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Twinmaker #1
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Clair lives in a world revolutionised by d-mat, a global teleport system that allows people to transport themselves instantaneously around the world. When a coded note promises improvement – the chance to change your body any way you want, making it stronger, taller, more beautiful – Clair thinks it’s too good to be true, but her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try.
What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious online friend called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.
What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious online friend called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.
416 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2013
40 people are currently reading
3974 people want to read
About the author
Sean Williams
276 books468 followers#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
November 19, 2013
This book is based on a theme that centers on the ethical and moral uses of technology, an interesting debate---unfortunately, it does so at the expense of an actual plot and compelling characters. This book is all action and no suspense. It is far, far too long for what it has to offer. I was ready to give it up at 30%, but I clung on in the hopes of something happening that would capture my attention.
I hoped in vain.
This book is very, very much action-based, and not much else. Despite all the action, despite all the running away (or rather, motorcycling away and teleporting away), despite all the supposed intrigue and terrorism and murder in the name of social justice, I found myself yawning through it. The characters were so completely dull, the main character's overreaction to her friend's supposed Improvement was over the top, and the overincorporation and hyperinflation of today's current social media technology in a futuristic society all added up to a book that is fast-paced, action-packed, but which left me with absolutely no fucks left to give to any of the characters or their fate. You could kill off the main character and I wouldn't blink an eye. I'm just THAT unattached.
I don't exactly hate the main character, but there wasn't much about her to like, either. I couldn't feel her motivation, I didn't know what drives her, I didn't feel like anything about her is outstanding in any way. Her friendship with Libby seems false, and Claire, although nice and willing to go to a great deal to "help" her friend, feels like a passive-aggressively nice character because Libby is so overwhelmingly bitchy in particular. Libby and Claire are supposed to be best friends, and I feel that Libby is demonified at the expense of making Claire to be a big, beautiful, holier-than-thou character who is willing to put up with SO MUCH in order to help her ungrateful best friend who doesn't deserve our sympathy.
The Themes: I feel like the author takes our fear of technology and amplifies it. We all know about how social media is taking over our lives. In the past 10 years or so, we've seen Facebook/Twitter/Instagram...you name it, take over our lives to an extent that I can barely read a book on my ebook reader without getting an ad relevant to my interest, or surf the internet without seeing popups with my friends' current tweets/status updates anymore. The world building is based on that, and I think it is well done in the context of playing upon current concerns. It also questions the implications of future technology, of transportation, how a person can be disassembled and reassembled at an atomic level, and whether or not we're the same person at the end of it. I thought this was well done, but the execution is the main point here. The themes are interesting, but it didn't work in the context of the book, particularly given how things worked out. It just doesn't make any fucking sense overall.
Summary: Be afraid, be very afraid. The future is Star Trek's "Beam Me Up, Scotty," + Facebook/Twitter. There was some vague event called the "Water Wars," and we ran out of resources, next thing you know, technology runs everything. We can be teleported to anywhere in the world within the blink of an eye. Everyone and their mother has these Google Glass technology embedded into a contact lens worn in the eye. We have a list of friends, we have status updates, we have "infields," that I surmise is like an email inbox only if notifies you of everything that involves you. Sorta like when someone tags you on a social media site? So: future = Facebook. Needless to say...
You have status updates all the fucking time. In a sense, the future is already here.
Teenagers of the future get their kicks through holding random raves in the weirdest of places, and those who find the weirdest of places are the most popular in the social rankings! Our main character Claire, her bitchy-best-friend Libby, and Libby's boyfriend Zeppelin (Zep) (with whom Claire is secretly in love) are crashlanders. Their goal is to find the most awesome place ever to have a party, and before they know it, Claire and Zep are caught in a compromising position and thanks to social media, the entire world knows about it. Libby gets upset and somehow claims to use a meme (yeah, a meme -_-) called Improvement in order to beautify herself. Something goes wrong (but we don't know how) and Claire sets out to help Libby (but we don't know why) despite the fact that there's no evidence whatsoever that Libby actually did the fucking meme.
So Claire goes off on her mission to save Libby (again, without any proof) and soon gets herself involved in some terrorist plot to free the world from the evils of technology---despite the fact that this technology saved the world from extinction and starvation.
:|
The Plot: Overlong and an extended clusterfuck of a mess. There was little to no relevance to the first part of the book (mountaintop raaaaaaave, man!). There was way too much transporting around (d-matting) and running around and motorcycling across the country. There were too many side characters involved for me to care about any of them and for any of them to actually make an impact on my mind because of their lack of personality and character. The romance had little to no part to play in the whole mess, and I can't even complain about the questionable and inexplicable romance and the love triangle because it was so shabbily done. This book was 352 pages, and about 200 pages too long, if you were to take into consideration the relevant parts of the plot.
The World Building: This is the hardest part of my review, because it both works and doesn't work. It is both extremely vague and overly detailed, to a point of being extremely technical. Yeah, I'm confused too. The past is, as with most YA dystopians, combined into one vaguely apocalyptic event known as the "Water Wars." Same old, same old. The sea level rose. Hundreds of millions of people died, starvation is at hand. All of a sudden, BAM! D-Mat technology comes in to save the day. There are a lot of technology and created technology terms in this book. We have d-mat, we have fabbers, we have VIA, we have the Air, we have EITS feeds. D-mat technology saved humanity.
You know those chain mails (and later, chain emails) that people send out saying "YOUR DOG/MOTHER/GRANDFATHER/COUSIN THREE TIMES REMOVED WILL DIE A BLOODY DEATH UNLESS YOU TURN AROUND IN A CIRCLE COUNTERCLOCKWISE FIVE TIMES UNDER A WAXING MOON AT DUSK WHILE CHANTING "OM PADME NUMA NUMA YEI" FIFTEEN TIMES WITH ONE EYE CLOSED?" Improvement is sorta like that. I kid. But not really. It's a meme that you follow to the exact direction, and it's supposed to change the way you look. It's just a mess in the context of this book, and it would have worked better if the plot were not so interspersed with so many plotlines and various conspiracy theories overall.
The technology themselves, like the transportation system, was fairly well explained, but very technical sometimes. I have to commend the author on the explanation of the technology that actually makes some sort of sense. The fact is, there's a lot of it, and it seems largely extraneous as backup to a plot that just leaves me bored.
Good night.
I hoped in vain.
This book is very, very much action-based, and not much else. Despite all the action, despite all the running away (or rather, motorcycling away and teleporting away), despite all the supposed intrigue and terrorism and murder in the name of social justice, I found myself yawning through it. The characters were so completely dull, the main character's overreaction to her friend's supposed Improvement was over the top, and the overincorporation and hyperinflation of today's current social media technology in a futuristic society all added up to a book that is fast-paced, action-packed, but which left me with absolutely no fucks left to give to any of the characters or their fate. You could kill off the main character and I wouldn't blink an eye. I'm just THAT unattached.
I don't exactly hate the main character, but there wasn't much about her to like, either. I couldn't feel her motivation, I didn't know what drives her, I didn't feel like anything about her is outstanding in any way. Her friendship with Libby seems false, and Claire, although nice and willing to go to a great deal to "help" her friend, feels like a passive-aggressively nice character because Libby is so overwhelmingly bitchy in particular. Libby and Claire are supposed to be best friends, and I feel that Libby is demonified at the expense of making Claire to be a big, beautiful, holier-than-thou character who is willing to put up with SO MUCH in order to help her ungrateful best friend who doesn't deserve our sympathy.
The Themes: I feel like the author takes our fear of technology and amplifies it. We all know about how social media is taking over our lives. In the past 10 years or so, we've seen Facebook/Twitter/Instagram...you name it, take over our lives to an extent that I can barely read a book on my ebook reader without getting an ad relevant to my interest, or surf the internet without seeing popups with my friends' current tweets/status updates anymore. The world building is based on that, and I think it is well done in the context of playing upon current concerns. It also questions the implications of future technology, of transportation, how a person can be disassembled and reassembled at an atomic level, and whether or not we're the same person at the end of it. I thought this was well done, but the execution is the main point here. The themes are interesting, but it didn't work in the context of the book, particularly given how things worked out. It just doesn't make any fucking sense overall.
Summary: Be afraid, be very afraid. The future is Star Trek's "Beam Me Up, Scotty," + Facebook/Twitter. There was some vague event called the "Water Wars," and we ran out of resources, next thing you know, technology runs everything. We can be teleported to anywhere in the world within the blink of an eye. Everyone and their mother has these Google Glass technology embedded into a contact lens worn in the eye. We have a list of friends, we have status updates, we have "infields," that I surmise is like an email inbox only if notifies you of everything that involves you. Sorta like when someone tags you on a social media site? So: future = Facebook. Needless to say...
You have status updates all the fucking time. In a sense, the future is already here.
Teenagers of the future get their kicks through holding random raves in the weirdest of places, and those who find the weirdest of places are the most popular in the social rankings! Our main character Claire, her bitchy-best-friend Libby, and Libby's boyfriend Zeppelin (Zep) (with whom Claire is secretly in love) are crashlanders. Their goal is to find the most awesome place ever to have a party, and before they know it, Claire and Zep are caught in a compromising position and thanks to social media, the entire world knows about it. Libby gets upset and somehow claims to use a meme (yeah, a meme -_-) called Improvement in order to beautify herself. Something goes wrong (but we don't know how) and Claire sets out to help Libby (but we don't know why) despite the fact that there's no evidence whatsoever that Libby actually did the fucking meme.
So Claire goes off on her mission to save Libby (again, without any proof) and soon gets herself involved in some terrorist plot to free the world from the evils of technology---despite the fact that this technology saved the world from extinction and starvation.
:|
The Plot: Overlong and an extended clusterfuck of a mess. There was little to no relevance to the first part of the book (mountaintop raaaaaaave, man!). There was way too much transporting around (d-matting) and running around and motorcycling across the country. There were too many side characters involved for me to care about any of them and for any of them to actually make an impact on my mind because of their lack of personality and character. The romance had little to no part to play in the whole mess, and I can't even complain about the questionable and inexplicable romance and the love triangle because it was so shabbily done. This book was 352 pages, and about 200 pages too long, if you were to take into consideration the relevant parts of the plot.
The World Building: This is the hardest part of my review, because it both works and doesn't work. It is both extremely vague and overly detailed, to a point of being extremely technical. Yeah, I'm confused too. The past is, as with most YA dystopians, combined into one vaguely apocalyptic event known as the "Water Wars." Same old, same old. The sea level rose. Hundreds of millions of people died, starvation is at hand. All of a sudden, BAM! D-Mat technology comes in to save the day. There are a lot of technology and created technology terms in this book. We have d-mat, we have fabbers, we have VIA, we have the Air, we have EITS feeds. D-mat technology saved humanity.
Hundreds of millions of people had died of starvation and disease until d-mat had literally turned the tides, stripping the world of its poisons and feeding the billions by reorganizing the atoms, turning the bad into good. Now, with powersats high above the Earth beaming down limitless power and all the excess carbon dioxide sucked out of the air, there was no need for fairy stories. It wasn’t Magic Mayflies at the heart of d-mat but everyday machines that analyzed travelers right down to the smallest particle, transmitting the data that made them them to their destination through the Air and rebuilding them exactly where they wanted to be, exactly as they had been before they left.People can be transported anywhere in the world. Food can be created with the push of a button. The fabber machines fabricate food, water, clothing, anything anyone could ever need. Jobs are largely extraneous now. Nobody needs to work anymore, since the supply of food and materials is limitless, thanks to technology. Growing food, cooking food, etc. is unheard of, and limited to the people called "Stainers," or Abstainers, who believe that technology is the root of all evil. They form a terrorist group walled WHOLE, that seek to overthrow technology. The very same technology that saved the Earth. Claire joins them. What does this have to do with Libby and Improvement again?
