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The Samantha Project #1
The Samantha Project
Seventeen-year-old Samantha loves everything about her life; her parents, her boyfriend, even her school. Then one horrible night a sudden tragedy sparks a series of events that change her life forever. Soon she’s told she’s part of a top secret genetics experiment run by a global corporation that’s been watching her for years and waiting for the right time to take her back. That time is now.
Samantha’s enhanced genetics are finally starting to express the powers the corporation wants and her only chance for freedom is to go on the run, leaving behind her old life and the people she loves. Using her new abilities to help her, she makes her way to a town far from home where she encounters two people who are eerily familiar. These two people will give her clues to her past but also warnings for her future. It’s the beginning of a journey in which Samantha will learn all the secrets of who she really is and why she was created.
Samantha’s enhanced genetics are finally starting to express the powers the corporation wants and her only chance for freedom is to go on the run, leaving behind her old life and the people she loves. Using her new abilities to help her, she makes her way to a town far from home where she encounters two people who are eerily familiar. These two people will give her clues to her past but also warnings for her future. It’s the beginning of a journey in which Samantha will learn all the secrets of who she really is and why she was created.
308 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2012
29 people are currently reading
1531 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Karpinske
14 books57 followersI'm a freelance health writer for magazines and websites. I also write fiction. I've always been interested in genetics which is what inspired me to write The Samantha Project Series. I write New Adult Romance under a different name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 28, 2017
How could a teen who is living the American dream suddenly lose it all and find herself thrown into a terrifying world filled with unbelievable secrets, hidden life-long lies and a target on her back for capture? That’s where Samantha finds herself when her parents are killed, she begins to hear things that normal ears wouldn’t pick up and she must run, fast and far with only a note with a destination to get to.
Top secret genetics experiments were run years before and it seems Samantha is a product of this manipulation, but her “powers” will not unleash fully until her eighteenth birthday. Alone, seeking answers and trying to stay alive, Sam finds herself in the company of a man and his son who know only too well what she is going through, but the hell she is trapped in is about to get worse and Samantha discovers not all of her family are gone and time is running out for her to find answers as to why she has super-abilities.
She has given up so much for so little information, but she may have found even more, if she survives.
THE SAMANTHA PROJECT by Stephanie Karpinske is the start of a young adult science fiction series that is not bloated with angst, but with a strong heroine who is intelligent and resilient as she faces what the world has in store for her. Will she find a new love to replace her longtime boyfriend who is now gone from her life? Where can she hide, while staying one step ahead of science gone crazy?
Stephanie Karpinske eases us into her story, gives us an atmosphere of love and family, trust and beauty right before she rips the rug out from under us and pitches head on into a tale of suspense, deceit and crushing loss. Who is Samantha? What has been done to her in the name of science? Who else has been effected? Is there someone she is supposed to find? Is it her doppelganger?
Once the world building is done and Samantha’s journey begins, there is no time to rest! Hang on tight, because when this one hits top speed, it flies! A fresh look at YA sci-fi, low on angst, high on suspense!
MY RATING: 4.5 STARS
Series: The Samantha Project - Book 1
Publisher: Waltham Publishing, LLC; 2 edition (November 18, 2013)
Publication Date: November 18, 2013
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Print Length: 308 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Top secret genetics experiments were run years before and it seems Samantha is a product of this manipulation, but her “powers” will not unleash fully until her eighteenth birthday. Alone, seeking answers and trying to stay alive, Sam finds herself in the company of a man and his son who know only too well what she is going through, but the hell she is trapped in is about to get worse and Samantha discovers not all of her family are gone and time is running out for her to find answers as to why she has super-abilities.
She has given up so much for so little information, but she may have found even more, if she survives.
THE SAMANTHA PROJECT by Stephanie Karpinske is the start of a young adult science fiction series that is not bloated with angst, but with a strong heroine who is intelligent and resilient as she faces what the world has in store for her. Will she find a new love to replace her longtime boyfriend who is now gone from her life? Where can she hide, while staying one step ahead of science gone crazy?
Stephanie Karpinske eases us into her story, gives us an atmosphere of love and family, trust and beauty right before she rips the rug out from under us and pitches head on into a tale of suspense, deceit and crushing loss. Who is Samantha? What has been done to her in the name of science? Who else has been effected? Is there someone she is supposed to find? Is it her doppelganger?
Once the world building is done and Samantha’s journey begins, there is no time to rest! Hang on tight, because when this one hits top speed, it flies! A fresh look at YA sci-fi, low on angst, high on suspense!
MY RATING: 4.5 STARS
Series: The Samantha Project - Book 1
Publisher: Waltham Publishing, LLC; 2 edition (November 18, 2013)
Publication Date: November 18, 2013
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Print Length: 308 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
April 4, 2013
I learned about this book a while ago and put it on my wish list to investigate later. I was very excited about this book after I read the blurb, as I love sci-fi and was happy to see what looked to be a good YA sci-fi story. So when I got a message from AToMR Tours that they were looking for reviewers, I jumped at the chance to read and review the book for them and the author. For the most part, I think Ms. Karpinske did a really good job with this book. I felt it was credible and exciting, and it was actually evocative of ORIGIN by Jessica Khoury for me. However, there were some parts of the book that I felt dragged a bit, where I think the author could benefit from a good editor. The copy-editing, in terms of grammar, spelling, etc, was very good; I'd say there were only about 10-15 errors that I saw in the whole book, which definitely pleased me!
I must admit, I've had a difficult time writing this review. I have now started it multiple times and kept deleting what I'd written after a few paragraphs! Each time I'd try to hit on specifics to point out what I thought did and did not work, I was finding it very hard to do without giving away some key plot points and big events that happen. So I will try to write a more general review that will hopefully still be helpful.
Pros:
(1) some good characterization. I liked Samantha a lot and felt I could identify with her in some respects (though there were definitely times I thought her behavior and actions were weird or just felt "off"). She is a great student, a responsible teenager, gets along well with her parents, and has her life planned out for the next few years (at least, she thinks she does). I also liked her boyfriend, Colin, as well as Dave, James, and Eric. However, the villains here were very one-dimensional, written as stereotypical thugs or power-hungry mad scientists, etc.
(2) credible and creative plot. I thought the plot was exciting and actually pretty credible, keeping in mind this is still science *fiction*. Interestingly enough, a week or so after I finished reading this book, I heard a story on NPR about scientists who are CURRENTLY exploring and actively working on the idea of cells running programs like computers! It was very neat to hear that after reading The Samantha Project.
(3) pretty good action when it was actually happening; unfortunately, I felt there was too much downtime between the action points or big events, which I speak to more below.
(4) very good editing, as mentioned earlier.
(5) good ending, and book can be read as a stand-alone. Although this is book 1 in a series, I do think the book stands alone and could be read and enjoyed without reading further if desired. There was a lot of action and good pacing towards the end, and I definitely thought it was the strongest part of the book. Also, although it's not like everything is resolved at the end of this book, and certainly questions remain that I personally would like to see answered, there is resolution of a kind and you are not left hanging right in the middle of an action sequence.
Cons:
(1) pacing. There were parts of the book that I felt *really* dragged, where we were told/shown the same thing over and over again. It was like there would be an event that would happen and I'd be excited, but then there would be a LOT of downtime before the next thing happened. For example, the first 10% of the book dragged for me because we just are told or shown over and over (and over) how Sam is a responsible young woman and a great student, and that she has a great relationship with her parents. By the time the first big event happens, as awful as it sounds, I was like, "oh, thank goodness!" And that's definitely not what the author wants us to think, I'm sure! Similarly, after that first event, there are so many repetitive scenes dealing with the aftermath, and it feels like it takes forever to get to the next event and move the plot along. The book continues along in that vein throughout. That's where I feel a good editor could help cut some unnecessary repetition and help the author keep the story moving along at a good pace. Because it is a really good story, and I did want to see how it played out; I'm glad I didn't give up and that I read the whole thing!
(2) very heavy-handed use of foreshadowing. I think this goes along with what I just mentioned. The author is VERY heavy-handed in her use of foreshadowing, which grated on my nerves before long. Whether it's that she doesn't trust the reader to catch on if she's more subtle or she doesn't trust her own ability to be subtle and yet ensure the reader doesn't think the big events come out of left field, the over-reliance on foreshadowing was irksome. I don't think it w as necessary to use this device anywhere near as much as she did. I actually think it also contributed a great deal to the dragging of portions of the book.
Overall, I'm definitely glad I read this book, and I thank the author and AToMR Tours for the chance to do so. I hope that the pros and cons above share with you some general thoughts I had while reading the book. I think that if you like YA books where romance is not the overwhelming element, and especially if you like science-fiction books set in the real world and dealing with questions of technology and ethics, you should definitely read The Samantha Project. For me, I think it all boils down to this: a few days ago I saw an email from AToMR Tours about an upcoming blog tour for The Golden Couple, and I had a "woohoo!" moment of excitement about reading book 2 and finding out what happens next. I hope that's good news that an author wants to hear!
