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Mindshare #1
We Are Watching
Henry Malone's childhood was shattered by the unexplained suicide of his father. Now a teenager, his days are spent studying to become a Neural Implant Technician for Planetary Link Corporation, helping them maintain an iron grip over his walled country and every iota of knowledge contained within—but he leads a double life. Henry’s nights are spent helping his mother wage a cyber war against them in her quest to find the truth behind his father’s death.
He's managed to keep his two lives separate, a delicate balance that's endangered after he repairs the neural implant of a stranger. He finds she’s in possession of illegal memories from the outside world, unauthorized knowledge of his father, and a message: speak to me later and tell no one. Henry has a choice to make—ignore the message and maintain his double-life, or answer and risk everything to uncover secrets Planetary Link would kill to keep buried.
He's managed to keep his two lives separate, a delicate balance that's endangered after he repairs the neural implant of a stranger. He finds she’s in possession of illegal memories from the outside world, unauthorized knowledge of his father, and a message: speak to me later and tell no one. Henry has a choice to make—ignore the message and maintain his double-life, or answer and risk everything to uncover secrets Planetary Link would kill to keep buried.
404 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2014
3 people are currently reading
1166 people want to read
About the author
M. Stephen Stewart
3 books30 followersI'm a guy from Indiana. I happen to love telling stories in all their forms.
In 2009, I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Indiana University, and was greeted with a withered job market. Turned out the Journalism thing didn't work so well. I'm one of he lucky few, in that I had another job lined up, and I don't give up easily. From a young age, I knew writing was what I wanted, and I'd be damned if I didn't get it.
My spare time outside of work was spent in creative writing for myself, and making enough scratch at a video game website to buy a few used games here or there.
Then, in 2014, I wrote my first novel, We Are Watching. Currently, I have begun a draft for a book in a second, unrelated fantasy series, and have laid the groundwork for two sequels to We Are Watching.
Stay tuned!
In 2009, I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Indiana University, and was greeted with a withered job market. Turned out the Journalism thing didn't work so well. I'm one of he lucky few, in that I had another job lined up, and I don't give up easily. From a young age, I knew writing was what I wanted, and I'd be damned if I didn't get it.
My spare time outside of work was spent in creative writing for myself, and making enough scratch at a video game website to buy a few used games here or there.
Then, in 2014, I wrote my first novel, We Are Watching. Currently, I have begun a draft for a book in a second, unrelated fantasy series, and have laid the groundwork for two sequels to We Are Watching.
Stay tuned!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 13, 2015
Henry has lived a hard life after the death of his father and has had to deal with everyone trying to gain something because of it. He's also developed a sarcastic and defensive attitude because of it. Henry lives in a futuristic version of Huston called The Gulf Market where everyone has been implanted with a NEX in their brains that connects them with all kinds of knowledge and information. All of the information and knowledge is controlled by Planetary Link or Plink and they determine what and how much you are allowed to ''consume'' and also have access to your memories. If unauthorized knowledge is obtained it is a capitol offense punishable sometimes by death. Henry is training to become an IT but in his spare time he is secretly studying piloting and space. His whole world is thrown off it's axis when he is called to fix the NEX of girl found passed out, and as he is sifting through her NEX and memories he stumbles upon images of his father and now he's determined to find out what it is she knows about him.
I really enjoyed reading "We Are Watching", it was such a refreshing and different type of book than what I've been reading lately. Stewart creates a mesmerizing futuristic world that is full of adventure, mystery, misery, heartache and hope.
Henry is a sarcastic pain in the butt sometimes but I don't blame him. I think I would be that way too if every time I turned around someone was trying to make shares (money) off me. He has extremely short fuses especially when it come to the subject of his father.
Mark Watson is Henry's best friend and the only kid his age who doesn't try to use Henry. He is always trying to keep Henry out of trouble and looking out for him. You really don't get to see a huge glimpse into Mark's life but one thing that is evident is the way that he is always there for Henry when he really needs him.
Riya is a strong and brave character who has a few secrets. You get a brief glimpse into what her life is like and her secrets as the story progresses. She helps to get Henry to do things that he normally would not and brings him out of his ''shell''.
I like that the time in which "We Are Watching" is set in the future, because as with fantasy the sky is the limit and anything that you can dream up can work. Stewart goes into a few details and describes some of the cultural ideas but, I would have liked to have learned more about the futuristics of this world. The NEX felt a little familiar in the sense of being almost like our smartphones today and all the apps that come with it. The only difference being the NEX is implanted in the brain. In Henry's world everyone is always connected to their NEX looking at everyone else's profiles and status updates, almost like how our society is obsessed with social media platforms today.
"We Are Watching" is a mesmerizing futuristic tale that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and dying to know what happens in the second installment of the Mindshare series. I highly suggest giving "We Are Watching" by M. Stephen Stewart a try especially if you like futuristic worlds and tons of science fiction.
I really enjoyed reading "We Are Watching", it was such a refreshing and different type of book than what I've been reading lately. Stewart creates a mesmerizing futuristic world that is full of adventure, mystery, misery, heartache and hope.
Henry is a sarcastic pain in the butt sometimes but I don't blame him. I think I would be that way too if every time I turned around someone was trying to make shares (money) off me. He has extremely short fuses especially when it come to the subject of his father.
Mark Watson is Henry's best friend and the only kid his age who doesn't try to use Henry. He is always trying to keep Henry out of trouble and looking out for him. You really don't get to see a huge glimpse into Mark's life but one thing that is evident is the way that he is always there for Henry when he really needs him.
Riya is a strong and brave character who has a few secrets. You get a brief glimpse into what her life is like and her secrets as the story progresses. She helps to get Henry to do things that he normally would not and brings him out of his ''shell''.
I like that the time in which "We Are Watching" is set in the future, because as with fantasy the sky is the limit and anything that you can dream up can work. Stewart goes into a few details and describes some of the cultural ideas but, I would have liked to have learned more about the futuristics of this world. The NEX felt a little familiar in the sense of being almost like our smartphones today and all the apps that come with it. The only difference being the NEX is implanted in the brain. In Henry's world everyone is always connected to their NEX looking at everyone else's profiles and status updates, almost like how our society is obsessed with social media platforms today.
"We Are Watching" is a mesmerizing futuristic tale that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and dying to know what happens in the second installment of the Mindshare series. I highly suggest giving "We Are Watching" by M. Stephen Stewart a try especially if you like futuristic worlds and tons of science fiction.
July 11, 2015
Henry Malone has had a hard life following the death of his father, a death which was deemed suicide.
Now a teenager he works for the Planetary Link Corporation (Plink) as a technician specialising in Neural Implants. Everybody has an implant, to me it sounds like having the contents of your iPhone in your head but with the added terror of Plink being able to see what you see.
