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The Nogiku Series #1
Removed
Sanaa's New Year's Eve wish leads her to a dark, hidden world of corruption and death... and her own strength.
Sanaa believed she had her life planned out — a dream job, a loving family, and a bright future. But when she's reassigned to a mysterious data analyst position under Mark Sakai, her world is thrown into chaos as she discovers that her new role is intertwined with a violent power struggle between powerful clans. Pulled into a deadly world of secrets and lies, Sanaa finds herself inexplicably drawn to Jiro, the swordsman who teaches her to defend herself while also stealing her heart.
Despite their growing attraction, a dangerous truth lies ahead. Sanaa and Jiro must work together to save their city and discover a new peace, no matter the cost. But when the secrets of her family legacy threaten to bring an end to humanity, Sanaa is forced to face the ultimate truth and save them all before the great exodus from Earth begins.
Sanaa must find the courage to confront her destiny and fight for the future of humanity in Removed, the first book in the thrilling science fiction romance Nogiku Series. If you like tenacious heroines, sizzling chemistry, and unique post-apoc settings, then you'll love S. J. Pajonas's romantic adventure.
Please note: THIS SERIES MUST BE READ IN ORDER. It is a true series and plot elements carry through every book, from beginning to end. You will miss too much by reading this series out of order or skipping around. The Nogiku Series is complete at five books. This is series contains profanity and sexual situations.
Sanaa believed she had her life planned out — a dream job, a loving family, and a bright future. But when she's reassigned to a mysterious data analyst position under Mark Sakai, her world is thrown into chaos as she discovers that her new role is intertwined with a violent power struggle between powerful clans. Pulled into a deadly world of secrets and lies, Sanaa finds herself inexplicably drawn to Jiro, the swordsman who teaches her to defend herself while also stealing her heart.
Despite their growing attraction, a dangerous truth lies ahead. Sanaa and Jiro must work together to save their city and discover a new peace, no matter the cost. But when the secrets of her family legacy threaten to bring an end to humanity, Sanaa is forced to face the ultimate truth and save them all before the great exodus from Earth begins.
Sanaa must find the courage to confront her destiny and fight for the future of humanity in Removed, the first book in the thrilling science fiction romance Nogiku Series. If you like tenacious heroines, sizzling chemistry, and unique post-apoc settings, then you'll love S. J. Pajonas's romantic adventure.
Please note: THIS SERIES MUST BE READ IN ORDER. It is a true series and plot elements carry through every book, from beginning to end. You will miss too much by reading this series out of order or skipping around. The Nogiku Series is complete at five books. This is series contains profanity and sexual situations.
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2013
243 people are currently reading
1461 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Pajonas
57 books157 followers
**Sign-up for S. J. Pajonas's mailing list**
Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, Capricorn, Japanophile, and USA Today Best Selling author. She loves summer, downtempo beats, yoga pants, foxes, owls, dogs, sushi, pasta, and black tea. She lives outside NYC with her husband, two great kids, and her dog who always wants to play. When it comes to her work, she writes about everyday women and uncommon worlds. Find her online at https://www.spajonas.com
Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, Capricorn, Japanophile, and USA Today Best Selling author. She loves summer, downtempo beats, yoga pants, foxes, owls, dogs, sushi, pasta, and black tea. She lives outside NYC with her husband, two great kids, and her dog who always wants to play. When it comes to her work, she writes about everyday women and uncommon worlds. Find her online at https://www.spajonas.com
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November 12, 2014For buy links and more information, visit:
http://www.spajonas.com/removed/
Want to know when new books by S. J. Pajonas are available? Sign-up for the New Releases Newsletter: http://www.spajonas.com/newsletter/
Watch the book trailer on YouTube! http://youtu.be/oPzShpFemIg
Want to see what inspired REMOVED? Check out the Pinterest board for images and videos of Japan, food, geishas, tattoos, and kimono.
http://pinterest.com/spajonas/removed...
Be sure to visit my blog at http://www.spajonas.com for giveaways and posts on the Japanese cultures and traditions that inspired REMOVED and the entire Nogiku Series. Thanks for reading!
http://www.spajonas.com/removed/
Want to know when new books by S. J. Pajonas are available? Sign-up for the New Releases Newsletter: http://www.spajonas.com/newsletter/
Watch the book trailer on YouTube! http://youtu.be/oPzShpFemIg
Want to see what inspired REMOVED? Check out the Pinterest board for images and videos of Japan, food, geishas, tattoos, and kimono.
http://pinterest.com/spajonas/removed...
Be sure to visit my blog at http://www.spajonas.com for giveaways and posts on the Japanese cultures and traditions that inspired REMOVED and the entire Nogiku Series. Thanks for reading!
September 24, 2017
Earlier this year I was introduced to S.J. Pajonas through Crash Land on Kurai, the first book in the Hikoboshi series. Knowing it was a spinoff of the Nogiku series, I was somewhat tentative to dive into the story. I feared I would not understand the story without having first read the Nogiku series. This fear proved to be unfounded – Crash Land on Kurai was a wonderful read in and of itself – but I was still left wanting to read the Nogiku series. There were comments and references made that left me curious to see how the series played out – not to mention, the series sounded wonderful.
Thus, I was eager to give Removed a read. It sounded like a wonderful read and I couldn’t wait to get those answers I was hoping to receive before I continued through the Hikoboshi series. A dystopian society based around Japanese cultures – it goes without saying that I was interested in finding out more, and that I wanted to fill in those blanks.
If the truth is to be known, I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as I enjoyed Crash Land on Kurai. Both were brilliant books, but they had rather different tones. Having read Crash Land on Kurai, I was expecting something different from this one. It is not that this book is bad – so very far from it – I simply believe I would have appreciated it more had I not read Crash Land on Kurai first. For those who have read the Nogiku series, however, I would certainly suggest going on to read the Hikoboshi series – it is promising to be even more wonderful than what the Nogiku series is promising to be.
Nevertheless, as I said, this book was a great read. It took me a few chapters before I was really pulled into this story, but once the ball was rolling it was extremely difficult to put down. So much happened throughout this one, so many things were revealed. I could mention so many of the individual plot lines, but I would have no idea where to start – so much grabbed my attention, so much left me excited for more. There really are so many layers to this story, leaving you with very high expectations for the rest of the series. Do I believe the rest of the series will hold up? Hell yeah, I do. The way this one ends promises so many wonderful things, many new twists and turns. It’s not just the expectations from Crash Land on Kurai that have me saying this – Removed really does leave you with the belief this series is going places.
Without a doubt, I fell in love with the storyline and characters. Already, I’ve been telling other people to pick up the book, needing people to join me in my enjoyment. Without a doubt, I’m diving into book two. I need more of this world; I need to see how things play out.
After just two books, I’m positive S.J. Pajonas is going to be one of those authors whose books I make a crazy grab for whenever I can. Put simply – I’m hooked.
Thus, I was eager to give Removed a read. It sounded like a wonderful read and I couldn’t wait to get those answers I was hoping to receive before I continued through the Hikoboshi series. A dystopian society based around Japanese cultures – it goes without saying that I was interested in finding out more, and that I wanted to fill in those blanks.
If the truth is to be known, I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as I enjoyed Crash Land on Kurai. Both were brilliant books, but they had rather different tones. Having read Crash Land on Kurai, I was expecting something different from this one. It is not that this book is bad – so very far from it – I simply believe I would have appreciated it more had I not read Crash Land on Kurai first. For those who have read the Nogiku series, however, I would certainly suggest going on to read the Hikoboshi series – it is promising to be even more wonderful than what the Nogiku series is promising to be.
Nevertheless, as I said, this book was a great read. It took me a few chapters before I was really pulled into this story, but once the ball was rolling it was extremely difficult to put down. So much happened throughout this one, so many things were revealed. I could mention so many of the individual plot lines, but I would have no idea where to start – so much grabbed my attention, so much left me excited for more. There really are so many layers to this story, leaving you with very high expectations for the rest of the series. Do I believe the rest of the series will hold up? Hell yeah, I do. The way this one ends promises so many wonderful things, many new twists and turns. It’s not just the expectations from Crash Land on Kurai that have me saying this – Removed really does leave you with the belief this series is going places.
Without a doubt, I fell in love with the storyline and characters. Already, I’ve been telling other people to pick up the book, needing people to join me in my enjoyment. Without a doubt, I’m diving into book two. I need more of this world; I need to see how things play out.
After just two books, I’m positive S.J. Pajonas is going to be one of those authors whose books I make a crazy grab for whenever I can. Put simply – I’m hooked.
