying to make sense of the strange series of events. A constant mystery and sense of impending danger. I could not put it down! And Balik was great. At first I just saw that he was withdrawn and quiet, but thoughtful and sweet. A nice combo, but its been done before. But I eventually realized that I had misjudged him. I was really impressed with him as he opened up to Cassie, and I realized that the version of him I saw at first, was just the version he showed the public to hide the fact that he was dissatisfied with his world. Balik was willing to ask Cassie challenging questions, forcing her to look at the world differently. He is strong and confident, and physically capable, when no one else in their world is. These qualities are even more impressive when you consider their upbringing on the station. Balik was pretty much a godsend, just what Cassie needed to get her through the hard times ahead, to make her the person she needed to be, and just what I needed too. ;)
And the ending did not disappoint. I knew it would be a make or break ending, after all the questions that were raised. But thankfully all was explained in an interesting, if not entirely shocking, way. The immediate threat was removed and I was pleased with the ending, but it left just enough hanging to make me want to come back for more. I am very much looking forward to The Rainbow Maker's Tale (the events of Hope's Daughter from Balik's POV) and the sequel, Outlanders!
August 5, 2013
Hey everyone! I apologize for not posting in such a long time, but school will start in two weeks and I will be back to one book review every one-two days. My school library is full of exciting new reads, and I am most excited to read Ten by Gretchen McNeil. Also, Allegiant is coming out VERY soon, which you all know I am so excited for.... also United We Spy by Ally Carter and The One by Kiera Cass will be released within the next ten months. Anyway, enough of my blabbering.
This review, along with all my others, may be seen at: www.enchantedbyabook.blogspot.com
Book Title: Hope's Daughter
Author: Melanie Cusick-Jones
Number of Pages: 390
Genres: YA Fiction, Mystery-Romance, Dystopia
Books Like It: Uglies, Across the Universe
Favorite Quote:
“Oh! I know what I wanted to tell you – you’ll never guess who Thomas is chasing after now…”
Hmmm, never guess or can’t be bothered to guess – it was a hard call. I yawned again, glancing at the bed, which was inviting me to clamber back inside and pull the sheet over my head. So tempting, but not practical.”
Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:
For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have.
Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her.
As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined.
My Summary:
Hope's Daughter is yet another dystopian read, and I must thank the author and the Young Adult Dystopian Book Club on Goodreads for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review. And to be honest, this book did not excel my expectations. It was an average read, but nothing too unique.
Cassie's world is a complete fake. As the human population began to decrease rapidly, society took action and put the rest of the human survivors on a spaceship called Space Station Hope. Everything is controlled, including the meals. Married couples and retired citizens may enjoy peace in other sections of the spaceship. The sky and grass and rocks might not be real, but it makes Cassie happy, and she has always trusted the world she has lived in.
Until she meets Balik, a shy but gorgeous boy she has grown up with who surprises her one day when he begins a friendly conversation. As Cassie spends more and more time with Balik, their relationship becomes something more than friendship. That is when Balik starts telling her things that make her begin to question the society she has been raised to believe.
Soon people Cassie knows start mysteriously disappearing, and her parents start acting strange. She also has a strange dream that has haunted her...... but the thing that Cassie should be mostly worried about is what is happening to her.
Cassie is hearing thoughts that are not her own.
This average YA read was quite intriguing, and I was constantly wondering what some of the creepy parts in the book meant and how the author was going to explain it. Sometimes I was surprised. However, that was not always the case. A lot of things in this book did just not work for me. I hope the series redeems itself in the second and third book. This is a book that I would recommend for readers who have a lot of time on their hands, because some parts required a lot of patience to push through. Although I was grateful for the copy of the book, I was not entirely pleased with it.
Pros: Although many readers of this book might beg to differ with my opinion, I found this book eerily creepy. I love creepy books, and especially found one of Cassie's nightmares to be bone chilling. Although it was not fully developed, the main idea of this book was brilliant and I enjoyed it.
Cons: The romance side to this story was completely predictable, which is not exciting for me. At times I felt the romance was moving too fast for the characters and I to keep up with. In fact, most of the romantic tension was built in Cassie's boy obsessed day dreams. Some parts of this book were very cheesy. However, every book has its flaws and as a book reviewer I will do my best to overlook them. :)
Cautions for parents: Mild language.
Review: 3 stars.
This review, along with all my others, may be seen at: www.enchantedbyabook.blogspot.com
Book Title: Hope's Daughter
Author: Melanie Cusick-Jones
Number of Pages: 390
Genres: YA Fiction, Mystery-Romance, Dystopia
Books Like It: Uglies, Across the Universe
Favorite Quote:
“Oh! I know what I wanted to tell you – you’ll never guess who Thomas is chasing after now…”
Hmmm, never guess or can’t be bothered to guess – it was a hard call. I yawned again, glancing at the bed, which was inviting me to clamber back inside and pull the sheet over my head. So tempting, but not practical.”
Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:
For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have.
Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her.
As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined.
My Summary:
Hope's Daughter is yet another dystopian read, and I must thank the author and the Young Adult Dystopian Book Club on Goodreads for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review. And to be honest, this book did not excel my expectations. It was an average read, but nothing too unique.
Cassie's world is a complete fake. As the human population began to decrease rapidly, society took action and put the rest of the human survivors on a spaceship called Space Station Hope. Everything is controlled, including the meals. Married couples and retired citizens may enjoy peace in other sections of the spaceship. The sky and grass and rocks might not be real, but it makes Cassie happy, and she has always trusted the world she has lived in.
Until she meets Balik, a shy but gorgeous boy she has grown up with who surprises her one day when he begins a friendly conversation. As Cassie spends more and more time with Balik, their relationship becomes something more than friendship. That is when Balik starts telling her things that make her begin to question the society she has been raised to believe.
Soon people Cassie knows start mysteriously disappearing, and her parents start acting strange. She also has a strange dream that has haunted her...... but the thing that Cassie should be mostly worried about is what is happening to her.
Cassie is hearing thoughts that are not her own.
This average YA read was quite intriguing, and I was constantly wondering what some of the creepy parts in the book meant and how the author was going to explain it. Sometimes I was surprised. However, that was not always the case. A lot of things in this book did just not work for me. I hope the series redeems itself in the second and third book. This is a book that I would recommend for readers who have a lot of time on their hands, because some parts required a lot of patience to push through. Although I was grateful for the copy of the book, I was not entirely pleased with it.
Pros: Although many readers of this book might beg to differ with my opinion, I found this book eerily creepy. I love creepy books, and especially found one of Cassie's nightmares to be bone chilling. Although it was not fully developed, the main idea of this book was brilliant and I enjoyed it.
Cons: The romance side to this story was completely predictable, which is not exciting for me. At times I felt the romance was moving too fast for the characters and I to keep up with. In fact, most of the romantic tension was built in Cassie's boy obsessed day dreams. Some parts of this book were very cheesy. However, every book has its flaws and as a book reviewer I will do my best to overlook them. :)
Cautions for parents: Mild language.
Review: 3 stars.
February 6, 2012
Hello everyone, I was sent a copy of this book from the author to review. I got sent it a while ago so sorry for the delay but I have been unusually busy. So many books so little time. Anyway Hope's Daughter is a dystopia/sci-fi novel but don't be put of by the genre. Usually when someone says the word sci-fi I automatically picture Star Wars or something like that but this is completely different. Hope's Daughter follows a young girl called Cassie as she lives her "normal" life in a perfect world. She has always believed everything she was told was true, that is until she meets Balik. When I say meets I mean they've known each other a long time but never properly. Balik has doubts about their supposedly perfect world, but who will be right?
Here's the synopsis:
"Life should be simple for Cassie.
For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have. Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her. As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined."
Personally I really enjoyed this book, it was completely different to anything I had read before. It was really interesting and the storyline really raised many questions in my head which I got the answers to later on in the book. It's one of those books that you try and work out before the ending. I admit halfway through I thought I had worked it out but when I got to the end I realised I was partly right but the true depth of the story I had no clue about. I would recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy intriguing, complicated stories. I would rate this book 4.6/5 stars.
If you want me to review your book or want to do a guest review don't hesitate to contact me.
Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK
Originally posted at: www.emily-confessionsofabookaholic.bl...
Here's the synopsis:
"Life should be simple for Cassie.
For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have. Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her. As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined."
Personally I really enjoyed this book, it was completely different to anything I had read before. It was really interesting and the storyline really raised many questions in my head which I got the answers to later on in the book. It's one of those books that you try and work out before the ending. I admit halfway through I thought I had worked it out but when I got to the end I realised I was partly right but the true depth of the story I had no clue about. I would recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy intriguing, complicated stories. I would rate this book 4.6/5 stars.
If you want me to review your book or want to do a guest review don't hesitate to contact me.
Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK
Originally posted at: www.emily-confessionsofabookaholic.bl...
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May 31, 2016Obviously can't rate this as it's my book - but I'll share a little about it if that's OK.
I started writing Hope's Daughter in April 2009. I'd been reading a lot of sci-fi stuff at the time and had never written anything in that genre myself (I'd stuck to fantasy mainly before then - all unpublished), so I thought I'd give it a go, albeit in a 'lightly' sci-fi setting.
The main features of the story were set quite clearly in my head early on, but the actual events and some of the plots twists surprised me, even as I was writing them - especially the changes to my planned ending and the activity of the Married Quarter - I'll save that for a SPOILER discussion if anyone's interested.
I knew Cassie and Balik pretty much straight off - they were both very 'flesh and blood' to me before they started going through the events of the book, which certainly made it easier to write for them as you get a feel for how they'd react to things. Balik is probably my ideal kind of guy... Obviously a handsome chap lol; smart, but savvy and practical with a sarcastic twist, and who likes his girls pretty much the same :)
So that's it really - my publishing debut - I hope you enjoy it - and if you'd like to talk about anything relating to the book please get in touch.
Mel x
PS - a vote for this on 'YA Debuts 2012' list would be nice if you enjoy the book :)
I started writing Hope's Daughter in April 2009. I'd been reading a lot of sci-fi stuff at the time and had never written anything in that genre myself (I'd stuck to fantasy mainly before then - all unpublished), so I thought I'd give it a go, albeit in a 'lightly' sci-fi setting.
