Perception

The Perception Trilogy #1

by Lee Strauss

Librarian note: Older cover of B0095612HK.

ETERNAL LIFE IS TO DIE FOR

Seventeen-year-old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.
Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn when her brother Liam is murdered.

The only one who can help her find out what happened is Noah Brody, the last guy on earth she should trust. 

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically. He's not sure why he's agreed to help her, but what he finds out when he does, will change his life forever.

PERCEPTION is a near-future mystery that can be read alone. ​

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, Ebooks, Fantasy, Fiction

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2012

About the author

For fans of Golden Age who-dun-its ~ from a USA TODAY Bestselling author!

You'll adore Lady Gold from the acclaimed Ginger Gold Mysteries series, and the spin of series, Higgins & Hawke.

Look for the connected 1950s era Rosa Reed Mysteries.

NEW ~ The Velvet Spy ~ The Wartime Journal of Ginger Gold

For more info visit: leestraussbooks.com

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free today on Amazon! 3/30/15

The basis of this world is that we have learned how to genetically alter ourselves. So now everyone has the potential to be totally hot and live for a couple hundred years, as long as they can afford it.

I would say this was a middle-of-the-road kind of book for me. It was entertaining enough while I was reading it, but I'm not sure I'll continue with the series. I can't really pinpoint why, other than the concept just didn't intrigue me enough....or something.
God. I'm a terrible reviewer!
Oh well, you get what you pay for, people.

Zoe is a typical spoiled little rich girl. She's not evil, just unaware that other people live in her world, so to speak. Her parents are distant, but she has a close relationship with her brother, Liam. Or she thinks they're close, anyway. One day Liam just disappears, and it seems to Zoe that no one is looking very hard to find him. Distraught, she takes it upon herself to discover just what happened to her brother. She manages to find out that he was working on a secret project with her boyfriend and one other researcher outside the city. Unfortunately, she needs help in order to maneuver safely outside the protected inner city that she and the other GAPs grew up in. She needs a natural to help her, but the only natural she knows is her housekeeper's son, Noah. Not only does he dislike her snooty family, but apparently he's a leader in the anti-GAP movement. The only thing she's got going in her favor is that he needs money to help his family pay bills....and that's one thing she's got plenty of.

What starts out as a business transaction slowly turns into friendship, and then into something more. As they spend time together trying to uncover the truth, it becomes hard to control the way they feel about each other. The sparks begin to fly, and finally they give in and admit their feelings.
*sigh* Nothing quite compares to Forbidden Love.
Conspiracy theories, death threats, and shocking revelations be damned! Together they decide that nothing is going to come between them.

And then something super-duper shocking comes between them!
Gasp!
But I'm not going to tell you what it is.
Or whether or not they end up together.
*shrugs* Hey, I told you I was a crappy reviewer when I started writing this thing.

After thinking about it, I'd say this was a decent book. Not awesome, but certainly not boring. I would definitely read something else by this author again.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This review can also be seen on

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book lingered 1/2 read for too long on my kindle, so I sucked it up and finished it.

Perception is a forgettable young adult sci-fi book about genetically enhanced people and their relations with non-genetically enhanced people. There is a murder mystery thrown in to mix it up a bit. The main character is a vapid girl named Zoe, who goes "undercover" in the world outside her genetically enhanced community to find out who murdered her brother.

I had a number of issues with this book. First of all, when Zoe's brother dies, no one reacts like a normal person would. It was so odd. They were all like strange zombies, but not in an intentional, cool way. It was in a "the characters all fall flat" way. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Zoe is so shallow and irritating. She constantly talks about her blond hair and blue eyes and wonders how anything else could be considered attractive. Seriously?! She just bugged the crap out of me and I didn't relate to her at all. She is kind of racist and stupid to boot. Also, the religion-science debate felt forced and haphazard.

It wasn't the worst book that I have read in this genre but I didn't really enjoy it. I'll give it two stars because I can see how some people would get into the story.

I agree with this reviewer so much that I sound like I am copying her review. Ditto everything here.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

FREE http://www.amazon.com/PERCEPTION-Perc...

I love futuristic science fiction especially gadety things like what the Jetsons have lol so this book was so perfect for me! I loved the world building. Zoe had a ComRing which was like the most awesome phone ever. I want one. Plus some pretty awesome appliances. Zoe is a genetically altered person. Her life span is doubled since she received the GAP treatment. But like with any scientific advancements there are people that don't believe in the treatment so they live on the "outside". This creates lots of class differences and rebellion. The GAPs have way better living conditions, especially Zoe, whose grandfather was actually part of the invention of GAPs.

Zoe's brother goes missing and she is determined to find out what happened to him. Liam was working on a secret project at the University with her boyfriend Jackson and another student. When she questions Jackson, he blows her off and seems to be hiding something. Zoe decides to disguise herself and venture to the outside for answers because of a clue she found in Liam's room. She runs into her housekeeper's son, Noah Brody, who is quickly onto her. Noah is a natural and completely against GAPs but he agrees to help her get to the truth.

