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The Sanction #1
Purenet
Purenet is one of six wealthy Sanctions, formed by the Emperor and the Untouchables after a devastating world war.
Only those born in Purenet have the privilege of living under the dome, protecting their bodies from the sun’s deadly UVA rays.
Skylier is desperate to escape her underground confines and save her mother’s life.
On a school visit, she hears something she’s not supposed to, and now she realizes that not only is her whole life a lie, but she is in grave danger… She doesn’t know who to trust, and her enemies are everywhere… even closer than she realizes.
Now she is in a race against time to save not only her life, but her mother's and those she cares about. And if she fails, she'll suffer a fate worse than death..."
Only those born in Purenet have the privilege of living under the dome, protecting their bodies from the sun’s deadly UVA rays.
Skylier is desperate to escape her underground confines and save her mother’s life.
On a school visit, she hears something she’s not supposed to, and now she realizes that not only is her whole life a lie, but she is in grave danger… She doesn’t know who to trust, and her enemies are everywhere… even closer than she realizes.
Now she is in a race against time to save not only her life, but her mother's and those she cares about. And if she fails, she'll suffer a fate worse than death..."
166 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
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921 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 22, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author HJLawson and NetGalley.)
“It’s funny that, when we are young, all we want to do is get older; and when we are old, all we want is to be young again.”
This was an okay story, but I was glad that it was short.
The characters in this book were okay, but I didn’t really love any of them. I felt quite sorry for Skylier with her mother being ill, and her only choices being to incubate babies or become a prostitute in order to pay for medicine, but I still didn’t love her.
“If I become a Host, every day I could try something new, and smell the roses. As I look around the room, it’s clear that my classmates are thinking the same thing.”
The storyline in this wasn’t bad, but I just didn’t feel sucked into the story. The living underground reminded me a bit of ‘Red Rising’, the domes reminded me of several different books, and the being a ‘host’ for babies also reminded me of several other books. There were a couple of things that I didn’t see coming, and they were quite interesting, but I think this was probably just a case of wrong-person, wrong-book for me.
“Looking through the canyon one again, past the beauty of the oasis, the true horror takes its form.”
The ending to this was okay, but it did feel very much like more of a pause for the next book rather than a proper ending. To be honest I was glad that this book was short, because I think otherwise I would have disliked this rather than being ambivalent.
“Don’t worry, Skylier, everyone is nice here… so long as you follow the rules,” he whispers into my ear.
“Three years will go fast… it always does.”
6 out of 10
“It’s funny that, when we are young, all we want to do is get older; and when we are old, all we want is to be young again.”
This was an okay story, but I was glad that it was short.
The characters in this book were okay, but I didn’t really love any of them. I felt quite sorry for Skylier with her mother being ill, and her only choices being to incubate babies or become a prostitute in order to pay for medicine, but I still didn’t love her.
“If I become a Host, every day I could try something new, and smell the roses. As I look around the room, it’s clear that my classmates are thinking the same thing.”
The storyline in this wasn’t bad, but I just didn’t feel sucked into the story. The living underground reminded me a bit of ‘Red Rising’, the domes reminded me of several different books, and the being a ‘host’ for babies also reminded me of several other books. There were a couple of things that I didn’t see coming, and they were quite interesting, but I think this was probably just a case of wrong-person, wrong-book for me.
“Looking through the canyon one again, past the beauty of the oasis, the true horror takes its form.”
The ending to this was okay, but it did feel very much like more of a pause for the next book rather than a proper ending. To be honest I was glad that this book was short, because I think otherwise I would have disliked this rather than being ambivalent.
“Don’t worry, Skylier, everyone is nice here… so long as you follow the rules,” he whispers into my ear.
“Three years will go fast… it always does.”
6 out of 10
January 29, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/01/2...
Publisher: HJLawson
Publishing Date: March 2015
ISBN: 9781505665017
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 3.7/5
Publisher Description: Purenet is one of six wealthy Sanctions, formed by the Emperor and the Untouchables after a devastating world war.Only those born in Purenet have the privilege of living under the dome, protecting their bodies from the sun’s deadly UVA rays. Skylier is desperate to escape her underground confines and save her mother’s life.
Review: The length of this verges on being a novella and is usually a little harder to review and rate due to either scene compression or a vagueness in story line. What suffers in these instances is character development. Most reviewers that did not like this novella said that it lacked depth. That tends to occur when authors plan to serialize their works and rush the movement from book to book.
I found this story and the characters entirely engaging as the author did a great job developing characters along with the movement, even though the scenes were a bit compressed. If you can accept the work as it was intended, short and to the point, then YA dystopia is rendered more enjoyable than it usually is. There are some instances that seem out of place like Skylier’s wuv fascinations and “Electric jolts” every time she sees and touches hunky Hayden when in the midst of intense action and charred corpses. Then she later goes on to say that “this is not the time for that” when Hayden and Lowell fight and bicker over her. Then there is the way over done “Mr. Evil Xander”. This character was a little over the top and not believable at all.
I am going to go out on a limb and give this a good rating as I usually only give good novellas a maximum of 3 stars due to the compressed nature of the story line. Lets hope the successive installments don’t get mired in love triangles and mewling bazi.
Publisher: HJLawson
Publishing Date: March 2015
ISBN: 9781505665017
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 3.7/5
Publisher Description: Purenet is one of six wealthy Sanctions, formed by the Emperor and the Untouchables after a devastating world war.Only those born in Purenet have the privilege of living under the dome, protecting their bodies from the sun’s deadly UVA rays. Skylier is desperate to escape her underground confines and save her mother’s life.
Review: The length of this verges on being a novella and is usually a little harder to review and rate due to either scene compression or a vagueness in story line. What suffers in these instances is character development. Most reviewers that did not like this novella said that it lacked depth. That tends to occur when authors plan to serialize their works and rush the movement from book to book.
