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Twinmaker #2
Crash
The Matrix meets the Uglies series in this science fiction thriller, the second in the Twinmaker trilogy by Sean Williams.
Where is Q?
Clair and Jesse have barely been reunited when the world is plunged into its biggest crisis since the Water Wars. The d-mat network is broken. The world has ground to a halt. People are trapped, injured, dying. It’s the end of the world as Clair knows it—and it’s partly her fault.
“The girl who killed d-mat” is enlisted to track down her missing friend Q—the rogue AI who repeatedly saved Clair’s life. Q is the key to fixing the system, but she isn’t responding to calls for help, and even if she did...can she be trusted?
Targeted by dupes, abandoned by her friends, caught in a web of lies that strike at the very essence of who she is, Clair finds powerful allies in RADICAL, secretive activists who are the polar opposite of anti-d-mat terrorist group WHOLE. However, if she helps them find Q, will she be inadvertently trapping her friend in a life of servitude—or worse, sending her to an early death by erasure?
Caught between pro- and anti-d-mat philosophies, in a world on the brink of all-out war, Clair must decide where she stands—and who she stands with, at the end.
Where is Q?
Clair and Jesse have barely been reunited when the world is plunged into its biggest crisis since the Water Wars. The d-mat network is broken. The world has ground to a halt. People are trapped, injured, dying. It’s the end of the world as Clair knows it—and it’s partly her fault.
“The girl who killed d-mat” is enlisted to track down her missing friend Q—the rogue AI who repeatedly saved Clair’s life. Q is the key to fixing the system, but she isn’t responding to calls for help, and even if she did...can she be trusted?
Targeted by dupes, abandoned by her friends, caught in a web of lies that strike at the very essence of who she is, Clair finds powerful allies in RADICAL, secretive activists who are the polar opposite of anti-d-mat terrorist group WHOLE. However, if she helps them find Q, will she be inadvertently trapping her friend in a life of servitude—or worse, sending her to an early death by erasure?
Caught between pro- and anti-d-mat philosophies, in a world on the brink of all-out war, Clair must decide where she stands—and who she stands with, at the end.
370 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2014
14 people are currently reading
1073 people want to read
About the author
Sean Williams
274 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 66 reviews
December 17, 2014
This review contains spoilers for the previous book.
Where is Q? This is the question that I have been asking ever since I finished reading Jump (otherwise known as Twinmaker). I had so many feelings at the end of Jump, but ultimately it boiled down Q – where is she, what is she, and will she help or destroy the world? Well… you will need to read Crash to see if this question is answered :)
The events at the end of Jump left the world, and Clair, in a spin. The world in in turmoil: d-mat is broken. This does not only mean that people are unable to take quick holidays across the world, but it ground society to a halt due to their dependency on this form of transportation. Society in general does not know how to function without this technology, but more importantly, people are unable to access medical attention; they are unable to leave wherever they were when d-mat broke down. The whole world is on verge of breakdown, and it is Clair’s fault. She broke d-mat, but she doesn’t know how to fix it. The only hope of restoring it is Q – but she is nowhere to be found. Can Clair find her? Can Clair make her trust her again? Can Clair trust Q?
On the run from the Dupes who are after her, from society who blames her for the world’s problems, and from her friends who seem to have abandoned her, Clair makes some uneasy alliances. Clair needs to find Q – to find her friend, to apologise, and to help restore the world back to the way it was – but these alliances may just destroy Q once Clair finds her.
Through Crash, Clair certainly went on a journey. She made some good decisions, she made some bad ones, she trusted those she could, and those she couldn’t. She varied between not wanting to be a leader, and being the only person who could lead. We also see Clair come to realise the consequences of her actions. Not only for herself and her friends, but for the general population. Clair has turned the world upside down – and where she goes from here will also have dire consequences. And as she starts to realise this, she starts to see that she cannot make decisions based on her own personal wants and needs.
Clair either trusted too easily, or not enough – this was her in Jump, and also in Crash. And while I do find that somewhat annoying in a character, it is clear that this is one of Clair’s personal development storylines. I don’t mind character traits that annoy me if the character develops as the storyline continues, and it seems that Clair is doing that. She is certainly developing in regards to her selfishness – she is starting to be able to look beyond her own desires.
Clair has been thrown into a world of confusion, there are people who want to use her to find Q, to use her a spokesperson, to follow or to ridicule her. She is uncertain who she can trust, she is uncertain why this has all fallen to her, she does not understand why every move she makes is being watched and scrutinised by everyone via Air… all that she knows is that she does not know where Q is, and the only person she can trust is Jesse.
The relationship between Clair and Jesse is very interesting – Clair needs and wants Jesse, but is their relationship doomed from the start? Clair wants to restore the technology that her world is so reliant on, however Jesse believes, and wants, the world to adapt to the abstainer lifestyle. Will their personal beliefs regarding society’s need and use of technology ultimately drive them apart?
Crash once again exemplifies dependency on technology. And with this, raising many current ethical questions. The dependency and consequences of social media once again is a strong focus. As Air is still working, this is a driving factor of information sharing, tracking and hijacking throughout the storyline. It shows the usefulness of technology, but also the pitfalls. And although this is a sci-fi setting, the underlying messages and questions are relevant in today’s society. Even though not available in the world we know today, the use of fabbers and d-mat also raises some very important questions regarding our current view-point of instant gratification and self-entitlement.
Crash does take a few twists and turns along the way, especially towards the end of the book. Like it’s processor, Crash is full of action in an well-developed, technology dependant world, but it was really the ending that won me over. I am very much looking forward to Fall (Twinmaker #3). I cannot wait to see where Clair will end up, and what exactly will happen to this world. Who will fall? What will fall?
So, what happened to Q? Well, let me say this, Sean certainly leaves you hanging… but if you think that is bad, just wait until you get to that cliff-hanger ending!
Where is Q? This is the question that I have been asking ever since I finished reading Jump (otherwise known as Twinmaker). I had so many feelings at the end of Jump, but ultimately it boiled down Q – where is she, what is she, and will she help or destroy the world? Well… you will need to read Crash to see if this question is answered :)
The events at the end of Jump left the world, and Clair, in a spin. The world in in turmoil: d-mat is broken. This does not only mean that people are unable to take quick holidays across the world, but it ground society to a halt due to their dependency on this form of transportation. Society in general does not know how to function without this technology, but more importantly, people are unable to access medical attention; they are unable to leave wherever they were when d-mat broke down. The whole world is on verge of breakdown, and it is Clair’s fault. She broke d-mat, but she doesn’t know how to fix it. The only hope of restoring it is Q – but she is nowhere to be found. Can Clair find her? Can Clair make her trust her again? Can Clair trust Q?
