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True Calling #1
True Calling
Welcome to Novo: Your new home in Space
For Ariana Skyee, Planet Novo was everything it promised to be until the authorities introduced "The Calling" as their response to repopulation. Now, all seventeen-year-olds are to participate in this Bachelor-style pageant to find their perfect match, marry, and have children.
But that's not Ariana's only concern. Thanks to the government-sanctioned memory erase, Ariana has no recollection of Zane, the mystery boy who haunts her dreams. Things are further complicated when the pageant commences and her feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify. Together, they start to realize not everything about their new home is not as it seems.
Entangled in a dangerous web of deceit, Ariana sets out to identify the truth. Conflicted over warnings that Cal isn't trustworthy and alarmed at the government's increasing interest in her, she doesn't know where to turn. But her search for the truth comes at a high personal price. When her world implodes, discovering the past shapes her future with devastating consequences.
For Ariana Skyee, Planet Novo was everything it promised to be until the authorities introduced "The Calling" as their response to repopulation. Now, all seventeen-year-olds are to participate in this Bachelor-style pageant to find their perfect match, marry, and have children.
But that's not Ariana's only concern. Thanks to the government-sanctioned memory erase, Ariana has no recollection of Zane, the mystery boy who haunts her dreams. Things are further complicated when the pageant commences and her feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify. Together, they start to realize not everything about their new home is not as it seems.
Entangled in a dangerous web of deceit, Ariana sets out to identify the truth. Conflicted over warnings that Cal isn't trustworthy and alarmed at the government's increasing interest in her, she doesn't know where to turn. But her search for the truth comes at a high personal price. When her world implodes, discovering the past shapes her future with devastating consequences.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2014
387 people are currently reading
7449 people want to read
About the author
Siobhan Davis
112 books9,476 followersDownload a free copy of Tell It to My Heart: https://bit.ly/TITMHDLGR
Siobhan Davis™ is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Top 5 bestselling romance author. Siobhan writes emotionally intense stories with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She has sold millions of books, and her titles are translated into several languages.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.
Siobhan currently lives with her husband in Cyprus while their two grown-up sons reside at the family home in Ireland.
Connect with Siobhan:
Website: www.siobhandavis.com
Facebook: AuthorSiobhanDavis
Instagram: siobhandavisauthor
Email: siobhan@siobhandavis.com
TikTok: @siobhandavisauthor
Readers Group: https://bit.ly/35yTX14
I don't read messages on Goodreads or check my inbox. If you need to contact me, email is the best.
Siobhan Davis™ is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Top 5 bestselling romance author. Siobhan writes emotionally intense stories with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She has sold millions of books, and her titles are translated into several languages.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.
Siobhan currently lives with her husband in Cyprus while their two grown-up sons reside at the family home in Ireland.
Connect with Siobhan:
Website: www.siobhandavis.com
Facebook: AuthorSiobhanDavis
Instagram: siobhandavisauthor
Email: siobhan@siobhandavis.com
TikTok: @siobhandavisauthor
Readers Group: https://bit.ly/35yTX14
I don't read messages on Goodreads or check my inbox. If you need to contact me, email is the best.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
September 20, 2018
4 TRUE STARS!
You can find the full review and more about this book on my blog!
When I first saw this book I was fascinated by the cover. What a great cover. I never like covers with faces in them, but this one is perfection. It describes the plot, it fits the book.So great job with the cover!
True Calling is a sci-fi dytopian fantasy novel filled with everything. It is a true page turner. I have read this book in 2 days and I can't wait for the sequel. After finishing I was so glad I read this book, and also mad because I wanted to know more, so this goes to the author, please hurry!
I can't say the plot is unique. First when I started to read I found this very similar to other dystopians like The Hunger Games, and also very very similar to the book and the show The 100, who is basically the same thing, a certain number of population going to a place to test it and they are equipped with chips who can control if they are alive or not, also their health. But don't let this change your mind about this book, it has it's differences, it's uniqueness.
Expect the beginning which for me was not the best part of the book, because the story kept dragging and dragging, all the other parts were great especially from the page 200. The story started to get very interesting and there the ending which was a bit confusing, but that's why I liked this book so much.
b>The characters were well developed and greatly described. Especially the main character Ariana Skyee who for me is the best character in the book and I think the author has created a masterpiece with this figure. She is the closest thing I can imagine to perfection.
The story is about a girl called Ariana Skyee who is a cadet in the Planet Novo who is one of the best choices for the Earth to survive. There is a different kind of life, everything seems great but deeply this is all work of government who is controlling the people with chips and techno things. Now Ariana caught up in a love "triangle" and a lot of other complicated things needs to choose her life, but doing that she discovers things that put her life at risk.
I highly recommend this book to every sci-fi reader out there,and if you think the cover is awesome, wait until you read the book!
February 21, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Siobhan Davis.)
“We could run away,” I propose whimsically.
“Run to where?” He arches an eyebrow and his look suggests I’ve just joined the crazy gang.
“Find a way of getting back to Earth.” The wistful look is back on my face.
“If I thought there was a way of making that happen, then I would’ve been out of here a long time ago.”
This was an okay story, but it wasn’t really what I was expecting.
I didn’t really love any of the characters in this book. I understood where Ariana was coming from on the whole arranged-marriage subject, but at times I thought she was a bit immature, and I was surprised at her actions at times. Cal was pretty immature as well, and at times acted like a 2-year-old.
“It’ll be much easier to communicate silently now that we’re in closer proximity.”
“Gggrreat,” Cal says.
“Is he always like this?” Zane asks, staring directly into my eyes.
The storyline in this wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I usually love sci-fi stories, but the fact that this story was set on another planet wasn’t really covered all that much. It seemed like 95% of the story was about Ariana being forced into an arranged marriage, and her falling in love with Cal. Then there was lots of angst over whether they would be allowed to be together or not, and I just wanted something else to take centre stage for a while.
“When he announces that suitors who are active participants in ‘The Calling’ cannot engage in any form of intimate romantic activity, I know that this punishment has been inflicted on everyone because of Cal and me.”
I think the problem I had with the romance was that I didn’t particularly like Ariana and Cal, and because I didn’t really like them, I didn’t really care about their relationship. The one person I did feel sorry for was Zane, as he seemed to get the worst deal out of all of this.
“It’s okay, Ari, I can wait until you’re ready to love me again.”
The ending was a cliff-hanger, but while I might give the second book in the series a chance, I will definitely need a break before reading it.
6 out of 10
“We could run away,” I propose whimsically.
“Run to where?” He arches an eyebrow and his look suggests I’ve just joined the crazy gang.
“Find a way of getting back to Earth.” The wistful look is back on my face.
“If I thought there was a way of making that happen, then I would’ve been out of here a long time ago.”
This was an okay story, but it wasn’t really what I was expecting.
I didn’t really love any of the characters in this book. I understood where Ariana was coming from on the whole arranged-marriage subject, but at times I thought she was a bit immature, and I was surprised at her actions at times. Cal was pretty immature as well, and at times acted like a 2-year-old.
“It’ll be much easier to communicate silently now that we’re in closer proximity.”
“Gggrreat,” Cal says.
“Is he always like this?” Zane asks, staring directly into my eyes.
The storyline in this wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I usually love sci-fi stories, but the fact that this story was set on another planet wasn’t really covered all that much. It seemed like 95% of the story was about Ariana being forced into an arranged marriage, and her falling in love with Cal. Then there was lots of angst over whether they would be allowed to be together or not, and I just wanted something else to take centre stage for a while.
“When he announces that suitors who are active participants in ‘The Calling’ cannot engage in any form of intimate romantic activity, I know that this punishment has been inflicted on everyone because of Cal and me.”
I think the problem I had with the romance was that I didn’t particularly like Ariana and Cal, and because I didn’t really like them, I didn’t really care about their relationship. The one person I did feel sorry for was Zane, as he seemed to get the worst deal out of all of this.
“It’s okay, Ari, I can wait until you’re ready to love me again.”
The ending was a cliff-hanger, but while I might give the second book in the series a chance, I will definitely need a break before reading it.
6 out of 10
July 7, 2020
Now available!
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Worldwide: http://smarturl.it/TrueCallingAmazon
THE ENTIRE SERIES IS NOW FREE TO READ IN KINDLE UNLIMITED.
READERS FAVORITE REVIEWS
Read some excerpts from the five 5 Star Reviews True Calling has garnered from ReadersFavorite.com
“True Calling is a perfect blend of reality-TV-show meets super high-tech sci-fi meets teenage drama meets government conspiracies. The story comes alive through Siobhan Davis’ incredible writing skill, the setting and scenarios are clearly vivid throughout the novel.” – Five Stars. Faridah Nassozi @ Readers Favorite.
“True Calling is a book that will leave you guessing until the end. I was absolutely enthralled by Ari’s story. This is the type of book you’ll recommend to everyone you know and one you’ll read again.” – Five Stars. Samantha Rivera @Readers Favorite.
“Siobhan Davis pens a stimulating fantastical tale in True Calling. Thoroughly screened, injected with tracking devices and memories erased, Ariana and her family leave Earth to ensure humanity on Novo. True Calling takes you on a stimulating journey, then screeches to an abrupt halt, leaving you dead in your tracks, screaming for more.” – 5 Stars. Cheryl E. Rodriguez @ Readers Favorite.
“The depth of rich characters and plot lines within this story are so well written you can only commend Siobhan Davis for the beautiful work she did. The writing flows and creates a world with a government that is not an unfamiliar story in young adult fiction these days, but this is a fresh and interesting take on it. I would highly recommend to my friends.” – 5 Stars. Kathryn Bennett @ Readers Favorite.
“True Calling caught my eye immediately and the story held my attention until the very end. One minute I thought I’d the story figured out, but when I turned the page there was another surprise waiting for me. This wasn’t done in an ‘in-your-face’ way, but in a more subtle manner.” – 5 Stars. Trisha Dawn @ Readers Favorite.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00SX1PG2A/
Worldwide: http://smarturl.it/TrueCallingAmazon
THE ENTIRE SERIES IS NOW FREE TO READ IN KINDLE UNLIMITED.
