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Bomb
I'm Genesis Wainwright. I'm a sixth-form student. I come from Somerset. My mum is the best mum in the world. I play the guitar (badly). My best friend is Holly. I'm searching for answers to the Meaning of Life. I believe in True Love. AND I'M IN LOVE WITH NAZ. I want to be a performance poet. And I'm crazy about motorbikes.
I can remember everything.
Except last night.
When Genesis goes on a blind internet date, she just wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Naz. She just wants someone to like her again. But when Genesis wakes up the morning after the date, she can't remember a thing. She doesn't know where she is, or how she got there. And she can hardly move because she is strapped into some kind of body armour ...
Before she has time to figure it out, she receives an order through an earpiece stuck in her ear. And then a voice sounds in her 'You have been chosen for an assignment ... The vest you're wearing is packed with high explosives. And with one mobile call we can detonate it.'
To her horror Genesis has become an agent of mass destruction, a walking weapon in the hands of a terrorist cell.
The countdown to detonation has Genesis must re-examine everyone and everything she loves and make terrifying choices ... in the face of certain death.
A gutsy, compelling and chilling thrill-ride.
I can remember everything.
Except last night.
When Genesis goes on a blind internet date, she just wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Naz. She just wants someone to like her again. But when Genesis wakes up the morning after the date, she can't remember a thing. She doesn't know where she is, or how she got there. And she can hardly move because she is strapped into some kind of body armour ...
Before she has time to figure it out, she receives an order through an earpiece stuck in her ear. And then a voice sounds in her 'You have been chosen for an assignment ... The vest you're wearing is packed with high explosives. And with one mobile call we can detonate it.'
To her horror Genesis has become an agent of mass destruction, a walking weapon in the hands of a terrorist cell.
The countdown to detonation has Genesis must re-examine everyone and everything she loves and make terrifying choices ... in the face of certain death.
A gutsy, compelling and chilling thrill-ride.
435 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2015
5 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mussi
14 books53 followersSarah Mussi was born in Gloucestershire. After her education at a girl’s school in Cheltenham, she completed a post graduate degree at the Royal College of Art before leaving the UK for West Africa. She lived in Ghana, West Africa for over eighteen years, marrying a Ghanaian and teaching in Accra. Sarah now lives in Brixton and teaches in Lewisham, splitting her holidays between England and Ghana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
March 16, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Hachette Children's Books and NetGalley.)
“Life is a string: you just don’t know how long it is.”
This was a story about a girl strapped to a bomb, with an untraditional ending.
I felt quite sorry for Genesis, waking up strapped to a bomb and having no idea where you are, must have been incredibly scary, and she was brave to do what she did to try and save herself, and save the people the bomb was intended for. I also really liked Holly, so what happened to her was unfortunate.
“I’m wearing Holly’s rainbow scarf. She’s wearing my hair clip.
We’re dressed the same.”
The storyline in this revolved around Genesis and the bomb, and when she was told to get on a bus I couldn’t help but think of the movie Speed. I did find this book quite slow in places though, and I had to keep switching between this and something else to try and stay motivated to read this.
One strange thing about this book was the strange sayings though, such as;
“Life is an Egg: hard on the outside, soft in the middle. Once broken, forever beyond repair.”
There was a little bit of romance, but not a lot. I think more romance would have only made the situation more awful really.
“Just live, Gen,” says Dave. “Promise me.”
The ending to this was quite bold and untraditional, although the story did seem to just stop. I think we would really have benefitted from an epilogue here, so that we know that what we think happened really did happen.
6 out of 10
“Life is a string: you just don’t know how long it is.”
This was a story about a girl strapped to a bomb, with an untraditional ending.
I felt quite sorry for Genesis, waking up strapped to a bomb and having no idea where you are, must have been incredibly scary, and she was brave to do what she did to try and save herself, and save the people the bomb was intended for. I also really liked Holly, so what happened to her was unfortunate.
“I’m wearing Holly’s rainbow scarf. She’s wearing my hair clip.
We’re dressed the same.”
The storyline in this revolved around Genesis and the bomb, and when she was told to get on a bus I couldn’t help but think of the movie Speed. I did find this book quite slow in places though, and I had to keep switching between this and something else to try and stay motivated to read this.
One strange thing about this book was the strange sayings though, such as;
“Life is an Egg: hard on the outside, soft in the middle. Once broken, forever beyond repair.”
There was a little bit of romance, but not a lot. I think more romance would have only made the situation more awful really.
“Just live, Gen,” says Dave. “Promise me.”
The ending to this was quite bold and untraditional, although the story did seem to just stop. I think we would really have benefitted from an epilogue here, so that we know that what we think happened really did happen.
6 out of 10
May 8, 2015
In Bomb, Mussi presents us with a world in which an ISIS-like cult is sweeping the globe, with celebrities and teens announcing their involvement in the Brightness Brotherhood with pride. With bleached hair, tattoos of flames up their arms, and slogans on their shirts about death, martyrdom, and rebellion.
The end time is here. Have you converted yet?
We radicalize your sons. We sacrifice your daughters.
We can get you. Anytime. Anywhere.
This cult has become so popular that even the kids who aren’t involved sometimes choose to follow the look. The government is trying to shut them down by outlawing certain practices, and even taking on a “shoot first, ask questions later” policy towards anyone even suspected of being a suicide bomber, but still the cult grows.
And parents just don’t know what to do; their children are saying that joining the Brightness is the only sure way to stay safe.
More people are drinking the Kool-Aid with each passing day.
The rest of this review can be found here!
The end time is here. Have you converted yet?
We radicalize your sons. We sacrifice your daughters.
We can get you. Anytime. Anywhere.
This cult has become so popular that even the kids who aren’t involved sometimes choose to follow the look. The government is trying to shut them down by outlawing certain practices, and even taking on a “shoot first, ask questions later” policy towards anyone even suspected of being a suicide bomber, but still the cult grows.
And parents just don’t know what to do; their children are saying that joining the Brightness is the only sure way to stay safe.
More people are drinking the Kool-Aid with each passing day.
The rest of this review can be found here!
June 26, 2015
The concept of this book is really strange and different, which is exactly what I look for in a book. However, the annoying main character and choppy writing made this book fall flat for me.
I was really annoyed with Genesis for most of the book because she was such a love sick teenage girl. I felt like she was written in a weird way because I felt she was everything that teenage girls are stereotyped to be. I wasn't expecting her to be an amazing character but I wish she was written differently.
She would think really whinny thoughts about the two love interests in the most
inappropriate times. When she should be paying attention to the situation at hand, she was think about boys. It was frustrating.
The writing was choppy and I think some parts could have been cut out and/or changed. I skimmed some parts just because I didn't care about what was happening. But even though it was slow at first but it did get a little better.
Overall, this book just wasn't for me. I like the idea of this book but I think it could have been better executed. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book but I wouldn't say don't read it either. If you really want to read it, I'd say go for it but don't expect to be amazing.
I was really annoyed with Genesis for most of the book because she was such a love sick teenage girl. I felt like she was written in a weird way because I felt she was everything that teenage girls are stereotyped to be. I wasn't expecting her to be an amazing character but I wish she was written differently.
She would think really whinny thoughts about the two love interests in the most
inappropriate times. When she should be paying attention to the situation at hand, she was think about boys. It was frustrating.
The writing was choppy and I think some parts could have been cut out and/or changed. I skimmed some parts just because I didn't care about what was happening. But even though it was slow at first but it did get a little better.
Overall, this book just wasn't for me. I like the idea of this book but I think it could have been better executed. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book but I wouldn't say don't read it either. If you really want to read it, I'd say go for it but don't expect to be amazing.
May 4, 2015
2.5 stars
Bomb has an extremely interesting premise but it didn’t live up to my expectations.
Genesis goes on a date with a guy she met online and wakes up the next morning with a bomb strapped to her. An earpiece has been glued to her ear and she is given instructions on where to go whilst being threatened with the bomb around her torso.
We find out that an extremist group is to blame for kidnapping her and making her an unwilling agent of mass destruction. It’s very relevant to today’s society with the increasing threat of ISIS manipulating young people. We learn a little about how they are recruiting willing members but it doesn’t go into any great detail. It does seem like they have more popularity than ISIS do though as their beliefs have infiltrated through to fashion trends and public advertising.
I would have appreciated some more character development. I appreciate that Genesis has a bomb strapped to her, and so I can’t really expect her to ooze personality, but I just found her a little…dull. I struggled to connect with her and really didn’t have any strong feelings towards her at all. I should have been feeling anxious for her but I was just a bit bored. Some more background information may have helped with this but I can see why it’s lacking in that area as the story is very much focused on the present, immediate threat.