On the run from the Dupes who are after her, from society who blames her for the world’s problems, and from her friends who seem to have abandoned her, Clair makes some uneasy alliances. Clair needs to find Q – to find her friend, to apologise, and to help restore the world back to the way it was – but these alliances may just destroy Q once Clair finds her.
Through Crash, Clair certainly went on a journey. She made some good decisions, she made some bad ones, she trusted those she could, and those she couldn’t. She varied between not wanting to be a leader, and being the only person who could lead. We also see Clair come to realise the consequences of her actions. Not only for herself and her friends, but for the general population. Clair has turned the world upside down – and where she goes from here will also have dire consequences. And as she starts to realise this, she starts to see that she cannot make decisions based on her own personal wants and needs.
Clair either trusted too easily, or not enough – this was her in Jump, and also in Crash. And while I do find that somewhat annoying in a character, it is clear that this is one of Clair’s personal development storylines. I don’t mind character traits that annoy me if the character develops as the storyline continues, and it seems that Clair is doing that. She is certainly developing in regards to her selfishness – she is starting to be able to look beyond her own desires.
Clair has been thrown into a world of confusion, there are people who want to use her to find Q, to use her a spokesperson, to follow or to ridicule her. She is uncertain who she can trust, she is uncertain why this has all fallen to her, she does not understand why every move she makes is being watched and scrutinised by everyone via Air… all that she knows is that she does not know where Q is, and the only person she can trust is Jesse.
The relationship between Clair and Jesse is very interesting – Clair needs and wants Jesse, but is their relationship doomed from the start? Clair wants to restore the technology that her world is so reliant on, however Jesse believes, and wants, the world to adapt to the abstainer lifestyle. Will their personal beliefs regarding society’s need and use of technology ultimately drive them apart?
Crash once again exemplifies dependency on technology. And with this, raising many current ethical questions. The dependency and consequences of social media once again is a strong focus. As Air is still working, this is a driving factor of information sharing, tracking and hijacking throughout the storyline. It shows the usefulness of technology, but also the pitfalls. And although this is a sci-fi setting, the underlying messages and questions are relevant in today’s society. Even though not available in the world we know today, the use of fabbers and d-mat also raises some very important questions regarding our current view-point of instant gratification and self-entitlement.
Crash does take a few twists and turns along the way, especially towards the end of the book. Like it’s processor, Crash is full of action in an well-developed, technology dependant world, but it was really the ending that won me over. I am very much looking forward to Fall (Twinmaker #3). I cannot wait to see where Clair will end up, and what exactly will happen to this world. Who will fall? What will fall?
So, what happened to Q? Well, let me say this, Sean certainly leaves you hanging… but if you think that is bad, just wait until you get to that cliff-hanger ending!
July 1, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
Q. is missing, dupes are running loose, and d-mat is down. How are they going to solve that little crisis? Is the end of d-mat a good thing or a bad thing? And will Clair ever get her best friend back?
This was an enjoyable story and it had some good twists, but it was difficult to follow in places.
Clair made some good decisions and some bad decisions in this book. At times she came across as confident, and at other times she showed how she really hadn’t been at this hero business for long at all.
The storyline in this was okay, but I did find it hard to follow at times. This story really has come so far from where it started out from, and at points the direction it was headed in did seem a bit hard to fathom. Thankfully though as I kept reading things became clearer, and as the little twists at the end came together things began to make a lot more sense! I was left wondering what had happened to Q. for a long time though!
The romance in this was okay, but after this book it seems that Clair is bad luck for potential boyfriends! It will be interesting to find out how the romance in this series ends.
The ending to this cleared some things up, but also left us with another big cliff-hanger. I liked the twists we got at the end, and I also liked the answers we got to certain questions that had remained a mystery throughout the book. I really want to read the final book in this series and find out how things end now!
Overall; interesting sci-fi tale with some impressive twists!
7 out of 10.
Q. is missing, dupes are running loose, and d-mat is down. How are they going to solve that little crisis? Is the end of d-mat a good thing or a bad thing? And will Clair ever get her best friend back?
This was an enjoyable story and it had some good twists, but it was difficult to follow in places.
Clair made some good decisions and some bad decisions in this book. At times she came across as confident, and at other times she showed how she really hadn’t been at this hero business for long at all.
The storyline in this was okay, but I did find it hard to follow at times. This story really has come so far from where it started out from, and at points the direction it was headed in did seem a bit hard to fathom. Thankfully though as I kept reading things became clearer, and as the little twists at the end came together things began to make a lot more sense! I was left wondering what had happened to Q. for a long time though!
The romance in this was okay, but after this book it seems that Clair is bad luck for potential boyfriends! It will be interesting to find out how the romance in this series ends.
The ending to this cleared some things up, but also left us with another big cliff-hanger. I liked the twists we got at the end, and I also liked the answers we got to certain questions that had remained a mystery throughout the book. I really want to read the final book in this series and find out how things end now!
Overall; interesting sci-fi tale with some impressive twists!
7 out of 10.
May 9, 2015
Originally reviewed for Young Adult Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...
"A body is just a body. It's what's inside that counts."
I regret that I read this, the second book in the series, without ever reading the first book. I found the continued story difficult to follow. It seems unfair to judge it on its own merits when it apparently wasn't meant to be read as a stand-alone, but I’ll do the best I can.
Crashland is a sci-fi fantasy, set in the indeterminate future where technology has reached levels that seem to blend elements of Star Trek (i.e. transporters and replicators) with the capabilities—and ethical conundrums--of Altered Carbon (i.e. swapping people’s consciousnesses into other people’s bodies). The abuses of this tech is the basis for the plot and ongoing conflict readers are dropped into, immediately following the events in Twinmaker. What exactly those events were wasn't clear to this reader throughout most of the book, unfortunately.
The Gist:
We open with the heroine (and sole third-person POV), Clair, being detained and questioned by two peacekeepers (PKs)—the law enforcement arm of the singular world government. Somehow she is responsible for the entire world’s network of transportation (teleportation?) crashing after she foiled the plans of someone named Wallace—who may or may not be dead, along with her friends Zep and Libby. Clair hopes to restore the d-mat (which I am guessing is slang for de-materializer?) so she can get to the saved patterns of her friends and essentially resurrect them. Clair herself is not actually the original version of herself, having been brought back from the pattern saved by a mysterious Artificial Intelligent entity called ‘Q.’ Q is the wild card amid the worldwide chaos. Everyone wants to get a hold of the A.I., and everyone—regardless of affiliation—seems to assume that Clair can somehow facilitate that. From there the vast majority of our journey with Clair involves her and her entourage almost constantly fleeing.