READERS FAVORITE REVIEWS
Read some excerpts from the five 5 Star Reviews True Calling has garnered from ReadersFavorite.com
“True Calling is a perfect blend of reality-TV-show meets super high-tech sci-fi meets teenage drama meets government conspiracies. The story comes alive through Siobhan Davis’ incredible writing skill, the setting and scenarios are clearly vivid throughout the novel.” – Five Stars. Faridah Nassozi @ Readers Favorite.
“True Calling is a book that will leave you guessing until the end. I was absolutely enthralled by Ari’s story. This is the type of book you’ll recommend to everyone you know and one you’ll read again.” – Five Stars. Samantha Rivera @Readers Favorite.
“Siobhan Davis pens a stimulating fantastical tale in True Calling. Thoroughly screened, injected with tracking devices and memories erased, Ariana and her family leave Earth to ensure humanity on Novo. True Calling takes you on a stimulating journey, then screeches to an abrupt halt, leaving you dead in your tracks, screaming for more.” – 5 Stars. Cheryl E. Rodriguez @ Readers Favorite.
“The depth of rich characters and plot lines within this story are so well written you can only commend Siobhan Davis for the beautiful work she did. The writing flows and creates a world with a government that is not an unfamiliar story in young adult fiction these days, but this is a fresh and interesting take on it. I would highly recommend to my friends.” – 5 Stars. Kathryn Bennett @ Readers Favorite.
“True Calling caught my eye immediately and the story held my attention until the very end. One minute I thought I’d the story figured out, but when I turned the page there was another surprise waiting for me. This wasn’t done in an ‘in-your-face’ way, but in a more subtle manner.” – 5 Stars. Trisha Dawn @ Readers Favorite.
January 28, 2015
[Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the ebook edition of this from NetGalley.]
This review will probably come across more harsh than I intend, but in the spirit of being honest I'm going to say exactly what I think.
True Calling is a direct mash-up of The Hunger Games, The Selection, Matched, and Divergent, and I feel like there are some elements from The Chemical Garden series in there as well. It was, and I realize I'm being blunt here, wholly unoriginal. Civilization on Earth is collapsing, so the government decides they need to create a new society on a new planet with only the best of the best from Earth. It's a utopia, except it's not. After only a few pages we are told that the government is instituting a forcible marriage and procreation "contest," where all 17-year-olds are paired with their ideal match in a Bachelor-style competition, and the fan favorites get to be the face of the government matching system, complete with dream home, fancy schmancy wedding, and they don't have to fulfill the three kids requirement for 10 years (as opposed to six for everyone else). It's full of fancy clothes, makeup, laser hair removal, skin smoothing treatments, and fertility injections! What fun! There is also a talent "showcase," and a dance routine that seem to amount to nothing more than entertaining TV.
Ari, the main character, is devastated at first until she realizes she's in love with one of her "suitors," they make out a lot, they are threatened by the government over and over, around every corner is danger, and they are told, bluntly and by multiple people (I counted at least three) that they will win the contest, become the face of the system, and deal with it whether they want to or not, or their families will be murdered. Does this sound at all familiar to you?
Not to mention the fact that Ari is having dreams of some boy, Zane, and she doesn't know who he is because everyone who came to the new planet (Novo) had their memories wiped of all the people they left behind on Earth.
The world-building is minimal. There is no mention of a monetary system, any sort of political system outside of the fact that the Commander runs the place and has a bunch of military personnel below him. The districts are all basically replicas of places back on Earth, but there's no real description of them or how they are situated on the planet. I don't even really understand how far the planet is from Earth, or how a planet so close to Earth that it can be reached in a couple of hours wouldn't cause the entire solar system to collapse. They drive some sort of hover cars that take a couple of hours to get to the capital city, but the Velo (high-speed rail?) can get them there in minutes. So it's obviously not gigantic, but they want to grow the population at an astounding rate? Where are all of the people going to go? What kind of job system do they have outside of military and medical? What exactly happened on Earth that made everyone leave? Apparently food and textiles are still being made on Earth, but they are developing the capability to farm and produce their own foods and supplies on Novo? Where? How? Who's going to work it, if they don't want the people capable of menial labor up on Novo? It doesn't make any sense.
I wasn't hating the book until I got to the 48% mark, when the author switches perspectives for a few chapters to give us Zane's point of view. I *haaaaaaaaaaaaaate* it when we get half the story in one person's POV and then there's suddenly a switch. And it's only for a few chapters, then we're right back to Ari and her problems (which became almost pleasant compared to Zane). It wasn't seamless, it was awkward, because he narrates the back story for pages and pages and pages. And his "voice" was so strange, because I felt like I was reading the story from the POV of the teenage girl I'd been reading for the first half, but with a different name.
I also had a lot of trouble with the fact that Ari and Cal knew they were under heavy surveillance, and yet they didn't think the government knew about their secret hiding place where they could talk without cameras and microphones. I wanted to shout every time they went to Strata, "ARE YOU STUPID?! THE GOVERNMENT IS WATCHING YOU DRIVE THERE, AND GO INTO YOUR HOLE!!!"
It is also clear to me that this book has never been properly edited, as the rampant run-on sentences, excessive misuse of punctuation, and completely wrong words made it incredibly frustrating to read. I don't know if that's just the way the copy I read was formatted, and if it's been copy-edited in final print, but it was so very distracting. On top of that, for some reason teenagers from Connecticut were using British slang all over the place! "He was well fit" showed up a few times, along with other slang that you would never hear a teenager from CT say. Very very awkward.
I really don't understand the huge number of five star reviews this book received. I feel like either I read a completely different book, or most people are content with sloppy writing/editing and direct copies of other books that are already on the market. I'm giving it two stars because I wanted to see who Ari was going to pick - Zane or Cal. But in the end we don't even get that much satisfaction and I'm not intrigued enough to pick up book 2 to find out.
This review will probably come across more harsh than I intend, but in the spirit of being honest I'm going to say exactly what I think.
True Calling is a direct mash-up of The Hunger Games, The Selection, Matched, and Divergent, and I feel like there are some elements from The Chemical Garden series in there as well. It was, and I realize I'm being blunt here, wholly unoriginal. Civilization on Earth is collapsing, so the government decides they need to create a new society on a new planet with only the best of the best from Earth. It's a utopia, except it's not. After only a few pages we are told that the government is instituting a forcible marriage and procreation "contest," where all 17-year-olds are paired with their ideal match in a Bachelor-style competition, and the fan favorites get to be the face of the government matching system, complete with dream home, fancy schmancy wedding, and they don't have to fulfill the three kids requirement for 10 years (as opposed to six for everyone else). It's full of fancy clothes, makeup, laser hair removal, skin smoothing treatments, and fertility injections! What fun! There is also a talent "showcase," and a dance routine that seem to amount to nothing more than entertaining TV.
Ari, the main character, is devastated at first until she realizes she's in love with one of her "suitors," they make out a lot, they are threatened by the government over and over, around every corner is danger, and they are told, bluntly and by multiple people (I counted at least three) that they will win the contest, become the face of the system, and deal with it whether they want to or not, or their families will be murdered. Does this sound at all familiar to you?
Not to mention the fact that Ari is having dreams of some boy, Zane, and she doesn't know who he is because everyone who came to the new planet (Novo) had their memories wiped of all the people they left behind on Earth.
The world-building is minimal. There is no mention of a monetary system, any sort of political system outside of the fact that the Commander runs the place and has a bunch of military personnel below him. The districts are all basically replicas of places back on Earth, but there's no real description of them or how they are situated on the planet. I don't even really understand how far the planet is from Earth, or how a planet so close to Earth that it can be reached in a couple of hours wouldn't cause the entire solar system to collapse. They drive some sort of hover cars that take a couple of hours to get to the capital city, but the Velo (high-speed rail?) can get them there in minutes. So it's obviously not gigantic, but they want to grow the population at an astounding rate? Where are all of the people going to go? What kind of job system do they have outside of military and medical? What exactly happened on Earth that made everyone leave? Apparently food and textiles are still being made on Earth, but they are developing the capability to farm and produce their own foods and supplies on Novo? Where? How? Who's going to work it, if they don't want the people capable of menial labor up on Novo? It doesn't make any sense.
I wasn't hating the book until I got to the 48% mark, when the author switches perspectives for a few chapters to give us Zane's point of view. I *haaaaaaaaaaaaaate* it when we get half the story in one person's POV and then there's suddenly a switch. And it's only for a few chapters, then we're right back to Ari and her problems (which became almost pleasant compared to Zane). It wasn't seamless, it was awkward, because he narrates the back story for pages and pages and pages. And his "voice" was so strange, because I felt like I was reading the story from the POV of the teenage girl I'd been reading for the first half, but with a different name.
I also had a lot of trouble with the fact that Ari and Cal knew they were under heavy surveillance, and yet they didn't think the government knew about their secret hiding place where they could talk without cameras and microphones. I wanted to shout every time they went to Strata, "ARE YOU STUPID?! THE GOVERNMENT IS WATCHING YOU DRIVE THERE, AND GO INTO YOUR HOLE!!!"
It is also clear to me that this book has never been properly edited, as the rampant run-on sentences, excessive misuse of punctuation, and completely wrong words made it incredibly frustrating to read. I don't know if that's just the way the copy I read was formatted, and if it's been copy-edited in final print, but it was so very distracting. On top of that, for some reason teenagers from Connecticut were using British slang all over the place! "He was well fit" showed up a few times, along with other slang that you would never hear a teenager from CT say. Very very awkward.
I really don't understand the huge number of five star reviews this book received. I feel like either I read a completely different book, or most people are content with sloppy writing/editing and direct copies of other books that are already on the market. I'm giving it two stars because I wanted to see who Ari was going to pick - Zane or Cal. But in the end we don't even get that much satisfaction and I'm not intrigued enough to pick up book 2 to find out.
February 23, 2015
| Digital copy kindly provided by the author, Siobhan Davis, in a exchange for a honest review. Thanks a lot, Siobhan! |
The story was interesting but the characters didn't make it for me.
The thing is I often don't mind indecisive characters or childish ones if I like them enough. Ariana, however, I didn't like her that much.
I get that she doesn't want them to take away her posibilities, really, but there are better ways to fight for them. In my head there were all these scenarios where things could work out and, well, they were pretty logical but Ariana never took the logical path.