I found this story and the characters entirely engaging as the author did a great job developing characters along with the movement, even though the scenes were a bit compressed. If you can accept the work as it was intended, short and to the point, then YA dystopia is rendered more enjoyable than it usually is. There are some instances that seem out of place like Skylier’s wuv fascinations and “Electric jolts” every time she sees and touches hunky Hayden when in the midst of intense action and charred corpses. Then she later goes on to say that “this is not the time for that” when Hayden and Lowell fight and bicker over her. Then there is the way over done “Mr. Evil Xander”. This character was a little over the top and not believable at all.
I am going to go out on a limb and give this a good rating as I usually only give good novellas a maximum of 3 stars due to the compressed nature of the story line. Lets hope the successive installments don’t get mired in love triangles and mewling bazi.
July 24, 2016
A NEW WINNER BY H. J. LAWSON!!!
Yesterday, I started reading this book, thinking that I could read the book halfway and leave the other half for the next day, BUT, oh dear! At this point I should already know that H. J. Lawson's books are EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE!!
So I spent my night reading this incredible dystopian and I'm glad I did.
I was a kind of tired of the famous dystopias because they become very predictable and I usually lose interest... But this one:
I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!
The story is AMAZING. The world is a place where I'd love to live (even knowing that there's a lot of evil around) and the characters... I mean, they are super interesting that I think I love them all (Yes, Xander, that includes you!).
It's a very fast reading and every part is very captivating. I found out a HUGE SURPRISE in the Author's note and it was a PLUS for me, so I loved this book even more.
I already told this story to my sister (she doesn't speak English) and she loved it as much as I did.
So, forget all the famous dystopias that you think are great... Purenet is BETTER!!
NOTE: I'm dying to know what happens next!!!
Thanks to the author for providing me this copy. This fact didn't influence the review.
Yesterday, I started reading this book, thinking that I could read the book halfway and leave the other half for the next day, BUT, oh dear! At this point I should already know that H. J. Lawson's books are EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE!!
So I spent my night reading this incredible dystopian and I'm glad I did.
I was a kind of tired of the famous dystopias because they become very predictable and I usually lose interest... But this one:
I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!
The story is AMAZING. The world is a place where I'd love to live (even knowing that there's a lot of evil around) and the characters... I mean, they are super interesting that I think I love them all (Yes, Xander, that includes you!).
It's a very fast reading and every part is very captivating. I found out a HUGE SURPRISE in the Author's note and it was a PLUS for me, so I loved this book even more.
I already told this story to my sister (she doesn't speak English) and she loved it as much as I did.
So, forget all the famous dystopias that you think are great... Purenet is BETTER!!
NOTE: I'm dying to know what happens next!!!
Thanks to the author for providing me this copy. This fact didn't influence the review.
January 10, 2015
I won an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author. The minute I picked up this book, it was page turner for me. The story had such a good hook and a nice way to begin. I really liked the characters and their characteristics. This book has been on my to be read list for a while and I finally have the chance to read it. It's amazing! It definitely caught my attention and I can't wait to read more from the author. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and anyone in general. Trust me, this book is interesting to the minute when you read the first page!
Rate: 5
I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author. The minute I picked up this book, it was page turner for me. The story had such a good hook and a nice way to begin. I really liked the characters and their characteristics. This book has been on my to be read list for a while and I finally have the chance to read it. It's amazing! It definitely caught my attention and I can't wait to read more from the author. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and anyone in general. Trust me, this book is interesting to the minute when you read the first page!
Rate: 5
January 23, 2015
I really liked it, I think it's one the best dystopian sci-fi I've read so far!
And now I'll be waiting like crazy for the rest of the series..
I liked everything about it; the characters, the heroine and the whole story, there is nothing not to like about it..
But I believe it could have been much much better; the conversations are weak sometimes, a bit lame on occasions and some of what happened didn't make much sense to me, maybe because some events were fastened!
And now I'll be waiting like crazy for the rest of the series..
I liked everything about it; the characters, the heroine and the whole story, there is nothing not to like about it..
But I believe it could have been much much better; the conversations are weak sometimes, a bit lame on occasions and some of what happened didn't make much sense to me, maybe because some events were fastened!
April 15, 2015
I read it first as an ebook I won in a giveaway, then I got my free copy from the author and I couldn't help it but to reread it again <3
It was different from my first reading for I always enjoy my paperbacks better and though I loved it I didn't enjoy it as my first reading which makes every sense..
Definitely a dystopian worth reading ^^,
It was different from my first reading for I always enjoy my paperbacks better and though I loved it I didn't enjoy it as my first reading which makes every sense..
Definitely a dystopian worth reading ^^,
June 3, 2018
2.5 Stars
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
March 29, 2015
Purenet is a book where everything happens fairly quickly. Normally dystopian books have a more complex structure and therefore have a longer introduction to the universe, but in Purenet it's all introduced extremely fast, which unfortunately meant that I was often left a bit confused. Several times I had to re-read a few sentences to get the whole meaning, which is a shame.
The story itself is quite exciting, though it doesn't really have anything new to add to the genre, and there were no big surprises in store – at times when you sensed that a great revelation was intended, you had unfortunately already seen it coming from afar, and I missed some of that nerve-wracking tension that often follows the truly good dystopian books. The main character, however, was easy to love, and the plot quite interesting in spite of transparency, so I was still quite entertained throughout the story, and wasn't bored at any time.