July 23, 2018
I really liked this one. Sanaa is a hard-working youngster, driven to try and help alleviate many of the problems holding up humanity’s flight to the stars, while living in the last large underground city. However, time is running out. The Earth’s crust is breaking up and the climate is steadily deteriorating. Sanaa has always assumed that she would continue to pursue her studies, having worked very hard to distinguish herself. And then one day it all changes. She is yanked away from her friends and the job she loves and told she needs to pursue a different path – while not really understanding what that path is. This could have been a really hard sell – that are lively, intelligent protagonist is completely derailed from her life’s ambitions and yet somehow goes along with the flow without creating too many waves. However, Pajonas has been clever in setting up the world where she is an orphan living with her aunt and her lover – a world where obedience and doing your best is highly prized in a society teetering on the edge of obliteration.
In many ways, this story is comfortingly familiar to anyone who reads this genre in that we have a youngster immersed in what they believe to be their life’s ambition, often with the difficult start, and doing very well. At some stage, everything suddenly falls apart as they are forced into embracing a far more difficult, often darker occupation and in following this path, on the advice of some mysterious mentor, they encounter romance.
What I think makes this one stand out, is the complexity of the characterisation and the layers of society and sheer detail we get of Sanaa’s everyday life. This gives us a greater understanding of not only her actions, but her thoughts and her doubts. While the romance was predictable, I was relieved there were no major quarrels or upsets and it is genuinely sweet. One interesting difference was that Sanaa had previously experienced two very unsatisfactory love affairs and talks quite frankly about them - which is atypical in this kind of story.
However, I don’t want you to go away with the idea that this is all about the romance – it isn’t and if it had been I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. This book does what all good science fiction achieves – takes me to a different place and a different time and immerses me in a completely different culture, leaving me wondering what I’d do if it were me. Recommended for fans of character-led, adventure science fiction.
9/10
In many ways, this story is comfortingly familiar to anyone who reads this genre in that we have a youngster immersed in what they believe to be their life’s ambition, often with the difficult start, and doing very well. At some stage, everything suddenly falls apart as they are forced into embracing a far more difficult, often darker occupation and in following this path, on the advice of some mysterious mentor, they encounter romance.
What I think makes this one stand out, is the complexity of the characterisation and the layers of society and sheer detail we get of Sanaa’s everyday life. This gives us a greater understanding of not only her actions, but her thoughts and her doubts. While the romance was predictable, I was relieved there were no major quarrels or upsets and it is genuinely sweet. One interesting difference was that Sanaa had previously experienced two very unsatisfactory love affairs and talks quite frankly about them - which is atypical in this kind of story.
However, I don’t want you to go away with the idea that this is all about the romance – it isn’t and if it had been I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. This book does what all good science fiction achieves – takes me to a different place and a different time and immerses me in a completely different culture, leaving me wondering what I’d do if it were me. Recommended for fans of character-led, adventure science fiction.
9/10
September 30, 2021
I didn't know this was a Japanese soap opera! The synopsis was interesting and drew me into the story! The story line was a bit confusing and I was surprised by the plot twists!
December 17, 2019
This review stands for books 1, 2, 3 and 4 (all are included in a boxed set that I bought).
I'll start with the good :
- the world building was excellent, well thought-out and utterly believable ; the author definitely knows the culture and history of Japan ;
- the pacing wasn't too quick, the story took its time, which left me time to appreciate everything ;
- the plot was original, as was Sanaa's affinity to animals.
Now with what I liked less : Sanaa has definitely an affinity to animals, she loves them... but she eats them when she reaches Yusei. Do you eat the people you love ? Back on Earth, everybody had turned vegetarian (or rather vegan, since there were not many animals left ?) and nobody died. Yes, there were mock meat and mock fish, but what were they made of ? The same ingredients you could find on Yusei. So, I didn't get that. Poor chickens and porks.
"Every animal in the kingdom is waiting to talk to her ?" : well, scorpios, spiders and snakes too ? Conveniently, only cats, dogs, horses, some birds (not chickens) and big impressive animals come to her. How fortunate.
My main problem, though, was Sanaa herself : she is made of everything that made me give up on YA (whiny, the world revolves around her, she's constantly crying, how many sacrifices she makes for others, others - even long time friends - who turn on her for no good reasons, she blames everything on her actions, she's always depressed). I know her future isn't what she expected it to be, but once she had digested the news, she never mads the most of the situation. And she made some seriously bad decisions : you come back to a town that has been set fire to, you have been set up by a rival clan in the media and you say nothing ? Worse, you run elsewhere without explaining anything ? That's one example among others. I had a really hard time portraying her as an empress, as someone responsible for possibly a whole planet and its people. When she suddenly bursts into action, it looks more like a child who saw something she wants and wants it now ! (sword, bow, animals, chip, whatever). I wouldn't want her as a ruler, no way.
So : great worldbuilding, bad Sanaa. These books really made me crave some sake, though.
I'll start with the good :
- the world building was excellent, well thought-out and utterly believable ; the author definitely knows the culture and history of Japan ;
- the pacing wasn't too quick, the story took its time, which left me time to appreciate everything ;
- the plot was original, as was Sanaa's affinity to animals.
Now with what I liked less : Sanaa has definitely an affinity to animals, she loves them... but she eats them when she reaches Yusei. Do you eat the people you love ? Back on Earth, everybody had turned vegetarian (or rather vegan, since there were not many animals left ?) and nobody died. Yes, there were mock meat and mock fish, but what were they made of ? The same ingredients you could find on Yusei. So, I didn't get that. Poor chickens and porks.
"Every animal in the kingdom is waiting to talk to her ?" : well, scorpios, spiders and snakes too ? Conveniently, only cats, dogs, horses, some birds (not chickens) and big impressive animals come to her. How fortunate.
My main problem, though, was Sanaa herself : she is made of everything that made me give up on YA (whiny, the world revolves around her, she's constantly crying, how many sacrifices she makes for others, others - even long time friends - who turn on her for no good reasons, she blames everything on her actions, she's always depressed). I know her future isn't what she expected it to be, but once she had digested the news, she never mads the most of the situation. And she made some seriously bad decisions : you come back to a town that has been set fire to, you have been set up by a rival clan in the media and you say nothing ? Worse, you run elsewhere without explaining anything ? That's one example among others. I had a really hard time portraying her as an empress, as someone responsible for possibly a whole planet and its people. When she suddenly bursts into action, it looks more like a child who saw something she wants and wants it now ! (sword, bow, animals, chip, whatever). I wouldn't want her as a ruler, no way.
So : great worldbuilding, bad Sanaa. These books really made me crave some sake, though.
July 19, 2016
This book pretty much blew me away and it's going to be one of those that stays with me for days! I love post-apocalyptic tales and sci-fi. Throw in some historical elements, a little romance (well, maybe more than a little), even geisha, and you have a completely unique, original tale that completely captured me from beginning to end.
This book was very well written and edited and the world building was clever and very descriptive! I could see this world clearly in my mind. Learning about the Japanese culture (and food) was fun and left me "hungry" for more!
I'm very impressed with this first novel from Pajonas and can't wait to continue this journey with Sanaa, Jiro, Mark, and all the rest!! Well done!
This book was very well written and edited and the world building was clever and very descriptive! I could see this world clearly in my mind. Learning about the Japanese culture (and food) was fun and left me "hungry" for more!
I'm very impressed with this first novel from Pajonas and can't wait to continue this journey with Sanaa, Jiro, Mark, and all the rest!! Well done!
June 22, 2016
**I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review**
I received this book through a RaR program that my author/friend Sarah Noffke runs through her fan group. It is the second one reviewed (the first being JN Chaney's awesome book The Amber Project), and there are many more to come. I was excited to read this because I am a fan of Japanese culture like the author. My boyfriend Pasha (may he rest in peace) was half-Japanese and introduced me to so much of the rich culture. I read Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha and learned as much about the history after that. I would love to go someday. I wanted to go with Pasha, but that will unfortunately not be an option. However, this book immersed me in the language and culture, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
Now that I have gotten that out of the way...
The book is really only a 3.5 star rating, but I round up, not down. It's not a bad book. It's definitely not what I was expecting, though I honestly don't know what I was expecting. I do plan to continue the series, now that the end of this book has such a cliffhanger, but I didn't know if I was going to feel that way at first.