You know those chain mails (and later, chain emails) that people send out saying "YOUR DOG/MOTHER/GRANDFATHER/COUSIN THREE TIMES REMOVED WILL DIE A BLOODY DEATH UNLESS YOU TURN AROUND IN A CIRCLE COUNTERCLOCKWISE FIVE TIMES UNDER A WAXING MOON AT DUSK WHILE CHANTING "OM PADME NUMA NUMA YEI" FIFTEEN TIMES WITH ONE EYE CLOSED?" Improvement is sorta like that. I kid. But not really. It's a meme that you follow to the exact direction, and it's supposed to change the way you look. It's just a mess in the context of this book, and it would have worked better if the plot were not so interspersed with so many plotlines and various conspiracy theories overall.
The technology themselves, like the transportation system, was fairly well explained, but very technical sometimes. I have to commend the author on the explanation of the technology that actually makes some sort of sense. The fact is, there's a lot of it, and it seems largely extraneous as backup to a plot that just leaves me bored.
“Kind of. If the first AI, the conductor, is the one that checks your ticket as you get on and off the bus, then that makes the second AI the driver of the bus. Its job is to get you safely to your destination without being duplicated or erased or sent to a booth that doesn’t exist.I'm done here. This is a very complex world, and overall, the world building, however interesting, doesn't really make any fucking difference when the entire book just bored me all out.
“These two AIs, conductor and driver, are bound by a principle similar to the laws of physics: that in a d-mat booth, unlike a fabber, matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Even though both happen at opposite ends during the jump, it has to look as though it didn’t.”
Good night.
February 7, 2018
Review and more at
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....
2.5 stars
This one was really strange.... good original ideas though just executed poorly.
I started this book optimistic and looking forward to finding out more about the conspiracies of this world and its technology. There was a lot of potential here. Instead what I got was a bland as fuck main character (and all the others to be honest) and hardly any world building.
“High-stakes action combines with issues of friendship and body image in this timely and thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of technology and identity.”
I( can see from this description that this book was probably intended to be deep, but like I said before this was executed poorly. How? Well for starters the writing style had hardly anything unique or intriguing about it and the way the technologies and events were described there was nothing special, nothing to pack a punch so to say. The characters were also dull as dirt with hardly any spark behind their motives plus there were no shocks when the plot twisted and things were revealed (I’m not saying I saw everything coming just that I was never properly surprised).
The author did manage to make the book fast paced most of the time which is saying something I guess. Also another thing I liked was the identity of Clair’s contact known as Q because I was really kept guessing with that. I felt this book had a lot of potential to be mind bending and thought-provoking as there were some good topics the author attempted to weave in with the plot. Sadly they stayed only as attempts.
Who I’d recommend this for
I’d say those who like thrillers but don’t mind really unbelievable plots and boring unrealistic characters would enjoy this. But if you are looking for something that asks big questions, then I suggest you look elsewhere.
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....
2.5 stars
This one was really strange.... good original ideas though just executed poorly.
I started this book optimistic and looking forward to finding out more about the conspiracies of this world and its technology. There was a lot of potential here. Instead what I got was a bland as fuck main character (and all the others to be honest) and hardly any world building.
“High-stakes action combines with issues of friendship and body image in this timely and thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of technology and identity.”
I( can see from this description that this book was probably intended to be deep, but like I said before this was executed poorly. How? Well for starters the writing style had hardly anything unique or intriguing about it and the way the technologies and events were described there was nothing special, nothing to pack a punch so to say. The characters were also dull as dirt with hardly any spark behind their motives plus there were no shocks when the plot twisted and things were revealed (I’m not saying I saw everything coming just that I was never properly surprised).
The author did manage to make the book fast paced most of the time which is saying something I guess. Also another thing I liked was the identity of Clair’s contact known as Q because I was really kept guessing with that. I felt this book had a lot of potential to be mind bending and thought-provoking as there were some good topics the author attempted to weave in with the plot. Sadly they stayed only as attempts.
Who I’d recommend this for
I’d say those who like thrillers but don’t mind really unbelievable plots and boring unrealistic characters would enjoy this. But if you are looking for something that asks big questions, then I suggest you look elsewhere.
Want to read
April 23, 2013I'm dropping this at 7% complete. There's no loyalty with the best friend, there's cheating, probable girl hate, I bet slut shaming (no idea yet though), and I'm just not feeling it. There might be a day I come back to it, but I'm thinking it unlikely.
November 2, 2013
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
Thank you Allen and Unwin Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
I see that Jump (or Twinmaker) will have a large range of strong opinions. Strangely, I was not one who had a strong opinion, whether negative or positive. I would be lying to say that this book is completely flawed, but I also would be to say that Jump was perfect.
What Worked:
I really liked the idea of Sean William's world. Clair lives in a dystopian world that has been revolutionised by the d-mat. A form of transport that can take you anywhere across the world. What I have been having trouble with most dystopians lately is that there is no clear advancement in technology. Jump, gives us more advancements in technology like d-matting which was a completely refreshing idea. The complication that arises in Jump is when d-mat users are promised for Improvement. Something that can change how you look, making you more beautiful. Clair immediately thinks that this is too good to be true and absolutely superficial. Yet her best friend Libby, falls for the new update. And things twist from there on out.
The Improvement is what made me actually want to read on. The Improvement promises to perfect imperfections make you grow taller, stronger and prettier. This Improvement is made for those people who don't like what they look like now. This Improvement is what makes real life issues and teenage themes arise. This, while I won't call a coming of age novel, not only delivers a science fiction-y read but also includes themes of true identity, deception, trust, body image and friendships. It's the first time I've ever come across a book with all these themes as one in a dystopian novel. Jump was original in its idea and topics being threaded within.
I'm seriously insanely happy to announce this one: romance isn't a main focus at all in Jump! We do have a little bit of jealousy and cheating however that is really just about lust. The real amazingness comes in much later in the book and it's practically non-existent as well. I'm excited to see how that continues in sequel.
What Didn't Work:
The ultimate killer of my enjoyment was the lack of world building. And in a dystopian novel, it's one of the main aspects that I look forward to. Instead, I had to go through this with an awfully faint sketch of the world and how everything works. We don't get much of an explanation of the history of Clair's world (so I hope there will be one in the future instalments) and not much a description about the world in general. The feeling is a bit like a black coat over your head, everything sounds muffled and you can't see a thing. I definitely had to expand my imagination here. More details please!
Another aspect that I also regard highly in dystopian novels--heck any novel is the likability of the main character. I liked Clair, and I hated her. Our relationship was rather bumpy; up and down. I liked how sceptic she was to the Improvement. Things that change how you look never seem to right. Furthermore, I loved her thoughtfulness to each other character. She may be completely idiotic at times and a bit of a drama queen, but she cares for everyone. She doesn't let anyone in her power just die.
Overall:
On whole, I liked this book for its idea and topics that were raised (and Q and Jesse!) however the main character and lack of world building need much more work in the future.
Thank you Allen and Unwin Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
I see that Jump (or Twinmaker) will have a large range of strong opinions. Strangely, I was not one who had a strong opinion, whether negative or positive. I would be lying to say that this book is completely flawed, but I also would be to say that Jump was perfect.
What Worked:
I really liked the idea of Sean William's world. Clair lives in a dystopian world that has been revolutionised by the d-mat. A form of transport that can take you anywhere across the world. What I have been having trouble with most dystopians lately is that there is no clear advancement in technology. Jump, gives us more advancements in technology like d-matting which was a completely refreshing idea. The complication that arises in Jump is when d-mat users are promised for Improvement. Something that can change how you look, making you more beautiful. Clair immediately thinks that this is too good to be true and absolutely superficial. Yet her best friend Libby, falls for the new update. And things twist from there on out.
The Improvement is what made me actually want to read on. The Improvement promises to perfect imperfections make you grow taller, stronger and prettier. This Improvement is made for those people who don't like what they look like now. This Improvement is what makes real life issues and teenage themes arise. This, while I won't call a coming of age novel, not only delivers a science fiction-y read but also includes themes of true identity, deception, trust, body image and friendships. It's the first time I've ever come across a book with all these themes as one in a dystopian novel. Jump was original in its idea and topics being threaded within.
I'm seriously insanely happy to announce this one: romance isn't a main focus at all in Jump! We do have a little bit of jealousy and cheating however that is really just about lust. The real amazingness comes in much later in the book and it's practically non-existent as well. I'm excited to see how that continues in sequel.
What Didn't Work:
The ultimate killer of my enjoyment was the lack of world building. And in a dystopian novel, it's one of the main aspects that I look forward to. Instead, I had to go through this with an awfully faint sketch of the world and how everything works. We don't get much of an explanation of the history of Clair's world (so I hope there will be one in the future instalments) and not much a description about the world in general. The feeling is a bit like a black coat over your head, everything sounds muffled and you can't see a thing. I definitely had to expand my imagination here. More details please!
Another aspect that I also regard highly in dystopian novels--heck any novel is the likability of the main character. I liked Clair, and I hated her. Our relationship was rather bumpy; up and down. I liked how sceptic she was to the Improvement. Things that change how you look never seem to right. Furthermore, I loved her thoughtfulness to each other character. She may be completely idiotic at times and a bit of a drama queen, but she cares for everyone. She doesn't let anyone in her power just die.
Overall:
On whole, I liked this book for its idea and topics that were raised (and Q and Jesse!) however the main character and lack of world building need much more work in the future.
February 11, 2014
Unless I read the blurb to Twinmaker completely wrong, I really was expecting something different entirely from Twinmaker. This whole idea of improvement and of potentially being able to do this by a few swift jumps I found highly intriguing and the whole jumping aspect of being able to go wherever you’d imagined in a few minutes was a concept I liked (remember the film Jumper everyone?) But for me Twinmaker took far too long to get things rolling.
Clair and Libby both used the D-mat to get from place to place, both had been friends for a long time, but despite sharing everything they still had one secret between them. Clair had kissed Libby’s boyfriend Zep. The first few scenes I got with Libby, I knew she wouldn’t be someone I would like, and she was a person who took all the credit for whenever Clair had done something good and of course always wanted all the attention. I didn’t get to experience much of her relationship with Zep, but the time Clair spent with him, it was clear that they were a much better suited couple. Yes it was wrong that Clair and Zep were seeing each other behind Libby’s back, but their relationship wasn’t that great.
For me it took far too long to get the crux of the story, I wanted to know whether this supposed improvement which was available would work and what would be the consequences if it didn’t. Instead we had Libby who supposedly tried it acting like a strange person and not staying longer than two seconds for us to see whether it had even worked. Then we had people making accusations, dying and coming back alive and by that point I just couldn’t be bothered anymore with the entire different tangent this story took. I think I maybe could have stuck with this story longer if the focus had stayed more on what was going on with Libby, and I hadn’t been overwhelmed with other stories trying to take the focus. Twinmaker did seem to have the potential to provide a different sort of read, but in my opinion really needed much more in the beginning to keep its readers focused.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
Clair and Libby both used the D-mat to get from place to place, both had been friends for a long time, but despite sharing everything they still had one secret between them. Clair had kissed Libby’s boyfriend Zep. The first few scenes I got with Libby, I knew she wouldn’t be someone I would like, and she was a person who took all the credit for whenever Clair had done something good and of course always wanted all the attention. I didn’t get to experience much of her relationship with Zep, but the time Clair spent with him, it was clear that they were a much better suited couple. Yes it was wrong that Clair and Zep were seeing each other behind Libby’s back, but their relationship wasn’t that great.