The main features of the story were set quite clearly in my head early on, but the actual events and some of the plots twists surprised me, even as I was writing them - especially the changes to my planned ending and the activity of the Married Quarter - I'll save that for a SPOILER discussion if anyone's interested.
I knew Cassie and Balik pretty much straight off - they were both very 'flesh and blood' to me before they started going through the events of the book, which certainly made it easier to write for them as you get a feel for how they'd react to things. Balik is probably my ideal kind of guy... Obviously a handsome chap lol; smart, but savvy and practical with a sarcastic twist, and who likes his girls pretty much the same :)
So that's it really - my publishing debut - I hope you enjoy it - and if you'd like to talk about anything relating to the book please get in touch.
Mel x
PS - a vote for this on 'YA Debuts 2012' list would be nice if you enjoy the book :)
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
I want to thank Melanie Cusick-Jones for giving me a copy of this book to review.
Cassie has always felt that she is the same as everyone else on the SS Hope until she talks to her class mate Balik and she feels that he is the only one who understands her, meanwhile teenagers are eloping without saying goodbye to their friends and while investigating this Cassie finds that she has a unique ability that could change her life forever.
Hope’s daughter is a really good YA dystopia and while at first is seems not very original, it is actually fascinating and really creepy at the same time. This book has a really good pace although a bit too fast at the end and has a good mix of romance, action and suspense.
I really like Cassie as she is nice and relatable and acts realistically when things in this book happen. Balik is a really good character who is a bit mysterious at the beginning and as we go through the book we see he is really brave and caring.
The one thing I feel that is missing in this book is that I could not connect to the secondary but I feel that Cusick-Jones will improve on this in her next book. I would recommend Hope’s Daughter to people who like Young Adult dystopian books.
I want to thank Melanie Cusick-Jones for giving me a copy of this book to review.
Cassie has always felt that she is the same as everyone else on the SS Hope until she talks to her class mate Balik and she feels that he is the only one who understands her, meanwhile teenagers are eloping without saying goodbye to their friends and while investigating this Cassie finds that she has a unique ability that could change her life forever.
Hope’s daughter is a really good YA dystopia and while at first is seems not very original, it is actually fascinating and really creepy at the same time. This book has a really good pace although a bit too fast at the end and has a good mix of romance, action and suspense.
I really like Cassie as she is nice and relatable and acts realistically when things in this book happen. Balik is a really good character who is a bit mysterious at the beginning and as we go through the book we see he is really brave and caring.
The one thing I feel that is missing in this book is that I could not connect to the secondary but I feel that Cusick-Jones will improve on this in her next book. I would recommend Hope’s Daughter to people who like Young Adult dystopian books.
September 26, 2012
From the very first couple of pages I knew this book was going to be great. It sucked me in right away. Malanie Cusick-Jones has a very distinctive writing style and I think others will really enjoy her voice. The books itself was really great. It was well paced, interesting, and even has a few twist you might not see coming. I really loved the character development.
I definitely look forward to the next in this series. Give it a try if you are a fan of dystopians or sci-fo you are sure to love it!
I definitely look forward to the next in this series. Give it a try if you are a fan of dystopians or sci-fo you are sure to love it!
August 12, 2013
*I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
How? I mean When? Did I get sucked into this book? At first I was a bit confused. But starting chapter 3 things got a little better and grew even more with each page.
*Spoilers Alert *
The book starts with Cassie video taping (recording) what happened to her and Balik (who was holding the screen) and how they ended up on the shuttle with their friend's dead body (Joel). Then we go back and we live what she was saying till the moment she, Balik, and dead Joel got on the shuttle.
Cassie is quite the normal girl (as normal as being controlled by aliens without knowing then consumed by them as things could ever get) living with her parents (who are emotional detached and actually more Collectives than human) oh The Collective is the name of the aliens. Cassie hears voices and sees dreams, dreams that don't belong to her and voices that are actually thoughts of others around her.
She loses her friends (Ami, Patrick, Karl, Rachel, Olivia, and Joel) throughout the story. She meets Balik who, unlike everyone else, questions everything and likes to know the hows of things. He learns about Cassie's "talent" to hear people's thoughts and see what's happening to others and helps her "work" on it.
Through out the book we realize that Cassie has the same abilities as the aliens (here I was a bit mad. I didn't want the story to be like human boy falls in love with alien girl who doesn't know she's alien and they save the world b/c of the love they have for each other even though they are different and are supposed enemies. But thank God Jones was smarter than that.) Cassie is 1/2 alien! Phew!
At the end of the book we meet "father". One of The Architects (the strongest of The Collectives) who is the other 1/2 of Cassie. He helps her save Balik (oh ya he gets captured b/c it was time for him and Cassie to be consumed) and sends them on the shuttle to find home, to find Earth.
But the story was much much more than that! It spoke of how love can be an antidote (Literally) to everything. But with love comes hate and jealousy. Jones wrote a slow paced, brain evoking, finger itching book with the idea that with the flaws and the destructive thinking we humans possess we are capable or surviving; we do so through our love for one another.
The name of the book gave me (and I'm sure everyone else) the thought that Cassie is the ships's daughter; a hero from Hope the ship. But no!! She is the daughter of one man's (or in this case alien) hope! She's the daughter of a human being who brought and taught feelings to an empty can (so to speak) with being herself, simply by being human. So really, Cassie is the 2nd generation hope for human kind, for earth, and for her father who wants to do right after so much wrong.
This is a really great story and an amazing message. The book is slow paced, but with tons of things to look forward to. Jones wrote a story making me (and some others) take our time reading and enjoying.
I am glad to have gotten the chance to read Hope's Daughter and at the end of the day this book left me wondering "if aliens were able to use our (human's) love against us. If they take a hold of our hate what will they do then?"
How? I mean When? Did I get sucked into this book? At first I was a bit confused. But starting chapter 3 things got a little better and grew even more with each page.
*Spoilers Alert *
The book starts with Cassie video taping (recording) what happened to her and Balik (who was holding the screen) and how they ended up on the shuttle with their friend's dead body (Joel). Then we go back and we live what she was saying till the moment she, Balik, and dead Joel got on the shuttle.
Cassie is quite the normal girl (as normal as being controlled by aliens without knowing then consumed by them as things could ever get) living with her parents (who are emotional detached and actually more Collectives than human) oh The Collective is the name of the aliens. Cassie hears voices and sees dreams, dreams that don't belong to her and voices that are actually thoughts of others around her.
She loses her friends (Ami, Patrick, Karl, Rachel, Olivia, and Joel) throughout the story. She meets Balik who, unlike everyone else, questions everything and likes to know the hows of things. He learns about Cassie's "talent" to hear people's thoughts and see what's happening to others and helps her "work" on it.
Through out the book we realize that Cassie has the same abilities as the aliens (here I was a bit mad. I didn't want the story to be like human boy falls in love with alien girl who doesn't know she's alien and they save the world b/c of the love they have for each other even though they are different and are supposed enemies. But thank God Jones was smarter than that.) Cassie is 1/2 alien! Phew!
At the end of the book we meet "father". One of The Architects (the strongest of The Collectives) who is the other 1/2 of Cassie. He helps her save Balik (oh ya he gets captured b/c it was time for him and Cassie to be consumed) and sends them on the shuttle to find home, to find Earth.
But the story was much much more than that! It spoke of how love can be an antidote (Literally) to everything. But with love comes hate and jealousy. Jones wrote a slow paced, brain evoking, finger itching book with the idea that with the flaws and the destructive thinking we humans possess we are capable or surviving; we do so through our love for one another.
The name of the book gave me (and I'm sure everyone else) the thought that Cassie is the ships's daughter; a hero from Hope the ship. But no!! She is the daughter of one man's (or in this case alien) hope! She's the daughter of a human being who brought and taught feelings to an empty can (so to speak) with being herself, simply by being human. So really, Cassie is the 2nd generation hope for human kind, for earth, and for her father who wants to do right after so much wrong.
This is a really great story and an amazing message. The book is slow paced, but with tons of things to look forward to. Jones wrote a story making me (and some others) take our time reading and enjoying.
I am glad to have gotten the chance to read Hope's Daughter and at the end of the day this book left me wondering "if aliens were able to use our (human's) love against us. If they take a hold of our hate what will they do then?"
March 25, 2012
This was a really unique and different spin on the sci-fi dystopian. It was a bit sluggish on the get-go, but once the story picked up I really enjoyed it. The space station concept wasn't necessarily original, but the meaning behind it and the environment that the people lived in was definitely something new.
Cassie lives on Space Staton Hope, where everything is cookie-cutter identical throughout. The people live in zones, in apartments that all look the same, where everyone takes the same vitamins, and every family has just one child. Families live together until the children grow up and fall in love, at which point they move on and 'elope' to the Married Quarter, while the parents move to the Retirement Quarter. Cassie doesn't think to question any of this until a shy classmate of hers named Balik suddenly decides to open up to her on their last day of studies. He plants a seed of doubt in her mind about what they could be missing in the sheltered, monitored life on the space station. As they spend more time together, Balik opens Cassie's eyes to some questionable discoveries he's made, while Cassie herself tries to come to grips with her strange ability to hear people's thoughts. Could there be something behind the secrets and lies, and can Cassie use her ability to learn more about the space station?....
I wasn't sure what to think of Cassie at first. Much of the first chapters were crammed full of her thoughts, primarily, and it was a lot of her observations and self-doubt. She was confused about what to do for her placement, feeling like she wasn't going to fit in anywhere. Her parents were acting oddly, which didn't help her situation. I was relieved when the placements had her working with Balik, because I loved his character. I was drawn to him right away, I liked his deep thoughts and curiosity with what was going on around them. Cassie was suddenly much more interesting when they got to interact and find out what they meant to each other. I loved the romance between them, it was realistically slow to develop but kept progressing despite all of the uncertainty around them.