Zoe Vanderveen, I love her name, was such a great sister. Whenever I read books or watch movies where a sister goes to amazing lengths to help her brother, I always tell my brother I would never do that. lol I liked that Zoe was strong and stuck to her beliefs. Even though Noah was a natural and had different beliefs, she didn't completely abandon hers for his. I would be thinking along the lines of Zoe. An extra 100 years and no illnesses sign me up, but Noah is less scientific and more spiritual. He still stands by Zoe and accepts her for who she is. Their romance was very sweet and easy to root for. Even though Zoe is with Jackson at the beginning it doesn't feel like a love triangle. Jackson is very cut off from Zoe as soon as Liam disappears.

The mystery kept me glued to the pages all night. I had an idea who was involved but there was a way bigger conspiracy going on than I thought and each piece was unraveled very thoughtfully to keep a great pace throughout the story. The one thing I that was difficult for me to get into was that after 73% it switches from Zoe's POV to Noah's. I love different POVs and I did eventually enjoy Noah's perspective but I would have rather it started sooner for me to get a feel for him before such a big switch. I was really connected to Zoe when all of a sudden I had to get used to Noah's voice. It was Noah's turn to make a decision about how involved he wants to get with Zoe and this conspiracy. Zoe will age completely different from Noah so their relationship will have many difficulties in the future. All my questions were answered by the end but everything is not resolved and I am ready to see where it goes in the next book!


"He grabbed my arm and pulled me close, his lips landing on mine. Apparently, it was more than okay. I kissed him back, surprised by my eagerness. His lips were soft and warm but his kisses were urgent. I wrapped my arms around his neck and grabbed onto his hair. He held my waist pulling me tight, body to body. If I'd questioned my humanity before, I didn't any more. The way I felt about Noah was very human."

[Leanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm. While reading this book, especially at the beginning, I felt like I was reading a Coles Notes version of the book. Sentences were short, and a lot of information was given without very much style. It was like reading a summary of a movie.

Anyways, I couldn't connect with the main character, Zoe, at all. She is naive and entitled. She complains multiple times about the unappetising smells she has to deal with from the food court that serves "food from all ethnicities". She constantly emphasizes her blond-hair and blue-eyes, and is actually confused when people find her brunette/brown-eyed disguise attractive. (An aside- she chooses the name CHLOE as her fake name because it rhymes with ZOE. Yep.)

So basically, Zoe's brother dies and no one reacts at all typically. Instead of grieving/mourning, she decides she has to solve the mystery of his death. Noah, despite his status as the son of their maid, becomes suddenly irresistible, and they become partners in crime to uncover a conspiracy that involves pharmaceuticals companies, bio-engineering, and human cloning. Despite the interesting premise, the actual story fell flat.

The whole religion vs. science thing felt a bit awkward in the story as well. Like, it just sort of cropped up, Noah would do a soapbox speech, and then it wasn't really mentioned again.

Anyways, a super-quick read (my e-book was only 160 pages or so), but not super-impressive.

Thank you to the publishers, who via NetGalley provided me with an e-copy of this book for review

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book with a blue cover for my January challenge. That's what I was looking for when I discovered Perception on my kindle, and that's about how much I knew about it too, that it had a blue cover. But I thought I'd give it a go anyway, and I'm just so glad that I did, that I found this gem hidden away on my kindle, maybe never to be discovered. I've so many books on my kindle I know I'll never get to read them all. That's the reason why I'm participating in these challenges, to try get through some of the books I already own and only request/buy ones that I'm waiting on or that sound like something I'd really enjoy.

Lee Strauss was an author I'd never heard of, but on finishing this book, I discovered that it's a pen name of Elle Strauss, whom I have come across and have more of her books on my kindle. I'll be more inclined to get around to picking those ones up now.

So, Perception is a sci-fi, with some mystery and romance too. Zoe is a GAP, a genetically modified person who lives longer than a normal person, never gets sick, is extremely beautiful, you get the gist, superior in every way. GAP's are extremely wealthy and live in gated communities, a kind of utopia, away from the naturals, who live on the "outside."

Noah is a natural, and like his father before him, leads protests the GAPs and the unfairness that they can lead such better, superior lives because they can afford it. To undergo genetic modification costs €750,000 per person, so obviously, it's the minority who can afford it.

But when Zoe's brother Liam goes missing, and Zoe doesn't feel as though she can trust anyone. Liam's chip is gone, and even the police appear cagey. The only person she thinks might be able to help her is Noah Brody, the maids son, and he hates GAPs. But Zoe needs to find him.

She ventures to the outside, LA, a place she's never been before, with fear and trepidation. She finds the building where Noah was protesting, and spots him at a church not too far away. Disguised as a natural, she tries to get some information about her brother from Noah and his friend Dexter. It doesn't take Noah long to figure out who she really is, and to her surprise, he agrees to help her.

Such a great read, this book was everything I enjoy. The main characters were really great, though for the first few pages I didn't think I was going to like Zoe. She thought a lot of herself and felt she was better than anyone who wasn't a GAP. But when her brother goes missing, she comes back to earth with a bump. Noah, on first impressions, seems quite grouchy and hard done by. But when you get to know him, you realise he's only like that around the GAPs. But as these two warm up to each other, it's impossible not to fall in love with them. Both of them, especially Zoe, change their way of thinking completely, and as they fall for each other, it's just fantastic. Before Zoe gets to know Noah, she doesn't find him attractive at all, but everytime she meets him, she feels like he's getting better looking each time. I really enjoyed how this romance was written.