For me it took far too long to get the crux of the story, I wanted to know whether this supposed improvement which was available would work and what would be the consequences if it didn’t. Instead we had Libby who supposedly tried it acting like a strange person and not staying longer than two seconds for us to see whether it had even worked. Then we had people making accusations, dying and coming back alive and by that point I just couldn’t be bothered anymore with the entire different tangent this story took. I think I maybe could have stuck with this story longer if the focus had stayed more on what was going on with Libby, and I hadn’t been overwhelmed with other stories trying to take the focus. Twinmaker did seem to have the potential to provide a different sort of read, but in my opinion really needed much more in the beginning to keep its readers focused.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
October 24, 2013
3.5 stars
This ARC was given to me through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
So in the future there's this thing called the D-mat. Think: Star Trek Teleporter.
Beam me up, Scotty!
Almost everyone all over the world uses it to travel anywhere they want to all across the globe. So if you live in Denver you can go to school or work in Amsterdam. Very cool, right?
I say almost everyone uses it, because there is (of course) a group of granola crunchers (Abstainers) who refuse to step inside the D-mat for fear of...well, all kinds of conspiracy theory reasons. You know, like the people who go on and on about eating organic because all of the chemicals pumped into things.
Except, now that all kinds of diseases are on the rise, they don't sound quite as crazy anymore...do they?
Well, Clair stumbles into into the same sort of realization when she inadvertently uncovers some very unusual things happening to her best friend. Libby is Clair's popular cool counterpart, who hates the birthmark on her face. So she tries to improve herself via chain-mail like instructions that she found on the Air. The Air is basically the internet, and (most) everyone is connected to it continually through augmentations in their eyes and ears.
After Libby announces that she's tried Improvement and it worked, she sort of stops communicating with anyone. Libby's disappearance coincides with Clair and Libby's boyfriend sharing a secret kiss, so Clair isn't sure if something bad has happened to her, or if she's somehow found out about their indiscretion. Soon, however, the messages that Clair does start getting from Libby point to something more strange and sinister than just hurt feelings.
But the instructions for Improvement are just too goofy to be believed. Kind of like that crap on Facebook that someone always 'shares'.
*Insert sentimental garbage here*
Now make a wish and re-post to all of your friends.
If you believe enough, your wish will come true.
If you're not brave enough to re-post this...
Horrific things will immediately begin to happen to you and those you love!!!!!!
Nobody but crazy old ladies from church and my friends' little kids (who shouldn't have FB accounts to start with!) pass this stuff onto me.
Why?
Because everyone else in the world knows they're absolutely ridiculous.
Same thing goes for this Improvement thing that Libby tried. It basically said that you write down what you want to change about yourself, then hop around from place to place in the D-mat. The letter (or some form of it) had been circulating the Air for a while, and the vast majority of people did exactly what I do with the dorky FB posts...they sighed and scrolled on past it.
Since nobody believes Improvement is possible, that leaves very few people on the planet left for Clair to turn to for help.
Hmmm. Who does Clair know that would believe a crazy conspiracy theory?
Well, there's this one kid in her classes named Jessie that comes from a family of Abstainers (think: futuristic version of the Amish), who might be able to point her in the right direction. He's basically a social pariah, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
And speaking of desperate measures...Clair decides to try Improvement for herself. Whether or not it has any effect on her is a question that plagues her for the rest of the book, and I'm not telling you what happens. So there!
Trying Improvement and looking a bit deeper into the D-mat conspiracy leads her to meet a disembodied super-hacker with amnesia, who goes by the name Q. How does this person play into everything? Well, if you've read a lot of adult sci-fi, you'll probably be able to figure out Q's origin fairly quickly. But I think for a teen who's new to the genre it might come as more of a shock.
In the beginning, there's lots of teen drama, but after Clair teams up with Q and Jessie the story takes a more exciting turn, and leaves most of the angst behind. As far as romance goes, there are two boys in the story that Clair likes, but (for reasons I can't go into) there is no actual love triangle. I thought the plot had an interesting concept, and there was also a well thought out world to back it up. It's a good young adult sci-fi story, but I'm not sure it translates into something that adults will fall in love with. I was totally entertained the entire time I was reading it, but if you're not a fan of YA you may find some of the things that happen to be a bit too predictable.
A bonus point for the book is the body image theme that starts the story off. If I remember what it was like to be a teenager correctly (and I do! Smartass.), then this is definitely a theme worth having.
Although, I have to admit that I still nit-pick my imperfections...even at such an advanced age. About one day every month I feel bad about the way I look, and decide to try some sketchy rejuvenating cream/tool that I've seen on tv.
I usually come to my senses before I manage to give the operator my credit card number. I mean, can something really change your life for only 29.95 a month for four months?
Eh. Probably not.
Besides, part of the beauty of surviving adolescence is the knowledge that it perfection is overrated.
This review and other cool stuff can be found at
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
This ARC was given to me through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
So in the future there's this thing called the D-mat. Think: Star Trek Teleporter.
Beam me up, Scotty!
Almost everyone all over the world uses it to travel anywhere they want to all across the globe. So if you live in Denver you can go to school or work in Amsterdam. Very cool, right?
I say almost everyone uses it, because there is (of course) a group of granola crunchers (Abstainers) who refuse to step inside the D-mat for fear of...well, all kinds of conspiracy theory reasons. You know, like the people who go on and on about eating organic because all of the chemicals pumped into things.
Except, now that all kinds of diseases are on the rise, they don't sound quite as crazy anymore...do they?
Well, Clair stumbles into into the same sort of realization when she inadvertently uncovers some very unusual things happening to her best friend. Libby is Clair's popular cool counterpart, who hates the birthmark on her face. So she tries to improve herself via chain-mail like instructions that she found on the Air. The Air is basically the internet, and (most) everyone is connected to it continually through augmentations in their eyes and ears.
After Libby announces that she's tried Improvement and it worked, she sort of stops communicating with anyone. Libby's disappearance coincides with Clair and Libby's boyfriend sharing a secret kiss, so Clair isn't sure if something bad has happened to her, or if she's somehow found out about their indiscretion. Soon, however, the messages that Clair does start getting from Libby point to something more strange and sinister than just hurt feelings.
But the instructions for Improvement are just too goofy to be believed. Kind of like that crap on Facebook that someone always 'shares'.
*Insert sentimental garbage here*
Now make a wish and re-post to all of your friends.
If you believe enough, your wish will come true.
If you're not brave enough to re-post this...
Horrific things will immediately begin to happen to you and those you love!!!!!!
Nobody but crazy old ladies from church and my friends' little kids (who shouldn't have FB accounts to start with!) pass this stuff onto me.
Why?
Because everyone else in the world knows they're absolutely ridiculous.
Same thing goes for this Improvement thing that Libby tried. It basically said that you write down what you want to change about yourself, then hop around from place to place in the D-mat. The letter (or some form of it) had been circulating the Air for a while, and the vast majority of people did exactly what I do with the dorky FB posts...they sighed and scrolled on past it.
Since nobody believes Improvement is possible, that leaves very few people on the planet left for Clair to turn to for help.
Hmmm. Who does Clair know that would believe a crazy conspiracy theory?
Well, there's this one kid in her classes named Jessie that comes from a family of Abstainers (think: futuristic version of the Amish), who might be able to point her in the right direction. He's basically a social pariah, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
And speaking of desperate measures...Clair decides to try Improvement for herself. Whether or not it has any effect on her is a question that plagues her for the rest of the book, and I'm not telling you what happens. So there!
Trying Improvement and looking a bit deeper into the D-mat conspiracy leads her to meet a disembodied super-hacker with amnesia, who goes by the name Q. How does this person play into everything? Well, if you've read a lot of adult sci-fi, you'll probably be able to figure out Q's origin fairly quickly. But I think for a teen who's new to the genre it might come as more of a shock.
In the beginning, there's lots of teen drama, but after Clair teams up with Q and Jessie the story takes a more exciting turn, and leaves most of the angst behind. As far as romance goes, there are two boys in the story that Clair likes, but (for reasons I can't go into) there is no actual love triangle. I thought the plot had an interesting concept, and there was also a well thought out world to back it up. It's a good young adult sci-fi story, but I'm not sure it translates into something that adults will fall in love with. I was totally entertained the entire time I was reading it, but if you're not a fan of YA you may find some of the things that happen to be a bit too predictable.
A bonus point for the book is the body image theme that starts the story off. If I remember what it was like to be a teenager correctly (and I do! Smartass.), then this is definitely a theme worth having.
Although, I have to admit that I still nit-pick my imperfections...even at such an advanced age. About one day every month I feel bad about the way I look, and decide to try some sketchy rejuvenating cream/tool that I've seen on tv.
I usually come to my senses before I manage to give the operator my credit card number. I mean, can something really change your life for only 29.95 a month for four months?
Eh. Probably not.
Besides, part of the beauty of surviving adolescence is the knowledge that it perfection is overrated.
This review and other cool stuff can be found at
http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
March 5, 2014
I have picked up this book to read it about five to six times. I only read a little at a time. I finally had to put the book down at page 134. This is a great feat in its self. I so wanted to like this book more than I did. It just jumped around too much without much explanation. It would have helped if the world that Clair and Libby were living in was described in details better. In fact, I did not realize that this story was more on the futuristic side. Not that I minded but with these types of books, you need to have a good understanding of the world to fully enjoy the story This did not happen for me. Also, I did not feel the strong friendship bond that Clair and Libby shared, so to me Libby came off as a mean girl. Again, the biggest reason I put this book down is I don't want to spend all my time trying to figure out what the story is about by sometimes re-reading sections. I just want to sit back enjoy the book and the characters. No such luck here.
November 7, 2013
This is a superbly clever book. This is a riveting adventure of epic proportions. This is a disturbing future. This is Jump, the first book of Sean Williams' Twinmaker series.
Instant gratification. That's the premise if this book. You can instantly transport yourself anywhere in the world. You can fabricate anything you want immediately through a "fabber". It's fun, it's free, and it sounds amazing. But if people are taken apart and put back together at their destination, how do we determine if they are unchanged through the process? What about the soul? And thinking further: what if you changed things about yourself using the d-mat? Clair struggles with all these questions and more as she tries to save her best friend Libby from the devastating effects of Improvement. She has a week to save Libby: other victims of the Improvement have died within seven days.
The relationship between Clair and Jesse is really interesting, because of the vast differences in their outlooks. The only analogue we have today if someone told us something as permeative as the Internet is unsafe, and they live their lives without it. For the most part it sounds crazy, and we'd be inclined to scoff at it. Thus Clair has believable reactions Jesse's views about the evils of d-mat - she spends a long time being sceptical and humouring Jesse and his like-minded acquaintances. I like Clair - I admire her determination and ability to take new situations in stride. I like how she is uncomfortable with violence, doesn't want to fire a weapon, and gets hurt the first time she's physically violent. Clair brings other things to the table, and uses them instead of violence to achieve her goals. However, I initially identified with Jesse rather than Clair because his lifestyle is more what I am used to. His family has a kitchen and cooks, presumably does laundry, grows vegetables and produces things with their hands. Clair's family just fabricates everything they need and I found it quite alien at first.