As the story developed and Balik revealed how much he had discovered about their 'world', I couldn't wait to figure out what was behind all the monitoring and odd behavior. I guessed part of what was behind it pretty early on, but I definitely wasn't expecting the full reveal. It was a disturbing but original plot twist, and I loved it! The ending was great, I love the idea that there's hope there but Cassie now has some serious hurdles to get through in her future. I'm excited to see what happens next!!
Cassie lives on Space Staton Hope, where everything is cookie-cutter identical throughout. The people live in zones, in apartments that all look the same, where everyone takes the same vitamins, and every family has just one child. Families live together until the children grow up and fall in love, at which point they move on and 'elope' to the Married Quarter, while the parents move to the Retirement Quarter. Cassie doesn't think to question any of this until a shy classmate of hers named Balik suddenly decides to open up to her on their last day of studies. He plants a seed of doubt in her mind about what they could be missing in the sheltered, monitored life on the space station. As they spend more time together, Balik opens Cassie's eyes to some questionable discoveries he's made, while Cassie herself tries to come to grips with her strange ability to hear people's thoughts. Could there be something behind the secrets and lies, and can Cassie use her ability to learn more about the space station?....
I wasn't sure what to think of Cassie at first. Much of the first chapters were crammed full of her thoughts, primarily, and it was a lot of her observations and self-doubt. She was confused about what to do for her placement, feeling like she wasn't going to fit in anywhere. Her parents were acting oddly, which didn't help her situation. I was relieved when the placements had her working with Balik, because I loved his character. I was drawn to him right away, I liked his deep thoughts and curiosity with what was going on around them. Cassie was suddenly much more interesting when they got to interact and find out what they meant to each other. I loved the romance between them, it was realistically slow to develop but kept progressing despite all of the uncertainty around them.
As the story developed and Balik revealed how much he had discovered about their 'world', I couldn't wait to figure out what was behind all the monitoring and odd behavior. I guessed part of what was behind it pretty early on, but I definitely wasn't expecting the full reveal. It was a disturbing but original plot twist, and I loved it! The ending was great, I love the idea that there's hope there but Cassie now has some serious hurdles to get through in her future. I'm excited to see what happens next!!
March 20, 2014
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. So, before I get to the review I need to thank her for sending it to me and apologise for the fact that it took me so very, VERY long to get around to it. I burned myself our on YA and didn't think I could give it (or any other YA book, for that matter) a fair shot until I'd had a break from the genre.
I really rather enjoyed Hope's Daughter. It is a romantic YA sci-fi novel. However, the emphasis should be very strongly placed on romantic. For much of the book it is the primary focus. In fact, the plot doesn't really travel far from the romantic for a good 50% or so of the book. There are just sci-fi hints dropped in amongst the romance. It's also a very YA romance—lots of angst and self doubt and then lots of complete dedication to that same love. But it's still enjoyable.
I adored Balik. He made a marvellous male lead. I vacillated on Cassie. Sometimes I loved her and other times I kind of wanted to slap her, mostly during her internal waffling moments. We spend a lot of time in Cassie's head, listening to her self doubts. Most of which are unfounded. Together, however, they made a strong dynamic duo that I was more than happy to follow.
The plot itself is an interesting one. However, I had two personal complaints on that front. One, there were a lot of convenient solutions to problems presenting themselves. It would be hard to go into details without spoilers, but answers seemed to come to Cassie instead of the other way around. Two, I had a hard time believing the twist with her 'father.' It required an unexplained and otherwise impossible change in someone that just didn't feel plausible to me. I get what the author was trying to do here in showcasing the power of love, etc. But it rang pretty false for me. Niether issue really detracted too much from my basic enjoyment of the book though.
It had a fairly slow start and there are a number of info-dumps, but it reads well, keeps you interested, and leaves you open to more. All in all, I'd be more than happy to recommend this book to young sci-fi lovers.
I really rather enjoyed Hope's Daughter. It is a romantic YA sci-fi novel. However, the emphasis should be very strongly placed on romantic. For much of the book it is the primary focus. In fact, the plot doesn't really travel far from the romantic for a good 50% or so of the book. There are just sci-fi hints dropped in amongst the romance. It's also a very YA romance—lots of angst and self doubt and then lots of complete dedication to that same love. But it's still enjoyable.
I adored Balik. He made a marvellous male lead. I vacillated on Cassie. Sometimes I loved her and other times I kind of wanted to slap her, mostly during her internal waffling moments. We spend a lot of time in Cassie's head, listening to her self doubts. Most of which are unfounded. Together, however, they made a strong dynamic duo that I was more than happy to follow.
The plot itself is an interesting one. However, I had two personal complaints on that front. One, there were a lot of convenient solutions to problems presenting themselves. It would be hard to go into details without spoilers, but answers seemed to come to Cassie instead of the other way around. Two, I had a hard time believing the twist with her 'father.' It required an unexplained and otherwise impossible change in someone that just didn't feel plausible to me. I get what the author was trying to do here in showcasing the power of love, etc. But it rang pretty false for me. Niether issue really detracted too much from my basic enjoyment of the book though.
It had a fairly slow start and there are a number of info-dumps, but it reads well, keeps you interested, and leaves you open to more. All in all, I'd be more than happy to recommend this book to young sci-fi lovers.
October 4, 2012
Title: Hope’s Daughter
Author: Melanie Cusick-Jones
Format: eBook (about 389 pgs according to GR)
Genre: YA Science Fiction, Fantasy, Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Romance
Holy guacamole!!! I could not wait to write the review on this one. Yes the ending was amazing! I loved it! But I didn’t love it in the beginning.
Cassie, Balik and the rest of the teenagers thought they where very lucky to live on the SS Hope. They thought that they were the last of the human race. They thought that their parents were very lucky to have been rescued from the earth’s destruction and brought to live in the man mad space station. They lived without danger or crime, or they thought. No one questioned anything; everyone followed the rules and took their little pill. They believed that they would live happily ever after. Boy where they wrong and in for a rude awakening!
In the beginning I really wanted to put the book down. The pace in the story was way to slow, but I did like the synopsis so I hung in there and I was very glad I did. All though the story didn’t pick up till about half way into the book, (if you decide to read it be aware that it dragged a bit), but I highly suggest that you hang in there it gets way, way better. Good teen and YA book nothing to graphic a good PG-13 book. The story continues with “Outlanders” and I will be definitely looking forward to it.
I gave “Hope’s Daughter” 4 (four) stars.
1 Star for the Plot and amazing ending
1 Star for the Cover (nice, simple, but revels so much once you read the story)
1 Star for the Great characters
1 Star for Editing (only a few errors, however the word whilst did get on my nerve, it is used often)
I would have given it 5 stars, but I can still remember how I struggled reading the 1st half.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews...
Author: Melanie Cusick-Jones
Format: eBook (about 389 pgs according to GR)
Genre: YA Science Fiction, Fantasy, Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Romance
Holy guacamole!!! I could not wait to write the review on this one. Yes the ending was amazing! I loved it! But I didn’t love it in the beginning.
Cassie, Balik and the rest of the teenagers thought they where very lucky to live on the SS Hope. They thought that they were the last of the human race. They thought that their parents were very lucky to have been rescued from the earth’s destruction and brought to live in the man mad space station. They lived without danger or crime, or they thought. No one questioned anything; everyone followed the rules and took their little pill. They believed that they would live happily ever after. Boy where they wrong and in for a rude awakening!
In the beginning I really wanted to put the book down. The pace in the story was way to slow, but I did like the synopsis so I hung in there and I was very glad I did. All though the story didn’t pick up till about half way into the book, (if you decide to read it be aware that it dragged a bit), but I highly suggest that you hang in there it gets way, way better. Good teen and YA book nothing to graphic a good PG-13 book. The story continues with “Outlanders” and I will be definitely looking forward to it.
I gave “Hope’s Daughter” 4 (four) stars.
1 Star for the Plot and amazing ending
1 Star for the Cover (nice, simple, but revels so much once you read the story)
1 Star for the Great characters
1 Star for Editing (only a few errors, however the word whilst did get on my nerve, it is used often)
I would have given it 5 stars, but I can still remember how I struggled reading the 1st half.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews...
September 5, 2013
**A free copy of this book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review**
I started out liking this book a lot. I thought that the plot was very cool, and I wasn't ever exactly sure what was going on until it was revealed to us at the end. The story was definitely the kind of science fiction that I enjoy. I thought that the book was pretty well written; there were no grammar mistakes that were big enought to jar me out of the story. And the pacing was slower, but not to slow. However, around fifty percent through the book, I didn't like it as much as before.
I think this was because of the romance. I love Balik, but I felt that at times the book was too centered on the romance and not enough on the "I am hearing people's thoughts" plot, which in my opinion was the more interesting of the two plots. I thought the romance was nice, but it just became too much of a focus for me.
Also, I thought there was some insta-love at the beginning. Cassie is called the Ice Queen by her best friend because she's never liked a guy before; but as soon as she sees Balik, she notices how hot he is, gets a bit tongue tied, and it just escalates from there. I think it would take a little more than good looks to get someone nicknamed the Ice Queen to be interested in a guy, even if the guy is Balik.
And some of the explanation we got at the end; I'm not buying it.
I did like this book, but I liked it more in the beginning than at the end.
I started out liking this book a lot. I thought that the plot was very cool, and I wasn't ever exactly sure what was going on until it was revealed to us at the end. The story was definitely the kind of science fiction that I enjoy. I thought that the book was pretty well written; there were no grammar mistakes that were big enought to jar me out of the story. And the pacing was slower, but not to slow. However, around fifty percent through the book, I didn't like it as much as before.
I think this was because of the romance. I love Balik, but I felt that at times the book was too centered on the romance and not enough on the "I am hearing people's thoughts" plot, which in my opinion was the more interesting of the two plots. I thought the romance was nice, but it just became too much of a focus for me.
Also, I thought there was some insta-love at the beginning. Cassie is called the Ice Queen by her best friend because she's never liked a guy before; but as soon as she sees Balik, she notices how hot he is, gets a bit tongue tied, and it just escalates from there. I think it would take a little more than good looks to get someone nicknamed the Ice Queen to be interested in a guy, even if the guy is Balik.
