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Raven Chronicles #1
Luminosity
My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since.
The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.
But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win.
The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.
But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win.
282 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2012
14 people are currently reading
4787 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Thomas
5 books108 followersStephanie Thomas has been writing ever since she could put letters together to form words. When she was a small child, she would present her mother and father with self-made newspapers filled up with make believe stories and pictures. Her love for writing followed her all throughout her schooling, where she entered and won writing contests of all sorts. Stephanie decided to become an English teacher and completed her B.A. at The Pennsylvania State University. While teaching, she later went on to get her Master’s in writing from The Johns Hopkins University. She completed her very first manuscript during her graduate studies, and by the end of the program, she had completed two more.
Stephanie is quick to tell anyone that she’s a born and raised Philadelphian, and her heart will always belong there. She moved to Baltimore with her husband, and they’ve been living there for the last five years with their doggie, Sailor, and their rabbit, Buns (aka “T Sizzle).
Stephanie is quick to tell anyone that she’s a born and raised Philadelphian, and her heart will always belong there. She moved to Baltimore with her husband, and they’ve been living there for the last five years with their doggie, Sailor, and their rabbit, Buns (aka “T Sizzle).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
May 30, 2013
A promising premise that failed to deliver on many fronts. The characters weren't absorbing, the love triangle was poorly designed, and neither the romance nor the love interests were attractive nor realistic. The most honest thing I can say about this book without expressing my personal frustrations with it is that the concept was interesting, but poorly thought out and executed.
Enough rationality, back to my personal opinions of the book. Warning: much swearing ahead, and a considerable amount of rambling. I can't help it, the book is so incoherent, and I can't seem to arrange my thoughts because I have so many questions and complaints.
The setting was poorly set up, and for me, there were too many questions and too many discrepancies to make this a believable dystopian novel. I couldn't enjoy the book because there were so many questions running through my head as I was reading it. While I like not being spoon-fed information and minute details (thanks for ruining everything, Mr. Charles Dickens), I do like to be given sufficient information in a timely manner, not bits and pieces scattered haphazardly throughout the book whenever the author feels like it. Relevant information and explanations, when they were finally given, were done so late in the book that I felt mislead for having guessed wrongly, and angy because the information would have been so much more useful had it been given on considerably earlier on in the story.
Beatrice is one of the top Seers at an institution called...The Institution. She lives in a city called The City. As you can see, there is a whole lot of creativity regarding nomenclature here. The Seers have visions regarding Dreamcatchers, who pose danger to the Citizens of the City (see what I mean about naming?). Beatrice has mysterious dreams about a Dreamcatcher boy called Echo who tells her that despite being on opposite sides, they have to work together for some reason.
Vague, isn't it? The book isn't much better. I was so confused reading this book, and throughout, I had more questions than I was presented with answers. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DREAMCATCHERS DO. That is a huge. HUGE. HUGE freaking problem, considering they're the Big Bad Guys against whom the Seers are protecting the Citizens. They kill Citizens. How? Why? Who are they? How are they created? How do their powers work? Where the fuck is Aura, where they live? How do they get there? Why is there a Dreamcatcher Princess, and if she's so important, why did they send her off ON HER OWN right into the arms of the enemy? I have so many unanswered questions regarding the main group of supposed villains in the story. This is not good. I KNOW we're given an explanation of what they do at the very beginning: "The Dreamcatchers are double the threat to us. They are able to reach into the minds of normal humans—Citizens—through dreams or touch. From what I’ve been told, a Dreamcatcher can shatter a person’s mind with just one touch."
It's not enough; I didn't find it to be an adequate explanation. Why do they need to do this? We're half given the impression that they're their own separate people, and half implied that they're made and they exist within the protected Barriers of the City...it's so vague. The mysterious Dreamcatchers in the book reminds me of the Fade in Josin McQuein's Arclight; the concept doesn't feel well-developed. People are accused of becoming Dreamcatchers throughout the book...for example, a little boy has been accused of being a Dreamcatcher and sentenced to die:
"Ryan has been accused of traitorous behavior leading to the suspicion that he is a Dreamcatcher. A classmate of his said that he saw him touch another boy’s arm inside the closet and cubby room and the boy screamed and fell onto the ground. Ryan’s power was not enough to kill the boy, but he has permanently scarred him and has surely tapped into his mind. For this, Ryan has been sentenced to hanging."
And then there's the Dreamcatcher city, "...our home is called Aura. It is somewhere west, where you’ve never been." Okay, then...so which is it? Are Dreamcatchers born or made, and if made, how do they get through to their own city of Aura when the City is protected by a Barrier that doesn't allow anyone through? How do Dreamcatchers even get through to the City when the Barrier is so powerful and should be keeping Dreamcatchers out? So. Many. Questions.
The author makes it sound like the Institution are run by idiots. Here's the setup: we have the Seers, a super-important group of people of...I'd say, give or take, 50 fully-grown and useful Seers? Training sessions where the Seers fight each other and are shocked into pain and consciousness (think really painful laser tag, only with Tazers and the accompanying degree of pain)...that's understandable. Seers need to defend themselves. Training sessions involving real criminals, real weapons, where Seers can kill and be killed? When the actual training results in eight dead Seers? That's roughly 1/5 of your fighting force.... There are actually a few hundred Seers, but the latter teams are deemed pretty incompetent, and the rest are literally...toddler, barely plucked from their parents' arm and deposited into the Institution for training. Killing off your fighters and protectors of the city in training sessions is a really, really fucking stupid idea. And to keep holding the training session despite the disastrous results? Are you trying to decimate your main line of defense, Ms. Keeper? (again, see my note about naming of things and people).
The Seers also live a pretty horrible life. Cut off completely from the rest of society, besides for a few special days a year, they spend their entire lives training, their life within the Institution is austere, with not much fun or treats; they're not even paid for their work. This seems like a pretty poor way to treat the group of people assigned to protect the City.
The love triangle is stupid. Beatrice falls for Gabe gradually...which is a little understandable, even if he's an insensitive asshole. When your life is confined to The Institution, there's not much options where guys are concerned, so I can forgive her for falling for Gabe, even if he is a jerk. Echo, on the other hand...she sees him a few times in her Visions, he's pretty, he tells her stuff which might or might not be true. He's the enemy. Now that I didn't find so plausible.
Beatrice herself is not a really likeable character. She's just boring. I didn't hate her, but there wasn't much about her to like; it's not really the fault of the character. I feel that the book sets itself and its accompanying cast of characters up for failure because the writing failed to cover the plot gaps and believable character actions. As I mentioned, I didn't like that she falls for Gabe so easily, nor the Dreamcatcher boy. She sees one of her best friend killed during a pointless training session, and is horrified, but afterwards there is no mention of it, and things go on as normal.
Beatrice just doesn't act or seem like a normal human being. She is not stupid, her actions are sometimes unbelievable (sneaking out to see someone when she could have gotten killed for breaking curfew), but for the most part, she's not an absolute moron. She's also too gullible: she believes the enemy after a few brief words of explanation; she believes and falls in love with a boy she only knows from dreams that she doesn't even know are real visions or manipulated. Beatrice doesn't rank up there with my holy trifecta of TSTLs, but considering the exalted (or not) names on the list (Luce, Bella, Alex), it doesn't really take much to exceed that level of unintelligence.
There's a very thinly veiled political message in here...which isn't a bad thing, considering it is a dystopian setting. The problem I had was that it seemed haphazardly thrown in just for the sake of a political message, and didn't really go along with the plot. It feels like the author is trying to convey the message of Big Bad Government with a poorly veiled reference to a witch hunt/terrorism not unlike the McCarthyism of the 1950s. I support a well-written political message, but one as random as this doesn't fit in with the book and just serves to make the concept of the Dreamcatchers and their origins even more fuzzy:
"'Mr. McCue was known to do some "Dreamcatcher-like activity." What does that even mean?'
'It all sounds strange to me. Arresting people based off of second-hand suspicion.' I pick up the remote and turn the TV off just as they are showing a video of the operation. As the camera zooms in on the struggling Mr. McCue, the screen goes black.
'Me too. How long is it going to be before everyone starts to point fingers at one another?'"
I found the ending laughable, too. Despite the overall message that The People In Charge Are Hiding Things From You, Beatrice's actions contradict everything she had been fighting for. With all the contradictions, plot holes, and discontinuity (speaking of discontinuity, I found Calculus easier to understand than the majority of this book), I will not be continuing with this series.
Enough rationality, back to my personal opinions of the book. Warning: much swearing ahead, and a considerable amount of rambling. I can't help it, the book is so incoherent, and I can't seem to arrange my thoughts because I have so many questions and complaints.
The setting was poorly set up, and for me, there were too many questions and too many discrepancies to make this a believable dystopian novel. I couldn't enjoy the book because there were so many questions running through my head as I was reading it. While I like not being spoon-fed information and minute details (thanks for ruining everything, Mr. Charles Dickens), I do like to be given sufficient information in a timely manner, not bits and pieces scattered haphazardly throughout the book whenever the author feels like it. Relevant information and explanations, when they were finally given, were done so late in the book that I felt mislead for having guessed wrongly, and angy because the information would have been so much more useful had it been given on considerably earlier on in the story.
Beatrice is one of the top Seers at an institution called...The Institution. She lives in a city called The City. As you can see, there is a whole lot of creativity regarding nomenclature here. The Seers have visions regarding Dreamcatchers, who pose danger to the Citizens of the City (see what I mean about naming?). Beatrice has mysterious dreams about a Dreamcatcher boy called Echo who tells her that despite being on opposite sides, they have to work together for some reason.
Vague, isn't it? The book isn't much better. I was so confused reading this book, and throughout, I had more questions than I was presented with answers. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DREAMCATCHERS DO. That is a huge. HUGE. HUGE freaking problem, considering they're the Big Bad Guys against whom the Seers are protecting the Citizens. They kill Citizens. How? Why? Who are they? How are they created? How do their powers work? Where the fuck is Aura, where they live? How do they get there? Why is there a Dreamcatcher Princess, and if she's so important, why did they send her off ON HER OWN right into the arms of the enemy? I have so many unanswered questions regarding the main group of supposed villains in the story. This is not good. I KNOW we're given an explanation of what they do at the very beginning: "The Dreamcatchers are double the threat to us. They are able to reach into the minds of normal humans—Citizens—through dreams or touch. From what I’ve been told, a Dreamcatcher can shatter a person’s mind with just one touch."
It's not enough; I didn't find it to be an adequate explanation. Why do they need to do this? We're half given the impression that they're their own separate people, and half implied that they're made and they exist within the protected Barriers of the City...it's so vague. The mysterious Dreamcatchers in the book reminds me of the Fade in Josin McQuein's Arclight; the concept doesn't feel well-developed. People are accused of becoming Dreamcatchers throughout the book...for example, a little boy has been accused of being a Dreamcatcher and sentenced to die:
"Ryan has been accused of traitorous behavior leading to the suspicion that he is a Dreamcatcher. A classmate of his said that he saw him touch another boy’s arm inside the closet and cubby room and the boy screamed and fell onto the ground. Ryan’s power was not enough to kill the boy, but he has permanently scarred him and has surely tapped into his mind. For this, Ryan has been sentenced to hanging."