The ending was a little unexpected. One minute it's all action and then it just ends. We are left to determine the conclusion ourselves. I think an epilogue would have been a great inclusion here. Are our assumptions correct? What happened to Dave? I know why it ended like this, and I know it'll work for a lot of people, but I wasn’t a fan. I’d like a little more finality.
This is definitely an interesting novel and I think the theme is a good one to tackle as it is very relevant in today's society. Although parts of it didn't work for me, I still think it's a story worth a shot.
I received a copy of this novel from the publishers via NetGalley.
Bomb has an extremely interesting premise but it didn’t live up to my expectations.
Genesis goes on a date with a guy she met online and wakes up the next morning with a bomb strapped to her. An earpiece has been glued to her ear and she is given instructions on where to go whilst being threatened with the bomb around her torso.
We find out that an extremist group is to blame for kidnapping her and making her an unwilling agent of mass destruction. It’s very relevant to today’s society with the increasing threat of ISIS manipulating young people. We learn a little about how they are recruiting willing members but it doesn’t go into any great detail. It does seem like they have more popularity than ISIS do though as their beliefs have infiltrated through to fashion trends and public advertising.
I would have appreciated some more character development. I appreciate that Genesis has a bomb strapped to her, and so I can’t really expect her to ooze personality, but I just found her a little…dull. I struggled to connect with her and really didn’t have any strong feelings towards her at all. I should have been feeling anxious for her but I was just a bit bored. Some more background information may have helped with this but I can see why it’s lacking in that area as the story is very much focused on the present, immediate threat.
The ending was a little unexpected. One minute it's all action and then it just ends. We are left to determine the conclusion ourselves. I think an epilogue would have been a great inclusion here. Are our assumptions correct? What happened to Dave? I know why it ended like this, and I know it'll work for a lot of people, but I wasn’t a fan. I’d like a little more finality.
This is definitely an interesting novel and I think the theme is a good one to tackle as it is very relevant in today's society. Although parts of it didn't work for me, I still think it's a story worth a shot.
I received a copy of this novel from the publishers via NetGalley.
March 15, 2015
(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)
Actual rating - 2.5
Genesis was an okay character, and I felt sorry for the situation she was in, but I didn't love her.
This wasn't an awful read, but it couldn't keep my interest, and after a bit it seemed to really drag.
Overall, Not awful, but I didn't really enjoy it.
Actual rating - 2.5
Genesis was an okay character, and I felt sorry for the situation she was in, but I didn't love her.
This wasn't an awful read, but it couldn't keep my interest, and after a bit it seemed to really drag.
Overall, Not awful, but I didn't really enjoy it.
July 21, 2015
I was quite the black sheep when I read Riot by Sarah Mussi last year, and it's safe to say, there are many people that just can't take her books. I, thankfully, am not one of those people, and although I've only read Riot, and now Bomb, checking out more of her work is a big must for me. Bomb reminded me what it is I like about Mussi's novels - her realistic approach to subjects that other authors wouldn't dare cover, her action packed story-lines and her characters I always end up emotionally invested in, they're quick reads with important messages; books like these don't come about often.
Right from the start of this novel, I felt like I was in the moment with Genisis, and the present tense writing only cemented this feeling. I shared her horrors and fears, I questioned everything she knew and everyone she trusted, and I questioned my own decisions, and what I do, if I had been through the events Genisis goes through in Bomb. Genisis was a lot stronger, a lot braver, a lot more gutsy than I would ever have been, she thought on her feet, kept herself in the know and wasn't afraid of the future she had, for as long as she had one, and her emotional development and growth and how she matured throughout the 400+ pages was just joyful to read, although joyful might be a poor choice of words. Sure, as a character, Genisis had her issues - her constant overwhelming thought processes were sometimes a little much, and her past relationship with Naz, although important to the story and plot itself, did get a little annoying early on and took away some of the action-packed thriller feeling Bomb had. Her relationships with other characters; Holly and their heart-warming, completely innocent and beautiful friendship, Dave and their complicated past but unwavering loyalty towards one another, and her horrible conflicting connection to Naz, which was completely bonkers and a little too far fetched for me personal - they all brought some much needed depth, lightness or accountability to the plot, the pacing and the overall reveal of events. As far as leading characters preparing their last hours alive, all while strapped to a bomb goes, Genisis was realistic, and I could really feel for her situation, and understand just how horrifying the experience could be.
Considering the subject that Bomb explores, it's important to express that not once does Mussi imply that the terrorist actions that take place within the novel are excusable, nor acceptable in any way shape nor form, not through religion, through any other sort of believes, and even karma. She constantly explored how the actions affected everyone throughout the novel, whether that be Genisis herself, Holly or Dave, The Brightness or the general nobody's who's lives are put at risk. Sure, the action does glaze over the fact that certain characters caused some really terrible scenes to occur, and that avoiding the police with the hand of a certain navy officer is handy and surprisingly easy (which it most definitely isn't - not that I know this, but Bomb is fictional, and it's important to remember that fact) but the general plot, execution, twists, turns and entertainment this book supplied me with was impressive, and really eye opening. Taking into account things such as online privacy and public recording laws, freedom of speech and beliefs, and just how blurred the lines between good and bad are, it's features like these that make Mussi a great and talented, even brave author, and I will always commend and read her work because of it. Her work is one of a kind, and definitely love or hate.
Bomb's ending felt final from within the first few pages, and sometimes, knowing how a story ends can impact your enjoyment, but Bomb's aim was to share the story of how Genisis reached the end of her line, the people who supported and surrounded her, who and what brought her to where she was, and took her to where she finished, and unlike many journey stories, Bomb was worthy of my tears. With strong, impactful characters full of development and growth, balanced with well crafted relationships and a tiny bit of sad romance, a plot that constantly moves and never feels static or stationary, and a message that speaks volumes, Bomb is a strong novel to add to Mussi's collection; a novel I would recommend to people open to exploring new writing styles and controversial subjects, even those who disliked Riot.
Right from the start of this novel, I felt like I was in the moment with Genisis, and the present tense writing only cemented this feeling. I shared her horrors and fears, I questioned everything she knew and everyone she trusted, and I questioned my own decisions, and what I do, if I had been through the events Genisis goes through in Bomb. Genisis was a lot stronger, a lot braver, a lot more gutsy than I would ever have been, she thought on her feet, kept herself in the know and wasn't afraid of the future she had, for as long as she had one, and her emotional development and growth and how she matured throughout the 400+ pages was just joyful to read, although joyful might be a poor choice of words. Sure, as a character, Genisis had her issues - her constant overwhelming thought processes were sometimes a little much, and her past relationship with Naz, although important to the story and plot itself, did get a little annoying early on and took away some of the action-packed thriller feeling Bomb had. Her relationships with other characters; Holly and their heart-warming, completely innocent and beautiful friendship, Dave and their complicated past but unwavering loyalty towards one another, and her horrible conflicting connection to Naz, which was completely bonkers and a little too far fetched for me personal - they all brought some much needed depth, lightness or accountability to the plot, the pacing and the overall reveal of events. As far as leading characters preparing their last hours alive, all while strapped to a bomb goes, Genisis was realistic, and I could really feel for her situation, and understand just how horrifying the experience could be.
Considering the subject that Bomb explores, it's important to express that not once does Mussi imply that the terrorist actions that take place within the novel are excusable, nor acceptable in any way shape nor form, not through religion, through any other sort of believes, and even karma. She constantly explored how the actions affected everyone throughout the novel, whether that be Genisis herself, Holly or Dave, The Brightness or the general nobody's who's lives are put at risk. Sure, the action does glaze over the fact that certain characters caused some really terrible scenes to occur, and that avoiding the police with the hand of a certain navy officer is handy and surprisingly easy (which it most definitely isn't - not that I know this, but Bomb is fictional, and it's important to remember that fact) but the general plot, execution, twists, turns and entertainment this book supplied me with was impressive, and really eye opening. Taking into account things such as online privacy and public recording laws, freedom of speech and beliefs, and just how blurred the lines between good and bad are, it's features like these that make Mussi a great and talented, even brave author, and I will always commend and read her work because of it. Her work is one of a kind, and definitely love or hate.
Bomb's ending felt final from within the first few pages, and sometimes, knowing how a story ends can impact your enjoyment, but Bomb's aim was to share the story of how Genisis reached the end of her line, the people who supported and surrounded her, who and what brought her to where she was, and took her to where she finished, and unlike many journey stories, Bomb was worthy of my tears. With strong, impactful characters full of development and growth, balanced with well crafted relationships and a tiny bit of sad romance, a plot that constantly moves and never feels static or stationary, and a message that speaks volumes, Bomb is a strong novel to add to Mussi's collection; a novel I would recommend to people open to exploring new writing styles and controversial subjects, even those who disliked Riot.
April 29, 2015
I received a copy of Bomb in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Hodder Childrens Books and Netgalley.