My Thoughts:
I’m certainly not one for pace-dragging info dumping, but the lack of comprehensive recap and background information made it difficult to track and/or feel engaged with the story. The assumption seems to be that the reader has read the first book, and recently enough that they still grasp the politics, fantastical tech, and world-building minutia. The cast of existing and mentioned characters is quite extensive, and factional names like WHOLE, VIA, and RADICAL (along with an array of slang terms) are thrown out with little or no explanation. It’s also asserted early on that there is no way of telling a “real” person apart from their duplicate, yet it becomes clear that ‘Dupes’ aren't at all identical to their original versions. Some can apparently contain multi-detonation bombs within them (that for some reason can’t be detected), and by the end it turns out that fabricated matter does indeed differ from “real” matter in a known and critical way.
Beyond the general plot confusion, the relational interactions fell a bit flat—largely, I suspect, because readers are given little basis for both the romantic and platonic bonds Clair had formed in the previous installment. I think this quote adequately sums up the issue:
"She didn't clearly remember their faces, of their voices, or anything they had done together. They had become holes in her life where real people had once been. Absences rather than presences."
Therein lies much of the trouble I had with this story. Clair references back to these dead people she wants to bring back and a mother she wants to protect, but I had no emotional sense for what they meant to her. Add to that an ending that pulls a reverse Deus ex machina (Diabolus ex machina? Whatever you’d call it when a catastrophic incident comes out of nowhere to cause an apocalypse-level cliffhanger.)
On The Upside:
Clair does present as a strong and sufficiently introspective heroine. The author portrays the frequent action sequences with vivid ease, and a distinctly pleasing literary voice. The twist toward the end was both interesting and satisfying. And this reviewer particularly appreciated the idea of the Abstainers (Stainers)—people who refused to use the artificial matter-making/matter-transporting technology—who are shunned and persecuted for their simplicity of lifestyle.
While I don’t think this series is for me, I would be interested to pick up something else by this author.
"A body is just a body. It's what's inside that counts."
I regret that I read this, the second book in the series, without ever reading the first book. I found the continued story difficult to follow. It seems unfair to judge it on its own merits when it apparently wasn't meant to be read as a stand-alone, but I’ll do the best I can.
Crashland is a sci-fi fantasy, set in the indeterminate future where technology has reached levels that seem to blend elements of Star Trek (i.e. transporters and replicators) with the capabilities—and ethical conundrums--of Altered Carbon (i.e. swapping people’s consciousnesses into other people’s bodies). The abuses of this tech is the basis for the plot and ongoing conflict readers are dropped into, immediately following the events in Twinmaker. What exactly those events were wasn't clear to this reader throughout most of the book, unfortunately.
The Gist:
We open with the heroine (and sole third-person POV), Clair, being detained and questioned by two peacekeepers (PKs)—the law enforcement arm of the singular world government. Somehow she is responsible for the entire world’s network of transportation (teleportation?) crashing after she foiled the plans of someone named Wallace—who may or may not be dead, along with her friends Zep and Libby. Clair hopes to restore the d-mat (which I am guessing is slang for de-materializer?) so she can get to the saved patterns of her friends and essentially resurrect them. Clair herself is not actually the original version of herself, having been brought back from the pattern saved by a mysterious Artificial Intelligent entity called ‘Q.’ Q is the wild card amid the worldwide chaos. Everyone wants to get a hold of the A.I., and everyone—regardless of affiliation—seems to assume that Clair can somehow facilitate that. From there the vast majority of our journey with Clair involves her and her entourage almost constantly fleeing.
My Thoughts:
I’m certainly not one for pace-dragging info dumping, but the lack of comprehensive recap and background information made it difficult to track and/or feel engaged with the story. The assumption seems to be that the reader has read the first book, and recently enough that they still grasp the politics, fantastical tech, and world-building minutia. The cast of existing and mentioned characters is quite extensive, and factional names like WHOLE, VIA, and RADICAL (along with an array of slang terms) are thrown out with little or no explanation. It’s also asserted early on that there is no way of telling a “real” person apart from their duplicate, yet it becomes clear that ‘Dupes’ aren't at all identical to their original versions. Some can apparently contain multi-detonation bombs within them (that for some reason can’t be detected), and by the end it turns out that fabricated matter does indeed differ from “real” matter in a known and critical way.
Beyond the general plot confusion, the relational interactions fell a bit flat—largely, I suspect, because readers are given little basis for both the romantic and platonic bonds Clair had formed in the previous installment. I think this quote adequately sums up the issue:
"She didn't clearly remember their faces, of their voices, or anything they had done together. They had become holes in her life where real people had once been. Absences rather than presences."
Therein lies much of the trouble I had with this story. Clair references back to these dead people she wants to bring back and a mother she wants to protect, but I had no emotional sense for what they meant to her. Add to that an ending that pulls a reverse Deus ex machina (Diabolus ex machina? Whatever you’d call it when a catastrophic incident comes out of nowhere to cause an apocalypse-level cliffhanger.)
On The Upside:
Clair does present as a strong and sufficiently introspective heroine. The author portrays the frequent action sequences with vivid ease, and a distinctly pleasing literary voice. The twist toward the end was both interesting and satisfying. And this reviewer particularly appreciated the idea of the Abstainers (Stainers)—people who refused to use the artificial matter-making/matter-transporting technology—who are shunned and persecuted for their simplicity of lifestyle.
While I don’t think this series is for me, I would be interested to pick up something else by this author.
Read
March 15, 2017Personal Response: I really enjoyed this book, but I believe that it could have been slowed down a bit. The book was very fast paced, and I like fast paced books, but it was too fast. It was hard to keep track of everything that was going on because it was so fast.
Plot: Q had just helped Clair shut down the Dmat, but now all kinds of people are dying and the dupes are endlessly coming out. Clair has a few peacekeepers trying to protect her, but the dupes always end up knowing where she is. She meets Devin, a part of Radical, who wants to help her. Clair doesn't know who she can who she can trust anymore. Q is not there to help her, but everyone wants to know where Q is. The three peacekeepers that are with her, Jessie, Devin, and her head to Radicals base. There they are safe, but they come up with a plan to kill all the dupes and destroy their source. When the dupes came the power kept flickering off and on, but no one could figure it out. Clair thought maybe for a second that it was Q, but quickly shook the thought away. From their Clair needed to go out and try to find why there was a problem. As the dupes kept attacking, they were getting in. Three dupes came up and told Clair not to trust Nobody, the dupe that is after Clair specifically. Nobody finds Clair and tells her the only way to get the dupes to stop chasing her is to find out originally whom Nobody was before he because a dupe. PK Draker managed to get Clair away from Nobody before he blew up and to safety. They decided the only safe place to go was to the WHOLE base that was over in Russia. When they got their, they went in to talk to the leader and she told Jessie that he needs to pronounce it to the whole world that he is in WHOLE or they won't help Clair. Clair still thought that Q was alive and most likely at the base of creating the dupes. They found a place in space where they thought would contain where the dupes were getting created. Jessie and Devin went to look, because it would have been too risky for Clair to go out. When the PKs came back into consciousness, Sergeant, who was secretly Q, got very worried. She said if they destroyed the station, the whole world would blow up. Nobody started laughing from his cell, and told them there is no safe place. Q remember where they kept all the codes of the people for Dmat, and said it was the only chance they have. They got there and Clair was standing in a time and week before when they went to the Crashlanders party. There were two Clairs, and they both were alive.