It kind of reminded me of Matched by Ally Condie.
From the moment I was reading like chapter 4 I knew what was going to happen.
I did like Zane, though. Man, I felt really bad for him because that shit isn't good at all. But somehow I think it was better off like that. Surely, dealing with Ariana wasn't easy and Cal, darn, he was a big baby.
Zane, baby, come to me, I'll hold you until everything is better.
Overall it was an okay book. It did end in a cliff-hanger and I do want to see what's going to happen next. Plus, I got the second book approved on NetGalley so yeah, I'll be reading it.
The story was interesting but the characters didn't make it for me.
The thing is I often don't mind indecisive characters or childish ones if I like them enough. Ariana, however, I didn't like her that much.
I get that she doesn't want them to take away her posibilities, really, but there are better ways to fight for them. In my head there were all these scenarios where things could work out and, well, they were pretty logical but Ariana never took the logical path.
From the moment I was reading like chapter 4 I knew what was going to happen.
I did like Zane, though. Man, I felt really bad for him because that shit isn't good at all. But somehow I think it was better off like that. Surely, dealing with Ariana wasn't easy and Cal, darn, he was a big baby.
Zane, baby, come to me, I'll hold you until everything is better.
Overall it was an okay book. It did end in a cliff-hanger and I do want to see what's going to happen next. Plus, I got the second book approved on NetGalley so yeah, I'll be reading it.
October 27, 2014
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In a word, WOW!! Talk about a fascinating and magnetic tale! True Calling by Siobhan Davis is more than sci-fi, more than post-apocalyptic, more than YA romance! If this is what Siobhan Davis is bringing to the reading table as her debut, she is definitely an author to follow.
Picture Earth being all used up, tired and worn from abuse, now picture specially chosen people to go to a nearby planet designed to support human life and hopefully to make it thrive in all ways. The planet Novo may be the last chance Earth has to survive, technologically advanced, a healthy society, each person chosen for their potential contribution, sound good? What if this place was so “perfect” that it was actually a façade for total government control, implant chips, memory erasures, and constant monitoring and finally, population control?
Ariana is seventeen, oblivious to so much of the dark side of Earth and Novo, but she is a rebel at heart, and when the Calling Pageant is announced, a televised way to choose the perfect mate for those under a certain age. The object? To populate Novo, talk about Planned Parenthood. Arian is opposed to this spectacle but becomes a global hit, along with her “boyfriend” Cal. Are they truly a perfect match?
Nightmares of a boy she doesn’t remember keep torturing her, sometimes its scenes of him, sometimes he talks to her. Who is Zane? How does she know him? As her world becomes more of a prison state, and horrific tragedy strikes her family, she receives a message from the grave, and her world will never be the same. Gone is the trust she had in others, surviving each day, trying to stay with Cal and learning the truth of her world and an underground resistance light a spark in her that burns brighter with each day. Will it become a raging inferno of rebellion or will she perish in a fire of her own making?
Welcome to Siobhan Davis’s world, two worlds built with such rich detail that I could feel and see all that was going on. Ms. Davis has a way with words that sets each scene, alters the pace and makes each character come to life. She has created romance, intrigue and even added some paranormal elements that are totally believable. As she puts together each piece of the puzzle, it’s like watching a master at work, all of the outside edges are there and carefully the inside detail is filled in. I was completely blown away with True Calling!
I received this copy from Siobhan Davis in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 28, 2014
Publisher: Siobhan Davis
ISBN-13: 9780992930417
Genre: YA Fantasy | Science Fiction
Print Length: 289 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
September 1, 2015
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MY THOUGHTS
What really drew me into this book was, yes, I admit it, the cover. I have an attraction to covers featuring space, and while this book was not exactly what I was expecting, I was not disappointed!
This book takes place on Planet Novo, which is a man-made planet in the atmosphere of Earth to protect people from the dangers currently going on Earth. Not everyone is on Earth, though, only the smartest and the healthiest got to live on Novo. Ari's family is among them and life is just fine, except for these strange, realistic dreams she has of a person named Zane, whom she has never met. Then, the Novo government places The Calling, in which all 17 year olds will basically be in forced marriages, in order to increase the low population.
At first, I was doubtful about this book, as I felt like it was beginning to sound very similar to Matched. Then, as the book went on, I begin to ignore the similarities and began to really enjoy this book. What really made it was the romance! I'm usually annoyed by the romance in books, but I adored this one! Cal and Ari are just perfect for one another and you can tell that they love each other! Sure, the romance was a bit cheesy, but what's romance without some cheesiness?
I was fully expecting this book to be all about The Calling, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. There actually ended up being a Part II (there's more than 2 parts by the way) which is from Zane's perspective, yes, the same Zane that Ari has dreams about. Zane is on Earth, where things are not the best, and is in a resistance that is against both the government on Earth and Novo. At first, I wasn't really into Zane's perspective, I was really interesting in what was going on with Ari, but I quickly grew into his perspective. Zane's perspective gave an insight as to what the government was doing, and what was going on in general. There are so many things that we found out thanks to his perspective! There was speak of rebellion in Ari's perspective, but it wasn't until Zane's perspective that we get to see that this book is about so much more than The Calling.
Now, onto the sad part: What did I not like? I love this book and I had hardly any problems with it, but, I hate saying this, I did have a few. One problem is that I was confused by how Ari and her family seem to have some memories of Earth, when those memories were supposedly erased. For example: Ari mentions forests where she grew up. There is also mention of an uncle that committed suicide on Earth, but how do they know these things? My other issue is the psychic abilities. I felt like it wasn't explained enough as to why people have them. And that's it. Those are my only problems, and they're really minor and pretty easy to ignore.
IN CONCLUSION
This is a really great dystopian that took me by surprise! Sure, it has similar ideas to other books, at points, but this book has so many new, unique ideas as well! This book is exciting, with a great collection of characters, and I had a very hard time putting it down! I definitely recommend it to sci-fi and dystopian fans!
Am I going to continue the series! Yes! Especially after the way this book ended!
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MY THOUGHTS
What really drew me into this book was, yes, I admit it, the cover. I have an attraction to covers featuring space, and while this book was not exactly what I was expecting, I was not disappointed!
This book takes place on Planet Novo, which is a man-made planet in the atmosphere of Earth to protect people from the dangers currently going on Earth. Not everyone is on Earth, though, only the smartest and the healthiest got to live on Novo. Ari's family is among them and life is just fine, except for these strange, realistic dreams she has of a person named Zane, whom she has never met. Then, the Novo government places The Calling, in which all 17 year olds will basically be in forced marriages, in order to increase the low population.
At first, I was doubtful about this book, as I felt like it was beginning to sound very similar to Matched. Then, as the book went on, I begin to ignore the similarities and began to really enjoy this book. What really made it was the romance! I'm usually annoyed by the romance in books, but I adored this one! Cal and Ari are just perfect for one another and you can tell that they love each other! Sure, the romance was a bit cheesy, but what's romance without some cheesiness?
I was fully expecting this book to be all about The Calling, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. There actually ended up being a Part II (there's more than 2 parts by the way) which is from Zane's perspective, yes, the same Zane that Ari has dreams about. Zane is on Earth, where things are not the best, and is in a resistance that is against both the government on Earth and Novo. At first, I wasn't really into Zane's perspective, I was really interesting in what was going on with Ari, but I quickly grew into his perspective. Zane's perspective gave an insight as to what the government was doing, and what was going on in general. There are so many things that we found out thanks to his perspective! There was speak of rebellion in Ari's perspective, but it wasn't until Zane's perspective that we get to see that this book is about so much more than The Calling.
Now, onto the sad part: What did I not like? I love this book and I had hardly any problems with it, but, I hate saying this, I did have a few. One problem is that I was confused by how Ari and her family seem to have some memories of Earth, when those memories were supposedly erased. For example: Ari mentions forests where she grew up. There is also mention of an uncle that committed suicide on Earth, but how do they know these things? My other issue is the psychic abilities. I felt like it wasn't explained enough as to why people have them. And that's it. Those are my only problems, and they're really minor and pretty easy to ignore.
IN CONCLUSION
This is a really great dystopian that took me by surprise! Sure, it has similar ideas to other books, at points, but this book has so many new, unique ideas as well! This book is exciting, with a great collection of characters, and I had a very hard time putting it down! I definitely recommend it to sci-fi and dystopian fans!
Am I going to continue the series! Yes! Especially after the way this book ended!
October 8, 2014
The story revolves around Ariana Skyee. A 17 year old new resident of the planet Novo. They have been relocated due to disruption on Earth. They are inserted with a metal disk called Vito to monitor their health, location and just about anything there is to know about their life. Now there are a lot of comparisons being made from other dystopian books. I get that, because after the first three chapters I was thinking, "It's Hunger Games without the hunger and ugly buildings."
I love Siobhan Davis' description of her world. She does it in a way that doesn't seem forced. She has Ariana doing something in the present and then transition to her thinking about the events that led to them being transferred to Novo.
I liked how things unfold in the story. It left me wanting to call Siobhan Davis (if we were close) and demand to know what'll happen next. This is the first book in a long time that sucked me into their world. My mind was in overdrive trying to imagine the things that's being described in the book. I can't tell you enough how much I love sci-fi. And this book is the right mix of technology and human emotions.
The characters all have their own charm. Ariana Skyee's personality is what got me hooked on the book. Her voice, her emotions is what made True calling a winner for me. She's vain to an extent, pretty, and tough. Yeah, she's sort of almost perfect since she's both athletic and creative but it wasn't really a problem for me. Her loyalty to Cal is to be commended. The situation she faced with the two men could be tough to deal with. But I think she handled it well.
I'm still trying to decide which Team I'm on, but I'm leaning towards Cal. We'll see on the second book how their story plays out. I highly recommend it to sci-fi lovers and to those who enjoy a tight-knit dystopian story. Let Siobhan Davis take you on a trip to Novo. I promise you won't regret it.
I love Siobhan Davis' description of her world. She does it in a way that doesn't seem forced. She has Ariana doing something in the present and then transition to her thinking about the events that led to them being transferred to Novo.