And then there's the Dreamcatcher city, "...our home is called Aura. It is somewhere west, where you’ve never been." Okay, then...so which is it? Are Dreamcatchers born or made, and if made, how do they get through to their own city of Aura when the City is protected by a Barrier that doesn't allow anyone through? How do Dreamcatchers even get through to the City when the Barrier is so powerful and should be keeping Dreamcatchers out? So. Many. Questions.
The author makes it sound like the Institution are run by idiots. Here's the setup: we have the Seers, a super-important group of people of...I'd say, give or take, 50 fully-grown and useful Seers? Training sessions where the Seers fight each other and are shocked into pain and consciousness (think really painful laser tag, only with Tazers and the accompanying degree of pain)...that's understandable. Seers need to defend themselves. Training sessions involving real criminals, real weapons, where Seers can kill and be killed? When the actual training results in eight dead Seers? That's roughly 1/5 of your fighting force.... There are actually a few hundred Seers, but the latter teams are deemed pretty incompetent, and the rest are literally...toddler, barely plucked from their parents' arm and deposited into the Institution for training. Killing off your fighters and protectors of the city in training sessions is a really, really fucking stupid idea. And to keep holding the training session despite the disastrous results? Are you trying to decimate your main line of defense, Ms. Keeper? (again, see my note about naming of things and people).
The Seers also live a pretty horrible life. Cut off completely from the rest of society, besides for a few special days a year, they spend their entire lives training, their life within the Institution is austere, with not much fun or treats; they're not even paid for their work. This seems like a pretty poor way to treat the group of people assigned to protect the City.
The love triangle is stupid. Beatrice falls for Gabe gradually...which is a little understandable, even if he's an insensitive asshole. When your life is confined to The Institution, there's not much options where guys are concerned, so I can forgive her for falling for Gabe, even if he is a jerk. Echo, on the other hand...she sees him a few times in her Visions, he's pretty, he tells her stuff which might or might not be true. He's the enemy. Now that I didn't find so plausible.
Beatrice herself is not a really likeable character. She's just boring. I didn't hate her, but there wasn't much about her to like; it's not really the fault of the character. I feel that the book sets itself and its accompanying cast of characters up for failure because the writing failed to cover the plot gaps and believable character actions. As I mentioned, I didn't like that she falls for Gabe so easily, nor the Dreamcatcher boy. She sees one of her best friend killed during a pointless training session, and is horrified, but afterwards there is no mention of it, and things go on as normal.
Beatrice just doesn't act or seem like a normal human being. She is not stupid, her actions are sometimes unbelievable (sneaking out to see someone when she could have gotten killed for breaking curfew), but for the most part, she's not an absolute moron. She's also too gullible: she believes the enemy after a few brief words of explanation; she believes and falls in love with a boy she only knows from dreams that she doesn't even know are real visions or manipulated. Beatrice doesn't rank up there with my holy trifecta of TSTLs, but considering the exalted (or not) names on the list (Luce, Bella, Alex), it doesn't really take much to exceed that level of unintelligence.
There's a very thinly veiled political message in here...which isn't a bad thing, considering it is a dystopian setting. The problem I had was that it seemed haphazardly thrown in just for the sake of a political message, and didn't really go along with the plot. It feels like the author is trying to convey the message of Big Bad Government with a poorly veiled reference to a witch hunt/terrorism not unlike the McCarthyism of the 1950s. I support a well-written political message, but one as random as this doesn't fit in with the book and just serves to make the concept of the Dreamcatchers and their origins even more fuzzy:
"'Mr. McCue was known to do some "Dreamcatcher-like activity." What does that even mean?'
'It all sounds strange to me. Arresting people based off of second-hand suspicion.' I pick up the remote and turn the TV off just as they are showing a video of the operation. As the camera zooms in on the struggling Mr. McCue, the screen goes black.
'Me too. How long is it going to be before everyone starts to point fingers at one another?'"
I found the ending laughable, too. Despite the overall message that The People In Charge Are Hiding Things From You, Beatrice's actions contradict everything she had been fighting for. With all the contradictions, plot holes, and discontinuity (speaking of discontinuity, I found Calculus easier to understand than the majority of this book), I will not be continuing with this series.
October 29, 2012
Giveaway!
http://somelikeitparanormall.blogspot...
Beatrice is one of the best Seers at the Institution. Seers live to serve and protect the Citizens from the Dreamcatchers. All visions are told immediately to the Keeper to be recorded and used to help detect any possible threats. Bea has begun having visions of everyone at the Institution being murdered. The Dreamcatchers are coming and the Keeper will do anything to protect the City. Other Seers start to have visions of a betrayal and Bea must hide the fact that the enemy has been visiting her dreams.
Bea lives a rather lonely life. Seers are taken away at birth as soon as their violet eyes and powers are noticed. They have no idea who their parents were and are raised inside the Institution, rarely even leaving to visit the City and Citizens they are protecting. Bea has a lot of pressure since her visions seem to be the clearest, almost as good as The Keepers. Bea is lucky enough to have her best friend Gabe. She doesn't want to lose him and she is noticing how handsome he is and that she is getting tingly around him. Gabe was an amazing and sweet best friend. Completely there for her to listen, keep her secrets, support her, and you could tell he loved her. He bought her a necklace and brings her treats even though extras such as those are rare to come by. Bea keeps him in the dark for some of the secrets trying to protect him but I thought she should have been honest. Gabe was upset Bea held back but he trusted her completely. He was adorable and wonderful and I loved him!
Then we have the enemy, Echo, who visits Bea in her dreams. I found his character almost completely pointless. He was so mysterious and evasive and I never felt like I got to know a single thing about him. When he enters her dreams all they do is walk to his city Aura. He says he is taking her to visit his home but they never get there. He says he has to save her and she has to save him but never explains anything else. I would have slapped him and demanded some answers! But Bea thinks he is his hot so she kisses him and kind of excuses it away by thinking it is just a dream anyway. I wasn't sure if maybe he was messing with her emotions. At times she thinks he might be but she feels safe with him which made no sense to me because he kept saying his people were coming and are going to kill her people, take her Citizens, and she would have to go with him. Not once did he try to work out another plan or offer to let her friends come with them or explain anything.
Bea hides these visions because once a Dreamcatcher is inside your head you are a danger. The Keeper decides to up security and training. Bea, Gabe, and all the Seers are forced into live action training sessions where instead of shocks they actually shoot each other and many Seers, some very young, die. Bea begins questioning these methods as I would think more of them should have! No one is really allowed to go against the Keeper and it is clear she is hiding things. Bea must figure it out and save the Seers and with Gabe by her side she feels strong but she knows Echo is coming and has no idea what she will do then. I really liked the world and drawn in by the conflict between these people. It was action packed, exciting, and also brutal and very emotional at times. We learned a little of the history of why they are at war with each other but I wished I had a little more info especially about Echo. The ending had a bit of a cliffhanger so it was a little disappointing for me. I am left with lots of questions and very upset at Bea! I need the next book and some answers!
"I just hope she's right. It would suck to lose you." I realize what I've just said and quickly blurt, "Let's go. We'll be late." Gabe doesn't move at first, at least I don't hear his footsteps behind me. When I peek over my shoulder, he just shades his head with a smirk and follower after. "It'd suck to lose you too, Bea."
"Gabe returns the squeeze, and in the next moment he leans forward, closes his eyes and presses his lips against mine in a fierce kiss. I'm paralyzed with the unknown, and instinct urges me to return the kiss, which I do, despite the fact that until this point, I've never once been kissed before. Not in real life."
"Want me to see if Mae can come up? You girls can talk about something girly. Like about how handsome I am."
*I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review*
http://somelikeitparanormall.blogspot...
Beatrice is one of the best Seers at the Institution. Seers live to serve and protect the Citizens from the Dreamcatchers. All visions are told immediately to the Keeper to be recorded and used to help detect any possible threats. Bea has begun having visions of everyone at the Institution being murdered. The Dreamcatchers are coming and the Keeper will do anything to protect the City. Other Seers start to have visions of a betrayal and Bea must hide the fact that the enemy has been visiting her dreams.
Bea lives a rather lonely life. Seers are taken away at birth as soon as their violet eyes and powers are noticed. They have no idea who their parents were and are raised inside the Institution, rarely even leaving to visit the City and Citizens they are protecting. Bea has a lot of pressure since her visions seem to be the clearest, almost as good as The Keepers. Bea is lucky enough to have her best friend Gabe. She doesn't want to lose him and she is noticing how handsome he is and that she is getting tingly around him. Gabe was an amazing and sweet best friend. Completely there for her to listen, keep her secrets, support her, and you could tell he loved her. He bought her a necklace and brings her treats even though extras such as those are rare to come by. Bea keeps him in the dark for some of the secrets trying to protect him but I thought she should have been honest. Gabe was upset Bea held back but he trusted her completely. He was adorable and wonderful and I loved him!
Then we have the enemy, Echo, who visits Bea in her dreams. I found his character almost completely pointless. He was so mysterious and evasive and I never felt like I got to know a single thing about him. When he enters her dreams all they do is walk to his city Aura. He says he is taking her to visit his home but they never get there. He says he has to save her and she has to save him but never explains anything else. I would have slapped him and demanded some answers! But Bea thinks he is his hot so she kisses him and kind of excuses it away by thinking it is just a dream anyway. I wasn't sure if maybe he was messing with her emotions. At times she thinks he might be but she feels safe with him which made no sense to me because he kept saying his people were coming and are going to kill her people, take her Citizens, and she would have to go with him. Not once did he try to work out another plan or offer to let her friends come with them or explain anything.
Bea hides these visions because once a Dreamcatcher is inside your head you are a danger. The Keeper decides to up security and training. Bea, Gabe, and all the Seers are forced into live action training sessions where instead of shocks they actually shoot each other and many Seers, some very young, die. Bea begins questioning these methods as I would think more of them should have! No one is really allowed to go against the Keeper and it is clear she is hiding things. Bea must figure it out and save the Seers and with Gabe by her side she feels strong but she knows Echo is coming and has no idea what she will do then. I really liked the world and drawn in by the conflict between these people. It was action packed, exciting, and also brutal and very emotional at times. We learned a little of the history of why they are at war with each other but I wished I had a little more info especially about Echo. The ending had a bit of a cliffhanger so it was a little disappointing for me. I am left with lots of questions and very upset at Bea! I need the next book and some answers!
"I just hope she's right. It would suck to lose you." I realize what I've just said and quickly blurt, "Let's go. We'll be late." Gabe doesn't move at first, at least I don't hear his footsteps behind me. When I peek over my shoulder, he just shades his head with a smirk and follower after. "It'd suck to lose you too, Bea."
"Gabe returns the squeeze, and in the next moment he leans forward, closes his eyes and presses his lips against mine in a fierce kiss. I'm paralyzed with the unknown, and instinct urges me to return the kiss, which I do, despite the fact that until this point, I've never once been kissed before. Not in real life."
"Want me to see if Mae can come up? You girls can talk about something girly. Like about how handsome I am."
*I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review*
February 12, 2013
Let me start off by saying this book was like nothing I have read in a while. It was refreshingly different and that is what I loved about it. We start off this book by meeting Bea who we learn is different. Bea is a Seer and that makes her special as you see Bea has visions of the future. It was really cool to be reading a book in which the heroine was more than just a strong character and with being having visions it made her different from heroines in most books out there. I loved that Bea was also so head strong and didn't just trust everything that her higher ups told her. She still thought for herself and questioned their motives which is what I like to see in my characters. I like them to be independent thinkers and not just taken along for a ride.