Some details were actually incredibly exciting, among other things, the whole idea of the girls "buying" access to the high-tech and exalted part of society, by becoming a Host (aka. Surrogate mother) for the rich peoples children, and then giving them away voluntarily, or by being a Bazi and selling their body to the highest bidder (somewhat like a concubine), while the boys can find riches by participating in a kind of tournament - which we unfortunately don't hear any more about, so that part is still a mystery. It's all portrayed as a bit of a paradise, but our main character has absolutely no interest in taking part in it, and you sense that it's all a facade built to keep the population under control. Unfortunately our main characters appearance is pretty unique, and it looks a bit like she might not even be allowed to choose her own future, regardless of her wishes.
Which brings me to the things that are a bit special in this book. First there's her appearance, and the great interest in her for this very reason, for there is no doubt that it is the Aryan race is in her that attracts so much attention - blond hair, blue eyes and pale skin. Unfortunately this is something that rubbed me a little the wrong way, but it's probably a matter of taste. In addition, she is chosen to be the surrogate mother for a very important person who turns out to be closer connected with our main character than expected (no further explanation here, since I don’t want to risk too many spoilers), and let's just say that the story takes a disturbing twist at this point.
The book has its good and bad sides, but there is potential in its universe. Unfortunately it feels a bit rushed and I think that more detail and depth, and a deep breath once in a while, would be able to pull this book to a much higher level. The book will thus get three roses, for it's actually quite entertaining to read, and since it's neither particularly long or very expensive, it's a pretty good bet for a book of easy and fast entertainment.
*I received this book from NetGalley*
The story itself is quite exciting, though it doesn't really have anything new to add to the genre, and there were no big surprises in store – at times when you sensed that a great revelation was intended, you had unfortunately already seen it coming from afar, and I missed some of that nerve-wracking tension that often follows the truly good dystopian books. The main character, however, was easy to love, and the plot quite interesting in spite of transparency, so I was still quite entertained throughout the story, and wasn't bored at any time.
Some details were actually incredibly exciting, among other things, the whole idea of the girls "buying" access to the high-tech and exalted part of society, by becoming a Host (aka. Surrogate mother) for the rich peoples children, and then giving them away voluntarily, or by being a Bazi and selling their body to the highest bidder (somewhat like a concubine), while the boys can find riches by participating in a kind of tournament - which we unfortunately don't hear any more about, so that part is still a mystery. It's all portrayed as a bit of a paradise, but our main character has absolutely no interest in taking part in it, and you sense that it's all a facade built to keep the population under control. Unfortunately our main characters appearance is pretty unique, and it looks a bit like she might not even be allowed to choose her own future, regardless of her wishes.
Which brings me to the things that are a bit special in this book. First there's her appearance, and the great interest in her for this very reason, for there is no doubt that it is the Aryan race is in her that attracts so much attention - blond hair, blue eyes and pale skin. Unfortunately this is something that rubbed me a little the wrong way, but it's probably a matter of taste. In addition, she is chosen to be the surrogate mother for a very important person who turns out to be closer connected with our main character than expected (no further explanation here, since I don’t want to risk too many spoilers), and let's just say that the story takes a disturbing twist at this point.
The book has its good and bad sides, but there is potential in its universe. Unfortunately it feels a bit rushed and I think that more detail and depth, and a deep breath once in a while, would be able to pull this book to a much higher level. The book will thus get three roses, for it's actually quite entertaining to read, and since it's neither particularly long or very expensive, it's a pretty good bet for a book of easy and fast entertainment.
*I received this book from NetGalley*
March 11, 2015
Skylier lives in an underground community away from the sun’s hurtful rays while the wealthy live under the dome of Purenet. On her eighteenth birthday Skylier will have the chance to join the wealthy in Purenet but to do that she will have to either be a host to carry three children or join the Bazi both options will give her the money she needs to save her mother who’s dying of cancer but she’s not thrilled about her options. While on an outing to Purenet she finds that she can communicate with a guard as the Chancellors son which instantly draws attention from both.
While Dax the guard wants to save her Xander the Chancellors son wants her to be his host. With the help of Dax and the grounders she is able to escape Purenet but not without becoming a prize that Xander is determined to have. Why can Skylier communicate outside her family? Will she save her mother? Is the sun really as toxic as the cave people are lead to believe? What other secrets will she uncover on her path.
I liked Skylier she’s all about helping her family willing to become a host if it means she will be able to save her mother. She’s easy to connect with you can’t help cheering her on as she escapes the guards. I wasn’t sure about Dax at first but he started to grow on me as well as Hayden as the book progressed.
I picked up Purenet as a kindle freebie just a few days ago because the cover was screaming to read me. I’m a huge fan of dystopian novels and the idea of a domed society I found interesting same with the Cueva and Grounders. I’ve found myself drawn to characters who have to rise up and fight the oppressive rulers. I felt the author did a great job creating a captivating story filled with action, mystery and a touch of romance. My only complaint and it’s a big one is that the book was way too short. The way the book is written it flows but it feels so rushed I love big books and wish that I had another couple hundred pages of story. I’m curious to see how the story will play out but I’m a little hesitant because the first was so rushed and short. As for a kindle freebie it was worth reading I enjoyed the characters and liked the idea.
While Dax the guard wants to save her Xander the Chancellors son wants her to be his host. With the help of Dax and the grounders she is able to escape Purenet but not without becoming a prize that Xander is determined to have. Why can Skylier communicate outside her family? Will she save her mother? Is the sun really as toxic as the cave people are lead to believe? What other secrets will she uncover on her path.
I liked Skylier she’s all about helping her family willing to become a host if it means she will be able to save her mother. She’s easy to connect with you can’t help cheering her on as she escapes the guards. I wasn’t sure about Dax at first but he started to grow on me as well as Hayden as the book progressed.