The last couple of books I’ve read have been sadly lacking in action and have left me worrying that I was about to hit a reading slump, so it was with trepidation that I picked up Bomb.
By the time I’d finished the first chapter, however, I realised that my fears had come to nothing. I don’t put gifs in my reviews, mainly because I haven’t figured out how to, but if I did use gifs, I’d probably use one of Turk from Scrubs doing the Cabbage Patch Dance. Yay! Bomb is a book where something happens.
No, scratch that out. Bomb is a book where LOADS happens.
Bomb, or Why You Should Never Ever Ever Go On A Blind Date, tells the story of Genesis Wainwright, a teenage girl who, heartbroken by being dumped by her boyfriend Naz, meets a guy online and goes on a blind date. The story starts with Genesis waking up in a damp cellar after the blind date, superglued into a corset stuffed with huge amounts of C4 and an earpiece in her ear with a creepy voice telling her where to go and what to do. After a few understandable moments of freaking the hell out about finding herself to be an unwitting suicide bomber, she complies and starts doing what they tell her...
There was a point a few chapters in where I wondered where the plot was going and how the author was going to spin out Genesis wandering around doing what she was told for a whole book, but I didn’t need to worry, because in walks Dave.
Aah...Dave. Nice Dave. Dave is Genesis’s ex-boyfriend, the one she dumped for Naz (more about Naz later). I liked Dave but I was glad that Bomb didn’t basically turn out to be How Genesis Got Her Ex-Boyfriend Back, i.e. the romance didn’t overwhelm the action. He did seem to be constructed out of purest plotdevicium (he walks back into her life at the exact point when Genesis needs a bomb disposal expert, and it just so happens...he’s a bomb disposal expert! Yay!) but did I care? Not a jot. Bomb relied on some CSI-like leaps of logic and lucky coincidences, and in the nicest possible way, I would say it is a lot like Die Hard 3. It has car chases, motorbike chases, police-dodging, helicopters, the whole shebang.
In addition to the action, Bomb deals with issues surrounding radical, extremist groups and what motivates people to join them, to commit unspeakable acts of violence against other humans, and with daily reports of people leaving the UK to join up with ISIS I guess it’s pretty relevant.
The cult who have turned Genesis into a suicide bomber are The Brightness, a religious extremist group (the actual religion they are an extension of is left suitably vague) who want to bring about the End of Days and while disaffected people have always been easy targets for extremist groups, it did confuse me slightly how mainstream The Brightness seemed to be. They had adverts on the side of buses and their own range of fashion wear. Not tactics I think ISIS have ever employed. And while we’re told why Naz joined them, it’s never really explained how they became so mainstream.
So. Naz. This is the one part that I felt Bomb fell down a bit. When it emerges that Genesis has been recently dumped, I started off thinking, ‘Aw, poor thing. All heartbroken.’ But then it’s revealed that her
ex-boyfriend:
1) Joined a cult who despise women and condone acts of extreme violence
2) Asked her to shave her head and get his name tattooed on her scalp
3) Shot swans with an airgun in his spare time.
Swans! Seriously? I mean, cults and misogyny and head tattoos and stuff equals bad, obviously, but SWANS? What the hell did swans do? And why did Genesis never turn round to him and go, ‘You’re shooting SWANS! What the HELL?’ Anyone who would fall in love with someone who shoots swans loses something as a protagonist, in my opinion.
And I get that Genesis being drawn into a relationship with this unsavoury, swan-shooting youth is a metaphor for him being drawn into this extremist cult, but still. Swans!
Still, Evil Meany Naz and Genesis’s Poor Decision-Making Skills aside, I did enjoy Bomb. The tension starts up on the very first page and does not let up until the final sentence.
8/10
The last couple of books I’ve read have been sadly lacking in action and have left me worrying that I was about to hit a reading slump, so it was with trepidation that I picked up Bomb.
By the time I’d finished the first chapter, however, I realised that my fears had come to nothing. I don’t put gifs in my reviews, mainly because I haven’t figured out how to, but if I did use gifs, I’d probably use one of Turk from Scrubs doing the Cabbage Patch Dance. Yay! Bomb is a book where something happens.
No, scratch that out. Bomb is a book where LOADS happens.
Bomb, or Why You Should Never Ever Ever Go On A Blind Date, tells the story of Genesis Wainwright, a teenage girl who, heartbroken by being dumped by her boyfriend Naz, meets a guy online and goes on a blind date. The story starts with Genesis waking up in a damp cellar after the blind date, superglued into a corset stuffed with huge amounts of C4 and an earpiece in her ear with a creepy voice telling her where to go and what to do. After a few understandable moments of freaking the hell out about finding herself to be an unwitting suicide bomber, she complies and starts doing what they tell her...
There was a point a few chapters in where I wondered where the plot was going and how the author was going to spin out Genesis wandering around doing what she was told for a whole book, but I didn’t need to worry, because in walks Dave.
Aah...Dave. Nice Dave. Dave is Genesis’s ex-boyfriend, the one she dumped for Naz (more about Naz later). I liked Dave but I was glad that Bomb didn’t basically turn out to be How Genesis Got Her Ex-Boyfriend Back, i.e. the romance didn’t overwhelm the action. He did seem to be constructed out of purest plotdevicium (he walks back into her life at the exact point when Genesis needs a bomb disposal expert, and it just so happens...he’s a bomb disposal expert! Yay!) but did I care? Not a jot. Bomb relied on some CSI-like leaps of logic and lucky coincidences, and in the nicest possible way, I would say it is a lot like Die Hard 3. It has car chases, motorbike chases, police-dodging, helicopters, the whole shebang.
In addition to the action, Bomb deals with issues surrounding radical, extremist groups and what motivates people to join them, to commit unspeakable acts of violence against other humans, and with daily reports of people leaving the UK to join up with ISIS I guess it’s pretty relevant.
The cult who have turned Genesis into a suicide bomber are The Brightness, a religious extremist group (the actual religion they are an extension of is left suitably vague) who want to bring about the End of Days and while disaffected people have always been easy targets for extremist groups, it did confuse me slightly how mainstream The Brightness seemed to be. They had adverts on the side of buses and their own range of fashion wear. Not tactics I think ISIS have ever employed. And while we’re told why Naz joined them, it’s never really explained how they became so mainstream.
So. Naz. This is the one part that I felt Bomb fell down a bit. When it emerges that Genesis has been recently dumped, I started off thinking, ‘Aw, poor thing. All heartbroken.’ But then it’s revealed that her
ex-boyfriend:
1) Joined a cult who despise women and condone acts of extreme violence
2) Asked her to shave her head and get his name tattooed on her scalp
3) Shot swans with an airgun in his spare time.
Swans! Seriously? I mean, cults and misogyny and head tattoos and stuff equals bad, obviously, but SWANS? What the hell did swans do? And why did Genesis never turn round to him and go, ‘You’re shooting SWANS! What the HELL?’ Anyone who would fall in love with someone who shoots swans loses something as a protagonist, in my opinion.
And I get that Genesis being drawn into a relationship with this unsavoury, swan-shooting youth is a metaphor for him being drawn into this extremist cult, but still. Swans!
Still, Evil Meany Naz and Genesis’s Poor Decision-Making Skills aside, I did enjoy Bomb. The tension starts up on the very first page and does not let up until the final sentence.
8/10
June 23, 2016
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
Genesis Wainwright can't remember last night. She can remember the guy she had a blind date with, she can remember feeling that she didn't really like him. But she can't remember the point when, somehow, she ended up with a bomb strapped to her chest.
Bomb tells the story of a day in the life of Genesis, except it's not a normal day. Sudden;y genesis is in a life or death situation. She can blow up at any minute, she has to listen to the voice in her ear and can't even talk to anyone to try and get help. Genesis needs to find out what's going on and save herself, and a lot of other people, in the process.
This book had an amazing concept. As soon as i read the summary, I knew I wanted to read it. The plot could only be thrilling and leave me at the edge of my seat, right? Wrong! I was so bitterly disappointed. I ended up rally hating the main character when I should be feeling nothing but sorry for her, and possibly proud of her for how she is acting. Instead, for some weird reason, she ends up turning the whole situation around into a very weird love triangle, kind of.
I found the whole thing quite unbelievable, despite suicide bombings being a very big and unfortunate reality in today's society. The way she thought just didn't add up for me and I hated the way she kept coming up with these random sayings. I felt like the author was trying to just cram a whole load of nonsense that was probably suppose to make Genesis seem super smart and rational and didn't.
I mean...why didn't she attempt to call the police. Or Holly? Or Dave? Why didn't any of them do anything like that. And Dave's experiences and knowledge didn't seem right for me. From the story i got the jist he hadn't been in the army that long, maybe a year. How could he know so much already? Not buying it.