The world building in this story was out of this world amazing. I loved that the author painted such vivid pictures of the Institution where Bea lived and the outside world. I loved the sharp differences she showed between the two and how really different and unique they both were.It was so fun to see Bea's reactions to the outside world on the few occasions she left the Institution. It was also awesome to see the Dreamcatchers world through the dreams Bea would have about that world. I have to say that early on I had an immediate distrust for The Keeper. She just struck me as a one of those people I would come to hate as I went deeper into the story.
I have to say that I was torn between the two male leads in this story. I immediately bonded with Gabe as I could see how much he cared for Bea and was there for her. He would do anything to keep her safe but he also wanted to follow the straight and narrow path too much for my taste which is what made me like Echo more. Echo had the whole bad boy vibe going for him but I couldn't fully trust him since I knew he was a Dreamcatcher and Bea was raised to distrust them as they were painted as the bad guys. It will be interesting to see who Bea ends up with as she will have some hard choices to make later on. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes as she will have a lot fall on her shoulders.
Overall this book was a great read. It has a lot of action,great world building and some great characters. The book also created a kind of dystopian setting for me too with the way that the humans had to depend on the Seers to keep them safe. It was also amazing to see Bea continue to progress and become way more head strong. I loved the love triangle created in this story and that is saying a lot because I normally hate that in books but this one was so believable because I could see Bea not being able to make that choice. I would highly encourage readers to check out this book for something different but in a a truly great way.
I received this book from the publisher for reveiew for the blog tour but it in no way infulenced my review.
The world building in this story was out of this world amazing. I loved that the author painted such vivid pictures of the Institution where Bea lived and the outside world. I loved the sharp differences she showed between the two and how really different and unique they both were.It was so fun to see Bea's reactions to the outside world on the few occasions she left the Institution. It was also awesome to see the Dreamcatchers world through the dreams Bea would have about that world. I have to say that early on I had an immediate distrust for The Keeper. She just struck me as a one of those people I would come to hate as I went deeper into the story.
I have to say that I was torn between the two male leads in this story. I immediately bonded with Gabe as I could see how much he cared for Bea and was there for her. He would do anything to keep her safe but he also wanted to follow the straight and narrow path too much for my taste which is what made me like Echo more. Echo had the whole bad boy vibe going for him but I couldn't fully trust him since I knew he was a Dreamcatcher and Bea was raised to distrust them as they were painted as the bad guys. It will be interesting to see who Bea ends up with as she will have some hard choices to make later on. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes as she will have a lot fall on her shoulders.
Overall this book was a great read. It has a lot of action,great world building and some great characters. The book also created a kind of dystopian setting for me too with the way that the humans had to depend on the Seers to keep them safe. It was also amazing to see Bea continue to progress and become way more head strong. I loved the love triangle created in this story and that is saying a lot because I normally hate that in books but this one was so believable because I could see Bea not being able to make that choice. I would highly encourage readers to check out this book for something different but in a a truly great way.
I received this book from the publisher for reveiew for the blog tour but it in no way infulenced my review.
April 12, 2016
An Electronic Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.
Seers are revered in the City and our main character Beatrice is a powerful Seer. The City houses the Citizens, while the Seers stay in the Institution. Seers keep the City safe from any attacks. Especially from the Dreamcatchers who steal memories and thoughts from the Citizens. When a powerful Dreamcatcher invades her visions, she finds herself at the height of the war between her people and his.
Beatrice is one powerful Seer and with all that power, the Keeper tends to put her on a tight leash. She obviously loves to defy her, and once she finds out that freedom exists, Bea struggles whole heartedly to find out the truth. Her childhood best friend Gabe is probably the kindest, and sweetest best friend a character could ever ask for. He's protective, loyal, generous, and kind. It also helps that he's practically in love with her as soon as you read their cute and clever banter.
This is a wonderful dystopian read. I love love love the history behind the Seers and the Dreamcatchers. How humanity had to survive after all the wars, how they had to rebuild their world again, and I also loved how Stephanie Thomas weaved it so perfectly into the classes they taught at the Institution. It felt fluid, and so much more realistic. I also enjoyed how the descriptions of all the technology was detailed. As for the romance fans, this is one cute little love story that won't make you roll your eyes. The characters know each other, and they know each other well, so no instant love here guys! (Thank God!)
Stephanie writes with a wonderful plot that keeps you wanting more, with characters that are so much more than what they seem, and with a near future dystopian setting that will have your imaginations soar. Where's book two? I wants it!
Seers are revered in the City and our main character Beatrice is a powerful Seer. The City houses the Citizens, while the Seers stay in the Institution. Seers keep the City safe from any attacks. Especially from the Dreamcatchers who steal memories and thoughts from the Citizens. When a powerful Dreamcatcher invades her visions, she finds herself at the height of the war between her people and his.
Beatrice is one powerful Seer and with all that power, the Keeper tends to put her on a tight leash. She obviously loves to defy her, and once she finds out that freedom exists, Bea struggles whole heartedly to find out the truth. Her childhood best friend Gabe is probably the kindest, and sweetest best friend a character could ever ask for. He's protective, loyal, generous, and kind. It also helps that he's practically in love with her as soon as you read their cute and clever banter.
This is a wonderful dystopian read. I love love love the history behind the Seers and the Dreamcatchers. How humanity had to survive after all the wars, how they had to rebuild their world again, and I also loved how Stephanie Thomas weaved it so perfectly into the classes they taught at the Institution. It felt fluid, and so much more realistic. I also enjoyed how the descriptions of all the technology was detailed. As for the romance fans, this is one cute little love story that won't make you roll your eyes. The characters know each other, and they know each other well, so no instant love here guys! (Thank God!)
Stephanie writes with a wonderful plot that keeps you wanting more, with characters that are so much more than what they seem, and with a near future dystopian setting that will have your imaginations soar. Where's book two? I wants it!
November 1, 2012
4.5 Stars
'Luminosity' is an enthralling young adult fantasy novel that centers around the heroine, Beatrice, who is a Seer - she has visions that come true. Almost her entire life has been spent locked away at the Institution, who uses her visions to protect the City. There's one problem: Beatrice has a deep, dark secret - one that could kill her and everyone she cares about if it comes to light. On top of keeping her secret hidden, she's falling in love with the one person she was never supposed to - her enemy.
This is a very well written and fast paced novel and I enjoyed it very much. The plot and concepts are original and give something new to the YA genre. I loved the history of the Seers and the background story of the City and the Institution. Everything about the story intrigued me and I found myself unable to stop reading until I finished the book. The characters are deep and interesting, especially Beatrice and her role as Seer. The romance in the novel isn't mushy or corny, which I liked, and I don't think it distracted the reader from the main plot line of the book. The setting was dystopian and I think it fit in perfectly with the background story and the plot of the Seers. The novel felt like a mix of dystopian, fantasy, and some romance with great adventure, mystery, and action thrown in too. I definitely recommend this for lovers of YA fantasy fiction as well as fans of dystopians.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
'Luminosity' is an enthralling young adult fantasy novel that centers around the heroine, Beatrice, who is a Seer - she has visions that come true. Almost her entire life has been spent locked away at the Institution, who uses her visions to protect the City. There's one problem: Beatrice has a deep, dark secret - one that could kill her and everyone she cares about if it comes to light. On top of keeping her secret hidden, she's falling in love with the one person she was never supposed to - her enemy.
This is a very well written and fast paced novel and I enjoyed it very much. The plot and concepts are original and give something new to the YA genre. I loved the history of the Seers and the background story of the City and the Institution. Everything about the story intrigued me and I found myself unable to stop reading until I finished the book. The characters are deep and interesting, especially Beatrice and her role as Seer. The romance in the novel isn't mushy or corny, which I liked, and I don't think it distracted the reader from the main plot line of the book. The setting was dystopian and I think it fit in perfectly with the background story and the plot of the Seers. The novel felt like a mix of dystopian, fantasy, and some romance with great adventure, mystery, and action thrown in too. I definitely recommend this for lovers of YA fantasy fiction as well as fans of dystopians.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2012
Refreshing and compelling, LUMINOSITY is a must read for fans of the dystopian genre! Stephanie Thomas has created a world that is absolutely enthralling and a cast of characters you can’t help but root for. Can’t wait for the next installment in this series!
November 2, 2014
Pretty great book, I enjoyed it, there were a few nitpicks, but yeah, hope we get book #2 soon, that I think the edits to make book #2 the last book instead of a trilogy happen soon!
January 10, 2018
A very interesting read that has a love triangle mix and a confused and mindless war, Beatrice was not convinced that the war they were preparing for could not be avoided, why were there so many killings that didn't make much sense, wasn’t there a better way to achieve security without such mindless acts. This and more were the burning question that Beatrice needed answers to. At the same time she is in an emotional tangle loving two guys, one her enemy the other her best friend, how would she handle it when it was evident she needed to give one up for the other, love can be so confusing at times. I believe she is on a personal and emotional quest, she is on the adventure of her life, it began with Echo how would it end, I like this book and you should join Beatrice journey, you won’t regret it.
April 14, 2019
This was...just weird. A far cry from the worst I've seen, but weird all the same. At first, I wasnt sure if this was set in the real world or fantasy, but it turns out it's some kind of dystopian. Set in the future, where the Seers and the Dreamcatchers are at war.
The descriptions were vague, the writing was stiff and lacked common contraction use, and the characters weren't relatable. Its unfortunate, because this has such a pretty cover and I was looking forward to this book! Unfortunately this book was not one of my favorites. Le sigh.
The descriptions were vague, the writing was stiff and lacked common contraction use, and the characters weren't relatable. Its unfortunate, because this has such a pretty cover and I was looking forward to this book! Unfortunately this book was not one of my favorites. Le sigh.
November 29, 2012
This review can also be found on Making the Grade.
LUMINOSITY by Stephanie Thomas is a book that was highly recommended to me in the blogging community. Surprisingly, I had heard very little about this title prior to the recommendation, which is unusual when it comes to me and an Entangled Teen title. Did it live up to the hype? In many ways, yes. But not all.
Presenting itself as a dystopian-like, gothic mystery, LUMINOSITY is similar to and is written in a style that gave me flashbacks to the classic Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Unfortunately for this reader, Ender’s Game is one of my all-time favorite books. Ever. I found myself making comparisons, even when comparisons were not necessarily due. Did this affect my reading experience? Yes, it did. And for that reason I will disclose that I was a partially biased reader when it came to this book. No similar book could possibly touch the genius that is Ender’s Game. As least, not in this reader’s eyes. With that being said…
LUMINOSITY is a story about Seers and Dreamcatchers. The former of which can “See” the future, and the later can view what is inside one’s mind. Bea is a young Seer who holds high status among her people due to the clarity of her Sight. She is held in extremely high regard by the Keeper, the one who oversees all of the Seers and the civilians in the enclosed city where they live “protected” from the Dreamcatchers. Why are they enclosed? Well, apparently the Dreamcatchers have the ability to kill those they touch, and the Seers and their people are being threatened by them. There is an eternal war in this futuristic society, and an air of mystery looms above every element that we know at the “truth“. But of course, the truth unravels fast in what turns out to be an imperfect society, although, not fast enough to keep the plot moving at an exhilarating pace. All in all, the story’s main downfall is that it is a bit s-l-o-w.