I picked up Purenet as a kindle freebie just a few days ago because the cover was screaming to read me. I’m a huge fan of dystopian novels and the idea of a domed society I found interesting same with the Cueva and Grounders. I’ve found myself drawn to characters who have to rise up and fight the oppressive rulers. I felt the author did a great job creating a captivating story filled with action, mystery and a touch of romance. My only complaint and it’s a big one is that the book was way too short. The way the book is written it flows but it feels so rushed I love big books and wish that I had another couple hundred pages of story. I’m curious to see how the story will play out but I’m a little hesitant because the first was so rushed and short. As for a kindle freebie it was worth reading I enjoyed the characters and liked the idea.
January 12, 2015
Thank you to the author, H.J. Lawson , for the free ebook from a giveaway.
The reason I entered the giveaway was that I found the cover was very captivating and eye-catching and then I saw the genre was Sci-Fi (my favorite). So, I thought I should read Purenet. I'm glad that I have read the ebook now.
Purenet is amazing! Knowing this was a dystopian just got me more happier (We are having dystpioan fever here in Indonesia :D).
I like Skylier, she has a strong characteristic. I think the idea of family bond, reading minds ability, is brilliant. It's clever that the story can keep the reader's curiousity up. Why cannot Skylier read her father's mind? Surely, there are a lot of surprises I could hardly breathe. This family thing really touched my heart. Oh, and Callie is very brave, I like her. There are some funny scenes too, so I bet you won't be bored.
About the layout, the text is using Align Text Left. I don't know whether the paperback version uses it too, but I think Justify is better.
Another minus of this book: Purenet is too short! Oh, my! I just didn't realize I have finished reading it. Sorry, I wonder if the ebook is a complete version, the ebook is 107 pages long while in goodreads is stated 166 pages , so I guess there should be a few chapters more?
There are still many things I don't know about. Everytime I turned to the next page, I wished I could get more information about The Empire, the six Sanctions (maybe the name of each Sanction and the characteristic), Dax (so sad there is only one chapter of Dax's POV), about being a Host, why the UVA wasn't dangerous anymore, and about The Sanction Games.
But it's fine, I understand this is a series book. The next book must be more interesting and informative.
So, once again, Purenet is amazing. I hope a great publisher here in Indonesia could publish Purenet (in Indonesian language of course), because Purenet is worth it.
Thank you.
The reason I entered the giveaway was that I found the cover was very captivating and eye-catching and then I saw the genre was Sci-Fi (my favorite). So, I thought I should read Purenet. I'm glad that I have read the ebook now.
Purenet is amazing! Knowing this was a dystopian just got me more happier (We are having dystpioan fever here in Indonesia :D).
I like Skylier, she has a strong characteristic. I think the idea of family bond, reading minds ability, is brilliant. It's clever that the story can keep the reader's curiousity up. Why cannot Skylier read her father's mind? Surely, there are a lot of surprises I could hardly breathe. This family thing really touched my heart. Oh, and Callie is very brave, I like her. There are some funny scenes too, so I bet you won't be bored.
About the layout, the text is using Align Text Left. I don't know whether the paperback version uses it too, but I think Justify is better.
Another minus of this book: Purenet is too short! Oh, my! I just didn't realize I have finished reading it. Sorry, I wonder if the ebook is a complete version, the ebook is 107 pages long while in goodreads is stated 166 pages , so I guess there should be a few chapters more?
There are still many things I don't know about. Everytime I turned to the next page, I wished I could get more information about The Empire, the six Sanctions (maybe the name of each Sanction and the characteristic), Dax (so sad there is only one chapter of Dax's POV), about being a Host, why the UVA wasn't dangerous anymore, and about The Sanction Games.
But it's fine, I understand this is a series book. The next book must be more interesting and informative.
So, once again, Purenet is amazing. I hope a great publisher here in Indonesia could publish Purenet (in Indonesian language of course), because Purenet is worth it.
Thank you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2015
Years ago, humans destroyed most of the planet creating a world of harmful UV radiation and scarce food. Under the dome of the Purenet, the wealthy live a carefree life with engineered food and protection from the sun. Skylier and her family live in Cueva, an underground system outside of Purenet. Skylier and her brother want nothing more than to be able to raise enough money to buy medicine for their mother's cancer. To do this, they must go to Purenet and be chosen for the Sanction Games or to be a Host and bear a child for a Purenet family. When Skylier gets to Purenet, she realizes that there are many secrets hidden from her and that everything is what it seems.
This was a quick, fun dystopian read. After the initial info-dump about the Cueva, Purenet, the Sanction Games and some of Skylier's family history, I was able to actually get to know the characters a little more and get a feel for the setting. Things picked up for me when Skylier was in Purenet and realized that she could read the thoughts of someone other than her brother and that the leaders of Purenet were harming the outsiders. I didn't feel an instant connection with Skylier, but the book was pretty short. Some of her decisions were good, some not so good. There is a lot of action going on through the last half of the book and some unexpected twists that kept me excited. I actually could have used a little more information about how the world came to be so volatile and some more background on some of the people that Skylier met in Purenet, just not in info-dump form. I would be interested in the next book to see what happens to the characters and what they decide to do with the information that they have learned.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This was a quick, fun dystopian read. After the initial info-dump about the Cueva, Purenet, the Sanction Games and some of Skylier's family history, I was able to actually get to know the characters a little more and get a feel for the setting. Things picked up for me when Skylier was in Purenet and realized that she could read the thoughts of someone other than her brother and that the leaders of Purenet were harming the outsiders. I didn't feel an instant connection with Skylier, but the book was pretty short. Some of her decisions were good, some not so good. There is a lot of action going on through the last half of the book and some unexpected twists that kept me excited. I actually could have used a little more information about how the world came to be so volatile and some more background on some of the people that Skylier met in Purenet, just not in info-dump form. I would be interested in the next book to see what happens to the characters and what they decide to do with the information that they have learned.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
April 1, 2015
Yet another dystopian book. Dystopian is getting more and more popular so that means I will be reading more and more of them. I like dystopians don't get me wrong but sometimes they all start to blend together. Purenet, is a good, fast read and I don't regret reading it. I actually did enjoy it quite a bit and flew threw it in no time. That could have been because it was a novella though.