And the way the police decided, yep, shoot first when the terrorist organisation have a history of abducting young girls and using them as suicide bombers yet they have orders to conduct kill shots?? That just really annoyed me. Also, how did someone spot Genesis as acting oddly, it wasn't explained, the police just showed up. The same with the blind date. How did Genesis end up organising this date? I don't think it was ever explained properly.
And Naz, oh my god Naz. Genesis was so moony over this boy who was obviously so deranged. At first it was pathetic and then it got annoying and hello, I could see what she found out about 70% in, at 10% in. It was so obvious!! And her feelings towards Dave, Genesis you have a bomb strapped to your chest, maybe think about that rather than the way Dave's lips feel. Jeez Louise!
Plus, what the hell was with Genesis' dream just being thrown in the mix? It made no sense to me, though at halfway through I started skim reading because I just couldn't take it anymore,
This book was just trying way too hard, and if it could have been stripped down with the weird messy love relationship(s) taken out of it, it would have been much better. Overall, a really disappointing book.
Genesis Wainwright can't remember last night. She can remember the guy she had a blind date with, she can remember feeling that she didn't really like him. But she can't remember the point when, somehow, she ended up with a bomb strapped to her chest.
Bomb tells the story of a day in the life of Genesis, except it's not a normal day. Sudden;y genesis is in a life or death situation. She can blow up at any minute, she has to listen to the voice in her ear and can't even talk to anyone to try and get help. Genesis needs to find out what's going on and save herself, and a lot of other people, in the process.
This book had an amazing concept. As soon as i read the summary, I knew I wanted to read it. The plot could only be thrilling and leave me at the edge of my seat, right? Wrong! I was so bitterly disappointed. I ended up rally hating the main character when I should be feeling nothing but sorry for her, and possibly proud of her for how she is acting. Instead, for some weird reason, she ends up turning the whole situation around into a very weird love triangle, kind of.
I found the whole thing quite unbelievable, despite suicide bombings being a very big and unfortunate reality in today's society. The way she thought just didn't add up for me and I hated the way she kept coming up with these random sayings. I felt like the author was trying to just cram a whole load of nonsense that was probably suppose to make Genesis seem super smart and rational and didn't.
I mean...why didn't she attempt to call the police. Or Holly? Or Dave? Why didn't any of them do anything like that. And Dave's experiences and knowledge didn't seem right for me. From the story i got the jist he hadn't been in the army that long, maybe a year. How could he know so much already? Not buying it.
And the way the police decided, yep, shoot first when the terrorist organisation have a history of abducting young girls and using them as suicide bombers yet they have orders to conduct kill shots?? That just really annoyed me. Also, how did someone spot Genesis as acting oddly, it wasn't explained, the police just showed up. The same with the blind date. How did Genesis end up organising this date? I don't think it was ever explained properly.
And Naz, oh my god Naz. Genesis was so moony over this boy who was obviously so deranged. At first it was pathetic and then it got annoying and hello, I could see what she found out about 70% in, at 10% in. It was so obvious!! And her feelings towards Dave, Genesis you have a bomb strapped to your chest, maybe think about that rather than the way Dave's lips feel. Jeez Louise!
Plus, what the hell was with Genesis' dream just being thrown in the mix? It made no sense to me, though at halfway through I started skim reading because I just couldn't take it anymore,
This book was just trying way too hard, and if it could have been stripped down with the weird messy love relationship(s) taken out of it, it would have been much better. Overall, a really disappointing book.
April 12, 2015
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
I received this book on a read to review basis, but this in no way affected my opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this.
When I first heard about Bomb, i was really intrigued by the premise of a girl who becomes a weapon of mass destruction and has to follow certain instructions from an unknown source. However, I'm disappointed to say that the book fell way short of my expectations. While the main premise of the book was great, I feel that the author really didn't develop the characters, storyline, and background at all. To me, the characters felt one-dimensional and I didn't care for their plight. I really wanted to feel bad for the situation Genesis, the main character was in because I can't even begin to comprehend what it would be like to be strapped to a bomb. However, a combination of the writing style and lack of emotion the characters showed toward the situation made it virtually impossible to connect. The emotion Genesis showed seemed really--relaxed, or just not fitting to the situation, and made the book have a younger feel to me. The writing style also made it hard to read as paragraphs were constantly started for no reason and words were capitalized for emphasis instead of using other more intense verbs/descriptions. Don't get me wrong, capitalizing and italicizing for effect is fine, but when an author constantly does it instead of using more vivid descriptions it really bugs me.
Along with under-developed characters, I felt that Bomb dragged so much and went around in circles. Again, I really like the premise of the story, but I felt that with the writing style the author used the book went on for a really long time. The pacing seemed kind of slow and unnecessary at times while at others it was hurried which made the book a little confusing to follow. However, I do like the way the author was trying to introduce other characters and questions that are arising in today's world about extremism.
Lastly, I don't know how I feel about the end. On the one hand, I liked how it left me with questions, but I also feel that it was really anticlimactic.
Overall, Bomb is a book with a great premise, but it fell extremely short of my expectations.
I received this book on a read to review basis, but this in no way affected my opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this.
When I first heard about Bomb, i was really intrigued by the premise of a girl who becomes a weapon of mass destruction and has to follow certain instructions from an unknown source. However, I'm disappointed to say that the book fell way short of my expectations. While the main premise of the book was great, I feel that the author really didn't develop the characters, storyline, and background at all. To me, the characters felt one-dimensional and I didn't care for their plight. I really wanted to feel bad for the situation Genesis, the main character was in because I can't even begin to comprehend what it would be like to be strapped to a bomb. However, a combination of the writing style and lack of emotion the characters showed toward the situation made it virtually impossible to connect. The emotion Genesis showed seemed really--relaxed, or just not fitting to the situation, and made the book have a younger feel to me. The writing style also made it hard to read as paragraphs were constantly started for no reason and words were capitalized for emphasis instead of using other more intense verbs/descriptions. Don't get me wrong, capitalizing and italicizing for effect is fine, but when an author constantly does it instead of using more vivid descriptions it really bugs me.
Along with under-developed characters, I felt that Bomb dragged so much and went around in circles. Again, I really like the premise of the story, but I felt that with the writing style the author used the book went on for a really long time. The pacing seemed kind of slow and unnecessary at times while at others it was hurried which made the book a little confusing to follow. However, I do like the way the author was trying to introduce other characters and questions that are arising in today's world about extremism.
Lastly, I don't know how I feel about the end. On the one hand, I liked how it left me with questions, but I also feel that it was really anticlimactic.
Overall, Bomb is a book with a great premise, but it fell extremely short of my expectations.
did-not-finish
March 27, 2015Stopped at 5%
I have done this several times on my blog. Books that just don't work for me. I know my reading style pretty well, and I can tell whether I will like the book or not accurately about 80-90% of the time. If I finish a book, then there are aspects of that book that I enjoyed. I never talk about the author in a negative way, I only say what doesn't work for me. Normally if I finish a book, I give it at least 3 stars, meaning that I liked it.
I wanted to read Bomb because I haven't heard a premise quite like it, and I wanted to try it out. I think that my disconnect was that it started the main character Genesis in crisis with the bomb on her chest. It had all of the elements to be suspenseful and for the emotions to be there. However, I wanted to know who she was before the incident. It would have helped me to connect with her intensity a little better.
That isn't to say that the writing is poor or the characters are poorly constructed, it's personal on my end.
Positive Reviews:
Buzzy Bees
Toni
I have done this several times on my blog. Books that just don't work for me. I know my reading style pretty well, and I can tell whether I will like the book or not accurately about 80-90% of the time. If I finish a book, then there are aspects of that book that I enjoyed. I never talk about the author in a negative way, I only say what doesn't work for me. Normally if I finish a book, I give it at least 3 stars, meaning that I liked it.
I wanted to read Bomb because I haven't heard a premise quite like it, and I wanted to try it out. I think that my disconnect was that it started the main character Genesis in crisis with the bomb on her chest. It had all of the elements to be suspenseful and for the emotions to be there. However, I wanted to know who she was before the incident. It would have helped me to connect with her intensity a little better.
That isn't to say that the writing is poor or the characters are poorly constructed, it's personal on my end.
Positive Reviews:
Buzzy Bees
Toni
March 6, 2015
ARC for review.
The positives: great opening scene and, overall, a good way to show young adults how a group like ISIS might take hold in the west, as well as what might lead young people to join - so if this is a topic in which your favorite young adult is interested it addresses the issues.
The negatives: this is definitely YA for the YA set. Unrealistic love, crazy scenarios where all the right people have the right skill sets in unrealistic locations at just the right moment. Many people die but, for the most part, they are nameless, faceless foreigners (this is set in London) and even the ones we do get to know go fairly unmourned, given the circumstances.
