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The Alpha Drive #1
The Alpha Drive
"Engaging, real-world characters not in the real world; savvy and outright charming." -Kirkus Reviews
It's the year 2055 and an anarchist organization has taken control with the aim to create a world-class society. Half of humankind is unknowingly living in an alternate reality called Dormance . . . and there are no plans to wake them up.
Sixteen-year-old introvert Emery Parker is one such dormant. An academic scholar who avoids ruffling feathers at all costs, Emery finds herself being transferred to a boarding school on the outskirts of Arizona. Little does she know, a family secret has the power to change the course of the future. When she's approached with an opportunity to free the dormants, she sees no other choice but to accept, even though failure could mean having her memory wiped clean.
But when tech-savvy Torin Porter reaches out to her from the other side, Emery begins to question everything she was told about Dormance. If her family's secret falls into the wrong hands, the world as she knows it will be faced with irreversible consequences. Now Emery must play both sides to uncover the truth about her family's past, or risk leaving mankind to live in an unconscious reality . . . indefinitely.
It's the year 2055 and an anarchist organization has taken control with the aim to create a world-class society. Half of humankind is unknowingly living in an alternate reality called Dormance . . . and there are no plans to wake them up.
Sixteen-year-old introvert Emery Parker is one such dormant. An academic scholar who avoids ruffling feathers at all costs, Emery finds herself being transferred to a boarding school on the outskirts of Arizona. Little does she know, a family secret has the power to change the course of the future. When she's approached with an opportunity to free the dormants, she sees no other choice but to accept, even though failure could mean having her memory wiped clean.
But when tech-savvy Torin Porter reaches out to her from the other side, Emery begins to question everything she was told about Dormance. If her family's secret falls into the wrong hands, the world as she knows it will be faced with irreversible consequences. Now Emery must play both sides to uncover the truth about her family's past, or risk leaving mankind to live in an unconscious reality . . . indefinitely.
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2015
50 people are currently reading
2532 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Martin
13 books1,025 followersKRISTEN MARTIN is the International Amazon Bestselling Indie Author of THE ALPHA DRIVE trilogy and SHADOW CROWN series, the standalone novel BEYOND THE STARS AND SHADOWS, as well as nonfiction works, SOULFLOW and BE YOUR OWN #GOALS. She is also a writing coach, a YouTuber, a podcaster, and a full-time creative entrepreneur. Living in Southeast Texas with her husband and their six kids, she loves all things young adult, science fiction, and fantasy.
Kristen prides herself on helping aspiring authors reach their dreams of publication through her coaching program, Valiance. She loves connecting with other writers and readers, so be sure to reach out!
Stay connected on:
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YouTube /authorkristenmartinbooks
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Fanmail Address:
Kristen Martin
P.O. Box 1151
Fulshear, TX 77441
Kristen prides herself on helping aspiring authors reach their dreams of publication through her coaching program, Valiance. She loves connecting with other writers and readers, so be sure to reach out!
Stay connected on:
Instagram @authorkristenmartin
YouTube /authorkristenmartinbooks
Facebook /authorkristenmartin
Pinterest @authorkristenm
Fanmail Address:
Kristen Martin
P.O. Box 1151
Fulshear, TX 77441
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
October 27, 2018
This book was alright. In no way was it spectacular or anything. I never really felt invested into the plot for one thing. It was interesting at times, but my mind always turned to different thoughts while reading. Another issue I had was pacing. The pacing felt very off. One second it was the first day of school then the next chapter it's 2 months later. I felt like we could have had some bridge scenes in between. The main plot twists were very predictable for me and the characters I didn't really connect with.
I'm not saying that I hated this book, and at times I was actually enjoying myself while reading, but overall this book deserves 3 stars.
I'm not saying that I hated this book, and at times I was actually enjoying myself while reading, but overall this book deserves 3 stars.
October 11, 2017
It's been ages since I've read a dystopian/fantasy a-single-girl-must-save-the-world book and I absolutely loved that aspect. If I'd have read this around the time those kind of books were popular, I don't think it would have stuck out as much, but because there's a lot of distance between that dystopian trend, I was really able to appreciate what made this one unique.
I loved the university style setting as that's something you hardly ever see. I liked the dynamic between Emery and Rhea as roommates and I really loved the pacing. One minute it would feel like a regular contemporary where Emery was out on a date and in the next chapter, she'd be thrown into a test-your-strength atmosphere that reminded me of the fear landscapes in 'Divergent'. It was unexpected and wonderful.
I'll definitely be continuing on with the series, and I'm just generally so inspired by Kristen's writing and publishing journey. I think it's silly to rate traditionally published and self published books the same way because self-pub has a lot less people working on a book to make it shine and Kristen deserves major credit for creating such a great story, editing and publishing it by herself!
I loved the university style setting as that's something you hardly ever see. I liked the dynamic between Emery and Rhea as roommates and I really loved the pacing. One minute it would feel like a regular contemporary where Emery was out on a date and in the next chapter, she'd be thrown into a test-your-strength atmosphere that reminded me of the fear landscapes in 'Divergent'. It was unexpected and wonderful.
I'll definitely be continuing on with the series, and I'm just generally so inspired by Kristen's writing and publishing journey. I think it's silly to rate traditionally published and self published books the same way because self-pub has a lot less people working on a book to make it shine and Kristen deserves major credit for creating such a great story, editing and publishing it by herself!
October 15, 2017
I have a confession to make. I am a very picky reader.
But perhaps not in the usual way of picky readers. You see, if I’m enjoying a story for whatever reason I can continue in spite of various flaws. But if a story doesn’t grab me it’s quite a different matter.
The Alpha Drive is a prime example. It has flaws, things that if improved would have made it a much better book, but it still managed to keep me engrossed and interested. Truth is that once things started unfolding I really didn’t want to put it down.
Objectively I can say there are things about this book that could have been better, probably should have been better.
The first issue I had, which may just be an expected conundrum for the main plot – was the logical problems regarding the fact that people in a coma living in a simulated world would have no physical presence, but be a form of avatar. For me there seemed to be much confusion between physical/non-physical, real/simulation that I just had to ignore. Similar to logic problems in some time-travel stories.
In addition to that it seemed to me many of the secondary characters were merely props, there when needed as a plot device (or sometimes even when not really needed at all), but not fleshed out, and not used to give more depth to the world, relationships, characters. The world Emery inhabits seems very sparsely populated.