I didn't actually read the blurb of this book until after I'd finished the book, but it mentions "exploring the clash between faith and science," if I had read this beforehand, I might have thought it had a lot of religious undertones, so just to let you know, it doesn't.

I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this book. It's only 99c on Amazon and so worth it.

[Arlenis Ralfsdóttir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esta historia prometia, realmente la premisa de todo el libro daba para algo mejor de lo que se obtuvo. Habia material aqui para desarrollar pero la autora no supo trabajar con ello.

Veamos, en primer lugar, que desastre de narracion. HORRIBLE. El inicio del libro, yo diria que el 30%, no se entendia nada del mundo de los personajes, de los personajes en si o incluso la historia que estaba ocurriendo en ese mismo momento. No te conectas en ningun momento con los personajes o la historia porque no hay una buena presentacion. La autora describe un monton de cosas a medias y nunca termina de cerrar las ideas, como por ejemplo, en un punto Zoe dice que las puertas giratorias le recordaban a un viaje a la feria que hizo de joven y luego salto a otro tema completamente diferente, osea ¿donde quedó el desarrollo o el porqué le hizo recordar eso?

Muchos detalles se saltaron y son mencionado luego, y tu quedas como WTF? ¿en que momento mencionaron esto? Como por ejemplo cuando Noah va a buscar a Zoe y piensa en que ojala su amor por el mar haga que regrese a él, pero en ningun momento Zoe menciona en sus conversaciones su amor por el mar, de igual forma cuando ella le dice que recuerda que él tiene miedo de las agujas casi finalizando el libro y en ninguna parte del libro eso es mencionado antes (y mira que me tomé la molestia de regresar). Un monton de sin sentidos y para ser un libro de mas de 200 paginas y de faltarle tantos detalles imaginense la cantidad de material relleno que tiene.

Por otra parte, se entiende que son adolescente y que son impulsivos y tal, pero son BRUTOS, no pensaron en ningun momento antes de actuar, no se detuvieron a pensar que justamente lo que estaban haciendo era lo que no tenian que hacer.

Todo fue bastante predecible, no hubo grandes sorpresas o giros, todo muy soso. En ningun momento conecte con algun personaje, no me crei su historia de amor y Zoe me parecio una de las peores protagonistas femeninas que he leido en mi vida. En fin, dudo que continue con esta serie y si lo hago sera como medio leer de pasadita los otros libros para ver como va a terminar la cosa pero no le tengo mucha fe.

[Kritika · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate giving books one-star ratings - there is usually a lot of work that goes into writing a novel, and I try to respect that by trying to look for something I liked or at least appreciated in what I'm reading. Unfortunately, I didn't find that something in this book.

The premise seemed right up my alley. Zoe Vanderveen is a genetically altered person (a GAP - cheesy name, but I can overlook that) whose brother goes missing. After a rather sinister turn of events, Zoe is no longer sure who to trust and who to believe. She ends up relying on Noah Brody, a "natural" whose grandfather initially collaborated with hers to create the concept of GAPs, but spoke out against it for ethical reasons.

All of this sounds quite intriguing, but the novel itself failed to deliver. The characters were very flat, and I could not find any redeeming qualities in Zoe. Not only was she naive, she was terribly vain. She is condescending and intolerant of people and cultures that don't fit the supposedly superior "blonde hair blue eyes" theme; at one point she mentions how surprised she is that people still find her attractive when she has brown hair and brown eyes. Everything about her was very superficial; she was constantly tossing her blonde hair or fluttering her eyelashes in hopes of getting people to do what she wanted. If all else failed, she'd offer money from her endless financial resources to get the job done. I wouldn't have been bothered so much by Zoe if she had grown or become less vain and superficial as the story progressed. Although she mentions towards the end of the book, "I'm not like those girls. I've changed!", it's clear that she hasn't. She still thinks she can use her pretty face and cash reserves to get things done, and is still heavily influenced by the stereotypes and behaviors she claims she has abandoned.

None of the characters really had much depth. Liam disappears, and the parents are numb but don't really do anything to help the situation or comfort their daughter. Zoe grieves for two seconds before deciding to find out what happened to her brother. Jackson had a major hand in Liam's fate, and his revelation is a 30 second conversation with Zoe. No shock, no raw emotion, no depression, nothing! There were a lot of chapter endings that seemed very abrupt. Someone would say something offhand, and then the chapter would end. There was not much sense of an emotional impact or rising tension, and the consequences of what people do are hardly touched on.Again with cyborg Jackson. There's hardly any buildup or tension. Jackson says "You belong with me!" and Zoe responds with a "You just love my name and my money!" before promptly proceeding to shoot him. What? When did she turn into a killer? What are the consequences of what she's becoming?

I felt that the change in POV towards the end of the novel was unnecessary. Again, there was so much potential in this situation, but instead it became a creepy guy kidnapping the girl he supposedly loves (I say "supposedly" because he decides to go after her by throwing a dart and seeing if it hits the mark...). As I mentioned earlier, there was no real sense of consequence or emotional trauma. Noah does some creepy stuff and Zoe magically believes all the stories he tells her.