The book begins with Sanaa Griffin, an orphan raised by her lesbian aunts. The world has gone to hell (I mean, it IS a dystopian novel, so that's to be expected), and all people left live in a domed world separated by wards. The population is 70% Japanese...it's mainly because they were prepared technologically and the rest of us weren't. The dome is temperature controlled and located in Canada, but after hundreds of years, it is falling apart. The new mission is to colonize on a new planet named Yuseī, and preparations to get people there are under way. Sanaa is an engineer, but a strange man comes one day and decides to take her from her job and instead force her to watch surveillance videos of major crime bosses in the Japanese sector.
Also, there is a love interest. Jiro is sexy, with a white streak in his hair, and Sanaa can barely hope he would be interested in her. She's been with two men: an asshole and a casual friends with benefits relationship with a coworker. She hasn't had the best track record in love.
So I'm not going to give out spoilers, but I had two concerns with this novel. For one, most of the book was exposition. I kept reading and it took me until about 80% of the way through for anything to really happen to explain the circumstances surrounding Sanaa's new job assignment. Yes, she has a blooming relationship and wonders herself what is going on, but I started to get frustrated with the lack of rising action or a climax. And two, for a YA book, there's a lot of sex. Now don't get me wrong: I like a little romance in my novels. I don't READ romance novels, but I like romance IN my novels. This book is also marked NA, and I think that description matches the book much better. I don't think this is appropriate for younger readers. I would push that the age for readers of Removed should start at 17/18, and go up from there. Wouldn't want my high school students (my future ones, anyway) to read something with this much sex in it. So slow starter, and a little too racy. Those are my complaints.
The plus side? The book is rich in cultural knowledge, heavy on the passion in love, and fascinating when it comes to the world building. The ides that inspired the separate districts are clever, and I can see a lot more potential in this series now that it's starting to build into the story.
★★★★☆. As I said before, 3.5 or even 3.75, but I round up. Maybe now all the exposition is out of the way, the other books will be filled with more action or more suspense. More antagonism, I guess you could say is the word I'm looking for. But the book was not boring: the info on Japanese language and culture was fascinating. Do not recommend to readers who are not fans or interested in Asian culture. Less focus on the dystopia angle in this book, and more focus on Sanaa personally and the role she plays in her new life. And, of course, the blossoming love between Samaa and Jiro. Read those passages and be ready with a cold shower afterward...
I received this book through a RaR program that my author/friend Sarah Noffke runs through her fan group. It is the second one reviewed (the first being JN Chaney's awesome book The Amber Project), and there are many more to come. I was excited to read this because I am a fan of Japanese culture like the author. My boyfriend Pasha (may he rest in peace) was half-Japanese and introduced me to so much of the rich culture. I read Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha and learned as much about the history after that. I would love to go someday. I wanted to go with Pasha, but that will unfortunately not be an option. However, this book immersed me in the language and culture, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
Now that I have gotten that out of the way...
The book is really only a 3.5 star rating, but I round up, not down. It's not a bad book. It's definitely not what I was expecting, though I honestly don't know what I was expecting. I do plan to continue the series, now that the end of this book has such a cliffhanger, but I didn't know if I was going to feel that way at first.
The book begins with Sanaa Griffin, an orphan raised by her lesbian aunts. The world has gone to hell (I mean, it IS a dystopian novel, so that's to be expected), and all people left live in a domed world separated by wards. The population is 70% Japanese...it's mainly because they were prepared technologically and the rest of us weren't. The dome is temperature controlled and located in Canada, but after hundreds of years, it is falling apart. The new mission is to colonize on a new planet named Yuseī, and preparations to get people there are under way. Sanaa is an engineer, but a strange man comes one day and decides to take her from her job and instead force her to watch surveillance videos of major crime bosses in the Japanese sector.
Also, there is a love interest. Jiro is sexy, with a white streak in his hair, and Sanaa can barely hope he would be interested in her. She's been with two men: an asshole and a casual friends with benefits relationship with a coworker. She hasn't had the best track record in love.
So I'm not going to give out spoilers, but I had two concerns with this novel. For one, most of the book was exposition. I kept reading and it took me until about 80% of the way through for anything to really happen to explain the circumstances surrounding Sanaa's new job assignment. Yes, she has a blooming relationship and wonders herself what is going on, but I started to get frustrated with the lack of rising action or a climax. And two, for a YA book, there's a lot of sex. Now don't get me wrong: I like a little romance in my novels. I don't READ romance novels, but I like romance IN my novels. This book is also marked NA, and I think that description matches the book much better. I don't think this is appropriate for younger readers. I would push that the age for readers of Removed should start at 17/18, and go up from there. Wouldn't want my high school students (my future ones, anyway) to read something with this much sex in it. So slow starter, and a little too racy. Those are my complaints.
The plus side? The book is rich in cultural knowledge, heavy on the passion in love, and fascinating when it comes to the world building. The ides that inspired the separate districts are clever, and I can see a lot more potential in this series now that it's starting to build into the story.
★★★★☆. As I said before, 3.5 or even 3.75, but I round up. Maybe now all the exposition is out of the way, the other books will be filled with more action or more suspense. More antagonism, I guess you could say is the word I'm looking for. But the book was not boring: the info on Japanese language and culture was fascinating. Do not recommend to readers who are not fans or interested in Asian culture. Less focus on the dystopia angle in this book, and more focus on Sanaa personally and the role she plays in her new life. And, of course, the blossoming love between Samaa and Jiro. Read those passages and be ready with a cold shower afterward...
January 31, 2014
Removed is a unique fusion of the modern and traditional. I relished the artful way this story was put together--from the martial arts and sword fighting, to the futuristic dome world of Japan--this elegantly told sci-fi tale is a treat for readers who crave a decadent dollop of culture atop their stories du jour.
20-year-old, Sanaa, is a sweet, but sassy protagonist. Naive in some ways, but far from ignorant. Throughout the story her personality is painted in such a way, that envisioning her is effortless.
And while Sanaa is a delightful character, by the end of the book, she kicks total butt. My kinda girl. Having been orphaned very young, she was raised by her aunties--another element I thought was done well by incorporating a diverse family unit that I'm positive will be even more common in the future--and is about to learn the secret of her parents and who she is meant to become. Her growth by the end of the story is one worth cheering for.
I don't want to give too much away, but I'll say the plot offers some nice surprises, while a side dish of romance is served alongside it. Which brings me to Sanaa's love interest, Jiro. *sigh* He was a refreshing change. Skilled, clever, and down to earth. Did I mention his crazy cool tattoos? Yep, he's got them.
Have you noticed all my food metaphors? That's because after reading this book I've got food on the brain! Pajonas' brief but thoughtful descriptions of the Japanese cuisine left my mouth watering. Bento box, anyone? Yum!
And the fabrics and fashion? *swoon* One of my favorite parts of visiting Asia (besides the food) is all the lush silks and detailed embroidery. Pajonas does not disappoint by leaving these out. There's no doubt the author knows the Japanese culture well, and weaves it in with the storytelling seamlessly.
Having been to Japan a few times myself, I can say from experience, the foreign culture takes a short adjustment period if you're from my side of the world. That's typical. All countries do. And similarly, there's a brief adjustment required in reading this story because of the rich language and traits, but that's part of what makes it so real and so grand. Once you get used to the combination of languages, you gain a genuine appreciation of the time and thought the author put into this story's authenticity.
And since Japan always seems to be on the cutting edge of technology, imagining it home to the future of society makes a whole lot of sense.
If you're looking for something unique and imaginative to read, you should give this first book in the Nogiku Series a try, and I'm quite certain you'll be glad you did.
July 28, 2016
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This book has an excellent base idea. The delivery is close to completion, but it needs quite a bit of polish in the editing department, at least as it relates to the mobi/Kindle copy.
I almost feel as though this book should have actually been written as a historical fiction. There was an extensive about of time and repeated instances of passages that dealt entirely with Japanese customs and courtesies. I enjoyed this, but it seemed odd in the timeline setting that SO much would be the same when this is supposed to be set at least 1000 years in the future.
While reading in multiple locations it appeared apparent that some of the timeline of events had been changed because there would be whole paragraphs and sections of a chapter that would be repeated later in the book, especially in the beginning. It would have been beneficial to have more of the Japanese language usage explained with a translation or with more context.
Overall S.J. Pajones really has made a spectacular world (which I still feel needs to be timelines in the past as it didn't mesh well with me), she created wonderful characters, and I hope to see a release with more polish to work out the kinks. Great start so far!
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review.
This book has an excellent base idea. The delivery is close to completion, but it needs quite a bit of polish in the editing department, at least as it relates to the mobi/Kindle copy.