Plink want to control the knowledge that you absorb, there will be no unauthorised knowledge and Henry as a technician with them is very aware of this fact.
So when he comes across a girl who has strange not to mention illegal memories of a world outside the one he lives in and she also has extensive knowledge of his father, who is this girl and what can she tell Henry about his father?
We Are Watching is a great read, the futuristic world that the author has created is totally different to any dystopian novels I have read of late, it is a bit Big Brother-ish.
The description of the implants definitely got me thinking, it is how I imagine social media to be a century from now and it scares me a little, the population in this book are so dependant on the their links they seem oblivious to everyone else, does that seem familiar iPhone users?!
Anyway this is a breath of fresh air in to this genre and certainly worth a look at book 2 when it comes out.
Thank you to Xpresso book tours for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
Now a teenager he works for the Planetary Link Corporation (Plink) as a technician specialising in Neural Implants. Everybody has an implant, to me it sounds like having the contents of your iPhone in your head but with the added terror of Plink being able to see what you see.
Plink want to control the knowledge that you absorb, there will be no unauthorised knowledge and Henry as a technician with them is very aware of this fact.
So when he comes across a girl who has strange not to mention illegal memories of a world outside the one he lives in and she also has extensive knowledge of his father, who is this girl and what can she tell Henry about his father?
We Are Watching is a great read, the futuristic world that the author has created is totally different to any dystopian novels I have read of late, it is a bit Big Brother-ish.
The description of the implants definitely got me thinking, it is how I imagine social media to be a century from now and it scares me a little, the population in this book are so dependant on the their links they seem oblivious to everyone else, does that seem familiar iPhone users?!
Anyway this is a breath of fresh air in to this genre and certainly worth a look at book 2 when it comes out.
Thank you to Xpresso book tours for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
July 11, 2015
Book giveaway available on my blog http://readaholiczone.blogspot.com/
This is the utmost phenomenal sci-fi book that I have had the pleasure of reading.The truth is I have never been an enormous fan of Sci-fi books. Yet this book is so different from the rest of the Sci-fi genre. This is an unconventional and distinct read. An author like M. Stephen Stewart can write in such a profound way that while reading his book the details and settings are so dynamic you feel as if you are living in this futuristic world. A world that one day far into the future could be our genuine reality. The characters have an enormous depth to them; as well their feelings are vivid and real touching the reader in such a way that you cry, laugh, get furious, or sullen along with them.
The plot is unique and strong. It is packed with all types of situations that you will not detect coming as well as fully loaded with creative context. Here is something to chew on but I can give nothing else away. Henry Malone, one of the main characters, is training to be a Neural implant technician for the Planetary Link Corporation. Plink controls all knowledge through a person's NEX (an implant in the brain). Henry lives in a walled in country and as the rest of society is only allowed access to the limited knowledge Plink allows. Henry is needed for a dire quest which will change his life forever. However can Henry gather the courage to proceed with this challenge given unto him. Basically, it is what's in the blurb, sorry. The book never slows down it keeps you on the edge obsessed with what venture shall be next. Furthermore this read is greater than a futuristic world that has profound problems that need to be solved, it shows what true bravery is, it explains what it means to fight for the good of humanity and to put your full faith in another human trusting them with your life.
We Are Watching (Mindshare #1) is the first book in a series. However, the ending is abrupt leaving you wanting more which you can have right away with the second book in the series A Conduit for man (Mindshare #2). Which I have already lost myself in...
"Thank you Xpresso Book Tours and M. Stephen Stewart"
This is the utmost phenomenal sci-fi book that I have had the pleasure of reading.The truth is I have never been an enormous fan of Sci-fi books. Yet this book is so different from the rest of the Sci-fi genre. This is an unconventional and distinct read. An author like M. Stephen Stewart can write in such a profound way that while reading his book the details and settings are so dynamic you feel as if you are living in this futuristic world. A world that one day far into the future could be our genuine reality. The characters have an enormous depth to them; as well their feelings are vivid and real touching the reader in such a way that you cry, laugh, get furious, or sullen along with them.
The plot is unique and strong. It is packed with all types of situations that you will not detect coming as well as fully loaded with creative context. Here is something to chew on but I can give nothing else away. Henry Malone, one of the main characters, is training to be a Neural implant technician for the Planetary Link Corporation. Plink controls all knowledge through a person's NEX (an implant in the brain). Henry lives in a walled in country and as the rest of society is only allowed access to the limited knowledge Plink allows. Henry is needed for a dire quest which will change his life forever. However can Henry gather the courage to proceed with this challenge given unto him. Basically, it is what's in the blurb, sorry. The book never slows down it keeps you on the edge obsessed with what venture shall be next. Furthermore this read is greater than a futuristic world that has profound problems that need to be solved, it shows what true bravery is, it explains what it means to fight for the good of humanity and to put your full faith in another human trusting them with your life.
We Are Watching (Mindshare #1) is the first book in a series. However, the ending is abrupt leaving you wanting more which you can have right away with the second book in the series A Conduit for man (Mindshare #2). Which I have already lost myself in...
"Thank you Xpresso Book Tours and M. Stephen Stewart"
July 8, 2015
***I received a free copy of We Are Watching via Xpresso Book Tours for an honest review***
Wow! This story is not at all what I would have expected from the synopsis. It is so much more and I encourage anyone who loves alternate realities, or futuristic possibilities whether young or adult to read this book.
The main character Henry, Hank, Malone is a 17 year old know-it-all with just the right amount of angst, anger, frustration and fear to be one of my own kids. Throw in a futuristic world where everyone is hooked into the Planetary Next and the author gave me a frightening world. Plausible though, especially since my nine month old grandson tries hard to grab any and all electronics, I can see this world of Malone’s and it makes me shudder.
But in many ways, we are already in this world. Though as Henry walked through the future streets of the Gulf Market, aka Houston, advertisements directed and starring Henry would flash all around him. We might not be there yet, but well on our way with the big names like Google and Facebook marketing ads towards our search patterns. I was going to say it bothered me, but it made me think about our freedoms more so than ever before. In Henry’s world, it was illegal to consume knowledge that you were not privy to, or to move about from city to city freely. Here, at least at the moment, we are free to read, write and discuss anything in the United States. Henry did not even know that those freedoms had ever existed. I would simply be arrested for the books in my personal library.
Now where was I? Ah yes, the Gulf Market where the Planetary Corporation ruled with an iron fist and rebels demanded what PLINK had. As in all things, there are different levels of rebellion and Henry meets the leader of both, quickly coming to understand that the radical terrorists were just as bad as PLINK. Without giving away the climax of the book, let me say that Stewart has developed a highly entertaining and thought provoking series and I look forward to the next installment of the Mindshare series.