And some of the explanation we got at the end; I'm not buying it.
I did like this book, but I liked it more in the beginning than at the end.
February 15, 2012
I started this book right in the middle of a crazy, busy, overloaded moment of my life. Oh, who am I kidding? That’s every.single.day. But, as soon as I read lovely Melanie’s email, I knew I wanted to make time for her book. And I’m glad I did.
It’s quite long, so be forewarned — this isn’t a dystopian/romance/sci-fi one can read in three hours. But stick with it, readers. It’s good.
Melanie employs her character development carefully. You know who Cassie is, why she’s thinking this or that, and you definitely understand her awkward, cute moments with Balik. That’s why, in general, first person is so fun to read — the main character’s an open book. The reader is living vicariously through him/her and isn’t that what we all want? To depart from reality for a little while? (Or forever, in my case.)
Also, Balik’s hot. Enough said.
A lot of fantasy novels I’ve read are easily figured out after page 23. Not so with Hope’s Daughter. Melanie has the art of non-transparent plotting down. You think you know what’s going on? Think again. And as you’re reading, don’t be surprised to find yourself considering what “love” and familial relations really mean — what the aspects are that make us human. Or, just enjoy the fun/romantic plot and relish the fact that Cassie can take care of herself. (No swooning here.)
Either way, go get it. And set aside a good block of time for the last 60-70 pages of the book. You will not want to be interrupted. (I thought I wouldn’t finish ’til this weekend. Nay, I was up until one last night.)
I’m excited to see more from this author.
(from thatgirlinthatjacket.com)
It’s quite long, so be forewarned — this isn’t a dystopian/romance/sci-fi one can read in three hours. But stick with it, readers. It’s good.
Melanie employs her character development carefully. You know who Cassie is, why she’s thinking this or that, and you definitely understand her awkward, cute moments with Balik. That’s why, in general, first person is so fun to read — the main character’s an open book. The reader is living vicariously through him/her and isn’t that what we all want? To depart from reality for a little while? (Or forever, in my case.)
Also, Balik’s hot. Enough said.
A lot of fantasy novels I’ve read are easily figured out after page 23. Not so with Hope’s Daughter. Melanie has the art of non-transparent plotting down. You think you know what’s going on? Think again. And as you’re reading, don’t be surprised to find yourself considering what “love” and familial relations really mean — what the aspects are that make us human. Or, just enjoy the fun/romantic plot and relish the fact that Cassie can take care of herself. (No swooning here.)
Either way, go get it. And set aside a good block of time for the last 60-70 pages of the book. You will not want to be interrupted. (I thought I wouldn’t finish ’til this weekend. Nay, I was up until one last night.)
I’m excited to see more from this author.
(from thatgirlinthatjacket.com)
August 12, 2013
*I received a free copy in exchange of an honest review*
Rating: 3.5 stars/ 4 stars
"For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have"
This was the part of the blurb that caught my attention and I'm glad to say that the book met all of my expectations. Although the book started a little bit slow for me it picked up and found a great pace, also I loved the plot twists in thee novel, the author had me convinced of one thing and it turned out to be something I hadn't considered.
Characters: Cassie was a great lead, I could totally connect with her emotions like her nerves regarding her placement and feelings for Balik, the way the author describes her feelings was amazing and genuine.
Balik caught my interest because Cassie didn't think of him as perfect she could described both the positive and negative aspects of his personality. Another plus for Balik is that he had no problems with teaching Cassie how to fight and knowing she could defend herself.
Pros: The world building is excellent and the romance,although it plays an important part in the plot, isn't the central focus of the book
Cons: It was a bit slow at first.
Overall a great read. Once again thanks to Melanie Cusick-Jones for allowing me to review her book.
Rating: 3.5 stars/ 4 stars
"For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have"
This was the part of the blurb that caught my attention and I'm glad to say that the book met all of my expectations. Although the book started a little bit slow for me it picked up and found a great pace, also I loved the plot twists in thee novel, the author had me convinced of one thing and it turned out to be something I hadn't considered.
Characters: Cassie was a great lead, I could totally connect with her emotions like her nerves regarding her placement and feelings for Balik, the way the author describes her feelings was amazing and genuine.
Balik caught my interest because Cassie didn't think of him as perfect she could described both the positive and negative aspects of his personality. Another plus for Balik is that he had no problems with teaching Cassie how to fight and knowing she could defend herself.
Pros: The world building is excellent and the romance,although it plays an important part in the plot, isn't the central focus of the book
Cons: It was a bit slow at first.
Overall a great read. Once again thanks to Melanie Cusick-Jones for allowing me to review her book.
April 8, 2012
WOW! This is definitely a very wonderful and unique book, a dystopian/sci-fi in particular. It felt like a breather for me, with all those dystopian books coming out nowadays. Some of them are tragic, and terrifying at times. But this book is one of a kind! It started off slow, but not in a negative way, the start kept me sitting and glued to my seat. This week has been busy for me because of the holidays, but I made sure that I get to read two or three chapters each day. It was very interesting, and I considered it as well-written and researched. A lot of questions were popping in my mind while reading it, but they were answered slowly along the way. Cassie, the protagonist, is a strong heroine, she's sometimes confused, but she definitely knows what to do in needed times. Balik, the gorgeous partner of Cassie, is a very likable male character, I'd like to hear more of him. Hopefully with the next books, he can also be the narrator. LOL!
The book contains the enough mystery and adventure of any first books should have. I like the turn of events and I felt like I am also Cassie with the search of answers, and shocked with the truth. I am very excited with the second book! Hope to read it soon!
I highly recommend this book to all the dystopian and sci-fi YA lovers, I'm sure you will also love it as much as I do!
The book contains the enough mystery and adventure of any first books should have. I like the turn of events and I felt like I am also Cassie with the search of answers, and shocked with the truth. I am very excited with the second book! Hope to read it soon!
I highly recommend this book to all the dystopian and sci-fi YA lovers, I'm sure you will also love it as much as I do!
May 22, 2012
I was lucky enough to win this book from a giveaway. So thank you for giving me this book. :)
3.5 stars but I rounded up because the plot was very original. While I don’t normally read sci-fi, I do like YA dystopian. Hope’s Daughter was a combination of sci-fi and dystopian. The story is set in the future, when the earth was said to be destroyed, and all the humans lived at Space Station Hope. Here we meet Cassie, a teenager who’s still trying to find that place where she might fit in. She becomes friends with Balik, a smart, quiet guy her age. And as they fall in love, they also begin to question the world they live in.
The story started a bit slowly at first, I felt like they just kept on going around in circles with unanswered questions, relationship development and world building. But it builds up halfway through the book and the reader would get a good picture of what it really is about and then things get exciting. The ending wraps up very nicely with a few horrific/sweet surprises, which makes it a good enjoyable read.
Some parts also bothered me a bit though, like Cassie’s relationship with her parents and the other adults, and I would have wanted to see more about their world as well. Nevertheless, it is still a fresh and pleasant ride. Lovers of YA dystopian might also want to give this a try.
3.5 stars but I rounded up because the plot was very original. While I don’t normally read sci-fi, I do like YA dystopian. Hope’s Daughter was a combination of sci-fi and dystopian. The story is set in the future, when the earth was said to be destroyed, and all the humans lived at Space Station Hope. Here we meet Cassie, a teenager who’s still trying to find that place where she might fit in. She becomes friends with Balik, a smart, quiet guy her age. And as they fall in love, they also begin to question the world they live in.
The story started a bit slowly at first, I felt like they just kept on going around in circles with unanswered questions, relationship development and world building. But it builds up halfway through the book and the reader would get a good picture of what it really is about and then things get exciting. The ending wraps up very nicely with a few horrific/sweet surprises, which makes it a good enjoyable read.
Some parts also bothered me a bit though, like Cassie’s relationship with her parents and the other adults, and I would have wanted to see more about their world as well. Nevertheless, it is still a fresh and pleasant ride. Lovers of YA dystopian might also want to give this a try.
January 18, 2013
1st December 2011, this book was published.
From 13th January 2013, articles have been published by several News Agencies about NASA investing $17.8 million on an inflatable module to be installed on the International Space Station, to test and demonstrate its suitability for use in building a privately funded Space Station / Hotel / Habitat, including pictures of what it could look like.
The first module is due for launch summer of 2015.
Have NASA & Financial Movers & Shakers read and been inspired by this book?
This is a Sci-fi story written in a fluid, easy to read style about two teenagers (Cassie & Balik) on board a modular Space Station called HOPE, but anyone who thinks that the book is only for Young Adults will be greatly mistaken.
The story is filled with interest for the young and not so young, from the teenage uncertainties experienced and told from Cassie's viewpoint, through the intricate details of the storyline, which keeps you second guessing, to a conclusion that should gladden the heart of even the most critical fan of this genre.
This Author is an excellent storyteller after the style and presentation of the established Masters of the Art.
The later published short read book - Taking Flight - The Ambrosia Sequence #1 - Missing Moment, is actually Chapter 17 and can either be read before the Epilogue, or, as a standalone.
From 13th January 2013, articles have been published by several News Agencies about NASA investing $17.8 million on an inflatable module to be installed on the International Space Station, to test and demonstrate its suitability for use in building a privately funded Space Station / Hotel / Habitat, including pictures of what it could look like.
The first module is due for launch summer of 2015.
Have NASA & Financial Movers & Shakers read and been inspired by this book?
This is a Sci-fi story written in a fluid, easy to read style about two teenagers (Cassie & Balik) on board a modular Space Station called HOPE, but anyone who thinks that the book is only for Young Adults will be greatly mistaken.
The story is filled with interest for the young and not so young, from the teenage uncertainties experienced and told from Cassie's viewpoint, through the intricate details of the storyline, which keeps you second guessing, to a conclusion that should gladden the heart of even the most critical fan of this genre.
This Author is an excellent storyteller after the style and presentation of the established Masters of the Art.
The later published short read book - Taking Flight - The Ambrosia Sequence #1 - Missing Moment, is actually Chapter 17 and can either be read before the Epilogue, or, as a standalone.