I liked how things unfold in the story. It left me wanting to call Siobhan Davis (if we were close) and demand to know what'll happen next. This is the first book in a long time that sucked me into their world. My mind was in overdrive trying to imagine the things that's being described in the book. I can't tell you enough how much I love sci-fi. And this book is the right mix of technology and human emotions.
The characters all have their own charm. Ariana Skyee's personality is what got me hooked on the book. Her voice, her emotions is what made True calling a winner for me. She's vain to an extent, pretty, and tough. Yeah, she's sort of almost perfect since she's both athletic and creative but it wasn't really a problem for me. Her loyalty to Cal is to be commended. The situation she faced with the two men could be tough to deal with. But I think she handled it well.
I'm still trying to decide which Team I'm on, but I'm leaning towards Cal. We'll see on the second book how their story plays out. I highly recommend it to sci-fi lovers and to those who enjoy a tight-knit dystopian story. Let Siobhan Davis take you on a trip to Novo. I promise you won't regret it.
April 20, 2015
I was given this book for free for a read and review.
I really enjoyed the concept of this book and found it quite interesting that they used such high technology to erase memories of people that the families left on earth. I really connected with the main character and I love how love has a way of breaking down barriers even when the memories have been erased - Ari still remembered Zane.
One thing that bothered me about the book is that Ari hated Cal for the first what 5 chapters in the book and then in the next one she is practically jumping into bed with him. I just don't feel like you would change your feelings for someone overnight.
Other than that I really enjoyed it, by the second chapter I was completely hooked and couldn't put it down. I am very thankful that Siobhan sent me the second one in the trilogy so that I can continue with Ari and her adventure.
My heart broke for her at the ending!
The book was written beautifully and, even though, there are over 400 pages it went back extremely fast. Siobhan has a way of hooking you in so that you have to continue reading to know the ending, her character are very easy to connect with and fall in love with. By the end, I wasn't sure which guy I was rooting for.
I can't wait to continue!
Thank you again Sioban Davis!
I really enjoyed the concept of this book and found it quite interesting that they used such high technology to erase memories of people that the families left on earth. I really connected with the main character and I love how love has a way of breaking down barriers even when the memories have been erased - Ari still remembered Zane.
One thing that bothered me about the book is that Ari hated Cal for the first what 5 chapters in the book and then in the next one she is practically jumping into bed with him. I just don't feel like you would change your feelings for someone overnight.
Other than that I really enjoyed it, by the second chapter I was completely hooked and couldn't put it down. I am very thankful that Siobhan sent me the second one in the trilogy so that I can continue with Ari and her adventure.
My heart broke for her at the ending!
The book was written beautifully and, even though, there are over 400 pages it went back extremely fast. Siobhan has a way of hooking you in so that you have to continue reading to know the ending, her character are very easy to connect with and fall in love with. By the end, I wasn't sure which guy I was rooting for.
I can't wait to continue!
Thank you again Sioban Davis!
September 20, 2014
View all of my reviews on The Caffeinated Booknerd
Thank you to Kym @ Superbookgrl13 for the giveaway for this book
and to Siobhan Davis for providing the copy !
True Calling is a dystopian-sci-fi-romance that is FABULOUS ! Siobhan did not fail to impress me with this debut novel. It was action packed, swoon-worthy (but not too much!) and I couldn't stop turning page after page.
|| What I loved ||
I immediately connected with the main character Ariana. She is the one to stay out of the spotlight, loyal to the upmost to her friends and family. Then she is thrown into the world of 'The Calling', a televised pageant that pairs her with her future husband through voting and outside influence. Ariana struggles to accept having to be part of 'The Calling' and is against every aspect of the process. Ariana begins to develop feelings for fellow cadet Cal Remus after quite some time of thinking of him as annoying, amongst other things.
Through out the book Ariana continuously has dreams that involve a guy named Zane. She has reason to believe that she should know who this mysterious guy but has no memory of him. While Ariana continues to try to unravel who Zane is and how she knows him she grows closer and closer with Cal.
|| What I didn't care for ||
I didn't like that Cal was so possessive over Ariana and the angry that he showed toward the end of the book. I hope that it lessens over time in the following books.
I didn't enjoy that the author dedicated a few chapters to Zane telling his side of the story. I did like that it went back over the same time line that the previous section of Ariana's story. But I feel as thought the author should have written in his parts as they are happening and didn't break it up into sections.
|| OVERALL ||
I loved this story and the pacing keep me involved and interested. I'm excited to see how the story continues in the next books in the series. I still haven't decided whether I'm Team Cal or Team Zane yet. I liked/disliked things about both characters. I do hope that Ariana learns more about Zane though since he is SO dedicated to her!
Thank you to Kym @ Superbookgrl13 for the giveaway for this book
and to Siobhan Davis for providing the copy !
True Calling is a dystopian-sci-fi-romance that is FABULOUS ! Siobhan did not fail to impress me with this debut novel. It was action packed, swoon-worthy (but not too much!) and I couldn't stop turning page after page.
|| What I loved ||
I immediately connected with the main character Ariana. She is the one to stay out of the spotlight, loyal to the upmost to her friends and family. Then she is thrown into the world of 'The Calling', a televised pageant that pairs her with her future husband through voting and outside influence. Ariana struggles to accept having to be part of 'The Calling' and is against every aspect of the process. Ariana begins to develop feelings for fellow cadet Cal Remus after quite some time of thinking of him as annoying, amongst other things.
Through out the book Ariana continuously has dreams that involve a guy named Zane. She has reason to believe that she should know who this mysterious guy but has no memory of him. While Ariana continues to try to unravel who Zane is and how she knows him she grows closer and closer with Cal.
|| What I didn't care for ||
I didn't like that Cal was so possessive over Ariana and the angry that he showed toward the end of the book. I hope that it lessens over time in the following books.
I didn't enjoy that the author dedicated a few chapters to Zane telling his side of the story. I did like that it went back over the same time line that the previous section of Ariana's story. But I feel as thought the author should have written in his parts as they are happening and didn't break it up into sections.
|| OVERALL ||
I loved this story and the pacing keep me involved and interested. I'm excited to see how the story continues in the next books in the series. I still haven't decided whether I'm Team Cal or Team Zane yet. I liked/disliked things about both characters. I do hope that Ariana learns more about Zane though since he is SO dedicated to her!
November 8, 2020
I received True Calling from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Earth is becoming less and less viable. A new planet will be inhabited. Those selected to inhabit the new planet are chosen form the remaining people on earth that are under 45 and they have been stripped of their memories. Ariana Skye is a teenager who was selected and forced to leave earth and start a new life on the new planet called Novo. Novo was made to seem like earth so that the people would adjust to their new environment. The people on Novo and those that remained on earth are worrisome over the way things were handled. Ari experiences confusing dreams about someone she can’t remember from Earth. She is part of a love triangle with Cal and Zane, the boy from Earth.
The government forces all 17 year olds to participate in The Calling Pageant and to date from a short list and eventually results in marriage. The government says this is to populate the new planet. As Cal pursues Ari we always wonder what his real motives are. He is trying to convince her that he is genuine but Ari remains distrustful of the new government and her surroundings.
This is a really intriguing book. I look forward to book 2.
Earth is becoming less and less viable. A new planet will be inhabited. Those selected to inhabit the new planet are chosen form the remaining people on earth that are under 45 and they have been stripped of their memories. Ariana Skye is a teenager who was selected and forced to leave earth and start a new life on the new planet called Novo. Novo was made to seem like earth so that the people would adjust to their new environment. The people on Novo and those that remained on earth are worrisome over the way things were handled. Ari experiences confusing dreams about someone she can’t remember from Earth. She is part of a love triangle with Cal and Zane, the boy from Earth.
The government forces all 17 year olds to participate in The Calling Pageant and to date from a short list and eventually results in marriage. The government says this is to populate the new planet. As Cal pursues Ari we always wonder what his real motives are. He is trying to convince her that he is genuine but Ari remains distrustful of the new government and her surroundings.
This is a really intriguing book. I look forward to book 2.
August 23, 2014
I have mixed feelings about True Calling. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but I was constantly reminded of similar books. The 'calling' had elements of the selection by Kiera cass and hunger games, in that it was like a reality TV show, the audience were watching and voting, Cal and Ari were pulled apart and because of the people of Novo's outrage, they were allowed to be back together again, etc. Although Cal and Ari love each other, they needed to prove this to the world and show the world how happy they were in essentially being forced to get married and have kids asap.
The ending was really, really goo and it really had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Ari would finally meet Zane, whether Ari would remember or feel anything for him. Don't get me wrong, Cal is sweet, but I'm on team Zane. He was the one left behind when everyone went to novo and he's been working tirelessly these last 2 years to rescue Ari. Plus, he has the cooler name!
I'm not totally sure about Cal and his trustworthiness. I think Zane and Malcolm were wrong about him, but his anger fits are very worrying. Is he really dangerous?
I didn't realise this was a series so I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger ending, but I am intrigued to find out what happens next in this 'return to earth' mission. And, what is this vital information that Malcolm gave Ari before he died? Will it change the dynamics of her feelings for Cal?
Favourite Quotes:
It’s degrading being routinely subjected to a battery of medical tests to ensure I continue to deserve a place in this new world.
He’s a lovely guy, but there’s no spark between us whatsoever. It just goes to show, that even with all their fancy assessment tools, the government can’t legislate for chemistry.
“Well, whatever is going on, it doesn’t change the situation, we’re no longer allowed to be together,” I say sadly.
“And that makes you unhappy?” he asks unsurely. I look at him as if he has ten heads. “Of course it does,” I snap at him, “what did you think all the crying was about?”
“Just making sure, it’s been a confusing day; what with you mentioning other boys names in your sleep.”
I still grieve for her as much as I did at the start. There were those who told me it would get easier, but it hasn’t, and I know it won’t. I wonder which situation is hardest. Mine, because I remember everything, or hers because she can’t.
“Poor Ari. To have someone love you, like you do her, and for her not to know about it at all, that’s more than sad. Like losing something you never even realised you had in the first place."
The ending was really, really goo and it really had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Ari would finally meet Zane, whether Ari would remember or feel anything for him. Don't get me wrong, Cal is sweet, but I'm on team Zane. He was the one left behind when everyone went to novo and he's been working tirelessly these last 2 years to rescue Ari. Plus, he has the cooler name!