Wow! This story is not at all what I would have expected from the synopsis. It is so much more and I encourage anyone who loves alternate realities, or futuristic possibilities whether young or adult to read this book.
The main character Henry, Hank, Malone is a 17 year old know-it-all with just the right amount of angst, anger, frustration and fear to be one of my own kids. Throw in a futuristic world where everyone is hooked into the Planetary Next and the author gave me a frightening world. Plausible though, especially since my nine month old grandson tries hard to grab any and all electronics, I can see this world of Malone’s and it makes me shudder.
But in many ways, we are already in this world. Though as Henry walked through the future streets of the Gulf Market, aka Houston, advertisements directed and starring Henry would flash all around him. We might not be there yet, but well on our way with the big names like Google and Facebook marketing ads towards our search patterns. I was going to say it bothered me, but it made me think about our freedoms more so than ever before. In Henry’s world, it was illegal to consume knowledge that you were not privy to, or to move about from city to city freely. Here, at least at the moment, we are free to read, write and discuss anything in the United States. Henry did not even know that those freedoms had ever existed. I would simply be arrested for the books in my personal library.
Now where was I? Ah yes, the Gulf Market where the Planetary Corporation ruled with an iron fist and rebels demanded what PLINK had. As in all things, there are different levels of rebellion and Henry meets the leader of both, quickly coming to understand that the radical terrorists were just as bad as PLINK. Without giving away the climax of the book, let me say that Stewart has developed a highly entertaining and thought provoking series and I look forward to the next installment of the Mindshare series.
September 23, 2018
Full review to come!
October 2, 2020
This is a difficult book to read, because the writing is dreadfully clunky. It took me two weeks to trudge through this story, and I found myself wishing that I’d called it quits and DNF’d as soon as I started having trouble at the 10% mark.
The prologue of We Are Watching is the strongest part of the story. We meet an astronaut who is in mortal peril, experiencing the catastrophic failure of his ship, but who is desperate to get home to his wife and child. I flew through this part of the story and found myself eager to continue, wanting to see what would happen next to the intrepid explorer.
Sadly, after the prologue we instead follow the astronaut’s son, Trainee Henry “Hank” Malone, and the bulk of the novel fails to live up to the brilliance of the prologue. Because the first few scenes are so intensely focused there is a great sense of atmosphere and emotion, but the larger world that surrounds Henry is poorly crafted and incoherent. Characters are referred to by multiple different names in an unnatural way – I kept thinking two or three people were being referred to, rather than just one person – and none of them have any memorable qualities. In fact, it’s only been a month since I finished this book and I’m already struggling to remember names or descriptions for any of the characters, as they just don’t have any impact at all.
The same can be said about the world. Whereas some dystopians have very unique settings (Divergent and The Hunger Games being two which pop to mind), We Are Watching has some interesting aspects but they are brushed over too easily. The idea of people getting money through shares and likes is a great piece of social commentary – taking the way that people are so obsessed with getting validation through social media and twisting it into a currency is genius! – but this is never explained or explored thoroughly. Sometimes dropping your reader in the deep end and refusing to simply explain your world works brilliantly, but other times it makes it impossible to get to the bottom of what’s really going on, and sadly We Are Watching falls in the latter camp.
I try not to judge galleys too harshly for any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors that may be scattered throughout, as they aren’t finished copies and often contain errors, but I wouldn’t be surprised if We Are Watching was a first draft which had received no editing at all. As well as the characters and the world being rather flat, the action sequences were awfully described, making it impossible to picture anything that was going on. I found myself rereading paragraphs to try to get to the bottom of what the heck had just happened, only to end up shrugging and continuing on with the story because it still made no sense to me. Reading shouldn’t be this much of a mental workout!
I’m not quite sure why there needs to be a sequel as everything seemed as though it could have been neatly wrapped up, but this won’t be a series that I end up continuing.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
The prologue of We Are Watching is the strongest part of the story. We meet an astronaut who is in mortal peril, experiencing the catastrophic failure of his ship, but who is desperate to get home to his wife and child. I flew through this part of the story and found myself eager to continue, wanting to see what would happen next to the intrepid explorer.
Sadly, after the prologue we instead follow the astronaut’s son, Trainee Henry “Hank” Malone, and the bulk of the novel fails to live up to the brilliance of the prologue. Because the first few scenes are so intensely focused there is a great sense of atmosphere and emotion, but the larger world that surrounds Henry is poorly crafted and incoherent. Characters are referred to by multiple different names in an unnatural way – I kept thinking two or three people were being referred to, rather than just one person – and none of them have any memorable qualities. In fact, it’s only been a month since I finished this book and I’m already struggling to remember names or descriptions for any of the characters, as they just don’t have any impact at all.
The same can be said about the world. Whereas some dystopians have very unique settings (Divergent and The Hunger Games being two which pop to mind), We Are Watching has some interesting aspects but they are brushed over too easily. The idea of people getting money through shares and likes is a great piece of social commentary – taking the way that people are so obsessed with getting validation through social media and twisting it into a currency is genius! – but this is never explained or explored thoroughly. Sometimes dropping your reader in the deep end and refusing to simply explain your world works brilliantly, but other times it makes it impossible to get to the bottom of what’s really going on, and sadly We Are Watching falls in the latter camp.
I try not to judge galleys too harshly for any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors that may be scattered throughout, as they aren’t finished copies and often contain errors, but I wouldn’t be surprised if We Are Watching was a first draft which had received no editing at all. As well as the characters and the world being rather flat, the action sequences were awfully described, making it impossible to picture anything that was going on. I found myself rereading paragraphs to try to get to the bottom of what the heck had just happened, only to end up shrugging and continuing on with the story because it still made no sense to me. Reading shouldn’t be this much of a mental workout!
I’m not quite sure why there needs to be a sequel as everything seemed as though it could have been neatly wrapped up, but this won’t be a series that I end up continuing.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
July 9, 2015
*I’m posting this as part of the XpressoBookTours We Are Watching Blog Tour. I received a free ebook copy of this in order to do so.
*This is also posted on FIhsing For Books
.
We Are Watching is a well written sci-fi novel full of action, strength, bravery, growth, secrets, deceit, and a chance to make everything right. Henry Malone has had a tough life, losing his father to a rumored suicide and having everyone use him to get shares and fame without caring about Henry and how he might feel about that. Because of that, Henry has an ill temper and tends to lose his cool at any mention of his father or mother. Which is also why he only has one real friend, Mark, who is there for him and doesn’t try exposing his secrets so he can benefit from them. Other than Mark, Henry only has his mother left, who stays in bed all day long on her NEX, and John Alford who treats him like a son and tries his best to be there for Henry. But while most of the world has moved on from trying to pick the truth from lies about Henry’s father’s death, his mother still works tirelessly to get to the truth. And it costs her.