A small disclaimer: I almost did my PhD in Quantum Mechanics, so I flatter myself that I understand the basics of the technology at play in Jump. I thought the world building immensely clever. Williams tells us briefly about the runaway affects of global warming, the water wars, and how the invention of the d-mat changed the world. There's no need for money in a world where everyone can create whatever they want, there aren't any resource shortages and everyone basically has a hobby career. School is for learning to interact with other people, not necessarily for teaching kids other skills they'll need in the future. I think the two AI's who control the d-mat system are very interesting, and the more we found out about them - through the somewhat clumsy metaphor of a bus with a driver and conductor - the more I wanted to know.
The other character of import in the book is the mysterious Q, who contacts Clair via the Air (like the Internet, but way better) with information about the Improvement. I'd pegged what Q was from the very first time we met her, and then had to wait until Clair figured it out right at the end. This annoyed me a little - it was so blindingly obvious to me: in the syntax of how she spoke, in the way she acted. I also thought that Clair relied on Q too often and too readily: Q took a lot of Clair's agency from her. I think it was easy for Williams to have Q do anything that Clair couldn't - hack into computers, drive complicated machinery, etc. but it meant that Clair basically did nothing for the middle part of the book except run around and get betrayed a few times.
The set-up of this novel has all the signs of a romance-centric story with a bit of dystopia thrown in for fun. However, after Libby is exposed to Improvement, the trajectory of the story very quickly morphs into something more action-filled and, to be honest, more worthwhile. However, this means that some readers may despair at how important the romance seems to be at first, and perhaps stop reading. Which would be a shame because this is an amazing book where the romantic plot-line is pushed into the background (which is not to say I didn't enjoy it, because the two times it cropped up, I went all mushy).
I like the world of Jump. I'm invested in the characters, and I love the way Sean Williams tells this story. I think it's the perfect book for those looking to read a science fiction story with a little dystopia thrown in, with an awesome cast of characters and interesting science. I can't wait for the next two books, entitled Crash and Fall.
Jump. Crash. Fall. Isn't that clever?
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
Instant gratification. That's the premise if this book. You can instantly transport yourself anywhere in the world. You can fabricate anything you want immediately through a "fabber". It's fun, it's free, and it sounds amazing. But if people are taken apart and put back together at their destination, how do we determine if they are unchanged through the process? What about the soul? And thinking further: what if you changed things about yourself using the d-mat? Clair struggles with all these questions and more as she tries to save her best friend Libby from the devastating effects of Improvement. She has a week to save Libby: other victims of the Improvement have died within seven days.
The relationship between Clair and Jesse is really interesting, because of the vast differences in their outlooks. The only analogue we have today if someone told us something as permeative as the Internet is unsafe, and they live their lives without it. For the most part it sounds crazy, and we'd be inclined to scoff at it. Thus Clair has believable reactions Jesse's views about the evils of d-mat - she spends a long time being sceptical and humouring Jesse and his like-minded acquaintances. I like Clair - I admire her determination and ability to take new situations in stride. I like how she is uncomfortable with violence, doesn't want to fire a weapon, and gets hurt the first time she's physically violent. Clair brings other things to the table, and uses them instead of violence to achieve her goals. However, I initially identified with Jesse rather than Clair because his lifestyle is more what I am used to. His family has a kitchen and cooks, presumably does laundry, grows vegetables and produces things with their hands. Clair's family just fabricates everything they need and I found it quite alien at first.
A small disclaimer: I almost did my PhD in Quantum Mechanics, so I flatter myself that I understand the basics of the technology at play in Jump. I thought the world building immensely clever. Williams tells us briefly about the runaway affects of global warming, the water wars, and how the invention of the d-mat changed the world. There's no need for money in a world where everyone can create whatever they want, there aren't any resource shortages and everyone basically has a hobby career. School is for learning to interact with other people, not necessarily for teaching kids other skills they'll need in the future. I think the two AI's who control the d-mat system are very interesting, and the more we found out about them - through the somewhat clumsy metaphor of a bus with a driver and conductor - the more I wanted to know.
The other character of import in the book is the mysterious Q, who contacts Clair via the Air (like the Internet, but way better) with information about the Improvement. I'd pegged what Q was from the very first time we met her, and then had to wait until Clair figured it out right at the end. This annoyed me a little - it was so blindingly obvious to me: in the syntax of how she spoke, in the way she acted. I also thought that Clair relied on Q too often and too readily: Q took a lot of Clair's agency from her. I think it was easy for Williams to have Q do anything that Clair couldn't - hack into computers, drive complicated machinery, etc. but it meant that Clair basically did nothing for the middle part of the book except run around and get betrayed a few times.
The set-up of this novel has all the signs of a romance-centric story with a bit of dystopia thrown in for fun. However, after Libby is exposed to Improvement, the trajectory of the story very quickly morphs into something more action-filled and, to be honest, more worthwhile. However, this means that some readers may despair at how important the romance seems to be at first, and perhaps stop reading. Which would be a shame because this is an amazing book where the romantic plot-line is pushed into the background (which is not to say I didn't enjoy it, because the two times it cropped up, I went all mushy).
I like the world of Jump. I'm invested in the characters, and I love the way Sean Williams tells this story. I think it's the perfect book for those looking to read a science fiction story with a little dystopia thrown in, with an awesome cast of characters and interesting science. I can't wait for the next two books, entitled Crash and Fall.
Jump. Crash. Fall. Isn't that clever?
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
October 12, 2013
3.5
Twinmaker is a high action science fiction that kept me guessing.
I was pretty confused at the beginning, but the mystery sucked me in despite not really understanding the technology and terminology. I figured it out pretty much as I went along, I just didn't get what exactly led society to these measures, and while there seemed to be science behind most of it, I didn't really get the hows and whys. Never the less, I still enjoyed and I liked the characters, and wanted to know what would happen to them.
Clair was easy to like, she was concerned about others, and really wanted things to change in a positive way. She of course, got herself into a lot of situations, but I appreciated how she responded with courage, but also with humanity. She kept others, feelings, and morals in her head, but still did what she had to do to help her friend.
The twists in this one were good, and a few of the things even with the build up took me completely by surprise. The secondary characters also made this one stand out for me. I really liked Jesse, the "freak" mentioned in the synopsis, and Q was absolutely amazing. She was a source of strength and friendship that I never saw coming.
One aspect that I didn't like was the cheating and betrayal. But then again, it was handled in a way that I could respect. Things happened in the heat of the moment, and it wasn't kept hidden. I just didn't really understand where the feelings where coming from, and why they had to be there. Couldn't it have still been the same story without the mentioned love interest belonging to another person at the beginning? I dunno. But I guess that it was a source of character development and she really showed remorse with it, and it never sat right with her, the feelings in the first place, so that makes a difference too.
I was surprised at some of the philosophical questions that were raised from some of the things going on in society and the reasons behind some of the resistance to using it. Most had powerful reasons not to and had been hurt or lost people that led them in their distrust and breaking away from the new norm of society. It was neat though how it took different forms, and how some of the groups banned together for the good cause.
The ending wrapped some things up and then with the others it just left me hanging. It was long and I can understand why that was the stopping point, but still.
Bottom Line: Fast paced, and action filled.
Twinmaker is a high action science fiction that kept me guessing.
I was pretty confused at the beginning, but the mystery sucked me in despite not really understanding the technology and terminology. I figured it out pretty much as I went along, I just didn't get what exactly led society to these measures, and while there seemed to be science behind most of it, I didn't really get the hows and whys. Never the less, I still enjoyed and I liked the characters, and wanted to know what would happen to them.
Clair was easy to like, she was concerned about others, and really wanted things to change in a positive way. She of course, got herself into a lot of situations, but I appreciated how she responded with courage, but also with humanity. She kept others, feelings, and morals in her head, but still did what she had to do to help her friend.
The twists in this one were good, and a few of the things even with the build up took me completely by surprise. The secondary characters also made this one stand out for me. I really liked Jesse, the "freak" mentioned in the synopsis, and Q was absolutely amazing. She was a source of strength and friendship that I never saw coming.
One aspect that I didn't like was the cheating and betrayal. But then again, it was handled in a way that I could respect. Things happened in the heat of the moment, and it wasn't kept hidden. I just didn't really understand where the feelings where coming from, and why they had to be there. Couldn't it have still been the same story without the mentioned love interest belonging to another person at the beginning? I dunno. But I guess that it was a source of character development and she really showed remorse with it, and it never sat right with her, the feelings in the first place, so that makes a difference too.
I was surprised at some of the philosophical questions that were raised from some of the things going on in society and the reasons behind some of the resistance to using it. Most had powerful reasons not to and had been hurt or lost people that led them in their distrust and breaking away from the new norm of society. It was neat though how it took different forms, and how some of the groups banned together for the good cause.
The ending wrapped some things up and then with the others it just left me hanging. It was long and I can understand why that was the stopping point, but still.
Bottom Line: Fast paced, and action filled.
August 12, 2015
http://abooktopia.weebly.com
Twinmaker: Jump is a high action packed science fiction that will remind you that not everything is what it seems... – Abooktopia
Clair lives in a world revolutionised by d-mat, a global teleport system that allows you to transport yourself anywhere across the world simultaneously. When a new meme known as improvement surfaces, the tables start to turn. You write a code on a piece of paper and list all the things you’d like to have changed, and take the note with you through d-mat, and supposedly it happens. You can make yourself prettier, smarter, taller, whatever. Do it enough times and you’ll be… Improved. Clair thinks it’s too good to be true, but her best friend Libby is more than determined to give it a try if it means that she can finally remove her hideous birthmark, that no one else seems notice but her. But something goes askew. Libby’s not herself. With the help of the mysterious Q, who contacts Clair through the Air (an advance technology based on the internet) and Jesse, a stainer who doesn’t trust d-mat, Clair must stop improvement from spreading worldwide, and save her best friend from losing herself. Soon Clair is chased around the world in a race against time.
Clair Larhonda Hill truly cares about her best friend Libby, and would do anything to save her from Improvement. I really enjoyed how Clair and Jesse’s friendship began to grow, as they combined their differences together. One of the main differences between both their characters is that Clair has always grown up to rely on d-mat, whilst Jesse has been taught to despise the system. Jesse’s lifestyle is very different from Clair’s. Where Clair can fabricate anything she wants, Jesse has to work hard to earn what he has.
For those of you who hate sappy romances that take over the entire plot, this is the perfect novel for you! Romance was realistically non-existent. The novel was reasonably slow paced, and an enjoyable read, whilst the subject matter was entertaining, and well thought out. The only downside was the lack of character development, which will hopefully improve in the next two installments.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
April 21, 2016
The world is set into the future and what a future it is. People travel on d-mats, eliminating the entire transportation industry. And with high-tech technology there comes a price. Clair stumbles upon the WHOLE who are known to her as terrorists. Once her best friend Libby gets sucked into their Improvement program, that's when she realizes her world is a sham and the people who claim to protect her, are the very people who also want to kill her.
I find the storyline to jump all over the place with many words and not a lot of definitions. Call me confused but I just had to assume some of these words meant something in its context. Is that a good thing or a bad thing that I'm using my own imagination? I'm hoping to figure out more about this world. Although, I won't be grasping for the next release either.
I also didn't care so much for Clair or Zep. I couldn't connect with them at all. And boy did I try. There was just something about them that I didn't particularly like. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't really care about her friendship with Libby and that was her best friend. You don't just drop friends like that! It bugged me soooo much.
Overall, I find that the book had a great story, but I just didn't love the characters and that to me is also why I didn't enjoy Twinmaker as much as I hoped.