Note: As stated, I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from AToMR Tours. This has in no way affected my review, which is an honest reflection of my thoughts about the book.
I must admit, I've had a difficult time writing this review. I have now started it multiple times and kept deleting what I'd written after a few paragraphs! Each time I'd try to hit on specifics to point out what I thought did and did not work, I was finding it very hard to do without giving away some key plot points and big events that happen. So I will try to write a more general review that will hopefully still be helpful.
Pros:
(1) some good characterization. I liked Samantha a lot and felt I could identify with her in some respects (though there were definitely times I thought her behavior and actions were weird or just felt "off"). She is a great student, a responsible teenager, gets along well with her parents, and has her life planned out for the next few years (at least, she thinks she does). I also liked her boyfriend, Colin, as well as Dave, James, and Eric. However, the villains here were very one-dimensional, written as stereotypical thugs or power-hungry mad scientists, etc.
(2) credible and creative plot. I thought the plot was exciting and actually pretty credible, keeping in mind this is still science *fiction*. Interestingly enough, a week or so after I finished reading this book, I heard a story on NPR about scientists who are CURRENTLY exploring and actively working on the idea of cells running programs like computers! It was very neat to hear that after reading The Samantha Project.
(3) pretty good action when it was actually happening; unfortunately, I felt there was too much downtime between the action points or big events, which I speak to more below.
(4) very good editing, as mentioned earlier.
(5) good ending, and book can be read as a stand-alone. Although this is book 1 in a series, I do think the book stands alone and could be read and enjoyed without reading further if desired. There was a lot of action and good pacing towards the end, and I definitely thought it was the strongest part of the book. Also, although it's not like everything is resolved at the end of this book, and certainly questions remain that I personally would like to see answered, there is resolution of a kind and you are not left hanging right in the middle of an action sequence.
Cons:
(1) pacing. There were parts of the book that I felt *really* dragged, where we were told/shown the same thing over and over again. It was like there would be an event that would happen and I'd be excited, but then there would be a LOT of downtime before the next thing happened. For example, the first 10% of the book dragged for me because we just are told or shown over and over (and over) how Sam is a responsible young woman and a great student, and that she has a great relationship with her parents. By the time the first big event happens, as awful as it sounds, I was like, "oh, thank goodness!" And that's definitely not what the author wants us to think, I'm sure! Similarly, after that first event, there are so many repetitive scenes dealing with the aftermath, and it feels like it takes forever to get to the next event and move the plot along. The book continues along in that vein throughout. That's where I feel a good editor could help cut some unnecessary repetition and help the author keep the story moving along at a good pace. Because it is a really good story, and I did want to see how it played out; I'm glad I didn't give up and that I read the whole thing!
(2) very heavy-handed use of foreshadowing. I think this goes along with what I just mentioned. The author is VERY heavy-handed in her use of foreshadowing, which grated on my nerves before long. Whether it's that she doesn't trust the reader to catch on if she's more subtle or she doesn't trust her own ability to be subtle and yet ensure the reader doesn't think the big events come out of left field, the over-reliance on foreshadowing was irksome. I don't think it w as necessary to use this device anywhere near as much as she did. I actually think it also contributed a great deal to the dragging of portions of the book.
Overall, I'm definitely glad I read this book, and I thank the author and AToMR Tours for the chance to do so. I hope that the pros and cons above share with you some general thoughts I had while reading the book. I think that if you like YA books where romance is not the overwhelming element, and especially if you like science-fiction books set in the real world and dealing with questions of technology and ethics, you should definitely read The Samantha Project. For me, I think it all boils down to this: a few days ago I saw an email from AToMR Tours about an upcoming blog tour for The Golden Couple, and I had a "woohoo!" moment of excitement about reading book 2 and finding out what happens next. I hope that's good news that an author wants to hear!
Note: As stated, I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from AToMR Tours. This has in no way affected my review, which is an honest reflection of my thoughts about the book.
April 28, 2013
Hmm, The Samantha Project had potential. And the last half of the book showed it, but the first half. Ooh, the first half...was really, really boring. I am sure that not everyone will think this. You do get to know the characters. So if you don't mind a slow pace, you might enjoy this book. Just to me the first half of the book totally dragged the book down.
Nothing happens for like, 180 pages. We mostly see Samantha at school or moping about her parent's deaths.
After that, she went to a cabin and then kidnapped. Yeah, little more interesting from there. There was more action and I felt a little less as if I were just watching a boring reality TV show. The plot was interesting, once it was actually introduced. The setting was vivid and so action scenes were fun.
I found all the characters pretty cool, except for, uh huh, Samantha. All she really cares about is what other people think. Not good, Sam. Life is gonna be hard. Thankfully, she does get better as the book progresses. The other characters were well thought out. So no need to worry about boring side characters!
Overall, this was not my book. The beginning was so slow, and patience is not one of my virtues. I do think people with more patience and than I will enjoy this unique novel though.
2/5 bookcases
Nothing happens for like, 180 pages. We mostly see Samantha at school or moping about her parent's deaths.
After that, she went to a cabin and then kidnapped. Yeah, little more interesting from there. There was more action and I felt a little less as if I were just watching a boring reality TV show. The plot was interesting, once it was actually introduced. The setting was vivid and so action scenes were fun.
I found all the characters pretty cool, except for, uh huh, Samantha. All she really cares about is what other people think. Not good, Sam. Life is gonna be hard. Thankfully, she does get better as the book progresses. The other characters were well thought out. So no need to worry about boring side characters!
Overall, this was not my book. The beginning was so slow, and patience is not one of my virtues. I do think people with more patience and than I will enjoy this unique novel though.
2/5 bookcases
September 23, 2020
Good storyline and characters
This book was interesting as in it has a slightly different storyline then I have read before. The characters were well written and the premise of the book well thought out
This book was interesting as in it has a slightly different storyline then I have read before. The characters were well written and the premise of the book well thought out
Read
February 23, 2017You can easily make out the story before it happens...but still good book to read.will continue reading the series
April 3, 2013
There was a time when I loved reading science fiction, the technologies that may have been possible now, but no one really knows. Things like cloning, cyborgs, bio-tissue or whatever. It started when I read Adoration of Jenna Fox in six-grade. But that was like two years ago. Now, it's more about romance, young adult dystopian, those kind of stuff. Unwind was also a good sci-fi book. Although I don't read as much sci-fi books as i did back then, I still enjoy a novel once in a while. ;)
The Samantha Project is one of those sci-fi books that includes romance in it. Even better, a love-triangle! Although I do have a love-hate relationship with love-triangles, I still can't resist them.
Samantha - If you don't know already, the main character of this book is called Samantha. She is literally perfect. The perfect family. The perfect boyfriend. The perfect grades. The perfect life. Etc. But when parents die in a sudden car crash on the day before her 16th birthday, Samantha realized life may not be as it seems. Of course, that's when Samantha learns about her special self. She doesn't get hurt easily. She can heal fast. She can hear from far away. She's fast, alert, beyond perfect. Oh, and one more thing, she was created in a lab.
Dave - Uncle Dave, as Samantha calls him, is the only one in the family who knows about Samantha, about how she is special from everyone else. In a way, she is a project. Uncle Dave is a family friend, not a real, uncle. He helped plan out Samantha's parents' funeral and stayed by her side the whole time. He helped her run away when the president of the company who created Samantha wants her back. But running way wasn't enough and even Dave can't keep Samantha from being taken to the company.
Colin - Although Colin wasn't described much in the book, Colin sounds freakin' awesome. He also sounds freakin perfect. He's like the other half of Samantha, minus all the lab stuff. He's it popular, sexy guy in the school of all books, but instead of a playboy type, he's actually the nice type. He kind of grew up with Samantha and they were like best friends back then. Samantha isn't popular, but somehow, Colin took interest in her. He's like perfect though. Colin respected her needs. Colin tried hard to visit her, love her, etc. But Samantha keeps on pushing him away. She's even thinking about breakup.
Ugh. Girl. Jeez. You needa be proud of what you have, man. There isn't a Colin everyday for you. OMG. Ungrateful. How could she?
Erik - I don't like Erik, for reasons you may know. Just his name looks evil. Okay. Fine, he's not evil. But he's the third to the love-triangle. He ruined more chances of Colin and Sam being together; Omg. Like Colin tries so hard to save Sam. And Erik, ewww....such a cock blocker, but it's not like Sam wants to be with Colin. Girl. Omg. Anyways, yeah Erik is also a lab rat. Someone whose has all of Sam abilities. They could even communicate in their head. Which I hate more because that means less chance of Colin and Sam. No!
At least Colin is still in the second book! So basically what happens is that the company is looking to Samantha back to the labs to work on her, get results, etc. Those people are plain evil, but hey, someone have to be a bad guy. There, Samantha meets Erik and feels attracted to him. Ugh. No. And well, you should read the book to find out, before I ruin the whole thing for you. ;D
Rating (1-10): 8!
The Samantha Project is one of those sci-fi books that includes romance in it. Even better, a love-triangle! Although I do have a love-hate relationship with love-triangles, I still can't resist them.