August 6, 2013
Here'st the playlist i made for this book.
Hi:)
Sooo...
At first i thought it was the typical dystopic book that everyone (me too) loves in these times, but it isn't.
It seemed to be a mix of variuos books (LITTLE SPOILER HERE.Under the dome, The host and matched) but the end it's surprising.
I loved balik's character, in fact i can't wait to read The Rainbow maker's tale (1.5 , balik's story and point of view)
And the most important thing is that there is everything in the right measure:
There was love but not too much sugary! oh, and there was pretty enough violence ( i love it in a book)
I also have to admit that i cried once or two times ahahaha
By the way if you wanna read an original and soft story , this is the right book!
Si, l'ho finito.
è...è bellissimo!
Ho comprato perfino un ereader per leggerlo :)
da dove iniziare?
beh, all'inizio sembrava il solito distopico: niente scelte di vita, controllo, ecc ecc ma verso metà è cambiato tutto! è stato uno dei miei OMG-MOMENT più grandi per un libro ahahahaha
ah, ho pianto. più volte.
Mi tocca solo aspettare la versione italiana (spero che uscirà ç_ç) e appena posso leggerò il seguito, perché merita!
Hi:)
Sooo...
At first i thought it was the typical dystopic book that everyone (me too) loves in these times, but it isn't.
It seemed to be a mix of variuos books (LITTLE SPOILER HERE.Under the dome, The host and matched) but the end it's surprising.
I loved balik's character, in fact i can't wait to read The Rainbow maker's tale (1.5 , balik's story and point of view)
And the most important thing is that there is everything in the right measure:
There was love but not too much sugary! oh, and there was pretty enough violence ( i love it in a book)
I also have to admit that i cried once or two times ahahaha
By the way if you wanna read an original and soft story , this is the right book!
Si, l'ho finito.
è...è bellissimo!
Ho comprato perfino un ereader per leggerlo :)
da dove iniziare?
beh, all'inizio sembrava il solito distopico: niente scelte di vita, controllo, ecc ecc ma verso metà è cambiato tutto! è stato uno dei miei OMG-MOMENT più grandi per un libro ahahahaha
ah, ho pianto. più volte.
Mi tocca solo aspettare la versione italiana (spero che uscirà ç_ç) e appena posso leggerò il seguito, perché merita!
August 22, 2013
This is really like a 4.5 rating. I really enjoyed the creativity of this story and I was pulling for Cassie and Balik the whole time. The story had some interesting facets that I found to be really engaging and made me want to finish the book. Its a creative dystopian style novel, that takes a completely different approach than books like The Hunger Games or Divergent. I'm looking forward to the second book in this series because the ending was a bit of a cliff hanger!
I so enjoyed the approach that the author took in this novel. The creativity was a breath of fresh air because I felt like some of the dystopian or even YA novels take the some direction and approach to telling their stories. I was feeling a little bummed with the genre but this was like a breath of fresh air.
One thing I was a little upset about was the revelations. I'm glad we got to hear them but they were all kind of thrown at you via the introduction of a character that I felt was kinda just plopped in there. A better twist might have been to have Cassie get captured and those revealed that way. It was a great twist though, I just wish I found out in a different manner! That is the only reason that I would fault the book!
I so enjoyed the approach that the author took in this novel. The creativity was a breath of fresh air because I felt like some of the dystopian or even YA novels take the some direction and approach to telling their stories. I was feeling a little bummed with the genre but this was like a breath of fresh air.
One thing I was a little upset about was the revelations. I'm glad we got to hear them but they were all kind of thrown at you via the introduction of a character that I felt was kinda just plopped in there. A better twist might have been to have Cassie get captured and those revealed that way. It was a great twist though, I just wish I found out in a different manner! That is the only reason that I would fault the book!
December 2, 2012
So I feel a little bad about making this review as I did not finish the book as I just cannot read anymore of it. It is not because it is bad just that I find it boring. And I do not understand that due to all the good ratings!? So is it just me, who is weird??
The start is okay, but i found myself skipping pages because I found it dull and really looooong. Then her parents starts to act creppy with pills and questions all the time - still, i'm not caught. I really wanted to, it is so sad. So basically I feel really bad about not liking this book, sorry.
The start is okay, but i found myself skipping pages because I found it dull and really looooong. Then her parents starts to act creppy with pills and questions all the time - still, i'm not caught. I really wanted to, it is so sad. So basically I feel really bad about not liking this book, sorry.
June 28, 2015
This review is also posted on: Thoughts and Pens
Four words.
This book was awful.
Seven words.
This book was a major info dump.
Three sentences.
Page 1 to 160ish- Long-winded description of Space Station Hope and thoughts about Balik.
Page 161ish to 300ish- The plane or the spaceship finally took off.
Page 301ish to 389 (end)- Back to square one. Instead of the lengthy description of SS Hope, there was little bit of action, more romance and intolerable info dump.
Want the long version? Okay. Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
So, I really thought that I was doing myself a favor when I put in a request for this book. It turned out that I actually requested a torture device. >,< Even at the beginning of the story, I was already miserable. It wasn’t only turtle paced but a cramped bag of information. And the thing that annoyed me the most during that part was Cassie’s exam.
The story started with the heroine taking an exam where she needs to answer an essay question. Guess what? The answer consisted of 4200 characters, 745 words, and 9 paragraphs contained in 4 pages. And I had to read all that boring stuff like it would save the world from Armageddon.
And don’t get me started on the characters. For my sanity’s sake, let’s exclude the best friends, acquaintances and the parents because they’re like mushrooms; underdeveloped and only appear after lightning strikes. Let us focus our attention to the two leads. Cassie is horrible with no self-confidence (but she is smart and it was mentioned that she’s been acing a lot of her subjects) and for some reason, loves to pull a Bella Swan stunt (i.e. I would never be beautiful as her, Balik would never notice my plain and simple beauty if I ever have one). Around 50% of the book was solely focused on her thoughts whether Balik likes her or not. On the other hand, Balik was okay. He’s a nerd but he’s also gorgeous in a way. I like the workings of his mind and his logical way of seeing things. I would have loved him if not for that very tiny part where he snuck into Cassie’s room to watch her while she slept. That was a trip down memory lane. At least there was no oil or I would uttered, “Edward Cullen, is that you?”
My last bit of hope was finally dowsed when it came clear to me that romance was the main point of this book. It overpowered everything else. There were a lot of times that I was tempted to shake the whole book to put some sense into it. As the story progressed, it deviated from the path that it should take. It was no wonder that I’ve sighed a lot while reading it.
Even the world building sucked. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Cassie’s and Balik’s world failed to absorb me. And because of this, I want to forget my dream about signing up for that one-way trip to Mars.
The action scenes were mediocre and were haphazardly inserted near the end of the book. By that time, I’ve lost all sense of caring. I didn’t care anymore if my questions were answered during the last part. All I wanted is to be done with reading especially that the author provided the answers without any subtleties. It was rushed and another info dump.
Hope’s daughter felt more like a scientific paper to me than a fictional story. Everything seemed off that I can’t help but sense that this book existed to troll me.
Note: A free copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Four words.
This book was awful.
Seven words.
This book was a major info dump.
Three sentences.
Page 1 to 160ish- Long-winded description of Space Station Hope and thoughts about Balik.
Page 161ish to 300ish- The plane or the spaceship finally took off.
Page 301ish to 389 (end)- Back to square one. Instead of the lengthy description of SS Hope, there was little bit of action, more romance and intolerable info dump.
Want the long version? Okay. Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
So, I really thought that I was doing myself a favor when I put in a request for this book. It turned out that I actually requested a torture device. >,< Even at the beginning of the story, I was already miserable. It wasn’t only turtle paced but a cramped bag of information. And the thing that annoyed me the most during that part was Cassie’s exam.
The story started with the heroine taking an exam where she needs to answer an essay question. Guess what? The answer consisted of 4200 characters, 745 words, and 9 paragraphs contained in 4 pages. And I had to read all that boring stuff like it would save the world from Armageddon.
And don’t get me started on the characters. For my sanity’s sake, let’s exclude the best friends, acquaintances and the parents because they’re like mushrooms; underdeveloped and only appear after lightning strikes. Let us focus our attention to the two leads. Cassie is horrible with no self-confidence (but she is smart and it was mentioned that she’s been acing a lot of her subjects) and for some reason, loves to pull a Bella Swan stunt (i.e. I would never be beautiful as her, Balik would never notice my plain and simple beauty if I ever have one). Around 50% of the book was solely focused on her thoughts whether Balik likes her or not. On the other hand, Balik was okay. He’s a nerd but he’s also gorgeous in a way. I like the workings of his mind and his logical way of seeing things. I would have loved him if not for that very tiny part where he snuck into Cassie’s room to watch her while she slept. That was a trip down memory lane. At least there was no oil or I would uttered, “Edward Cullen, is that you?”
My last bit of hope was finally dowsed when it came clear to me that romance was the main point of this book. It overpowered everything else. There were a lot of times that I was tempted to shake the whole book to put some sense into it. As the story progressed, it deviated from the path that it should take. It was no wonder that I’ve sighed a lot while reading it.
Even the world building sucked. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Cassie’s and Balik’s world failed to absorb me. And because of this, I want to forget my dream about signing up for that one-way trip to Mars.
The action scenes were mediocre and were haphazardly inserted near the end of the book. By that time, I’ve lost all sense of caring. I didn’t care anymore if my questions were answered during the last part. All I wanted is to be done with reading especially that the author provided the answers without any subtleties. It was rushed and another info dump.
Hope’s daughter felt more like a scientific paper to me than a fictional story. Everything seemed off that I can’t help but sense that this book existed to troll me.
Note: A free copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 17, 2014
Thank you to Melanie Cusick-Jones for the free copy of this book!!
"But it was better to be free in the unknown than enslaved in the familiar and false..."
And so starts Hope's Daughter, a dystopian sci-fi set on the SS Hope. Now, while I am a fan of dystopians, I have to confess that I don't particularly care for sci-fi. Or science in general, really. From chemistry to biology, science just isn't my thing, so I try to avoid it as much as possible. I made an exception, however, for Hope's Daughter, partially because it was free, but also because it sounded interesting.