Finally, the science and faith debate seemed very contrived. Rather than showing multi-layered viewpoints or presenting questions for the reader to answer for themselves, the novel's take on the debate was a series of five sentence conversations. The conclusion of these appears to be something along the lines of "You may be genetically engineered but you still have a soul and I love you!"

This novel could have used with some more editing as well; I caught a couple of misplaced punctuation marks.

I'm very disappointed in this book because it had so much potential but did not deliver.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review*

[Leigh Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, fun mystery-scifi with a swoony love story mixed in. I loved this book!

[Emmeline (The Book Herald) · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOH! This is a Kindle freebie? For this kind of story, I would pay!!

Okay so there's Loads of intrigue in this story!

We are in the future.

Scientists have found a way to make the ultimate GAP- Genetically Altered People.
They live until 200 years. They are in every way the Aryan Race- Blonde, Blue Eyed and beautiful.

The Normals are not accepted.

They are labourers or considered of lesser class.

One of the Normals believes in starting a revolution against the injustices of the GAP- Noah Brody.

A girl is about to understand that her family and world is not as black and white as she believed.

They will question everything. Discover everything. Endanger Everything.

Can two people who are born of such different worlds find a place to belong?

I guess it all comes down to your perception of the world. BOOM!




I'll tell you what just happened,

This book.

Now, I'm not saying that this book is the best I've ever read, I'm not saying that everything was amazing.
But what I'm saying is that it is a flipping good read and so realistic that I half imagine this COULD actually happen in a few years!!!!

I loved how realistic and original this was!

Okay let's talk about the Plot-

Zoe has her world turned upside down when her beloved older brother goes missing...worst when he turns up dead.

Why?

What happened?

one question- Who did it?

Her perfect world is turned upside down, she has one lead that pinpoints her to who could have murdered her brother,
A Normal.

Zoe becomes determined to find out the answers to her brother's death.

One thing she didn't factor- She may loose her life looking for those answers.

Will Zoe find them or will everything she believed to be true is actually a lie?

Can an enemy have the face of a friend?

READ. THIS!

There is also a heart pounding romance in this! just saying! OH and it's a clean read too! woo!

I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Stay awesome!

-The Book Herald.

Find me also on twitter- @thebookherald

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Porque todo fue tan rápido jajajaja.
Me gusta tiende a gustar que los personajes evoluciones, pero esto fue too much de rápido oajsoa
Aun así es una lectura agradable.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes life is just a matter of Perception, as Lee Strauss tells us in the first book of the Perception series. If your perception of life is like Zoe Vanderveen’s, you live life being part of a genetically altered society, safe within the cocoon of Sol City’s walls. Everything is perfect, life is long, healthy, and exactly what some hidden powers want you to think it is. Outside these walls is the real world, where humans are just that, humans, trying to survive, flawed and dealing with the grit of being a “natural.” Noah Brody lives on the outside in Los Angeles, part of the masses unable to afford the life of the GAPs . He leads protests against the GAPs and the disparity between the lives of the haves and have nots. When Zoe’s brother disappears, she does the unthinkable and begins a quest to find out what really happened to him, leaving the protection of Sol City. Noah, the last person she should trust becomes the one person who could save her when she becomes a victim of the GAP system and its dark secrets. There was a history between their grandfathers that ran bitter and deep, as the two brilliant scientists perceived the use of their discoveries in vastly different ways. Can these two young people from such different backgrounds make a difference for the future of the world? Will Noah's belief in God open Zoe's eyes to the real world or is the power of technology too strong?

Set in a futuristic world created by Lee Strauss, carefully built and detailed with global disasters and advanced technology that divides the classes, we are invited to examine faith vs technology, good vs evil, and watch love bloom in the most unexpected places. What is right is a matter of Perception. With non-stop intrigue and tension, this YA sci-fi romance makes a strong start for this series!

A copy of Perception was provided by NetGalley and All Night Reads in exchange for my honest review.

[Kat Heckenbach · Rating 2 out of 5]

No, I didn't read the whole book. Not even half. I was unable to connect to the main character, at all. Shallow and spoiled--and maybe the author needs her that way to show her personal growth, but there needs to be something deep down that makes me care. When her brother is discovered to be missing, no one reacts realistically, and all she cares about is solving the mystery, not worrying, not feeling. She was more concerned with how her boyfriend was acting than the fact that her brother was missing.

Also, the way the technology was described, it felt as though the author was trying to draw attention to it, rather than the story itself. That would have been fine before the moment when her brother disappears, as a way to set up the story world, but it continues after.

Anyway, I really did give this book a fair chance, trying multiple times to get farther into the story, but I just couldn't.

That said, I see potential in the writing. The voice was decent and the idea pretty original.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I got this one for free on Amazon. I'm so happy to have read this! I started yesterday night and finish today! It's fast paced and the premise is good.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very light dystopian YA novel. There wasn’t a whole lot of substance to the writing though the actual plot wasn’t too bad. I wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a Christian YA book or not. I think maybe so but, I didn’t feel the author picked a “side” which kind of just left me confused as to what she was trying to say. I don’t know that it was intriguing enough to read the next two.