While I liked the characters, they weren’t quite fully developed. I would’ve loved to see more of Riya and Mark. While they are both characters that are in the novel almost always with Henry, we still don’t really know about them or have a good, solid feel for them. I want to know more about their backgrounds, their personalities, things we didn’t get to see. I mean, we all know Mark is strong, loyal to Henry, a great friend, and doesn’t like getting into trouble like Henry has a knack for. And we all know Riya is a strong, tough, determined young woman. She’s vulnerable and good at acting like all she ever does is cry when she needs to, she’s also good with a gun and she’s very knowledgeable. But what do we really know of her? She fought to get to Henry because of a vision her father had and risked her life to do so, she can mask her emotions fairly easily, she’s lost a lot like Henry, and she believes Henry can help her and her family. That’s just the surface of them though, I would’ve loved to see more of what lays underneath.
Aside from that, I enjoyed how the information was spread out in the novel, and how much we came to learn without really feeling too overwhelmed. The information was given when we needed it and only when we needed it. But I also feel like we only really got to know Jeppe and Ourai’s sides. We never got all that much information on Planetary Link even though they’re clearly the bad guy. We get such a small glimpse of them, that honestly, Jeppe seems like the worst enemy they could have; though we all know that’s not true because of what little we do know of Planetary Link. Plink (Planetary Link) suppresses information, suppresses everything actually, that they feel the citizens of Gulf Market don’t need to know. In fact, the citizens only know what they for their jobs and their knowledge ends there! Plus, they’re spied on, always being watched and listened to. They have no privacy! Can you imagine that?
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book despite the few issues. I would recommend this to lovers of sci-fi, and distopia.
*This is also posted on FIhsing For Books
.
We Are Watching is a well written sci-fi novel full of action, strength, bravery, growth, secrets, deceit, and a chance to make everything right. Henry Malone has had a tough life, losing his father to a rumored suicide and having everyone use him to get shares and fame without caring about Henry and how he might feel about that. Because of that, Henry has an ill temper and tends to lose his cool at any mention of his father or mother. Which is also why he only has one real friend, Mark, who is there for him and doesn’t try exposing his secrets so he can benefit from them. Other than Mark, Henry only has his mother left, who stays in bed all day long on her NEX, and John Alford who treats him like a son and tries his best to be there for Henry. But while most of the world has moved on from trying to pick the truth from lies about Henry’s father’s death, his mother still works tirelessly to get to the truth. And it costs her.
While I liked the characters, they weren’t quite fully developed. I would’ve loved to see more of Riya and Mark. While they are both characters that are in the novel almost always with Henry, we still don’t really know about them or have a good, solid feel for them. I want to know more about their backgrounds, their personalities, things we didn’t get to see. I mean, we all know Mark is strong, loyal to Henry, a great friend, and doesn’t like getting into trouble like Henry has a knack for. And we all know Riya is a strong, tough, determined young woman. She’s vulnerable and good at acting like all she ever does is cry when she needs to, she’s also good with a gun and she’s very knowledgeable. But what do we really know of her? She fought to get to Henry because of a vision her father had and risked her life to do so, she can mask her emotions fairly easily, she’s lost a lot like Henry, and she believes Henry can help her and her family. That’s just the surface of them though, I would’ve loved to see more of what lays underneath.
Aside from that, I enjoyed how the information was spread out in the novel, and how much we came to learn without really feeling too overwhelmed. The information was given when we needed it and only when we needed it. But I also feel like we only really got to know Jeppe and Ourai’s sides. We never got all that much information on Planetary Link even though they’re clearly the bad guy. We get such a small glimpse of them, that honestly, Jeppe seems like the worst enemy they could have; though we all know that’s not true because of what little we do know of Planetary Link. Plink (Planetary Link) suppresses information, suppresses everything actually, that they feel the citizens of Gulf Market don’t need to know. In fact, the citizens only know what they for their jobs and their knowledge ends there! Plus, they’re spied on, always being watched and listened to. They have no privacy! Can you imagine that?
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book despite the few issues. I would recommend this to lovers of sci-fi, and distopia.
May 30, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review....
17 year old Henry Malone lives in a futuristic, walled off Houston (called the Gulf Market) where full motion advertisements clutter the skies and the sides of buildings. These advertisements feature the image of the people viewing them because everyone has a neural implant called the NEX that connects them, at all times, to a vast network and database of knowledge. This database is controlled by a corporation called Planetary Link which, through the NEX devices has access to an individual's memories and experiences. In this world, accessing unauthorized knowledge is a punishable offense and traveling to other "markets" is not allowed. Henry is a computer tech trainee who is secretly reading textbooks about piloting. He is also a bit of a notable figure as he is the son of a famous astronaut who died mysteriously during a mission. Henry's lie is altered when he is called upon to service the NEX of a girl found unconcious. As he scours her brain looking for the source of the problem, he stumbles upon many images/memories of his father. Now he is determined to find out why she knows so much about his dad.
I thought the premise of a neural implant that allows immediate access to a network of knowledge was a clever idea. The populace of the Gulf Market is depicted as being so caught up in the NEX that they walk the streets bumping into each other and not paying each other any attention because they are so wrapped up in the NEX. They are described as constantly updating their profiles or sharing pictures or stories as a means of getting "shares" (money). It is easy to see the parallel with the infatuation with our current social media.
There is a larger message meant to be delivered by the book about standing idly by while being denied access to knowledge but the book falls a little short here. Planetary Link is clearly the bad guy but we get such a small glimpse of them. Outside of their security team and the drones that survey all that is going on, we don't get to see much the big bad wolf.
The story itself didn't hold much suspense for me, either. The main character Henry, who is a sarcastic kid who is still having a hard time dealing with his dad death, was a well-developed character, as was his friend Mark Watson. The main female character, Riya, was a hard-nosed girl who showed a lot of vulnerability. As the first book of a series, it ended in a bit of cliffhanger, but the ending didn't leave me in suspense either as the next step in Henry's adventure seems to lead to another character who was only briefly mentioned throughout the book.
I would liked to have seen this futuristic world fleshed out a little more for the reader, as well as a deeper look inside of Planetary Link. It would have made for a more enjoyable read.