Interesting it was. Even though it was sci-fi, I didn't feel confused or bored. The author explained all the details of her world and how everything worked really well, and I actually really liked the storyline, Cassie's love interest, Balik, and the ending. Not to give anything away, but I really liked the ending. Her story wasn't predictable either. I discovered right along with Cassie what was going on, and I didn't say a third of the way through the book, "This is going to happen, and then this, and then she's going to find out this, and then she's going to do this." I was utterly thrown by the ending (in a good way). And praise to Melanie Cusick-Jones for writing a love-triangle free book. Thank God. I am sooooo sick of love triangles that if I even see mention of a possible love triangle in a synopsis, I won't read the book.
All that said, the writing was good, but not exactly stellar. You can tell that the author is still a beginning writer. I made this note in my ebook somewhere in about the first half of the book-
All the little adverbs annoyed the heck out of me. And another thing, she never used the word "said." It was always, "He explained," or "I exclaimed." The writer rarely used the word "said" when it would have been the best choice. "Said" is like "the" or "and"; it disappears. However, using expressive verbs like "explained," "exclaimed," "shrieked," all the time are distracting and tiresome. How are the readers supposed to know the difference between an intense scene and a normal one? Not trying to be mean, just constructively critical.
Beyond that, there were grammar mistakes and the sentences were often wordy. I'm not saying that it was a bad book. I'm just saying it could have been better with more crafting.
"But it was better to be free in the unknown than enslaved in the familiar and false..."
And so starts Hope's Daughter, a dystopian sci-fi set on the SS Hope. Now, while I am a fan of dystopians, I have to confess that I don't particularly care for sci-fi. Or science in general, really. From chemistry to biology, science just isn't my thing, so I try to avoid it as much as possible. I made an exception, however, for Hope's Daughter, partially because it was free, but also because it sounded interesting.
Interesting it was. Even though it was sci-fi, I didn't feel confused or bored. The author explained all the details of her world and how everything worked really well, and I actually really liked the storyline, Cassie's love interest, Balik, and the ending. Not to give anything away, but I really liked the ending. Her story wasn't predictable either. I discovered right along with Cassie what was going on, and I didn't say a third of the way through the book, "This is going to happen, and then this, and then she's going to find out this, and then she's going to do this." I was utterly thrown by the ending (in a good way). And praise to Melanie Cusick-Jones for writing a love-triangle free book. Thank God. I am sooooo sick of love triangles that if I even see mention of a possible love triangle in a synopsis, I won't read the book.
All that said, the writing was good, but not exactly stellar. You can tell that the author is still a beginning writer. I made this note in my ebook somewhere in about the first half of the book-
""More editing would have produced a better result- there is an overuse of adverbs ending in -ly. "I jumped slightly," "I thought sarcastically," "feeling slightly uncomfortable," that weigh down the sentences and make the words lose their force. These words could be deleted and, not only would they have no negative affect, but would make the writing stronger, tighter, and more vibrant."
All the little adverbs annoyed the heck out of me. And another thing, she never used the word "said." It was always, "He explained," or "I exclaimed." The writer rarely used the word "said" when it would have been the best choice. "Said" is like "the" or "and"; it disappears. However, using expressive verbs like "explained," "exclaimed," "shrieked," all the time are distracting and tiresome. How are the readers supposed to know the difference between an intense scene and a normal one? Not trying to be mean, just constructively critical.
Beyond that, there were grammar mistakes and the sentences were often wordy. I'm not saying that it was a bad book. I'm just saying it could have been better with more crafting.
February 11, 2012
Life should be simple for Cassie.
For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have.
Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her.
As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined.
I was a big sucker for this cover. It was the cover that made me decide to review the book. I remember talking to my dad and saying that this was the prettiest cover I have seen in a long while- other than Whither. With that cover I pretty much went into rapture. That was probably my drool over cover of the year. This book definitely has a cover that will draw people in.Melanie has a beautiful cover for her magnificent book.
As you all know I am not one for Dystopian books - with a few exception. Same with Sci Fi. This one,though, I really enjoyed. I didn't get bored like I did in Matched. So this one is defiantly a Dystopian that i enjoyed.
The author's style was well-written and I enjoyed. Though I didn't read it through one sitting I managed it in about 3 days. Though I was a little slow at reading this one, I did enjoy. I read a little of it during history, another at night time in the bathtub, and finally after I finished writing an essay for English Class about a very special day. ((PS mine was about this guy I met when I was at Lake Tiak O'Khata and I am SO glad Mrs. French did not make us read it allowed because I over exaggerated on everything that happened that day. It had a ton of romance- that kinda didn't happen.)) The plot was intresting and I really enjoy the characters who were very diverse.
July 22, 2012
Full review posted here on TotalTeenFiction
I was very kindly sent a copy of this book to review after expressing interest in the book to the author. I love dytopian/post-apocalyptic YA novels so Hope's Daughter really appealed to me. The book tells the story of Cassie, who has spent all of her live on the space ship SS Hope. When she starts a work placement she finds herself spending more and more time with Balik, and together they begin to discover more about the strange, isolated life they've come to know.
I really liked the beginning of this book and the concept was fascinating. I loved the futuristic lifestyle of the space ship and the slightly creepy nature of Cassie's world. Everything is rigorously controlled, from their meal times to what their homes look like and you got this sense that something wasn't quite right. I was so wrapped up the whole idea of the ship and how it worked. It was brilliant. The mysteries throughout the book had me really intirigued and I couldn't wait to find out what exactly was going on.
The story focusses a lot on the relationship between Cassie and Balik. Cassie finds herself being drawn to him despite never having spoken much to him in the time they've been at school. I thought Balik was a really interesting character and he balanced out Cassie perfectly. He's all logic and science whereas she struggles to question the things around her. I did have some problems with their relationship, the main one being that there was far too much flirting! The spend so long in each others' company just talking as Cassie tries to figure out her feelings for him. It just felt like they went around in circles for a bit.
There were a few other issues I had with the overall pacing. The beginning was fine and I was completely hooked, but towards the middle of the book some chapters felt quite slow when Cassie was trying to figure things out on her own. There were some moments where I had to wait a long time to find out something I'd wanted to know chapters ago. Whilst those bits dragged a bit I had the opposite problem towards the end of the book. There was a lot of information crammed in in a short space of time which could maybe have been revealed more slowly. I found myself a little confused at times.
I was won round by the ending though. When the reveals came it was totally not what I was expecting! I'm definitely going to check out the next book because I need to know what happens.
I'd recommend this book if you like all things dystopian/post-apocalyptic. Whilst felt a little slow in places, it's definitely a story worth sticking out til the end.
I was very kindly sent a copy of this book to review after expressing interest in the book to the author. I love dytopian/post-apocalyptic YA novels so Hope's Daughter really appealed to me. The book tells the story of Cassie, who has spent all of her live on the space ship SS Hope. When she starts a work placement she finds herself spending more and more time with Balik, and together they begin to discover more about the strange, isolated life they've come to know.
I really liked the beginning of this book and the concept was fascinating. I loved the futuristic lifestyle of the space ship and the slightly creepy nature of Cassie's world. Everything is rigorously controlled, from their meal times to what their homes look like and you got this sense that something wasn't quite right. I was so wrapped up the whole idea of the ship and how it worked. It was brilliant. The mysteries throughout the book had me really intirigued and I couldn't wait to find out what exactly was going on.
The story focusses a lot on the relationship between Cassie and Balik. Cassie finds herself being drawn to him despite never having spoken much to him in the time they've been at school. I thought Balik was a really interesting character and he balanced out Cassie perfectly. He's all logic and science whereas she struggles to question the things around her. I did have some problems with their relationship, the main one being that there was far too much flirting! The spend so long in each others' company just talking as Cassie tries to figure out her feelings for him. It just felt like they went around in circles for a bit.
There were a few other issues I had with the overall pacing. The beginning was fine and I was completely hooked, but towards the middle of the book some chapters felt quite slow when Cassie was trying to figure things out on her own. There were some moments where I had to wait a long time to find out something I'd wanted to know chapters ago. Whilst those bits dragged a bit I had the opposite problem towards the end of the book. There was a lot of information crammed in in a short space of time which could maybe have been revealed more slowly. I found myself a little confused at times.
I was won round by the ending though. When the reveals came it was totally not what I was expecting! I'm definitely going to check out the next book because I need to know what happens.
I'd recommend this book if you like all things dystopian/post-apocalyptic. Whilst felt a little slow in places, it's definitely a story worth sticking out til the end.
May 29, 2012
Hope’s Daughter took me totally by surprise. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but what I got was so, so much more.
The world Cassie lives in is totally different from ours. It is set in the future after Earth has been destroyed, and the surviving humans live on a space station called Hope. The story starts with Cassie as she is sitting her exams when a boy across the room catches her eye. She has known Balik for years, has noticed he is very reserved and doesn’t say much. Except today, when he draws her into conversation and Cassie can’t help but take him all in.
Cassie and Balik are together for work placement and Cassie finds herself looking forward to the time they get to spend together. At first she doesn’t notice the subtle changes in her feelings, how Balik can seem to see straight inside her and his soft questions probe her mind. It seems the more time she spends with Balik, the more curious her parents become of him.
It isn’t until Cassie’s best friend elopes to the Married Quarter that she begins to really question what is going on around her…and if they dreams she has been having, and the voices she hears, are really true after all.
Hope’s Daughter had me on the edge of my seat from…oh, page two. I loved the way Cassie slowly fell for Balik, how it wasn’t a sudden eruption of feelings and instant love. The book is written in soft, dreamy prose that enchant the reader and lull them into a false sense of security. And then the author rips the rug out from under us.
In the best possible way, this book creeped the heck out of me. All the hairs on the back of my neck stuck up and I almost felt like I was being watched, that somehow I was being observed through my Kindle, my reactions recorded for data. Yes, I have a very active imagination. But also the author deserves one massive round of applause for making my imagination run away with itself.