I find the storyline to jump all over the place with many words and not a lot of definitions. Call me confused but I just had to assume some of these words meant something in its context. Is that a good thing or a bad thing that I'm using my own imagination? I'm hoping to figure out more about this world. Although, I won't be grasping for the next release either.
I also didn't care so much for Clair or Zep. I couldn't connect with them at all. And boy did I try. There was just something about them that I didn't particularly like. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't really care about her friendship with Libby and that was her best friend. You don't just drop friends like that! It bugged me soooo much.
Overall, I find that the book had a great story, but I just didn't love the characters and that to me is also why I didn't enjoy Twinmaker as much as I hoped.
October 13, 2013
This might be two and a half stars, but I'm rounding down because the first 90 or so pages could have been cut out with very little lost from the story. Everything about the beginning of this book felt like an obvious set up, like a paint by numbers kind of thing. There were some action sequences I genuinely enjoyed, but I needed substantially more from the world building and also from character development, which would have been a better way to spend the first bit of this book. Overall, this just read as sloppy to me.
Proper review to come.
Proper review to come.
February 20, 2014
I tried to get into this one but struggled the entire time. The idea was interesting but I did not care for a single character.
Then I got to this line,
"Hell yes, you are fine as limes, girl." I just can't go further.
Then I got to this line,
"Hell yes, you are fine as limes, girl." I just can't go further.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2019
So far in 2019, I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I definitely have not read as much as I usually do. The things that I have read have been just okay. I've been averaging a lot of three star reads. Recently, I remembered that I have the Twinmaker trilogy on my tbr, and decided to try the first book to see if it would get me out of my reading slump. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it at all.
I found the first book in the trilogy, Twinmaker, to be confusing. The book doesn't have much world building in it. It drops you off in a place, and kind of expects you to understand what was happening, which I didn't like at all. I wish that things, especially the d-mat process and Improvement, would have been explained a lot better. As it was, I just couldn't grasp the concept of it, which is what the whole book was based on. It made for a terrible reading experience.
I also didn't like the writing stle that the author had. Certain scenes felt like a jumbled mess at times. The pacing was all over the place. It felt like certain parts of the book dragged on and on, whereas the more important stuff went by so quickly that I could barely understand what was going on. In fact, the only reason why this book is getting two stars from me is because I enjoyed Q. I thought that she was an interesting character, and was the only one I really felt a connection with in the book.
Unfortunately, Twinmaker just wasn't for me. I didn't like the way things were explained, or the choppy writing style. Due to that, I won't be continuing the series, even though I own the rest of the books. I plan on donating my copies to Goodwill where someone else might be able to get some enjoyment out of them. I'm not sure if I will try any of the author's others books, or series. At this point, I want to say no. However, there is a possibility that I will pick up one of his Star Wars books sometime in the future, as I have been wanting to read all of the Star Wars books that have been published.
I found the first book in the trilogy, Twinmaker, to be confusing. The book doesn't have much world building in it. It drops you off in a place, and kind of expects you to understand what was happening, which I didn't like at all. I wish that things, especially the d-mat process and Improvement, would have been explained a lot better. As it was, I just couldn't grasp the concept of it, which is what the whole book was based on. It made for a terrible reading experience.
I also didn't like the writing stle that the author had. Certain scenes felt like a jumbled mess at times. The pacing was all over the place. It felt like certain parts of the book dragged on and on, whereas the more important stuff went by so quickly that I could barely understand what was going on. In fact, the only reason why this book is getting two stars from me is because I enjoyed Q. I thought that she was an interesting character, and was the only one I really felt a connection with in the book.
Unfortunately, Twinmaker just wasn't for me. I didn't like the way things were explained, or the choppy writing style. Due to that, I won't be continuing the series, even though I own the rest of the books. I plan on donating my copies to Goodwill where someone else might be able to get some enjoyment out of them. I'm not sure if I will try any of the author's others books, or series. At this point, I want to say no. However, there is a possibility that I will pick up one of his Star Wars books sometime in the future, as I have been wanting to read all of the Star Wars books that have been published.
December 26, 2020
When I started out with this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. It seemed to lean a bit heavily on the young adult plot with the love triangle aspect and the whole wanting to be Internet famous subplot. But it turned out those were just there to introduce the reader to the world and provide some stakes for our main character.
The book quickly becomes a techno-thriller that can stand up there with the adult techno-thrillers I've enjoyed in the past. In fact, the reason for my fast pace on this book was because once it got going I was just unable to meet any of my self-imposed sleep deadlines. Kept telling myself, "just one more chapter". And the chapter are really short (according to my Kobo, an average of 5 pages per chapter).
If you don't mind reading YA, once this book gets going - it's hard to put down.
The book quickly becomes a techno-thriller that can stand up there with the adult techno-thrillers I've enjoyed in the past. In fact, the reason for my fast pace on this book was because once it got going I was just unable to meet any of my self-imposed sleep deadlines. Kept telling myself, "just one more chapter". And the chapter are really short (according to my Kobo, an average of 5 pages per chapter).
If you don't mind reading YA, once this book gets going - it's hard to put down.
September 1, 2013
Jump, called Twinmaker in the US, is Sean Williams’ foray into teen science fiction, he’s well known as a NY Times bestselling novelist of adult scifi and he’s also done a great children's series in conjunction with another Australian author Garth Nix - Troubletwisters.
In the world of Jump we have solved our environmental and power problems, we can teleport from anywhere on the face of the planet to anywhere else there is a D-mat booth. We can fabricate and recycle the goods that we need. It’s a post scarcity world. Fully connected through the Air (an outgrowth of the Internet). You can live in Switzerland and go to school in California. It wasn’t all smooth sailing to get here though, there were the water wars, global warming has submerged islands and Manhattan’s streets lie underwater. But the world is safer.
Or so our protagonist believes.
Clair and Libby are best friends, Libby is the go getter, the popular girl. Clair is the plodder, together they balance each other. Libby rushes headlong into things and Clair picks up the pieces. Then there’s Zed the jock who is going out with Libby but harbours feelings for Clair, feelings that Clair thinks she shares.
And here the reader might pause and think – this sounds familiar. Two friends fall out over a boy and we have a novel about mean girls ripping each other to shreds over him. I must admit that not being a heavy reader of fiction marketed at Teens, even I raised an eyebrow at this setup. Indeed I am aware that some readers walked away at this point thinking that the novel might deteriorate into a form of slut shaming where Libby would blame Clair for any intimate action with Zed and Zed would get off scot-free.
Note this next section of the review discusses character motivations and why I think you should read on if you are getting the impression alluded to above. So I have hidden it behind spoiler tags. I wouldn't consider it a spoiler but it is discussing action about 10-15% into the novel.
Williams plays with reader expectations to good effect, I think the setup above is necessary for him to surprise the reader in the rest of the novel. A novel that is more about growing up, accepting consequences and discovering the meaning of true friendship. It’s about the complexity of growing into adulthood with the added bonus and pressure of having to save the planet. Big stakes emotionally and physically.
What I like about Clair is her growing self confidence, along side her introspection. There’s a tendency in some fiction to present strong women in terms of what it means for men to be strong i.e. they have to be able to kick ass and take names, carry a sword or a gun. While Clair does carry a gun she’s never comfortable about it and her first thought is to use her smarts. When she does attempt physical conflict, even when she wins, she hurts herself - as an untrained teen would do. She feels very real to me.
With that story at its core the wonderfully envisaged future world is icing on the cake. Williams does a great job of extrapolating current technologies, trends and social behaviours to give us a familiar yet exciting future. The text is sprinkled with a dusting of ideas that hint at a fully realised world. And for much older readers I am pretty sure that there’s a Devo reference somewhere around page sixty.
Jump is a well paced action adventure with a great female protagonist. I eagerly await more books in the series.
This review is based on an ARC bearing the American cover.
In the world of Jump we have solved our environmental and power problems, we can teleport from anywhere on the face of the planet to anywhere else there is a D-mat booth. We can fabricate and recycle the goods that we need. It’s a post scarcity world. Fully connected through the Air (an outgrowth of the Internet). You can live in Switzerland and go to school in California. It wasn’t all smooth sailing to get here though, there were the water wars, global warming has submerged islands and Manhattan’s streets lie underwater. But the world is safer.
Or so our protagonist believes.
Clair and Libby are best friends, Libby is the go getter, the popular girl. Clair is the plodder, together they balance each other. Libby rushes headlong into things and Clair picks up the pieces. Then there’s Zed the jock who is going out with Libby but harbours feelings for Clair, feelings that Clair thinks she shares.
And here the reader might pause and think – this sounds familiar. Two friends fall out over a boy and we have a novel about mean girls ripping each other to shreds over him. I must admit that not being a heavy reader of fiction marketed at Teens, even I raised an eyebrow at this setup. Indeed I am aware that some readers walked away at this point thinking that the novel might deteriorate into a form of slut shaming where Libby would blame Clair for any intimate action with Zed and Zed would get off scot-free.
Note this next section of the review discusses character motivations and why I think you should read on if you are getting the impression alluded to above. So I have hidden it behind spoiler tags. I wouldn't consider it a spoiler but it is discussing action about 10-15% into the novel.
Williams plays with reader expectations to good effect, I think the setup above is necessary for him to surprise the reader in the rest of the novel. A novel that is more about growing up, accepting consequences and discovering the meaning of true friendship. It’s about the complexity of growing into adulthood with the added bonus and pressure of having to save the planet. Big stakes emotionally and physically.
What I like about Clair is her growing self confidence, along side her introspection. There’s a tendency in some fiction to present strong women in terms of what it means for men to be strong i.e. they have to be able to kick ass and take names, carry a sword or a gun. While Clair does carry a gun she’s never comfortable about it and her first thought is to use her smarts. When she does attempt physical conflict, even when she wins, she hurts herself - as an untrained teen would do. She feels very real to me.
With that story at its core the wonderfully envisaged future world is icing on the cake. Williams does a great job of extrapolating current technologies, trends and social behaviours to give us a familiar yet exciting future. The text is sprinkled with a dusting of ideas that hint at a fully realised world. And for much older readers I am pretty sure that there’s a Devo reference somewhere around page sixty.
Jump is a well paced action adventure with a great female protagonist. I eagerly await more books in the series.
This review is based on an ARC bearing the American cover.
October 21, 2013
Teleportation, cloning, body snatchers, government conspiracies and themes of identity and self image - Sean Williams explores all that and more in his first YA novel, Twinmaker. It's a great, intellectually stimulating Science Fiction thriller, and one that is sure to appeal to teens and adults alike.
Twinmaker offers an action-packed, dramatic and twisty ride. With every page turned, you learn something new - often disturbing or shocking - about the world and the technology that rules it. And you get really curious. You want to get down to the bottom of it all and find out what's really going on here. You begin to question characters and their motives, second guess them and wonder who is really the "bad guy" here. It's an addictive and absorbing read for sure and, while at times the pacing was a little bit too slow for me, I did enjoy it a lot. Especially the thorough and complex worldbuilding, the fascinating technology and all the awesome scientific details. All Sci Fi fans will love this one for sure!
At the same time, while I loved all the Science Fiction elements, I did not connect with any of the characters. I'm not sure why. They were well fleshed out and they all had distinct personalities, but I just couldn't relate to any of them. I felt indifferent towards them and didn't really care what would happen to them in the end. I was more interested in the conspiracy surrounding the advanced technology and the mystery behind it, than I was in the fates of the people involved in this story.