Characterization: Clair had started the book out trusting everyone. Slowly she learned not everyone was trustworthy. She slowly because not trusting anybody except herself and Jessie.
Jessie was a member of the WHOLE but when they needed to get somewhere they used a system close to the Dmat. He was forced to use them and slowly started to do things that he wouldn´t before. He then sacrificed himself to save Clair.
Recommendation: I think anyone who has a good handle on books would like this book. Especially people who like action. This is a fast paced book so it can be hard to handle, but I think early high school or late middle school students would be able to keep up.
Plot: Q had just helped Clair shut down the Dmat, but now all kinds of people are dying and the dupes are endlessly coming out. Clair has a few peacekeepers trying to protect her, but the dupes always end up knowing where she is. She meets Devin, a part of Radical, who wants to help her. Clair doesn't know who she can who she can trust anymore. Q is not there to help her, but everyone wants to know where Q is. The three peacekeepers that are with her, Jessie, Devin, and her head to Radicals base. There they are safe, but they come up with a plan to kill all the dupes and destroy their source. When the dupes came the power kept flickering off and on, but no one could figure it out. Clair thought maybe for a second that it was Q, but quickly shook the thought away. From their Clair needed to go out and try to find why there was a problem. As the dupes kept attacking, they were getting in. Three dupes came up and told Clair not to trust Nobody, the dupe that is after Clair specifically. Nobody finds Clair and tells her the only way to get the dupes to stop chasing her is to find out originally whom Nobody was before he because a dupe. PK Draker managed to get Clair away from Nobody before he blew up and to safety. They decided the only safe place to go was to the WHOLE base that was over in Russia. When they got their, they went in to talk to the leader and she told Jessie that he needs to pronounce it to the whole world that he is in WHOLE or they won't help Clair. Clair still thought that Q was alive and most likely at the base of creating the dupes. They found a place in space where they thought would contain where the dupes were getting created. Jessie and Devin went to look, because it would have been too risky for Clair to go out. When the PKs came back into consciousness, Sergeant, who was secretly Q, got very worried. She said if they destroyed the station, the whole world would blow up. Nobody started laughing from his cell, and told them there is no safe place. Q remember where they kept all the codes of the people for Dmat, and said it was the only chance they have. They got there and Clair was standing in a time and week before when they went to the Crashlanders party. There were two Clairs, and they both were alive.
Characterization: Clair had started the book out trusting everyone. Slowly she learned not everyone was trustworthy. She slowly because not trusting anybody except herself and Jessie.
Jessie was a member of the WHOLE but when they needed to get somewhere they used a system close to the Dmat. He was forced to use them and slowly started to do things that he wouldn´t before. He then sacrificed himself to save Clair.
Recommendation: I think anyone who has a good handle on books would like this book. Especially people who like action. This is a fast paced book so it can be hard to handle, but I think early high school or late middle school students would be able to keep up.
April 27, 2014
I received an ARC of this book. Crash is due out November 2014
We pick up basically straight off the where the first book left off. Claire and Jesse are on the run still and they have picked up a couple of PK's (Peace Keepers) as companions. Being hailed as the "Girl Who Broke D-Mat" is racking Claire as she wants it fixed. People are stranded around the world, they can't get to hospitals or they are trapped in unusual places. Claire's friends are not talking to her and there are different groups of people who are after her. What Clarie needs is a safe place to hide so she can figure out what is next.
Claire and her companions are on a mission to find Q and to find out who keeps targeting her. They team up with RADICAL and WHOLE (Two opposite groups) and it is a race to find out the information she needs to fix the world before it ends.
I really liked reading this series. There are some slow parts where I skimmed a few passages, but those are few and far between. The world the author has created can be a little low on background detail of the world itself. Sometimes it feels like it is set in the far future and then it's like it's now, except with teleportation. These nit picks are tiny though, the story kept me reading right to the end and I know want to find out in the conclusion. The ending was so fabulous that you really didn't know how it was going to end.
I would recommend reading this series and if you find it hard going, keep at it! The characters develop and the storyline grows. A fantastic tale by a brilliant author.
We pick up basically straight off the where the first book left off. Claire and Jesse are on the run still and they have picked up a couple of PK's (Peace Keepers) as companions. Being hailed as the "Girl Who Broke D-Mat" is racking Claire as she wants it fixed. People are stranded around the world, they can't get to hospitals or they are trapped in unusual places. Claire's friends are not talking to her and there are different groups of people who are after her. What Clarie needs is a safe place to hide so she can figure out what is next.
Claire and her companions are on a mission to find Q and to find out who keeps targeting her. They team up with RADICAL and WHOLE (Two opposite groups) and it is a race to find out the information she needs to fix the world before it ends.
I really liked reading this series. There are some slow parts where I skimmed a few passages, but those are few and far between. The world the author has created can be a little low on background detail of the world itself. Sometimes it feels like it is set in the far future and then it's like it's now, except with teleportation. These nit picks are tiny though, the story kept me reading right to the end and I know want to find out in the conclusion. The ending was so fabulous that you really didn't know how it was going to end.
I would recommend reading this series and if you find it hard going, keep at it! The characters develop and the storyline grows. A fantastic tale by a brilliant author.
November 7, 2014
**I received this book for free from Balzer + Bray/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* YA, Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.0
*Full Review to Follow*
Action packed. Filled with Mysteries. Not last book in series with THAT cliffhanger ending!
*Recvd 05/29/2014 via Edelweiss* Published: November 4th 2014 by Balzer + Bray
*Genre* YA, Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.0
*Full Review to Follow*
Action packed. Filled with Mysteries. Not last book in series with THAT cliffhanger ending!
*Recvd 05/29/2014 via Edelweiss* Published: November 4th 2014 by Balzer + Bray
June 14, 2017
Not the ending to this book that I was expecting! I'm super interested to see where it goes in the next book. Before knowing that there was a book after this, I was devastated at the end when everyone ended up dead, and almost ended up in tears. I'm excited to see what happens and how this all gets fixed.
October 10, 2024
2024
2022
2018
2022
2018
February 16, 2019
Fantastic book two to a wonderful sci-fi trilogy.
September 20, 2021
I got the first book in a humblebundle years ago and only just now got around to getting the rest of the books. I enjoyed the first book, but my reading list is huge, so it took a while to get here. I thought about the first book a few times before actually getting to this one. When you think about a book, even years later, it says that it's a good book - that it touched you somehow. Well, that it did.