17 year old Henry Malone lives in a futuristic, walled off Houston (called the Gulf Market) where full motion advertisements clutter the skies and the sides of buildings. These advertisements feature the image of the people viewing them because everyone has a neural implant called the NEX that connects them, at all times, to a vast network and database of knowledge. This database is controlled by a corporation called Planetary Link which, through the NEX devices has access to an individual's memories and experiences. In this world, accessing unauthorized knowledge is a punishable offense and traveling to other "markets" is not allowed. Henry is a computer tech trainee who is secretly reading textbooks about piloting. He is also a bit of a notable figure as he is the son of a famous astronaut who died mysteriously during a mission. Henry's lie is altered when he is called upon to service the NEX of a girl found unconcious. As he scours her brain looking for the source of the problem, he stumbles upon many images/memories of his father. Now he is determined to find out why she knows so much about his dad.
I thought the premise of a neural implant that allows immediate access to a network of knowledge was a clever idea. The populace of the Gulf Market is depicted as being so caught up in the NEX that they walk the streets bumping into each other and not paying each other any attention because they are so wrapped up in the NEX. They are described as constantly updating their profiles or sharing pictures or stories as a means of getting "shares" (money). It is easy to see the parallel with the infatuation with our current social media.
There is a larger message meant to be delivered by the book about standing idly by while being denied access to knowledge but the book falls a little short here. Planetary Link is clearly the bad guy but we get such a small glimpse of them. Outside of their security team and the drones that survey all that is going on, we don't get to see much the big bad wolf.
The story itself didn't hold much suspense for me, either. The main character Henry, who is a sarcastic kid who is still having a hard time dealing with his dad death, was a well-developed character, as was his friend Mark Watson. The main female character, Riya, was a hard-nosed girl who showed a lot of vulnerability. As the first book of a series, it ended in a bit of cliffhanger, but the ending didn't leave me in suspense either as the next step in Henry's adventure seems to lead to another character who was only briefly mentioned throughout the book.
I would liked to have seen this futuristic world fleshed out a little more for the reader, as well as a deeper look inside of Planetary Link. It would have made for a more enjoyable read.
July 22, 2015
Review first published on my blog, Pieces of Whimsy
3.5/5
This book was a fun sci-fi read, though expect some darker scenes, this book is not afraid to cause its characters pain (which is just how I like it!) My favourite part of this book was the beginning. I thought it was just really well written and such an awesome introduction the book. The rest of it was good too, but I enjoyed the beginning the most.
The sci-fi world M. Stephen Stewart created was very cool but a bit confusing at first, with all this new technology being thrown at you without any explanation. Luckily it was fairly easy to pick up and I began to understand what was going on after a few pages.
I enjoyed the story and thought it was a great idea, but I think the characters just fell a little flat. I thought that the character development element progressed too quickly with the protagonist jumping from one set opinion/belief to another in almost no time at all. it felt a little unrealistic to me and I wish the character grown had taken place at a more reasonable pace and had been given more of a spotlight in the book. The characters all had really intense stories and experiences, but I think a bit more depth was needed for them to really come into their own. I still enjoyed the characters, they especially came into their own towards the end, I just felt more could have been done to really make them shine.
Another thing I found a little off-putting was the weird slight changes in view point. The book was all in third person but it often followed a particular character more closely (as third person books do), but sometimes it would appear to change sort of mid-stride. For example, the books would go from reading 'Henry this', to 'Trainee Malone' in the next breath and it always took me a minute to realise it was still the same person. Not a big issue, just something that bugged me.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The story was good but I think it could've been better with just a few tweaks here and there. The pace was a bit all over the place throughout the book but the ending was very satisfyingly done and it leaves me curious and eager to find out what happens next. This was a good start to a sci-fi series and I'm hoping the characters will really come into their own in the next book!
3.5/5
This book was a fun sci-fi read, though expect some darker scenes, this book is not afraid to cause its characters pain (which is just how I like it!) My favourite part of this book was the beginning. I thought it was just really well written and such an awesome introduction the book. The rest of it was good too, but I enjoyed the beginning the most.
The sci-fi world M. Stephen Stewart created was very cool but a bit confusing at first, with all this new technology being thrown at you without any explanation. Luckily it was fairly easy to pick up and I began to understand what was going on after a few pages.
I enjoyed the story and thought it was a great idea, but I think the characters just fell a little flat. I thought that the character development element progressed too quickly with the protagonist jumping from one set opinion/belief to another in almost no time at all. it felt a little unrealistic to me and I wish the character grown had taken place at a more reasonable pace and had been given more of a spotlight in the book. The characters all had really intense stories and experiences, but I think a bit more depth was needed for them to really come into their own. I still enjoyed the characters, they especially came into their own towards the end, I just felt more could have been done to really make them shine.
Another thing I found a little off-putting was the weird slight changes in view point. The book was all in third person but it often followed a particular character more closely (as third person books do), but sometimes it would appear to change sort of mid-stride. For example, the books would go from reading 'Henry this', to 'Trainee Malone' in the next breath and it always took me a minute to realise it was still the same person. Not a big issue, just something that bugged me.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The story was good but I think it could've been better with just a few tweaks here and there. The pace was a bit all over the place throughout the book but the ending was very satisfyingly done and it leaves me curious and eager to find out what happens next. This was a good start to a sci-fi series and I'm hoping the characters will really come into their own in the next book!
July 11, 2015
True Rating: 3 and 1/2 Stars
Read my entire review and enter the giveaway on www.bookalicious.com.au {http://www.bookalicious.com.au/we-are...}.
I definitely do not regret requesting to review this book! I mean, when a novel opens with this quote:
"Death is impersonal and untimely.
Impersonal, because death doesn’t care who you are – death cuts through social classes, ages, races, genders, religions and all offices, important or not. Untimely, because there’s always more to do, and there’s always another reason to live."
You’re bound to soar into a world created by an amazing author and even more brilliant characters.
Unfortunately, one of my least favourite parts of M. Stephen Stewart’s book was, in fact, the writing. The prologue was written beautifully, with minor confusions, but I felt like the actual writing component was a bit repetitive…
The {abundance} of dialogue harmonised this, though… I was very fond of the witty, intelligent and meaningful conversations between characters {no thanks to Henry, the 17-year-old know-it-all}.
This brings me to one of the other elements I thoroughly enjoyed; the development of the characters. Every single character had a valid reason for the way that they felt, for instance, Henry was frustrated and scared because of what had happened to his father, and he was curious to find out what really happened because the fear brought on doubt about the actions of the government.
The technologically-advanced-future depicted in the ‘We Are Watching Universe’ was as unique as it was interesting, and let me tell you, it was very interesting! Get rid of smartphones, people, NEX allows you to check everybody’s profiles and status updates and, get this, the NEX is implanted in your brain, so you don’t need to carry around a big bulky item. One thing that the NEX has in common with today’s technology is the fact that everybody is always on it! These types similarities (especially in human nature) throughout Henry’s world and the world we live in were just enough to make it plausible whilst keeping the thrill factor alive.