I'm not totally sure about Cal and his trustworthiness. I think Zane and Malcolm were wrong about him, but his anger fits are very worrying. Is he really dangerous?
I didn't realise this was a series so I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger ending, but I am intrigued to find out what happens next in this 'return to earth' mission. And, what is this vital information that Malcolm gave Ari before he died? Will it change the dynamics of her feelings for Cal?
Favourite Quotes:
It’s degrading being routinely subjected to a battery of medical tests to ensure I continue to deserve a place in this new world.
He’s a lovely guy, but there’s no spark between us whatsoever. It just goes to show, that even with all their fancy assessment tools, the government can’t legislate for chemistry.
“Well, whatever is going on, it doesn’t change the situation, we’re no longer allowed to be together,” I say sadly.
“And that makes you unhappy?” he asks unsurely. I look at him as if he has ten heads. “Of course it does,” I snap at him, “what did you think all the crying was about?”
“Just making sure, it’s been a confusing day; what with you mentioning other boys names in your sleep.”
I still grieve for her as much as I did at the start. There were those who told me it would get easier, but it hasn’t, and I know it won’t. I wonder which situation is hardest. Mine, because I remember everything, or hers because she can’t.
“Poor Ari. To have someone love you, like you do her, and for her not to know about it at all, that’s more than sad. Like losing something you never even realised you had in the first place."
September 1, 2014
Loved this book!From the minute I started reading this book, I was hooked. I couldn't put this book down until I was through with it! The author did such a great job world building as well as making the characters relatable & likeable.
I fell in love with Cal right-of-the-bat but quickly became leery of his intentions as the book progressed. I still don't know everyone's true motives or intentions but I'm completely intrigued! I can't wait for book 2 to see more of Zane & Aria interact. I'm a little nervous about a having a"New Moonesque" type of 2nd book, where it is all about melancholy & tragic love. I hope Ari can find a way to appreciate Zane & come to find her memories from before! Either way I will be anxiously anticipating the next installment in this series!
Fans of The Selection/Hunger Games/Matched will really enjoy this book! It might have some things in common with those books, but this story line was amazing & was completely its own! I think the only thing that unsettled me was the sexual intimacy before marriage thing. But all in all it was an amazing read!
I fell in love with Cal right-of-the-bat but quickly became leery of his intentions as the book progressed. I still don't know everyone's true motives or intentions but I'm completely intrigued! I can't wait for book 2 to see more of Zane & Aria interact. I'm a little nervous about a having a"New Moonesque" type of 2nd book, where it is all about melancholy & tragic love. I hope Ari can find a way to appreciate Zane & come to find her memories from before! Either way I will be anxiously anticipating the next installment in this series!
Fans of The Selection/Hunger Games/Matched will really enjoy this book! It might have some things in common with those books, but this story line was amazing & was completely its own! I think the only thing that unsettled me was the sexual intimacy before marriage thing. But all in all it was an amazing read!
February 20, 2015
(I received a copy from the author, In exchange for an honest review.)
Ariana was an okay character, and most of the time I liked her. I could understand why she didn't want to partake in the calling - Having your life choices taken away from you, by being forced to marry someone and having to have at least three kids by them by the time you're twenty-two, Isn't a fun thought.
This book reminded me of a few others, but I found it to be an alright read at first. As the book progressed though, I did start to lose interest, as the pacing was a bit on the slow side for me.
Overall, Not a bad read, but I didn't love it.
Ariana was an okay character, and most of the time I liked her. I could understand why she didn't want to partake in the calling - Having your life choices taken away from you, by being forced to marry someone and having to have at least three kids by them by the time you're twenty-two, Isn't a fun thought.
This book reminded me of a few others, but I found it to be an alright read at first. As the book progressed though, I did start to lose interest, as the pacing was a bit on the slow side for me.
Overall, Not a bad read, but I didn't love it.
July 5, 2015
Debut
This was a great read for being a debut novel by this author. I did feel very in touch with the characters and the ending left me hurt, mad and wanting more.
This was a great read for being a debut novel by this author. I did feel very in touch with the characters and the ending left me hurt, mad and wanting more.
January 4, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the author as a part of a blog tour in exchange for review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
True Calling by Siobhan Davis is book one in a new Sci-Fi dystopian world. Ariana Skyee is seventeen, training to be a soldier (by her choice), in her new world Novo. Two years ago, her and her family were evacuated to the planet when Earth became uninhabitable. The new government erased everyone's memories of those left behind leaving many confused and feeling as if something or rather someone is missing. As Ari's family starts to fall apart, the government announces their plans to repopulate the human race in the form of "The Calling" and Ari along with all seventeen year olds are forced to marry and mate (for lack of better term). Plagued by dreams of a boy she doesn't know and falling in love with a boy she shouldn't, Ari starts to uncover the government's dark secrets.
Okay I'm going to level with you all....I really loved this book! I liked the characters, the writing, the plot, the world-building....all of it. So yes, there will be fangirling (a lot of it) in this review. And I'm not going to apologize for it ;)
Ariana is a strong character and a decent female lead. I'll admit that at times I felt like she was a bit dramatic, but it's in our nature as girls to be that way. What I loved about Ari though is her devotion to her family, despite all odds. She loves them and will do anything for them, even participating in the horrible pageant.
Ugh...the Calling...what can I say that isn't a spoiler?! The Calling is the government's way to control who you sleep with...end of story. Not really! It's very reminiscent of a bad reality TV show...you know the one. I think it starts with a B ;) All boys and girls, seventeen years of age, are matched with ten perspective people to be their mate. Over a course of weeks the government and all parties involved (along with the adoring public) will vote on who you are to marry. Obviously our Ari is against this from the start and has every right to be!
With the Calling, comes Cal Remus, also seventeen and extremely good-looking according to Ari but also knows it...yeah he's that kind of guy. Or at least Ari thinks he is. Slowly his character is revealed and I found him quite charming but I felt like something was off. I don't know why, just my opinion.
Then there's Zane from Ari's dreams. She doesn't know if he exists or not. If he does, she has no memory of him and no idea what their relationship was or is. (The whole memory wipe thing is a tad confusing...). But for some reason she is connected to him and is determined to figure out how.
Ari's world is fascinating to me. She lives on a planet called Novo, just 12000 miles from Earth. The government was gone to great lengths to make the world like Earth. Each region is fashioned after places from home...Hawaii, New York, Colorado just to name a few. But it's too neat and too clean...too perfect. Ari comments on how the lines are too even, which in my brain makes sense and I kept picturing something like the movie The Truman Show where looks were deceiving and Truman lived inside this town/dome unaware of the world outside.
Overall I thought the book was fantastic! The author did a wonderful job of conveying the character's emotions and her world. I felt like I was there in Novo, thousands of miles from a desolate Earth. I can't wait for the next installment in this series :D If I have any complaints (which really they aren't complaints, more of just I want more) it would be that whatever happened on Earth isn't explained. So why they had to evacuate isn't mentioned other than the Earth was no longer habitable. There was also a hint of aliens with a mention of "we know now we are not alone." Creepy goodness! Also I smell a love-triangle coming with mystery boy and Cal, but as I'm indifferent to Cal I say bring it on! If you enjoy science fiction, dystopias, and of course young adult fiction, I highly recommend you check it out! I believe you will love it as much as me! Well maybe not as much as me, but you get the picture ;)
True Calling by Siobhan Davis is book one in a new Sci-Fi dystopian world. Ariana Skyee is seventeen, training to be a soldier (by her choice), in her new world Novo. Two years ago, her and her family were evacuated to the planet when Earth became uninhabitable. The new government erased everyone's memories of those left behind leaving many confused and feeling as if something or rather someone is missing. As Ari's family starts to fall apart, the government announces their plans to repopulate the human race in the form of "The Calling" and Ari along with all seventeen year olds are forced to marry and mate (for lack of better term). Plagued by dreams of a boy she doesn't know and falling in love with a boy she shouldn't, Ari starts to uncover the government's dark secrets.
Okay I'm going to level with you all....I really loved this book! I liked the characters, the writing, the plot, the world-building....all of it. So yes, there will be fangirling (a lot of it) in this review. And I'm not going to apologize for it ;)
Ariana is a strong character and a decent female lead. I'll admit that at times I felt like she was a bit dramatic, but it's in our nature as girls to be that way. What I loved about Ari though is her devotion to her family, despite all odds. She loves them and will do anything for them, even participating in the horrible pageant.
Ugh...the Calling...what can I say that isn't a spoiler?! The Calling is the government's way to control who you sleep with...end of story. Not really! It's very reminiscent of a bad reality TV show...you know the one. I think it starts with a B ;) All boys and girls, seventeen years of age, are matched with ten perspective people to be their mate. Over a course of weeks the government and all parties involved (along with the adoring public) will vote on who you are to marry. Obviously our Ari is against this from the start and has every right to be!
With the Calling, comes Cal Remus, also seventeen and extremely good-looking according to Ari but also knows it...yeah he's that kind of guy. Or at least Ari thinks he is. Slowly his character is revealed and I found him quite charming but I felt like something was off. I don't know why, just my opinion.
Then there's Zane from Ari's dreams. She doesn't know if he exists or not. If he does, she has no memory of him and no idea what their relationship was or is. (The whole memory wipe thing is a tad confusing...). But for some reason she is connected to him and is determined to figure out how.
Ari's world is fascinating to me. She lives on a planet called Novo, just 12000 miles from Earth. The government was gone to great lengths to make the world like Earth. Each region is fashioned after places from home...Hawaii, New York, Colorado just to name a few. But it's too neat and too clean...too perfect. Ari comments on how the lines are too even, which in my brain makes sense and I kept picturing something like the movie The Truman Show where looks were deceiving and Truman lived inside this town/dome unaware of the world outside.
Overall I thought the book was fantastic! The author did a wonderful job of conveying the character's emotions and her world. I felt like I was there in Novo, thousands of miles from a desolate Earth. I can't wait for the next installment in this series :D If I have any complaints (which really they aren't complaints, more of just I want more) it would be that whatever happened on Earth isn't explained. So why they had to evacuate isn't mentioned other than the Earth was no longer habitable. There was also a hint of aliens with a mention of "we know now we are not alone." Creepy goodness! Also I smell a love-triangle coming with mystery boy and Cal, but as I'm indifferent to Cal I say bring it on! If you enjoy science fiction, dystopias, and of course young adult fiction, I highly recommend you check it out! I believe you will love it as much as me! Well maybe not as much as me, but you get the picture ;)
June 7, 2015
Wow wow wow.