I was a little lost at first because I didn't re-read the first book; however, I was quickly able to get back into it and remember. Exciting story, good world-building, and I'm excited to move onto the next book.
I was a little lost at first because I didn't re-read the first book; however, I was quickly able to get back into it and remember. Exciting story, good world-building, and I'm excited to move onto the next book.
April 30, 2024
Book two wild ride
I don't usually give out 5 star ratings. And even more rarely do I give them out to anything past the 1st book in a series. But this had me twisted up as much as the main character. It's as if this writer took the simplest transporter "beam me up scotty" idea and ran it through a ten step program. It makes you really think about the moral and ethical dilemmas of what this kind of technology could really do. Loved it almost as much as the Bobiverse. Almost.
I don't usually give out 5 star ratings. And even more rarely do I give them out to anything past the 1st book in a series. But this had me twisted up as much as the main character. It's as if this writer took the simplest transporter "beam me up scotty" idea and ran it through a ten step program. It makes you really think about the moral and ethical dilemmas of what this kind of technology could really do. Loved it almost as much as the Bobiverse. Almost.
August 20, 2017
An interesting read, but I have such a difficult time following the plot and the character's motivations. I have no idea what's going on and it's so frustrating because otherwise, this could be a pretty good book. The author needs to be clearer on what the heck is going on and stop speaking in metaphors and sci-fi terms.
August 26, 2021
This took me more than two months to get through, when I normally read a book in two or three days. I ultimately finished it because I wanted to return it to the library and I'd already invested a couple hours in it. It didn't make me want to continue reading. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book. I would recommend it to almost anyone, it just didn't click with me personally.
November 26, 2021
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3794666.html
Did not finish. Sequel to a book I haven't read and annoyed me with an exposition scene where detectives tell a suspect what has been going on
Did not finish. Sequel to a book I haven't read and annoyed me with an exposition scene where detectives tell a suspect what has been going on
October 11, 2017
It became a reading like the author couldn't figure out where to go, so was rambling many times. I enjoyed the first book, but struggled with this sequel.
March 19, 2018
It was good but not as good as the first one.
May 9, 2019
Absolutely trilling
June 20, 2020
What a riveting adventure!
November 24, 2022
Non-stop, fast-paced, had me at page 1!
January 6, 2024
Really great book that had me hooked! I was very shocked by the plot twists and really enjoyed it. Can't wait to read the next one! 😊
July 22, 2015
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/11/c...
This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
The Twinmaker series is a intricate science fiction future, with a rebellion against technology and a strong social message. Crash begins moments after Jump, with Clair now in the custody of the Peacekeepers and the world is in turmoil. Clair is beginning to realise the full extent of her actions, and sees the need to make rational decisions, the fate of the world may just depend on what path Clair chooses next. In Crash, I felt a compassion for Clair that I couldn't connect with in the previous novel, waking up knowing that each day may be her last. She isn't quite sure who to trust and her every move is being watched by millions around the world who are flooding the Air network with stories, gossip and lies. Her only ally is Jesse, who is a proud Abstainer. He refuses to use any form of technology or modern day conveniences, rather opting for an organic lifestyle. Clair needs to restore the technological dependent society. while Jesse believes that the world will adapt.
Once again, romance isn't the focal point of the storyline. Where character development and world building were at the forefront in Jump, Crash needed to more than the deliberating and devising by characters to lift the storyline and progress in Jesse and Clair's relationship. It wasn't until after the first few chapters, where I was able to understand where Crash was headed. In the beginning, I felt disconnected to both the characters and storyline and only minor segments of book one were scattered throughout. With a lengthy wait between each book in the series, I needed a little more to be able to immerse myself from the first few pages, perhaps a prologue would have sufficed.
More science fiction than dystopian, I really enjoyed the inclusion of the Dupes, where characters were artificially brought back to life and in mass. The only way to stop the production of their creation, is to destroy the patterns stolen from the use of the D Mat technology. But the majority of the storyline was spent speculating about the mysterious AI dubbed Q, and deliberating how to destroy the Dupes while fleeing to their next relatively safe location. Sadly it became a little too repetitive.
The most stunning aspect of the Twinmaker series is the social and moral questions it raises. How Improvement was used to alter your physical appearance, being able to fabricate not just inanimate objects but also another version of yourself. The Air is a widely used social media superhighway, that isn't just a modern convenience but a way of life. Anyone doubting it's application, such as the Abstainers or RADICAL are publicly mocked for their simple beliefs. Society has already proven that cloning is already possible, but as a whole, we've already reached the point where we rely heavily on technology and the Twinmaker series emphasises how dependent we all are.
Although I was a little disappointed at the lack of development in Crash, the stunning and surprising climax has me needing to know where Sean Williams will end the series. I'm looking forward to Fall, the finale installment in the Twinmaker series.
This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
The Twinmaker series is a intricate science fiction future, with a rebellion against technology and a strong social message. Crash begins moments after Jump, with Clair now in the custody of the Peacekeepers and the world is in turmoil. Clair is beginning to realise the full extent of her actions, and sees the need to make rational decisions, the fate of the world may just depend on what path Clair chooses next. In Crash, I felt a compassion for Clair that I couldn't connect with in the previous novel, waking up knowing that each day may be her last. She isn't quite sure who to trust and her every move is being watched by millions around the world who are flooding the Air network with stories, gossip and lies. Her only ally is Jesse, who is a proud Abstainer. He refuses to use any form of technology or modern day conveniences, rather opting for an organic lifestyle. Clair needs to restore the technological dependent society. while Jesse believes that the world will adapt.
Once again, romance isn't the focal point of the storyline. Where character development and world building were at the forefront in Jump, Crash needed to more than the deliberating and devising by characters to lift the storyline and progress in Jesse and Clair's relationship. It wasn't until after the first few chapters, where I was able to understand where Crash was headed. In the beginning, I felt disconnected to both the characters and storyline and only minor segments of book one were scattered throughout. With a lengthy wait between each book in the series, I needed a little more to be able to immerse myself from the first few pages, perhaps a prologue would have sufficed.
More science fiction than dystopian, I really enjoyed the inclusion of the Dupes, where characters were artificially brought back to life and in mass. The only way to stop the production of their creation, is to destroy the patterns stolen from the use of the D Mat technology. But the majority of the storyline was spent speculating about the mysterious AI dubbed Q, and deliberating how to destroy the Dupes while fleeing to their next relatively safe location. Sadly it became a little too repetitive.
The most stunning aspect of the Twinmaker series is the social and moral questions it raises. How Improvement was used to alter your physical appearance, being able to fabricate not just inanimate objects but also another version of yourself. The Air is a widely used social media superhighway, that isn't just a modern convenience but a way of life. Anyone doubting it's application, such as the Abstainers or RADICAL are publicly mocked for their simple beliefs. Society has already proven that cloning is already possible, but as a whole, we've already reached the point where we rely heavily on technology and the Twinmaker series emphasises how dependent we all are.