I really liked the idea of being able to travel to any place in the world in a blink of an eye. It was such a cool and sweet concept, and yet considering how things could (and did) easily go wrong, it was also quite a scary one! Just think about the possibilities, though! No more air or ground travel, no more pollution, so many problems solved just like that! You could hang out with your friends who live on the other side of the planet, and you could do it as often as you wanted, without wasting time on travelling or paying a penny to get there! But that's not even all of it! D-mats (the teleportation devices), can do so much more than just teleport you to a different location. The fabbers can recognize patterns of things and then re-create them, you can order food, clothing.. and just about anything else you need (as long as it's not a living thing - it's the only rule), and you'll get it within minutes, seconds even!
But every great technological improvement comes with its risks and possible consequences. D-mat is not perfect. There are people out there who want to use it to their own advantage, and those people don't care about every-day users. There are glitches in the system that can cause permanent damage to your body and brain, even death. They promise improvement, but what they really do is steal your soul and your body. What price are you willing to pay for being smarter, prettier, braver, faster, more skilled in something? Twinmaker invites you to think about technology and how it affects our lives. It's a "food for thought" kind of book, but also just a really well-written futuristic thriller.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading Twinmaker and will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out. The ending was simply mind-blowing, I can't wait to find out what happens next! I recommend this book to those of you who enjoy well-thought-out, complex plot lines full of fascinating ideas and thrilling developments. You'll love how intelligent and deftly plotted this book is!
Twinmaker offers an action-packed, dramatic and twisty ride. With every page turned, you learn something new - often disturbing or shocking - about the world and the technology that rules it. And you get really curious. You want to get down to the bottom of it all and find out what's really going on here. You begin to question characters and their motives, second guess them and wonder who is really the "bad guy" here. It's an addictive and absorbing read for sure and, while at times the pacing was a little bit too slow for me, I did enjoy it a lot. Especially the thorough and complex worldbuilding, the fascinating technology and all the awesome scientific details. All Sci Fi fans will love this one for sure!
At the same time, while I loved all the Science Fiction elements, I did not connect with any of the characters. I'm not sure why. They were well fleshed out and they all had distinct personalities, but I just couldn't relate to any of them. I felt indifferent towards them and didn't really care what would happen to them in the end. I was more interested in the conspiracy surrounding the advanced technology and the mystery behind it, than I was in the fates of the people involved in this story.
I really liked the idea of being able to travel to any place in the world in a blink of an eye. It was such a cool and sweet concept, and yet considering how things could (and did) easily go wrong, it was also quite a scary one! Just think about the possibilities, though! No more air or ground travel, no more pollution, so many problems solved just like that! You could hang out with your friends who live on the other side of the planet, and you could do it as often as you wanted, without wasting time on travelling or paying a penny to get there! But that's not even all of it! D-mats (the teleportation devices), can do so much more than just teleport you to a different location. The fabbers can recognize patterns of things and then re-create them, you can order food, clothing.. and just about anything else you need (as long as it's not a living thing - it's the only rule), and you'll get it within minutes, seconds even!
But every great technological improvement comes with its risks and possible consequences. D-mat is not perfect. There are people out there who want to use it to their own advantage, and those people don't care about every-day users. There are glitches in the system that can cause permanent damage to your body and brain, even death. They promise improvement, but what they really do is steal your soul and your body. What price are you willing to pay for being smarter, prettier, braver, faster, more skilled in something? Twinmaker invites you to think about technology and how it affects our lives. It's a "food for thought" kind of book, but also just a really well-written futuristic thriller.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading Twinmaker and will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out. The ending was simply mind-blowing, I can't wait to find out what happens next! I recommend this book to those of you who enjoy well-thought-out, complex plot lines full of fascinating ideas and thrilling developments. You'll love how intelligent and deftly plotted this book is!
October 9, 2013
I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in any way.
There is nothing better than a strong female character in teen literature. It seemed for a while every book I read had a wimpy, indecisive female character unable to do anything for herself. Clare, the heroine of our story here, is nothing of the sort. She is level-headed, practical and smart. She knows how to respond quickly to a situation and do what's right and what's necessary and while she is primarily motivated by emotion, she doesn't let it rule her.
The world created here by Williams is fresh and original. Futuristic YA fiction is a dime a dozen but Jump was different. Instead of a world that had been almost destroyed, as in dystopian fiction, in Williams' futuristic world he presents what actually seems to be 'the perfect world' - ours is ancient by comparison. Until her best friend Libby messes around with a new 'meme' called Improvement, Clare doesn't realise there could be something very wrong with their world, a world which allows global travel in the matter of seconds and has rendered farms obsolete due to the ability to 'fab' whatever you require from a hole in the wall. When Libby uses Improvement to remove a birth mark, her whole personality seems to change and this sets Clare on a journey where she is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her world.
Right from the very beginning, this book takes off at a fast pace and doesn't slow down. It is an action packed adventure that I didn't want to put down. I connected with the characters and Clare and Jesse's budding romance felt natural and not forced - I liked that it wasn't the main point of the story.
I was also so excited by this book once I got to end of it I forgot about what was so irksome to me in the opening chapter or so of this book. It wasn't until I was browsing some other reviews that I actually remembered why I wasn't sure about this book until the cracking pace and non stop action took over. I don't want to add in spoilers but the fact that the rest of the book was so good it made me actually forget about a part I disliked - that says a fair bit about the author!
3There was a bigger point to this story than the romance. And of course, the inevitable cliffhanger - I should have known there would be one, but I didn't pick what was actually going to happen! - that has left me a bit shell shocked and shattered that the next book isn't released for another year. I need it now!
There is nothing better than a strong female character in teen literature. It seemed for a while every book I read had a wimpy, indecisive female character unable to do anything for herself. Clare, the heroine of our story here, is nothing of the sort. She is level-headed, practical and smart. She knows how to respond quickly to a situation and do what's right and what's necessary and while she is primarily motivated by emotion, she doesn't let it rule her.
The world created here by Williams is fresh and original. Futuristic YA fiction is a dime a dozen but Jump was different. Instead of a world that had been almost destroyed, as in dystopian fiction, in Williams' futuristic world he presents what actually seems to be 'the perfect world' - ours is ancient by comparison. Until her best friend Libby messes around with a new 'meme' called Improvement, Clare doesn't realise there could be something very wrong with their world, a world which allows global travel in the matter of seconds and has rendered farms obsolete due to the ability to 'fab' whatever you require from a hole in the wall. When Libby uses Improvement to remove a birth mark, her whole personality seems to change and this sets Clare on a journey where she is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her world.
Right from the very beginning, this book takes off at a fast pace and doesn't slow down. It is an action packed adventure that I didn't want to put down. I connected with the characters and Clare and Jesse's budding romance felt natural and not forced - I liked that it wasn't the main point of the story.
I was also so excited by this book once I got to end of it I forgot about what was so irksome to me in the opening chapter or so of this book. It wasn't until I was browsing some other reviews that I actually remembered why I wasn't sure about this book until the cracking pace and non stop action took over. I don't want to add in spoilers but the fact that the rest of the book was so good it made me actually forget about a part I disliked - that says a fair bit about the author!
3There was a bigger point to this story than the romance. And of course, the inevitable cliffhanger - I should have known there would be one, but I didn't pick what was actually going to happen! - that has left me a bit shell shocked and shattered that the next book isn't released for another year. I need it now!
December 28, 2013
I requested this book at the last minute from Edelweiss, because I had recently been auto-approved for Balzar + Bray and I had heard a couple of people rave about this one. Of course, I had to stick my nose in and find out what all the hype was about.
Since finishing this book, I still have no idea how to answer my initial question. Why do people love this so much? I found Twinmaker very boring right from the word starting point. I tried to give it a chance, but by the time I was 10% of the way through I just wanted the book to be over. My boredom was caused by a number of factors, the most prominent of those being the world building and the characters.
In the end, I chose to just skim read Twinmaker. I knew that I wouldn't make it to the end of the book otherwise, and I really wanted to make it to the end so I didn't have to write a DNF review. I don't like doing those.
The lack of world building got on my nerves right away. The characters were all talking about the Air and Improvement and other such things, and I had no idea what they were. There was no explanation, it was one of those learn-on-the-job type scenarios. I think I was able to figure it all out by about 25%, which is far too long to wait, and even after that I didn't get any confirmation that I was correct. So I could, in theory, have read the entire book wrong.
The jumping stuff itself was interesting. I like the thought of being able to teleport from one country to another, and having friends from all over the world who go to school with you, but it wasn't enticing enough for me to enjoy the book.
Clair, the main character, is someone that I despised from the very beginning. The reason for this was because she cheated with her best friend's boyfriend, Zep, who was also a complete prat and I didn't like him at all either. Once this had happened, in the first thirty or so pages no less, I was completely put off. I didn't want to read about a character who would do that to her best friend.
There was also a twist towards the end involving Q, which I thought was common knowledge to begin with. I was shocked that Clair was shocked.
I'm actually really sad about this book being a flop, because I was so looking forward to it. I love a good sci-fi novel, and this sounded so promising, AND Braiden loved it. I feel like I missed something.
Since finishing this book, I still have no idea how to answer my initial question. Why do people love this so much? I found Twinmaker very boring right from the word starting point. I tried to give it a chance, but by the time I was 10% of the way through I just wanted the book to be over. My boredom was caused by a number of factors, the most prominent of those being the world building and the characters.
In the end, I chose to just skim read Twinmaker. I knew that I wouldn't make it to the end of the book otherwise, and I really wanted to make it to the end so I didn't have to write a DNF review. I don't like doing those.
The lack of world building got on my nerves right away. The characters were all talking about the Air and Improvement and other such things, and I had no idea what they were. There was no explanation, it was one of those learn-on-the-job type scenarios. I think I was able to figure it all out by about 25%, which is far too long to wait, and even after that I didn't get any confirmation that I was correct. So I could, in theory, have read the entire book wrong.
The jumping stuff itself was interesting. I like the thought of being able to teleport from one country to another, and having friends from all over the world who go to school with you, but it wasn't enticing enough for me to enjoy the book.
Clair, the main character, is someone that I despised from the very beginning. The reason for this was because she cheated with her best friend's boyfriend, Zep, who was also a complete prat and I didn't like him at all either. Once this had happened, in the first thirty or so pages no less, I was completely put off. I didn't want to read about a character who would do that to her best friend.
There was also a twist towards the end involving Q, which I thought was common knowledge to begin with. I was shocked that Clair was shocked.
I'm actually really sad about this book being a flop, because I was so looking forward to it. I love a good sci-fi novel, and this sounded so promising, AND Braiden loved it. I feel like I missed something.
September 2, 2013
I'm not really a big Sci-Fi reader, but Twinmaker is probably one of the best YA Sci-Fi books that I've read in a long time. At first, I wasn't so sure I would like it (and worse, feared there may be some slut shaming coming my way), but I was surprised.
The characters are likable, particularly the main character, Clair (though for some reason I really don't like the spelling of that). Jesse and "Q" were also great characters. I didn't love the rest of the cast, but I found them likable enough. Clair also proves to be a very strong character, which I think is great.
The relationships between the characters are also strong, particularly with Clair and Libby, Clair and Q, Clair and Jesse, and Jesse and his dad. Surprisingly, I even started to kind of like the relationship between Clair and Zep even though it made me uncomfortable in the beginning (cheating tends to make me feel like that). All of the interactions seemed pretty realistic, though I do wish there would have been more scenes with Clair and her family.