If you enjoy YA books set in dystopian worlds, with rebels and techy-awesomeness, this book is definitely for you!
:D
Read my entire review and enter the giveaway on www.bookalicious.com.au {http://www.bookalicious.com.au/we-are...}.
I definitely do not regret requesting to review this book! I mean, when a novel opens with this quote:
"Death is impersonal and untimely.
Impersonal, because death doesn’t care who you are – death cuts through social classes, ages, races, genders, religions and all offices, important or not. Untimely, because there’s always more to do, and there’s always another reason to live."
You’re bound to soar into a world created by an amazing author and even more brilliant characters.
Unfortunately, one of my least favourite parts of M. Stephen Stewart’s book was, in fact, the writing. The prologue was written beautifully, with minor confusions, but I felt like the actual writing component was a bit repetitive…
The {abundance} of dialogue harmonised this, though… I was very fond of the witty, intelligent and meaningful conversations between characters {no thanks to Henry, the 17-year-old know-it-all}.
This brings me to one of the other elements I thoroughly enjoyed; the development of the characters. Every single character had a valid reason for the way that they felt, for instance, Henry was frustrated and scared because of what had happened to his father, and he was curious to find out what really happened because the fear brought on doubt about the actions of the government.
The technologically-advanced-future depicted in the ‘We Are Watching Universe’ was as unique as it was interesting, and let me tell you, it was very interesting! Get rid of smartphones, people, NEX allows you to check everybody’s profiles and status updates and, get this, the NEX is implanted in your brain, so you don’t need to carry around a big bulky item. One thing that the NEX has in common with today’s technology is the fact that everybody is always on it! These types similarities (especially in human nature) throughout Henry’s world and the world we live in were just enough to make it plausible whilst keeping the thrill factor alive.
If you enjoy YA books set in dystopian worlds, with rebels and techy-awesomeness, this book is definitely for you!
:D
November 29, 2015
I really like this book. As a debut, its great. As a novel, its good. Why isn't it being published physically?
I can't say I loved the characters, they lacked the depth we admire. For Mark and Riya, we got just a glimpse into who they really are. What their past is. Things that we should love about them. Most of them lacked the depth we needed. There was potential. The characters weren't connectable. It was a mess.
The worldbuilding. The NEX. Now, that was deeply admirable. It wasnt explained immediately, but given when needed. Sure, there is a lot more i want to know. Yet, it was enough to envision this innovative world. I could see it all. And I loved it all. The technology (the NEX) was strange and thrilling to read about. I could see us turning into these egocentric people with their "Shares". Even now there are people online where they would do anything for attention, no matter the cost. "Shares" are earned through popularity, the more popular the richer you are. Money makes the world go round, doesn't it? The adicts. The board members. The power-thirsty. The world you read in this novel is believable and amazing.
The prologue, that left me hanging. I just had to read more. With the prologue you build your own ideas to what is happening to him. But what it really turns out to be is so different. The plot was predictable. The beginning took a while to build up. But as soon as Devastating Event #1 happened it got better. I really enjoyed reading the plot. It was quick paced. The ending wasn't a game-changer, but I am looking forward to Mindshare #2
It was very giver-ish, even though I have only seen the move (SORRY!), with the limited knowledge of the past and outside. With the "only you can save us". So the plot wasn't the most original course of action.
The writing was smooth. It was a fun read and I recommend it to those who enjoyed the giver series.
I can't say I loved the characters, they lacked the depth we admire. For Mark and Riya, we got just a glimpse into who they really are. What their past is. Things that we should love about them. Most of them lacked the depth we needed. There was potential. The characters weren't connectable. It was a mess.
The worldbuilding. The NEX. Now, that was deeply admirable. It wasnt explained immediately, but given when needed. Sure, there is a lot more i want to know. Yet, it was enough to envision this innovative world. I could see it all. And I loved it all. The technology (the NEX) was strange and thrilling to read about. I could see us turning into these egocentric people with their "Shares". Even now there are people online where they would do anything for attention, no matter the cost. "Shares" are earned through popularity, the more popular the richer you are. Money makes the world go round, doesn't it? The adicts. The board members. The power-thirsty. The world you read in this novel is believable and amazing.
The prologue, that left me hanging. I just had to read more. With the prologue you build your own ideas to what is happening to him. But what it really turns out to be is so different. The plot was predictable. The beginning took a while to build up. But as soon as Devastating Event #1 happened it got better. I really enjoyed reading the plot. It was quick paced. The ending wasn't a game-changer, but I am looking forward to Mindshare #2
It was very giver-ish, even though I have only seen the move (SORRY!), with the limited knowledge of the past and outside. With the "only you can save us". So the plot wasn't the most original course of action.
The writing was smooth. It was a fun read and I recommend it to those who enjoyed the giver series.
December 28, 2015
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
3.5/5
YOU CAN READ MY FULL REVIEW ON NERDYCHAMPAGNE
Overall, We Are Watching is a cliche-complex-sci-fi, all-cliche-dytopian novel. The hint of romance and humour was there and the action scenes were great. One thing I can say to you is that this book is mostly made up of a lot that you’ve already read. I know so. The uniqueness is there but it really isn’t all new. So many characters were getting introduced at one and sometimes, you’d really wonder why they even came into the picture if they’re just going to die. Truth be told, I was more attached to the cat. Spoiler alert. That’s another thing, I lack attachment to the novel. No feelings whatsoever. There is something about the space and the world they are currently living in that is wrong and they can’t help but work on it. The dead is undead after all. And the power of the mind is endless. We Are Watching for a title doesn’t really make that much sense to me. Not much but it does. Honestly, I expected more from this than what I got but generally speaking, this is not a bad read. Short, fast-paced, and action-filled moments. That’s everything in one plus the great writing. I am not anticipating for the second book mainly because I am not that deep into the book. This is the kind of book I’d recommend to anyone who has nothing to read.Shipping Harold and Riya might help them get back to romance or the cliche-ness of the dystopia of this book might make someone crave more. Definitely going to push you into reading. In the end, this is a really good read. And life can really change so fast.