Sorry for the Ender’s Game comparisons, but much like in that book, LUMINOSITY reveals it’s “truths” in a series of Training Games that gradually turn darker and more real. Eventually the main character begins to question her role in her world and the truth about her leader’s initiatives. The “battle” is more than meets the eye. Oh, and there are bullies to be dealt with, as well as boy trouble with Bea’s life-long friend Gabe and this Dreamcatcher boy named Echo that Bea may or may not be snogging in her dreams (which are too few and far apart, if you ask me)…
I liked Bea and Gabe well enough. Their relationship was sweet and awkward and all the things you would want a friendship-turned-love to be. But Bea was also so back and forth and fickle in all things. For a “highly respected” figure, she certainly needed to grow a bit of a back bone and gain some more insight. Then again, she had lived a fairly sheltered life… Gabe’s immaturity also was likely a result of their upbringing. I wish that more had been explored about the Keeper and her interactions with Bea. I saw some things coming a mile away with many of the characters, yet when they were revealed, usually only a sentence or two was dedicated to the “big reveals”. That’s all minor nitpicking, though, because there really was SO MUCH going on in the end, that to elaborate on everything could have turned this into a 500 page book. These items are for future installments, yes? (Including more on how the world came to be as it is, please?)
If you have read Ender’s Game you are sure to like this book, all comparisons aside. Like Ender, there is also a big “woah” moment to be had in the end. Is it as “WOAH” as Ender’s climatic exposé? Well, no… But is it worth it? Heck yes. In fact, if you have not read Ender’s Game, and are not prone to make comparisons like I am, the “woah” moment might have more of an impact on you.
Dark, gritty and unforgiving (don’t even get me started on the body count), LUMINOSITY is sure to enthrall readers of all ages. A promising enough start, I know I’ll be following this series to the very end.
LUMINOSITY by Stephanie Thomas is a book that was highly recommended to me in the blogging community. Surprisingly, I had heard very little about this title prior to the recommendation, which is unusual when it comes to me and an Entangled Teen title. Did it live up to the hype? In many ways, yes. But not all.
Presenting itself as a dystopian-like, gothic mystery, LUMINOSITY is similar to and is written in a style that gave me flashbacks to the classic Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Unfortunately for this reader, Ender’s Game is one of my all-time favorite books. Ever. I found myself making comparisons, even when comparisons were not necessarily due. Did this affect my reading experience? Yes, it did. And for that reason I will disclose that I was a partially biased reader when it came to this book. No similar book could possibly touch the genius that is Ender’s Game. As least, not in this reader’s eyes. With that being said…
LUMINOSITY is a story about Seers and Dreamcatchers. The former of which can “See” the future, and the later can view what is inside one’s mind. Bea is a young Seer who holds high status among her people due to the clarity of her Sight. She is held in extremely high regard by the Keeper, the one who oversees all of the Seers and the civilians in the enclosed city where they live “protected” from the Dreamcatchers. Why are they enclosed? Well, apparently the Dreamcatchers have the ability to kill those they touch, and the Seers and their people are being threatened by them. There is an eternal war in this futuristic society, and an air of mystery looms above every element that we know at the “truth“. But of course, the truth unravels fast in what turns out to be an imperfect society, although, not fast enough to keep the plot moving at an exhilarating pace. All in all, the story’s main downfall is that it is a bit s-l-o-w.
Sorry for the Ender’s Game comparisons, but much like in that book, LUMINOSITY reveals it’s “truths” in a series of Training Games that gradually turn darker and more real. Eventually the main character begins to question her role in her world and the truth about her leader’s initiatives. The “battle” is more than meets the eye. Oh, and there are bullies to be dealt with, as well as boy trouble with Bea’s life-long friend Gabe and this Dreamcatcher boy named Echo that Bea may or may not be snogging in her dreams (which are too few and far apart, if you ask me)…
I liked Bea and Gabe well enough. Their relationship was sweet and awkward and all the things you would want a friendship-turned-love to be. But Bea was also so back and forth and fickle in all things. For a “highly respected” figure, she certainly needed to grow a bit of a back bone and gain some more insight. Then again, she had lived a fairly sheltered life… Gabe’s immaturity also was likely a result of their upbringing. I wish that more had been explored about the Keeper and her interactions with Bea. I saw some things coming a mile away with many of the characters, yet when they were revealed, usually only a sentence or two was dedicated to the “big reveals”. That’s all minor nitpicking, though, because there really was SO MUCH going on in the end, that to elaborate on everything could have turned this into a 500 page book. These items are for future installments, yes? (Including more on how the world came to be as it is, please?)
If you have read Ender’s Game you are sure to like this book, all comparisons aside. Like Ender, there is also a big “woah” moment to be had in the end. Is it as “WOAH” as Ender’s climatic exposé? Well, no… But is it worth it? Heck yes. In fact, if you have not read Ender’s Game, and are not prone to make comparisons like I am, the “woah” moment might have more of an impact on you.
Dark, gritty and unforgiving (don’t even get me started on the body count), LUMINOSITY is sure to enthrall readers of all ages. A promising enough start, I know I’ll be following this series to the very end.
January 2, 2013
Luminosity was the kind of book whose rating on Goodreads fooled me - badly. Well, I'm not entirely sure if the problem lies with me (I'm a pretty picky reader if you haven't realized by now) or with the book itself, since I'm probably one of the very few to give this book such a low rating, but either way, Luminosity was a huge disappointment to me.
To tell the truth, Luminosity's synopsis practically gives away the entire plot, leaving just a few mysteries for the content of the book. Beatrice is a Seer. She has visions of the future, and her visions are much clearer than any other of the Seers living in the Institution. Unfortunately, the enemy - a particular Dreamcatcher - has managed to hack into her mind and tells her to run away with him.
Maybe Luminosity might have been a better experience for me had its characters not been so shallow, like pieces of flimsy paper flapping in the wind (okay, that was a horrible metaphor, but you get the picture). I couldn't tell the characters apart from each other, not even with Beatrice, even though she was supposed to be 'special'. Beatrice didn't really strike me as a strong or interesting main character. In fact, she was quite boring, always lamenting about her visions, about Gabe, about Mae, Connie. I was never able to have that reader-character connection with her at all. The relationship with her friends was so unrealistic, too, in the sense that I couldn't feel or see their friendship - it was just words on paper, with no true meaning or emotion. Also, though the ages of Beatrice's friends aren't actually revealed, I always thought that they'd be around her age: sixteen or seventeen. But the way they behaved and acted in the book made them seem like kids instead of teenagers, and Gabe, Beatrice's best friend, confused me. Sometimes, he was the adorable guy. Other times, he turned into an immature brat.
Another thing that Luminosity lacked was world-building. So many questions popped up in my mind as I read the book. What really is the City? How did the world come to be like this? What about the world outside the City and the supposed wastelands? Stephanie Thomas never elaborated on the City in which the Institution was built in, or the outsides of the City, which annoyed me a lot. Though, considering that this is only the first book in the Raven Chronicles, I suppose Thomas will be able to develop Beatrice's world even more in the books to come.
I will admit one thing, though: Luminosity had an interesting premise. An enemy who fed on the minds of other people and a group of Seers who had to save the day? Even though a thousand things could go wrong with that outline, I felt that Thomas did a pretty good job introducing the whole Dreamcatcher vs. Seer concept to us. There was, of course, much room for improvement.
Which leads me to my final point: the romance. Echo was the Dreamcatcher who managed to penetrate Beatrice's mind and talk to her in her dreams. And even though the both of them hardly knew each other, they fell in love and kissed in... what, her second dream about him? I couldn't understand how and why Beatrice allowed herself to believe what Echo had to say. He was the enemy! She's been trained to hate people like him from the very start, to kill them if she had to! The insta-love definitely frustrated me here, and so did the ending of the book.
To sum up...
PROS: Interesting premise
CONS: Unrealistic & boring characters; bad world-building; insta-love; no good relationship between the characters
OVERALL: While Luminosity was 'readable', in a sense, I did not enjoy it at all. Not even the interesting and quite original concept was enough to make me like it in the least bit, and I doubt I will be picking up the sequel. Like I said, maybe the problem lies with me, since I seem to be one of the very few who disliked the book, but anyway, Luminosity just didn't cut it for me.
Want more reviews like this? Check out my YA book blog, Ink Skies!
To tell the truth, Luminosity's synopsis practically gives away the entire plot, leaving just a few mysteries for the content of the book. Beatrice is a Seer. She has visions of the future, and her visions are much clearer than any other of the Seers living in the Institution. Unfortunately, the enemy - a particular Dreamcatcher - has managed to hack into her mind and tells her to run away with him.
Maybe Luminosity might have been a better experience for me had its characters not been so shallow, like pieces of flimsy paper flapping in the wind (okay, that was a horrible metaphor, but you get the picture). I couldn't tell the characters apart from each other, not even with Beatrice, even though she was supposed to be 'special'. Beatrice didn't really strike me as a strong or interesting main character. In fact, she was quite boring, always lamenting about her visions, about Gabe, about Mae, Connie. I was never able to have that reader-character connection with her at all. The relationship with her friends was so unrealistic, too, in the sense that I couldn't feel or see their friendship - it was just words on paper, with no true meaning or emotion. Also, though the ages of Beatrice's friends aren't actually revealed, I always thought that they'd be around her age: sixteen or seventeen. But the way they behaved and acted in the book made them seem like kids instead of teenagers, and Gabe, Beatrice's best friend, confused me. Sometimes, he was the adorable guy. Other times, he turned into an immature brat.
Another thing that Luminosity lacked was world-building. So many questions popped up in my mind as I read the book. What really is the City? How did the world come to be like this? What about the world outside the City and the supposed wastelands? Stephanie Thomas never elaborated on the City in which the Institution was built in, or the outsides of the City, which annoyed me a lot. Though, considering that this is only the first book in the Raven Chronicles, I suppose Thomas will be able to develop Beatrice's world even more in the books to come.
I will admit one thing, though: Luminosity had an interesting premise. An enemy who fed on the minds of other people and a group of Seers who had to save the day? Even though a thousand things could go wrong with that outline, I felt that Thomas did a pretty good job introducing the whole Dreamcatcher vs. Seer concept to us. There was, of course, much room for improvement.
Which leads me to my final point: the romance. Echo was the Dreamcatcher who managed to penetrate Beatrice's mind and talk to her in her dreams. And even though the both of them hardly knew each other, they fell in love and kissed in... what, her second dream about him? I couldn't understand how and why Beatrice allowed herself to believe what Echo had to say. He was the enemy! She's been trained to hate people like him from the very start, to kill them if she had to! The insta-love definitely frustrated me here, and so did the ending of the book.
To sum up...
PROS: Interesting premise
CONS: Unrealistic & boring characters; bad world-building; insta-love; no good relationship between the characters
OVERALL: While Luminosity was 'readable', in a sense, I did not enjoy it at all. Not even the interesting and quite original concept was enough to make me like it in the least bit, and I doubt I will be picking up the sequel. Like I said, maybe the problem lies with me, since I seem to be one of the very few who disliked the book, but anyway, Luminosity just didn't cut it for me.
Want more reviews like this? Check out my YA book blog, Ink Skies!
November 20, 2012
***ARC received by Entangled Teen for review purposes***
First of all, I have to give it up to Entangled Teen for picking another winner. I was still on the high of the last amazing book I read (Greta and the Goblin King) and I was worried my next read wouldn’t live up to my expectations. But, that was pretty much impossible when you have such a fantastic concept set in a futuristic world! I had a feeling that Luminosity would be a hit from the first page and I was not disappointed!