Overall, great premise but the execution was a bit silly.
The positives: great opening scene and, overall, a good way to show young adults how a group like ISIS might take hold in the west, as well as what might lead young people to join - so if this is a topic in which your favorite young adult is interested it addresses the issues.
The negatives: this is definitely YA for the YA set. Unrealistic love, crazy scenarios where all the right people have the right skill sets in unrealistic locations at just the right moment. Many people die but, for the most part, they are nameless, faceless foreigners (this is set in London) and even the ones we do get to know go fairly unmourned, given the circumstances.
Overall, great premise but the execution was a bit silly.
Read
October 1, 2024I couldn't put it down. Such a good read. You could just imagine being in the character's shoes.
April 7, 2015
I'm not going to lie - I didn't expect to love this book the way I did.
This story is ridiculously simple. Genesis wakes up in a dark basement, and she quickly learns she has a suicide bomb strapped to her body. She quickly deduces it's related to her boyfriend who has become aligned with a radical Islamic sect. She also has a bluetooth earpiece in her ear, and the voice in her ear is giving her a lot of directions. She knows her time is limited, and she doesn't really know what to do.
It's a really, really action-packed book, unlike anything I've ever read. The pacing is almost breakneck, the way the plot is revealed absolutely incredible. It really kind of brings home the type of strange tactics we've only really read about when it comes to terrorism. It's just a wild thrill ride, action-movie-style, and that's all that matters.
One can quibble with some of the unrealistic parts of the book or the simplified characterizations, but I don't think this is necessarily meant to be a broad treatise on international politics for a teen audience. It's more of a "based on current events" roller coaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat, guessing the whole way through.
Definitely recommended, but only for the strong of heart. This one's truly intense, but absolutely worth it.
This story is ridiculously simple. Genesis wakes up in a dark basement, and she quickly learns she has a suicide bomb strapped to her body. She quickly deduces it's related to her boyfriend who has become aligned with a radical Islamic sect. She also has a bluetooth earpiece in her ear, and the voice in her ear is giving her a lot of directions. She knows her time is limited, and she doesn't really know what to do.
It's a really, really action-packed book, unlike anything I've ever read. The pacing is almost breakneck, the way the plot is revealed absolutely incredible. It really kind of brings home the type of strange tactics we've only really read about when it comes to terrorism. It's just a wild thrill ride, action-movie-style, and that's all that matters.
One can quibble with some of the unrealistic parts of the book or the simplified characterizations, but I don't think this is necessarily meant to be a broad treatise on international politics for a teen audience. It's more of a "based on current events" roller coaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat, guessing the whole way through.
Definitely recommended, but only for the strong of heart. This one's truly intense, but absolutely worth it.
March 3, 2015
I wavered between a 4 and a 5 on this book. It's difficult to rate a book like Bomb because of its extreme subject. The writer made interesting choices, and although I found some of them to be heavy-handed, they ultimately worked. The main character's voice pulled me into the story and I read without stopping.
Bomb begins with a quote from Macbeth and an excerpt from an article about extreme violence and the treatment of women and girls. The first section of the book is called Last Night and describes two men strapping a girl into an Improvised Explosive Device. The next section is This Morning: Life List (Twenty Things to Do Before I Die). Genesis wakes up on a cold floor with an earpiece glued into her ear and a vague memory of the blind date she'd planned to help get over an ex-boyfriend. The book is structured in chapter/lists. Go On a Road Trip With No Destination begins with her arrival on a street corner in London and ends with an assignment from a voice in her glued-in earpiece. As she continues, Gen attempts to remember as much as she can about the night before, and the events preceding it. Inspired by a dream, she searches for patterns in the details to survive. The ending makes sense but isn't the point of the story.
Bomb begins with a quote from Macbeth and an excerpt from an article about extreme violence and the treatment of women and girls. The first section of the book is called Last Night and describes two men strapping a girl into an Improvised Explosive Device. The next section is This Morning: Life List (Twenty Things to Do Before I Die). Genesis wakes up on a cold floor with an earpiece glued into her ear and a vague memory of the blind date she'd planned to help get over an ex-boyfriend. The book is structured in chapter/lists. Go On a Road Trip With No Destination begins with her arrival on a street corner in London and ends with an assignment from a voice in her glued-in earpiece. As she continues, Gen attempts to remember as much as she can about the night before, and the events preceding it. Inspired by a dream, she searches for patterns in the details to survive. The ending makes sense but isn't the point of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2016
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Sarah Mussi will be a new favourite author if Bomb is indicative of her style. It's a must-read in the current climate. Carefully woven together are the very real experiences of both the victims and perpetrators of suicide bombings. I particularly appreciated the maturity (realism) of the ending.
I'd like to see schools study this book, and particularly discuss the chapter headings, which I feel, make it a controversial, divisive read. I'm looking forward to reading her other titles.
I'd like to see schools study this book, and particularly discuss the chapter headings, which I feel, make it a controversial, divisive read. I'm looking forward to reading her other titles.
May 8, 2015
I really great concept marred only by how freaking obsessed Gen was with Naz. Liked the ambiguous ending (although my money is on Dave living up to his reputation). In light of Isis and recent events, this book is frighteningly realistic. Parts of it felt clunky, and I was frustrated by how slowly the characters worked some information out. Also, if you date a guy and he shoots a swan, he is not a keeper.
June 4, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
When Genesis goes on a blind internet date, she just wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Naz. Just wants someone to like her again. But when Genesis wakes up the morning after the date, she can't remember a thing. She doesn't know where she is, or how she got there. And she can hardly move because she is strapped into some kind of body armour ... and there's some sort of earpiece stuck in her ear.
And then a voice sounds in her head: 'You have been chosen for an assignment ... The vest you're wearing is packed with high explosives. And with one mobile call we can detonate it.'
To her horror, Genesis has become an agent of mass destruction. The countdown to detonation begins NOW...
*3.5 stars*
Was this book a perfect read? No it wasn't...but damn it had a lot of good stuff going for it.
The premise alone was enough to get me in. A young girl wakes up after a night out with a bomb strapped to her. She has been kidnapped by an ISIS-style terrorist group and was a pawn in their evil plans (sounds dramatic, right?)
Genesis herself was a fine character. It is hard to make judgements on what she says or does because, let's face, how many of us have had bombs strapped to our bodies and have voices in our heads telling us what to do? I think her character could have grown a little more over 400 pages but I was happy enough where it took us.
The Brightness Brotherhood were an instantly recognisable terrorist-type group. Using celebrities and social trends as the avenue to young people, we can see how easily they can get into the heads of disillusioned kids. I would have liked a little more about the 'why' they were doing it - that felt a little unanswered for the most part. Same can be said for the 'how' as well. But, with the radicalisation of teens into various terrorist groups today, I think the 'why' and 'how' aren't that hard to imagine.
Finally, the ending. A lot of reviews have complained about the suddenness of it. But I really appreciated it. For a novel that had been a little different all the way along, this seemed like the perfect ending. What actually happened? What became of Dave? Was everything we believed throughout the story true? Well, you know what, folks, that's what a good story can do - make the reader think and not have everything tied up in a pretty bow...
Paul
ARH
When Genesis goes on a blind internet date, she just wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Naz. Just wants someone to like her again. But when Genesis wakes up the morning after the date, she can't remember a thing. She doesn't know where she is, or how she got there. And she can hardly move because she is strapped into some kind of body armour ... and there's some sort of earpiece stuck in her ear.
And then a voice sounds in her head: 'You have been chosen for an assignment ... The vest you're wearing is packed with high explosives. And with one mobile call we can detonate it.'
To her horror, Genesis has become an agent of mass destruction. The countdown to detonation begins NOW...
*3.5 stars*
Was this book a perfect read? No it wasn't...but damn it had a lot of good stuff going for it.
The premise alone was enough to get me in. A young girl wakes up after a night out with a bomb strapped to her. She has been kidnapped by an ISIS-style terrorist group and was a pawn in their evil plans (sounds dramatic, right?)
Genesis herself was a fine character. It is hard to make judgements on what she says or does because, let's face, how many of us have had bombs strapped to our bodies and have voices in our heads telling us what to do? I think her character could have grown a little more over 400 pages but I was happy enough where it took us.
The Brightness Brotherhood were an instantly recognisable terrorist-type group. Using celebrities and social trends as the avenue to young people, we can see how easily they can get into the heads of disillusioned kids. I would have liked a little more about the 'why' they were doing it - that felt a little unanswered for the most part. Same can be said for the 'how' as well. But, with the radicalisation of teens into various terrorist groups today, I think the 'why' and 'how' aren't that hard to imagine.