Skylier is a young girl forced to live in caves because of the diseases people get from the sun. She wants nothing more than to get out but not enough to become a host and lose control over own body. When she goes on a school trip her life changes forever. She goes to find out secrets about herself, her family and the chancellor.
I thought Skylier was a great female lead. She was strong and feisty and was able to keep control of a motorcycle after being shot. She would do almost anything for her family and proves that by getting medicine for her dying mother.
Dax and Hayden, man was I glad they came into the picture. It seemed to be a boring book until they showed up. Each showing their true macho man-ness when it came to Skylier –for different reasons.
I didn't care for the ending, I hate cliff hangers and no happy endings. I know it's leading up to more books in the future but I still don't like it. I can't believe Hayden betrayed them like that and I can't believe how stupid Skylier was by getting caught. It's always the girls that are dumb enough to get captured. Then the whole "keeping the bloodlines pure" thing was gross and creepy.
I don't know if this is a series I will finish but I'm willing to read the next one.
For more of my reviews visit: http://www.hyperashley.com/
Skylier is a young girl forced to live in caves because of the diseases people get from the sun. She wants nothing more than to get out but not enough to become a host and lose control over own body. When she goes on a school trip her life changes forever. She goes to find out secrets about herself, her family and the chancellor.
I thought Skylier was a great female lead. She was strong and feisty and was able to keep control of a motorcycle after being shot. She would do almost anything for her family and proves that by getting medicine for her dying mother.
Dax and Hayden, man was I glad they came into the picture. It seemed to be a boring book until they showed up. Each showing their true macho man-ness when it came to Skylier –for different reasons.
I didn't care for the ending, I hate cliff hangers and no happy endings. I know it's leading up to more books in the future but I still don't like it. I can't believe Hayden betrayed them like that and I can't believe how stupid Skylier was by getting caught. It's always the girls that are dumb enough to get captured. Then the whole "keeping the bloodlines pure" thing was gross and creepy.
I don't know if this is a series I will finish but I'm willing to read the next one.
For more of my reviews visit: http://www.hyperashley.com/
September 21, 2015
From the very beginning of Purenet, the reader is thrown into the midst of action and it hardly ever lets up. This is a fast paced and action packed story with lots of plot twists and turns along the way that will surprise you.
The female lead character is Skylier and she is a wonderful strong heroine who seems more mature than other teenage female protagonists that you usually see in young adult dystopian stories. There are three main male leads in this book – Dax, Xander and Hayden – and each of them has an unexpected twist in the story that will blow your mind. The evil characters in this story were inherently evil and did awful, terrible things.
There is only a hint of romance in Purenet so it is mainly an action story. It has a gripping storyline which will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. There are many surprises in store while reading this book and you will be shocked at the betrayal of one of the characters. It is one of those stories that keeps you guessing and get you thinking that people may not always be who or what they appear to be.
The ending is certainly a cliffhanger and I will be looking forward to reading the next book, Aurum.
Purenet is overall, a fresh concept for a dystopian book, although it does contain elements from other dystopian stories like Divergent and The Hunger Games, so if you enjoyed those books, you should also like Purenet.
The female lead character is Skylier and she is a wonderful strong heroine who seems more mature than other teenage female protagonists that you usually see in young adult dystopian stories. There are three main male leads in this book – Dax, Xander and Hayden – and each of them has an unexpected twist in the story that will blow your mind. The evil characters in this story were inherently evil and did awful, terrible things.
There is only a hint of romance in Purenet so it is mainly an action story. It has a gripping storyline which will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. There are many surprises in store while reading this book and you will be shocked at the betrayal of one of the characters. It is one of those stories that keeps you guessing and get you thinking that people may not always be who or what they appear to be.
The ending is certainly a cliffhanger and I will be looking forward to reading the next book, Aurum.
Purenet is overall, a fresh concept for a dystopian book, although it does contain elements from other dystopian stories like Divergent and The Hunger Games, so if you enjoyed those books, you should also like Purenet.
January 21, 2015
This book is incredibly well written. It's a story about a young girl (Skylier) from Cueva (one of the sanctions). Her mother Is sick and she'll do whatever it takes to help her and the rest of the family. But then she's surprised to hear another voice inside her mind all of a sudden. And because it's usually reserved for family to talk to each other that way, she finds it rather curious that she suddenly hears someone else.. Things spiral out of control from there and she has to fight for her life.
For a second I was afraid it would be like the Hunger Games, (because they mentioned the sanction games) but it's not! It didn't even really mention the games very much after that. And rightfully so because this story is so much more than that. It's about favouritism and politics. But also about love, curiosity and finding out where you truly belong .
I loved all of the characters (even the bad guys where amazing) and was amazed by the plot twists. I actually had to stop for a second to really let what just happened sink in.
If you love dystopian books then Purenet will have you hooked and will surely leave you begging for more. I for one can't wait until the next one comes out! Where can I pre-order?!
For a second I was afraid it would be like the Hunger Games, (because they mentioned the sanction games) but it's not! It didn't even really mention the games very much after that. And rightfully so because this story is so much more than that. It's about favouritism and politics. But also about love, curiosity and finding out where you truly belong .
I loved all of the characters (even the bad guys where amazing) and was amazed by the plot twists. I actually had to stop for a second to really let what just happened sink in.
If you love dystopian books then Purenet will have you hooked and will surely leave you begging for more. I for one can't wait until the next one comes out! Where can I pre-order?!
June 16, 2016
Sanction, even the word sounds sterile......
This is a good vs. evil , and the evil is very very evil! As with most of these stories, there is a jaded, spoiled minority keeping the majority in an almost hopeless existence. They dangle the possibility of becoming one of them in order to get the youngsters to voluntarily be their play toys, hosts for child bearing, or warriors doomed to die.