I almost feel as though this book should have actually been written as a historical fiction. There was an extensive about of time and repeated instances of passages that dealt entirely with Japanese customs and courtesies. I enjoyed this, but it seemed odd in the timeline setting that SO much would be the same when this is supposed to be set at least 1000 years in the future.
While reading in multiple locations it appeared apparent that some of the timeline of events had been changed because there would be whole paragraphs and sections of a chapter that would be repeated later in the book, especially in the beginning. It would have been beneficial to have more of the Japanese language usage explained with a translation or with more context.
Overall S.J. Pajones really has made a spectacular world (which I still feel needs to be timelines in the past as it didn't mesh well with me), she created wonderful characters, and I hope to see a release with more polish to work out the kinks. Great start so far!
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review.
September 10, 2013
When my friend Steph said she was going to write a book, I will admit, I was not very intrigued. And then she said it was Japanese inspired, and in the future, and the world had fallen to pieces and the last inhabitants lived in a dome. Uh, what now? Sure, I liked sushi and geishas, but was not a fan of sci-fi or end of the earth stories. But I love to read, so I offered to be a beta reader, AND I LOVED ALL OF IT! Throughout the process I loved seeing all of the changes, the development of the characters. I love this book. I love the characters. I am in love with the Japanese culture, and the powerful story that Steph has created. She is amazing writer. Thanks to her words, I've fallen in love with Japanese Izakaya food, my family now is a fixture at our local Izakaya. We are planning a trip to Japan. And I now love post apocalyptic/dystopian stories. This book/series changed my life. I am so excited that she's self publishing and I can finally share these amazing books with the world! I have read the beta versions of the next two books and all I have to say is, if you like this, just wait. The whole series is AMAZING. Stephanie is a brilliant author. And I'm not just saying that because she's my friend. :)
December 25, 2013
*I received a copy of Removed from the Author in exchange for an honest review*
Apologies first of all for taking a while to get this review up
I enjoyed this book a lot. I feel, however, that a reader needs to be really comfortable with reading literature that uses words from other languages or else they can lose interest. Fortunately, this was not the case for me. I can't say that I identified with the heroine, Sanaa but I still felt invested enough to carry on with the story. What did stand out for me was the quality of the author's writing. With many read for reviews, I have to ignore poor grammar or misuse of words and focus on the story to enjoy it. With this book, the author writes so well and descriptively that it's hard to believe it's her first novel.
I hope that we do not have to wait too long to read book 2!
Apologies first of all for taking a while to get this review up
I enjoyed this book a lot. I feel, however, that a reader needs to be really comfortable with reading literature that uses words from other languages or else they can lose interest. Fortunately, this was not the case for me. I can't say that I identified with the heroine, Sanaa but I still felt invested enough to carry on with the story. What did stand out for me was the quality of the author's writing. With many read for reviews, I have to ignore poor grammar or misuse of words and focus on the story to enjoy it. With this book, the author writes so well and descriptively that it's hard to believe it's her first novel.
I hope that we do not have to wait too long to read book 2!
didn-t-finish
July 9, 2014I wish I could have finished this - but at 26% it had yet to get to the point. I have an incredibly short attention span and I was holding out until the love interest dude reared his head again, but once he re-entered the scene, the story continued its maddening lack of forward motion. The worldbuilding kept me around for a pretty long time as well, considering, but the main character was lackluster and after pages and pages of inertia, I stopped caring about where the story was going, if, in fact, it was going anywhere.
March 17, 2015
Ugh, what a drag! It could have been so exciting, instead it was drowned in all things trivial. Review soon!
August 22, 2013
I read an early draft of REMOVED and absolutely LOVED it. I'm so excited for its release!
March 6, 2022
Re-read review:
I wasn't feeling well and just had a DNF and I decided that was the perfect time to start my re-read of The Nogiku series. I had so much fun re-reading this book. The author has done some edits of this book and the pacing is great now. And with me knowing what was coming the foreshadowing, hints and secrets of the first half were even more fun to read. I really enjoy this story, Sanaa is a great main character and the romance is awesome too. I look forward to re-reading the rest of this series!
I wasn't feeling well and just had a DNF and I decided that was the perfect time to start my re-read of The Nogiku series. I had so much fun re-reading this book. The author has done some edits of this book and the pacing is great now. And with me knowing what was coming the foreshadowing, hints and secrets of the first half were even more fun to read. I really enjoy this story, Sanaa is a great main character and the romance is awesome too. I look forward to re-reading the rest of this series!
January 30, 2014
Originally posted at Sporadic Reads
*The ARC of Removed was provided by Lola's Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.*
Removed came out as a surprise for me. It was great surprise, actually. I didn't know that I would actually like it. I found myself using a lot of Japanese terms because of this book. My brother was quite happy about that because he watches a lot of animé. The story was both engaging and intriguing. I found myself guessing where the plot will take me, but I'm glad it wasn't too predictable.
The story takes place in the year 3012 in Nishikyo, an area in North America in what used to be called Canada, during New Year's Eve. The story revolves around Sanaa Griffin, a half-Japanese-half-British girl, who just turned 20 on New Year's Day. She lives with her two aunts, Aunt Kimmie and Aunt Lomo. They are married. That's one of the things that I liked about this book. There's definitely marriage equality in the future, but hopefully not in that far a future! Anyway, Sanaa's parents died when she was younger, so she had to move from Ku 6 to Ku 9. She works as an engineer and has been assigned to work on projects that will help the people to transfer to another planet, Yusei. It means "wandering star" in Japanese.
It took a while for me to warm up to Sanaa, the main character. But when I did, I felt like we're old friends. I like that she's bold and confident. She's unlike a wilting flower. Her feelings are usually displayed all over her face so the people who interacts with her can read her fairly quickly. She has two best friends, Miko and Helena, and they loving hanging out at Miko's family-owned izakaya, where they socialize and drink sake. This is where they first saw Yoichi and Jiro Ito. During New Year's Eve, following tradition, they went to a neighborhood shrine to get an omikuji, random fortunes written on strips of paper. You either get a good fortune or a curse. This time around, Sanaa got a fortune, and coincidentally, so did Jiro.
The world-building was done during the first half of the book. There are different Kus dedicated to the different divisions or departments that support their system. In Ku 10, the Farming Ward, is where all growing and processing are done for food, beverages, and textiles for the whole of Nishikyo. Ku 9, where Sanaa lives, is the Science and Engineering Ward. While Ku 6, is where the majority of the Japanese people live. Some of the elements were quite confusing at first, but as the story progresses, everything started to make more sense. Pajonas was very descriptive of this little world she created, and it was very clever. Whenever I resume reading the book, I found myself sucked in Nishikyo, I even dreamed about riding the trains to and from different wards. When a book bleeds into my dreams, that means I love it. I loved learning about the Japanese culture, and I also started craving for their food!
The romance between Sanaa and Jiro was slow-building, although Sanaa was instantly attracted to him from the first moment she laid eyes on him on New Year's Eve. It was also obvious that it was mutual. I believe that they compliment each other. There were moments in the book where I felt Sanaa's nervousness around Jiro, especially during the dinner at the okiya, where he held her hand. I felt myself blush while Sanaa thought that hand-holding with Jiro felt more intimate than having sexual relations with a guy. And Pajonas' writing on their intimate moment was WOW. It was very tastefully written and hands down, that's how you write those kind of scenes!
The main characters were well-developed, and throughout the book, even the support characters were given development. I really loved seeing all the characters grow, specially Sanaa. She became more confident and found her inner-strength until the very end of the book.
The plot was well-written, it was unpredictable at times. It kept me engaged in the story and I wanted more. The setting for the future is very plausible. The scenes with the iaido training, a Japanese sword art, was vividly described, and I felt like I was training with Sanaa and Jiro, too. The conflicts that were presented in the book make complete sense as the story progressed.
This book is a gem among all the westernized science fiction books out there. The Japanese elements didn't take away the mystery of this post-apocalyptic world. I do recommend this to anyone who loves dystopian books. Jiro is swoon-worthy, while Sanaa is kick-ass heroine with freckles. #
...bring me love and happiness this year.
*The ARC of Removed was provided by Lola's Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.*
Removed came out as a surprise for me. It was great surprise, actually. I didn't know that I would actually like it. I found myself using a lot of Japanese terms because of this book. My brother was quite happy about that because he watches a lot of animé. The story was both engaging and intriguing. I found myself guessing where the plot will take me, but I'm glad it wasn't too predictable.