Finally, the ending. A lot of reviews have complained about the suddenness of it. But I really appreciated it. For a novel that had been a little different all the way along, this seemed like the perfect ending. What actually happened? What became of Dave? Was everything we believed throughout the story true? Well, you know what, folks, that's what a good story can do - make the reader think and not have everything tied up in a pretty bow...
Paul
ARH
June 4, 2018
DNF 34% - Review copy provided by Hachette for an honest review.
I hate to do this. I hate to have to give up on this book. Its making me break my goal for this year - to read all review copies and not DNF any of them - which is annoying me but I literally cannot do it anymore.
This book wasn't just terribly executed, it was horrendously executed. It made me want to tear my hair out with frustration. There has never been a book so tedious, so boring, so dry and silly and ridiculous and dumb. The characters were awful. The plot made little sense. The word-building was non-existent. There was not one scrap of good to keep me going.
I want to apologise for being so brutal but Bomb was really just so freaking bad I can't apologise. Not for that. This book was meant to be a second go at Sarah Mussi impressing me. I disliked her other book Riot and expected more from this. Unfortunately, this was even worse and I honestly can't find anything to praise. This was certainly not my cup of tea.
I hate to do this. I hate to have to give up on this book. Its making me break my goal for this year - to read all review copies and not DNF any of them - which is annoying me but I literally cannot do it anymore.
This book wasn't just terribly executed, it was horrendously executed. It made me want to tear my hair out with frustration. There has never been a book so tedious, so boring, so dry and silly and ridiculous and dumb. The characters were awful. The plot made little sense. The word-building was non-existent. There was not one scrap of good to keep me going.
I want to apologise for being so brutal but Bomb was really just so freaking bad I can't apologise. Not for that. This book was meant to be a second go at Sarah Mussi impressing me. I disliked her other book Riot and expected more from this. Unfortunately, this was even worse and I honestly can't find anything to praise. This was certainly not my cup of tea.
August 15, 2017
Gutsy book! This is a great book even if it is close to the harsh reality of some.
This is a story about a teenage girl who after being dumped by a boy who got sucked into one of those religious zealot groups finds herself in a suicide vest with a communication device glued into her ear and a voice ordering her to destinations across London and the outskirts.
But she won't be a puppet and with some help she tries to work out a way to fight back.
Time runs down, the anti-terrorism unit is on her back as well as possibly making the cell so angry that they press the button and destroy her life there and then, this book builds a good tension and pace.
Upsetting, scary and fictionally shows how easy it is for someone to destroy a life.
This is a story about a teenage girl who after being dumped by a boy who got sucked into one of those religious zealot groups finds herself in a suicide vest with a communication device glued into her ear and a voice ordering her to destinations across London and the outskirts.
But she won't be a puppet and with some help she tries to work out a way to fight back.
Time runs down, the anti-terrorism unit is on her back as well as possibly making the cell so angry that they press the button and destroy her life there and then, this book builds a good tension and pace.
Upsetting, scary and fictionally shows how easy it is for someone to destroy a life.
April 5, 2018
it's bad on so many levels, main character, plot, progress, it's a stupid girl in love who can't seem to grasp how serious the situation is because her hot ex boyfriend is trying to help her survive. And The writing style.....another story....it just made it go from bad to worse when i didn't even reach half of the book.
September 11, 2018
This was an amazing book, until the ending. It made me so anxious throughout reading because I feel like that could become so real these days and it's just scary. But that ending was just nothing. It really dented my enjoyment because I wanted a proper ending and that was just disappointing unfortunately.
June 14, 2020
ok wtf was this book. it had me on the edge of my seat, my heart racing and my palms sweating. it was so weird and so crazy. I just think the plot was too packed and needed to be culled down or spread out
December 1, 2021
I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. I will say though that the writing style my not be for everyone.
This is one of the few books I haven't been able to put down. The premise of the story is something I haven't really seen in books much before.
This is one of the few books I haven't been able to put down. The premise of the story is something I haven't really seen in books much before.
December 20, 2017
I was really enjoying this book. And then I read the ending. I was so angry. The books great the ending still winds me up.
July 7, 2019
2.5 stars
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
March 16, 2024
It was okay - it had a powerful ending but I didn’t really like the writing style
April 13, 2015
**I've received free eBook copy from www.netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review***
When i started reading this book, i was in a reading slump and i was a bit scared that i will not finish it. But when i started i realized that all fears were for nothing. There was something in the story and writing style that kept me turning the pages.
Bomb is a book about girl Genesis who decides to go on blind date to get over her ex boyfriend Naz who dumped her for no good reason ( at least that is what she said). Next morning she wakes up not knowing where she is and don't remembering anything from the night before. Than she realizes that she has some kind of vest attached to her and something is blocking her hearing in one ear. She is scared and doesn't know what to do. And then when she thought things can't get more complicate she hears voice in her ear telling her that she is selected for a mission and that she is strapped to a bomb. Then her journey of survivor stars. We follow her trying to figure out why is she chosen and how to outwit them.
The cult that chose her is called Brightness and they believe that if they sacrifice what they love they will have them in next life. It is religious extremist group who choose easy female, the easy targets, at made them sacrifice in order to kill as much people as they can. They want to bring the end of the days and no one who becomes their member can can leave them.
Our main character is Genesis and we follow her struggle to understand what and why is this happening to her. She is also struggling with question why her boyfriend Naz had decided to end things with her so suddenly. She is a strong character who decides that she will stop this people and try to save as many lives as she can. I really admired that because it is not easy to think in panicky situation and because she decides that she will give her life in order to save people. She doesn't stop fighting until the very end even when she doesn't see the light at the end of tunel.
We are also introduced to her best friend Holly and to Dave her ex-boyfriend who happens to be Holly's older brother, They try to help Genesis and to save her life, but it wasn't that easy and things that happened showed that. They were determined to be with her until the end, and they showed what real friends are. Dave the Save was with her and as army member tried to get the bomb of her and find the place where the Brightness was to save her. He was like detective trying to fit the pieces of that mystery together.
There was a bit of a romance, but not much, I wanted more, but i feel like deep down I knew that the story is best the way it is written. There was her struggle between the sweet, loving Dave and extreme, dangerous Naz, and who was the one.
The story was really fast paced and it included all. detective, police, love, friendship, struggle... It was really interesting and suspenseful in majority of book, But i have to say that some parts where a bit boring. In some places there where articles from newspapers and news that were to long and that were not that connected to the story. I fell like those parts were unnecessary and could be shorter. Also i was sometimes annoyed with things that Genesis used to say (her poet lines). I just didn't understand it and wasn't interested in that.
The most disappointing part of whole book was the ending, I just needed more. I don't know what happened i just don't know how story finishes. I wish that there was epilogue so we could know what happened to her, did the bomb exploded or not. It was not fully finished in my opinion. I can just guess the ending of story.
I enjoyed the book a lot. I have to be honest I didn't expected it to be this good. It was fast paced and interesting and i highly recommend it to everyone. I will give it 4/5 stars, just because of the ending.
When i started reading this book, i was in a reading slump and i was a bit scared that i will not finish it. But when i started i realized that all fears were for nothing. There was something in the story and writing style that kept me turning the pages.
Bomb is a book about girl Genesis who decides to go on blind date to get over her ex boyfriend Naz who dumped her for no good reason ( at least that is what she said). Next morning she wakes up not knowing where she is and don't remembering anything from the night before. Than she realizes that she has some kind of vest attached to her and something is blocking her hearing in one ear. She is scared and doesn't know what to do. And then when she thought things can't get more complicate she hears voice in her ear telling her that she is selected for a mission and that she is strapped to a bomb. Then her journey of survivor stars. We follow her trying to figure out why is she chosen and how to outwit them.
The cult that chose her is called Brightness and they believe that if they sacrifice what they love they will have them in next life. It is religious extremist group who choose easy female, the easy targets, at made them sacrifice in order to kill as much people as they can. They want to bring the end of the days and no one who becomes their member can can leave them.
Our main character is Genesis and we follow her struggle to understand what and why is this happening to her. She is also struggling with question why her boyfriend Naz had decided to end things with her so suddenly. She is a strong character who decides that she will stop this people and try to save as many lives as she can. I really admired that because it is not easy to think in panicky situation and because she decides that she will give her life in order to save people. She doesn't stop fighting until the very end even when she doesn't see the light at the end of tunel.
We are also introduced to her best friend Holly and to Dave her ex-boyfriend who happens to be Holly's older brother, They try to help Genesis and to save her life, but it wasn't that easy and things that happened showed that. They were determined to be with her until the end, and they showed what real friends are. Dave the Save was with her and as army member tried to get the bomb of her and find the place where the Brightness was to save her. He was like detective trying to fit the pieces of that mystery together.
There was a bit of a romance, but not much, I wanted more, but i feel like deep down I knew that the story is best the way it is written. There was her struggle between the sweet, loving Dave and extreme, dangerous Naz, and who was the one.