Samantha - If you don't know already, the main character of this book is called Samantha. She is literally perfect. The perfect family. The perfect boyfriend. The perfect grades. The perfect life. Etc. But when parents die in a sudden car crash on the day before her 16th birthday, Samantha realized life may not be as it seems. Of course, that's when Samantha learns about her special self. She doesn't get hurt easily. She can heal fast. She can hear from far away. She's fast, alert, beyond perfect. Oh, and one more thing, she was created in a lab.
Dave - Uncle Dave, as Samantha calls him, is the only one in the family who knows about Samantha, about how she is special from everyone else. In a way, she is a project. Uncle Dave is a family friend, not a real, uncle. He helped plan out Samantha's parents' funeral and stayed by her side the whole time. He helped her run away when the president of the company who created Samantha wants her back. But running way wasn't enough and even Dave can't keep Samantha from being taken to the company.
Colin - Although Colin wasn't described much in the book, Colin sounds freakin' awesome. He also sounds freakin perfect. He's like the other half of Samantha, minus all the lab stuff. He's it popular, sexy guy in the school of all books, but instead of a playboy type, he's actually the nice type. He kind of grew up with Samantha and they were like best friends back then. Samantha isn't popular, but somehow, Colin took interest in her. He's like perfect though. Colin respected her needs. Colin tried hard to visit her, love her, etc. But Samantha keeps on pushing him away. She's even thinking about breakup.
Ugh. Girl. Jeez. You needa be proud of what you have, man. There isn't a Colin everyday for you. OMG. Ungrateful. How could she?
Erik - I don't like Erik, for reasons you may know. Just his name looks evil. Okay. Fine, he's not evil. But he's the third to the love-triangle. He ruined more chances of Colin and Sam being together; Omg. Like Colin tries so hard to save Sam. And Erik, ewww....such a cock blocker, but it's not like Sam wants to be with Colin. Girl. Omg. Anyways, yeah Erik is also a lab rat. Someone whose has all of Sam abilities. They could even communicate in their head. Which I hate more because that means less chance of Colin and Sam. No!
At least Colin is still in the second book! So basically what happens is that the company is looking to Samantha back to the labs to work on her, get results, etc. Those people are plain evil, but hey, someone have to be a bad guy. There, Samantha meets Erik and feels attracted to him. Ugh. No. And well, you should read the book to find out, before I ruin the whole thing for you. ;D
Rating (1-10): 8!
April 21, 2013
Find more of my reviews at my blog Simply Me
Sometime last year, I saw this book on Goodreads, and it sounded pretty interesting. I mean, c'mon, a blend of sci-fi and suspense is always interesting, right? So when I saw that AToMR Tours was looking for reviewers, I readily signed up.
As you can see by the rating, I wasn't really sure whether I liked this book or not. There were things that really got me hooked, and there were also a few not-so-good stuff. But I think, for the most part, it's a good book.
The plot is definitely a new one (at least as far as I've read). Samantha is part of a secret genetic enhancement project by GlobalLife, a huge corporation, headed by the deceptively hearty Dr. Worthings. They were biding their time until she became seventeen, when her abilities start showing themselves, and now they want to do the 'procedure' on her, which will give her fully developed strengths. When Samantha's parents pose a threat to their plans, they murder them in an 'accident'. And now, all Samantha has is Uncle Dave (a close friend of her parents') helped develop the code that was inserted into Samantha during the fetal stage, and her loyal boyfriend Colin (who remains clueless until the very end).
Several strange incidents later, Samantha learns the truth about herself from Dave, and is captured soon after. What ensues is a faced paced ride of experiments, being on the run and a search for sanctuary.
The characters in the book are well developed. Samantha is not the typical teenager of today. She's a high achieving student who is graduating early from school and headed to a top notch university. I liked her a lot, though at times, her reactions to things kinda irked me.
I really liked the part of the story where Samantha was held at GlobalLife. Though it was a very painful experience for Samantha, I felt the 'sci-fi' part of the story was explored thoroughly here. They truly do treat her like an experimental subject (a non-human one, that is), very horror-film like, clamps included. And the gadgets! Very impressive, really!
The first half of the book was a bit slow for me. I ended up skipping a few pages. But after her kidnapping, the pace picks up considerably. It was interesting to see how Samantha's abilities developed through the book.
Erik is a sweet guy who notices something different in Samantha right from when he sets eyes on her.It turns out that he is also one of GlobalLife's projects and escaped with his father. The f act that Samantha still officially has a boyfriend complicates things between them, though they learn to keep it smooth.
The book ends on a cliffhanger. With Erik (and some friends) by her side, Samantha sets out to figure out what her life is all about and how to get it back.
*A copy of the book was provided by AToMR Tours for an honest review.
Sometime last year, I saw this book on Goodreads, and it sounded pretty interesting. I mean, c'mon, a blend of sci-fi and suspense is always interesting, right? So when I saw that AToMR Tours was looking for reviewers, I readily signed up.
As you can see by the rating, I wasn't really sure whether I liked this book or not. There were things that really got me hooked, and there were also a few not-so-good stuff. But I think, for the most part, it's a good book.
The plot is definitely a new one (at least as far as I've read). Samantha is part of a secret genetic enhancement project by GlobalLife, a huge corporation, headed by the deceptively hearty Dr. Worthings. They were biding their time until she became seventeen, when her abilities start showing themselves, and now they want to do the 'procedure' on her, which will give her fully developed strengths. When Samantha's parents pose a threat to their plans, they murder them in an 'accident'. And now, all Samantha has is Uncle Dave (a close friend of her parents') helped develop the code that was inserted into Samantha during the fetal stage, and her loyal boyfriend Colin (who remains clueless until the very end).
Several strange incidents later, Samantha learns the truth about herself from Dave, and is captured soon after. What ensues is a faced paced ride of experiments, being on the run and a search for sanctuary.
The characters in the book are well developed. Samantha is not the typical teenager of today. She's a high achieving student who is graduating early from school and headed to a top notch university. I liked her a lot, though at times, her reactions to things kinda irked me.
I really liked the part of the story where Samantha was held at GlobalLife. Though it was a very painful experience for Samantha, I felt the 'sci-fi' part of the story was explored thoroughly here. They truly do treat her like an experimental subject (a non-human one, that is), very horror-film like, clamps included. And the gadgets! Very impressive, really!
The first half of the book was a bit slow for me. I ended up skipping a few pages. But after her kidnapping, the pace picks up considerably. It was interesting to see how Samantha's abilities developed through the book.
Erik is a sweet guy who notices something different in Samantha right from when he sets eyes on her.It turns out that he is also one of GlobalLife's projects and escaped with his father. The f act that Samantha still officially has a boyfriend complicates things between them, though they learn to keep it smooth.
The book ends on a cliffhanger. With Erik (and some friends) by her side, Samantha sets out to figure out what her life is all about and how to get it back.
*A copy of the book was provided by AToMR Tours for an honest review.
May 28, 2013
A contemporary YA science fiction novel that drew me in quickly and ended with me satisfied and ready for the second book in the series. For those of you who have ever watched the Kyle XY series and enjoyed it, you will find yourself also fixated on this story. Genetics, romance, betrayal, loss and adventure are blended in perfectly and never fell flat.
This story starts off with a teen girl, working at the local coffee shop, straight A student, loving life as it is, family focused, football quarterback for a boyfriend who is as perfect as can be, cookie cutter life, early graduation, etc. Quickly things change. I found myself crying along with Sam, hurting along with her, wishing I could wrap my arms around her and make her pain go away. There’s not many stories that wraps me up so emotionally with a character but the author did it seamlessly and without bringing on resentment from me, the reader, for doing such a thing.
This one is a hard one to review. Not because of the writing, which is simple but in a smart way, but because as soon as things start changing I would be giving away spoiler after spoiler.
As I stated, the story drew me in and I really don’t have anything bad to say about it except certain areas just seemed to move to quickly and the bad guys needed a bit more development to them. Other than that, this story soars. Yes, there is a lot of science talk, a lot of genetics mumbo jumbo, but the author doesn’t treat you like a genetics flunky, you actually follow along with what is being said and understand what is going on.
I recommend this to any reader who enjoys a good contemporary science fiction story minus the aliens and sex. That’s right, no sex here and there’s no place for it. Another thank you to the author for not feeling they needed to add unnecessary fluff to a story that is extremely intelligent and all around interesting.
This story starts off with a teen girl, working at the local coffee shop, straight A student, loving life as it is, family focused, football quarterback for a boyfriend who is as perfect as can be, cookie cutter life, early graduation, etc. Quickly things change. I found myself crying along with Sam, hurting along with her, wishing I could wrap my arms around her and make her pain go away. There’s not many stories that wraps me up so emotionally with a character but the author did it seamlessly and without bringing on resentment from me, the reader, for doing such a thing.
This one is a hard one to review. Not because of the writing, which is simple but in a smart way, but because as soon as things start changing I would be giving away spoiler after spoiler.