The story takes place in the year 3012 in Nishikyo, an area in North America in what used to be called Canada, during New Year's Eve. The story revolves around Sanaa Griffin, a half-Japanese-half-British girl, who just turned 20 on New Year's Day. She lives with her two aunts, Aunt Kimmie and Aunt Lomo. They are married. That's one of the things that I liked about this book. There's definitely marriage equality in the future, but hopefully not in that far a future! Anyway, Sanaa's parents died when she was younger, so she had to move from Ku 6 to Ku 9. She works as an engineer and has been assigned to work on projects that will help the people to transfer to another planet, Yusei. It means "wandering star" in Japanese.
It took a while for me to warm up to Sanaa, the main character. But when I did, I felt like we're old friends. I like that she's bold and confident. She's unlike a wilting flower. Her feelings are usually displayed all over her face so the people who interacts with her can read her fairly quickly. She has two best friends, Miko and Helena, and they loving hanging out at Miko's family-owned izakaya, where they socialize and drink sake. This is where they first saw Yoichi and Jiro Ito. During New Year's Eve, following tradition, they went to a neighborhood shrine to get an omikuji, random fortunes written on strips of paper. You either get a good fortune or a curse. This time around, Sanaa got a fortune, and coincidentally, so did Jiro.
The world-building was done during the first half of the book. There are different Kus dedicated to the different divisions or departments that support their system. In Ku 10, the Farming Ward, is where all growing and processing are done for food, beverages, and textiles for the whole of Nishikyo. Ku 9, where Sanaa lives, is the Science and Engineering Ward. While Ku 6, is where the majority of the Japanese people live. Some of the elements were quite confusing at first, but as the story progresses, everything started to make more sense. Pajonas was very descriptive of this little world she created, and it was very clever. Whenever I resume reading the book, I found myself sucked in Nishikyo, I even dreamed about riding the trains to and from different wards. When a book bleeds into my dreams, that means I love it. I loved learning about the Japanese culture, and I also started craving for their food!
The romance between Sanaa and Jiro was slow-building, although Sanaa was instantly attracted to him from the first moment she laid eyes on him on New Year's Eve. It was also obvious that it was mutual. I believe that they compliment each other. There were moments in the book where I felt Sanaa's nervousness around Jiro, especially during the dinner at the okiya, where he held her hand. I felt myself blush while Sanaa thought that hand-holding with Jiro felt more intimate than having sexual relations with a guy. And Pajonas' writing on their intimate moment was WOW. It was very tastefully written and hands down, that's how you write those kind of scenes!
The main characters were well-developed, and throughout the book, even the support characters were given development. I really loved seeing all the characters grow, specially Sanaa. She became more confident and found her inner-strength until the very end of the book.
The plot was well-written, it was unpredictable at times. It kept me engaged in the story and I wanted more. The setting for the future is very plausible. The scenes with the iaido training, a Japanese sword art, was vividly described, and I felt like I was training with Sanaa and Jiro, too. The conflicts that were presented in the book make complete sense as the story progressed.
This book is a gem among all the westernized science fiction books out there. The Japanese elements didn't take away the mystery of this post-apocalyptic world. I do recommend this to anyone who loves dystopian books. Jiro is swoon-worthy, while Sanaa is kick-ass heroine with freckles. #
August 24, 2014
There are some books for which you read the blurb and know that you are going to love it, Removed was one of those books for me. Once I read the blurb I couldn't get it out of my head and it didn't took me long to give over to the temptation and buy it.
I hardly know where to start with this review, Removed was amzing and I fell completely in love with the story. The pace of the story is slow, but it perfectly fits the book. Also around halfway through the story really picks up, things are starting to change and some great twists and turns take place that I didn't saw coming. From that point onwards I knew this would be a 5 star book for me. I love the writing style of the author and how she brings the world in this book alive.
The first half of the story is mostly world building, getting to know the seting and the main character and it is the build-up for everything that happens later. Some things where a bit confusing and didn't make sense at first, but later everything makes more sense. I loved the japanese traditions that where an important part of this book. I have always been interested in japan and the culture and I loved learning more about it. It's obvious the author knows what she's talking about.
I was a bit confused at first at the use of japanese words, as in the first few pages it could get a bit overwhelming sometimes. I know some japanese words, but not a lot. After the first few pages I got used to it and the author weaves it perfectly into the story, she still uses japanese words, but thanks to the context I could grasp the meaning of most of them.
This book is mostly post-apocalytpic, but it's also a romance story and there are some science-fiction elements trown in too. In this book the science-fiction part actually isn't at the forefront of the story, but I suspect it will be much more important in later books in this series. I always say I am not a big fan of science-fiction, but this books proves again that there are always exceptions. I think the science-fiction elements are done really well in this book and I actually am really looking forward to read how it all plays out in the next books.
When I started this book I almost immediately connected with the main character, Sanaa. Sanaa is a great main character, she is strong, but also has her doubts. I really loved her strenght and how she would push herself to achieve the things she wanted. There are a lot of side characters, I had some difficulties at times to remember who each of them was and had some trouble remembering some of the japanese names, but as the story progresses this got easier. They really addto the story and there are some side characters we get to know quite well. And then there is Jiro, the love interest, he is another great character and as we really get to know him I started to like him more and more.
The romance plays quite an important part in this story and it's really well done. Sanaa and Jiro are perfect together and I loved how their relationship developed, slow at first, but then faster. They are so good to each other and I like how their relationship missed many of the obvious clichés couples go through in a lot of books. It was original and refreshing and I can't wait to read more about them!
And then there is the world building, I love books in which the world building is done well and the author did a great job with the world building. It's a post apocalyptic world, so a lot has changed, but there are also a lot of japanese influences which need explaining too. There is a lot to explain, but I loved learning more about the world and was hungry for more. There are some things about the world I would've loved learning more about, like how society changes (it's around 1000 years in the future) and the impact on the colonization on every day life. But a lot of questions are answered and I was able to get a good idea of the world.
To conclude: I fell completely in love with this story. It starts slow at first, but the pace fits the story. Around halfway through the story really picks up and I was surprised at the twists and turns the story took. While it's labelled science-fiction, the sci-fi elements don't play a big part in this book yet and I am curious to read how it will play a bigger part in future books. The romance is done really well and Sanaa and Jiro are so perfect together! The author really made the world come alive, both through detailing the post-apocalyptic elements and the japanese traditions and influences that shape much of the society and world. Needless to say I can't wait to start on Released, the next book in this series!
I hardly know where to start with this review, Removed was amzing and I fell completely in love with the story. The pace of the story is slow, but it perfectly fits the book. Also around halfway through the story really picks up, things are starting to change and some great twists and turns take place that I didn't saw coming. From that point onwards I knew this would be a 5 star book for me. I love the writing style of the author and how she brings the world in this book alive.
The first half of the story is mostly world building, getting to know the seting and the main character and it is the build-up for everything that happens later. Some things where a bit confusing and didn't make sense at first, but later everything makes more sense. I loved the japanese traditions that where an important part of this book. I have always been interested in japan and the culture and I loved learning more about it. It's obvious the author knows what she's talking about.
I was a bit confused at first at the use of japanese words, as in the first few pages it could get a bit overwhelming sometimes. I know some japanese words, but not a lot. After the first few pages I got used to it and the author weaves it perfectly into the story, she still uses japanese words, but thanks to the context I could grasp the meaning of most of them.
This book is mostly post-apocalytpic, but it's also a romance story and there are some science-fiction elements trown in too. In this book the science-fiction part actually isn't at the forefront of the story, but I suspect it will be much more important in later books in this series. I always say I am not a big fan of science-fiction, but this books proves again that there are always exceptions. I think the science-fiction elements are done really well in this book and I actually am really looking forward to read how it all plays out in the next books.
When I started this book I almost immediately connected with the main character, Sanaa. Sanaa is a great main character, she is strong, but also has her doubts. I really loved her strenght and how she would push herself to achieve the things she wanted. There are a lot of side characters, I had some difficulties at times to remember who each of them was and had some trouble remembering some of the japanese names, but as the story progresses this got easier. They really addto the story and there are some side characters we get to know quite well. And then there is Jiro, the love interest, he is another great character and as we really get to know him I started to like him more and more.
The romance plays quite an important part in this story and it's really well done. Sanaa and Jiro are perfect together and I loved how their relationship developed, slow at first, but then faster. They are so good to each other and I like how their relationship missed many of the obvious clichés couples go through in a lot of books. It was original and refreshing and I can't wait to read more about them!
And then there is the world building, I love books in which the world building is done well and the author did a great job with the world building. It's a post apocalyptic world, so a lot has changed, but there are also a lot of japanese influences which need explaining too. There is a lot to explain, but I loved learning more about the world and was hungry for more. There are some things about the world I would've loved learning more about, like how society changes (it's around 1000 years in the future) and the impact on the colonization on every day life. But a lot of questions are answered and I was able to get a good idea of the world.