The story was really fast paced and it included all. detective, police, love, friendship, struggle... It was really interesting and suspenseful in majority of book, But i have to say that some parts where a bit boring. In some places there where articles from newspapers and news that were to long and that were not that connected to the story. I fell like those parts were unnecessary and could be shorter. Also i was sometimes annoyed with things that Genesis used to say (her poet lines). I just didn't understand it and wasn't interested in that.
The most disappointing part of whole book was the ending, I just needed more. I don't know what happened i just don't know how story finishes. I wish that there was epilogue so we could know what happened to her, did the bomb exploded or not. It was not fully finished in my opinion. I can just guess the ending of story.
I enjoyed the book a lot. I have to be honest I didn't expected it to be this good. It was fast paced and interesting and i highly recommend it to everyone. I will give it 4/5 stars, just because of the ending.
March 2, 2015
I’m giving “Bomb” by Sarah Mussi a well-deserved 4’5 “what-a-thrilling-story” stars.
A few days ago I discovered this website called NetGalley, maybe some of you guys already know about it. I found out today that you actually need to request most books you want to read and it turns out if you are not from an English-speaking country you’re quite screwed. Still, the very first day I was looking through the website this book caught my attention, and it was available as a “Read Now” in Europe. So, yeah, I want to thank NetGalley and Hodder Children’s Books for I got this ARC from them.
Have you ever read a book that you loved, but at the very same time freaked you out? Let’s say you wake up strapped on a bomb. Like, how do you think you would react? Would you follow the orders you’re given? Would you break knowing you are a walking weapon risking the life of everyone near you? From the moment you start reading this book, there’s a lot of “what ifs” that will come to your mind and, believe me, it is scary. I’m-becoming-paranoid scary.
We’ve all seen the rise of terror in modern times, and especially last year. We talk about it over dinner with family, we talk about in our lectures in class, and the News online and offline keep reminding us: terrorism is here, is a fact, and we are all in danger. This is what “Bomb” is about. The fear, the paranoia, and the danger we face every day without even knowing. And I can honestly say, I will never forget this story, it made me feel frightened and fragile.
As you can read, I loved the book, though I must say the first couple chapters of the book were quite hard to read. The book is written from Genesis, the main character, point of view and in present tense. Which means when she’s freaking out her thoughts step on each other, and it’s difficult to follow her thinking. I can honestly say if you go through the first two chapters, it gets better. Gen turns out to be an awesome and likable character: she may seem childish and obsessed with her ex-boyfriend at the beginning, but she grows out of it after a while.
There aren’t lots of characters in this book, but I’ll say there are three important ones: Genesis, Dave, and Naz. It’s kind of like a love triangle, only that is not. Genesis dated Dave, dumped him for Naz, and then she was the one getting dumped. Ouch. But still, you get to see their strong and weak points; you get to see why she liked them so much, but also why she shouldn’t like them too. I guess everyone who reads the books will obviously be on Team Dave, but Mussi has done an awesome job showing the good side of Naz too. Thumbs up for it.
Besides pointing out everything I liked, I would also like to state my opinion on something Gen does. She likes to write poetry, and she wants to know the meaning of life, so she’s obsessed over composing one-sentence poems regarding this. I didn’t like the LIFE IS sentences, thought I may say some of them were Awesome (capital-A-Awesome), just like “Life is a novel with the last page ripped out.” But there were some one-sentences that made me cringe. Let’s say you are reading an awesome book, your devouring eagerly every page of it, and suddenly you read “Life is a Tin of Sardines: We're all of us looking for the key.” It really kills my mood. Also, I don’t think a key will help you get out of a tin of sardines; you‘d need a tin opener for that.
I recommend “Bomb” to everyone who likes books that linger, thrilling stories, not knowing what will happen till the last page, great endings, and who want to find out the purpose of life.
A few days ago I discovered this website called NetGalley, maybe some of you guys already know about it. I found out today that you actually need to request most books you want to read and it turns out if you are not from an English-speaking country you’re quite screwed. Still, the very first day I was looking through the website this book caught my attention, and it was available as a “Read Now” in Europe. So, yeah, I want to thank NetGalley and Hodder Children’s Books for I got this ARC from them.
Have you ever read a book that you loved, but at the very same time freaked you out? Let’s say you wake up strapped on a bomb. Like, how do you think you would react? Would you follow the orders you’re given? Would you break knowing you are a walking weapon risking the life of everyone near you? From the moment you start reading this book, there’s a lot of “what ifs” that will come to your mind and, believe me, it is scary. I’m-becoming-paranoid scary.
We’ve all seen the rise of terror in modern times, and especially last year. We talk about it over dinner with family, we talk about in our lectures in class, and the News online and offline keep reminding us: terrorism is here, is a fact, and we are all in danger. This is what “Bomb” is about. The fear, the paranoia, and the danger we face every day without even knowing. And I can honestly say, I will never forget this story, it made me feel frightened and fragile.
As you can read, I loved the book, though I must say the first couple chapters of the book were quite hard to read. The book is written from Genesis, the main character, point of view and in present tense. Which means when she’s freaking out her thoughts step on each other, and it’s difficult to follow her thinking. I can honestly say if you go through the first two chapters, it gets better. Gen turns out to be an awesome and likable character: she may seem childish and obsessed with her ex-boyfriend at the beginning, but she grows out of it after a while.
There aren’t lots of characters in this book, but I’ll say there are three important ones: Genesis, Dave, and Naz. It’s kind of like a love triangle, only that is not. Genesis dated Dave, dumped him for Naz, and then she was the one getting dumped. Ouch. But still, you get to see their strong and weak points; you get to see why she liked them so much, but also why she shouldn’t like them too. I guess everyone who reads the books will obviously be on Team Dave, but Mussi has done an awesome job showing the good side of Naz too. Thumbs up for it.
Besides pointing out everything I liked, I would also like to state my opinion on something Gen does. She likes to write poetry, and she wants to know the meaning of life, so she’s obsessed over composing one-sentence poems regarding this. I didn’t like the LIFE IS sentences, thought I may say some of them were Awesome (capital-A-Awesome), just like “Life is a novel with the last page ripped out.” But there were some one-sentences that made me cringe. Let’s say you are reading an awesome book, your devouring eagerly every page of it, and suddenly you read “Life is a Tin of Sardines: We're all of us looking for the key.” It really kills my mood. Also, I don’t think a key will help you get out of a tin of sardines; you‘d need a tin opener for that.
I recommend “Bomb” to everyone who likes books that linger, thrilling stories, not knowing what will happen till the last page, great endings, and who want to find out the purpose of life.
March 17, 2015
(2.5 stars)
Bomb begins with Genesis waking up, dark and cold, unaware of what's happening. The first few pages simply involve her inner narrative as she tries to figure out what's happening. Once upon a time, this is the kind of writing style I would have liked. Short, sweet, and to the point. Easy to read because you don't get bogged down by complicated words and imagery that takes a second to catch up to. Unfortunately, it appears I'm much more fond of lengthy prose these days. The number one rule I was taught when I began writing was "show, don't tell." The opening certainly doesn't follow this rule, and the repetitive clipped sentences started to wear on me pretty quickly. This improves slightly as the novel goes on, but only slightly.
I think that, given the content of this book, this writing style is appropriate. Bomb very much takes place in the now, with the constant threat of danger looming over Genesis. The style keeps you focused on the present, which I think is important for a novel like this - I just don't personally like to read it. It bores me very easily.
The problem I have with Bomb is that it fails to find a balance between the present and the past. You have a character with a bomb super-glued to her and a voice in her ear telling her to get on a bus or she'll be blown up. Of course it's going to focus on the present moment, because in situations like this, it's so hard to think ahead or behind - all you can really focus on is fear. But this means that so many details that I find vital are left out. I need to know more about Genesis's past before I can really connect with her. I need to know about her history with Dave beyond "Dave the Save." There were some glimpses into her past relationship with her ex, Naz, but they weren't detailed enough for me. These characters all left me with a very foggy feeling, for lack of a better term. I don't really feel like I know anything important about them at all.
The Brightness is the terrorist group and a huge threat to society in this novel. And because this is such a prevalent issue, I'm disappointed with how it was handled in Bomb. Mussi delves into motives and reasoning that leads these people to their actions a little, and it was definitely interesting, but I think a LOT more could have been done with that. I wish we had gotten a bigger glimpse at the origins and the psychology of this movement. There's a boatload of unused potential there.
Moving on to Genesis. I think if a character's got a bomb strapped to her, I should feel things. I should feel afraid for her, sympathize with her. But Genesis didn't evoke any emotions out of me. I didn't feel the danger, the heart-pounding or the fear. She felt very dull to me, though I'm not sure I can explain why. In addition, Genesis manages to fool the voice inside her ear several times, though I don't know how. I don't know about you, but I think if I was part of a terrorist cell who had planted a bomb on a girl, I wouldn't think she was stopping to pee and then stopping again to get food because she's hypoglycemic.