Although I was a little disappointed at the lack of development in Crash, the stunning and surprising climax has me needing to know where Sean Williams will end the series. I'm looking forward to Fall, the finale installment in the Twinmaker series.
July 12, 2015
Crash by Sean Williams is the sequel to Jump, which I read a year and a half ago. The long gap between reading was a bit annoying because the events of book one had become a bit of a hazy memory. While I remembered the key characters, some of the details had become rather vague. However, I didn't find this an impediment to getting back into the story. There wasn't a huge amount of recapping, but there was enough to know what was going on. I'm pretty sure this review will contain spoilers for the first book.
This middle instalment of the trilogy follows Clair and her unusual band of friends as they mostly run away from things and try to survive. D-mat is broken and the world is in chaos from their sudden inability to travel anywhere further than walking distance (more or less). Clair, having contributed to the developing apocalypse, wants to do something about it. In particular, she wants to find Q who has disappeared and, with increasing urgency, deal with the new problems that arise like all the people trying to kill her.
This was actually a surprisingly violent book. It fit and made sense in the context, but a lot of people died, many of them off-page, but a lot of them also in proximity to Clair. Admittedly, many of these people weren't "proper" people, being dupes — clones controlled by someone else, loosely speaking — but there were still a lot of blood and guts. A warning for those who may not be in the mood for such things.
For Clair and friends the story was a string of disasters, moving from the frying pan into the fire and then the next frying pan several times. It was an entertaining read that had me keen to return to it every time I put the book down. I might have guessed one of the twists before it was revealed, but unlike with some other books I've read, it didn't annoy me that Clair didn't make the same connection until much later. There was a lot of evidence pointing both ways and I wasn't completely sure until it was confirmed.
If you enjoyed Jump (or Twinmaker in the US) I definitely recommend reading Crash (or Crashland in the US). If you haven't read any of this series, this is not the book to start with. It's very much a continuation of the story started in Jump. In general, I would definitely recommend this series to fans of YA and SF, especially to anyone that likes philosophical questions brought into their stories.
4.5 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
This middle instalment of the trilogy follows Clair and her unusual band of friends as they mostly run away from things and try to survive. D-mat is broken and the world is in chaos from their sudden inability to travel anywhere further than walking distance (more or less). Clair, having contributed to the developing apocalypse, wants to do something about it. In particular, she wants to find Q who has disappeared and, with increasing urgency, deal with the new problems that arise like all the people trying to kill her.
This was actually a surprisingly violent book. It fit and made sense in the context, but a lot of people died, many of them off-page, but a lot of them also in proximity to Clair. Admittedly, many of these people weren't "proper" people, being dupes — clones controlled by someone else, loosely speaking — but there were still a lot of blood and guts. A warning for those who may not be in the mood for such things.
For Clair and friends the story was a string of disasters, moving from the frying pan into the fire and then the next frying pan several times. It was an entertaining read that had me keen to return to it every time I put the book down. I might have guessed one of the twists before it was revealed, but unlike with some other books I've read, it didn't annoy me that Clair didn't make the same connection until much later. There was a lot of evidence pointing both ways and I wasn't completely sure until it was confirmed.
If you enjoyed Jump (or Twinmaker in the US) I definitely recommend reading Crash (or Crashland in the US). If you haven't read any of this series, this is not the book to start with. It's very much a continuation of the story started in Jump. In general, I would definitely recommend this series to fans of YA and SF, especially to anyone that likes philosophical questions brought into their stories.
4.5 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
November 19, 2014
Just as action-packed as its predecessor Crash (published outside of Australia as Crashland,) opens directly where the events of Jump (or Twinmaker) left off. Clair has betrayed her friend Q (an AI with some very humanlike qualities,) and the D-Mat network (a teleportation operation system, similar to what was used on Star Trek) is broken, leaving many people around the world stranded. A number of groups with conflicting philosophies want to work with Clair, and the peacekeepers want to use her to track down Q who may hold the key to fixing the d-mat network. There are a number of dupes who want her killed. And then, of course, there is Clair's budding relationship with abstainer Jesse. But who can Clair really trust?
As I said, this one is just as action-packed as the first book in the series. The narrative is a little confusing at times as Clair tries to navigate her way safely through this new world and attempts to track down Q. The answer to who is responsible for most of the drama is a surprising, though fitting, one. Clair is a resourceful heroine, but she also has many humanlike qualities that give the character a real sense of balance. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Jesse--as a character who has abstained from the technology in the book, he felt to me as a reader to be a bit of a link between the real world and the futuristic world that is depicted in the series. Or maybe that's just me.
One element of the book that absolutely deserves more discussion is Q. Q is six day old Artificial Intelligence with some very humanlike qualities--Q has a gender and an emotional range that causes her to spend most of the novel sulking and refusing to answer Clair's repeated calls for help. As one of the characters notes about Q, she is smarter than the characters in the book, but what keeps her at their level is her inexperience. (She is, after all, just six days old.) And Q is, of course, the real reason why so many groups are interested in Clair. Whoever can reach out to Q--or possibly control her--is the person who holds all the power.
Crash was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a Sci-fi book with young, resourceful and realistic characters, and a read that does not rely on the usual YA/mass market tropes.
Highly recommended.
This review also appears on my blog, Kathryn's Inbox.
As I said, this one is just as action-packed as the first book in the series. The narrative is a little confusing at times as Clair tries to navigate her way safely through this new world and attempts to track down Q. The answer to who is responsible for most of the drama is a surprising, though fitting, one. Clair is a resourceful heroine, but she also has many humanlike qualities that give the character a real sense of balance. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Jesse--as a character who has abstained from the technology in the book, he felt to me as a reader to be a bit of a link between the real world and the futuristic world that is depicted in the series. Or maybe that's just me.
One element of the book that absolutely deserves more discussion is Q. Q is six day old Artificial Intelligence with some very humanlike qualities--Q has a gender and an emotional range that causes her to spend most of the novel sulking and refusing to answer Clair's repeated calls for help. As one of the characters notes about Q, she is smarter than the characters in the book, but what keeps her at their level is her inexperience. (She is, after all, just six days old.) And Q is, of course, the real reason why so many groups are interested in Clair. Whoever can reach out to Q--or possibly control her--is the person who holds all the power.
Crash was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a Sci-fi book with young, resourceful and realistic characters, and a read that does not rely on the usual YA/mass market tropes.
Highly recommended.
This review also appears on my blog, Kathryn's Inbox.