This book had me constantly guessing what was going to happen next. It had more than enough plot twists and turns, and beautiful character development. I fell head over heels for these characters, and Balik, I simply adore you.
Read this book and love it. As far as YA dystopians go…it’s up there with Divergent. Seriously.
The world Cassie lives in is totally different from ours. It is set in the future after Earth has been destroyed, and the surviving humans live on a space station called Hope. The story starts with Cassie as she is sitting her exams when a boy across the room catches her eye. She has known Balik for years, has noticed he is very reserved and doesn’t say much. Except today, when he draws her into conversation and Cassie can’t help but take him all in.
Cassie and Balik are together for work placement and Cassie finds herself looking forward to the time they get to spend together. At first she doesn’t notice the subtle changes in her feelings, how Balik can seem to see straight inside her and his soft questions probe her mind. It seems the more time she spends with Balik, the more curious her parents become of him.
It isn’t until Cassie’s best friend elopes to the Married Quarter that she begins to really question what is going on around her…and if they dreams she has been having, and the voices she hears, are really true after all.
Hope’s Daughter had me on the edge of my seat from…oh, page two. I loved the way Cassie slowly fell for Balik, how it wasn’t a sudden eruption of feelings and instant love. The book is written in soft, dreamy prose that enchant the reader and lull them into a false sense of security. And then the author rips the rug out from under us.
In the best possible way, this book creeped the heck out of me. All the hairs on the back of my neck stuck up and I almost felt like I was being watched, that somehow I was being observed through my Kindle, my reactions recorded for data. Yes, I have a very active imagination. But also the author deserves one massive round of applause for making my imagination run away with itself.
This book had me constantly guessing what was going to happen next. It had more than enough plot twists and turns, and beautiful character development. I fell head over heels for these characters, and Balik, I simply adore you.
Read this book and love it. As far as YA dystopians go…it’s up there with Divergent. Seriously.
September 28, 2012
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received an electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: WOW! This book left me absolutely stunned. I had high expectations going into this one. I mean reread the synopsis and try telling me it didn't catch your attention. I read the synopsis and felt tingles running down my spine.
The second I started reading this one I was prepared to be disappointed, I was prepared to realize I had set my expectations too high. But I wasn't expecting to be completely blown away.
Hands down this is the best book I've read in months. It had a slow beginning. After reading the first four pages, I wasn't really sure what to think. By page ten, I was hooked. By page fifty, I couldn't think of anything but reading. I kept flipping the pages faster and faster.
Jones' writing style was compelling and I adored the world and the characters she created. Cassie and Balik...definitely two of my favorite characters and I will admit I would definitely crush on Balik. I love love loved this book.
This was one of those books that I finished and an hour later still felt like I was in the world of Space Station Hope.
The ending was not a strong as I thought it would be, but it was still a strong ending that has left me dying to read the next in the series.
Dystopian fans will eat this novel up, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any reader. Check this one out.
In Summary: One of the best novels I've read this year. The world Jones' created drew me in from the very beginning and left me captivated from the first page to the very last page. I definitely can't wait to see what Jones' does in the sequel. Read this one...you won't regret it.
Warnings/Side-notes: Only the most minor swearing. Other than that this novel is clean.
The Wrap-up: This book is AMAZING! Yes, that needed to be put in all-caps. I wasn't expecting to be blown away, but I was. Dystopian at its best. Easily, in my top ten of the year.
Love,
Danica Page
This review also appeared on my blog Taking It One Page at a Time
Disclaimers: I received an electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: WOW! This book left me absolutely stunned. I had high expectations going into this one. I mean reread the synopsis and try telling me it didn't catch your attention. I read the synopsis and felt tingles running down my spine.
The second I started reading this one I was prepared to be disappointed, I was prepared to realize I had set my expectations too high. But I wasn't expecting to be completely blown away.
Hands down this is the best book I've read in months. It had a slow beginning. After reading the first four pages, I wasn't really sure what to think. By page ten, I was hooked. By page fifty, I couldn't think of anything but reading. I kept flipping the pages faster and faster.
Jones' writing style was compelling and I adored the world and the characters she created. Cassie and Balik...definitely two of my favorite characters and I will admit I would definitely crush on Balik. I love love loved this book.
This was one of those books that I finished and an hour later still felt like I was in the world of Space Station Hope.
The ending was not a strong as I thought it would be, but it was still a strong ending that has left me dying to read the next in the series.
Dystopian fans will eat this novel up, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any reader. Check this one out.
In Summary: One of the best novels I've read this year. The world Jones' created drew me in from the very beginning and left me captivated from the first page to the very last page. I definitely can't wait to see what Jones' does in the sequel. Read this one...you won't regret it.
Warnings/Side-notes: Only the most minor swearing. Other than that this novel is clean.
The Wrap-up: This book is AMAZING! Yes, that needed to be put in all-caps. I wasn't expecting to be blown away, but I was. Dystopian at its best. Easily, in my top ten of the year.
Love,
Danica Page
This review also appeared on my blog Taking It One Page at a Time
January 30, 2016
“What if the world as you knew it, wasn’t what you thought it was?”
Cassie and Balik start to question the world they live. This will only lead them into the discover of a terrifying truth.
From the cover and the prologue, I was dragged into this amazing story. Not only a well argumented dystopia but also a story about love, self-discovered, survival, and above all humanity. About those things that makes us who we are. I couldn’t put it down and I wanted to know what’s next as I continued reading.
The life in Hope’s Station is planned from the foods to the behavior expected from the population. Anything that not goes according to these is an anomaly and as such it won’t be a good thing.
Cassie is one of those great female characters you love from the beginning. But unlike other female characters, she is very strong and determined from the start. She discovered some facets of her personality through the book but it’s not like she was totally naïve before anything happened. Since the start it was easy to relate with Cassie and the way she feels about her role in the station. How she feel out of place and her worries about her future are something anyone can understand. And as the story evolves you really feel you know her and want to join her along the way.
Balik… what to say about him? HE IS SO SEXY. And he is a great character. A fantastic male partner to Cassie, that complement her perfectly. All about him is perfect, how he feels about Cassie, his curiosity, his temperament and how he sees the world.
The action develops in the perfect amount to keep you wanting for more. Every chapter brings a little bit more of the story and adds a little more to the anxiety that was growing inside me.
The last few chapters managed to describe what need to be explained and surprised me to the point that I was speechless.
This is an excellent book. The kind of book that makes you wonder a lot of things and makes you experience a roll-coaster of emotions as you read it. An original dystopia with a few twists, that will keep you wanting for the sequel.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
Cassie and Balik start to question the world they live. This will only lead them into the discover of a terrifying truth.
From the cover and the prologue, I was dragged into this amazing story. Not only a well argumented dystopia but also a story about love, self-discovered, survival, and above all humanity. About those things that makes us who we are. I couldn’t put it down and I wanted to know what’s next as I continued reading.
The life in Hope’s Station is planned from the foods to the behavior expected from the population. Anything that not goes according to these is an anomaly and as such it won’t be a good thing.
Cassie is one of those great female characters you love from the beginning. But unlike other female characters, she is very strong and determined from the start. She discovered some facets of her personality through the book but it’s not like she was totally naïve before anything happened. Since the start it was easy to relate with Cassie and the way she feels about her role in the station. How she feel out of place and her worries about her future are something anyone can understand. And as the story evolves you really feel you know her and want to join her along the way.
Balik… what to say about him? HE IS SO SEXY. And he is a great character. A fantastic male partner to Cassie, that complement her perfectly. All about him is perfect, how he feels about Cassie, his curiosity, his temperament and how he sees the world.
The action develops in the perfect amount to keep you wanting for more. Every chapter brings a little bit more of the story and adds a little more to the anxiety that was growing inside me.
The last few chapters managed to describe what need to be explained and surprised me to the point that I was speechless.
This is an excellent book. The kind of book that makes you wonder a lot of things and makes you experience a roll-coaster of emotions as you read it. An original dystopia with a few twists, that will keep you wanting for the sequel.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
July 20, 2012
Cassie and the remains of humanity live on an immense space station, taken from earth when environmental disaster wipes out the population.
At least that what she's always been told...with the help of her friend (and then boyfriend) Balik, Cassie explores the dark secret behind Space Station Hope, a revelation that eventually leads her fleeing for her life.
Although the book was a little slow to get started, I didn't feel like I wanted to put it down at any point. Mel C-J created a believable world, and one which kept me guessing right up to the last chapter.
Some theories I was flicking through as I was reading included Nineteen-Eighty-Four, Logan's Run, Soylent Green...Was it even a space station, I wondered?
All of these theories were way off the mark, and close to the end, I wondered if Cassie's parents were androids, and all of what was happening was benign. Wrong again!
The idea of a space station run by aliens so they can harvest human DNA was done with subtle hints and misdirection. At no point did I guess that was what was happening on the station.
In some places, the editing was a little rushed, and because of that, some of the nice ideas in the book slipped past me. I was too busy trying to figure out the sentence to concentrate on the story. Mel C-J did seem to need more commas so I could get a sense of what's going on.
That was particularly bad near the end of the book, when Cassie's father showed up. I think the scenes with him could have been cleaned up quite a bit. I also think a bit more world building to establish the scale of the space station would have helped, and I would have liked to have seen more of the guts of the place, as it were.
I liked all the characters in the book, even breathless Ami and Olivia, who shows her humanity later in the book despite her superficial appearance and personality. Everyone was well rounded and nicely developed. I even felt empathy for the aliens, forced to harvest humans to survive.
In the end, I'd give it 4/5, mainly dropping the star for the grammar errors that needed fixing. But I'm hooked enough to start looking for the sequel!
At least that what she's always been told...with the help of her friend (and then boyfriend) Balik, Cassie explores the dark secret behind Space Station Hope, a revelation that eventually leads her fleeing for her life.
Although the book was a little slow to get started, I didn't feel like I wanted to put it down at any point. Mel C-J created a believable world, and one which kept me guessing right up to the last chapter.
Some theories I was flicking through as I was reading included Nineteen-Eighty-Four, Logan's Run, Soylent Green...Was it even a space station, I wondered?