Beatrice has is blessed with the ‘sight’. Like all Seers, she was taken from her parents at a young age and placed in a very cruel and strict institution that uses Seers for their own protection. The institute is a very strict place and Bea is lonely and unhappy. When she has visions that start becoming true and lead to the execution of a young girl, Bea starts to question the real purpose of the institute. But when other Seers start to have visions of the city’s destruction, she must also question her own visions and find out who she can trust.
I loved the world that Stephanie created in Luminosity but the one thing that fell a little flat for me was the romance (which is weird because Entangled Teen is so popular for their hot romance). Although I have no problems with love triangles (when done right), I wasn’t really feeling this one. We have Gabe who has been Bea’s best friend since forever, and she has started to develop feelings for him. But, it was hard to tell if Gabe liked Bea too or if he was just playing the role of best friend. The best friend romance is by far one of my favorites, but ONLY when the main character ends up with the best friend! I hate when they bring in a best friend into the mix if he is just going to be overshadowed by some other guy. If you are going to do the best friend thing, please do it right. Otherwise the friendship also gets messed up in the process. (Rant over). Then we have Echo, who is a Dreamcatcher and visits Bea in her dreams. (Whoa, another guy who can invade dreams! Adrian, Isaac and Echo need to start a club. And someone please tell them where I live!) Bea must keep her interactions with Echo a secret because he is the enemy and Bea’s life could be in jeopardy if anyone find out about them. Although they had some good moments, I felt kind of meh over their relationship. I would much rather prefer Bea to get together with Gabe.
Although I wasn’t wowed by the romance, the amazing concept of Seers and Dreamcatchers overpowered it and I ended up really liking this book! The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger and one that will definitely keep me on the lookout for the next book in this series. With a fresh and unique twist on dystopias, Luminosity is an action-packed story set in a cruel yet fascinating world. One that is not to be missed!
4 out of 5 sparkly stars!
***
Read more of my reviews at:
www.MostlyYABookObsessed.com
February 19, 2014
Beatrice is a seer with ability to see the future, but lately she keeps having strange dreams. In her dreams, she meets Echo, a beautiful guy who is wearing the clothes of her enemy. Echo is one of the Dreamcatchers, people with ability to shatter another person’s mind with their touch. Echo is her enemy, yet Beatrice feels strangely attracted to him. Her loyalty starts to waver along with Echo’s constant appearance, and when the Dreamcatchers attack, Beatrice needs to decide what she has to do in order to save her city and the citizens.
To tell you the truth, it’s… painful to finish this book. There are things that bug me a lot when I read this book. I’m very, very confused: why don’t they seem to have war strategies prepared ahead? I’m not asking for strategies on Sun Tzu's level, but I just found it very strange that the seers seem to be very eager to throw their lives away. Why don’t they asses their situation calmly and split themselves into groups, instead of running in a big group and try to kill as many as possible without any strategy prepared? The Keeper, the one who controls the city, doesn’t seem to plan any strategy in order to save her seers. I mean, I know that the seers are disposable, but surely it won’t hurt to keep victims in your side as low as possible, right?
Another thing that I found really strange is the fact that Beatrice’s loyalty is toyed between the Keeper, whom she has practically known all her life, and the man whom she has met only in her dreams. Echo might be gorgeous, yes, but it’s not like I would turn my back against my own team because of the guy whom I only meet in my dreams. What does Echo actually do to make Beatrice believe in him? (Aside from being gorgeous, mind you) I just can’t see myself to betray my own city, my own friends, because of things a mysterious guy said in my dreams. I really wish that Echo had brought more evidences to make Beatrice believe in him.
This book is too bizarre for me to truly enjoy and I’m not a fan of the world-building either, so it took me some time to finish it. I admire Beatrice’s strength though, and I really wished that there were a competition to begin with between Echo and Brandon, Beatrice’s best friend. I like Brandon, it seems like he truly cares for Beatrice. Echo is too vague for me to actually feel anything for him, so I can’t say much about him.
I can’t really recommend Luminosity, but I figure that since many of my friends have read this book and enjoyed it, some of you might as well end up liking it. I might be curious enough to pick the sequel though, because I’m kind of curious to see what will happen to Beatrice, Echo, and Brandon. Hopefully we can see more inside Echo’s head in the sequel, and more background story to enhance the story! :)
I am standing on a bridge, gun cradled under my armpit, combat jumpsuit soiled and stained with the grime of the City. The screams of innocent people reverberate from everywhere around me, and I don’t know which way to run. Everyone needs to be saved, and yet, I cannot save everyone. But somehow, the weight of it is on me, and it’s a heavy, suffocating weight. One I don’t want to carry, never wanted to carry, and yet I must.
Read other reviews in my blog! :)
Catch the Lune
To tell you the truth, it’s… painful to finish this book. There are things that bug me a lot when I read this book. I’m very, very confused: why don’t they seem to have war strategies prepared ahead? I’m not asking for strategies on Sun Tzu's level, but I just found it very strange that the seers seem to be very eager to throw their lives away. Why don’t they asses their situation calmly and split themselves into groups, instead of running in a big group and try to kill as many as possible without any strategy prepared? The Keeper, the one who controls the city, doesn’t seem to plan any strategy in order to save her seers. I mean, I know that the seers are disposable, but surely it won’t hurt to keep victims in your side as low as possible, right?
Another thing that I found really strange is the fact that Beatrice’s loyalty is toyed between the Keeper, whom she has practically known all her life, and the man whom she has met only in her dreams. Echo might be gorgeous, yes, but it’s not like I would turn my back against my own team because of the guy whom I only meet in my dreams. What does Echo actually do to make Beatrice believe in him? (Aside from being gorgeous, mind you) I just can’t see myself to betray my own city, my own friends, because of things a mysterious guy said in my dreams. I really wish that Echo had brought more evidences to make Beatrice believe in him.
This book is too bizarre for me to truly enjoy and I’m not a fan of the world-building either, so it took me some time to finish it. I admire Beatrice’s strength though, and I really wished that there were a competition to begin with between Echo and Brandon, Beatrice’s best friend. I like Brandon, it seems like he truly cares for Beatrice. Echo is too vague for me to actually feel anything for him, so I can’t say much about him.
I can’t really recommend Luminosity, but I figure that since many of my friends have read this book and enjoyed it, some of you might as well end up liking it. I might be curious enough to pick the sequel though, because I’m kind of curious to see what will happen to Beatrice, Echo, and Brandon. Hopefully we can see more inside Echo’s head in the sequel, and more background story to enhance the story! :)
I am standing on a bridge, gun cradled under my armpit, combat jumpsuit soiled and stained with the grime of the City. The screams of innocent people reverberate from everywhere around me, and I don’t know which way to run. Everyone needs to be saved, and yet, I cannot save everyone. But somehow, the weight of it is on me, and it’s a heavy, suffocating weight. One I don’t want to carry, never wanted to carry, and yet I must.
Read other reviews in my blog! :)
Catch the Lune
April 9, 2016
Originally posted on the blog: What the Cat Read
Where to begin with this review. Well, I guess the first thing I should say is that, I loved this book! The characters, plot, and setting pulled me in and wouldn’t let me go. Luminosity is the type of story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and reading long into the night. It’s nonstop action, mystery, and suspense. Purrs and tail waves to Thomas for a wonderful job well done.
Bea is an outstanding lead character. She’s compassionate, snarky, a loyal friend, and a fierce fighter. I instantly connected with her and, as events occurred in the story, I sympathized with her with each turning of the page. Gabe’s a total charmer. Yes, there were moments where his behavior got under my fur, but in the end, he’s the type of guy you want to see end up with the girl. As for Echo…honestly, I can’t tell what my feelings are for him at the moment. He’s definitely a mystery, and one I wouldn’t mind trying to figure out. But I don’t know if he’s fully trustworthy yet. There’s an element to him that makes me feel like I need to be cautious. I guess I’ll find out in book two whether my feels towards him are correct or not. =^.^=
This was an extremely power novel, and one that managed to invoke a wide range of emotions in me while I was reading. I laughed, cried, screamed, and even argued with events that took place within its pages. Be prepared for an emotional roller coaster of epic awesomeness. Murr! There were a couple of scenes where I was full on hissing at the author for doing what she did to Bea. One scene that comes to mind right now involves a series of executions that take a horrible twist at the end. Reading that scene was torture because I knew exactly how things were going to turn out, but I kept holding on to hope that I was mistaken. Sadly, this was not to be and in the end, a favorite character of mine suffers horribly. Curious to know who and how the character suffers? Get the book and discover for yourself, you won’t hear it from these feline lips.
I greatly enjoyed the world that Thomas created in Luminosity. The City, the Seers, and the Dreamcatchers, all feel like they could be real and there’s no question that at one point my loyalties were divided. On the one paw, I wanted to side with the Seers in their fight to protect the people of The City, but on the other paw, various elements that I learned later in the reading made me want to side with the Dreamcatchers. Turns out the villain of the story isn’t always the most obvious person(s). But at the same time, those you think of as friends aren’t always so trustworthy either.
Yes, by the end of this book I was feeling desperate to get my paws on the next in the series. Sadly, I have to wait until Thomas finishes writing it first before it will be released next year. I hate waiting…sigh.
Where to begin with this review. Well, I guess the first thing I should say is that, I loved this book! The characters, plot, and setting pulled me in and wouldn’t let me go. Luminosity is the type of story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and reading long into the night. It’s nonstop action, mystery, and suspense. Purrs and tail waves to Thomas for a wonderful job well done.
Bea is an outstanding lead character. She’s compassionate, snarky, a loyal friend, and a fierce fighter. I instantly connected with her and, as events occurred in the story, I sympathized with her with each turning of the page. Gabe’s a total charmer. Yes, there were moments where his behavior got under my fur, but in the end, he’s the type of guy you want to see end up with the girl. As for Echo…honestly, I can’t tell what my feelings are for him at the moment. He’s definitely a mystery, and one I wouldn’t mind trying to figure out. But I don’t know if he’s fully trustworthy yet. There’s an element to him that makes me feel like I need to be cautious. I guess I’ll find out in book two whether my feels towards him are correct or not. =^.^=
This was an extremely power novel, and one that managed to invoke a wide range of emotions in me while I was reading. I laughed, cried, screamed, and even argued with events that took place within its pages. Be prepared for an emotional roller coaster of epic awesomeness. Murr! There were a couple of scenes where I was full on hissing at the author for doing what she did to Bea. One scene that comes to mind right now involves a series of executions that take a horrible twist at the end. Reading that scene was torture because I knew exactly how things were going to turn out, but I kept holding on to hope that I was mistaken. Sadly, this was not to be and in the end, a favorite character of mine suffers horribly. Curious to know who and how the character suffers? Get the book and discover for yourself, you won’t hear it from these feline lips.
I greatly enjoyed the world that Thomas created in Luminosity. The City, the Seers, and the Dreamcatchers, all feel like they could be real and there’s no question that at one point my loyalties were divided. On the one paw, I wanted to side with the Seers in their fight to protect the people of The City, but on the other paw, various elements that I learned later in the reading made me want to side with the Dreamcatchers. Turns out the villain of the story isn’t always the most obvious person(s). But at the same time, those you think of as friends aren’t always so trustworthy either.