Skylier is not Katniss Everdeen, but she is pretty spunky, and when she makes a split second decision to go with a rebel group, it puts her on a path full of surprises (not all good) and changes a lot of lives. Like a cat, she seems to land on her feet.
This is a good read, and I would recommend it to young adults and older readers looking for an easy read. In fact the only fault I find is that the stories do not stand alone. They leave you needing to fnd out what's next. They are also rather short. Yet the characters are well written. I feel like a friend of the family.
This is a good vs. evil , and the evil is very very evil! As with most of these stories, there is a jaded, spoiled minority keeping the majority in an almost hopeless existence. They dangle the possibility of becoming one of them in order to get the youngsters to voluntarily be their play toys, hosts for child bearing, or warriors doomed to die.
Skylier is not Katniss Everdeen, but she is pretty spunky, and when she makes a split second decision to go with a rebel group, it puts her on a path full of surprises (not all good) and changes a lot of lives. Like a cat, she seems to land on her feet.
This is a good read, and I would recommend it to young adults and older readers looking for an easy read. In fact the only fault I find is that the stories do not stand alone. They leave you needing to fnd out what's next. They are also rather short. Yet the characters are well written. I feel like a friend of the family.
March 20, 2015
PURENET is a pretty quick paced and easy to read story. I liked the world and the author did a good job of explaining the characters and their place in the story.
I didn't fully connect to the characters. I liked them fine and Skylier played a strong female role, I just wasn't fully invested. I was highly disturbed by her brother's obsession with her to host his and his wife's baby (which is wrong considering it would really be Skyler and his baby, if I read into that right). There is a bit of a love triangle in PURENET, but it doesn't really get into a romance.
A LOT happens but its really quick and to the point. The ending was decent and unpredictable which was nice. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger though. Will I read more? Maybe, it was a short book so I think book 2 might be as well and the story does have potential.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2016
I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review, and I am so glad. This is a new author to me, but now that I've found her I will be reading not only the sequel to this book, but the rest of her books as they are available to me.
On the brink of adulthood, a young girl must make choices that will drastically alter the rest of her life. Her choices will impact not only her own life, but the lives of everyone she loves. How can she choose between medicine to save her mother's life and her own safety? Between the friends she wants to stay with and living in a bright new world? As she struggles with her decisions, she discovers that nothing is what it seems and there is danger in the brightest world.
The Lady T'Kaat of Kaat's Keep
On the brink of adulthood, a young girl must make choices that will drastically alter the rest of her life. Her choices will impact not only her own life, but the lives of everyone she loves. How can she choose between medicine to save her mother's life and her own safety? Between the friends she wants to stay with and living in a bright new world? As she struggles with her decisions, she discovers that nothing is what it seems and there is danger in the brightest world.
The Lady T'Kaat of Kaat's Keep
December 30, 2014
I got this book yesterday and I finished it faster than I thought it would be.
This book really captivated me. It is a fast-paced, action pack novel that would keep you turning the pages.
This book is unpredictable unlike any other books. You can never guess what will happen next.
And the twists and turns really took me by surprise and that made me love it more.
I really love Skylier's character. She's smart and she's really devoted to her family.
And that's what I really love most about her.
Overall, this is a brilliant book. The plot is well written.
Hayley's writing is really easy to get lost into. I really love the book.
And I cannot wait for more!!
This book really captivated me. It is a fast-paced, action pack novel that would keep you turning the pages.
This book is unpredictable unlike any other books. You can never guess what will happen next.
And the twists and turns really took me by surprise and that made me love it more.
I really love Skylier's character. She's smart and she's really devoted to her family.
And that's what I really love most about her.
Overall, this is a brilliant book. The plot is well written.
Hayley's writing is really easy to get lost into. I really love the book.
And I cannot wait for more!!
January 23, 2015
(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)
This was an okay read, but if it had been any longer, I would have started to hate it.
Skylier was an alright character, and I did feel sorry for her because of the options she was faced with.
The stroryline in this could be a bit confusing at times, and it just couldn't keep my interest all that well unfortunately. I'm really glad this was only short.
Overall, Alright read, but didn't keep my interest.
This was an okay read, but if it had been any longer, I would have started to hate it.
Skylier was an alright character, and I did feel sorry for her because of the options she was faced with.
The stroryline in this could be a bit confusing at times, and it just couldn't keep my interest all that well unfortunately. I'm really glad this was only short.
Overall, Alright read, but didn't keep my interest.
May 18, 2015
Wow - this was a first read for me by this author. I read it in 1 day and when I wasn't reading it I was wondering what was happening. :) The characters kept you enthralled and the story line is something a bit different. People are not who the seem to be and that surprised me more than once. Can't wait to read more.
April 12, 2016
This is my first book in the dystopian genre. It was interesting. "I want to stay here. It's fun going back for visits. Not one single part of me would like to live back there, not with my cheating,betraying family. Living here is a blessing, a second chance for my life. a pure life," she smiles. "If I had never come here, I would have never met you."
December 30, 2014
I read this in one setting,it was so good!
Looking forward to hopefully seeing more of this book! keep up the good work!
Looking forward to hopefully seeing more of this book! keep up the good work!
March 18, 2015
What a cliff hanger.
July 9, 2016
Wow! Can't wait to read more of this series! It caught my attention quickly and reminded me of the Hunger Games series!
January 28, 2018
So very good. What a cliffhanger. My heart is breaking for Skylier.
October 2, 2018
I loved this book. I found it very entertaining and a joy to read.