There were many things that just did not make sense to me. For example, Emery is 16 years old, at a boarding school for kids in this age range. However there is a complete lack of adult supervision. Boys come into dorm rooms of girls even late at night, assisting someone who is apparently drunk, with no one supervising inside the dorm building.
I was also left with some questions that I expect will be answered in the next book.
The ending seemed a bit rushed, and again, had logical issues for me. The people involved had no real combat or weapons training, nor any training as a unit. I won’t specify more to avoid spoilers, but that was very unrealistic to me.
I did like that fact that both sides of the conflict claimed to Emery that they were trying to assist those stuck in the simulated world, and that the other side was trying to control everyone. It made it interesting to have confusion and doubt about which side was telling the truth and who the real bad guys were.
And I absolutely loved the adorkable computer hacker Torin.
My e-book copy had some minor editing errors, such as occasional missing spaces between words, and in one spot a sentence with a missing noun.
Subjectively though I honestly enjoyed it. In spite of its flaws I found it an interesting and compelling read. For the most part I found it satisfyingly descriptive in the immediate, although I would have loved more world building, and more character development.
I plan to read the next in the series, and will be watching out for more by this author. I’m interested to see how she grows as a storyteller, and in the story here she has to tell.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
But perhaps not in the usual way of picky readers. You see, if I’m enjoying a story for whatever reason I can continue in spite of various flaws. But if a story doesn’t grab me it’s quite a different matter.
The Alpha Drive is a prime example. It has flaws, things that if improved would have made it a much better book, but it still managed to keep me engrossed and interested. Truth is that once things started unfolding I really didn’t want to put it down.
Objectively I can say there are things about this book that could have been better, probably should have been better.
The first issue I had, which may just be an expected conundrum for the main plot – was the logical problems regarding the fact that people in a coma living in a simulated world would have no physical presence, but be a form of avatar. For me there seemed to be much confusion between physical/non-physical, real/simulation that I just had to ignore. Similar to logic problems in some time-travel stories.
In addition to that it seemed to me many of the secondary characters were merely props, there when needed as a plot device (or sometimes even when not really needed at all), but not fleshed out, and not used to give more depth to the world, relationships, characters. The world Emery inhabits seems very sparsely populated.
There were many things that just did not make sense to me. For example, Emery is 16 years old, at a boarding school for kids in this age range. However there is a complete lack of adult supervision. Boys come into dorm rooms of girls even late at night, assisting someone who is apparently drunk, with no one supervising inside the dorm building.
I was also left with some questions that I expect will be answered in the next book.
The ending seemed a bit rushed, and again, had logical issues for me. The people involved had no real combat or weapons training, nor any training as a unit. I won’t specify more to avoid spoilers, but that was very unrealistic to me.
I did like that fact that both sides of the conflict claimed to Emery that they were trying to assist those stuck in the simulated world, and that the other side was trying to control everyone. It made it interesting to have confusion and doubt about which side was telling the truth and who the real bad guys were.
And I absolutely loved the adorkable computer hacker Torin.
My e-book copy had some minor editing errors, such as occasional missing spaces between words, and in one spot a sentence with a missing noun.
Subjectively though I honestly enjoyed it. In spite of its flaws I found it an interesting and compelling read. For the most part I found it satisfyingly descriptive in the immediate, although I would have loved more world building, and more character development.
I plan to read the next in the series, and will be watching out for more by this author. I’m interested to see how she grows as a storyteller, and in the story here she has to tell.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2019
*For disclosure purposes I requested this book from the author & was thus sent this book to review, however that doesn't change any opinions I may hold on the content*
3.8/5
Overall I would say that this book was interesting & entertaining and I read it in the tub in one go without stopping as the plot seemed to zip on and I couldn't put it down.
We have a host of characters, the main being 16 year old Emery Parker who was sent to a prestigious boarding school in Arizona where she becomes roommates with party girl Rhea. The school is actually quite dilapidated and thus hard to maneuver but she soon settles into a routine of school. Emery receives a phone call from a mysterious man saying to meet, where she is extended an invitation to join an elite task force to help free her people from their mass medically induced comas (alled Dormance) that no one knows about. Her whole life is a lie and Emery struggles to come to terms with it but decides to do her best to help her family and friends.
When Tarver is introduced it adds an interesting new element to the dystopian, backstabbing, deceitful worlds they live in and I liked the build up to what he might do in the next story.
I feel that the overall world building could have benefitted from a bit more exploration and explanation but it was still fresh and interesting enough to grab my interest. I liked that there was barely any romance and that the main character was a flawed, and slightly unlikeable character. The plot was pretty original for a YA book and I am excited to see what the next book brings.
This book gives serious Matrix vibes and I loved the hacker boy, science loving girl, boarding school, and dystopian themes woven throughout the book. I hoped to get more information of why everything happened the way that it did, so I am really hoping more gets revealed in the next book because SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
3.8/5
Overall I would say that this book was interesting & entertaining and I read it in the tub in one go without stopping as the plot seemed to zip on and I couldn't put it down.
We have a host of characters, the main being 16 year old Emery Parker who was sent to a prestigious boarding school in Arizona where she becomes roommates with party girl Rhea. The school is actually quite dilapidated and thus hard to maneuver but she soon settles into a routine of school. Emery receives a phone call from a mysterious man saying to meet, where she is extended an invitation to join an elite task force to help free her people from their mass medically induced comas (alled Dormance) that no one knows about. Her whole life is a lie and Emery struggles to come to terms with it but decides to do her best to help her family and friends.
When Tarver is introduced it adds an interesting new element to the dystopian, backstabbing, deceitful worlds they live in and I liked the build up to what he might do in the next story.
I feel that the overall world building could have benefitted from a bit more exploration and explanation but it was still fresh and interesting enough to grab my interest. I liked that there was barely any romance and that the main character was a flawed, and slightly unlikeable character. The plot was pretty original for a YA book and I am excited to see what the next book brings.
This book gives serious Matrix vibes and I loved the hacker boy, science loving girl, boarding school, and dystopian themes woven throughout the book. I hoped to get more information of why everything happened the way that it did, so I am really hoping more gets revealed in the next book because SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
June 13, 2016
I honestly hate not finishing books, especially when they are sent to me for review, but I honestly couldn't get into The Alpha Drive. Maybe it was the writing style, which for me was really hard to read, or maybe it was the fact that the book I finished before this was one of the best books I've ever read (Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods), but nevertheless I could not read this book.
It felt bland, I saw nothing that caught my eye when I started this book. It was hard to push through the first 50 pages I read. I just couldn't do it. I'm so sorry.