Yes, by the end of this book I was feeling desperate to get my paws on the next in the series. Sadly, I have to wait until Thomas finishes writing it first before it will be released next year. I hate waiting…sigh.
November 1, 2012
In this futuristic world there are those that are destined to be the protectors of the people. They are the Seers, and Beatrice is the most gifted of them all. They are distinguished at birth by the appearance of their violet colored eyes, and are taken to be raised in The Institution, trained for a life of servitude, ruled over by "The Keeper." Their enemy, the ones they protect the citizens from, are the Dreamcatchers. Where Seers see the future, Dreamcatchers see the past through the dreams of others. The life of the Seer is very controlled and regimented, everything they do, everything they learn, everything they are allowed to know, every vision they have, is dictated and recorded by "The Keeper."
When Beatrice foresees the threat of war and invasion by the Dreamcatchers, everything begins to change. Security is strengthened, the training sessions at the Institution are more intense, and as the threat of war escalates, they become more deadly. Beatrice also finds herself having romantic feelings for her life-long best friend Gabe, who she trusts more than anyone, but when her visions and her dreams change, and someone appears to her, someone who she shouldn't see, she is forced to keep a secret, a secret that changes everything, and could possibly cost her her best friend, the boy she cannot bear to lose.
Is everything she and the other Seers been told true, or has it all been a lie? What is the Keepers true agenda? As Beatrice, Gabe, and her friends come face-to-face with these questions, she is forced to decide who she will believe, and she must choose the path she will have to take to save herself, the boy she loves, and possibly an entire race of people.
I really enjoyed this book. I love science fiction, romance, and dystopian novels, and when these elements are all combined into one, it is even better. The premise of this story was unique and fresh. I liked Beatrice’s character. Though she struggled with her emotions and choices, she also was very loyal to those she loved, and very determined to find the truth and do what was right, even though she didn’t always make the best decisions. I really loved Gabe’s character. He is a born leader, quite the hottie, headstrong, and funny. Then there is Echo. I loved Echo and I can’t wait to get to know him better in the next book of the series. This is quite an intense book and has some serious action-packed battle scenes. There is a love triangle, though not everyone in the triangle is aware of it, and I enjoyed the romantic component of the story. I also felt the story ended well, leaving me hungry for more, yet not feeling like I was dangling off a cliff either. If you are a science fiction lover, a romance lover, and a lover of dystopian novels, then Luminosity is a book you will want to check out.
When Beatrice foresees the threat of war and invasion by the Dreamcatchers, everything begins to change. Security is strengthened, the training sessions at the Institution are more intense, and as the threat of war escalates, they become more deadly. Beatrice also finds herself having romantic feelings for her life-long best friend Gabe, who she trusts more than anyone, but when her visions and her dreams change, and someone appears to her, someone who she shouldn't see, she is forced to keep a secret, a secret that changes everything, and could possibly cost her her best friend, the boy she cannot bear to lose.
Is everything she and the other Seers been told true, or has it all been a lie? What is the Keepers true agenda? As Beatrice, Gabe, and her friends come face-to-face with these questions, she is forced to decide who she will believe, and she must choose the path she will have to take to save herself, the boy she loves, and possibly an entire race of people.
I really enjoyed this book. I love science fiction, romance, and dystopian novels, and when these elements are all combined into one, it is even better. The premise of this story was unique and fresh. I liked Beatrice’s character. Though she struggled with her emotions and choices, she also was very loyal to those she loved, and very determined to find the truth and do what was right, even though she didn’t always make the best decisions. I really loved Gabe’s character. He is a born leader, quite the hottie, headstrong, and funny. Then there is Echo. I loved Echo and I can’t wait to get to know him better in the next book of the series. This is quite an intense book and has some serious action-packed battle scenes. There is a love triangle, though not everyone in the triangle is aware of it, and I enjoyed the romantic component of the story. I also felt the story ended well, leaving me hungry for more, yet not feeling like I was dangling off a cliff either. If you are a science fiction lover, a romance lover, and a lover of dystopian novels, then Luminosity is a book you will want to check out.
November 12, 2012
I was really excited when I found out that I would be able to take part in this blog tour, and this book totally lived up to my expectations. This is a quick read that can be knocked down in mere hours that you do not want to miss.
Set in a futuristic time where a war demolished practically the entire world, the plot in this book is incredibly imaginative. Seers can see the future. They are identified by their violet eyes at birth and are then surrendered to the Institution so that they can learn to protect themselves and channel their abilities to See to protect the unskilled citizens living in the city that the Institution calls home. Beatrice is a star among Seers for her accurate, intense, and clear visions that have never been wrong. Their enemies are the Dreamcatchers. They, too, have violet eyes and special abilities, but instead of seeing in the future, they see into the past. They harvest dreams for what they once were and make sure they are never forgotten.
The pacing of this book is amazing as well, once you hurdle through the beginning. I have to say that I struggled with the first fifth of the book because it truly did jump right into things. While I was getting to know Bea, I was thrown into a world that I didn't understand full of people with unique abilities and unique sayings that I couldn't quite grasp because there wasn't much explanation about the past. The explanations came slightly too late in the book and if they were more towards the beginning, it would have left little room for confusion.
My one big qualm is that there is a slight love triangle. While I loved Bea's seriousness and focus, I had trouble with her thought processes simply when it came to boys because she was stuck between two. They were both incredibly different and had completely different purposes in her life and she was constantly waffling between them dictated by whoever currently held her attention. I didn't like it, and I felt as if that one wrong point ruined the story for me. Oddly enough, I do agree with her overall decision at the end of the story because of the description of the feelings she experienced with both boys. As unconventional as it seems, her chosen love seemed to be the right one.
I highly recommend this one to whoever wishes to read it. It's quick and easy to get through, though be warned that there is death in it. If you do not like death, this is not a book for you. It does take place in the middle of a war, after all. The book left off in the perfect place. The ending served it's purpose and keeps us eagerly waiting for book two without leaving us hanging. Thomas's debut is definitely one worth reading if you ever have the time.
Set in a futuristic time where a war demolished practically the entire world, the plot in this book is incredibly imaginative. Seers can see the future. They are identified by their violet eyes at birth and are then surrendered to the Institution so that they can learn to protect themselves and channel their abilities to See to protect the unskilled citizens living in the city that the Institution calls home. Beatrice is a star among Seers for her accurate, intense, and clear visions that have never been wrong. Their enemies are the Dreamcatchers. They, too, have violet eyes and special abilities, but instead of seeing in the future, they see into the past. They harvest dreams for what they once were and make sure they are never forgotten.
The pacing of this book is amazing as well, once you hurdle through the beginning. I have to say that I struggled with the first fifth of the book because it truly did jump right into things. While I was getting to know Bea, I was thrown into a world that I didn't understand full of people with unique abilities and unique sayings that I couldn't quite grasp because there wasn't much explanation about the past. The explanations came slightly too late in the book and if they were more towards the beginning, it would have left little room for confusion.
My one big qualm is that there is a slight love triangle. While I loved Bea's seriousness and focus, I had trouble with her thought processes simply when it came to boys because she was stuck between two. They were both incredibly different and had completely different purposes in her life and she was constantly waffling between them dictated by whoever currently held her attention. I didn't like it, and I felt as if that one wrong point ruined the story for me. Oddly enough, I do agree with her overall decision at the end of the story because of the description of the feelings she experienced with both boys. As unconventional as it seems, her chosen love seemed to be the right one.
I highly recommend this one to whoever wishes to read it. It's quick and easy to get through, though be warned that there is death in it. If you do not like death, this is not a book for you. It does take place in the middle of a war, after all. The book left off in the perfect place. The ending served it's purpose and keeps us eagerly waiting for book two without leaving us hanging. Thomas's debut is definitely one worth reading if you ever have the time.
November 4, 2012
Originally posted on We All Make Mistakes in Books
After a war that almost destroy the planet, the Seers are back and they protect the city and it's Citizens. That's how they world now works, the Seers live separeted from the Citizens in the Institution and they must keep the Dreamcatchers away and prevent them from kiling all the Citizens.
Beatrice, Bea, is probably the best of her class, her vision are clear and especific and they become true. But the Institution keeps a lot of secrets, and most Seers aren't allowed to know.
Bea needs to understand what's going on inside the Institution in order to save those she cares about.
But The Keeper, the leader of the Seers, and her Raven are watching, always Watching her every move, and maybe... The Keeper isn't very happy with what she's seeing.
Female Main Character
Bea is a very intriguing character. At first, she's like the rest of them, used t living inside the Institution and watching the City through tinted windows. But suddenly her Visions start becoming true and she starts having Dreams of a blonde boy named Echo. The problem is, Echo is a Dreamcatcher and she likes him. After meeting Echo, Bea starts having doubts about all the things they were taught to believe.
Bea is a strong character. She fights for her friends and t make sur they're safe but with all the secrets she doesn't know who to trust.
What about the hotties of the book?
Echo and Gabe...
Echo is calmed and collected. He's mysterious. He's the blonde Dreamcatcher that wants to save his people from a pest that's killing them. Echo tries to guide Bea, he wants her help but he also knows a lot of things she doesn't.
Gabe is Bea's best friends. They've known each other since they were little, and have always been there for each other. But now tha Bea has been keeping secrets from him, he's not exactly happy.
What was the best part?
I love reading about the ins and out of the Institution and Dreamcatchers. To see how much control the Institution had over all of the Seers and Citizens.
What you didn’t like about the book?
I think they were some things that were very predictable, not just for this book but for the future... we'll have to wait and see.
Anything else I should know about this?
Yes! This is the first book in the Raven Chronicles. And the ending, yeah it makes you wanna have the second book right now.
I'm really looking foward to the rest of the story and learning what happens to all this lovelies characters.
After a war that almost destroy the planet, the Seers are back and they protect the city and it's Citizens. That's how they world now works, the Seers live separeted from the Citizens in the Institution and they must keep the Dreamcatchers away and prevent them from kiling all the Citizens.
Beatrice, Bea, is probably the best of her class, her vision are clear and especific and they become true. But the Institution keeps a lot of secrets, and most Seers aren't allowed to know.
Bea needs to understand what's going on inside the Institution in order to save those she cares about.
But The Keeper, the leader of the Seers, and her Raven are watching, always Watching her every move, and maybe... The Keeper isn't very happy with what she's seeing.
Female Main Character
Bea is a very intriguing character. At first, she's like the rest of them, used t living inside the Institution and watching the City through tinted windows. But suddenly her Visions start becoming true and she starts having Dreams of a blonde boy named Echo. The problem is, Echo is a Dreamcatcher and she likes him. After meeting Echo, Bea starts having doubts about all the things they were taught to believe.
Bea is a strong character. She fights for her friends and t make sur they're safe but with all the secrets she doesn't know who to trust.
What about the hotties of the book?
Echo and Gabe...
Echo is calmed and collected. He's mysterious. He's the blonde Dreamcatcher that wants to save his people from a pest that's killing them. Echo tries to guide Bea, he wants her help but he also knows a lot of things she doesn't.
Gabe is Bea's best friends. They've known each other since they were little, and have always been there for each other. But now tha Bea has been keeping secrets from him, he's not exactly happy.
What was the best part?
I love reading about the ins and out of the Institution and Dreamcatchers. To see how much control the Institution had over all of the Seers and Citizens.
What you didn’t like about the book?
I think they were some things that were very predictable, not just for this book but for the future... we'll have to wait and see.
