Meeting up with three other teens—including one boy who seems strangely familiar—Ana treks across the inhospitable landscape, occasionally encountering odd twists of light that carry glimpses of people back on Earth. They’re fighting some sort of disease, and the situation is critical. What’s the connection between Ana’s mission and the crisis back on Earth, and how is she supposed to figure it out when she can’t remember anything?
I read this to review it prior to assigning it as a 7th grade novel. It turned out to be a great extended metaphor for the debilitating impact of trauma on society with a (somewhat simplified, but effective) solution for overcoming it: acceptance and embracing the lessons of those who had come to terms with their own.
Gosh this book was cool. So cool. I'm not a big fan of the cover, so I wasn't sure how the story was going to go. But when I read the inside flap, I decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did!
When Ana wakes up in a strange space craft on a strange planet, the only thing she knows is her name. Where is she? How did she get there? Is she alone? All Ana knows is that her watch is counting down to something and she has to follow the map before time runs out. On her way, she meets others from her craft who seem to know more about Ana's "mission" than she does. Not to mention Ana has been running into strange wisps of someone else's memory back on earth, where life seems to be falling apart. What is Ana supposed to believe? And can she make it to base camp before her clock turns to zero?
Right off the bat, you're dropped of onto this new world that Ana has landed on, with just as much knowledge as she has, which is basically nothing. What the heck is going on? You have no clue! All you know that Ana is on a weird planet with her memory wiped. And then, when the three other teens enter the picture, they know something but can't share it. Why not? Being as in the dark as Ana was made the story so intriguing and has you dying to know why all of this is happening.
Sci-fi books aren't really my thing, which is why I'm really surprised I liked this book so much. I think that the added mystery to what's happening on Earth, what Ana is going through, and what's waiting for Ana at the end of the countdown made this book as good as it was. I was so into the story that I had to finish it in one day because I wanted to know what was happening so badly.
So even though the cover didn't really draw me in, the story hooked me from the start. There's mystery, giant worms, near death experiences, and a terrifying journey across an unknown planet. Once you start Paradox, you won't want to put it down.
Ana finds herself alone in an unfamiliar planet with no memory and a letter that instructs her to follow a certain path to travel to a specific path. And because Ana is ridiculously trusting she obeys the letter and trusts/believes the various people she meets on the way. Now that I've just written that, I've realized Ana kind of sounds like Dorothy from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Unfortunately this book was terribly dry and repetitive for the majority of the book. Finally around the 150th page, things got a little interesting but by that point I was so done with the book. I nearly abandoned it 3 times! There was also a giant worm which I could not take seriously.
The only redeemable thing for this book is that the last few pages were actually pretty interesting (and I'd rather have read a book about those characters
Rating: 30/100 Warnings: Giant Worm, death, more death, disease, Giant Worm Age: 10 & up
Paradox is unique, intense and fast paced post apocalyptic adventure that takes us across the landscape of Paradox, where Ana and three other teens must survive in order to complete their mysterious mission. However they run into trouble in the form of one seriously huge and persist ant worm.
Paradox is written in 3rd person, which is a bit odd at first and I did initially have some trouble falling into the story but once it got started and the mystery becomes incredibly thick I couldn’t put it down. This is the sort of book where you truly have no idea what’s happening until it’s revealed piece by piece, you have to wait it out. It’s a bit frustrating at first because there is clearly some info not being shared but at the same time it pushed me to keep reading until the last page. The overall plot I thought was fantastic, it’s certainly different and not at all what I was expecting.
The planet of Paradox is a beautifully odd place and extremely creepy at times. I love the details that Paquette gives us from the pink sky to the shifting purple sands. The one down fall with the world building is the lack of actual explanation as to what is happening. There are a few ‘news clippings’ in between chapters that clue you in on things happening on Earth before and after the initial exploration trips, and it helped explain some things but I think I would have liked some more overall.
As the summary says we meet Ana when she has no memory of who she is or why she is on the planet of Paradox, and I initially worried about how much I was actually going to get to know her. However she turned out to be a great character. She’s strong, brave, and very willing to go the distance needed in order to survive. All she has is basic ‘muscle memory’ which clues her in on the type of person she use to be. It’s really interesting to watch her deal with the memory loss and find comfort in things she doesn’t remember doing but feels familiar with. I will say that I don’t truly know Todd, Ysa, and Chen all that well, and while it didn’t detract from the story as I read it…it is a bit odd once I finished it. There are some slight sprinkles of romance, but not very much and the few moments given are sweet and hopeful.
By the time I put this down and close the cover for good I was incredibly impressed with the way things turned out, because I didn’t really expect it to go the way it did. It’s a quick read that I blazed through with every free moment I got and I had a hard time pulling myself away from it.
Have I mentioned how much I love that the new YA trend is standalone science fiction? It bears repeating. And I doubly couldn't resist PARADOX when the Rockstar Book Tours sign-up showed up in my email, because Shai-Hulud is on the cover and you do not mess around with sandworms.