All around review:
I was definitely enjoying this book and I couldn't put it down. The pace of this book seemed to be weird. It seemed like all the important parts were explained really fast and then the kissing scenes were really slow. Did not seem like the priorities were right.
My buddy reading partner said:
And I agree 100%
Even though I seem to be complaining a lot, I am trying to be a critic to help. Since i received this book on Netgalley.
Spoilers/thoughts:
Part one:
Guess:
Cal:
Zane:
Aris dad
Suspicions
Part two:
I loved hearing Zanes perspective. It really cleared some stuff up. I wish it was more of a switching chapter type thing instead of one part and then the next.
ending
Updates:
All around a good book and I couldn't put it down. :)
All around review:
I was definitely enjoying this book and I couldn't put it down. The pace of this book seemed to be weird. It seemed like all the important parts were explained really fast and then the kissing scenes were really slow. Did not seem like the priorities were right.
My buddy reading partner said:
And I agree 100%
Even though I seem to be complaining a lot, I am trying to be a critic to help. Since i received this book on Netgalley.
Spoilers/thoughts:
Part one:
Guess:
Cal:
Zane:
Aris dad
Suspicions
Part two:
I loved hearing Zanes perspective. It really cleared some stuff up. I wish it was more of a switching chapter type thing instead of one part and then the next.
ending
Updates:
All around a good book and I couldn't put it down. :)
February 26, 2017
This review is featured on my blog: Writerly Bookish Stuff.
Ariana lives on Planet Novo, a man-made habitat in the Earth's orbit. Repopulation is taken seriously and The Calling is a bizarre, televised way to pair seventeen year olds with their perfect match to ensure more children.
I started reading this book in 2016, but had to stop due to ARCs and review requests. I picked up where I left off and easily fell back into the story once again.
This book had a strong Hunger Games feel to it- without the killing of the opponants. The us and them (government) factor was a strong, underlying theme. I found The Calling a weird, futuristic way to pair people to repopulate. It's a unique concept, and I had great fun learning how the system was set up and at what lengths the government would go to ensure it's success.
That's not all. Ariana is caught in a love triangle; one that enfolds for Ariana just as much as it does for the reader. What are the government hiding? Ariana has to try and fill in the void of her erased memories and keep those feelings separate from her current feelings. The narrative is well paced and kept me engaged until the end. I want to say more, but I must refrain from spoilers.
The two POVs added an interesting dynamic to the narrative. I enjoyed Zane's perspective, although, I did feel like I was getting double doses of the same information from time to time.
Fans of the Hunger Games and Divergent will enjoy True Calling immensely.
Ariana lives on Planet Novo, a man-made habitat in the Earth's orbit. Repopulation is taken seriously and The Calling is a bizarre, televised way to pair seventeen year olds with their perfect match to ensure more children.
I started reading this book in 2016, but had to stop due to ARCs and review requests. I picked up where I left off and easily fell back into the story once again.
This book had a strong Hunger Games feel to it- without the killing of the opponants. The us and them (government) factor was a strong, underlying theme. I found The Calling a weird, futuristic way to pair people to repopulate. It's a unique concept, and I had great fun learning how the system was set up and at what lengths the government would go to ensure it's success.
That's not all. Ariana is caught in a love triangle; one that enfolds for Ariana just as much as it does for the reader. What are the government hiding? Ariana has to try and fill in the void of her erased memories and keep those feelings separate from her current feelings. The narrative is well paced and kept me engaged until the end. I want to say more, but I must refrain from spoilers.
The two POVs added an interesting dynamic to the narrative. I enjoyed Zane's perspective, although, I did feel like I was getting double doses of the same information from time to time.
Fans of the Hunger Games and Divergent will enjoy True Calling immensely.
July 25, 2014
Review
True Calling is a must read for any reader interested in a fast paced, intriguing Young Adult Book.
As sister-in-law to the author I was lucky enough to read a copy of the book in advance, and as an avid reader of all types of books and a big fan of Young Adult fiction I loved this book and would highly recommend it. I think it is easily on a par with other books I have read in this genre.
True Calling is set in the near-future and we accompany Ariana on her journey in her new world on Novo. Ariana struggles with her new life and she is plagued by dreams of an unknown boy –Zane, and she is trying to work out what they are telling her.
The Calling pageant is the biggest event of the book which forces all 17 year olds to date from their approved top ten list and will eventually lead to marriage and motherhood for Ariana. The government is inflicting the pageant on all participants using the necessity of building the new world as an excuse for forcing people into submission.
Ariana is a strong character who finds it hard to be enthusiastic about something which will take away her right to fall in love the natural way and force her to become a mother before she feels ready. She is nervous and distrustful of the watchful eyes of her new government but in order to protect her family she must not show her concerns.
Family life on Novo is not the same for Ariana as it was on earth and she needs to step up and be the strong one to keep the family together.
Cal is one of the main characters of the book, he and Ariana fall in love but falling in love naturally is not how it happens on Novo so staying together is tough. Cal is a real charmer, a total heart-breaker but he has his work cut out convincing Ariana that he is genuine. She is also troubled by his growing aggression and warnings that he isn’t to be trusted. This adds to the element of intrigue as you wonder what his motivations really are.
I thought all the characters were very relatable and all were likeable in some way, even the fiery Isla!
True Calling has everything you could want in a - book, romance, intrigue, suspense, loss and suffering. It is a book that brings us along a continuous journey of self discovery in so many ways for Ariana: love, bravery, drama - True Calling has it all.
You can’t help but be drawn in by this book and I for one cannot wait for Book two.
Sinead Davis
True Calling is a must read for any reader interested in a fast paced, intriguing Young Adult Book.
As sister-in-law to the author I was lucky enough to read a copy of the book in advance, and as an avid reader of all types of books and a big fan of Young Adult fiction I loved this book and would highly recommend it. I think it is easily on a par with other books I have read in this genre.
True Calling is set in the near-future and we accompany Ariana on her journey in her new world on Novo. Ariana struggles with her new life and she is plagued by dreams of an unknown boy –Zane, and she is trying to work out what they are telling her.
The Calling pageant is the biggest event of the book which forces all 17 year olds to date from their approved top ten list and will eventually lead to marriage and motherhood for Ariana. The government is inflicting the pageant on all participants using the necessity of building the new world as an excuse for forcing people into submission.
Ariana is a strong character who finds it hard to be enthusiastic about something which will take away her right to fall in love the natural way and force her to become a mother before she feels ready. She is nervous and distrustful of the watchful eyes of her new government but in order to protect her family she must not show her concerns.
Family life on Novo is not the same for Ariana as it was on earth and she needs to step up and be the strong one to keep the family together.
Cal is one of the main characters of the book, he and Ariana fall in love but falling in love naturally is not how it happens on Novo so staying together is tough. Cal is a real charmer, a total heart-breaker but he has his work cut out convincing Ariana that he is genuine. She is also troubled by his growing aggression and warnings that he isn’t to be trusted. This adds to the element of intrigue as you wonder what his motivations really are.
I thought all the characters were very relatable and all were likeable in some way, even the fiery Isla!
True Calling has everything you could want in a - book, romance, intrigue, suspense, loss and suffering. It is a book that brings us along a continuous journey of self discovery in so many ways for Ariana: love, bravery, drama - True Calling has it all.
You can’t help but be drawn in by this book and I for one cannot wait for Book two.
Sinead Davis
June 11, 2015
I swear that I dindn't read it in so long time because I didn't appreciated it but because I'm terrible slow!
This is one of those books that before I start to read it I need a really good... "go, read!" and, thanks God, I received it. I won the give away in http://geekybookie.tumblr.com/ and you can't imagine how happy I was about it.
Usually I don't appreciate dystopian books, but this one is so.. aww!!!
During all the plot there was a little voice in my head that exuted for a certain character who was being kicked (thank you Siobhan Davis for this end, ). And it was the same voice that screamed to Ariana "what are you doing, darling?! don't trust of anyone! listen the voice in your own head, listen Zane!", and usually when there is all this confusion in my head it means just one thing: the book is AMAZING!
I don't like Ariana in all her choices but she's so... strong! She has no memories, she has to trust of a voice in her head(more or less...), her mother is too weak, she became a sort of second mother for her sister and her brother and then there is the all story about the "The Calling". I admire this kind of women in normal life, what about if they are in an other planet? I love their stories!
The Zaine's character at the beginning gave me the impression to be a little bit... asleep, but he's so determined! He never gives up, even if it's hard to love a girl that has no memory of you and see her loves an other man who maybe doesn't deserve her :( but he persistes in his research of her and his fight for her!
I recommend this book to everyone who loves dystopian books or likes "shipping"(and maybe has voices in his head).
This is one of those books that before I start to read it I need a really good... "go, read!" and, thanks God, I received it. I won the give away in http://geekybookie.tumblr.com/ and you can't imagine how happy I was about it.
Usually I don't appreciate dystopian books, but this one is so.. aww!!!
During all the plot there was a little voice in my head that exuted for a certain character who was being kicked (thank you Siobhan Davis for this end, ). And it was the same voice that screamed to Ariana "what are you doing, darling?! don't trust of anyone! listen the voice in your own head, listen Zane!", and usually when there is all this confusion in my head it means just one thing: the book is AMAZING!
I don't like Ariana in all her choices but she's so... strong! She has no memories, she has to trust of a voice in her head(more or less...), her mother is too weak, she became a sort of second mother for her sister and her brother and then there is the all story about the "The Calling". I admire this kind of women in normal life, what about if they are in an other planet? I love their stories!
The Zaine's character at the beginning gave me the impression to be a little bit... asleep, but he's so determined! He never gives up, even if it's hard to love a girl that has no memory of you and see her loves an other man who maybe doesn't deserve her :( but he persistes in his research of her and his fight for her!
I recommend this book to everyone who loves dystopian books or likes "shipping"(and maybe has voices in his head).