Anything else I should know about this?
Yes! This is the first book in the Raven Chronicles. And the ending, yeah it makes you wanna have the second book right now.
I'm really looking foward to the rest of the story and learning what happens to all this lovelies characters.
December 5, 2012
Rating: 2.5 stars
Reviewed @ Enticed by Books
Luminosity was a very difficult read for me. It is a good book with an intriguing world, but it was a very S L O W read with no action. Some of you will disagree with me because there was a lot of violent training involved but that's not real action. The story didn't move forward for a very long time; things were discovered, relationships were build but there wasn't anything that gripped me into the story. It was very close to being a DNF. What saved it? A very loyal, and charming man named Gabriel, and my willpower to finish it.
Luminosity is a dystopian step up in a post apocalyptic world where the Seers protect the Keepers from the Dreamcatchers. Seers are special people with sight to see the future, Keepers are the normal citizens, and Dreamcatchers are the people who steal memories of the Keepers in order to survive. I loved the world created by the author, it is such an original concept, but I feel like it wasn't used to it's potential. So many things could have happened, but everything was kept very subtle & normal, in other words, Boring!
Beatrice is one of the best Seers in the Institution, her visions are trusted the most among the Keepers. I had no character connection with her whatsoever, she seemed strong, and smart, but somehow she ended up sounding very childlike to me. Maybe it was the innocence, I don't know exactly, but someone was definitely lacking. She had two love interest Gabriel, best friend & fellow Seer and Echo, enemy & a dreamcatcher. I loved Gabe, he was the most loyal, honest, caring person in the story, and such a good friends to Bea. Echo on the other hand seemed very stalkerish, and his likeness towards Bea was sudden & rushed, and definitely unrealistic.
I have mixed emotions with Luminosity, I really liked the world, but I was extremely disappointed with the character (exception to Gabe) and especially the pace of the story. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this series, but you should give it a try, many of my fellow bloggers have seemed to like this book. Maybe it's more like looking at it from a different angle, mine was surely not the best.
* A Copy was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley for an honest review (Thanks You!)*
Reviewed @ Enticed by Books
Luminosity was a very difficult read for me. It is a good book with an intriguing world, but it was a very S L O W read with no action. Some of you will disagree with me because there was a lot of violent training involved but that's not real action. The story didn't move forward for a very long time; things were discovered, relationships were build but there wasn't anything that gripped me into the story. It was very close to being a DNF. What saved it? A very loyal, and charming man named Gabriel, and my willpower to finish it.
Luminosity is a dystopian step up in a post apocalyptic world where the Seers protect the Keepers from the Dreamcatchers. Seers are special people with sight to see the future, Keepers are the normal citizens, and Dreamcatchers are the people who steal memories of the Keepers in order to survive. I loved the world created by the author, it is such an original concept, but I feel like it wasn't used to it's potential. So many things could have happened, but everything was kept very subtle & normal, in other words, Boring!
Beatrice is one of the best Seers in the Institution, her visions are trusted the most among the Keepers. I had no character connection with her whatsoever, she seemed strong, and smart, but somehow she ended up sounding very childlike to me. Maybe it was the innocence, I don't know exactly, but someone was definitely lacking. She had two love interest Gabriel, best friend & fellow Seer and Echo, enemy & a dreamcatcher. I loved Gabe, he was the most loyal, honest, caring person in the story, and such a good friends to Bea. Echo on the other hand seemed very stalkerish, and his likeness towards Bea was sudden & rushed, and definitely unrealistic.
I have mixed emotions with Luminosity, I really liked the world, but I was extremely disappointed with the character (exception to Gabe) and especially the pace of the story. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this series, but you should give it a try, many of my fellow bloggers have seemed to like this book. Maybe it's more like looking at it from a different angle, mine was surely not the best.
* A Copy was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley for an honest review (Thanks You!)*
November 6, 2012
Luminosity is a crazy adventure from the first page until the last. I loved the concept of seers v. dreamcatchers. I thought that was pretty unique. Plus, I know this doesn't matter much content wise, but I loved the font on the cover. I feel like it fits perfectly with the story.
Bea is a seer, and because of this she is taken from her family from birth and raised in the institution, which is where all seers go to learn their craft so they can protect the city if need be. And according to seer Beatrice's visions, (that is how they address all the seers in the book. I thought it made them sound like some kind of royals, which is what I think the Keeper was going for.) they are going to need to protect someone or something because a war is coming. And it is going to be seer v. dreamcatcher.
Dreamcatchers sounded like awful people. They can control dreams, which sounds peaceful but in order to live they need to take the life out of humans. At least, that is what the seers are taught at the institution. I thought stephanie Thomas did an amazing job giving the background of how the institution came about, and what the seers role in society is but I would have a liked a little bit more about the dreamcatchers. And I would have liked it through Echo, because I can't trust a single thing the Keeper tells the Seers.
Luminosity is not just really cool action scenes. There is a cute little love story going on. Actually it is a bit of a strange love triangle. One that I didn't love all that much. There is Gabe and Echo. I loved Gabe and I didn't really know too much about Echo. Bea felt comfortable with him and drawn to him but we didn't get to know him and I didn't even really know why she felt all that drawn to him. I would have liked a little more from his end of the story so I could have felt something for him and rooted for him a bit. But as it is, I ended up loving Gabe. He is so loyal, even though he does get a bit moody. I thought he was adorable.
I am really interested in reading the second book because I have a feeling there are so many answers waiting for me within it. Plus, I am really hoping to find out more about Echo and the dreamcatchers. Luminosity is a supernatural, fantasy adventure. It was an adventure I enjoyed.
Bea is a seer, and because of this she is taken from her family from birth and raised in the institution, which is where all seers go to learn their craft so they can protect the city if need be. And according to seer Beatrice's visions, (that is how they address all the seers in the book. I thought it made them sound like some kind of royals, which is what I think the Keeper was going for.) they are going to need to protect someone or something because a war is coming. And it is going to be seer v. dreamcatcher.
Dreamcatchers sounded like awful people. They can control dreams, which sounds peaceful but in order to live they need to take the life out of humans. At least, that is what the seers are taught at the institution. I thought stephanie Thomas did an amazing job giving the background of how the institution came about, and what the seers role in society is but I would have a liked a little bit more about the dreamcatchers. And I would have liked it through Echo, because I can't trust a single thing the Keeper tells the Seers.
Luminosity is not just really cool action scenes. There is a cute little love story going on. Actually it is a bit of a strange love triangle. One that I didn't love all that much. There is Gabe and Echo. I loved Gabe and I didn't really know too much about Echo. Bea felt comfortable with him and drawn to him but we didn't get to know him and I didn't even really know why she felt all that drawn to him. I would have liked a little more from his end of the story so I could have felt something for him and rooted for him a bit. But as it is, I ended up loving Gabe. He is so loyal, even though he does get a bit moody. I thought he was adorable.
I am really interested in reading the second book because I have a feeling there are so many answers waiting for me within it. Plus, I am really hoping to find out more about Echo and the dreamcatchers. Luminosity is a supernatural, fantasy adventure. It was an adventure I enjoyed.
November 5, 2012
Since I was young, I’ve often thought of how cool it would be to be psychic. Being psychic is a lot different than being a Seer, but it made joining Bea for her story, all the more appealing for me. Being a Seer is a very important part of Bea’s world and it has determined a lot about the way her life has gone. Children born with Sight are sent to live in the Institution when they are very young. I absolutely love the dynamic of characters thrown together in a small, and sometimes very controlled, atmosphere.
Bea is the best of the Seer’s at the Institution and because of a recent vision, she may have saved her people from an invasion by the Dreamcatchers. Her vision allowed the Keeper to catch one of them that had managed to get into their city and isolate the threat. They think the warning they received from the Dreamcatcher is a blessing and will help them better prepare for the rest of them that are said to be coming. What they don’t know is that Bea has a secret. Another Dreamcather has been visiting her in her dreams and they may already be too late.
Other Seers at the Institution start having visions that hint at betrayal, so Bea must keep everything to herself, because she doesn’t want to get labeled a danger to everyone. She feels safe with the Dreamcatcher in her dreams, but with the impending threats of them coming to kill her and her people, she must figure out a way to stop them. She also begins questioning the Keeper, but going against her is not really a possibility and is starts to become obvious that Keeper is keeping secrets from the rest of the Institution.
I think this was such a unique story. Visions and Seers are always such a fascinating topic to read about and I thoroughly enjoyed the history behind who they were and that of their enemies. Little things, like the color of the Seer children’s eyes all being the identifying feature, were fun and added to the mythology of the story. I guess it can be clichéd to have a leader who isn’t exactly what they seem, and could even be an enemy in their own right, but I like the way it was done in this story and I feel like it opens up a lot of potential for Bea’s character in future books. This one ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I will anxiously await the next book in the series.
Bea is the best of the Seer’s at the Institution and because of a recent vision, she may have saved her people from an invasion by the Dreamcatchers. Her vision allowed the Keeper to catch one of them that had managed to get into their city and isolate the threat. They think the warning they received from the Dreamcatcher is a blessing and will help them better prepare for the rest of them that are said to be coming. What they don’t know is that Bea has a secret. Another Dreamcather has been visiting her in her dreams and they may already be too late.
Other Seers at the Institution start having visions that hint at betrayal, so Bea must keep everything to herself, because she doesn’t want to get labeled a danger to everyone. She feels safe with the Dreamcatcher in her dreams, but with the impending threats of them coming to kill her and her people, she must figure out a way to stop them. She also begins questioning the Keeper, but going against her is not really a possibility and is starts to become obvious that Keeper is keeping secrets from the rest of the Institution.
I think this was such a unique story. Visions and Seers are always such a fascinating topic to read about and I thoroughly enjoyed the history behind who they were and that of their enemies. Little things, like the color of the Seer children’s eyes all being the identifying feature, were fun and added to the mythology of the story. I guess it can be clichéd to have a leader who isn’t exactly what they seem, and could even be an enemy in their own right, but I like the way it was done in this story and I feel like it opens up a lot of potential for Bea’s character in future books. This one ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I will anxiously await the next book in the series.
November 3, 2012
This book definitely goes by an idea that we don't see everyday. By the look of the includtion of dreams and visions, this book could be wrongly judged because I really didn't expect what I found. Honestly, the idea of falling in love with enemy was what kinda - kinda - sold it out to me but then this book also seemed to me as a semi-dystopian future novel - it sort of has the same layout as the dystopian future novels - which was interesting but it needed more than that.
In a world that consists of what seems like Citizens, Dreamcatchers and Seers - people with visions - in places no more than the City, the Instituion and Aura ( the home of the Dreamcatchers )..... and that's it, it may seem as enough but it didn't feel like so, it felt a bit shallow. To be quiet honest, I didn't at all like the world-building, it was limited and abysmal. I needed much more than that about the world in which the story takes places.
The general idea though, I personally thought of it as a unique and good one. But it does need further illusatration and just more of everything about the story that's supposed be fulfilled in the next book. Nonetheless, the ending at first may be thought of it as a cliffhanger but then it just gave the book an unfinished ending rather than a cliffhanger. At some points the incidents of the story were so intense and so the auhor was able to accomplish the factor of excitement in the story. I also really liked the flavour of the dystopian future genre that the story was flavoured with.