PARADOX is lean and mean, clocking in at 240 pages. There were times when I could've used more, especially in the latter parts of the novel. But I liked that A. J. Paquette didn't add a lot of padding. What's left is the essential parts of Ana's story. Ana wakes up on Paradox with surgical retrograde amnesia and a note telling her to experience, discover, and survive. It's a pretty confusing way to wake up.
Ana quickly discovers she's not alone on the planet. There's another boy, Todd, who also has amnesia. There's also a giant carnivorous worm. One of these discoveries is more pleasant than the other. Soon, it's a hostile race across the planet to the safety of the colony. But nothing is as it first appears, as Ana is assaulted by strange memories and observes some rather odd happenings.
Despite having no memory, Ana manages to carry the story well with her character. She's independent, tough, and clever. She doesn't have great social skills, but that's not hurting her too much on a far-off planet. It was fun to discover Paradox's secrets with Ana, no matter that some of them weren't hard to see coming.
I also liked the subtle but present diversity in PARADOX. Ana has tan skin, and when she discovers her last name, it is pretty clear that she's Hispanic. A character who shows up later is obviously Asian. And I love that between Todd and Ana, Todd is the scientist and Ana is the warrior. There's no explicit discussion of any of this, because it isn't important to the story. It's just there.
PARADOX blends adventure and horror with its science fiction trappings. I'm not entirely convinced that the plot hangs together, but I'm fascinated by the ideas it explores. Memory and disease are linked in a way that reminds me of the original usage of meme. I do think it would've worked better if Paquette played up the horror elements more, but she keeps PARADOX friendly to younger readers. I do think PARADOX would be a good stepping stone into classic sci-fi like the Four Lords of the Diamond series by Jack Chalker.
The suspense from some of the scenes made my heart feel like it had been scaling up a mountain like Ana💀 (Idk what that even actually feels like dude...)
I bought this book 6 years ago during university, and it has been in a box ever since I moved back to my hometown; But today the book suddenly came to my mind & i have then begun to read it... and now let's just say I feel some regret for not reading it sooner! I could not stop reading! I was so invested & enraptured by Ana's adventure & overall storytelling 😍
this is such a cool & TERRIFYING concept! 💀
Though late, Paradox will surely be one of the stories that will live rent free & constantly at the edge of my mind from now on!
(p/s: My mom was mad at me quite a few times throughout the day for barely functioning like a human being, thank God it's a Sunday!)
**first off, i went into thinking this was a children’s book, because i got it at a scholastic book fair in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL years ago. big mistake. if i had read this as a child, i would have been SO messed up because it’s much darker than i anticipated.** but reading it now... super interesting concept. i swear, i really did like the concept. reminded me a bit of bird box X maze runner, which i liked. but the romance between todd and ana was so forced and yet so boring. why was it so hormonal? people are dying, ana! side characters were all pretty boring, actually. couldn’t tell you a single thing about ysa. can’t even remember the other boy’s name. the big plot reveal felt like a cop out, but at least it explained those expanding dry water pills they took, because i had serious beef with those. physics...? doesn’t exist i guess. i get that the worm was a metaphor, but man, was it a poor one. you’re telling me not a single person on earth figured out to just... stop caring about their worst trauma? there are too many existentialists in the world for there to actually only be ana alive. also, why did you wait until the book was OVER to give all the importance about her mother’s pregnancy and ana’s dad? ana came to this huge revelation about how it was her memory wipe, but girl, how can you be so sure when we just got told that ya mom was pregnant with you WHILE ON THE PLANET? it’s ... hm. would love to see this concept rewritten for an older audience. different writing style, draw out the adventure on paradox, give more backstory without resulting to convenient flashbacks, and please give depth to literally anyone else besides ana.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It was ok really which is sad, cause I really wanted to like this book. I didn't hate this book and would re-read it again. The main character is interesting, but I found the side characters to be...kinda forgettable and not that interesting. I really liked how this book is structured, with the timer which constantly made me wanted to figure out what would happen when it hits zero...and when it does, that's when the the big reveal was just really disappointing and dumb. The reveal and the final third act of the book...was honestly, the worst part for me. The fact that the entire story takes place in stimulation...like seriously? This is on the same level as "it was all a dream" or "this is an alternate timeline" of bad reveal. Honestly, I think it would be interesting to see a prequel to this story, so we can see how the characters interacted with each other, faced all sorts of challenges and fail when they go to the ACTUAL planet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was such a short read, but it. was. so. fun! I wasn't expecting much because I found it super cheap (and the cover is...bleh. So ugly), but guys, this is seriously a diamond in the rough. I don't think this little book got nearly the hype it deserved (or the cover, for that matter). It's part science fiction, part apocalyptic and there are twists in this book that I did not see coming. An impressive feat for a book that doesn't even make 300 pages.