The plot itself is pretty interesting and kept taking me places that I didn't expect. It did seem to drag a little around the 80% mark, but not enough to get me to stop reading. The subject matter was both entertaining yet also makes you think about the deeper meanings. Even though this book is set in the way future, I think readers now will still be able to relate because our society does tend to be pretty beauty/perfection oriented. I spotted lots of errors, but hopefully these will all be caught by the time this book hits the shelves in the bookstores since I'm reading from the Advance Reader's Copy (ARC).
There was only one thing that I didn't like in this book--the ending. There better be a sequel waiting up the road is all that I have to say. If this is it, I'm going to honestly be disappointed. Overall, this was a great read and I'd definitely recommend it. I didn't "love" it, but I would probably read it again.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.
The characters are likable, particularly the main character, Clair (though for some reason I really don't like the spelling of that). Jesse and "Q" were also great characters. I didn't love the rest of the cast, but I found them likable enough. Clair also proves to be a very strong character, which I think is great.
The relationships between the characters are also strong, particularly with Clair and Libby, Clair and Q, Clair and Jesse, and Jesse and his dad. Surprisingly, I even started to kind of like the relationship between Clair and Zep even though it made me uncomfortable in the beginning (cheating tends to make me feel like that). All of the interactions seemed pretty realistic, though I do wish there would have been more scenes with Clair and her family.
The plot itself is pretty interesting and kept taking me places that I didn't expect. It did seem to drag a little around the 80% mark, but not enough to get me to stop reading. The subject matter was both entertaining yet also makes you think about the deeper meanings. Even though this book is set in the way future, I think readers now will still be able to relate because our society does tend to be pretty beauty/perfection oriented. I spotted lots of errors, but hopefully these will all be caught by the time this book hits the shelves in the bookstores since I'm reading from the Advance Reader's Copy (ARC).
There was only one thing that I didn't like in this book--the ending. There better be a sequel waiting up the road is all that I have to say. If this is it, I'm going to honestly be disappointed. Overall, this was a great read and I'd definitely recommend it. I didn't "love" it, but I would probably read it again.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.
June 26, 2014
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
This was an interesting story, but it was very slow.
Clair was an okay character, but at times I didn’t really get why she was best friends with Libby. Libby unfortunately just came across as a real b*tch, while Clair was snogging Libby’s boyfriend! I mean what is that about?! You call yourselves best friends?
The storyline in this was a bit all over the place. Where the story started out from, was a million miles from where it ended at! The story started out being about Clair being worried about her friend Libby using ‘improvement’, and then somehow moved on to Clair running for her life from the company who developed the ‘d-mat’ teleportation device that everyone used.
The main issue with this book though was the pace, it was really, really, slow, and this made the book really drag in places. I got through some of these by switching to another book for a while, but even then the pace dragged a bit, which did make the book harder to enjoy.
There was some romance, but there were also some unexpected bumps in this book on the romance front! I also have a feeling that the romance may develop into a love triangle in the next book.
The ending to this wasn’t really an ending! We got a bit of action, and then a giant cliff-hanger! I’m really hoping that the second book doesn’t have a cliff-hanger too as it’s ages before the third one is released!
Overall; an enjoyable story, but very slowly paced, and with a cliff-hanger ending,
7 out of 10.
How it ends:
This was an interesting story, but it was very slow.
Clair was an okay character, but at times I didn’t really get why she was best friends with Libby. Libby unfortunately just came across as a real b*tch, while Clair was snogging Libby’s boyfriend! I mean what is that about?! You call yourselves best friends?
The storyline in this was a bit all over the place. Where the story started out from, was a million miles from where it ended at! The story started out being about Clair being worried about her friend Libby using ‘improvement’, and then somehow moved on to Clair running for her life from the company who developed the ‘d-mat’ teleportation device that everyone used.
The main issue with this book though was the pace, it was really, really, slow, and this made the book really drag in places. I got through some of these by switching to another book for a while, but even then the pace dragged a bit, which did make the book harder to enjoy.
There was some romance, but there were also some unexpected bumps in this book on the romance front! I also have a feeling that the romance may develop into a love triangle in the next book.
The ending to this wasn’t really an ending! We got a bit of action, and then a giant cliff-hanger! I’m really hoping that the second book doesn’t have a cliff-hanger too as it’s ages before the third one is released!
Overall; an enjoyable story, but very slowly paced, and with a cliff-hanger ending,
7 out of 10.
How it ends:
March 20, 2024
Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Loss of limb, explosions
Score: Five points out of ten.
This was honestly another underwhelming science fiction novel and despite its low rating I was hoping to enjoy this novel but I did not. The worldbuilding was at best vague and at worst incomprehensible since there was an integral aspect of it known as d-mat but I don't know how they made it and whatever the Water Wars were but it might be some allusion to climate change; I don't know. This bothered me throughout the whole book as the main character Clair keeps using this teleportation system but I still have no idea how it works and I don't get the message of the story but it might be about the dangers of over-relying on technology and/or the government but the execution didn't work out and it felt kind of preachy and inorganic. The characters weren't much better either, as Clair wasn't even a strong protagonist rather she was just there to move the story along alongside some of the sacrificial characters whose names I forgot and d-mat/Improvement killed them, but I didn't care for them since they weren't developed and didn't have much time on the pages. The pacing was sluggish, with a few faster-paced scenes interspersed, but that wasn't enough to save this book from becoming a slog, I'm surprised that I got through it all without giving it a DNF, and the action was about blowing up an airship and teleporting to space however there was a duplicate Clary there, and they couldn't coexist so she asked her friend Q to crash the entire d-mat system, and it just ended in a cliffhanger which was a huge letdown however I would like to read the next two books in the series, but I doubt the library would get them considering this book is ten years old now. If you like science fiction books read this book however, there are better ones, like The Aurora Cycle by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff that you can read.
Trigger warnings: Loss of limb, explosions
Score: Five points out of ten.
This was honestly another underwhelming science fiction novel and despite its low rating I was hoping to enjoy this novel but I did not. The worldbuilding was at best vague and at worst incomprehensible since there was an integral aspect of it known as d-mat but I don't know how they made it and whatever the Water Wars were but it might be some allusion to climate change; I don't know. This bothered me throughout the whole book as the main character Clair keeps using this teleportation system but I still have no idea how it works and I don't get the message of the story but it might be about the dangers of over-relying on technology and/or the government but the execution didn't work out and it felt kind of preachy and inorganic. The characters weren't much better either, as Clair wasn't even a strong protagonist rather she was just there to move the story along alongside some of the sacrificial characters whose names I forgot and d-mat/Improvement killed them, but I didn't care for them since they weren't developed and didn't have much time on the pages. The pacing was sluggish, with a few faster-paced scenes interspersed, but that wasn't enough to save this book from becoming a slog, I'm surprised that I got through it all without giving it a DNF, and the action was about blowing up an airship and teleporting to space however there was a duplicate Clary there, and they couldn't coexist so she asked her friend Q to crash the entire d-mat system, and it just ended in a cliffhanger which was a huge letdown however I would like to read the next two books in the series, but I doubt the library would get them considering this book is ten years old now. If you like science fiction books read this book however, there are better ones, like The Aurora Cycle by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff that you can read.
October 4, 2013
Only about half way through the ARC at this point. It's not terrible, but it's not amazing. I haven't seriously considered giving up on it, but it's not difficult to put it down after reading a few pages. For one thing, the chapters are very short, often cutting off in the middle of scenes. I think the author thinks this will make the pace seem fast and make people keep turning pages, but for me it has the opposite effect. It's very easy to read a chapter (a few pages, often) and then put it down. Then pick it up later, read another few pages, and so on. So it's taking me quite a while to read.
This book isn't really about people making themselves look more 'perfect'. It's about a mode of technological transportation that is basically a transporter from Star Trek, and how that system can be misused, what can go wrong, and the types of viewpoints that would develop about it (the majority that blindly accepts it and the minority who see it as dangerous and inhuman and abstain from using it, thus making themselves social outcasts). It's not about body issues or wanting to be beautiful. That's in there, but it's just the smoke screen hiding the deeper conspiracy about a group of people who want to take over the world, and that conspiracy is really what the book's about (well, that and the protagonist's mission to stop the conspiracy from succeeding).
Edit: Okay, I've finished the book. I'm afraid I wasn't crazy about it. Like someone else said, the middle is kind of boring running around. And then, in the end, when everything's supposed to be coming together in a way that's trying to blow your mind, it actually just starts unraveling and not really making sense. There are just too many holes that show in the logic. But at least the ending wraps up this book well while leaving a big tease for where the next book will go.
This book isn't really about people making themselves look more 'perfect'. It's about a mode of technological transportation that is basically a transporter from Star Trek, and how that system can be misused, what can go wrong, and the types of viewpoints that would develop about it (the majority that blindly accepts it and the minority who see it as dangerous and inhuman and abstain from using it, thus making themselves social outcasts). It's not about body issues or wanting to be beautiful. That's in there, but it's just the smoke screen hiding the deeper conspiracy about a group of people who want to take over the world, and that conspiracy is really what the book's about (well, that and the protagonist's mission to stop the conspiracy from succeeding).
Edit: Okay, I've finished the book. I'm afraid I wasn't crazy about it. Like someone else said, the middle is kind of boring running around. And then, in the end, when everything's supposed to be coming together in a way that's trying to blow your mind, it actually just starts unraveling and not really making sense. There are just too many holes that show in the logic. But at least the ending wraps up this book well while leaving a big tease for where the next book will go.
September 21, 2016
This book could have been 200 pages shorter if they cut out all the unnecessary travel. Or at least condensed it.
This was...not what I expected. And not in a good way either. The technology is great and intriguing, but with a very antitech message, what's the point? I get that there's the whole "no technology is inherently good or bad, it's the people using it making it so" message that is trying to be conveyed here, but something just seems off.
I don't know, maybe this wasn't the book for me, maybe it will do better in someone elses hands. I found myself skimming through so much of it, I'm glad it's over.
This was...not what I expected. And not in a good way either. The technology is great and intriguing, but with a very antitech message, what's the point? I get that there's the whole "no technology is inherently good or bad, it's the people using it making it so" message that is trying to be conveyed here, but something just seems off.
I don't know, maybe this wasn't the book for me, maybe it will do better in someone elses hands. I found myself skimming through so much of it, I'm glad it's over.
October 29, 2013
I just finished this book. There is a lot of cool tech and great adventure. I couldn't put it down once i settled in.
This book has so many popular Sci fi themes woven into this utterly unique and new story.
Masterful job and great fun even if not a sci fi buff. Fine adventure!
I had to consult my younger nephew to get up to date on what memes and trolls are in internet land to get myself up to date more on the lingo which was fun too.
This book has so many popular Sci fi themes woven into this utterly unique and new story.
Masterful job and great fun even if not a sci fi buff. Fine adventure!
I had to consult my younger nephew to get up to date on what memes and trolls are in internet land to get myself up to date more on the lingo which was fun too.
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May 20, 2019Student Name: Adrianna Baehman Date Submitted: 4-15-19
Book Title: Twinmaker Lexile: 720
Personal Response:
The book Twinmaker was slightly confusing at some points. It talked a lot about technology, which was hard for me to understand. There was always something being added to the plot, and it seemed like the author was trying very hard to grasp a concept that he could not reach. I do not think I would read this book again.
Plot Summary:
Clair and Libby live in a world where you can travel across the globe in the blink of an eye through a thing called d-mat. Libby learns about something called Improvement, something that can completely alter her appearance through d-mat. When Libby tries this, Clair notices poor changes in Libby’s health and personality. As she tries to figure out who is responsible, she meets Q. Q is someone who was affected by Improvement and decides to help Clair. Jesse then becomes involved when his father dies as a result of figuring out what Improvement really is. As Jesse and Clair go to VIA to confront the leaders of their country about this problem, they face many difficult challenges along the way. They fight for what they believe in and finally get the answers they have been searching for.