As I stated, the story drew me in and I really don’t have anything bad to say about it except certain areas just seemed to move to quickly and the bad guys needed a bit more development to them. Other than that, this story soars. Yes, there is a lot of science talk, a lot of genetics mumbo jumbo, but the author doesn’t treat you like a genetics flunky, you actually follow along with what is being said and understand what is going on.
I recommend this to any reader who enjoys a good contemporary science fiction story minus the aliens and sex. That’s right, no sex here and there’s no place for it. Another thank you to the author for not feeling they needed to add unnecessary fluff to a story that is extremely intelligent and all around interesting.
September 23, 2013
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Samantha Project offers not only a great premise but an exciting delivery of the story. The story starts off with Samantha finishing the last of her days in high school, with winter break around the corner and graduating early. She’s super smart and seemingly takes after her parents. From the beginning, I find I like her. The story seems almost so normal until she finds out her parents are killed in a car accident and her “Uncle” Dave comes to live with her and take care of her. Instantly, the story builds in both characters and plot as we gain little bits of pieces into what Samantha really is.
I enjoyed reading The Samantha Project. I loved the twists and turns, the surprises around every page and how the story itself unfolded. Not only was Samantha a very three dimensional character but the characters around her I could fall in love with too. Not only Erik but also the young girl on the bus. The author does a fantastic job of keeping you turning the page and wanting you to read more.
I would recommend The Samantha Project to ages thirteen and up and lovers of the sci-fi genre. It was an easy read but very entertaining for adults as well.
The Samantha Project offers not only a great premise but an exciting delivery of the story. The story starts off with Samantha finishing the last of her days in high school, with winter break around the corner and graduating early. She’s super smart and seemingly takes after her parents. From the beginning, I find I like her. The story seems almost so normal until she finds out her parents are killed in a car accident and her “Uncle” Dave comes to live with her and take care of her. Instantly, the story builds in both characters and plot as we gain little bits of pieces into what Samantha really is.
I enjoyed reading The Samantha Project. I loved the twists and turns, the surprises around every page and how the story itself unfolded. Not only was Samantha a very three dimensional character but the characters around her I could fall in love with too. Not only Erik but also the young girl on the bus. The author does a fantastic job of keeping you turning the page and wanting you to read more.
I would recommend The Samantha Project to ages thirteen and up and lovers of the sci-fi genre. It was an easy read but very entertaining for adults as well.
April 28, 2013
This is a really fun light sci-fi book that is totally believable. With all the science out there concerning studying DNA and how to manipulate cells, etc. (can you tell I'm a scientist, with all my scientific eloquence?), it was totally realistic.
I loved the characters and the entire story line. It's very well written and so evenly paced, with one event flowing so evenly and nicely to the next, although I felt like the mourning section after the death of Samantha's parents was a little lengthy. I will totally read the rest of the series. Way fun!
I loved the characters and the entire story line. It's very well written and so evenly paced, with one event flowing so evenly and nicely to the next, although I felt like the mourning section after the death of Samantha's parents was a little lengthy. I will totally read the rest of the series. Way fun!
April 26, 2013
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
This is a great example of why I try to stick with books I just can't seem to get into. The beginning just dragged and dragged and dragged along, but then suddenly it picked right up and was like a completely different book. The beginning consisted a lot of telling. You know how in school teachers always push the "show don't tell" way of writing? Well that's because when you write like "This happened and then this happened and then we did this and then this happened" it's boring and doesn't keep the reader entertained. That's what the first part of this book was like.
Sam went to school.
Sam had a bad day at school.
Sam pushed away her friends.
Sam's uncle Dave is hiding a secret.
Raven is bored.
Raven is thinking of giving up on this book.
Raven wishes this book was written better.
Raven is glad she stuck with it until the end.
Not very exciting, is it?
It was worse when because she was all mopey and just spent her days sleeping and avoiding confrontation with any human whatsoever. I understand you're depressed, and I don't expect you to just get over some big life changing event like that, but do we need to have about a third of the book dedicated to it? Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating on that, but that's what it felt like. I'll admit, it's a troubling thing to write about. If you make it so the character just gets over the incident it's not believable. But if you make them continuously mopey and depressed, it's not a fun read for the reader. There's a happy medium there somewhere, and maybe if the style was written better it would have worked, but it just didn't work for me.
Another thing that bothered me was the continuous allusions to Uncle Dave knowing secrets and not saying anything. We know the car is sketchy. We know Uncle Dave knows something about it. So why allude to it so much but never actually get anywhere with it? What we learn in the summary doesn't even factor in until about halfway through, which was a problem I had with Vaporware. We know something is up, but it just takes so long to get to the point because of all this back story we need to get through. This can be fixed with a little change in the summary. I get that you want to draw readers in, and it clearly worked with me, but until we get to the big turning point in the middle, it's just a boring story about a perfect teenager with the perfect life and perfect family whose life is suddenly turned upside down. Oh and there are some secrets in the family that her parents know nothing about. It just bothered me.
Now, I'm complaining a lot yet I gave it four stars.
You guys: What up with dat?!
Well, the second half of the book really redeemed itself for me. That's when we really get into the plot and figure out more of what's going on. What I don't understand is why Sam won't use her abilities on Brittany if she feels she can't trust this new found sister. Why not just read her mind? Or if you can't do it, ask Erik to? Probably would have saved a lot of trouble. And if she's so worried about Collin, why doesn't she call him? Jack said Brittany could call her mom when they got to California to let her know she was okay, so why can't Sam call Collin? Other than that, I really do love Erik and Jack. They are a great pair and allow us to learn so much more about the plot and what GlobalLife is up to. I think my favorite minor character is Ruby. She has such a small role, but I fell in love with her. I know it's very unlikely, but I hope we see more of her.
What I loved about this book was the idea behind it. The idea that we can program genes like they were a computer to make a super human. Kind of like in Captain America. They boosted him up genetically so he's now a super soldier. I love that idea. I love the way GlobalLife sees their test subjects. Not in a OH MY GOD I TOTES AGREE WITH WHAT UR DOING sort of way but more in a "this makes you a great antagonist" sort of way. The idea that the cops are in on this, too. And random people. No one is safe. Nowhere is safe. Anyone could be working for them. You could be running into a trap at this very moment and you won't know until it's too late. It creates a great sense of suspense that I just love.
Naturally, there's a love triangle. It's a YA book. Isn't having a love triangle a law in YA? I don't usually pay much attention to love triangles, but seeing as how this one is going to be pretty important, I'll put in my two cents. I think Sam should stay with Collin. He obviously cares for her. They've grown up together. Sure, he can't understand what she's going through like Erik can, and I think she should keep her connection with Erik, but I just think that Collin is better for her. She's known him longer and she owes it to him.
Now, this book had some discussion questions at the end that I'd like to address quickly.
Do you think Uncle Dave knows more than he's telling?
Well duh. Isn't that the whole point of the first half of the book? When he was trying to relay a message to Sam in the cabin he kept saying there wasn't enough time to explain everything. He just told her the basics. He obviously knows tons more. This was his company. They aren't letting him leave. He doesn't want to be a part of this, there has to be more reasons why. Does he know everything? Probably not. But he definitely knows a hell of a lot more than what he's told Sam.
And now I'm thinking I was supposed to answer that before I finished the book but whatever.
Do you think it's just a coincidence that Brittany ended up in the same town as Jack and Erik?
This is harder to answer. On one hand, you want to believe that it was just one of those circumstances put in place to keep the plot going. This is backed up by the fact that Doctor Worthings had no idea that Jack and Erik were there and was supposedly surprised that he found them in Brittany's trailer. On the other hand, it's just way too convenient for it to be a coincidence. With books it's so hard to tell because they don't have to follow the rules and we almost expect them not to.
Which of Sam's abilities are the most useful in keeping her safe? Enhanced senses, telepathy, or enhanced strength?
Enhanced senses, hands down. She has to focus too much to use her strength and telepath, and she never even uses her telepathy , so she might as well not have it. Also, she can only hear other people's thoughts, if I understood it correctly, and not actually communicate unless the other person has these enhanced genes, too, so the telepathy is kind of useless right now. With her enhanced senses she can, well, sense things. I believe it was her enhanced senses that brought her towards the town that Jack and Erik lived in. It helped her get to safety when they kidnapped Brittany. It has been the most useful so far, and I think it would be my "superpower" of choice in this case.
Well, that's it. It was a great book once I got past the first half. This really is a great example of why I don't like to give up on books and try to go as long as I can before calling it quits. Glad I stuck with this one and I look forward to reading the sequels.
This is a great example of why I try to stick with books I just can't seem to get into. The beginning just dragged and dragged and dragged along, but then suddenly it picked right up and was like a completely different book. The beginning consisted a lot of telling. You know how in school teachers always push the "show don't tell" way of writing? Well that's because when you write like "This happened and then this happened and then we did this and then this happened" it's boring and doesn't keep the reader entertained. That's what the first part of this book was like.
Sam went to school.
Sam had a bad day at school.
Sam pushed away her friends.
Sam's uncle Dave is hiding a secret.
Raven is bored.
Raven is thinking of giving up on this book.
Raven wishes this book was written better.