To conclude: I fell completely in love with this story. It starts slow at first, but the pace fits the story. Around halfway through the story really picks up and I was surprised at the twists and turns the story took. While it's labelled science-fiction, the sci-fi elements don't play a big part in this book yet and I am curious to read how it will play a bigger part in future books. The romance is done really well and Sanaa and Jiro are so perfect together! The author really made the world come alive, both through detailing the post-apocalyptic elements and the japanese traditions and influences that shape much of the society and world. Needless to say I can't wait to start on Released, the next book in this series!
February 20, 2015
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction.
Removed is an incredibly unique dystopian novel that is steeped in Japanese culture. I read a blog post where the reviewer was just raving about this series, and I just knew I needed to pick it up. I’m so glad I did!!
The book takes place in a futuristic version of Earth where global warming has ravaged the world and killed off much of the population. People have been living in domes, but they have been working toward relocating to another planet to start again. The book follows Sanaa who learns that she has a unique role to play in this new colonization.
What I loved:
The unique setting.
This book was set in a dystopian world where the environment has been compromised so greatly that the remaining world population is living in a series of connected domes to protect them from the elements. Because the Japanese had the advanced technologies necessary for the development of these domes, much of the population is Japanese and Japanese language and culture have become a major influence in society. I found the insights into Japanese culture extremely interesting – it’s obvious that Pajonas has a great love and respect for the culture and that she is very knowledgeable on it. I loved seeing how this culture was integrated into the futuristic society and the influences that it had. This setting was incredibly unique and definitely my favorite part of the book! (Just a note – some Japanese words and phrases are used and not really explained, but I didn’t find it hard to infer their meanings most of the time.) I also loved the futuristic elements (like insta-wash clothes – with I had a device that could accomplish that!).
Strong heroine.
Sanaa is a complex character. In certain situations she was unsure of herself, so she came off as a bit timid. But once she gained confidence in herself, her abilities (she trains in martial arts and swordfighting) and her new role in life (which I won’t give away), Sanaa truly takes control. I liked that Pajonas made Sanaa believably feminine but still strong and assertive, especially once she felt confidence in whatever situation she was in.
The romance.
I was a big fan of Jiro, Sanaa’s love interest. He trained Sanaa in swordfighting and pushed her to her absolute limits, which just made Sanaa even more attracted to him. Jiro appreciated Sanaa for who she was and didn’t expect her to change – even when parts of who she was didn’t mesh with his expectations. I was definitely rooting for these two throughout the book! The romance starts out with a strong attraction between Jiro and Sanaa, but it then takes them a while to move from friendship to romance (which I appreciated).
The mysteries.
I loved unraveling the mysteries of who Sanaa’s parents were and why Sanaa needed to understand the big players in the major Japanese families. I am really curious to learn even more about the future of the society and how they plan to move to another planet (I suspect that everything is not as it seems with that, but we shall see in future books!).
The negatives:
Slight lack of connection.
I had a slightly difficult time connecting to Sanaa emotionally. This happens to me sometimes with books that are narrated in present tense, though, so that might have been the main issue (I can’t exactly pinpoint why this is true). For instance, there were several times when Sanaa cried and I found myself thinking, “Oh, I had no idea she was really even sad!” I just didn’t connect with her emotions and instead got them through the descriptions. Again, though, present tense seems to do this to me sometimes – it’s like the action sneaks up on me and I don’t connect to it as much for some reason.
Overall, I loved this book and I definitely recommend it to readers who are looking for a dystopian that is new and different. I will certainly be continuing this series and am eager to find out what happens next! I give this book 4/5 stars.
Removed is an incredibly unique dystopian novel that is steeped in Japanese culture. I read a blog post where the reviewer was just raving about this series, and I just knew I needed to pick it up. I’m so glad I did!!
The book takes place in a futuristic version of Earth where global warming has ravaged the world and killed off much of the population. People have been living in domes, but they have been working toward relocating to another planet to start again. The book follows Sanaa who learns that she has a unique role to play in this new colonization.
What I loved:
The unique setting.
This book was set in a dystopian world where the environment has been compromised so greatly that the remaining world population is living in a series of connected domes to protect them from the elements. Because the Japanese had the advanced technologies necessary for the development of these domes, much of the population is Japanese and Japanese language and culture have become a major influence in society. I found the insights into Japanese culture extremely interesting – it’s obvious that Pajonas has a great love and respect for the culture and that she is very knowledgeable on it. I loved seeing how this culture was integrated into the futuristic society and the influences that it had. This setting was incredibly unique and definitely my favorite part of the book! (Just a note – some Japanese words and phrases are used and not really explained, but I didn’t find it hard to infer their meanings most of the time.) I also loved the futuristic elements (like insta-wash clothes – with I had a device that could accomplish that!).
Strong heroine.
Sanaa is a complex character. In certain situations she was unsure of herself, so she came off as a bit timid. But once she gained confidence in herself, her abilities (she trains in martial arts and swordfighting) and her new role in life (which I won’t give away), Sanaa truly takes control. I liked that Pajonas made Sanaa believably feminine but still strong and assertive, especially once she felt confidence in whatever situation she was in.
The romance.
I was a big fan of Jiro, Sanaa’s love interest. He trained Sanaa in swordfighting and pushed her to her absolute limits, which just made Sanaa even more attracted to him. Jiro appreciated Sanaa for who she was and didn’t expect her to change – even when parts of who she was didn’t mesh with his expectations. I was definitely rooting for these two throughout the book! The romance starts out with a strong attraction between Jiro and Sanaa, but it then takes them a while to move from friendship to romance (which I appreciated).
The mysteries.
I loved unraveling the mysteries of who Sanaa’s parents were and why Sanaa needed to understand the big players in the major Japanese families. I am really curious to learn even more about the future of the society and how they plan to move to another planet (I suspect that everything is not as it seems with that, but we shall see in future books!).
The negatives:
Slight lack of connection.
I had a slightly difficult time connecting to Sanaa emotionally. This happens to me sometimes with books that are narrated in present tense, though, so that might have been the main issue (I can’t exactly pinpoint why this is true). For instance, there were several times when Sanaa cried and I found myself thinking, “Oh, I had no idea she was really even sad!” I just didn’t connect with her emotions and instead got them through the descriptions. Again, though, present tense seems to do this to me sometimes – it’s like the action sneaks up on me and I don’t connect to it as much for some reason.
Overall, I loved this book and I definitely recommend it to readers who are looking for a dystopian that is new and different. I will certainly be continuing this series and am eager to find out what happens next! I give this book 4/5 stars.
January 1, 2015
I started this book back in November and for some reason or another - maybe my head wasn't in the right place or I was too busy writing and finishing my latest novel - I just couldn't get into the story. I tried several times over the last few months, only to set it aside, frustrated because I'd heard what an amazing book it was. Since I sent my latest WiP out to my beta readers, I've had a little more time on my hands and I've been catching up on my to-read list. I was determined to read Removed by S.J. Pajonas, all the way through - to finish it and give it the attention I knew it deserved...
I'm so glad I finally did. One of my friends called me a "reading machine" the other day and it was an apt description as I've read nine books since the beginning of the year! Oh.My.Gosh. Once I put my mind to it, I finished the book in two days. Two Days! I couldn't set the book down to do much of anything and have sacrificed quite a bit of sleep the past few days to stay up reading.
Sanaa is an amazing heroine - she's strong, caring, sincere and confident. I love that her emotions are written all over her face, I love that she breaks down and has moments of fear or insecurity, I love that she is so physical and I love that she cares even though she doesn't have to. I'm always amazed, and I have no idea why, when certain authors have such a gift with character development. When I feel like I know the person I'm reading about so well, it's like they're a friend I've known all my life...like I should be able to fall into the book and become part of the story. S.J. Pajonas has this gift. It's awe-inspiring, truly it is.
The world this author has created is fascinating! She brings the sights, smells, sounds and culture right to your senses and it's hard not to imagine that you aren't really there, participating in the events, conversations, the hustle and bustle. It's these well-developed worlds that make me wish they were real because I want to explore and experience them. I want to submerge myself in this world and quite possibly never come back.
I'm very eager to read the remaining books in this four-part series, and when I do, I'll be sure to post another review here for you to read! If the other three books are as delicious as this one, I know I'll be missing out on a lot more sleep...