I really enjoyed this book, and I think that with a different cover, this book would've been better received. If you happen to stumble across this book, I highly suggest you try it out!!
The arrangement of this world is obvious in hindsight but is at least somewhat interesting on first read. A very fast, almost light story, and didn't leave a huge impression despite its subject matter. Unlike many reviewers I had no problem with 3rd person, which I find more natural (and maybe more challenging for the writer, when a clear protagonist is present) than 1st person.
I should note that I probably would've given this book 4 stars in the past, and my rating criteria have changed.
This book is awesome. Like wow! Is it real? Was thinking what if there's really a planet like Paradox while reading this book. It's like I wouldn't dare to go to that kind of planet which bring some kind of disease back to earth. It's a little bit complicated at the first part but it get better at the end of it. But the ending... Still wondering what happen to Ana and Todd after Ana kill the worm. Is there any survivor left?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
So far it reminds me like the maze runner series and I loved that series,, What I also like is that this is not a trilogy or a several book series, cause all I read are series and it's nice to read just 1 book without waiting for the next.. When I am finished the book I will give my review bit so far so good
Ana wakes up on a spaceship on a strange planet and has no idea who she is. Stuck to her shirt is a note that tells her she must reach a certain destination by a certain time and "survive." She meets a guy who is apparently in the same situation, and then two others on the way. The others seem to know a little bit more than Ana about what is going on, but they aren't spilling the beans. In the meantime, there is some urgency in making it to their destination, but a giant worm and periodic episodes of nightmarish hallucinations seem to thwart the teens at every turn.
It starts out as an intriguing premise and I was at first interested in what was to come. The characters definitely feel the urgency in completing their mission, but I couldn't figure out why. As I read, I stopped caring. I kept thinking, "Why?" Why do they need to meet this deadline? Why is it so urgent? Why should I care? I discovered that I. Don't. Care.
Upon waking with no memory and on another planet, Ana must rush against the clock to figure out why she was sent on this mission. Experience. Discover. Survive. That's pretty much all she has to go on, until she runs into 3 others on the planet. Running into snatches of what appear to be memories of another person and place, trying to out run a fearsome creature and trying to stay alive, Ana quickly begins to realize all is not as it seems. She needs to figure out how the memories she's finding fit in with her mission so she can save her world.
This book was FANTASTIC!! I could not put it down! I can't really say what other books and movies it reminds me of without giving a major plot point away, but I will say it's very good. Really wish there was more detail, so much was crammed in less than 250 pages, so it felt a bit rushed.
This book was a nice story. It was pretty packed with action and for me, it was totally a page turner. I read around 110 pages each day, which is why I was able to finish it in two days. It contains a lot of twists, turns, and surprises that the reader would least expect. I remember receiving this book as a gift in 3rd grade from my school, and I just got to it as a freshman in high school. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun story. It is not difficult to understand or read because it’s a simple book.
Short but good and interesting scifi book about a girl with amnesia waking up on an alien planet. Really enjoyed the directions the plot took, was definitely darker than expected. The bonus at the back only made the story more poignant. Only minor issue I had was that there really didn't feel like a proper relationship between two of the characters. It was sort of just given to us as is. But it was so short it's really a minor quibble.
Overall I though the book was pretty good. I loved the plot arc and the characters. I was not a huge fan of then ending, I still have so many questions. I was also a little disappointed in the climax. There was this huge buildup, but then the climax didn’t even seem like a significant event in the story (at least compared to some of the other events). Overall though , I thought it was a pretty fun book to read!
I have been on a streak of bad books lately, so I was pleasantly surprised to take a chance on this book and find it adequate. Not great, but good enough.
Though I do have a brief bit of feedback for the author: While I understand the point of the title, its simplicity makes it hard to search. I had to pull the ISBN number to find the book because it wasn't in the first few pages of the Goodreads search results.
Interesting idea, mediocre execution. The most interesting parts of the story (Ana's parents, climbing the mountain, etc.) are brushed over or even ignored altogether, and the writing is pretty repetitive. Though it might have seemed less so if the plot were more developed. This almost feels like an abridged version, honestly.
[3.5] I’ve owned this book for over a decade at this point and I’m only now reading it again. I remember liking it a lot more, but I was easy to impress as a preteen. It was still a fun little read, though. I can see why it hardly has any reviews, but if you find it in a thrift store like I did, there’s no harm in giving it a try
Wasn't a big fan of the choice to use third-person present tense in the writing. The book didn't really begin telling a story until about page 150. Everything before that was character introductions and observations. I couldn't have handled it if it were a longer novel.
Paradox is a great science-fiction, suspenseful, mystery book that I won't say mush more about because I don't want to spoil it, but it was a great read and I think any sane person would want to read this book to the finish
An interesting book that kept me guessing as I read through it. It was a short read and entertaining to boot, well worth the few hours I spent investing in it.
DNF at 25%. Turns out I'm not interested in a main character who has no memories (and consequently, in my opinion, no real motivation). It might work for other people though.