Raven is glad she stuck with it until the end.
Not very exciting, is it?
It was worse when because she was all mopey and just spent her days sleeping and avoiding confrontation with any human whatsoever. I understand you're depressed, and I don't expect you to just get over some big life changing event like that, but do we need to have about a third of the book dedicated to it? Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating on that, but that's what it felt like. I'll admit, it's a troubling thing to write about. If you make it so the character just gets over the incident it's not believable. But if you make them continuously mopey and depressed, it's not a fun read for the reader. There's a happy medium there somewhere, and maybe if the style was written better it would have worked, but it just didn't work for me.
Another thing that bothered me was the continuous allusions to Uncle Dave knowing secrets and not saying anything. We know the car is sketchy. We know Uncle Dave knows something about it. So why allude to it so much but never actually get anywhere with it? What we learn in the summary doesn't even factor in until about halfway through, which was a problem I had with Vaporware. We know something is up, but it just takes so long to get to the point because of all this back story we need to get through. This can be fixed with a little change in the summary. I get that you want to draw readers in, and it clearly worked with me, but until we get to the big turning point in the middle, it's just a boring story about a perfect teenager with the perfect life and perfect family whose life is suddenly turned upside down. Oh and there are some secrets in the family that her parents know nothing about. It just bothered me.
Now, I'm complaining a lot yet I gave it four stars.
You guys: What up with dat?!
Well, the second half of the book really redeemed itself for me. That's when we really get into the plot and figure out more of what's going on. What I don't understand is why Sam won't use her abilities on Brittany if she feels she can't trust this new found sister. Why not just read her mind? Or if you can't do it, ask Erik to? Probably would have saved a lot of trouble. And if she's so worried about Collin, why doesn't she call him? Jack said Brittany could call her mom when they got to California to let her know she was okay, so why can't Sam call Collin? Other than that, I really do love Erik and Jack. They are a great pair and allow us to learn so much more about the plot and what GlobalLife is up to. I think my favorite minor character is Ruby. She has such a small role, but I fell in love with her. I know it's very unlikely, but I hope we see more of her.
What I loved about this book was the idea behind it. The idea that we can program genes like they were a computer to make a super human. Kind of like in Captain America. They boosted him up genetically so he's now a super soldier. I love that idea. I love the way GlobalLife sees their test subjects. Not in a OH MY GOD I TOTES AGREE WITH WHAT UR DOING sort of way but more in a "this makes you a great antagonist" sort of way. The idea that the cops are in on this, too. And random people. No one is safe. Nowhere is safe. Anyone could be working for them. You could be running into a trap at this very moment and you won't know until it's too late. It creates a great sense of suspense that I just love.
Naturally, there's a love triangle. It's a YA book. Isn't having a love triangle a law in YA? I don't usually pay much attention to love triangles, but seeing as how this one is going to be pretty important, I'll put in my two cents. I think Sam should stay with Collin. He obviously cares for her. They've grown up together. Sure, he can't understand what she's going through like Erik can, and I think she should keep her connection with Erik, but I just think that Collin is better for her. She's known him longer and she owes it to him.
Now, this book had some discussion questions at the end that I'd like to address quickly.
Do you think Uncle Dave knows more than he's telling?
Well duh. Isn't that the whole point of the first half of the book? When he was trying to relay a message to Sam in the cabin he kept saying there wasn't enough time to explain everything. He just told her the basics. He obviously knows tons more. This was his company. They aren't letting him leave. He doesn't want to be a part of this, there has to be more reasons why. Does he know everything? Probably not. But he definitely knows a hell of a lot more than what he's told Sam.
And now I'm thinking I was supposed to answer that before I finished the book but whatever.
Do you think it's just a coincidence that Brittany ended up in the same town as Jack and Erik?
This is harder to answer. On one hand, you want to believe that it was just one of those circumstances put in place to keep the plot going. This is backed up by the fact that Doctor Worthings had no idea that Jack and Erik were there and was supposedly surprised that he found them in Brittany's trailer. On the other hand, it's just way too convenient for it to be a coincidence. With books it's so hard to tell because they don't have to follow the rules and we almost expect them not to.
Which of Sam's abilities are the most useful in keeping her safe? Enhanced senses, telepathy, or enhanced strength?
Enhanced senses, hands down. She has to focus too much to use her strength and telepath, and she never even uses her telepathy , so she might as well not have it. Also, she can only hear other people's thoughts, if I understood it correctly, and not actually communicate unless the other person has these enhanced genes, too, so the telepathy is kind of useless right now. With her enhanced senses she can, well, sense things. I believe it was her enhanced senses that brought her towards the town that Jack and Erik lived in. It helped her get to safety when they kidnapped Brittany. It has been the most useful so far, and I think it would be my "superpower" of choice in this case.
Well, that's it. It was a great book once I got past the first half. This really is a great example of why I don't like to give up on books and try to go as long as I can before calling it quits. Glad I stuck with this one and I look forward to reading the sequels.
June 24, 2019
Scary interesting stuff
This scenario is scary, genetic modifications, proprietary rights of humans.....ugh. It was really great to have background on Sam, then see how her life falls apart due to what had been done, and then to find Erik.
This scenario is scary, genetic modifications, proprietary rights of humans.....ugh. It was really great to have background on Sam, then see how her life falls apart due to what had been done, and then to find Erik.
Read
February 13, 2022I have started reading the book and I was surprised at how the events of the book changed.
Finding out she has a twin and her DNA is different and she has enhanced genes. She dreamt about a boy and she met him and felt a spark and he is also like her.
I give it to the author.
Finding out she has a twin and her DNA is different and she has enhanced genes. She dreamt about a boy and she met him and felt a spark and he is also like her.
I give it to the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2018
Super slow paced. And the dialogue was so weird. DNF at like 20%.
March 15, 2020
I thought this book would be so amazing but there is too much speech text it was exhausting to read.
Speech text after speech text and no plot to what the character was doing.
Speech text after speech text and no plot to what the character was doing.
March 18, 2025
A really well written book a shame she didn't write more Scifi than this triology
May 12, 2013
eBook copy provided by author via We <3 YA Books! in exchange of an honest review
Rating: 5 stars <3
Samantha, or Sam as she likes to be called, has a perfect kind of life. Excellent grades, a strong relationship with her parents, a dream career with acceptance in Stanford, and a loving and loyal boyfriend. Everything is going as planned. Until one night, when Sam stays home because of a bad headache, her parents die. From there, her life goes spiraling down as she discovers secrets about her strange dreams, and that she's part of an experiment to enhance people, soldiers, with special abilities.
The story has a slow start, giving you time to experience Sam's perfect life. While I was reading the beginning, I knew that something bad was going to happen. Like Karma or destiny saying to Sam "Hahaha now everything you love is gone and it's gonna suck" .
After this horrible accident, we get to see how Sam is coping with the situation and how it's slowly affecting her. I admit, I found it a little boring at one moment because, I reeeeally wanted to know what was happening with Sam. But it payed off. Because all this is a build-up for the big action and important parts! When I got to those I was "Ohhh" and "Ahhh, now I get it. Now it makes more sense!". You just have to be patient with the book, give it time to blow your mind. Little by little you start to feel this desperation that will make you BAM when the right time comes.
Sam's emotions felt very believable. And I loved that. I felt like I could actually connect with her and know part of her pain, her worries, her regrets and doubts.
The characters were amazing and deep. Dave was the one I liked the most (apart from Sam and Erik hehehe). Since the beginning I could notice something weird about him. His actions and words made me suspicious and wary of him, making me doubt if he was the good or the bad guy. He was truly a-ma-zing. The other characters were good too. It didn't matter if their appearance was short or long, they left an impression on me, like I knew them from before.
The writing style made it an easy and enjoyable read. And the science in it! :O
I had recently studied the genes and DNA on my 10th grade Biology class. In the book we see a lot of things like the bases of the DNA and how genetics works. I loved it. Plus, it was put in a way that was simple and effective to learn it. How cool is that! I noticed in the author's bio that she has a undergraduate degree in food science and nutrition, a MS from Tufts University, and an MBA from the University of Iowa. So that guarantees us that the info in the book is actually true! Some might be fictitious (I don't know which) but basically, it's correct. And believable. And it's amazing that she knows all that, and cooks, plus other things. ASDFGHJKL:" Yay for science! haha
Also, the abilities that Sam later develops are explained in a scientific way, rather than just "Ohh you have an ability" form other books. Here it's planted in this way, proof of why it happens, how, and so on. Which, as mentioned in other things, make me believe more in it and think that what if it was true?
I really enjoyed the book, and that ending, gah no... I need to get my hands on the next two books (which are already available). But I'll have to wait until summer, or when I have money. Ha.
I wanted a really big action scene, but I was satisfied with the major two that appeared (no spoilers), making a kind of promise that in the other books something mind-blowing will come. It was hard to predict what was going to happen. There were a lot of things I wouldn't have come up with. I would think "Hey this is going to happen" so that it was later thrown at my face, because no! It didn't happen and instead something better came. Or something like that. But others, at least I could predict minor things here and there.