Characterization:
In the beginning, Clair believes d-mat is one of the greatest things to happen to mankind. When she sees how d-mat can ruin people, she becomes more confused about how her world should be. When she meets Q, she realizes that d-mat is responsible for what is happening to everyone affected by Improvement. She also sees what it is like to abstain from this world of technology when she gets involved with Jesse. As they go on their journey to confront VIA, she discovers the bitter reality of her world. She sees what kind of leaders rule over her, and how they are changing her world for the worse. Her personality completely flips compared to the beginning of the book.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to people who like dystopian stories. It would be better for older readers because you need to focus on every aspect of the story. I do not recommend this to people who do not like books that revolve around technology. It is suitable for those who like to read action stories.
Book Title: Twinmaker Lexile: 720
Personal Response:
The book Twinmaker was slightly confusing at some points. It talked a lot about technology, which was hard for me to understand. There was always something being added to the plot, and it seemed like the author was trying very hard to grasp a concept that he could not reach. I do not think I would read this book again.
Plot Summary:
Clair and Libby live in a world where you can travel across the globe in the blink of an eye through a thing called d-mat. Libby learns about something called Improvement, something that can completely alter her appearance through d-mat. When Libby tries this, Clair notices poor changes in Libby’s health and personality. As she tries to figure out who is responsible, she meets Q. Q is someone who was affected by Improvement and decides to help Clair. Jesse then becomes involved when his father dies as a result of figuring out what Improvement really is. As Jesse and Clair go to VIA to confront the leaders of their country about this problem, they face many difficult challenges along the way. They fight for what they believe in and finally get the answers they have been searching for.
Characterization:
In the beginning, Clair believes d-mat is one of the greatest things to happen to mankind. When she sees how d-mat can ruin people, she becomes more confused about how her world should be. When she meets Q, she realizes that d-mat is responsible for what is happening to everyone affected by Improvement. She also sees what it is like to abstain from this world of technology when she gets involved with Jesse. As they go on their journey to confront VIA, she discovers the bitter reality of her world. She sees what kind of leaders rule over her, and how they are changing her world for the worse. Her personality completely flips compared to the beginning of the book.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to people who like dystopian stories. It would be better for older readers because you need to focus on every aspect of the story. I do not recommend this to people who do not like books that revolve around technology. It is suitable for those who like to read action stories.
July 31, 2018
Uggghhhh! I really tried, but no! I seriously tried twice! The characters were unlikable and the storyline completely deviated from the synopsis. I feel very deceived and disappointed.
December 31, 2022
Lots of great ideas chained to a formula like Maximum Ride. Explosion at 25 percent, and godlike villains that attack every other chapter. No resolution.
November 4, 2013
Twinmaker by Sean Williams was a lot to take in at first. The technology here was very advance and quite ambitious. It was distant, futuristic time where people don’t need airplanes to go to another country because they have what they called D-mat. It can transport them to any place in the world in a matter of time. And then they also have Improvement, where it can correct their physical imperfections, or so they say. Improvement, however, isn’t exactly what they thought it was because it can changed a person in more ways than the physical.
Clair and Libby were best friends. Libby decided to undergo improvement. Clair was reluctant about it and didn’t consider getting one. But it seemed Libby was adamant about it. After Libby gone with the procedure she suddenly changed— in a very strange way. And this made Clair cautious about it and started to dig some more information about it. And it turned out there were things that they didn’t know about the technology they were using in that society, and even about herself.
I think the underlying message here is how they used/misused their technology. Just like in our modern world, information travel fast through the internet and while there are many good things it brought to us, some people are misusing it. The same goes to the d-mat, improvement, and so forth. A guy here explained to Clair that the advancement isn’t forced to everyone; people have the freedom to use it. A perfect example of that was her friend, Libby. No one forced her to use improvement, she did the on her own. Although the thing is, people in there weren’t transparent on the truth and repercussions of the said technology. And this is what I think the mindset of Clair when she tried to look for answers in order to help her friend.
I liked that Clair was at one point honest of her feelings toward her friend. Clair was the quiet type, and Libby was the outgoing one. And because of Libby she started to branch out from her private solace and tried to meet people. People find her friend charming and somehow, she was a bit jealous of that. And then there was Libby’s boyfriend, Zep, who she found herself falling for him, too. And it got complicated from there but after what happened to Libby, she still thought of her first (even though the kiss she shared with Zep still bothered her) and tried to help her out.
If you’re looking for romance, fortunately (or fortunately for some, you decide) it was very minimal. I already mentioned about Zep. Unluckily, something happened to him and this diverted her attention to another guy, Jesse. He was the guy helping her out; although there seemed to be chemistry between them, it was hardly explored which made it underdeveloped. The plot, I think, concentrated on far more important matters.
There were good and there were bad. Like there were interesting as there were boring. But I’m glad to say that I sort of enjoyed the story even though it didn’t really wow me. I found the concept of the book quite fascinating. Although sometimes I find it hard to grasp, I still managed to reach the end and felt an overwhelming joy of finishing a good book.
Preview Quote: But who listened to old people on the subject of kids these days? Clair certainly hadn't. How many brilliant minds had taken over the live of innocent young people who had wished to be more than they were??
I received an advance copy from Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
*First posted on Goodreads.*
Clair and Libby were best friends. Libby decided to undergo improvement. Clair was reluctant about it and didn’t consider getting one. But it seemed Libby was adamant about it. After Libby gone with the procedure she suddenly changed— in a very strange way. And this made Clair cautious about it and started to dig some more information about it. And it turned out there were things that they didn’t know about the technology they were using in that society, and even about herself.
I think the underlying message here is how they used/misused their technology. Just like in our modern world, information travel fast through the internet and while there are many good things it brought to us, some people are misusing it. The same goes to the d-mat, improvement, and so forth. A guy here explained to Clair that the advancement isn’t forced to everyone; people have the freedom to use it. A perfect example of that was her friend, Libby. No one forced her to use improvement, she did the on her own. Although the thing is, people in there weren’t transparent on the truth and repercussions of the said technology. And this is what I think the mindset of Clair when she tried to look for answers in order to help her friend.
I liked that Clair was at one point honest of her feelings toward her friend. Clair was the quiet type, and Libby was the outgoing one. And because of Libby she started to branch out from her private solace and tried to meet people. People find her friend charming and somehow, she was a bit jealous of that. And then there was Libby’s boyfriend, Zep, who she found herself falling for him, too. And it got complicated from there but after what happened to Libby, she still thought of her first (even though the kiss she shared with Zep still bothered her) and tried to help her out.
If you’re looking for romance, fortunately (or fortunately for some, you decide) it was very minimal. I already mentioned about Zep. Unluckily, something happened to him and this diverted her attention to another guy, Jesse. He was the guy helping her out; although there seemed to be chemistry between them, it was hardly explored which made it underdeveloped. The plot, I think, concentrated on far more important matters.
There were good and there were bad. Like there were interesting as there were boring. But I’m glad to say that I sort of enjoyed the story even though it didn’t really wow me. I found the concept of the book quite fascinating. Although sometimes I find it hard to grasp, I still managed to reach the end and felt an overwhelming joy of finishing a good book.
Preview Quote: But who listened to old people on the subject of kids these days? Clair certainly hadn't. How many brilliant minds had taken over the live of innocent young people who had wished to be more than they were??
I received an advance copy from Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
*First posted on Goodreads.*
February 23, 2014
On a very recent episode of the Coode Street podcast, Gary Wolfe noted that current day science fiction has mostly abandoned ideas around teleportation. What was a hot concept in the 50s and 60s has become a quaint idea better left in the hands of media franchises like Doctor Who and Star Trek. With Jump: Twinmaker, Sean has attempted to revive this classic concept. Much like Larry Niven did with his Flash Crowd stories in the 1970s, Sean has imagined what society might look like if we could travel from Australia to South Africa and then to Japan in the blink of an eye.
This is the not the first time Sean has tried to give teleportation a new paint job. In 1998 he wrote The Resurrected Man which mixed hard boiled crime and teleports. There are some links between that novel and this new trilogy – the technology was called d-mat, and the serial killer, interestingly enough, was called the Twinmaker. So obviously teleportation – as hoary and old fashioned as it might seem – still has cache for Sean. Maybe it’s not as shiny as singularities or post humanism or setting up viable colonies on Uranus, but because it’s a science fiction concept with mainstream appeal (or at least awareness) it has its merits. Teleportation allows Sean to explore the idea of technology as savior and destroyer and the impact each new discovery has on the family, the community and society as a whole.
Which sounds awfully earnest and academic, but in the hands of Sean is a fun and at times genuinely compelling. The novel is crammed with incident and event with Clair running away from and then trying to stop those looking to pervert the technology. And while the middle of the novel does get bogged down with near misses and last second escapes, the last 100 pages is a breathless burst of crazy energy as Clair comes face to face with the main villain.
As a Young Adult novel I expected that Jump: Twinmaker would be filled with teenage angst and love triangles. (I accept this is a prejudice on my part). As it happens while some of this was evident what shines through clearly is how this is Clair’s story. This is her journey as she goes from insecure teenager caught in betwixt and between the stronger personalities of her friends, to an empowered woman who stands tall when the shit hits the fan. And this isn’t a last minute epiphany. Clair’s ability to deal with her situation, whether emotionally or physically, kicks in early in the novel.
Jump: Twinmaker takes an old, possibly obsolete concept, and somehow makes it relevant by using it to shine a light on the way we interact with technology as a whole. It’s smart, compelling stuff. I’m surprised it didn’t get an Aurealis Award nomination.
This is the not the first time Sean has tried to give teleportation a new paint job. In 1998 he wrote The Resurrected Man which mixed hard boiled crime and teleports. There are some links between that novel and this new trilogy – the technology was called d-mat, and the serial killer, interestingly enough, was called the Twinmaker. So obviously teleportation – as hoary and old fashioned as it might seem – still has cache for Sean. Maybe it’s not as shiny as singularities or post humanism or setting up viable colonies on Uranus, but because it’s a science fiction concept with mainstream appeal (or at least awareness) it has its merits. Teleportation allows Sean to explore the idea of technology as savior and destroyer and the impact each new discovery has on the family, the community and society as a whole.
Which sounds awfully earnest and academic, but in the hands of Sean is a fun and at times genuinely compelling. The novel is crammed with incident and event with Clair running away from and then trying to stop those looking to pervert the technology. And while the middle of the novel does get bogged down with near misses and last second escapes, the last 100 pages is a breathless burst of crazy energy as Clair comes face to face with the main villain.
As a Young Adult novel I expected that Jump: Twinmaker would be filled with teenage angst and love triangles. (I accept this is a prejudice on my part). As it happens while some of this was evident what shines through clearly is how this is Clair’s story. This is her journey as she goes from insecure teenager caught in betwixt and between the stronger personalities of her friends, to an empowered woman who stands tall when the shit hits the fan. And this isn’t a last minute epiphany. Clair’s ability to deal with her situation, whether emotionally or physically, kicks in early in the novel.
Jump: Twinmaker takes an old, possibly obsolete concept, and somehow makes it relevant by using it to shine a light on the way we interact with technology as a whole. It’s smart, compelling stuff. I’m surprised it didn’t get an Aurealis Award nomination.
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