This book was sent to me through Booktube Tours, so if you are interested in looking for the book and people who might've enjoyed it you can look at the tour.
It felt bland, I saw nothing that caught my eye when I started this book. It was hard to push through the first 50 pages I read. I just couldn't do it. I'm so sorry.
This book was sent to me through Booktube Tours, so if you are interested in looking for the book and people who might've enjoyed it you can look at the tour.
December 27, 2018
Stopped reading when it specifically stated one character “hacked” into a system network using HTML, which is used for formatting websites. Couldn’t trust the author to deliver on any other details if they didn’t research beforehand to get them correct and only used them to make the writing seem better.
January 7, 2016
The Alpha Drive is a great fantasy story that creates a world where people are in a coma like state but do not know it, Matrix like. Only a few know what is going on. They want to recruit Emery to help them stop the enemy from killing off the Dormants (coma state people). Torin, computer geek/hack, thinks that it is a different government group. Which secret op is really the good guys? The plot is well developed as well as the characters. Lots of action, imagination, twists, turns, guessing who is really on what side, and a fun read. Received this book for a honest review.
January 19, 2016
*There are some minor spoilers included in this review*
Although I was able to finish ALPHA DRIVE I found there were a lot of issues along the way.
THE ALPHA DRIVE lacked world building. If I hadn't read the blurb for the book, I don't think I would have known what the heck was going on and even after reading the blurb, I didn't fully understand everything that was involved in the world.
The friend relationship between Emery and her brand new roommate was weird. They JUST met each other yet the roommate is super obsessed with knowing everything Emery does and gets upset with her like they are best friends that have known each other for ages instead of a small amount of time. I also didn't understand the point of Emery having a relationship with Anthony in THE ALPHA DRIVE. She makes it clear that she doesn't feel the same way about him as she did when they first met and she is a total bitch to him. I don't understand how he came to visit her so often when he lived so far away—when her sister came with her to drop her off at school, she took a plane back home—and there wasn't much to his visits when they happened. It didn't move the story along in any way or develop Emery's character at all. There just didn't seem to be much point to her having a relationship in the book at all. On top of these two secondary characters, there were others that didn't add much to the story. Emery's childhood best friend is mentioned, but Emery talks to her like once throughout the whole book, why mention her at all?
After reading THE ALPHA DRIVE I am left with about a million questions and not in the 'I have to get my hands on the next book' kinda way. The last portion of the book was a jumbled mess and although I wouldn't mind knowing what happens after the end of THE ALPHA DRIVE, I don't think I will bother going out of my way to find out.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Although I was able to finish ALPHA DRIVE I found there were a lot of issues along the way.
THE ALPHA DRIVE lacked world building. If I hadn't read the blurb for the book, I don't think I would have known what the heck was going on and even after reading the blurb, I didn't fully understand everything that was involved in the world.
The friend relationship between Emery and her brand new roommate was weird. They JUST met each other yet the roommate is super obsessed with knowing everything Emery does and gets upset with her like they are best friends that have known each other for ages instead of a small amount of time. I also didn't understand the point of Emery having a relationship with Anthony in THE ALPHA DRIVE. She makes it clear that she doesn't feel the same way about him as she did when they first met and she is a total bitch to him. I don't understand how he came to visit her so often when he lived so far away—when her sister came with her to drop her off at school, she took a plane back home—and there wasn't much to his visits when they happened. It didn't move the story along in any way or develop Emery's character at all. There just didn't seem to be much point to her having a relationship in the book at all. On top of these two secondary characters, there were others that didn't add much to the story. Emery's childhood best friend is mentioned, but Emery talks to her like once throughout the whole book, why mention her at all?
After reading THE ALPHA DRIVE I am left with about a million questions and not in the 'I have to get my hands on the next book' kinda way. The last portion of the book was a jumbled mess and although I wouldn't mind knowing what happens after the end of THE ALPHA DRIVE, I don't think I will bother going out of my way to find out.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2016
I received a copy of this book as part of the loving dem book booktube tours in exchange for an honest review.
I have done a full non spoiler review on my booktube channel that will up on the 29th of May, i'll put the link in once it's live.
My actual rating for this book is 2.5 stars. I found this book really slow to start but around chapter 7 the pace of the book picked right up. I did read the vast majority of this book in one sitting, and for me that is a sign of book that is interesting enough that i need to keep turning those pages. I did love the concept of this book, it felt like the Matrix mixed with some Dystopian. Unfortunately, i found there were just too many world building, plot and character development problems in this book for me to give it a higher rating. I found that there were too many unanswered questions by the end of this book for me, and they aren't the type of questions that leave me excited to continue on with the series. This is the first book in a series so maybe these questions will answered in the next books, but i felt like there was nothing that left me understanding this world in even the slightest bit. Friendships felt forced or unrealistic, some characters felt unnecessary, the alternating perspectives in the middle of chapters confused me and very little world building.
***** THIS NEXT PART CONTAINS SPOILERS, CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK*****
Now i want to get into some really specific things that i found in this books. Firstly Emery: i personally found Emery to be a really unlikeable character. She seemed to be unnecessarily angry alot of the time particularly when it came to Anthony. Emery was an insanely naive character in my eyes, she was so quick to accept that she was living in dormance (i feel like anybody would question this even just a little), within maybe 5 minutes of being told she had accepted this as true, and then when Torin came and told her that actually the FCW where the ones wanting people in dormance and the 7S where trying to save them, she was equally as quick to accept this as fact. Emery has this best friend Riley that doesn't really get mentioned and she only spoke to her once in the entire book, maybe she features more in the next books but it didn't seem to fit with this one.
While i've already mentioned Anthony, i'm not sure what he's character added to the story, other than Emery getting to experience the memory loss, i didn't see a what Anthony's character added. Why was Emery so angry at Anthony? Emery seemed to start a fight with him every time she seen him, or he would drive to the school and be told to go away. This just made me dislike Emery as a character, i wanted to understand her action, but without that explanation it just felt like she was being a bully. For example she accepted an invite to dinner, and almost instantly started a fight when she got there.
Emery and Rhea: Pretty much as soon as they meet they are besties. Instantly asking each other, who is texting you?But just as quickly as they are friends they are fighting, the first time again with no real explanation, it seemed out of place. Like when Emery spends the night at Warren's (only sleeping) she comes back really salty towards Rhea, i didn't really get why that was? at the point it didn't seem that Rhea had said anything out of place.