A really worthy read for all sci-fi readers. It has it's action, romance, humor and geeky stuff all packed into one. Like a version of X-men (only the ability parts). It would be really cool if a movie of this was made, or a series :D
Thank you Stephanie Karpinske for the opportunity to read this amazing book! :D xx
Rating: 5 stars <3
Samantha, or Sam as she likes to be called, has a perfect kind of life. Excellent grades, a strong relationship with her parents, a dream career with acceptance in Stanford, and a loving and loyal boyfriend. Everything is going as planned. Until one night, when Sam stays home because of a bad headache, her parents die. From there, her life goes spiraling down as she discovers secrets about her strange dreams, and that she's part of an experiment to enhance people, soldiers, with special abilities.
The story has a slow start, giving you time to experience Sam's perfect life. While I was reading the beginning, I knew that something bad was going to happen. Like Karma or destiny saying to Sam "Hahaha now everything you love is gone and it's gonna suck" .
After this horrible accident, we get to see how Sam is coping with the situation and how it's slowly affecting her. I admit, I found it a little boring at one moment because, I reeeeally wanted to know what was happening with Sam. But it payed off. Because all this is a build-up for the big action and important parts! When I got to those I was "Ohhh" and "Ahhh, now I get it. Now it makes more sense!". You just have to be patient with the book, give it time to blow your mind. Little by little you start to feel this desperation that will make you BAM when the right time comes.
Sam's emotions felt very believable. And I loved that. I felt like I could actually connect with her and know part of her pain, her worries, her regrets and doubts.
The characters were amazing and deep. Dave was the one I liked the most (apart from Sam and Erik hehehe). Since the beginning I could notice something weird about him. His actions and words made me suspicious and wary of him, making me doubt if he was the good or the bad guy. He was truly a-ma-zing. The other characters were good too. It didn't matter if their appearance was short or long, they left an impression on me, like I knew them from before.
The writing style made it an easy and enjoyable read. And the science in it! :O
I had recently studied the genes and DNA on my 10th grade Biology class. In the book we see a lot of things like the bases of the DNA and how genetics works. I loved it. Plus, it was put in a way that was simple and effective to learn it. How cool is that! I noticed in the author's bio that she has a undergraduate degree in food science and nutrition, a MS from Tufts University, and an MBA from the University of Iowa. So that guarantees us that the info in the book is actually true! Some might be fictitious (I don't know which) but basically, it's correct. And believable. And it's amazing that she knows all that, and cooks, plus other things. ASDFGHJKL:" Yay for science! haha
Also, the abilities that Sam later develops are explained in a scientific way, rather than just "Ohh you have an ability" form other books. Here it's planted in this way, proof of why it happens, how, and so on. Which, as mentioned in other things, make me believe more in it and think that what if it was true?
I really enjoyed the book, and that ending, gah no... I need to get my hands on the next two books (which are already available). But I'll have to wait until summer, or when I have money. Ha.
I wanted a really big action scene, but I was satisfied with the major two that appeared (no spoilers), making a kind of promise that in the other books something mind-blowing will come. It was hard to predict what was going to happen. There were a lot of things I wouldn't have come up with. I would think "Hey this is going to happen" so that it was later thrown at my face, because no! It didn't happen and instead something better came. Or something like that. But others, at least I could predict minor things here and there.
A really worthy read for all sci-fi readers. It has it's action, romance, humor and geeky stuff all packed into one. Like a version of X-men (only the ability parts). It would be really cool if a movie of this was made, or a series :D
Thank you Stephanie Karpinske for the opportunity to read this amazing book! :D xx
April 11, 2013
Finding a young adult science fiction novel that’s fresh and interesting is not always such an easy thing to do but Stephanie Karpinske is on the right path with The Samantha Project, albeit with a few flaws. On the mildly negative side, I found Sam and her parents to be Pollyanna-ish and Sam is that goody two-shoes everybody sneers at in high school. There were moments when the three of them made me roll my eyes but, when you get right down to it, I suppose you could say their sappy behavior highlights the contrast with the changes that will begin to happen in Sam’s life and to Sam herself. The other characters that got on my nerves were the bad guys who were rather shallow and sterotypical bad guys, almost a parody of Men in Black. They are menacing but not nearly as threatening as they could be.
The other problem I had was with the REALLY slow pacing of the story in the first half of the book. The author takes much too long with the set-up and I might have given up if I hadn’t found the plot described in the synopsis intriguing and then the momentum starts to pick up. I also began to really like Samantha after a life-altering event when she begins to seem far more like a normal teen although with certain enhancements, so to speak. The girl is forced into a fast maturity but she doesn’t shy away from what must be done and her innate intelligence and fortitude comes to the fore at last.
Except for Samantha’s parents and the bad guys, I did enjoy the other characters, especially Dave and Jack, and in a rare instance of a romantic triangle being interesting (to me), I like that the reader can’t be sure from one moment to the next whether there really IS a romantic triangle. That uncertainty is heightened by the fact that both Colin and Erik are very appealing, although in distinctly different ways. The one evil-doer that stands out in the crowd, Alden Worthings, makes up for the meh-ness of his henchmen and I couldn’t help being engaged when he was on the page. Perhaps the most interesting character of all, however, is Brittany, a girl whose life is completely uprooted through no fault of her own; she personifies the unfairness of life.
So, the moral of *my* story here is, don’t let the slowness of the first half of The Samantha Project keep you from reading on. You’ll be surprised—and happy—to see the stakes get higher and the action take off, leading to a kick-butt Chapter 36. It’s a good thing we don’t have to wait for the next book because The Golden Couple is already out and the third book, A Chosen Destiny, should be released soon.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2013.
The other problem I had was with the REALLY slow pacing of the story in the first half of the book. The author takes much too long with the set-up and I might have given up if I hadn’t found the plot described in the synopsis intriguing and then the momentum starts to pick up. I also began to really like Samantha after a life-altering event when she begins to seem far more like a normal teen although with certain enhancements, so to speak. The girl is forced into a fast maturity but she doesn’t shy away from what must be done and her innate intelligence and fortitude comes to the fore at last.
Except for Samantha’s parents and the bad guys, I did enjoy the other characters, especially Dave and Jack, and in a rare instance of a romantic triangle being interesting (to me), I like that the reader can’t be sure from one moment to the next whether there really IS a romantic triangle. That uncertainty is heightened by the fact that both Colin and Erik are very appealing, although in distinctly different ways. The one evil-doer that stands out in the crowd, Alden Worthings, makes up for the meh-ness of his henchmen and I couldn’t help being engaged when he was on the page. Perhaps the most interesting character of all, however, is Brittany, a girl whose life is completely uprooted through no fault of her own; she personifies the unfairness of life.
So, the moral of *my* story here is, don’t let the slowness of the first half of The Samantha Project keep you from reading on. You’ll be surprised—and happy—to see the stakes get higher and the action take off, leading to a kick-butt Chapter 36. It’s a good thing we don’t have to wait for the next book because The Golden Couple is already out and the third book, A Chosen Destiny, should be released soon.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2013.
May 12, 2013
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
The Samantha Project tells the story of Sam, a girl who seems to have everything. She has a great boyfriend, she's intelligent, she's even graduating a semester early and going to Stanford in the fall. She even has the perfect relationship with her parents - somewhat of a surprise for a seventeen-year-old! Unfortunately, things aren't all they seem. Sam looses her parents in an unfortunate accident and her world comes crashing down. She discovers that the accident was no accident and the fertility assistance resulting in her birth were not ordinary. Now, she has a corporation after her, and she must try to stay off their radar while finding out more about her life and genetics.
This was a good book. I really enjoyed the interaction between Sam and her parents; it reminded me of my own relationship with my Mama. While the story was a bit slow to pick up - I found myself wondering where the sci-fi was, when the action was going to pick up, etc - I didn't really mind. The story still flowed nicely. Of course, once Sam found herself at the GlobalLife Lab, things got really interesting. That's when all the sci-fi fun begins. I was really digging this lab. I mean, what they did was pretty bad and how they see their "test subjects" is pretty crappy, but oh, they're so interesting! I'm hoping I'll get to see more of this lab stuff in the later books. The author should have let Sam hang out at the lab for a bit longer, really. I mean, I was enjoying it, maybe too much. Of course, when she leaves the lab and finds a Erik and Jack, things get good and interesting, too. The second half of the book is really great. I've actually changed my rating a few times, going back and forth, just because the second half is so good. If the first half drags on for you, try to stick with it, because all the action is in the second half.
Overall, really great book. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the trilogy. Let's split the difference in my ratings flip-flop: 3.5 stars, rounded up.
The Samantha Project tells the story of Sam, a girl who seems to have everything. She has a great boyfriend, she's intelligent, she's even graduating a semester early and going to Stanford in the fall. She even has the perfect relationship with her parents - somewhat of a surprise for a seventeen-year-old! Unfortunately, things aren't all they seem. Sam looses her parents in an unfortunate accident and her world comes crashing down. She discovers that the accident was no accident and the fertility assistance resulting in her birth were not ordinary. Now, she has a corporation after her, and she must try to stay off their radar while finding out more about her life and genetics.