[Carol Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually like dystopian novels, but this one was excellent! I plan to read the rest of the trilogy.

[S. Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a young adult dystopian novella taking place outside Los Angeles, California in approximately the year 2040.

17-year-old Zoe Vanderveen is a Genetically Altered Person, or GAP. All GAPs are rich, beautiful, live close to 200 years, and they stay in special GAP-only cities so that they don't have to mingle with common poor people who cannot afford the procedure. Zoe had never left the city, and had no reason to do so, because GAPs had everything they needed or could ever want.

18-year-old Noah Brody is not a GAP. He is an Outsider. His sick mother is a maid for the Vanderveens, and sometimes he fills in for her when she is too ill to work. He detests all GAPs with a passion... they are unnatural, and they are snobs who think themselves better than everybody else.

When Zoe's beloved only brother Liam goes missing, and his chip is not able to be tracked, Zoe starts to worry about him. She thinks that he went Outside. She has never been Outside, and the only Outsiders she knows are the hired help, who would have no reason to assist her in finding Liam. Can she convince Noah Brody to work together with her? With people willing to kill to keep her from finding out the truth, can she even trust Noah in the first place?

This was a wonderful book that has several really great morals to it. It was a perfect YA novel... most YA novels either have too much mature content for the age range, or have dumbed down speech more suitable to 4th graders, but this book did not. Although it has some innuendo, and five mild curse words, it is still a very clean, Christan book, and I enjoyed it very much. Usually a book that ends in a cliff hanger gets a bad rating from me... but not so for this one. The book was so good, I forgive it for the unsatisfying ending! Five stars!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that the book was exceptionally well-written in the prospect of portraying a possible futuristic world where there is a definitive class system based even more on money and looks than what our class system could be considered today. I think it portrays a possible fate for the world if the importance of money and looks is stressed even more today, especially with our continually advances in science relating to improving the human body’s looks and overall functions. Throughout the book the improvements that scientists have made are mentioned constantly and the upsides are greatly boasted at first, but as the book progresses the downsides of such advanced technology and scientific feats question things like people’s faith and their morals. I definitely enjoyed how it not only portrayed the positives of the standard of improvement of human lives, but how it also showed the corruption that comes along with it. This is expressed mostly by Zoe’s point of view and is expressed even more so as the GAP (genetically altered person) officials come into life and when Noah, an outsider and rebel against the GAP ways, comes into Zoe’s life.
As Zoe lives in the perfect bubble of the Gaps- the blue eyed, blonde haired, beautiful, and rich society of the world- she doesn’t realize the problems that affect everyone who is too poor or simply against the GAP way of life, those outside the walls of her home, Sol City. The problems of dying before one hundred years of age, getting an unwanted pregnancy, money shortages, and sickness don’t affect the genetically modified GAPs. They live in a perfect world of bliss, completely safe and sound behind the walls that separate them from the outside world (in Zoe’s case Los Angeles). In fact, their city is so perfect they have absolutely no reason to leave. Zoe never had a reason to leave, that is, until the day her brother Liam goes missing and eventually turns up dead- outside the walls of Sol City. Seeking the truth, Zoe decides to investigate the cause of her brother’s death. After realizing that the truth is being hidden by those who she thought she could trust the most- her boyfriend Jackson, her parents, and the city officials/police.
Searching for clues in her brother’s room she comes across a piece of paper with a name written on it- Dexter. After watching TV she sees Dexter on TV, along with her maid’s son Noah. She comes to the realization that in order to find the truth she must go outside the protective walls of Sol City and enlist the help of Noah and Dexter. At first she charades as an outsider, disguising the trademark blonde hair and blue eyes of the GAPs, and donning the cheap clothes of “normal” people, but Noah discovers the truth of who she really is. Noah’s late father was a priest and had a firm belief against altering a person and some of the scientific discovers that made the world the way the GAPS wanted it, which was instilled into Noah. But as she seeks the truth, with Noah’s help, she slowly finds herself for a boy that is against everything she is and everything she believes in. Lucky for her, Noah’s beliefs don’t stand in the way as the two fall in love and eventually discover the truth. After discovering that her brother died while experimenting the possibility of immortality through and artificial body, an illegal activity funded by their grandfather and the help of Zoe’s boyfriend Jackson, her memory is erased and Noah is chased away to the countryside.
Through perseverance, Noah rescues Zoe and helps her recall her memories of him and the struggles it took to find out the truth about her brother and the corruption of her family. When she finally trusts him again and remembers about him, Jackson suddenly comes into play with the very cyborg technology that killed her brother. After knowing about the corruption around her, she flees with Noah to try and expose the GAP corruption to others.
I believe this book is a great read for those entering middles school and anyone past then. All people, boy or girls, who enjoy science-fiction, futuristic worlds, or dystopian literature, would definitely find the book interesting and exciting until the very end. I look forward to continuing the series and I know that others who read the book will too.