I'm so glad I finally did. One of my friends called me a "reading machine" the other day and it was an apt description as I've read nine books since the beginning of the year! Oh.My.Gosh. Once I put my mind to it, I finished the book in two days. Two Days! I couldn't set the book down to do much of anything and have sacrificed quite a bit of sleep the past few days to stay up reading.
Sanaa is an amazing heroine - she's strong, caring, sincere and confident. I love that her emotions are written all over her face, I love that she breaks down and has moments of fear or insecurity, I love that she is so physical and I love that she cares even though she doesn't have to. I'm always amazed, and I have no idea why, when certain authors have such a gift with character development. When I feel like I know the person I'm reading about so well, it's like they're a friend I've known all my life...like I should be able to fall into the book and become part of the story. S.J. Pajonas has this gift. It's awe-inspiring, truly it is.
The world this author has created is fascinating! She brings the sights, smells, sounds and culture right to your senses and it's hard not to imagine that you aren't really there, participating in the events, conversations, the hustle and bustle. It's these well-developed worlds that make me wish they were real because I want to explore and experience them. I want to submerge myself in this world and quite possibly never come back.
I'm very eager to read the remaining books in this four-part series, and when I do, I'll be sure to post another review here for you to read! If the other three books are as delicious as this one, I know I'll be missing out on a lot more sleep...
September 17, 2013
Both in life and in my reading material, I haven't done a lot of delving into the Japanese culture. I recently got my first literary taste of Japan in Daisy Whitney's WHEN YOU WERE HERE, a YA novel that spends part of it's time in Tokyo. If WHEN YOU WERE HERE was the appetizer for discovering another culture, the New Adult novel REMOVED is the meal and I loved what I was tasting. Both authors won me over with their cultural passion and Pajonas' captivation with Japan is skillfully woven into her unique vision of the future. REMOVED takes place in 3103, after an environmental decline has forced the remaining 6 million people (most of them of a Japanese heritage) to live under domes in North America. In a unique twinning of the past and the future, Pajonas' insertion of the Japanese culture is effortless.
This novel has been correctly set up for a series, with a satisfying plot arc and enjoyable cliff hanger for the first book, all the while maintaining plenty of room for the larger plot lines that umbrella over multiple books. When poorly executed, this is a bit of a pet-peeve of mine and has been responsible for me leaving a series unfinished. In my opinion, Pajonas' plotting skills are reminiscent of Marissa Meyer's creativity and organization with the LUNAR CHRONICLES.
While REMOVED is an action-packed novel with a kick-ass heroine, it also has many sections that contain quiet, thoughtful moments. Additionally, there is a steamy, but swoony romance that doesn't have frustrating love triangle. The sci-fi part of REMOVED is believable without being weighted down and has plenty of twists in it's plot to keep me wanting to turn the pages. All of this combined makes REMOVED a book that will capture the interest of readers in a variety of different genres. Think of it like a hybrid of some of your favorite books.
Lastly, I simply love the character of Sanaa. She is complex and that is my favorite kind of person.
This novel has been correctly set up for a series, with a satisfying plot arc and enjoyable cliff hanger for the first book, all the while maintaining plenty of room for the larger plot lines that umbrella over multiple books. When poorly executed, this is a bit of a pet-peeve of mine and has been responsible for me leaving a series unfinished. In my opinion, Pajonas' plotting skills are reminiscent of Marissa Meyer's creativity and organization with the LUNAR CHRONICLES.
While REMOVED is an action-packed novel with a kick-ass heroine, it also has many sections that contain quiet, thoughtful moments. Additionally, there is a steamy, but swoony romance that doesn't have frustrating love triangle. The sci-fi part of REMOVED is believable without being weighted down and has plenty of twists in it's plot to keep me wanting to turn the pages. All of this combined makes REMOVED a book that will capture the interest of readers in a variety of different genres. Think of it like a hybrid of some of your favorite books.
Lastly, I simply love the character of Sanaa. She is complex and that is my favorite kind of person.
June 19, 2014
I have never before been a fan of post-apocalyptic tales as I found them depressing, but this book has changed my mind and I look forward to reading the second in the series.
As the synopsis says it chronicles the adventures of a twenty year old girl who finds herself involved in the politics of the various clans and businesses in a domed city I will think of as Japan competing for the future leadership of the colony planet(s) the six million plus humans left on the world are going to migrate to.
Unless you are already familiar with Japanese culture you will, as I did at first, struggle to mentally pronounce the various titles you are introduced to, but I promise you it is worth the effort.
The story is fast moving with well described action scenes, including martial arts with and without weapons. It has everything - - a good love story, a description of life in the future that will leave you thinking, a heroine any girl would identify with and a man would want as his partner. Please do not do as I so nearly did, read the synopsis and reject it. I do not give five stars lightly and this is worth every one.i
As the synopsis says it chronicles the adventures of a twenty year old girl who finds herself involved in the politics of the various clans and businesses in a domed city I will think of as Japan competing for the future leadership of the colony planet(s) the six million plus humans left on the world are going to migrate to.
Unless you are already familiar with Japanese culture you will, as I did at first, struggle to mentally pronounce the various titles you are introduced to, but I promise you it is worth the effort.
The story is fast moving with well described action scenes, including martial arts with and without weapons. It has everything - - a good love story, a description of life in the future that will leave you thinking, a heroine any girl would identify with and a man would want as his partner. Please do not do as I so nearly did, read the synopsis and reject it. I do not give five stars lightly and this is worth every one.i
September 9, 2013
I received an ARC of S.J. Pajonas' Removed (The Nogiku Series #1) and all I can say is that I cannot wait for Book #2 to be released.
Set in a futuristic, post apocalyptic Earth, this New-Adult, "sort of Science Fiction" takes you into the life of a coming-of-age woman, Sanaa as she learns about her herself, her heritage, love and what the future just may hold for her. The vivid descriptions of food, clothing, and even tattoos were just enough to have me pausing to imagine things, but not so much that I was getting bored with the details. The story line moved fast and was well thought out.
I will say, I'm not usually one for Sci-Fi, but this was great. Just enough to be interesting, but not so much to be "way" out there. This book is definitely worth the read, I could hardly put it down in the 2 days it took me to read it and over a week later, I'm still thinking about all the characters.
Overall, for a first-time novel, Pajonas has hit it out of the park. Looking forward to her future releases.
Set in a futuristic, post apocalyptic Earth, this New-Adult, "sort of Science Fiction" takes you into the life of a coming-of-age woman, Sanaa as she learns about her herself, her heritage, love and what the future just may hold for her. The vivid descriptions of food, clothing, and even tattoos were just enough to have me pausing to imagine things, but not so much that I was getting bored with the details. The story line moved fast and was well thought out.
I will say, I'm not usually one for Sci-Fi, but this was great. Just enough to be interesting, but not so much to be "way" out there. This book is definitely worth the read, I could hardly put it down in the 2 days it took me to read it and over a week later, I'm still thinking about all the characters.
Overall, for a first-time novel, Pajonas has hit it out of the park. Looking forward to her future releases.
September 7, 2013
In Removed, book one of the Nogiku Series, S.J. Pajonas has created a futuristic world that is steeped in Japanese culture and is like no other world I have read before. On New Year's Eve while celebrating her 20th birthday, Sanaa Griffin makes a wish for the new year to bring her love. A change in the course of her career and life brings love and so much more as Sanaa finds out the truth about her family and destiny.
Sanaa's relationship with Jiro, her swoonworthy sword fighting teacher, progresses from instant attraction to red-hot lust to genuine love in a very satisfying way. Both Sanaa and Jiro are complicated characters and it was wonderful to discover the different parts of their personalities. The story builds with a slow burn as more and more is revealed about Sanaa's history and the politics of Nogiku and explodes in a final action scene worthy of the cinema. I am very happy to have received an ARC of this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Sanaa's relationship with Jiro, her swoonworthy sword fighting teacher, progresses from instant attraction to red-hot lust to genuine love in a very satisfying way. Both Sanaa and Jiro are complicated characters and it was wonderful to discover the different parts of their personalities. The story builds with a slow burn as more and more is revealed about Sanaa's history and the politics of Nogiku and explodes in a final action scene worthy of the cinema. I am very happy to have received an ARC of this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
September 13, 2020
I am so delighted to review Removed. I have read it a few times now and it's really such a fully-realized world with wonderful characters that it's difficult to put down- and so depressing when those last pages are turned! I read a lot of YA/NA books and love a good, realistic strong female protagonist, but there are a lot of cliches out there that so many books fall into. Pajonas has avoided these and created a character I adore, respect, and kind of wish I could be. There are lots of great things here- a totally immersive and believable world with sensory delights (the food descriptions are unreal), some relationship scenes befitting an older NA book, and badass sword stuff. I love this book and it's my new "recommend to anyone that will listen!"