Dormance: This is the part where i felt like i had the most questions unanswered, some of which i felt should of been explained in the first book to help build the world. First where are the bodies of all the comatose people being kept? How is or was the next generation born? its made clear that Emery has been in dormance her whole life, so how was she born? What happens to their bodies when they die in dormance? The scene where Rhea dies, if she is truly only comatose in the real world, shouldn't' she be able to return to dormance? if not, what happens to their bodies in the real world once they die? At the very end of the book when the members of the Alpha Drive go to the 7S world, how did they get there with their, what seemed, their real bodies? I mean people where injured or died, so it seemed like they were really there. And the serum that Emery released to save everyone, how can it work in both worlds? Isn't Dormance a VR type world? surely this serum shouldn't be able to work in both places, how did it work?
The Alpha Drive: that "training" really wasn't training, it was more like a trial to see if she was capable of surviving.
The next few things will hopefully be explained in the next few books but What really happened to Emery's Dad? and why is Emery's mum so scared? What is the family secret mentioned in the synopsis, was this actually mentioned during the story? I just really want to understand dormance but felt really unsatisfied at the end of this book.
I have done a full non spoiler review on my booktube channel that will up on the 29th of May, i'll put the link in once it's live.
My actual rating for this book is 2.5 stars. I found this book really slow to start but around chapter 7 the pace of the book picked right up. I did read the vast majority of this book in one sitting, and for me that is a sign of book that is interesting enough that i need to keep turning those pages. I did love the concept of this book, it felt like the Matrix mixed with some Dystopian. Unfortunately, i found there were just too many world building, plot and character development problems in this book for me to give it a higher rating. I found that there were too many unanswered questions by the end of this book for me, and they aren't the type of questions that leave me excited to continue on with the series. This is the first book in a series so maybe these questions will answered in the next books, but i felt like there was nothing that left me understanding this world in even the slightest bit. Friendships felt forced or unrealistic, some characters felt unnecessary, the alternating perspectives in the middle of chapters confused me and very little world building.
***** THIS NEXT PART CONTAINS SPOILERS, CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK*****
Now i want to get into some really specific things that i found in this books. Firstly Emery: i personally found Emery to be a really unlikeable character. She seemed to be unnecessarily angry alot of the time particularly when it came to Anthony. Emery was an insanely naive character in my eyes, she was so quick to accept that she was living in dormance (i feel like anybody would question this even just a little), within maybe 5 minutes of being told she had accepted this as true, and then when Torin came and told her that actually the FCW where the ones wanting people in dormance and the 7S where trying to save them, she was equally as quick to accept this as fact. Emery has this best friend Riley that doesn't really get mentioned and she only spoke to her once in the entire book, maybe she features more in the next books but it didn't seem to fit with this one.
While i've already mentioned Anthony, i'm not sure what he's character added to the story, other than Emery getting to experience the memory loss, i didn't see a what Anthony's character added. Why was Emery so angry at Anthony? Emery seemed to start a fight with him every time she seen him, or he would drive to the school and be told to go away. This just made me dislike Emery as a character, i wanted to understand her action, but without that explanation it just felt like she was being a bully. For example she accepted an invite to dinner, and almost instantly started a fight when she got there.
Emery and Rhea: Pretty much as soon as they meet they are besties. Instantly asking each other, who is texting you?But just as quickly as they are friends they are fighting, the first time again with no real explanation, it seemed out of place. Like when Emery spends the night at Warren's (only sleeping) she comes back really salty towards Rhea, i didn't really get why that was? at the point it didn't seem that Rhea had said anything out of place.
Dormance: This is the part where i felt like i had the most questions unanswered, some of which i felt should of been explained in the first book to help build the world. First where are the bodies of all the comatose people being kept? How is or was the next generation born? its made clear that Emery has been in dormance her whole life, so how was she born? What happens to their bodies when they die in dormance? The scene where Rhea dies, if she is truly only comatose in the real world, shouldn't' she be able to return to dormance? if not, what happens to their bodies in the real world once they die? At the very end of the book when the members of the Alpha Drive go to the 7S world, how did they get there with their, what seemed, their real bodies? I mean people where injured or died, so it seemed like they were really there. And the serum that Emery released to save everyone, how can it work in both worlds? Isn't Dormance a VR type world? surely this serum shouldn't be able to work in both places, how did it work?
The Alpha Drive: that "training" really wasn't training, it was more like a trial to see if she was capable of surviving.
The next few things will hopefully be explained in the next few books but What really happened to Emery's Dad? and why is Emery's mum so scared? What is the family secret mentioned in the synopsis, was this actually mentioned during the story? I just really want to understand dormance but felt really unsatisfied at the end of this book.
June 30, 2016
The Alpha Drive follows Emery as she goes off to boarding school for the first time and meets new friends, dumps her boyfriend and oh yeah, gets caught up in a fight for the lives of people who are 'dormant' (in a coma) and not really living in the world. Emery is a dormant so it's not really a surprise she takes such a quick interest in the cause. She has two opposing sides telling her they are both the good guys and that she should help them and she has to navigate her way through the intrigue and mystery while also getting herself through her first year in a new school.
I really should have just jumped ship on this book many times but I kept powering through because I hate not finishing books and I figured I should read the whole thing to be able to give it a proper review for Netgalley. I did not like this book and I will not be reading on in the series to see what happens next. It had way too many problems and it definitely needed a strong editing. The story was written in third person and the author used the characters names way too often in sentences. Seriously, it felt like every other word was 'Emery'. "Emery did this and then she did this and then Emery picked her nose and wiped the boogers on her shirt"...
The characters were one dimensional and didn't act like regular people. For instance her roommate took to a weird obsession with Emery very quickly and they all believed in the whole dormance thing way too easily. A huge part of why I couldn't get in to the story is because I didn't connect with any of the characters. Everything felt very superficial and it was hard to care about anything going on.
I skimmed through most of this book so I wasn't even disappointed when nothing was really explained at the end. But it's annoying to read through a whole book and still not know what the f*** was going on. Like where was Emery's body being held? The rest of her squad and Theo's body were in the rooms all nice and convenient like but Emery's body wasn't there? Why wasn't she more concerned with who had her body and where it was? Like whoever has it could just do anything they wanted to it and she acts like she doesn't even care. Also I'm pretty sure the author just watched the 'Matrix' and decided it was a good plot for a book because the first half of the book is pretty similar to the first movie.