[shre ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*A copy was provided for review from author*

Perception by Lee Strauss is a dystopian novel that takes genetic engineering to a whole new level. There are the GAP’s, who have been genetically altered to have a life-span of at least 300 years, and there are the ‘outsiders’, who have not been immunized to every disease out there, do not have a pro-longed life, and most certainly do not have everything available to them at the flick of a finger. And in the center of all this, lies one girl who risks the life of luxury to get vengeance for the disappearance of her brother, as well as a boy who also risks what little he has in order to bring justice to the world again.

This dystopia was a very well-written novel, and I really like the aspect of our future being put forward, because this is exactly where we’re going guys. I loved how there are two worlds/settings in this book, the perfect but lacking emotionally inside, and the trouble-ridden but warm outside. While there were perks to this book, there were also some things that I didn’t enjoy as much. I feel like there should’ve been a little more detail and Intel into the world that the author was trying to create. We don’t learn much about the past, everyone takes place in the present. The action was there, somewhat, but it’s not as much as we see in many dystopians these days. It was there, but it was mild. Also, it could’ve just been me, but I feel like the plot should’ve been more empowering than the main character worrying and trying to find her brother. So, as you can tell from that, I really want to read the next book in hopes that we get to learn more about this superior vs. inferior world, and how it was created, and why it happened.

The characters were great as well. Zoe, the main character, was different from all the GAP’s around her. She wasn’t caught up in the glory or charm of her life-style, but wanted the warmth and comfort only love can give, which isn’t exactly present to her in her little dome of a world. She did have a lot of courage to investigate her brother’s disappearance by venturing into the ‘outside’, which was the main reason I liked her. Her past also made this book interesting, and I hope we, again, find more about the past in the next book because it seems to be getting more and more interesting by the second. The second main character called Noah was also an interesting one. He was reluctant to trust Zoe in the beginning, but he realized how much he really cared for her by the end. The main part about him that I liked was his determination to bring justice to his people, otherwise known as the ‘poor or middle-class outsiders’. His rebellion made the book all the more delicious. Zoe and Noah’s relationship progressed at a pace that’s perfect for the first book in a series. As in, not too slow, but not too fast either. They had chemistry that I hope to see a lot more off in the next book.

Overall, Perception was a satisfying read that I’m glad I got the chance to review. Although I didn’t love it with all my soul and body, it had a certain charm about it that really makes me want the next book. I definitely recommend this read to those looking for a ‘mild-action/dystopian’ novel. It was great and you won’t regret it.

[Paige Turner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read more of my reviews here: https://paigeturnerreads.wordpress.com/

This book was irritating and forgettable. The heroine, Zoe Vanderveen, was shallow and naive to the point of stupidity, the parents and Zoe’s boyfriend were emotionless drones who didn’t seem to care that their son or friend respectively just disappeared and may be dead. Like the synopsis says, Zoe is a GAP, genetically altered person (so original!) and so is her family, boyfriend, friends, etc. And then her brother goes missing. That’s an interesting plot. The only non-realistic issue with this? No one seems to care besides Zoe. Zoe is the only one that reacts like an actual human being towards her brother vanishing. Which is fine. The issue was: Zoe is just short of a full-blown idiot and has the depth of an empty kiddy pool. Everyone is obviously keeping secrets from her, especially her boyfriend. Yet, Zoe continuously thinks something along the lines of: “If my boyfriend says he knows nothing then he doesn’t. He wouldn’t lie to me. I trust him so much.” The whole time I was screaming at her. It makes no sense to think that way when someone is blatantly lying to you. Then, when she meets Noah Brody (why do so many male characters in books have a name that ends in ‘y’?) she thinks something along the lines of: “How can someone be as gorgeous as Noah when he doesn’t even have blue eyes and blonde hair? (When she’s undercover) How can anyone find me attractive when I have brown eyes and brown hair? ” Excuse me? Have you not gone anywhere your whole life? Are you that sheltered? How insulting. And yes, this is another one of those stories where the girl is in a relationship but starts to love another man because of his looks.

Zoe is a spoiled rich girl who knows little to nothing about being undercover and is disrespectful towards people who don’t look like her or have the same cultures. If there was character development where Zoe goes from her original self to someone down to earth and actually attempts to understand the lives of other people, maybe I would have been able to bear it. But she didn’t. She stayed the same throughout the whole book and I was in pain.

I didn’t understand the romance. How could you (Noah) love someone who disregards the fact that your mother is dying and you want to be there for her because she (Zoe) needs you to help her? How can you love someone who doesn’t want to understand your culture or your situation with not being a GAP? How can you love someone so shallow? I don’t understand. Also, if my brother is missing, there is no room for romance whatsoever. Help me find my brother and after he’s home safe and sound maybe I can start thinking about romance. There was no connection between the two and it was a ridiculous romance.

While GAPs aren’t a new concept, this book could have been great if the characters weren’t lifeless and shallow. I’m thankful this book was free because I would have been disappointed if I had spent money on it.

[Nara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perception certainly had an interesting (but somewhat cliched) premise that I think was well supported by the world building and plotline. This made for a reasonably enjoyable read, but I think there were a few fundamental flaws which probably reduced my overall enjoyment.