3.5/5
YOU CAN READ MY FULL REVIEW ON NERDYCHAMPAGNE
Overall, We Are Watching is a cliche-complex-sci-fi, all-cliche-dytopian novel. The hint of romance and humour was there and the action scenes were great. One thing I can say to you is that this book is mostly made up of a lot that you’ve already read. I know so. The uniqueness is there but it really isn’t all new. So many characters were getting introduced at one and sometimes, you’d really wonder why they even came into the picture if they’re just going to die. Truth be told, I was more attached to the cat. Spoiler alert. That’s another thing, I lack attachment to the novel. No feelings whatsoever. There is something about the space and the world they are currently living in that is wrong and they can’t help but work on it. The dead is undead after all. And the power of the mind is endless. We Are Watching for a title doesn’t really make that much sense to me. Not much but it does. Honestly, I expected more from this than what I got but generally speaking, this is not a bad read. Short, fast-paced, and action-filled moments. That’s everything in one plus the great writing. I am not anticipating for the second book mainly because I am not that deep into the book. This is the kind of book I’d recommend to anyone who has nothing to read.Shipping Harold and Riya might help them get back to romance or the cliche-ness of the dystopia of this book might make someone crave more. Definitely going to push you into reading. In the end, this is a really good read. And life can really change so fast.
July 6, 2015
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I love a good dystopian, or young adult, or sci-fi book. This one was all three combined into one and it was a wild ride. I thought that the premise was unique but it also reminded me of other books that I have read. There was a lot of suspense and intrigue in this book and I couldn't guess what was going to happen, which was awesome. The author was able to keep my attention and keep me glued to the pages. I read the book in 2 days, which for me is pretty quick. And, the second I got done reading it, I went and purchased the 2nd one (right after I stalked the author on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads).
I don't want the fact that this is a young adult novel to turn anyone off. I think that it is a book that anyone any age could enjoy, but would say ages 13 and up to be safe. There is violence and some strong language but nothing worse than what is on network television. I love the female secondary character, Riya, in this story. She is a kick-ass chick who will not stand for anyone's crap. She is definitely someone that is good for Henry to be around and to teach him some things. I like that there isn't an "instant" connection between these two and there hasn't been any mention of any love or googly eyes at each other, aside from some comments about her taking a shower. It's nice to be able to read a book with a female and a male character and not have anything going on between them. It doesn't always happen in real life and the situations they are in and the stress that they are under it doesn't make sense for it to happen. So thank you M. Stephen Stewart for that. I for one appreciate it. I give this story 5 books.
I love a good dystopian, or young adult, or sci-fi book. This one was all three combined into one and it was a wild ride. I thought that the premise was unique but it also reminded me of other books that I have read. There was a lot of suspense and intrigue in this book and I couldn't guess what was going to happen, which was awesome. The author was able to keep my attention and keep me glued to the pages. I read the book in 2 days, which for me is pretty quick. And, the second I got done reading it, I went and purchased the 2nd one (right after I stalked the author on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads).
I don't want the fact that this is a young adult novel to turn anyone off. I think that it is a book that anyone any age could enjoy, but would say ages 13 and up to be safe. There is violence and some strong language but nothing worse than what is on network television. I love the female secondary character, Riya, in this story. She is a kick-ass chick who will not stand for anyone's crap. She is definitely someone that is good for Henry to be around and to teach him some things. I like that there isn't an "instant" connection between these two and there hasn't been any mention of any love or googly eyes at each other, aside from some comments about her taking a shower. It's nice to be able to read a book with a female and a male character and not have anything going on between them. It doesn't always happen in real life and the situations they are in and the stress that they are under it doesn't make sense for it to happen. So thank you M. Stephen Stewart for that. I for one appreciate it. I give this story 5 books.
October 2, 2015
I was given an ARC book for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
This book was a very good read. It was amazing to see what our world could very well be headed to. Once I began reading, I couldn't put the book down. The pages kept turning as I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and get answers to the questions arising during the story. The book ended in a cliff hanger that leaves so many open doors for the next book. I can't wait to see where this series goes next.
Henry Malone's world is shattered when his father dies. He lives in a world where everything is controlled. Everyone is implanted with a Nex device that connects people with Planetary Link. This device allows the controlling government to have access to all of your thoughts and memories. It also controls the amount of knowledge and information you receive. The citizens walk around unaware of their surroundings do to the knowledge and updates their Nex is receiving. Henry is studying to be a technician to work on the Nex devices. His world changes when he is called in to repair a girls Nex device. While going through her memories, he finds memories of his father. Determined to find out what happened and what this girl knows about his dad, he risks everything. Does Henry get the information he needs? What happens to the girl? Is his mom successful in the cyber attack that she is planning?
I would suggest this book to anyone. It is recommended for ages 13 years and up, but I think anyone would enjoy this book. It is so easy to see our world headed in this directions with the amount of information and technology that we have available today.
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
This book was a very good read. It was amazing to see what our world could very well be headed to. Once I began reading, I couldn't put the book down. The pages kept turning as I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and get answers to the questions arising during the story. The book ended in a cliff hanger that leaves so many open doors for the next book. I can't wait to see where this series goes next.
Henry Malone's world is shattered when his father dies. He lives in a world where everything is controlled. Everyone is implanted with a Nex device that connects people with Planetary Link. This device allows the controlling government to have access to all of your thoughts and memories. It also controls the amount of knowledge and information you receive. The citizens walk around unaware of their surroundings do to the knowledge and updates their Nex is receiving. Henry is studying to be a technician to work on the Nex devices. His world changes when he is called in to repair a girls Nex device. While going through her memories, he finds memories of his father. Determined to find out what happened and what this girl knows about his dad, he risks everything. Does Henry get the information he needs? What happens to the girl? Is his mom successful in the cyber attack that she is planning?
I would suggest this book to anyone. It is recommended for ages 13 years and up, but I think anyone would enjoy this book. It is so easy to see our world headed in this directions with the amount of information and technology that we have available today.
August 23, 2015
We Are Watching!!! Oh you wonderful book, you!!!I know, I know, this book took me forever to finish. I just it when it takes me a month to finish a book. But this doesn't even say anything about the quality of the book, cause it's seriousy so good. (I started the second book in the series right after cause I just needed more).
First of all the main character. Henry Malone. I have to admit that in the beginning I wasn't entirely sure about him and it took me a while to decide if he was likeable or not. He just didn't have it easy. Poor guy. I love how he grew, from the beginning to the end of the book. It didn't happen fast but it took him some time and I think that was really realistic.
A character that I also really enjoyed is Riya. Of course. I just love my female kick ass characters and she is just that. I also love how she just didn't become the love interest for Henry straight away, like it would have probably happen in other books. I mean, it's obvious that they mean a lot to each other but there is nothing else. (For now, anyways).
And of course the story as a whole. This is my first sci-fi book. So everything from the way the world was build and explained and how everything worked was completely new to me. And it took me a little while, but as soon as I got really into it, I was in and it didn't let me go. I love how we slowly discovered how everything works and we didn't get all the information in the beginning dumped all at once.