This book came off very amateurish and it didn't feel like a finished story. I'm actually pretty surprised this is getting published. I'm pretty annoyed I wasted my time reading it but I guess it was my choice to finish it and I gotta take responsibility for that.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley
I really should have just jumped ship on this book many times but I kept powering through because I hate not finishing books and I figured I should read the whole thing to be able to give it a proper review for Netgalley. I did not like this book and I will not be reading on in the series to see what happens next. It had way too many problems and it definitely needed a strong editing. The story was written in third person and the author used the characters names way too often in sentences. Seriously, it felt like every other word was 'Emery'. "Emery did this and then she did this and then Emery picked her nose and wiped the boogers on her shirt"...
The characters were one dimensional and didn't act like regular people. For instance her roommate took to a weird obsession with Emery very quickly and they all believed in the whole dormance thing way too easily. A huge part of why I couldn't get in to the story is because I didn't connect with any of the characters. Everything felt very superficial and it was hard to care about anything going on.
I skimmed through most of this book so I wasn't even disappointed when nothing was really explained at the end. But it's annoying to read through a whole book and still not know what the f*** was going on. Like where was Emery's body being held? The rest of her squad and Theo's body were in the rooms all nice and convenient like but Emery's body wasn't there? Why wasn't she more concerned with who had her body and where it was? Like whoever has it could just do anything they wanted to it and she acts like she doesn't even care. Also I'm pretty sure the author just watched the 'Matrix' and decided it was a good plot for a book because the first half of the book is pretty similar to the first movie.
This book came off very amateurish and it didn't feel like a finished story. I'm actually pretty surprised this is getting published. I'm pretty annoyed I wasted my time reading it but I guess it was my choice to finish it and I gotta take responsibility for that.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley
November 19, 2015
Full review to come tomorrow!
Loved it! Need the second book ... yesterday. Gripping, suspenseful and full of unanswered questions that leave you wanting more.
Loved it! Need the second book ... yesterday. Gripping, suspenseful and full of unanswered questions that leave you wanting more.
May 23, 2016
I read and reviewed this book as I am one of the hosts for its Booktube Tour, created by Grace over at LovingDemBooks. I received the book for free in exchange for my review but all of my opinions are my own!
With that being said, I liked it! The premise of the book is that a girl named Emery discovers that half of the world (her half) is in a fictional reality and that their true selves are in a comatose-like state in the real (other half) world. She is recruited and trained to help bring her side back to reality and defeat those that are trying to permanently erase all of humanity's existence.
I enjoyed Emery as a character, I found her to be very intelligent and strong. My biggest issue with her is that she didn't show much compassion towards others and she was VERY trusting VERY quickly. She's also of course described as shockingly beautiful and every guy character she meets falls in love with her. Come on, a little rejection never hurt anybody! ;)
I loved the pace of this book, I finished it in a few hours! I do wish that there was a little more detail in the world-building as I am still trying to figure out the comatose vs. fictional reality aspect of the book. Since Emery has always been in this world, does that mean she was born into it? And if so, does that mean that her comatose mother on the "real" side had to give birth to her and then someone placed baby Emery into her permanent holding cell? Kristen if you're reading this I would really like to know!
Also, at first I found the ending to be WAY too convenient and resolved too quickly, but the last chapter has me thinking that was on purpose. ;) Overall, like I said, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to what the series holds for the future. A video of this book review will be up on Monday, so look for that!
With that being said, I liked it! The premise of the book is that a girl named Emery discovers that half of the world (her half) is in a fictional reality and that their true selves are in a comatose-like state in the real (other half) world. She is recruited and trained to help bring her side back to reality and defeat those that are trying to permanently erase all of humanity's existence.
I enjoyed Emery as a character, I found her to be very intelligent and strong. My biggest issue with her is that she didn't show much compassion towards others and she was VERY trusting VERY quickly. She's also of course described as shockingly beautiful and every guy character she meets falls in love with her. Come on, a little rejection never hurt anybody! ;)
I loved the pace of this book, I finished it in a few hours! I do wish that there was a little more detail in the world-building as I am still trying to figure out the comatose vs. fictional reality aspect of the book. Since Emery has always been in this world, does that mean she was born into it? And if so, does that mean that her comatose mother on the "real" side had to give birth to her and then someone placed baby Emery into her permanent holding cell? Kristen if you're reading this I would really like to know!
Also, at first I found the ending to be WAY too convenient and resolved too quickly, but the last chapter has me thinking that was on purpose. ;) Overall, like I said, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to what the series holds for the future. A video of this book review will be up on Monday, so look for that!
May 4, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
This book was... not good. The writing was clunky and clumsy and honestly all of it read more like a first draft than anything else. Every character was one-dimensional and cardboard and I didn't especially like any of them. The worldbuilding was weak, as was the plotting/pacing. And, really, it astoundingly read like it had been written by someone who had never been a teenager and was just guessing at what being a teenager would be like and that's just one of the many unrealistic aspects of this book . It was very obviously a first book and needed a hell of a lot more polishing. But, had it had that polishing, I think it could have been a lot better. The bones of a kick ass story are there. Like, a teenage girl fighting against The Matrix? I am here for it. But this book didn't make it work.
This book was... not good. The writing was clunky and clumsy and honestly all of it read more like a first draft than anything else. Every character was one-dimensional and cardboard and I didn't especially like any of them. The worldbuilding was weak, as was the plotting/pacing. And, really, it astoundingly read like it had been written by someone who had never been a teenager and was just guessing at what being a teenager would be like and that's just one of the many unrealistic aspects of this book . It was very obviously a first book and needed a hell of a lot more polishing. But, had it had that polishing, I think it could have been a lot better. The bones of a kick ass story are there. Like, a teenage girl fighting against The Matrix? I am here for it. But this book didn't make it work.
January 18, 2016
Oh my! How hard it is to review this book. I requested at NG because the blurb was really interesting. But after a few pages the story becomes something so hard to enjoy. It is confusing, always alternating the POV, and one minute it says something and then happens the opposite.
Emery and Rhea´s relationship is hard to grasp, they barely know each other, then they´re friends and in the next moment they're frenemies.
And Anthony, Emery´s boyfriend. One moment she says he´s distant and in the next breath, she´s the distant one and he´s needy and clingy. And Emery has a "best friend" she barely mentioned her and much less talk to her.
The plot though interesting is full of holes, like the fact that half of the world is in dormance. But how are they in dormance? Who did this and how they did it? Where are this people being kept?