In general, the writing seemed a bit clumsy- the sentences weren't grammatically incorrect, and there weren't any horrible spelling errors/typos and such (that I noticed), but there was just something about it that seemed a bit unpolished. Another point I want to make is that the main character Zoe had a very strong voice, but when, three quarters of the way through the novel, there is a switch to Noah's point of view, honestly, this wasn't really a good move. Their voices were much too similar- so much so that they basically sounded like the same person. When I read a multiple point of view book, I like to see a bit of diversity in voice. Unfortunately Strauss couldn't quite achieve this.

The characters and romance were pretty unremarkable. The romance, especially, really wasn't very interesting at all, especially with the classically annoying instalove. One aspect that I liked though, was how the main character went through some growth for the better. Initially, she was pretty damn dislikable. Case in point:
He stepped politely out of the way, but the expression on his face was stoic. Even though he was clearly from the outside and the help, I still expected some small sign that what he saw when he viewed me was pleasing. A twinkle in the eye, a slight upturning of the lips. These were the responses I got from all the boys. The straight ones, anyway.
That's exactly the type of character I want to root for....Later though, after getting some exposure to how things are on the "outside", Zoe seems to develop as a character, to the point that she views GAPs as wrong.

The whole book sort of revolves around this idea that it's wrong to alter people's DNA, i.e. that it's wrong to "play God". I actually personally don't really know what to think about messing with people's genes. I mean, I'm not against people being able to live longer and without disease and such. It's a pretty tough issue, and I look forward to seeing how Strauss will be tacking it in sequels.

Full review can be found here

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted here: http://moniquesmobooks.blogspot.ca/20...


My Review


Zoe Vanderveen is close with her brother Liam, when he goes missing it seems like little is being done about it by the authorities. So she takes his case into her own hands.As a genetically altered person or GAP she has always led a sheltered and safe life inside her walled city with the others of her own kind. But to find the truth about her brother she will need to go outside and seek the help of a natural.

Noah Brody is against the GAP procedure and people messing with the natural life span of mankind but when he meets Zoe he becomes mesmerized by her and agrees to help her.

What they both uncover is something more than just the ambitions of Zoe's brother but the deception of someone that she would never have imagined.

I have really mixed feeling about this book, while I did like the plot, I couldn't connect with any of the characters. There were moments that I thought I could like Zoe but she's so flippant and blunt about issues that needed obvious explanation. I also found her to be snobby, I guess that would come from growing up a GAP and being taught that naturals were beneath her. But I still didn't like it.

I did like Noah's character, why he was actually willing to help Zoe is a bit of a mystery to me but he helps her even if it meant putting himself in harms way.

The first part of the story - which is the majority - is told from Zoe's point of view. Part two is told from Noah's point of view. This was the better part of the book for me and I enjoyed Noah and Zoe's fishing trip. That time that spent together was the first real time the story really just focused on the both of them instead of the plot.

The writing in this story wasn't the best I have read, unimportant things had to much description and important things didn't get enough. I considered giving this a 2 star but I did enjoy the plot and the sci fi world that the characters inhabit. So I give this story a 3 out of 5 stars.
Would I read it again? No

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a YA dystopia. But it is also part mystery and part romance. A very interesting and different combination!

There are two narrators in Perception. The first part of this book is narrated by Zoe Vanderveen (age 17), who is a GAP (genetically altered person). The second part of the book is narrated by Noah (similar age) who is a Natural (not a GAP).

I enjoyed this book. I am a big fan of dystopia and really liked seeing the world the author created. There were so many interesting and cool things. GAPS have chips in their arms which allow them to pay for things and get in and out of their gated community. They also have ComRings which allow them to call and video chat with others.

Zoe and her family live in Sol City (on the inside) in a wonderful place filled with everything any person could need or want. This is where the rich people live. The GAPS have been genetically altered to live longer.

Noah and his family live on the outside (there is a gate). He lives in LA.

I enjoyed the starcrossed aspect of the book (Zoe being a privileged GAP and Noah being anti-GAP and less-privileged).

I also really enjoyed the mystery aspect. Some things happen to Zoe's brother Liam. And I really loved watching her try to solve the mysteries.

This was a good book one. The book featured a very interesting dystopian society, a nice romance, and a really good mystery. Good job!


Thanks to netgalley and All Night Reads for allowing me to read this book!

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: Downloaded for free from Amazon.co.uk.)
Zoe is a GAP – genetically altered person, and lives in a city where only GAP’s are allowed to live.
Noah is a natural, and runs protests against the GAP’s and the privileges that they have.

When Zoe’s brother goes missing, Zoe tries to track him down, and ends up finding Noah. Noah agrees to help her, and together they find out exactly what her brother had gotten himself into.
What happened to Liam? What experiments was he doing? And will Zoe ever see him again?


This was an okay sci-fi story, but it seemed to take a long while for anything interesting to happen.

Zoe and Noah were both okay characters. I appreciated how Zoe was worried about her brother, and Noah seemed to have a lot of love and time for his mother.