Needlessly to say, I really recommend this book, not only for sci-fi lovers but to anyone that thinks about tipping their toe in the sci-fi world.
First of all the main character. Henry Malone. I have to admit that in the beginning I wasn't entirely sure about him and it took me a while to decide if he was likeable or not. He just didn't have it easy. Poor guy. I love how he grew, from the beginning to the end of the book. It didn't happen fast but it took him some time and I think that was really realistic.
A character that I also really enjoyed is Riya. Of course. I just love my female kick ass characters and she is just that. I also love how she just didn't become the love interest for Henry straight away, like it would have probably happen in other books. I mean, it's obvious that they mean a lot to each other but there is nothing else. (For now, anyways).
And of course the story as a whole. This is my first sci-fi book. So everything from the way the world was build and explained and how everything worked was completely new to me. And it took me a little while, but as soon as I got really into it, I was in and it didn't let me go. I love how we slowly discovered how everything works and we didn't get all the information in the beginning dumped all at once.
Needlessly to say, I really recommend this book, not only for sci-fi lovers but to anyone that thinks about tipping their toe in the sci-fi world.
January 21, 2015
I really liked this book!
The characters were well-developed and interesting, the kind you'd feel were old friends if you met them in person. I especially appreciated the relationship between the two main characters, which felt generally earnest and true without falling back on the "male protagonist + female sidekick" tropes we so often see.
The constructed world was different, complex, and intriguing. If you've ever felt even a little bit uncomfortable about the future of digital privacy, corporate overreach, or intellectual property laws, this book will draw you in. Have you ever wondered what Facebook might look like in another hundred years? Read this book!
Personally, I found the overreaching plot to be a little bit predictable, but there were lots of surprising twists and turns along the way that kept me interested and on my toes.
The end of this book (no spoilers) seems to set it up to go in some really interesting directions in the sequels. I'm definitely looking forward to Mindshare #2!
The characters were well-developed and interesting, the kind you'd feel were old friends if you met them in person. I especially appreciated the relationship between the two main characters, which felt generally earnest and true without falling back on the "male protagonist + female sidekick" tropes we so often see.
The constructed world was different, complex, and intriguing. If you've ever felt even a little bit uncomfortable about the future of digital privacy, corporate overreach, or intellectual property laws, this book will draw you in. Have you ever wondered what Facebook might look like in another hundred years? Read this book!
Personally, I found the overreaching plot to be a little bit predictable, but there were lots of surprising twists and turns along the way that kept me interested and on my toes.
The end of this book (no spoilers) seems to set it up to go in some really interesting directions in the sequels. I'm definitely looking forward to Mindshare #2!
June 27, 2015
Henry Malone's childhood was shattered when his Father committed suicide no one knows why he did it? Now he is a teenager and he is studying to become a Neural Implant technician for Planetary Link Corp, He would be helping them maintain an iron grip over his country and all the knowledge contained there. He leads a double life at night he helps his Mother wage a cyber war against Planetary Link in a quest to find the truth behind her Husband's suicide.He so far has managed to keep his twolives separate. Till he repairs a Neural Implant of a Woman . He finds she is in possession of memories from the outside world which is illegal. She also has unauthorized knowledge about his Father and a message speak to me later and tell no one! Now he has a choice to make-ignore the message? or answer and risk everything to uncover the secrets Planetary Link will kill to keep secret! A well written story intriguing and very complex.
July 6, 2015
Thoroughly Enjoyable!
When I read the synopsis for this book I was really intrigued and knew that I wanted to read it. I found it to be better than my expectations. It is very well written. The futuristic plot is complex and rich and mysterious, and will keep you turning pages to see what happens next. I love to try to figure it out ahead of time, but that wasn't easy with this book. It's definitely not what you would call predictable. It is brisk paced, and a really smooth read, and you can easily slip into the story. The characters will grab you, they're very real, and the look that we get into their lives was very interesting. I was fascinated by the idea of everyone being connected in the way that they are, it was also quite frightening. Definitely not something that I would want to happen in real life. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next. I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the synopsis for this book I was really intrigued and knew that I wanted to read it. I found it to be better than my expectations. It is very well written. The futuristic plot is complex and rich and mysterious, and will keep you turning pages to see what happens next. I love to try to figure it out ahead of time, but that wasn't easy with this book. It's definitely not what you would call predictable. It is brisk paced, and a really smooth read, and you can easily slip into the story. The characters will grab you, they're very real, and the look that we get into their lives was very interesting. I was fascinated by the idea of everyone being connected in the way that they are, it was also quite frightening. Definitely not something that I would want to happen in real life. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next. I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2015
Thank you Xpresso Book Tours for providing me this book
DNF @ 10%
I was really excited after reading the synopsis the first time, so I shelved it. But after reading it again, I removed it from the shelf and got a review copy... I'm such an idiot.
I really did try to read this book, but I became even more confused. A whole lotta rules, characters, and events are just thrown into the story. It had no fluidity.
The whole book talked about NEX and fixing humans. Are these people half machine and half human? I was so confused. I guess my brain isn't smart enough to process stuff.
The character interaction and dialogue were weird and awkward. It just felt weird reading it.
I'm sure the story picks up at some point, but I'm just too confused to continue.
DNF @ 10%
I was really excited after reading the synopsis the first time, so I shelved it. But after reading it again, I removed it from the shelf and got a review copy... I'm such an idiot.
I really did try to read this book, but I became even more confused. A whole lotta rules, characters, and events are just thrown into the story. It had no fluidity.
The whole book talked about NEX and fixing humans. Are these people half machine and half human? I was so confused. I guess my brain isn't smart enough to process stuff.
The character interaction and dialogue were weird and awkward. It just felt weird reading it.
I'm sure the story picks up at some point, but I'm just too confused to continue.
March 31, 2015
I enjoyed reading this story a lot, there was a bit of mystery that went along with it. While reading I just wanted answers and to know what was going to happen next.
It was very interesting looking a world with a very futurist feel. The Nex was quite interesting, at first it confused me a little bit, but as the book went on, I learned more about it. It showed that nothing was private for these characters and everything they said and did was recorded.
One thing I always look for while reading books is character growth and I just didn’t see it in this book. I felt as though the characters were missing something, which didn’t allow me to connect to them.
It was very interesting looking a world with a very futurist feel. The Nex was quite interesting, at first it confused me a little bit, but as the book went on, I learned more about it. It showed that nothing was private for these characters and everything they said and did was recorded.
One thing I always look for while reading books is character growth and I just didn’t see it in this book. I felt as though the characters were missing something, which didn’t allow me to connect to them.
April 20, 2015
got this for free or an honest review. thought this book was good. not my kind of read but i am not into science faction,
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