It felt like I was reading a fanfic of Matrix, written by a teenager.
Emery and Rhea´s relationship is hard to grasp, they barely know each other, then they´re friends and in the next moment they're frenemies.
And Anthony, Emery´s boyfriend. One moment she says he´s distant and in the next breath, she´s the distant one and he´s needy and clingy. And Emery has a "best friend" she barely mentioned her and much less talk to her.
The plot though interesting is full of holes, like the fact that half of the world is in dormance. But how are they in dormance? Who did this and how they did it? Where are this people being kept?
It felt like I was reading a fanfic of Matrix, written by a teenager.
May 31, 2018
It feels so good to be reading YA again!
When I first read the blurb of The Alpha Drive I have to say I was a bit confused as to what it was about. I had a hard time getting my head wrapped around the concept, mostly due to the fact that it's a hard concept and a hard world to create. How do you write about a dormant society?
With that said, I'm impressed with how well Kristen has written this book. There are a few things that I wish were made more clear, but as a debut novel, I think it's wonderful! The story keeps you engrossed and it keeps you guessing who the good guys are. I'm hoping the second book fleshes out more of the backstory behind Emergy and her family because so far it's only been hinted at.
I ended up reading the book in about two days, which always leaves me to give compliments to the author! I can't wait to see what comes with the Order of Omega!
When I first read the blurb of The Alpha Drive I have to say I was a bit confused as to what it was about. I had a hard time getting my head wrapped around the concept, mostly due to the fact that it's a hard concept and a hard world to create. How do you write about a dormant society?
With that said, I'm impressed with how well Kristen has written this book. There are a few things that I wish were made more clear, but as a debut novel, I think it's wonderful! The story keeps you engrossed and it keeps you guessing who the good guys are. I'm hoping the second book fleshes out more of the backstory behind Emergy and her family because so far it's only been hinted at.
I ended up reading the book in about two days, which always leaves me to give compliments to the author! I can't wait to see what comes with the Order of Omega!
January 16, 2016
Oh boy. Here we go. I always hate writing negative reviews, especially of books that don't have a lot of reviews to begin with. It's a lot of pressure when your review could considerably lower the book's average rating! But I just can't pretend that I loved this book.
But, as always, please remember that doesn't mean that you won't love it.
This was an impulse pick from Netgalley. I was trying to find something to read, and while I usually steer clear of the Read Now section, I jumped in and picked this book. It's a pretty intriguing description:
Futuristic world! Alternate reality! Anarchist organizations! Intelligent, introverted MC! Boarding school! Hacker boys! These are all things I like in my books. But, ugh. The execution could have really used some work, starting with the whole basis of the plot in general. Half the world lives in Dormance, a state where their bodies are held in suspension as they live out some sort of virtual reality. Sure, makes sense for the first generation. How do you explain their virtual babies? Do babies just appear in suspension when born in Dormance? Or do people just not get pregnant, and think nothing of it? But also, where do they keep all these bodies? We're told where a whopping total of twelve bodies are kept. There are supposedly millions of people in Dormance. I don't get it.
But anyway, setting that aside, let's talk about Emery's recruitment and training for The Alpha Drive. She receives a phone call from a man who doesn't identify himself, asking her to come alone to a location she's unfamiliar with. She thinks, Hey, why not and leaves without telling her roommate what she's doing or where she's going. I thought Emery was supposed to be smart? Of course, everything works out in the end, except for the fact that she has a microchip implanted and has to sign a confidentiality agreement with unfortunate repercussions, including memory wipes in the event of anybody figuring out her identity, or if she figures out another Alpha Drive participant's identity. We can set that aside, too, because I guess if I were running a top secret scary recruitment program, I might be just as serious about confidentiality. (Probably not, but carrying on...) Emery is trained in the elements. In aquam, she has to dive and swim and deal with seeing dead family members. In ignis, she basically has to set herself on fire. In terrae, she runs through the wilderness as manticores chase her. Somehow, this is meant to prepare her for battle.
Enter Torin Porter, a lovable hacker working for The Alpha Drive's mortal enemy, Seventh Sanctum. Emery has been led to believe that The Alpha Drive are the good guys, and 7S wants to destroy the world, but Torin tells her it's actually the opposite. And... she just believes him. He's right, of course, but come on, Emery. Again, I thought you were supposed to be smart?
At this point, the book derails into a series of romantic conflicts, but I don't know why I expected anything different from young adult sci-fi. Emery has arguments with her clingy boyfriend from home, who somehow never has trouble getting into her supposedly secure campus. Emery sneaks off and spends the night with a boy she meets at a party. She's not sure what that means. She and her roommate develop a crush on the same boy, and spend the rest of the book bickering about it. Neither of them are familiar with girl code of not hooking up with/dating a boy your friend likes, I guess. Even Torin develops a crush on Emery. Half the world lives in an alternate reality, but the most important thing at this moment is whether or not Emery made out with Mason and whether or not that upset Rhea.
The last 20% of the book is a mess. As I was reading it, I found myself asking (out loud) what just happened. It's convenient. (Come on, Emery, even I could have guessed the password for The Alpha Drive's safe.) The resolution, if you can call it that, doesn't make sense. It doesn't at all make me want to read the rest of the trilogy.
I know I have a lot of complaints, but this book sure kept me entertained. Despite everything, I still wanted to know what would happen next. I think it started off better than it finished, and with a lot of polishing, it could be a great story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy!
But, as always, please remember that doesn't mean that you won't love it.
This was an impulse pick from Netgalley. I was trying to find something to read, and while I usually steer clear of the Read Now section, I jumped in and picked this book. It's a pretty intriguing description:
It's the year 2055 and an anarchist organization has taken control with the aim to create a world-class society. Half of humankind is unknowingly living in an alternate reality called Dormance... and there are no plans to wake them up.
Sixteen-year-old introvert Emery Parker is one such dormant. An academic scholar who avoids ruffling feathers at all costs, Emery finds herself being transferred to a boarding school on the outskirts of Arizona. Little does she know, a family secret has the power to change the course of the future. When she's approached with an opportunity to free the dormants, she sees no other choice but to accept, even though failure could mean having her memory wiped clean.
But when tech-savvy Torin Porter reaches out to her from the other side, Emery begins to question everything she was told about Dormance. If her family's secret falls into the wrong hands, the world as she knows it will be faced with irreversible consequences. Now Emery must play both sides to uncover the truth about her family's past or risk leaving mankind to live in an unconscious reality.