All of these theories were way off the mark, and close to the end, I wondered if Cassie's parents were androids, and all of what was happening was benign. Wrong again!
The idea of a space station run by aliens so they can harvest human DNA was done with subtle hints and misdirection. At no point did I guess that was what was happening on the station.
In some places, the editing was a little rushed, and because of that, some of the nice ideas in the book slipped past me. I was too busy trying to figure out the sentence to concentrate on the story. Mel C-J did seem to need more commas so I could get a sense of what's going on.
That was particularly bad near the end of the book, when Cassie's father showed up. I think the scenes with him could have been cleaned up quite a bit. I also think a bit more world building to establish the scale of the space station would have helped, and I would have liked to have seen more of the guts of the place, as it were.
I liked all the characters in the book, even breathless Ami and Olivia, who shows her humanity later in the book despite her superficial appearance and personality. Everyone was well rounded and nicely developed. I even felt empathy for the aliens, forced to harvest humans to survive.
In the end, I'd give it 4/5, mainly dropping the star for the grammar errors that needed fixing. But I'm hooked enough to start looking for the sequel!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2012
Mystery romance Jane Austen-in-space! Sounds like fan fiction, but this is a serious novel. The conceit of writing a future setting in a historical Romantic style, like the usual conceit of writing a future setting in a contemporary style, is not a realistic future. Artistic license allows these escapes from tedious realism, in the interest of reader convenience and artistic expression.
The story is set in the future, after relentless environmental disasters made Earth uninhabitable. The last known human survivors live in a strictly ordered society in orbit above Earth on the space station Hope. The world-building phase is a little slow but once you are past the first chapter, the characters interact memorably.
The protagonist, Cassie, is a teenager on the verge of adulthood in this small world. It's exciting and refreshing to have a female protagonist who really is a girl: not a bland gender-neutral thing. Boys, a few He's gorgeous! passages may make you cringe, but don't you want to know what girls think? Cassie's lonely doubts about her place in society and her future have universal appeal.
I don't know if the work is mocking the love at first sight cliche. It certainly pours cold water on it - Cassie is as suspicious as readers Why am I obsessing about a boy I have hardly ever spoken to? There are dark hints that maybe this isn't just a stock romance. Why does Cassie feel like she is losing her mind?
In the first half of the story, plot development can be subtle. If you don't pay attention you may feel becalmed if you miss the sinister clues and foreshadowing.
The language can be clunky and elaborate. It's a small, almost imperceptible, step from a first-person narrative - in the voice of the protagonist - to the story of Cassie. Then, in a charitable reading, it's not a giant leap to the journal of young adult Cassie - mistakes like "loose" for "lose" look natural. The lack of an adequate editor shows up in a trivial mistake every few pages.
The story is set in the future, after relentless environmental disasters made Earth uninhabitable. The last known human survivors live in a strictly ordered society in orbit above Earth on the space station Hope. The world-building phase is a little slow but once you are past the first chapter, the characters interact memorably.
The protagonist, Cassie, is a teenager on the verge of adulthood in this small world. It's exciting and refreshing to have a female protagonist who really is a girl: not a bland gender-neutral thing. Boys, a few He's gorgeous! passages may make you cringe, but don't you want to know what girls think? Cassie's lonely doubts about her place in society and her future have universal appeal.
I don't know if the work is mocking the love at first sight cliche. It certainly pours cold water on it - Cassie is as suspicious as readers Why am I obsessing about a boy I have hardly ever spoken to? There are dark hints that maybe this isn't just a stock romance. Why does Cassie feel like she is losing her mind?
In the first half of the story, plot development can be subtle. If you don't pay attention you may feel becalmed if you miss the sinister clues and foreshadowing.
The language can be clunky and elaborate. It's a small, almost imperceptible, step from a first-person narrative - in the voice of the protagonist - to the story of Cassie. Then, in a charitable reading, it's not a giant leap to the journal of young adult Cassie - mistakes like "loose" for "lose" look natural. The lack of an adequate editor shows up in a trivial mistake every few pages.
May 18, 2013
Review of Hope’s Daughter by Melanie Cusick-Jones
This book was sent to me by the author for review. I read it in a single sitting. I enjoyed the book in spite of its flaws. I suspect that the flaws that concerned me will not bother its primary targeted reader.
Plot: Four Stars
Characterization: Four Stars
Technical Execution: Four Stars
Writing Style: Four stars.
This book is targeted at young adult readers and is appropriate for middle schoolers and older. It tells the story of a young girl caught in a world that seems too perfect and yet seriously flawed. To tell more would spoil the ending.
The plot is relatively straight-forward. It is one of the few times where I have seen first person narration work well. It works very well and may be the only way this story could be told without jarring inconsistencies. However, there are issues. The prologue does more harm that it does good. Skip it. The ending will be more powerful without it. There is a three page back-story data dump early in the book that could be handled in a single paragraph. I am not fond of “the old guy tells all” endings and wish that the information had been discovered and fought for instead of being dished out as if it was in a text book.
There are a few logical inconsistencies in the world building. For example, the conditions under which Cassie and her colleagues live do not make sense given the purpose expressed in the end.
Cassie’s character is well-drawn and deep. Balik’s character is good, but not great. The remainder of the characters are thinly drawn and rely on stereotypes. Even the “old guy” mentioned above could use more depth.
I found a few grammatical and word use errors. These were not the sorts of errors a spell checker or grammar checker would have caught, but were enough to make me stop to think about them.
The writing style was mostly competent, but lacked any real sense of brilliance. It was wordy in places, but for the most part was plain, as it should be.
This a perfectly acceptable work for young adult readers. An adult will likely find it simplistic, but since it reads so quickly, that should not be a problem.
This book was sent to me by the author for review. I read it in a single sitting. I enjoyed the book in spite of its flaws. I suspect that the flaws that concerned me will not bother its primary targeted reader.
Plot: Four Stars
Characterization: Four Stars
Technical Execution: Four Stars
Writing Style: Four stars.
This book is targeted at young adult readers and is appropriate for middle schoolers and older. It tells the story of a young girl caught in a world that seems too perfect and yet seriously flawed. To tell more would spoil the ending.
The plot is relatively straight-forward. It is one of the few times where I have seen first person narration work well. It works very well and may be the only way this story could be told without jarring inconsistencies. However, there are issues. The prologue does more harm that it does good. Skip it. The ending will be more powerful without it. There is a three page back-story data dump early in the book that could be handled in a single paragraph. I am not fond of “the old guy tells all” endings and wish that the information had been discovered and fought for instead of being dished out as if it was in a text book.
There are a few logical inconsistencies in the world building. For example, the conditions under which Cassie and her colleagues live do not make sense given the purpose expressed in the end.
Cassie’s character is well-drawn and deep. Balik’s character is good, but not great. The remainder of the characters are thinly drawn and rely on stereotypes. Even the “old guy” mentioned above could use more depth.
I found a few grammatical and word use errors. These were not the sorts of errors a spell checker or grammar checker would have caught, but were enough to make me stop to think about them.
The writing style was mostly competent, but lacked any real sense of brilliance. It was wordy in places, but for the most part was plain, as it should be.
This a perfectly acceptable work for young adult readers. An adult will likely find it simplistic, but since it reads so quickly, that should not be a problem.
August 6, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*
Ohh I like.
Hope's Daughter is set on a space station that was created after Earth was rendered inhabitable/humans started going extinct. Cassie now lives there with her parents and is just finishing secondary school when the story starts. Her best friend is already in love and can't understand why Cassie has never been interested in the other guys in their class/age group. Cassie already knows she's unusual.. she's been hearing voices and waking up with strange nightmares that she doesn't understand. She begins an unlikely relationship with a handsome classmate that's previously never given her a second glance (to her knowledge) named Balik, and as her work placement begins, things just get stranger. Her parents are acting weirder every day, and people that she knows would never elope and move to the married quarter on their own are suddenly gone with only their elopement announcement for explanation.
Man oh man, I really enjoyed this read. I was initially really turned off after reading the prologue. It was confusing and (to me) didn't seem to add anything to the book. So after I cruised past that, I was almost immediately hooked. I know some people said that they didn't like the pacing in the beginning, but I really enjoyed it. I'm a fan of slower paced beginnings as long as the characters are interesting and realistic, and these definitely were. I am a huge fan of the romance. It was wonderful to read, the slow pace, her wondering and wishing, everything.
I enjoyed the way that Cassie's abilities developed, I enjoyed Balik's kind of wild, angry side, and I even enjoyed the slightly slow naivety with which all of the adults faced the situation. Because in their environment, it rang completely true. Why should they question people that never rage against the system?
I'm anxiously awaiting the next book and highly recommend this one.
Ohh I like.
Hope's Daughter is set on a space station that was created after Earth was rendered inhabitable/humans started going extinct. Cassie now lives there with her parents and is just finishing secondary school when the story starts. Her best friend is already in love and can't understand why Cassie has never been interested in the other guys in their class/age group. Cassie already knows she's unusual.. she's been hearing voices and waking up with strange nightmares that she doesn't understand. She begins an unlikely relationship with a handsome classmate that's previously never given her a second glance (to her knowledge) named Balik, and as her work placement begins, things just get stranger. Her parents are acting weirder every day, and people that she knows would never elope and move to the married quarter on their own are suddenly gone with only their elopement announcement for explanation.
Man oh man, I really enjoyed this read. I was initially really turned off after reading the prologue. It was confusing and (to me) didn't seem to add anything to the book. So after I cruised past that, I was almost immediately hooked. I know some people said that they didn't like the pacing in the beginning, but I really enjoyed it. I'm a fan of slower paced beginnings as long as the characters are interesting and realistic, and these definitely were. I am a huge fan of the romance. It was wonderful to read, the slow pace, her wondering and wishing, everything.
I enjoyed the way that Cassie's abilities developed, I enjoyed Balik's kind of wild, angry side, and I even enjoyed the slightly slow naivety with which all of the adults faced the situation. Because in their environment, it rang completely true. Why should they question people that never rage against the system?
I'm anxiously awaiting the next book and highly recommend this one.
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