This was a good book. I really enjoyed the interaction between Sam and her parents; it reminded me of my own relationship with my Mama. While the story was a bit slow to pick up - I found myself wondering where the sci-fi was, when the action was going to pick up, etc - I didn't really mind. The story still flowed nicely. Of course, once Sam found herself at the GlobalLife Lab, things got really interesting. That's when all the sci-fi fun begins. I was really digging this lab. I mean, what they did was pretty bad and how they see their "test subjects" is pretty crappy, but oh, they're so interesting! I'm hoping I'll get to see more of this lab stuff in the later books. The author should have let Sam hang out at the lab for a bit longer, really. I mean, I was enjoying it, maybe too much. Of course, when she leaves the lab and finds a Erik and Jack, things get good and interesting, too. The second half of the book is really great. I've actually changed my rating a few times, going back and forth, just because the second half is so good. If the first half drags on for you, try to stick with it, because all the action is in the second half.
Overall, really great book. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the trilogy. Let's split the difference in my ratings flip-flop: 3.5 stars, rounded up.
April 5, 2013
The Samantha Project was a good read with interesting sci-fi themes and a very likable protagonist. Although Samantha was created in a lab, she felt like a very real teen girl. I liked reading the story from her perspective as she unravels the mysteries about her past.
Samantha is introduced as a very normal good girl with the perfect boyfriend and family. Since her life comes off as so perfect, the reader can suspect that something is going to happen to take it all way. As Samantha is faced with the truth about her origins, she decides to fight back against the people trying to control her. Although she came off as naïve at times, I liked her bravery.
The secondary characters were well done. I loved Samantha’s football star boyfriend Colin. He was so sweet! It did get me mad when Erik came into the picture. I feel like he was introduced too late in the game for me to feel like he was a good romantic match for Samantha, especially since I was already preparing for Colin to become my new book boyfriend. The villain in the story could have been characterized a little better and came off as a little too unbelievable.
The second half of the novel is much better than the first. The pacing was very slow in the beginning and I felt myself losing interest. I’m glad I kept up with the book though because the last fifty percent was much more exciting. Once the bad guys start making a move to go after Sam, I couldn’t put the book down.
Overall, The Samantha Project is a good sci-fi book for young adults. This is the first in the series with the sequel already released. I would be interested in reading in continuing the series, especially if there’s more Colin.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Thanks to ATOMR Tours for providing a copy of this book for review!
Samantha is introduced as a very normal good girl with the perfect boyfriend and family. Since her life comes off as so perfect, the reader can suspect that something is going to happen to take it all way. As Samantha is faced with the truth about her origins, she decides to fight back against the people trying to control her. Although she came off as naïve at times, I liked her bravery.
The secondary characters were well done. I loved Samantha’s football star boyfriend Colin. He was so sweet! It did get me mad when Erik came into the picture. I feel like he was introduced too late in the game for me to feel like he was a good romantic match for Samantha, especially since I was already preparing for Colin to become my new book boyfriend. The villain in the story could have been characterized a little better and came off as a little too unbelievable.
The second half of the novel is much better than the first. The pacing was very slow in the beginning and I felt myself losing interest. I’m glad I kept up with the book though because the last fifty percent was much more exciting. Once the bad guys start making a move to go after Sam, I couldn’t put the book down.
Overall, The Samantha Project is a good sci-fi book for young adults. This is the first in the series with the sequel already released. I would be interested in reading in continuing the series, especially if there’s more Colin.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Thanks to ATOMR Tours for providing a copy of this book for review!
September 13, 2013
I was really looking forward to reading this - great premise, great cover, and I always have a soft spot for Scifi. Samantha is a likable character. Her dialogue and reactions are very realistic for her age, and I could actually picture her as being one of those girls that everyone likes. She's not snippy or rude or lazy - a normal, everyday teenager .
The story starts by letting the reader get to know Samantha's everyday life. Her family is kind, her friends nice and her job reasonable. Yep, a life as perfect as they come life. When the tragedy hits several chapters later, Samantha is thrown into a deep depression, which pulls her down for a while. And as a reader, I was pulled down with her. The loss of her parents hits her hard, and her loss comes over well.
My favorite part, the action, doesn't start for awhile, but when it does, the story grabs hold. There are wonderful, unexpected twists which kept me guessing. The modern, everyday setting did throw me off track for a while, which was refreshing, especially in a scifi. I also enjoyed the love triangle and am already cheering one particular gentleman on.
My only problem with this was the lack of depth in the first half. Sometimes I felt as if I were reading through scenes and actions without ever really getting into Samantha's head. In some ways, the character building simply felt too flat.
But if you like scifi, YA and a good twist in genetics, this story is definitely entertaining.
The story starts by letting the reader get to know Samantha's everyday life. Her family is kind, her friends nice and her job reasonable. Yep, a life as perfect as they come life. When the tragedy hits several chapters later, Samantha is thrown into a deep depression, which pulls her down for a while. And as a reader, I was pulled down with her. The loss of her parents hits her hard, and her loss comes over well.
My favorite part, the action, doesn't start for awhile, but when it does, the story grabs hold. There are wonderful, unexpected twists which kept me guessing. The modern, everyday setting did throw me off track for a while, which was refreshing, especially in a scifi. I also enjoyed the love triangle and am already cheering one particular gentleman on.
My only problem with this was the lack of depth in the first half. Sometimes I felt as if I were reading through scenes and actions without ever really getting into Samantha's head. In some ways, the character building simply felt too flat.
But if you like scifi, YA and a good twist in genetics, this story is definitely entertaining.
May 29, 2013
I received a free copy of this book from the author through Goodreads We ♥ YA Books! group in exchange for an unbiased review.
The first bit of this book is about beautiful, smart, perfect Sam, Sam's perfect parents, Sam's perfect boyfriend, Sam's perfect best friend, Sam's perfect life (except, of course, for the prerequisite nasty cheerleader). Then her parents are killed in a car accident, so the rest of the first half is about Sam's grieving process: minute details about weeks of grieving, of which most of her time is spent sleeping. Boring as hell! I Almost gave up at 23%, then again at 30% and yet again at 50%. But I'm not a quitter and I had agreed to review as per the conditions above. So I persevered.
Luckily after that it picked up a bit - and that's the only reason that this isn't a one-star review. The writing is technically fine, but completely lacking in subtlety. The characters are trite and lifeless. There is absolutely no action until after halfway through the book. Some of it is just plain implausible, main plot theme aside. The worst part? After all the frustration of reading The Samantha Project, it turns out to be a trilogy :-( I am happy to give up my time to give honest feedback to new authors, but I think some writers will give out a free book just so you'll buy the rest to find out how the story ends. Sorry, I'm not even close to interested.
The first bit of this book is about beautiful, smart, perfect Sam, Sam's perfect parents, Sam's perfect boyfriend, Sam's perfect best friend, Sam's perfect life (except, of course, for the prerequisite nasty cheerleader). Then her parents are killed in a car accident, so the rest of the first half is about Sam's grieving process: minute details about weeks of grieving, of which most of her time is spent sleeping. Boring as hell! I Almost gave up at 23%, then again at 30% and yet again at 50%. But I'm not a quitter and I had agreed to review as per the conditions above. So I persevered.
Luckily after that it picked up a bit - and that's the only reason that this isn't a one-star review. The writing is technically fine, but completely lacking in subtlety. The characters are trite and lifeless. There is absolutely no action until after halfway through the book. Some of it is just plain implausible, main plot theme aside. The worst part? After all the frustration of reading The Samantha Project, it turns out to be a trilogy :-( I am happy to give up my time to give honest feedback to new authors, but I think some writers will give out a free book just so you'll buy the rest to find out how the story ends. Sorry, I'm not even close to interested.
May 13, 2013
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
The Samantha Project is about a perfect girl with a perfect life. She has a great relationship with her parents, is really smart and as a result graduating early from High School, and the perfect boyfriend. Then odd people start turning up knowing more about her than they should and her parents die in a horrible car accident and she starts to see that everything is far from perfect.
It starts off in a light-hearted way and is witty but in my opinion it takes far too long to get to the main point of the story and explore the fact that she was part of a genetic research program. For the first 45% of the book you could see this coming, given the title of the book and the synopsis, but there was far too much time given over to mundane daily actions.
That said the second half of the book more than made up for this. Once the secret from her past was revealed it only took me a day to finish the book. It became fast paced action with twists and turns and an ending that i was completely not expecting.
I am definitely looking forward to the sequel as it was well set up and i am hoping that we will start off right in the middle of the action and take less time to get to it in the next book.
The Samantha Project is about a perfect girl with a perfect life. She has a great relationship with her parents, is really smart and as a result graduating early from High School, and the perfect boyfriend. Then odd people start turning up knowing more about her than they should and her parents die in a horrible car accident and she starts to see that everything is far from perfect.