Futuristic world! Alternate reality! Anarchist organizations! Intelligent, introverted MC! Boarding school! Hacker boys! These are all things I like in my books. But, ugh. The execution could have really used some work, starting with the whole basis of the plot in general. Half the world lives in Dormance, a state where their bodies are held in suspension as they live out some sort of virtual reality. Sure, makes sense for the first generation. How do you explain their virtual babies? Do babies just appear in suspension when born in Dormance? Or do people just not get pregnant, and think nothing of it? But also, where do they keep all these bodies? We're told where a whopping total of twelve bodies are kept. There are supposedly millions of people in Dormance. I don't get it.
But anyway, setting that aside, let's talk about Emery's recruitment and training for The Alpha Drive. She receives a phone call from a man who doesn't identify himself, asking her to come alone to a location she's unfamiliar with. She thinks, Hey, why not and leaves without telling her roommate what she's doing or where she's going. I thought Emery was supposed to be smart? Of course, everything works out in the end, except for the fact that she has a microchip implanted and has to sign a confidentiality agreement with unfortunate repercussions, including memory wipes in the event of anybody figuring out her identity, or if she figures out another Alpha Drive participant's identity. We can set that aside, too, because I guess if I were running a top secret scary recruitment program, I might be just as serious about confidentiality. (Probably not, but carrying on...) Emery is trained in the elements. In aquam, she has to dive and swim and deal with seeing dead family members. In ignis, she basically has to set herself on fire. In terrae, she runs through the wilderness as manticores chase her. Somehow, this is meant to prepare her for battle.
Enter Torin Porter, a lovable hacker working for The Alpha Drive's mortal enemy, Seventh Sanctum. Emery has been led to believe that The Alpha Drive are the good guys, and 7S wants to destroy the world, but Torin tells her it's actually the opposite. And... she just believes him. He's right, of course, but come on, Emery. Again, I thought you were supposed to be smart?
At this point, the book derails into a series of romantic conflicts, but I don't know why I expected anything different from young adult sci-fi. Emery has arguments with her clingy boyfriend from home, who somehow never has trouble getting into her supposedly secure campus. Emery sneaks off and spends the night with a boy she meets at a party. She's not sure what that means. She and her roommate develop a crush on the same boy, and spend the rest of the book bickering about it. Neither of them are familiar with girl code of not hooking up with/dating a boy your friend likes, I guess. Even Torin develops a crush on Emery. Half the world lives in an alternate reality, but the most important thing at this moment is whether or not Emery made out with Mason and whether or not that upset Rhea.
The last 20% of the book is a mess. As I was reading it, I found myself asking (out loud) what just happened. It's convenient. (Come on, Emery, even I could have guessed the password for The Alpha Drive's safe.) The resolution, if you can call it that, doesn't make sense. It doesn't at all make me want to read the rest of the trilogy.
I know I have a lot of complaints, but this book sure kept me entertained. Despite everything, I still wanted to know what would happen next. I think it started off better than it finished, and with a lot of polishing, it could be a great story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2016
I spotted this book as I was trawling through the Y.A section of NetGalley, and to be honest, the moment I read the blurb I knew I'd struck gold. Those short three paragraphs promised me everything I ever hope for in the perfect Y.A - a female lead, dystopian future, action-filled plot, family secrets, and most importantly, no love triangles. It looked p e r f e c t. Fortunately for me, it was available in the "read now" section of NetGalley, so I immediately downloaded it, cuddled up in bed with my dog, and started reading.
From the very first sentence, I knew it was going to be a fast ride. Information flew past me at incredible speed, I had to stop occasionally to go back & re-read important tidbits of information before I could carry on reading. Despite this, however, the captivating storyline left me lusting after more. The pages kept turning faster and faster, almost leaving me cross-eyed. Just as the suspense was reaching its peak, Emery (the M.C) arrived at her boarding school. It was at this very moment that the story came crashing down into a shallow pool of character development.
Each of the characters in this book are great, they really are. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about each of them, and having the main four characters (Emery, Rhea, Theo & Torin) tell the story from their own P.O.V was a brilliant idea, and it really helped the story and the development of the characters. However, that being said, I also felt that a great opportunity had been missed. This world that Kristen has created is so intriguing, that I could sit and read thick descriptions of every single atom of it with incredible ease. Unfortunately though, we are left with a couple of main bullet points of what this world really is, and who the characters are. It left me feeling rather disappointed, to be honest, as I knew that Kristen could have easily added an extra 30 pages to the book just from descriptions & explanations alone. Having those written illustrations would have really helped shape out the characters, as well as answer some questions about the world they inhabit (for example, why is Emery's mother so scared? Why are people being left behind in the dormance? if science hasn't moved forward in 28 years, are there new diseases they don't have cures for? why is Anthony so obsessed with Emery? ) I really hope that in book 2 all of these questions will be answered, but we'll have to wait and see I suppose!
The plot of the novel is brilliant, and is also very well executed. The dream and training scenes were some of the best, and it definitely gave me a "Divergent" vibe, especially during the last couple of chapters. After a very quick start, the story did slow down a little, but in the third act of the book it really picked up the pace again. As I was reading it I felt like I had been thrown into an action movie! Kirsten really made those last few chapters feel completely real, and to be honest I was enjoying it so much I was wishing for some hidden chapters so that it didn't have to end!
For me, this book was a mix of "Divergent" and "Matched", with small aspects of "TimeRiders" & "The Declaration" thrown in for good measure. I really, really enjoyed it, and although there were some problems with character development and descriptions, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, and I highly recommend you do the same!
From the very first sentence, I knew it was going to be a fast ride. Information flew past me at incredible speed, I had to stop occasionally to go back & re-read important tidbits of information before I could carry on reading. Despite this, however, the captivating storyline left me lusting after more. The pages kept turning faster and faster, almost leaving me cross-eyed. Just as the suspense was reaching its peak, Emery (the M.C) arrived at her boarding school. It was at this very moment that the story came crashing down into a shallow pool of character development.
Each of the characters in this book are great, they really are. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about each of them, and having the main four characters (Emery, Rhea, Theo & Torin) tell the story from their own P.O.V was a brilliant idea, and it really helped the story and the development of the characters. However, that being said, I also felt that a great opportunity had been missed. This world that Kristen has created is so intriguing, that I could sit and read thick descriptions of every single atom of it with incredible ease. Unfortunately though, we are left with a couple of main bullet points of what this world really is, and who the characters are. It left me feeling rather disappointed, to be honest, as I knew that Kristen could have easily added an extra 30 pages to the book just from descriptions & explanations alone. Having those written illustrations would have really helped shape out the characters, as well as answer some questions about the world they inhabit (for example, why is Emery's mother so scared? Why are people being left behind in the dormance? if science hasn't moved forward in 28 years, are there new diseases they don't have cures for? why is Anthony so obsessed with Emery? ) I really hope that in book 2 all of these questions will be answered, but we'll have to wait and see I suppose!