I will say this - the ending was absolutely perfect, in my opinion. It's one that's very unexpected and leaves you thinking.
Overall: I, personally, did not enjoy this novel. But most of my problems with it are incredibly preference-based, and I urge anyone who loves fast-paced easy reads to check this out. 2.5 stars.
*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette!
Bomb begins with Genesis waking up, dark and cold, unaware of what's happening. The first few pages simply involve her inner narrative as she tries to figure out what's happening. Once upon a time, this is the kind of writing style I would have liked. Short, sweet, and to the point. Easy to read because you don't get bogged down by complicated words and imagery that takes a second to catch up to. Unfortunately, it appears I'm much more fond of lengthy prose these days. The number one rule I was taught when I began writing was "show, don't tell." The opening certainly doesn't follow this rule, and the repetitive clipped sentences started to wear on me pretty quickly. This improves slightly as the novel goes on, but only slightly.
I think that, given the content of this book, this writing style is appropriate. Bomb very much takes place in the now, with the constant threat of danger looming over Genesis. The style keeps you focused on the present, which I think is important for a novel like this - I just don't personally like to read it. It bores me very easily.
The problem I have with Bomb is that it fails to find a balance between the present and the past. You have a character with a bomb super-glued to her and a voice in her ear telling her to get on a bus or she'll be blown up. Of course it's going to focus on the present moment, because in situations like this, it's so hard to think ahead or behind - all you can really focus on is fear. But this means that so many details that I find vital are left out. I need to know more about Genesis's past before I can really connect with her. I need to know about her history with Dave beyond "Dave the Save." There were some glimpses into her past relationship with her ex, Naz, but they weren't detailed enough for me. These characters all left me with a very foggy feeling, for lack of a better term. I don't really feel like I know anything important about them at all.
The Brightness is the terrorist group and a huge threat to society in this novel. And because this is such a prevalent issue, I'm disappointed with how it was handled in Bomb. Mussi delves into motives and reasoning that leads these people to their actions a little, and it was definitely interesting, but I think a LOT more could have been done with that. I wish we had gotten a bigger glimpse at the origins and the psychology of this movement. There's a boatload of unused potential there.
Moving on to Genesis. I think if a character's got a bomb strapped to her, I should feel things. I should feel afraid for her, sympathize with her. But Genesis didn't evoke any emotions out of me. I didn't feel the danger, the heart-pounding or the fear. She felt very dull to me, though I'm not sure I can explain why. In addition, Genesis manages to fool the voice inside her ear several times, though I don't know how. I don't know about you, but I think if I was part of a terrorist cell who had planted a bomb on a girl, I wouldn't think she was stopping to pee and then stopping again to get food because she's hypoglycemic.
I will say this - the ending was absolutely perfect, in my opinion. It's one that's very unexpected and leaves you thinking.
Overall: I, personally, did not enjoy this novel. But most of my problems with it are incredibly preference-based, and I urge anyone who loves fast-paced easy reads to check this out. 2.5 stars.
*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette!
April 27, 2015
For this and more reviews, visit my blog, The Reality of Books: https://therealityofbooks.wordpress.c...
I came across Bomb as a “free to read” book on Netgalley. Because it didn’t require a request process, I was worried I wouldn’t like it. I was, however, surprised. There are some obvious shortcomings, but overall, the book was a good read. Bomb starts off right in the action with our protagonist, Genesis. Genesis wakes up on the floor in a strange room with a plastic ear piece super glued into her ear and a large explosive vest locked to her chest. Her life goes from worrying about why her boyfriend doesn’t like her anymore to worrying about how and when she’s going to explode—and who she will take with her. The entire book follows Genesis from the moment she discovers the bomb until the very end, putting the story on a countdown timer that leaves the reader wanting to know how it will all wrap up.
Genesis is a largely believable character (for the most part). She is well written, growing and changing the longer that the bomb is strapped to her chest. Genesis is a very ordinary teenager in the beginning, thinking mostly of herself, but by the end of the book she is thinking about the people around her and the effects that her choices will have on them. This is well done. However, the characters around Genesis seem placed for convenience. Largely, Dave. Genesis needs someone who knows about bombs? Enter Dave. (Who, for the record, Genesis rudely dumped in favor of Naz.) Genesis needs a bomb removal crew? Dave’s on it. Genesis needs a device that will stop the bomb from going off? Dave’s got that too. The logic leaps with this character were difficult for me to swallow, but I pushed through them out of my need to know what happened to Genesis. Genesis was the only character in the book that I cared at all about or could relate to in the slightest.
The foundations of The Brightness religious/terrorist group are never completely explained. I assume that they are a play off of modern terrorist groups, but I wanted to know more about them. Where did they come from? How did they get so huge? What is their motivation? Why do they want to destroy the world? The fact that I didn’t know these things was a huge detraction for me, because I didn’t understand what would motivate people to join the group. Mussi is relying too much on the reader’s knowledge of modern terrorism here to fill in the gaps, and I fear that the average teen reader may not have that required knowledge. This is a place where the book largely falls short for me.
The largest area of unbelievability for me in Bomb was the ability of Genesis to elude the authorities. They had her in their grasp many times, and a large part of me wants to believe that they would be smart enough not to let her escape so easily. Then again, a large part of me worries that they WOULDN’T be. So, in that respect, maybe this is believable. It was just really difficult for me as a reader to swallow.
Side note—I loved the “Life is…” sayings that were scattered throughout the text interesting; they really reflected Genesis’s change from ordinary girl to scared girl to resigned girl to girl who is willing to fight back.
This book has many good things about it, but it also has some major holes in the plot. I think that the average teen reader will enjoy it. 3 stars from me.
**I received Bomb, by Sarah Mussi, as an ARC from Netgalley. I was not paid to write this review. Bomb is expected for publication May 7th, 2015, by Hodder Children’s Books.
I came across Bomb as a “free to read” book on Netgalley. Because it didn’t require a request process, I was worried I wouldn’t like it. I was, however, surprised. There are some obvious shortcomings, but overall, the book was a good read. Bomb starts off right in the action with our protagonist, Genesis. Genesis wakes up on the floor in a strange room with a plastic ear piece super glued into her ear and a large explosive vest locked to her chest. Her life goes from worrying about why her boyfriend doesn’t like her anymore to worrying about how and when she’s going to explode—and who she will take with her. The entire book follows Genesis from the moment she discovers the bomb until the very end, putting the story on a countdown timer that leaves the reader wanting to know how it will all wrap up.
Genesis is a largely believable character (for the most part). She is well written, growing and changing the longer that the bomb is strapped to her chest. Genesis is a very ordinary teenager in the beginning, thinking mostly of herself, but by the end of the book she is thinking about the people around her and the effects that her choices will have on them. This is well done. However, the characters around Genesis seem placed for convenience. Largely, Dave. Genesis needs someone who knows about bombs? Enter Dave. (Who, for the record, Genesis rudely dumped in favor of Naz.) Genesis needs a bomb removal crew? Dave’s on it. Genesis needs a device that will stop the bomb from going off? Dave’s got that too. The logic leaps with this character were difficult for me to swallow, but I pushed through them out of my need to know what happened to Genesis. Genesis was the only character in the book that I cared at all about or could relate to in the slightest.
The foundations of The Brightness religious/terrorist group are never completely explained. I assume that they are a play off of modern terrorist groups, but I wanted to know more about them. Where did they come from? How did they get so huge? What is their motivation? Why do they want to destroy the world? The fact that I didn’t know these things was a huge detraction for me, because I didn’t understand what would motivate people to join the group. Mussi is relying too much on the reader’s knowledge of modern terrorism here to fill in the gaps, and I fear that the average teen reader may not have that required knowledge. This is a place where the book largely falls short for me.
The largest area of unbelievability for me in Bomb was the ability of Genesis to elude the authorities. They had her in their grasp many times, and a large part of me wants to believe that they would be smart enough not to let her escape so easily. Then again, a large part of me worries that they WOULDN’T be. So, in that respect, maybe this is believable. It was just really difficult for me as a reader to swallow.
Side note—I loved the “Life is…” sayings that were scattered throughout the text interesting; they really reflected Genesis’s change from ordinary girl to scared girl to resigned girl to girl who is willing to fight back.
This book has many good things about it, but it also has some major holes in the plot. I think that the average teen reader will enjoy it. 3 stars from me.
**I received Bomb, by Sarah Mussi, as an ARC from Netgalley. I was not paid to write this review. Bomb is expected for publication May 7th, 2015, by Hodder Children’s Books.
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