March 26, 2019
Loved this book. It is definitely worth reading and I will be watching for the others in the series. I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
April 8, 2015
As I look at my notes that I often write when I set a book down for a while I see I'm generous with this book. I can't sincerely say “I don't like it”, 2 stars, but I'm reluctant to say “It is ok” as well, 3 stars. Since Mrs. Lawson is very open to feedback I will send her the three sentences that just aren't ok privately.
I keep tending towards writing a critique rather than a reader's review. Since I can't seem to shake that impulse, I'll try to limit it.
I don't believe the one star reviews I've read are fair. This isn't a grammatical nightmare. Sentence structure and many of the changes in point of view, and or changes in methods of communication can be confusing, but most readers will be able to catch on to what is intended.
Writing dialogue well is difficult for many authors both in structure and content. The characters are thin and difficult to connect with at any depth. All of these things feel as if an editor had a tight deadline and short word limit, making it feel like a rushed short story to me. And it is short for most of today's novels. Novella?
A quick review of my brief notes... Amazon likes if you mention other books. Before I finished the third paragraph I was thinking “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld. It was the suspense of a ceremony at reaching the age of majority that reminded me of “Uglies”.
For several pages we get “set up” content, which is necessary in any speculative fiction, but is handled differently by different authors. Mrs. Lawson apparently decided to go for a large “info dump” to start with, which isn't very conducive for turning pages. I note that by chapter ten I've been slowly pulled irreversibly into the story. By chapter twenty seven I am becoming annoyed, complaining about how thin the characters are, that I don't care enough for the protagonist, nor do I dislike the antagonist much. Always optimistic I note that since it reads like a short story that would explain what was annoying me.
I've read hundreds of SF/F/Horror manuscripts over the years and I could not guess accurately at the number of books. I've given up on many manuscripts but have only given up on a few “published” books. This one tempted me as it neared its incompletion. I did finish reading what was in the book.
To aspiring writers reading this... If you are a beginning writer of SF/F/Horror and want to perfect your skills consider critters.org. It is a writer's critique co-op that has been around since before the internet became interesting and they have perfected how to run the co-op. I've no skin in the game, I opted out long ago. Many of today's stars of SF/F/Horror, however, did perfect their craft in Critters.org.
Anyway, I would suggest that Mrs. Lawson consider her readers when concluding a work. I felt like the book ended in mid sentence. It didn't. It kind of concluded, but clearly isn't a complete story in any way. I was taught a story is two dogs fighting over a bone, or begins with a question and concludes with some form of satisfactory answer. To me, Purenet ended with a question. I assume the completed work will end leaving her readers satisfied. I wanted to put that out there for her consideration as she assures her readers that she reads her reviews.
I'm grateful to Mrs. Lawson for offering her hard work for free. In today's e-market that is almost a given with beginning authors. The income starts with the second or third book, hoping they've connected with the reader enough to encourage them further in the series. I do apologize, I won't be going there. I do believe Mrs. Lawson has what it takes to develop into a good, maybe even great author. Time will tell. Reading some of the reviews it appears many folks are quite pleased with her already. That's always a good sign.
Purenet is a dystopian novella with pretty clear good guys and bad guys. Skylier is our primary protagonist and largely the point of view character. She seems terribly naive to me, even for a 17 year old. The evil we learn she faces does draw the reader in quite well. Like rubberneckers at a gory accident, we seem to always want to know how bad it is. For Skylier it gets ugly right about the time she is hoping things get better. If you're in that far in this book you'll probably stay to see what happens. And a lot does happen. There are plenty of twists and turns, most unexpected but as it goes it doesn't seem to surprise.
Mrs. Lawson is very generous. If you're willing to dive in and give her work a go with this free offering, she offers you more for your effort. I do hope she is very successful with her work and will consider this review as helpful encouragement rather than something negative and depressing.
Finally, I have to apologize. Much more critique than review. Just in my blood I suppose.
January 18, 2015
I received an e-copy of Purenet from the Author in exchange of an honest review.
I'm glad I'm one of those lucky people who got an ARC copy of Purenet. Wonderful dystopian fiction with fresh ideas and a gripping storyline; that is what it is.
Skylier lives in tunnels under the ground with her community to spare herself from the dangerous UVA rays of the Sun. There is a safe place above ground – Purenet, the city under the dome –, from where she, her family and the ’outsiders’ are locked out for various reasons. There are only two ways to ’win’ a chance to live in Purenet: she can become a Host (give birth to children of the aristocracy and then give them away willingly) or become a bazi (aka a concubine).
All Skylier wants is to stay with her family and take care of her ill mother, but soon after catching a conversation on a school trip to Purenet she becomes entangled in a fight between brother and brother and she realizes her life would never be the same.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read such an action-packed book as this one. There was always something going on and when I thought I knew what was about to happen, a totally different thing happened. Twists, twists, twists – there were a lot of them and they kept surprising me.
I loved the scifi-esque setting, the futuristic world this book introduced. There are cruel conditions outside Purenet, but for admitted outsiders life doesn’t seem to be that much easier under the dome either.
The idea of the Sun turning against the population of Earth is very scary, and sadly, not an unthinkable image of the future. In the beginning of the story our heroine has this harsh environment to live in and on the top of it comes all the trouble she gets into.
There are some lovely characters in Purenet, but I especially liked the villain, Xander, who is a very well-shaped, well-written, nasty evil-doer. He doesn’t budge and is determined to fulfil his plans concerning Skylier even after he gains information that would make any other think the matter over twice before acting on it…
The characters, the world, the twists are all wonderful, yet I gave Purenet four stars, because the fact that it was so fast paced wasn’t only an advantage, but a bit of a disadvantage as well in my opinion. I so wanted it to be longer, I’d like to have read more details and to stay with the characters for another 100 pages or so… Being short as it was, despite how much I enjoyed all the action, the plot seemed rushed sometimes.
Aside from this little ’fault’, I can’t say enough how good Purenet was. Every dystopian and sci-fi fan should read it!