August 12, 2015
http://abooktopia.weebly.com
Crashland is a fantastic tale that raises philosophical questions about right and wrong, and what is humane. - Abooktopia
Where is Q? What is she? And most importantly, where does she stand? That’s what everyone wants to know. A question, that Clair does not have an answer to. D-mat is broken, and society does not know how to survive without it. Unable to leave or travel, people are unable to access hospitals halfway across the world. The world is in turmoil, and it’s all Clair’s fault. Hailed as the girl who broke d-mat, her only hopes of fixing the world, is through Q. Yet somehow Q has managed to stay under the radar. She can’t be found unless she wants to be found. With dupes now after Clair, and society blaming her for the world’s chaos, Clair is desperate to survive and make it out through all of this.
Crashland: Crash, once again embodies the impacts and dependency of technology. Whilst at the same time bringing fourth questions battling against morals and beliefs. Right and wrong. Why should someone get to choose who lives and who dies? Why should someone have the authority to decide whom to bring back from the dead? This novel is filled with action along with cunning twists and turns that will keep you reading on.
The relationship between Clair and Jesse is once again very interesting and peculiar. Clair wants to restore d-mat, whilst Jesse wants the world to adapt to the abstainer lifestyle. Beliefs and morals battling against another. Clair grew as character as she observed herself during her voyage to fix the world, and slowly began to lean from her mistakes.
The ending truly won me over with its cleverness, and well thought out ideas. I am exhilarated to begin Hollowgirl: Fall, and cannot wait to see where Clair will stand, and what will happen next. The characters overall were well developed and grew together as the storyline grew.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
December 24, 2014
Thank goodness for technology--I finished Twinmaker and had Crashland on my kindle within five minutes. These books are addictive.
While I knew I had to read this, I was skeptical going into Crashland. I thought that Twinmaker could easily have been a stand alone book and been tied up quite simply. So often, trilogies geared towards young adults have very strong leads and very lucklaster sequels. However, Crashland kept me tense and on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
The world Williams has created is very complex. Though at times it can be difficult to understand, we're guided with relative ease through the various groups of people that emerge politically in this sequel. While it's not about politics at all, there's a small gleam that raises interesting points about governance and how society would work under one government.
Like Twinmaker, Crashland raises a lot of interesting philosophical questions. It builds on ones previously raised--just when we thought these moral dilemmas were complex, they get even more so.
Clair really grows as a character, as she observes herself. She doesn't change too drastically--she evolves in a logical progression. The characters in these books are very well developed, many of them having their own motives and staying unpredictable in a way that makes sense.
There really was no way to guess where this book would go--Crashland moves at a rapid pace and despite the complexities of the world it's set in, is definitely comprehensible, though at times the plot gets rather complex and various groups of people are hard to keep track of.
Twinmaker and Crashland are fantastic--but Crashland's cliffhanger is immense. I need Hollowgirl, and I need it now.
While I knew I had to read this, I was skeptical going into Crashland. I thought that Twinmaker could easily have been a stand alone book and been tied up quite simply. So often, trilogies geared towards young adults have very strong leads and very lucklaster sequels. However, Crashland kept me tense and on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
The world Williams has created is very complex. Though at times it can be difficult to understand, we're guided with relative ease through the various groups of people that emerge politically in this sequel. While it's not about politics at all, there's a small gleam that raises interesting points about governance and how society would work under one government.
Like Twinmaker, Crashland raises a lot of interesting philosophical questions. It builds on ones previously raised--just when we thought these moral dilemmas were complex, they get even more so.
Clair really grows as a character, as she observes herself. She doesn't change too drastically--she evolves in a logical progression. The characters in these books are very well developed, many of them having their own motives and staying unpredictable in a way that makes sense.
There really was no way to guess where this book would go--Crashland moves at a rapid pace and despite the complexities of the world it's set in, is definitely comprehensible, though at times the plot gets rather complex and various groups of people are hard to keep track of.
Twinmaker and Crashland are fantastic--but Crashland's cliffhanger is immense. I need Hollowgirl, and I need it now.
May 10, 2015
Huge thank you to the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this. I'm writing this honest review to say thank you!
MY GOD THAT ENDING. Williams is EVIL with his endings. I need the next book NOW (which is pretty much how I felt at the end of Twinmaker.
So this book picks up where the first book left off and you are THROWN into the mix and the pace does NOT slow down at all. This is good because it makes you want to plow through the book and keeps you on the edge of your seat... but it didn't work for me ALL the time because sometimes it felt that things were going a little TOO fast. I got confused and found myself having to backtrack a bit. I even had to go back and re-read the end of Twinmaker. So I would have liked a few more moments to breathe.
Overall this was excellent. I loved the philosophical arguments, the mix of characters, and the jumps all around the world. I LOVE the names that Williams uses in these books too. Some are so refreshingly original and clever and some are just so normal that they fit. I really loved the new characters (especially the twins) and how we got to know some characters better.
I would have liked a little more romance between Clair and Jesse. There were some moments that had so much potential and they would kiss and... fade out. Or Jesse would fall asleep. I know this isn't a romance-heavy novel, but I WANTED MORE THEY ARE SO SWEET TOGETHER.
And Q. Q. Q. Q. DAMN. I didn't see that coming. Again. I love that I don't see this stuff coming.
Next book nowwwwwwwwwww please!
MY GOD THAT ENDING. Williams is EVIL with his endings. I need the next book NOW (which is pretty much how I felt at the end of Twinmaker.
So this book picks up where the first book left off and you are THROWN into the mix and the pace does NOT slow down at all. This is good because it makes you want to plow through the book and keeps you on the edge of your seat... but it didn't work for me ALL the time because sometimes it felt that things were going a little TOO fast. I got confused and found myself having to backtrack a bit. I even had to go back and re-read the end of Twinmaker. So I would have liked a few more moments to breathe.
Overall this was excellent. I loved the philosophical arguments, the mix of characters, and the jumps all around the world. I LOVE the names that Williams uses in these books too. Some are so refreshingly original and clever and some are just so normal that they fit. I really loved the new characters (especially the twins) and how we got to know some characters better.
I would have liked a little more romance between Clair and Jesse. There were some moments that had so much potential and they would kiss and... fade out. Or Jesse would fall asleep. I know this isn't a romance-heavy novel, but I WANTED MORE THEY ARE SO SWEET TOGETHER.
And Q. Q. Q. Q. DAMN. I didn't see that coming. Again. I love that I don't see this stuff coming.
Next book nowwwwwwwwwww please!