The storyline was okay, but the pace was a little lacking. It felt like the story didn’t really get interesting until around the 70% mark, and while we did get some good revelations, the bits in-between were just a little dull for me.
There was some romance, which was okay, but nothing amazing, and it was a bit of a Romeo and Juliet story, as Noah and Zoe weren’t allowed to be together because he was a natural and she was a GAP.
The ending was okay, but it was very obvious that this was only the first book in the series, as very little was resolved by the end.
Overall; an okay YA sci-fi, but took a long time to really get interesting.
6.5 out of 10.

[BDSM newbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book for an honest review.

To me this book is 4 stars. The characters were loveable and the story line was easy to follow. You had the right amount of love and angst to keep the reader interested. Zoe was a GAP and Noah was a normal. They came from different worlds yet they were just separated by a wall. GAPS had everything and lived longer with all the benifits while the normals were poorer and still got sick. Noah helps Zoe when her brother is killed and she feels too many people are hiding the truth of his death. They discover a whole world of tangled lies and put themselves in great danger to find the truth. You receive the answers to Zoe's quest but I felt the book just ended. There were more questions left unanswered. This book is the first instalment so hopefully my questions will be answered within the next instalment. I would have liked to know if Zoe and Noah could ever tell there secrets and get the proper people involved stopped. Another question left unanswered was how deep involved Zoe's parents were in the plot. The world created sounded good and most importantly believeable. The book was well written, the story flowed very well my only objection was with the end. The ending wasn't to my liking. One minute I'm in thier world following Zoe and Noah and the next it was the dreaded two words known to all readers. The end. It was too sundern.

Reviewed for YA Book Addict - http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot....

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Part One, Perception was cruising for a 3.5 star rating, being an entertaining if not especially unique YA dystopian novel. But in Part Two the point of view shifts to Noah and he absolutely blows the competition out of the water. We see him face some very difficult decisions, following Zoe's brainwashing. The choices he makes are bold and brave and a little bit reckless. Zoe and he face danger from Jackson, not to mention the bear - I suspect Jackson could be worse, did he not turn out to be quite the wimp together and we get to see her fall for him all over again. Perception finishes with enough drama to get you interested in the next book, but not so much as to make you start grumbling about cliffhangers.

If you're in any doubt about picking Perception up, freebie though it is, try Ambition. It's a free novella that introduces you to the characters and part of the story from Noah's perspective in 20 ish pages. I know this mainly because I read Ambition ages ago, forgot about it and then felt strangely confused by this odd sense of deja vu when I started reading Perception!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evoking a very convincing not-too-distant future, Lee Strauss’s novel Perception is set in a globally warmed, technologically advanced world where the genetically altered “haves” lord it over the “have-nots” who serve them. The novel offers a pleasing mix of science fiction, mystery and young adult romance. Rich beautiful Zoe follows the expected path of well-laid plans for education and career until her brother Liam’s disappearance changes everything. The perfect boyfriend proves less than wonderful. Distracted parents hide themselves away in secret conversations. And the servant’s son, a mere “natural,” becomes Zoe's only ally.

The author’s imagined technology is consistently convincing and intriguing. Questions of faith, science and the space in between are thought-provoking, and the ethical considerations of gene manipulation are very nicely presented. An underlying mystery adds depth to fast action as Zoe tries to uncover one secret only to find herself embroiled in far more than she imagined. And the result is a novel of enjoyable surprises, well-drawn characters, and well-imagined future history, with plenty of action too.

Disclosure: I received a free ecopy when the author was a guest on my blog.

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Free on my kindle app and a quick read so I can't really complain about the moments of my life wasted away...

The story started slowly with lots of boring descriptions of the futuristic setting. When Liam goes missing, people hardly noticed. When they find out he's died, no one reacts. Zoe is completely shallow. And then the pace picks up. Stuff happens. Seems like maybe there might be a chance and then the entire narrative changes. More unrealistic reactions to unrealistic stuff. Then it ended suddenly and bizarrely. Like Strauss realized how awful it was, how hard it is to look away from the train wreck, and saved me from myself.

[Abi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found "Perception" to be quiet boring, until about 70%.
There was a couple of things that were interesting before that point, but they took way too long to show up.

Some of the inventions were pretty cool. What girl wouldn't want a phone as a ring? It's so much hassle to search through your bag every time it goes off!

I didn't feel much towards Zoe or Noah. They didn't annoy me that much, but i didn't really like them, either.

It did get interesting near the end, but i don't think i'll be reading book two.

[Srujan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had no expectations from this book to be honest. It was an impulse buy from my email alert from BookBub. It was more like picking up a magazine full of scoops and gossips off the rack, totally knowing it is not your type. I did not want to commit to a serious book before an upcoming trip, so I have picked up a couple of books like these for this week. Simple, straight forward Distopian/Young Adult/Fiction. I would have rated it 2.5 ★ instead of 2 if Goodreads allowed that. The writing is pretty ordinary, the plot is totally predictable. Its not bad, ghastly kind of bad, just ordinary.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story, based in an advanced technology world filled with the bestests.. and the not so bestest. Zoe is in a world that is beyond anything I've read before.. and even with the typical issues of boyfriends/family the book shocked me with the characters who worked together to get answers. Do not read much sci-fi but was very hooked with this from the beginning as its filled with mystery, secrets, surprises, and a whole bunch of omg. Great concept and can't wait to read the next book.