It starts off in a light-hearted way and is witty but in my opinion it takes far too long to get to the main point of the story and explore the fact that she was part of a genetic research program. For the first 45% of the book you could see this coming, given the title of the book and the synopsis, but there was far too much time given over to mundane daily actions.
That said the second half of the book more than made up for this. Once the secret from her past was revealed it only took me a day to finish the book. It became fast paced action with twists and turns and an ending that i was completely not expecting.
I am definitely looking forward to the sequel as it was well set up and i am hoping that we will start off right in the middle of the action and take less time to get to it in the next book.
June 15, 2013
I received a free copy of the book for an honest review.
So last night when I finished this I immediately wanted to give it four stars, but this morning when I tried to write this review, I kept remembering the beginning of the book and I couldn't rationalize four stars. The last half of this book was amazing, action-packed, and honestly deserved five stars, but the first half was slow, repetitive, and contained information that was not needed to further the plot. If you can get through the first half of the book, then it is definitely worth reading because of its unique plot. Also I loved the chemistry between Erik and Sam later on in the story.
I'm definitely going to get a copy of the next book in the series because we were left with quite a cliff hanger. I also can't wait to find out what happens between Colin, Sam, and Erik. I dearly hope the author doesn't make this into one of those impossible love triangles. I would recommend this book, but warn future readers that the end is worth the wait in the beginning.
So last night when I finished this I immediately wanted to give it four stars, but this morning when I tried to write this review, I kept remembering the beginning of the book and I couldn't rationalize four stars. The last half of this book was amazing, action-packed, and honestly deserved five stars, but the first half was slow, repetitive, and contained information that was not needed to further the plot. If you can get through the first half of the book, then it is definitely worth reading because of its unique plot. Also I loved the chemistry between Erik and Sam later on in the story.
I'm definitely going to get a copy of the next book in the series because we were left with quite a cliff hanger. I also can't wait to find out what happens between Colin, Sam, and Erik. I dearly hope the author doesn't make this into one of those impossible love triangles. I would recommend this book, but warn future readers that the end is worth the wait in the beginning.
September 6, 2013
Growing up life for Samantha was perfect . She got the good grades, the perfect boyfriend, she was never bad and seemed to have luck on her side and even better she had scored herself an early admission to Stanford. However , life for Samantha wasn't always destined to be perfect when at first little strange things started occuring like extra sensitive hearing and then a strange old man appeared at her work - knowing all about Sam and then later that week , Sam's life was turned upside down when her parents were killed in a car crash. But was the car crash an accident or did someone want Samantha's parents dead and out of the way ? Who is Samantha really and what is her purpose in life ?
Life for Samantha is about to change and not for the best , everything she has ever known will be questioned and she will along with friends start the journey of a lifetime for answers and survival.
If you love genetics and modification stories , then head now and pick up your copy of Book#1 in the Samantha Project Trilogy - "The Samantha Project".
Life for Samantha is about to change and not for the best , everything she has ever known will be questioned and she will along with friends start the journey of a lifetime for answers and survival.
If you love genetics and modification stories , then head now and pick up your copy of Book#1 in the Samantha Project Trilogy - "The Samantha Project".
September 24, 2013
The very first thing I have to say is I loved the way the author wrote the dialogue! I enjoyed the characters even though at first I felt Samantha was a little too perfect a student/child. But then when things started happening I understood why she was the way she was. I loved Colin her boyfriend. I also liked how the time period was one we could relate to, it was in the now. Not years from now on some odd planet. And with all the genetic manipulation going on in today's world I could actually see this being true. This book has a lot of twists and turns and will keep you wondering what's going to happen next. There are also many horrible things that happen in this book and I must say that it is not a book for younger kids. For instance I wouldn't want my 10 year old to read it but I would let my 16 year old read it without a problem.
All in all book was for me was a successfully written story that captivated my attention and had me flipping pages and on the edge of my seat enough for me to immediately grab book 2.
All in all book was for me was a successfully written story that captivated my attention and had me flipping pages and on the edge of my seat enough for me to immediately grab book 2.
May 18, 2013
*Received for review through We love YA-ARR Goodreads discussion group
**Review also posted on amazon.com (Levina) and barnesandnoble.com (Levina_G)
A great, fun sci-fi young adult read! The story starts off slow with a“goody two-shoes” Sam who at times seemed emotionally cold. After a tragedy, she quickly becomes much more likable as she evolves in attitude and ability. I really appreciated how Karpinske delved into the world-building with her scientific explanations and the whole concept of genetically-engineered superhumans felt much more authentic because of it. I loved Erik’s character and was really happy that a more rugged, smart-aleck boy was in the story and at times, the chemistry was smokin’ off the pages =). I’m certainly looking forward to more of a relationship develop with the two of them. This was an engaging first novel and worthwhile read. I see great potential for the second novel!
**Review also posted on amazon.com (Levina) and barnesandnoble.com (Levina_G)
A great, fun sci-fi young adult read! The story starts off slow with a“goody two-shoes” Sam who at times seemed emotionally cold. After a tragedy, she quickly becomes much more likable as she evolves in attitude and ability. I really appreciated how Karpinske delved into the world-building with her scientific explanations and the whole concept of genetically-engineered superhumans felt much more authentic because of it. I loved Erik’s character and was really happy that a more rugged, smart-aleck boy was in the story and at times, the chemistry was smokin’ off the pages =). I’m certainly looking forward to more of a relationship develop with the two of them. This was an engaging first novel and worthwhile read. I see great potential for the second novel!
September 21, 2013
I received a copy of this book for an exchange of an honest review.
I have to say this is the first book that i read of this author, and i really like it i did not think i was gone like it but i did, and i am glad i got a chance to read it.
I love the characters and how this story formed.
Samantha life was perfect, she got the good grades, and a great boyfriends, and she got to score an early admission to standford. But all that changes when she loses her parents in a bad accident and her world comes crashing down, and that’s when she finds out that her parents accident was not an accident at all and the fertility assistance resulting in her birth were not ordinary.
I really enjoy this book. I like the action the plots the twist and the romance in between, i also like the hole science fiction background and how the human emotions blend in this story. I want to thank Author Stephanie Karpinske for introducing me to this amazing book and awesome characters.
I have to say this is the first book that i read of this author, and i really like it i did not think i was gone like it but i did, and i am glad i got a chance to read it.
I love the characters and how this story formed.
Samantha life was perfect, she got the good grades, and a great boyfriends, and she got to score an early admission to standford. But all that changes when she loses her parents in a bad accident and her world comes crashing down, and that’s when she finds out that her parents accident was not an accident at all and the fertility assistance resulting in her birth were not ordinary.
I really enjoy this book. I like the action the plots the twist and the romance in between, i also like the hole science fiction background and how the human emotions blend in this story. I want to thank Author Stephanie Karpinske for introducing me to this amazing book and awesome characters.
March 16, 2014
I got this book for free on Amazon some time ago, the first half of the book bored me to death. I felt like I was reading a book about robots without logic and feelings. Samantha has the perfect boyfriend, parents, grades and she herself is also perfect thanks to some dna enhancement that give her powers, excellent hearing, seeing and reading minds etc. But then her parents are murdered and her perfect life falls apart. On the run she meets Erik and Jack, Erik is like her, she even has an identical twin. The ending has maybe two pages that have a little excitement.
Samantha is very smart at school but pretty dense in real life, she has predicating dreams but doesn't believe them, then she know she being followed but it takes her days to tell. I don't know why Colin likes her is doesn't seem she is in to him or even loves him that much.
So this book was boring, it had some potential but didn't live up to that. I do love the cover.
Samantha is very smart at school but pretty dense in real life, she has predicating dreams but doesn't believe them, then she know she being followed but it takes her days to tell. I don't know why Colin likes her is doesn't seem she is in to him or even loves him that much.
So this book was boring, it had some potential but didn't live up to that. I do love the cover.
July 11, 2013
Books & Sweet Epiphany
www.booksandsweetpiphany.blogspot.com
The Samantha Project is fantastic!
When I first read it (I had the old copy, not the updated version), it was kinda slow at first but the story grows into a humongous tree and starts fruiting awesome storyline, characters and suspense.
I love how the main character, Samantha, slowly develops into a great character.
The storyline is similar to some books yet it is slightly different from the others.
I love the plots and the twist, the dashes of romance in between, the blend of human emotions that is unpredictable and great characters.
Not only that, the science fiction background absolutely complements the story.
Plus, the bad guys who wants Samantha and her love interest is really awful and terrible, makes this book a killer.
Sincerely,
Selina.
www.booksandsweetpiphany.blogspot.com
The Samantha Project is fantastic!
When I first read it (I had the old copy, not the updated version), it was kinda slow at first but the story grows into a humongous tree and starts fruiting awesome storyline, characters and suspense.
I love how the main character, Samantha, slowly develops into a great character.
The storyline is similar to some books yet it is slightly different from the others.
I love the plots and the twist, the dashes of romance in between, the blend of human emotions that is unpredictable and great characters.
Not only that, the science fiction background absolutely complements the story.
Plus, the bad guys who wants Samantha and her love interest is really awful and terrible, makes this book a killer.
Sincerely,
Selina.
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