March 4, 2016
This book #2 picks up after Clair shut down the world’s d-mat network, which was the world’s as people could transport (think Star Trek) anywhere at any time. Known as “the girl who killed d-mat,” Clair’s under scrutiny and doesn’t know who to trust. Her romance with Jesse is still complicated because she wants the world to return to its previous technologies, like d-mat, and Jesse wants to resume his life as an Abstainer (one who does not use d-mat as they believe it changes you). Now that everyone knows that Ant Wallace used d-mat to create clones of anyone who ever used the machine, called dupes, how can anyone tell who is the ‘real’ person and who isn’t? Even more confusing, once someone’s information/DNA is in d-mat, even if that person dies, they can be resurrected using a d-mat. New rebellions are fighting as the government struggles to control the riots caused by the lack of technology and the new issues involving what to do with not only the duplicates, but also the so-called ‘zombies’--people who actually died but have now been brought back to life. In order to fix d-mat and return back to a life of technology, the artificial intelligence overseer of d-mat, known as Q, must be found. After Clair was forced to betray Q’s friendship in the first book, her focus is now trying to find Q and make amends. Teens who liked the first book will continue to enjoy the non-stop action intermixed with romance, but much of the technology lacks clear explanation and the plot slows in places.
October 12, 2014
Check out my blog UtopiaNeverComes.blogspot.com for more great reviews!!
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There are only 2 reasons why it would take me FIVE days to read a book that it would normally take me 2 to 3 days to read: 1, I love the book so much that I want to savor every second of it, or 2, it is so confusing and boring that I fall asleep every time I pick it up. I am sorry Mr. Williams, but your book was of great use in catching up on my sleep. I feel awful in ever saying that a book is bad, because I know an author puts time into writing a book & I am a fan of all Young Adult books, but there was not a whole lot that I loved about this one.
In Twinmaker, we follow Clair on her journey to save her friend Libby from the dangerous program Improvement that is duplicating its users. In Crashland, Clair has given up (for the majority of the book) on Libby. I feel like her whole reason for going to action in book 1 was forgotten. This caused me to be confused for the whole beginning of the book. By the ending, I'm so fed up with it, I have been rushing through it so I could get it over. The whip lash I've gotten from the back & forth decision making is killing me... and every character that died in the series is suddenly able to come back from the dead at the end of the book?? Maybe that was why no one was sad when their family members were offed?
I gave book 2 a chance after I was unhappy with book 1, I wouldn't read book 3.
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There are only 2 reasons why it would take me FIVE days to read a book that it would normally take me 2 to 3 days to read: 1, I love the book so much that I want to savor every second of it, or 2, it is so confusing and boring that I fall asleep every time I pick it up. I am sorry Mr. Williams, but your book was of great use in catching up on my sleep. I feel awful in ever saying that a book is bad, because I know an author puts time into writing a book & I am a fan of all Young Adult books, but there was not a whole lot that I loved about this one.
In Twinmaker, we follow Clair on her journey to save her friend Libby from the dangerous program Improvement that is duplicating its users. In Crashland, Clair has given up (for the majority of the book) on Libby. I feel like her whole reason for going to action in book 1 was forgotten. This caused me to be confused for the whole beginning of the book. By the ending, I'm so fed up with it, I have been rushing through it so I could get it over. The whip lash I've gotten from the back & forth decision making is killing me... and every character that died in the series is suddenly able to come back from the dead at the end of the book?? Maybe that was why no one was sad when their family members were offed?
I gave book 2 a chance after I was unhappy with book 1, I wouldn't read book 3.
May 2, 2014
I am a massive fan of the Twinmaker series and when I first got my hands on a copy of this book (ARC) I immediately cancelled all plans to dive straight into it.
Crash is a bit of a slower start than the first book in the series, with quite a frustrating sequence of chases in the initial half. But then the truly unseen whopper of an ending hit me like a tidal wave in the chest and had me scrambling for breath by the end.
The end was completely unexpected and it is when you reach this final third of Crashland that you suddenly understand the way the first part of the book has been set out and why you must read it again, immediately, so you can see for yourself where those clues were hidden.
The relationships in this book reach a new level of complexity with Q being a much more flawed character than I ever thought she would be, so much so that I am unsure whether she will be able to gain back my trust in the third installment of this series. Her unpredictability is shown beautifully by Williams.
I feel sorry for Clair in this book, she tries so hard. In a way, this series is all about the mistakes good people make, and what happens when you can't escape the consequences of those mistakes.
For those of you who like the first book, I think if you persevere with this one til the end you will be as shocked as I was, and just as keen to find out what happens next.
Crash is a bit of a slower start than the first book in the series, with quite a frustrating sequence of chases in the initial half. But then the truly unseen whopper of an ending hit me like a tidal wave in the chest and had me scrambling for breath by the end.
The end was completely unexpected and it is when you reach this final third of Crashland that you suddenly understand the way the first part of the book has been set out and why you must read it again, immediately, so you can see for yourself where those clues were hidden.
The relationships in this book reach a new level of complexity with Q being a much more flawed character than I ever thought she would be, so much so that I am unsure whether she will be able to gain back my trust in the third installment of this series. Her unpredictability is shown beautifully by Williams.
I feel sorry for Clair in this book, she tries so hard. In a way, this series is all about the mistakes good people make, and what happens when you can't escape the consequences of those mistakes.
For those of you who like the first book, I think if you persevere with this one til the end you will be as shocked as I was, and just as keen to find out what happens next.
May 2, 2014
I am a massive fan of the Twinmaker series and when I first got my hands on a copy of this book (ARC) I immediately cancelled all plans to dive straight into it.
Crash is a bit of a slower start than the first book in the series, with quite a frustrating sequence of chases in the initial half. But then the truly unseen whopper of an ending hit me like a tidal wave in the chest and had me scrambling for breath by the end.
The end was completely unexpected and it is when you reach this final third of Crashland that you suddenly understand the way the first part of the book has been set out and why you must read it again, immediately, so you can see for yourself where those clues were hidden.
The relationships in this book reach a new level of complexity with Q being a much more flawed character than I ever thought she would be, so much so that I am unsure whether she will be able to gain back my trust in the third installment of this series. Her unpredictability is shown beautifully by Williams.
I feel sorry for Clair in this book, she tries so hard. In a way, this series is all about the mistakes good people make, and what happens when you can't escape the consequences of those mistakes.
For those of you who like the first book, I think if you persevere with this one til the end you will be as shocked as I was, and just as keen to find out what happens next.
Crash is a bit of a slower start than the first book in the series, with quite a frustrating sequence of chases in the initial half. But then the truly unseen whopper of an ending hit me like a tidal wave in the chest and had me scrambling for breath by the end.
The end was completely unexpected and it is when you reach this final third of Crashland that you suddenly understand the way the first part of the book has been set out and why you must read it again, immediately, so you can see for yourself where those clues were hidden.
The relationships in this book reach a new level of complexity with Q being a much more flawed character than I ever thought she would be, so much so that I am unsure whether she will be able to gain back my trust in the third installment of this series. Her unpredictability is shown beautifully by Williams.
I feel sorry for Clair in this book, she tries so hard. In a way, this series is all about the mistakes good people make, and what happens when you can't escape the consequences of those mistakes.
For those of you who like the first book, I think if you persevere with this one til the end you will be as shocked as I was, and just as keen to find out what happens next.
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