July 24, 2014
If you liked The Hunger Games and Divergent then you will love True Calling. YA fiction has a wonderful new voice in Siobhan Davis.
True Calling is set in the future and moves between two worlds - Earth and Planet Novo. Much of Earth is uninhabitable following varying disasters and Novo is inhabited by a select number of people carefully chosen from Earth-all under the age of 45, who have been stripped of most of their memories.
We are introduced first to 17 year old Ariana who is forced to take part in The Calling - a government initiative to increase the population of Novo. The Calling is a process whereby all 17 year olds are matched with the most suitable partner and expected to marry and have children in quick succession; all done by way of a Big Brother style competition.
True love blooms for Ariana when she meets Cal but they have to battle to stay together. Although falling in love with Cal, Ariana can't stop dreaming about Zane, who appears to live on Earth, but she has no idea who he is.
True Calling is a book of young romance with a unique ‘love square’. But it’s more than just a romance book. It explores themes such as power and control and the idea of Big Brother watching and controlling in the background.
It is easy to write in a future world where anything can happen, it is much harder to make such things believable and True Calling achieves this. We don't have to be conspiracy theorists to understand that selection of people has happened in the past, or that governments around the world have often tried to dictate how people live their lives and that is what makes True Calling so believable.
A must read for all YA enthusiasts and I can't wait to read the second book
True Calling is set in the future and moves between two worlds - Earth and Planet Novo. Much of Earth is uninhabitable following varying disasters and Novo is inhabited by a select number of people carefully chosen from Earth-all under the age of 45, who have been stripped of most of their memories.
We are introduced first to 17 year old Ariana who is forced to take part in The Calling - a government initiative to increase the population of Novo. The Calling is a process whereby all 17 year olds are matched with the most suitable partner and expected to marry and have children in quick succession; all done by way of a Big Brother style competition.
True love blooms for Ariana when she meets Cal but they have to battle to stay together. Although falling in love with Cal, Ariana can't stop dreaming about Zane, who appears to live on Earth, but she has no idea who he is.
True Calling is a book of young romance with a unique ‘love square’. But it’s more than just a romance book. It explores themes such as power and control and the idea of Big Brother watching and controlling in the background.
It is easy to write in a future world where anything can happen, it is much harder to make such things believable and True Calling achieves this. We don't have to be conspiracy theorists to understand that selection of people has happened in the past, or that governments around the world have often tried to dictate how people live their lives and that is what makes True Calling so believable.
A must read for all YA enthusiasts and I can't wait to read the second book
October 10, 2014
When I first read what it was about, and the cover, I was kinda leery, I was expecting a low budget B flick type book, for some reason I was intimidated and wasn't really sure if I wanted to request this book or not, but I'm determined to be open minded when it comes to this reviewing business, so I requested and was granted. I am so glad I did.
One of the things in this book I wasn't all together thrilled with, was the love triangle. The Zane of her dreams, and Cal. I was team Cal the entire book, even after finding out the background of Zane. He won me over. I won't say much, but I think the triangle was the weakest point of the book, I'm thinking book 2 will divulge more of the Zane/Ari background to make you feel conflicted about who she should be with. I hate triangles, but even though I hate them, I don't hate this book.
The book was beautifully written, the scenery was detailed so that I could clearly imagine what I was reading, the technology real enough to be believed that it could really happen. The characters were real, and you could really love/hate them. The story line was awesome, it kept me into it, and was hard to put down. After I was done all I wanted to do was track down the author and ask her to let me be her editor so I can read what she has on book 2 and 3 so far.
If you are a fan of dystopian books, this one is for you. I found that it's a mix of all the popular dystopians in one. The 100, Matched, The Selection, The Program, are among the few that I thought of. Aside from some similarities, this book had a lot of unique qualities too, so it wasn't a complete copy.
One of the things in this book I wasn't all together thrilled with, was the love triangle. The Zane of her dreams, and Cal. I was team Cal the entire book, even after finding out the background of Zane. He won me over. I won't say much, but I think the triangle was the weakest point of the book, I'm thinking book 2 will divulge more of the Zane/Ari background to make you feel conflicted about who she should be with. I hate triangles, but even though I hate them, I don't hate this book.
The book was beautifully written, the scenery was detailed so that I could clearly imagine what I was reading, the technology real enough to be believed that it could really happen. The characters were real, and you could really love/hate them. The story line was awesome, it kept me into it, and was hard to put down. After I was done all I wanted to do was track down the author and ask her to let me be her editor so I can read what she has on book 2 and 3 so far.
If you are a fan of dystopian books, this one is for you. I found that it's a mix of all the popular dystopians in one. The 100, Matched, The Selection, The Program, are among the few that I thought of. Aside from some similarities, this book had a lot of unique qualities too, so it wasn't a complete copy.
August 26, 2014
True Calling, is a dystopian novel based on a Planet named Novo and the Planet is a lot like Earth, but has more advanced in technology. The residents of Novo are former residents of Earth, which have been screen to make sure they are in perfect health. The down fall right now for the people of Novo is that the population is not interesting. In order to solve this problem the government has come up with The Calling. The Calling is a pageant where people are matched up to make the ideal offspring. After they are pair and married they must reproduce at least three offspring. The pageant is televised and
Ariana Skyee is a 17 year old cadet from the planet Novo, was originally from Earth, but cannot remember parts of her past. She begins to have dreams about a man named Zane, she is unable to remember who he is and why she has such a connection to him. Then there’s Cal, a boy who is also part of The Calling, she feels a huge connection to him and the feeling are the same for him. Now Ariana must what is happening on her new and old Planets.
Any readers that enjoyed dystopian novels like; Hunger Games, Divergent, and Delirium, will enjoy this novel as well. I was very interested in the love triangles which in the novel and wanted to know more about Zane and Cal and what everyone’s true intentions where within the story. This novel was a bit of a slow read and took me a little long then a novel usually takes me. I did find myself skimming some parts, but not too much, I was just very eager to see what was going to happen next. I am very excited that this novel is Book one of a series and I ca not wait for book two!!
Ariana Skyee is a 17 year old cadet from the planet Novo, was originally from Earth, but cannot remember parts of her past. She begins to have dreams about a man named Zane, she is unable to remember who he is and why she has such a connection to him. Then there’s Cal, a boy who is also part of The Calling, she feels a huge connection to him and the feeling are the same for him. Now Ariana must what is happening on her new and old Planets.
Any readers that enjoyed dystopian novels like; Hunger Games, Divergent, and Delirium, will enjoy this novel as well. I was very interested in the love triangles which in the novel and wanted to know more about Zane and Cal and what everyone’s true intentions where within the story. This novel was a bit of a slow read and took me a little long then a novel usually takes me. I did find myself skimming some parts, but not too much, I was just very eager to see what was going to happen next. I am very excited that this novel is Book one of a series and I ca not wait for book two!!
January 5, 2015
I received an ebook from the author after winning it on a blog giveaway.
WOW!!! That's the first word that comes to mind after reading this book. Everything about it, from the cover to the synopsis said "read me". I was hooked on this book from the very start. I found it really hard to put down cause i just wanted to start the next chapter to find out what happened next.
After destruction on earth, 17 year old Ariana Skyee and her family head to planet Novo to restart their life. Not everyone on earth gets to go. Only people 45 and younger and in perfect health get to live on Novo. They also have their memories erased of their life on earth. Since arriving there Ariana keeps having dreams about a guy named Zane. She's not sure if she knows him somehow or if he's even real. At times she thinks she's going crazy, and on top of that she has to deal with "The Calling", where every 17 year old has to enter a pageant to find their perfect mate and repopulate the new world.
I must say that i got really excited when i got to part 2 and found out that it was in Zane's POV. Reading about his story and what really happened in the dreams that Ari was having about him was really intriguing. I'm really rooting for Zane at this point. I really like Cal, and his relationship with Ari is so sweet. I know that he really loves and cares about her, but I really want her with Zane. Sorry Cal!!! LOL. I'm hoping that Ariana somehow gets her memories back and remembers who Zane really is.
I really don't know if i can wait till April for the next book. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!!!!
WOW!!! That's the first word that comes to mind after reading this book. Everything about it, from the cover to the synopsis said "read me". I was hooked on this book from the very start. I found it really hard to put down cause i just wanted to start the next chapter to find out what happened next.
After destruction on earth, 17 year old Ariana Skyee and her family head to planet Novo to restart their life. Not everyone on earth gets to go. Only people 45 and younger and in perfect health get to live on Novo. They also have their memories erased of their life on earth. Since arriving there Ariana keeps having dreams about a guy named Zane. She's not sure if she knows him somehow or if he's even real. At times she thinks she's going crazy, and on top of that she has to deal with "The Calling", where every 17 year old has to enter a pageant to find their perfect mate and repopulate the new world.
I must say that i got really excited when i got to part 2 and found out that it was in Zane's POV. Reading about his story and what really happened in the dreams that Ari was having about him was really intriguing. I'm really rooting for Zane at this point. I really like Cal, and his relationship with Ari is so sweet. I know that he really loves and cares about her, but I really want her with Zane. Sorry Cal!!! LOL. I'm hoping that Ariana somehow gets her memories back and remembers who Zane really is.
I really don't know if i can wait till April for the next book. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!!!!
July 18, 2016
I love stories in which you can't tell whom to trust, and this one presents a number of dubious characters for the reader to ponder. But one thing Siobhan Davis does that many authors don't is pile twist upon twist, so that even when you think you've got everyone sorted out, you find that you don't. That is great storytelling.
I am also discovering that I love romance as long as it's in the context of something larger, and that's exactly what happens in this book. (Although I think I'm just about ready to try pure romance and see if I've given it short shrift.) The love story here is but a part of the high stakes good vs. evil/save the world story, and as a result it works perfectly for me. Plus I happen to adore love triangles, and Davis does them so beautifully that my heart aches.
Another thing I love about this author's writing is her detailed world building, especially her descriptions of structures and devices. She's really thought out how things look and work, and I can see the setting, characters, and props in my head, as well as the action. One thing I enjoy about her world building is that I don't have to strain to understand names, governments, and the other cultural paraphernalia you find in science fiction and fantasy. She presents her world so breezily that I don't get lost. I really appreciate that.