Overall, Luminosity was a book worth reading, I mean, it had it flaws but it was still a good one and I can't wait for the next book which - I know! - is going to be an astonishing one. A well-written book with an enjoyable storyline. However, I do think that this book might not be for everyone.
In a world that consists of what seems like Citizens, Dreamcatchers and Seers - people with visions - in places no more than the City, the Instituion and Aura ( the home of the Dreamcatchers )..... and that's it, it may seem as enough but it didn't feel like so, it felt a bit shallow. To be quiet honest, I didn't at all like the world-building, it was limited and abysmal. I needed much more than that about the world in which the story takes places.
The general idea though, I personally thought of it as a unique and good one. But it does need further illusatration and just more of everything about the story that's supposed be fulfilled in the next book. Nonetheless, the ending at first may be thought of it as a cliffhanger but then it just gave the book an unfinished ending rather than a cliffhanger. At some points the incidents of the story were so intense and so the auhor was able to accomplish the factor of excitement in the story. I also really liked the flavour of the dystopian future genre that the story was flavoured with.
Overall, Luminosity was a book worth reading, I mean, it had it flaws but it was still a good one and I can't wait for the next book which - I know! - is going to be an astonishing one. A well-written book with an enjoyable storyline. However, I do think that this book might not be for everyone.
November 9, 2012
I was so excited for the chance to read Luminosity, it sounded like such a unique book. I enjoyed it :)
When I first started the book, I was slightly confused. Luminosity starts pretty abruptly and details about the world in the book are revealed. Beatrice is a girl who has visions ("the Sight"). She lives at The Institution, a school for people like her, and she starts having visions of a mysterious boy. The boy is part of the Institution's enemy, the Dreamweavers, and wants her help.
At first, I found the world pretty hard to understand, but I started to realize how exactly the society worked later in the book. Also, both the plot and the book started off with a storyline that pulled you in, with one of the first lines in the book being, "And when I turned seventeen, one of my Visions came true. Things haven't been the same since."* Luminosity was a unique, great dystopian!
I also really liked the romance in this book. There are two guys, Echo and Gabe. Gabe's been her best friend for her whole life and he was an awesome character! Echo's is the one who keeps appearing in her visions, and I liked him a lot (although not as much as Gabe ;) The relationships between all the characters were good, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between Gabe and Beatrice.
The ending was surprising, I'm looking forward to reading the sequel in the future. I thought both the first few lines and the last few lines in Luminosity were amazing.
Luminosity is a great dystopian read and I'd give it 3 1/2 out of 5 flowers. Besides some problems I had with the world, I liked it! :)
Review also posted at http://www.thebookbelles.blogspot.com
When I first started the book, I was slightly confused. Luminosity starts pretty abruptly and details about the world in the book are revealed. Beatrice is a girl who has visions ("the Sight"). She lives at The Institution, a school for people like her, and she starts having visions of a mysterious boy. The boy is part of the Institution's enemy, the Dreamweavers, and wants her help.
At first, I found the world pretty hard to understand, but I started to realize how exactly the society worked later in the book. Also, both the plot and the book started off with a storyline that pulled you in, with one of the first lines in the book being, "And when I turned seventeen, one of my Visions came true. Things haven't been the same since."* Luminosity was a unique, great dystopian!
I also really liked the romance in this book. There are two guys, Echo and Gabe. Gabe's been her best friend for her whole life and he was an awesome character! Echo's is the one who keeps appearing in her visions, and I liked him a lot (although not as much as Gabe ;) The relationships between all the characters were good, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between Gabe and Beatrice.
The ending was surprising, I'm looking forward to reading the sequel in the future. I thought both the first few lines and the last few lines in Luminosity were amazing.
Luminosity is a great dystopian read and I'd give it 3 1/2 out of 5 flowers. Besides some problems I had with the world, I liked it! :)
Review also posted at http://www.thebookbelles.blogspot.com
November 16, 2012
Keeper Beatrice was born with the sight, as with all Keeper new born babies they are taken from their parents and raised by the Institution. She had the tell tale sign of all Keepers, lavender eyes. Her visions might just be the clearest of all the Keepers. When she turned 17, one of her visions came true and she was given that raven wings. Wings signify her proven ability as a Keeper.
The Institution residence are tasked with keeping the city safe from the Dreamcatchers. They can see into peoples minds and suck the vitality and life from a person to heal themselves.
Gabe and Beatrice, Bea, have grown up together in the Institution and he is her best friend...but Bea can’t even tell Gabe that a Dreamcatcher is meeting her in her dreams. They would lock Bea up or throw her right out of the Institution, the only home she has ever known.
Beatrice knows the enemy is coming. But she is unsure if all she has been taught about the Dreamcatchers is real. Are they the enemy? Who can she trust?
Luminosity is a dark dystopian tale. It was slow going, I was really liking it but not loving it and then all of a sudden I was completely sucked away! I was completely riveted to the new and fascinating world and I couldn’t put the book down. Hunger Games has nothing on this world where the public is kept in the dark, the protectors might be the enemy and even though you can see the future some one can kill you in your mind. 5 Stars and I’m putting this on my favorite shelf. Can't wait for the next book in this series!
This copy of Luminosity was given to me by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review.
The Institution residence are tasked with keeping the city safe from the Dreamcatchers. They can see into peoples minds and suck the vitality and life from a person to heal themselves.
Gabe and Beatrice, Bea, have grown up together in the Institution and he is her best friend...but Bea can’t even tell Gabe that a Dreamcatcher is meeting her in her dreams. They would lock Bea up or throw her right out of the Institution, the only home she has ever known.
Beatrice knows the enemy is coming. But she is unsure if all she has been taught about the Dreamcatchers is real. Are they the enemy? Who can she trust?
Luminosity is a dark dystopian tale. It was slow going, I was really liking it but not loving it and then all of a sudden I was completely sucked away! I was completely riveted to the new and fascinating world and I couldn’t put the book down. Hunger Games has nothing on this world where the public is kept in the dark, the protectors might be the enemy and even though you can see the future some one can kill you in your mind. 5 Stars and I’m putting this on my favorite shelf. Can't wait for the next book in this series!
This copy of Luminosity was given to me by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2012
First I like to say how I love this paranormal, institute kind of books. It just provides this "mystic action" feel to the book. I really love the concept of how the Seers are protecting the city. I don't know, I just love this "solider" feel of the book. A lot of these institute books typically have students and they are shut in with study and stuff but I love this "protection" idea. I think this was one of the reason why I wanted to read this book from the start.
Bea was amazing. She was powerful. Her ability was near the level of The Keepers. She didn't know her parents and she was detached in many ways. I am annoyed at how almost every paranormal YA book will have the main female character have a best friend who she suddenly realizes is hot. But wait, she falls for another "bad" boy. -______-. I am sorry but I am so sick of it. Gabe was your sweet best friend. He was really the Bolin type (this is a reference to The Legend of Korra). He was the person that you could lean on when shits happen. He was your genuine-amazing-all-I-want type of guy. Echo, the enemy started to appear in Bea's dream. He was mysterious but I haven't seen enough of him to determine how I felt about him.
The plot was very predictable and very cliché. But to be fair, it was action-packed and full of emotions. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. I cannot wait for the sequel because wow, cliffhanger!
Bea was amazing. She was powerful. Her ability was near the level of The Keepers. She didn't know her parents and she was detached in many ways. I am annoyed at how almost every paranormal YA book will have the main female character have a best friend who she suddenly realizes is hot. But wait, she falls for another "bad" boy. -______-. I am sorry but I am so sick of it. Gabe was your sweet best friend. He was really the Bolin type (this is a reference to The Legend of Korra). He was the person that you could lean on when shits happen. He was your genuine-amazing-all-I-want type of guy. Echo, the enemy started to appear in Bea's dream. He was mysterious but I haven't seen enough of him to determine how I felt about him.
The plot was very predictable and very cliché. But to be fair, it was action-packed and full of emotions. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. I cannot wait for the sequel because wow, cliffhanger!
December 10, 2012
Bea is a neat character. She is defiant while still following rules, easy to connect with and not afraid to go after what she wants. She doesn't blindly follow what she is told and had no problem thinking for herself. As a Seer she can see things others can't and she is one of the most powerful Seers so her visions are taken seriously. The whole concept behind LUMINOSITY was intriguing and the author did a good job with her descriptions and world building.There isn't really a romance going on but there is love triangle. Beatrice loves her best friend Gabe but she finds herself pining for the enemy Echo as well. I cant honestly say who's "team" I am as we don't really know enough about Echo yet to say what he would bring into a relationship with Bea.
I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline. A lot of the mystery ended up being pretty obvious and easy to guess before situations or information came out.There was a good bit of action situations and plenty of danger you wouldn't imagine young people being involved in. The ending didn't seem very strong but it ends on a cliffhanger so there is plenty left to see. We really don't know much about the Dreamcatcher's yet so I cant imagine what will happen once Bea arrives in their home so I will most likely grab book 2 when it comes out just because I'm interested in finding out.
I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline. A lot of the mystery ended up being pretty obvious and easy to guess before situations or information came out.There was a good bit of action situations and plenty of danger you wouldn't imagine young people being involved in. The ending didn't seem very strong but it ends on a cliffhanger so there is plenty left to see. We really don't know much about the Dreamcatcher's yet so I cant imagine what will happen once Bea arrives in their home so I will most likely grab book 2 when it comes out just because I'm interested in finding out.
November 23, 2012
When I first received this title from Netgalley (a big thanks to them btw), I was really excited to read Luminosity. It sounded unique and different, and had an amazing cover. I've been finding, lately, that all these new dystopian books have a really clinical, bare feel to them. It's this starkness of the futuristic setting or alternate style, I don't know. Anyway, I really found this within Luminosity... and not in a good way. The characters seemed lifeless, emotionless and unlikeable. Sure the action scenes were great, but when people actually died, others didn't really seem affected by it at all. Maybe this was just meant to emphasise the vicious nature of the Keeper, but it was weird.
And the romance... if you can even call it that. It seemed like an insta-love which wasn't even real. Something based on lies, distrust and false promises. Both of the love interests were bland, annoying and forceful. Ugh.
It took me a while to read this book, and even after it all, I feel like I couldn't been rading something else much better. I'm not really eager to read the next book...
(NB: Negative reviews are on no account personal attacks on the author, rather a matter of opinion. I fully respect the author in getting his/her work published, even if I don't find it to my liking.)
Archive Date: 19th Nov 2012
Pub Date: 12th Nov 2012
And the romance... if you can even call it that. It seemed like an insta-love which wasn't even real. Something based on lies, distrust and false promises. Both of the love interests were bland, annoying and forceful. Ugh.
It took me a while to read this book, and even after it all, I feel like I couldn't been rading something else much better. I'm not really eager to read the next book...
(NB: Negative reviews are on no account personal attacks on the author, rather a matter of opinion. I fully respect the author in getting his/her work published, even if I don't find it to my liking.)
Archive Date: 19th Nov 2012
Pub Date: 12th Nov 2012
November 3, 2012
Definitely a book catered towards teens. It reminded me of the Hunger Games and the Ender Games. I could see this book becoming the basis of a hit movie. Fascinating read. I am extremely curious how the author will wrap up this story. Can't wait for the sequel!
March 5, 2012
omg read it!!!!!
November 1, 2012
Review coming soon!!
August 24, 2012
THAT was flipping awesome!!! Omg I love Echo and Bea and Gabe, Brandon and Elan!!!!
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