January 5, 2014
I absolutely loved this book. Every time I thought I had a plot twist figured out, something happened to make me rethink my idea. I am now going to have to patiently wait for book 2. I lost a good bit of sleep trying to get as much reading done as possible each time I picked it up. I have only one small problem with any part of it but that is just me wanting to know how to pronounce certain of the japanese words in the book correctly.I don't want to give spoilers but I really think the relationship between Sanna and Jiro is a perfect blend. Please, please please don't make me wait too long for book 2.
P.S. I was so excited when I finished this book, I forgot to mention, This was a first-reads copy I won!
P.S. I was so excited when I finished this book, I forgot to mention, This was a first-reads copy I won!
March 20, 2018
Not sure how I feel about this one. I didn't actively dislike it exactly, but...I was expecting the plot to go in one direction (dealing with a pretty major, important thing), and then it veered sideways and took a long while to explain why we abandoned the major, important thing. Once we get there, we are completely and totally engulfed in the new plot direction with no room for the original problem (which is never fully explained or answered). Added to that, the MC has a ton of special-ness going on, and I never felt invested in her journey. Interesting concept, but this is likely a "will not continue" for me.
March 8, 2014
What a brilliant story! Historically, I haven't been much of a fan of dystopian tales (except for The Hunger Games) or science fiction. However, this book may have changed me forever. The dystopian and sci-fi aspects play less of a role than the beautiful and aching tale of Sanaa. Her history, her present, and her future are all so full of mystery, intrigue and heroism. I highly recommend this New Adult Sci-Fi read, especially if you are considering dipping your toes into either of these genres.
October 13, 2025
Author: S.J. Pajonas
Title: Removed
Series: The Nogiku Series, #1
Cover Rating:
Silver star
Book Rating:
4 stars
About the Book:
Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love, happiness, and excitement on New Year’s Eve. Ripped from the job she always loved, she is reassigned to work for mysterious Mark Sakai and spy on the corrupt leaders of her city. War looms on the horizon, and Sanaa must help Sakai determine the key players and their weak spots before it’s too late.
Mark Sakai has many plans for Sanaa that will take her into a web of lies and danger, and her only protection is to learn to defend herself. But defense training under the watchful eye of Jiro, a strong and enigmatic young man she has a crush on, was not what she expected. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts all of humanity in jeopardy.
My Thoughts:
I really thought Removed could have achieved five stars if we had gotten the same development in pacing and suspense as we got in all of the really fantastic world building that took place in Removed.
Its really impressive just how much thought Pajonas really put into this book because there is just so much to take in that its hard to absorb it all in just reading it one time.
I do that that we could have used more character emotions and involvement to balance out just how heavy all the history is in this book just because there is such an impressive amount of it.
I like that there were so many levels to this book in both culture and possibilities because it expands the many areas Pajonas can take this series in future installments.
Removed is unique, its well written and I hope for Pajonas to create suspense and excitement because it would be nice to have some thrilling adventures in there as well.
Granted its a heavily detailed book that it bogs down what little self exploration there is but Pajonas has really done a great job with this book.
Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Note:
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like my post or leave a comment to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Title: Removed
Series: The Nogiku Series, #1
Cover Rating:
Silver star
Book Rating:
4 stars
About the Book:
Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love, happiness, and excitement on New Year’s Eve. Ripped from the job she always loved, she is reassigned to work for mysterious Mark Sakai and spy on the corrupt leaders of her city. War looms on the horizon, and Sanaa must help Sakai determine the key players and their weak spots before it’s too late.
Mark Sakai has many plans for Sanaa that will take her into a web of lies and danger, and her only protection is to learn to defend herself. But defense training under the watchful eye of Jiro, a strong and enigmatic young man she has a crush on, was not what she expected. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts all of humanity in jeopardy.
My Thoughts:
I really thought Removed could have achieved five stars if we had gotten the same development in pacing and suspense as we got in all of the really fantastic world building that took place in Removed.
Its really impressive just how much thought Pajonas really put into this book because there is just so much to take in that its hard to absorb it all in just reading it one time.
I do that that we could have used more character emotions and involvement to balance out just how heavy all the history is in this book just because there is such an impressive amount of it.
I like that there were so many levels to this book in both culture and possibilities because it expands the many areas Pajonas can take this series in future installments.
Removed is unique, its well written and I hope for Pajonas to create suspense and excitement because it would be nice to have some thrilling adventures in there as well.
Granted its a heavily detailed book that it bogs down what little self exploration there is but Pajonas has really done a great job with this book.
Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Note:
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like my post or leave a comment to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
November 3, 2016
Pajonas is a very intelligent writer who is able to convey the Japanese culture in a way that would appeal to someone who knows nothing about Japan or a reader who has spent a considerable amount of time in Japan and possesses a strong understanding of the Japanese culture. The dialogue in this book flows beautifully, the plot is carefully planned, and the characterisation is a delight to read.
Sanaa, the main protagonist in the story, is a wonderful role model for young girls in that she has considerable physical and mental strength and these attributes are the qualities that allow her to follow a strong moral code with a courageous mind, body, and soul. Sanaa’s character is explored in depth and her experiences are written in a way that this young girl, who has plenty of kind-hearted hopes and dreams, seems to complement all the other characters in the book. Sanaa’s love for her aunties, her closeness to her two best friends Helena and Miko, her dedication to Jiro and Mark, her commitment to the colonization process, and finally her acceptance of her royal lineage, all make this book a very good read.
I don’t know a lot about sword fighting but it seemed to me that the author is an expert on the subject and each fight scene really comes to life throughout the chapters. You can expect a sweet romance as well as lots of drama in this book based on Sanaa’s very human and emotional reactions to the upheaval in her life and her selfless desire to protect her family and friends. All of this is cleverly entwined in this futuristic novel with a dystopian setting that is entirely believable and fascinating to read.
Sanaa, the main protagonist in the story, is a wonderful role model for young girls in that she has considerable physical and mental strength and these attributes are the qualities that allow her to follow a strong moral code with a courageous mind, body, and soul. Sanaa’s character is explored in depth and her experiences are written in a way that this young girl, who has plenty of kind-hearted hopes and dreams, seems to complement all the other characters in the book. Sanaa’s love for her aunties, her closeness to her two best friends Helena and Miko, her dedication to Jiro and Mark, her commitment to the colonization process, and finally her acceptance of her royal lineage, all make this book a very good read.
I don’t know a lot about sword fighting but it seemed to me that the author is an expert on the subject and each fight scene really comes to life throughout the chapters. You can expect a sweet romance as well as lots of drama in this book based on Sanaa’s very human and emotional reactions to the upheaval in her life and her selfless desire to protect her family and friends. All of this is cleverly entwined in this futuristic novel with a dystopian setting that is entirely believable and fascinating to read.
August 3, 2017
The novel Removed by S.J. Pajonas, is very interesting take on the science fiction idea of colonizing a habitable planet since it uses it doesn’t solely focus on that idea alone. The main thing that separates this book from others of the genre is that Mrs. Pajonas uses the theme of culture to influence the characters decisions. The main character Sanaa uses both logic and her ideologies from her Japanese upbringing to make the life threatening decisions that are placed on her shoulders whilst working with Mark and Jiro in the undergrounds of Nishikyo.
The reason I give this book only 4 stars despite my praise is that is a little too generic for my taste. Yes, it does mix up things a bit by trying to stress the influence Japanese culture has shifted humanity in this last ditch effort to save themselves. Yet, my true problem is that it relies too much on you to read the next book to understand the small details left out in this one. I understand that this is a series and for it to stay exciting they have to keep a few details hidden and vague, but this book goes over the edge by trying to leave you in the dark, practically forcing you to read the next book.
All in all, I think that this book was an excellent read despite the aforementioned flaws. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science fiction or drama.
The reason I give this book only 4 stars despite my praise is that is a little too generic for my taste. Yes, it does mix up things a bit by trying to stress the influence Japanese culture has shifted humanity in this last ditch effort to save themselves. Yet, my true problem is that it relies too much on you to read the next book to understand the small details left out in this one. I understand that this is a series and for it to stay exciting they have to keep a few details hidden and vague, but this book goes over the edge by trying to leave you in the dark, practically forcing you to read the next book.
All in all, I think that this book was an excellent read despite the aforementioned flaws. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science fiction or drama.
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