Now here is my highest compliment: I want to savor Siobhan's books so much that I've decided to pace myself, read one only every so often rather than all in a rush. But I'm not sure I'll be able to do that. I might just have to devour them. I'll let you know.
I am also discovering that I love romance as long as it's in the context of something larger, and that's exactly what happens in this book. (Although I think I'm just about ready to try pure romance and see if I've given it short shrift.) The love story here is but a part of the high stakes good vs. evil/save the world story, and as a result it works perfectly for me. Plus I happen to adore love triangles, and Davis does them so beautifully that my heart aches.
Another thing I love about this author's writing is her detailed world building, especially her descriptions of structures and devices. She's really thought out how things look and work, and I can see the setting, characters, and props in my head, as well as the action. One thing I enjoy about her world building is that I don't have to strain to understand names, governments, and the other cultural paraphernalia you find in science fiction and fantasy. She presents her world so breezily that I don't get lost. I really appreciate that.
Now here is my highest compliment: I want to savor Siobhan's books so much that I've decided to pace myself, read one only every so often rather than all in a rush. But I'm not sure I'll be able to do that. I might just have to devour them. I'll let you know.
January 27, 2015
Firstly I want to start by saying that the characters in this book are some of the most interesting I have read about. Ariana is your typical 17 year old girl to begin with, getting on at school and with her friends but the growth in her character is what had me hooked on this book from the get go. Ariana is strong and sassy but also clever and caring, I found her easy to relate to and enjoyed her plot lines. Cal who is Ariana's love interest is a strong male lead character also. I loved his protectiveness over the heroine and how we get she the depth of his personality while he is dealing with Lilly.
I enjoyed the sort of love triangle within this book and constantly flitted between team Cal and team Zane.
I am not usually a fan of books told from duel perspectives and in this book we get a little from Zane's point of view too. I didn't hate it actually and although there was a lot extra to take in during this section of the book I thought it helped to move the book along smoothly.
I thought this book was action packed and there was not a single boring page which is amazing considering I do get bored quite easily with boring story lines. I think this book reaches out to the girly girl inside of me slightly with the dresses and the make up talk but then drags me right back into the action.
The Calling does have a hunger games feel to it so if you liked the hunger games you would probably enjoy this book but the story and premise is unlike anything I have read before.
I am excited to read more from Siobhan Davies and more in this series.
I enjoyed the sort of love triangle within this book and constantly flitted between team Cal and team Zane.
I am not usually a fan of books told from duel perspectives and in this book we get a little from Zane's point of view too. I didn't hate it actually and although there was a lot extra to take in during this section of the book I thought it helped to move the book along smoothly.
I thought this book was action packed and there was not a single boring page which is amazing considering I do get bored quite easily with boring story lines. I think this book reaches out to the girly girl inside of me slightly with the dresses and the make up talk but then drags me right back into the action.
The Calling does have a hunger games feel to it so if you liked the hunger games you would probably enjoy this book but the story and premise is unlike anything I have read before.
I am excited to read more from Siobhan Davies and more in this series.
August 17, 2014
True Calling – Siobhan Davis
True Calling is the debut novel from Irish author Siobhan Davis. The novel is set on Planet Novo, a planet created in the likeness of earth but far more technologically advanced. The people who live on Novo have been screened extensively to ensure that the new planet earth prospers. The only drawback to being chosen for this new planet is the fact that the government erased certain memories from the minds of the people.
For Ariana, this is the most confusing part of her new life. She can’t remember the people from her past who were left on earth, but at night she can see them in her dreams. Most specifically, she can see Zane.
When the government set up The Calling, a pageant set up to match up couples who would produce the most ideal offspring, Ariana has to decide between Cal, the boy she loves even though her father disapproves, or Zane, the boy that her father adores, even though Ariana cannot remember her life with him.
I liked the character of Ariana. I liked that she was a determined character who stood up for her beliefs. She was a strong female character who condemned the decision of the government to force women to procreate.
I enjoyed the dual perspective of Ariana and Zane. It was interesting to read about how life worked in both planets.
Although slow-paced at times, I enjoyed the compelling storyline and relatable cast of characters.
This novel would appeal to readers of The Hunger Games and Divergent.
True Calling is the debut novel from Irish author Siobhan Davis. The novel is set on Planet Novo, a planet created in the likeness of earth but far more technologically advanced. The people who live on Novo have been screened extensively to ensure that the new planet earth prospers. The only drawback to being chosen for this new planet is the fact that the government erased certain memories from the minds of the people.
For Ariana, this is the most confusing part of her new life. She can’t remember the people from her past who were left on earth, but at night she can see them in her dreams. Most specifically, she can see Zane.
When the government set up The Calling, a pageant set up to match up couples who would produce the most ideal offspring, Ariana has to decide between Cal, the boy she loves even though her father disapproves, or Zane, the boy that her father adores, even though Ariana cannot remember her life with him.
I liked the character of Ariana. I liked that she was a determined character who stood up for her beliefs. She was a strong female character who condemned the decision of the government to force women to procreate.
I enjoyed the dual perspective of Ariana and Zane. It was interesting to read about how life worked in both planets.
Although slow-paced at times, I enjoyed the compelling storyline and relatable cast of characters.
This novel would appeal to readers of The Hunger Games and Divergent.
July 25, 2014
If you have enjoyed trilogies like “The Hunger Games”, “Matched” and “Birthmarked” and are wondering where to turn to next – your search is over! Look no further than “True Calling,” the first book in what promises to be a gripping series.
“True Calling” tells the story of Ariana as she struggles to adjust to life on Novo, a planet where some of Earth’s citizens have taken refuge. As the story progresses, the fabric of Novo society is stretched enough for Ariana to see the problems beneath the surface. We follow Ariana every step of the way as she embarks on a mission of self-discovery, love, intrigue and truth.
Siobhan Davis writes in such an engaging manner that you, the reader, will be immediately drawn into this imagined world. Ariana’s struggles matter and you easily become invested in her personal journey. The plot introduces several well-rounded, individual characters such as Cal and Zane, who propel the storylines along.
“True Calling” ticks all the required elements of a Young Adult book – love, personal struggle, finding your place in society but still manages to inject enough unique elements to make it a stand-out first novel. “True Calling” can comfortably sit on book shelves along with the likes of “The Hunger Games”, “Matched” etc. and hold its own. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. It can’t come quick enough!
“True Calling” tells the story of Ariana as she struggles to adjust to life on Novo, a planet where some of Earth’s citizens have taken refuge. As the story progresses, the fabric of Novo society is stretched enough for Ariana to see the problems beneath the surface. We follow Ariana every step of the way as she embarks on a mission of self-discovery, love, intrigue and truth.
Siobhan Davis writes in such an engaging manner that you, the reader, will be immediately drawn into this imagined world. Ariana’s struggles matter and you easily become invested in her personal journey. The plot introduces several well-rounded, individual characters such as Cal and Zane, who propel the storylines along.
“True Calling” ticks all the required elements of a Young Adult book – love, personal struggle, finding your place in society but still manages to inject enough unique elements to make it a stand-out first novel. “True Calling” can comfortably sit on book shelves along with the likes of “The Hunger Games”, “Matched” etc. and hold its own. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. It can’t come quick enough!
November 19, 2014
ARC provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The first word that comes to my mind after finishing reading True Calling is Amazing. This book is simply amazing. Every single page of this book was action packed and fast paced. It was a quick and easy read, which was exactly what i needed.
I really enjoyed the world building and the setting of this book. The technology that they used got me suprised and the story development was awseome. All through the book, you never knew which chracters were trustworthy and that was an aspect that kept me stuck to this book overnight.
The protagonist, Ariana Skyee, was a independent and resilient seventeen year old who really believes in her opinions. She doubts of the goverment's real intentions and she wants to have things her way. The fact that she was such a strong character made me love her even more as a protagonist.
The romance in this book was good. All through the book, I didn't like Cal because I always felt like he was part of a plan even though he was nice to Ariana and her family. I really didn't trust him.
When I requested this book on NetGalley, I had no idea of what to expect and not to my suprise, I was pleased by how much this book was awseome. I have no regrets.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games and Matched. I can't wait till Book 2 comes out.
The first word that comes to my mind after finishing reading True Calling is Amazing. This book is simply amazing. Every single page of this book was action packed and fast paced. It was a quick and easy read, which was exactly what i needed.
I really enjoyed the world building and the setting of this book. The technology that they used got me suprised and the story development was awseome. All through the book, you never knew which chracters were trustworthy and that was an aspect that kept me stuck to this book overnight.
The protagonist, Ariana Skyee, was a independent and resilient seventeen year old who really believes in her opinions. She doubts of the goverment's real intentions and she wants to have things her way. The fact that she was such a strong character made me love her even more as a protagonist.
The romance in this book was good. All through the book, I didn't like Cal because I always felt like he was part of a plan even though he was nice to Ariana and her family. I really didn't trust him.
When I requested this book on NetGalley, I had no idea of what to expect and not to my suprise, I was pleased by how much this book was awseome. I have no regrets.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games and Matched. I can't wait till Book 2 comes out.
July 30, 2014
True Calling is the story of Ariana and her experiences in a new (supposedly utopian) world she is forced to call home. In order to help the inhabitants settle in to their new life, all of the memories from their previous life have been wiped. This does not stop Ariana having some flashes of a boy from her past. Who is he and what do they mean to each other? While figuring it out she's got plenty of options for romance in her new life! Not to mention trying to keep herself and her family going when the new world leaders start to introduce some extreme controlling measures and things look to spiral out of control.
Ariana is a great character, strong, kind and brave. Her story is engaging and fans of the YA genre will really enjoy this. There is a definite strong romantic thread through this story, but it's also about family and standing up for what you believe in. At the end of the book I felt like the story and the characters had really got to me and I'm dying to know what is going to happen next.
Fans of The Hunger Games, Matched and other YA novels of a dystopian nature will love this exciting read!
Ariana is a great character, strong, kind and brave. Her story is engaging and fans of the YA genre will really enjoy this. There is a definite strong romantic thread through this story, but it's also about family and standing up for what you believe in. At the end of the book I felt like the story and the characters had really got to me and I'm dying to know what is going to happen next.
Fans of The Hunger Games, Matched and other YA novels of a dystopian nature will love this exciting read!
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