I'm glad I'm one of those lucky people who got an ARC copy of Purenet. Wonderful dystopian fiction with fresh ideas and a gripping storyline; that is what it is.
Skylier lives in tunnels under the ground with her community to spare herself from the dangerous UVA rays of the Sun. There is a safe place above ground – Purenet, the city under the dome –, from where she, her family and the ’outsiders’ are locked out for various reasons. There are only two ways to ’win’ a chance to live in Purenet: she can become a Host (give birth to children of the aristocracy and then give them away willingly) or become a bazi (aka a concubine).
All Skylier wants is to stay with her family and take care of her ill mother, but soon after catching a conversation on a school trip to Purenet she becomes entangled in a fight between brother and brother and she realizes her life would never be the same.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read such an action-packed book as this one. There was always something going on and when I thought I knew what was about to happen, a totally different thing happened. Twists, twists, twists – there were a lot of them and they kept surprising me.
I loved the scifi-esque setting, the futuristic world this book introduced. There are cruel conditions outside Purenet, but for admitted outsiders life doesn’t seem to be that much easier under the dome either.
The idea of the Sun turning against the population of Earth is very scary, and sadly, not an unthinkable image of the future. In the beginning of the story our heroine has this harsh environment to live in and on the top of it comes all the trouble she gets into.
There are some lovely characters in Purenet, but I especially liked the villain, Xander, who is a very well-shaped, well-written, nasty evil-doer. He doesn’t budge and is determined to fulfil his plans concerning Skylier even after he gains information that would make any other think the matter over twice before acting on it…
The characters, the world, the twists are all wonderful, yet I gave Purenet four stars, because the fact that it was so fast paced wasn’t only an advantage, but a bit of a disadvantage as well in my opinion. I so wanted it to be longer, I’d like to have read more details and to stay with the characters for another 100 pages or so… Being short as it was, despite how much I enjoyed all the action, the plot seemed rushed sometimes.
Aside from this little ’fault’, I can’t say enough how good Purenet was. Every dystopian and sci-fi fan should read it!
March 3, 2015
This book skews a lot younger than I expected it to be, so I am trying to keep that in mind with my review. It's not fair to judge a book solely on the age range that it aims for, after all!
Overall, I think Purenet is a passable youngish YA novel, delving into a dystopian version of our world.
Skylier lives in the Cueva, always underground to avoid the harshness of the sunlight up above. Her people have been consigned there for many years, ever since a war devastated the world. Only those lucky enough to be born into Purenet can live beneath 'the dome', seeing the sun and having luxuries that those in the Cueva can only dream of - luxuries like the medicine that Skylier needs to save her mother, who is dying of cancer.
This is the thread that the book begins with, and I have to admit that it's pretty fascinating, and why I chose this book to begin with. Unfortunately, within the first twenty pages or so I was greeted with infodumping, and that set the tone for the rest of the book.
I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if I had realised just how simple the story was going to be. That isn't to say that simple is bad, but this is a very bare-basics story, without a lot of depth. Things are described very simplistically - 'bangs' for guns, 'zooms' for other weapons, etc. We don't learn much about the motivations of characters other than Skylier. The main villain is pretty much a caricature, and I wasn't sure why he was the bad guy, other than that he just, well, is. Which is okay for a children's book, but disappointing compared to the really good YA that I have read.
Because of this lack of depth, the story doesn't have quite the punch that it could have. The world that H.J. Lawson has built, the scenario - it's interesting! It just needs to be fully drawn out in the story and across the pages, and that didn't happen. I kept waiting and hoping that I would find out more and that the author would really delve into the world that has been built, but everything is very on the surface, right up to the rather abrupt ending.
What's left is a fair amount of passable action, but not much to give it substance, and that left me rather cold towards the whole thing. Honestly, at only 120 pages or so, I feel that the book could have easily have been doubled with so much more, and it would have been better for it. The book reads more like thinly-plotted outline of a novel, not an actual one. It's a bit of a shame in that sense, because the concept has a lot of potential.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I think Purenet is a passable youngish YA novel, delving into a dystopian version of our world.
Skylier lives in the Cueva, always underground to avoid the harshness of the sunlight up above. Her people have been consigned there for many years, ever since a war devastated the world. Only those lucky enough to be born into Purenet can live beneath 'the dome', seeing the sun and having luxuries that those in the Cueva can only dream of - luxuries like the medicine that Skylier needs to save her mother, who is dying of cancer.
This is the thread that the book begins with, and I have to admit that it's pretty fascinating, and why I chose this book to begin with. Unfortunately, within the first twenty pages or so I was greeted with infodumping, and that set the tone for the rest of the book.
I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if I had realised just how simple the story was going to be. That isn't to say that simple is bad, but this is a very bare-basics story, without a lot of depth. Things are described very simplistically - 'bangs' for guns, 'zooms' for other weapons, etc. We don't learn much about the motivations of characters other than Skylier. The main villain is pretty much a caricature, and I wasn't sure why he was the bad guy, other than that he just, well, is. Which is okay for a children's book, but disappointing compared to the really good YA that I have read.
Because of this lack of depth, the story doesn't have quite the punch that it could have. The world that H.J. Lawson has built, the scenario - it's interesting! It just needs to be fully drawn out in the story and across the pages, and that didn't happen. I kept waiting and hoping that I would find out more and that the author would really delve into the world that has been built, but everything is very on the surface, right up to the rather abrupt ending.
What's left is a fair amount of passable action, but not much to give it substance, and that left me rather cold towards the whole thing. Honestly, at only 120 pages or so, I feel that the book could have easily have been doubled with so much more, and it would have been better for it. The book reads more like thinly-plotted outline of a novel, not an actual one. It's a bit of a shame in that sense, because the concept has a lot of potential.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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