The plot of the novel is brilliant, and is also very well executed. The dream and training scenes were some of the best, and it definitely gave me a "Divergent" vibe, especially during the last couple of chapters. After a very quick start, the story did slow down a little, but in the third act of the book it really picked up the pace again. As I was reading it I felt like I had been thrown into an action movie! Kirsten really made those last few chapters feel completely real, and to be honest I was enjoying it so much I was wishing for some hidden chapters so that it didn't have to end!
For me, this book was a mix of "Divergent" and "Matched", with small aspects of "TimeRiders" & "The Declaration" thrown in for good measure. I really, really enjoyed it, and although there were some problems with character development and descriptions, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, and I highly recommend you do the same!
December 8, 2020
I was a fan of Kristen Martin's Youtube Channel, where she posts motivational videos and writing advice as well as book updates and general life vlogs. I read her book, Shadow Crown, in support of her and did not like the book. If interested, you can find my review of Shadow Crown through my Goodreads profile, probably, but I dunno. Anyway, I was disappointed and said I would give The Alpha Drive a try because I wanted desperately to like her books. Afterall, she gave me useful writing advice and I had to believe she was a good writer, you know? Oh that sounds awful of me, I know, but this was what I was thinking as I started reading this book and that is why I mention it. Anyway, this book wasn't too much better than Shadow Crown, for me, but I liked it far more. This surprised me as it's her debut novel, but yeah.
CHARACTER
If you've read other reviews of mine, you'll know that character is my favorite element of storytelling and this book lacked that, I felt.
Emery was kind of awful. After moving away to her new school, she treats her boyfriend from her hometown like crap. She ignores him, lashes out at him and this makes her very unsympathetic and mean. But she has that quality in some YA MCs in which all the guys are into her, so that builds tension.
Rhea was also a bit weird. She had this weird habit of claiming people as her own, like Emery as her bff and Mason as her boyfriend. She's fun at first and gets Emery out of her shell, but then becomes this weirdly-possessive person with a flair for the dramatic.
Speaking of Mason, his role in the story was to provide conflict between Emery and Rhea. Emery and he had a past, but Rhea was hooking up with him and he had no quarrel with getting in between the two of them.
Torin was cute and fun though. I liked him.
STORY AND WRITING
The story was interesting and I was able to get into it, but I also had a lot of questions which may have been answered in the sequels, but I sort of needed to know in this first book. Like, how does the teleportation work from Dormance to the real world? Where is Emery's body if she's in Dormance? Is she on a bed, hooked up to life-supporting monitors or does her body move with her to Dormance or the real world. Or maybe she has two bodies now?
The training sessions are cool, but I would have liked to know more about them and why there were significant as well as what the qualifications were for completing it. Also, how did the training sessions train Emery and the others for battle? It seemed so random and didn't include any of the weaponry or combat skills she was expected to know for battle, so... what? How?
The pacing of the book is fast- which is good, but it seemed too fast, almost like I was rushing through to the end. When I tried to slow down to visualize the story, characters and world more, I didn't really have time to because of how fast-paced it was. I couldn't recall which character had which description, so I began filling in the details and basically imagined Emery as the author and Rhea as my friend who initially had a similar personality as her. And, that's about it. Thanks for reading.
CHARACTER
If you've read other reviews of mine, you'll know that character is my favorite element of storytelling and this book lacked that, I felt.
Emery was kind of awful. After moving away to her new school, she treats her boyfriend from her hometown like crap. She ignores him, lashes out at him and this makes her very unsympathetic and mean. But she has that quality in some YA MCs in which all the guys are into her, so that builds tension.
Rhea was also a bit weird. She had this weird habit of claiming people as her own, like Emery as her bff and Mason as her boyfriend. She's fun at first and gets Emery out of her shell, but then becomes this weirdly-possessive person with a flair for the dramatic.
Speaking of Mason, his role in the story was to provide conflict between Emery and Rhea. Emery and he had a past, but Rhea was hooking up with him and he had no quarrel with getting in between the two of them.
Torin was cute and fun though. I liked him.
STORY AND WRITING
The story was interesting and I was able to get into it, but I also had a lot of questions which may have been answered in the sequels, but I sort of needed to know in this first book. Like, how does the teleportation work from Dormance to the real world? Where is Emery's body if she's in Dormance? Is she on a bed, hooked up to life-supporting monitors or does her body move with her to Dormance or the real world. Or maybe she has two bodies now?
The training sessions are cool, but I would have liked to know more about them and why there were significant as well as what the qualifications were for completing it. Also, how did the training sessions train Emery and the others for battle? It seemed so random and didn't include any of the weaponry or combat skills she was expected to know for battle, so... what? How?
The pacing of the book is fast- which is good, but it seemed too fast, almost like I was rushing through to the end. When I tried to slow down to visualize the story, characters and world more, I didn't really have time to because of how fast-paced it was. I couldn't recall which character had which description, so I began filling in the details and basically imagined Emery as the author and Rhea as my friend who initially had a similar personality as her. And, that's about it. Thanks for reading.
October 2, 2016
The Alpha Drive is a post apocalyptic book set in the year 2055. An organization bent on taking complete control over the entire world has brought about mystery and intrigue. Half of humanity is unknowingly living in a false reality called Dormance and the organization has no plans on waking them up.
It's up to Sixteen year old Emery Parker, who is one of the dormants, to figure out who to trust, if anyone, find out her family secret, play both sides and try to save the world.
This is one of those books that is absolutely amazing!!! The plot was well thought out, the story well written and the characters very well developed. With quite a bit or intrude and mystery, it held my attention during the entire book. In fact, I found it very hard to put The Alpha Drive down. Two thumbs up and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series
.
It's up to Sixteen year old Emery Parker, who is one of the dormants, to figure out who to trust, if anyone, find out her family secret, play both sides and try to save the world.
This is one of those books that is absolutely amazing!!! The plot was well thought out, the story well written and the characters very well developed. With quite a bit or intrude and mystery, it held my attention during the entire book. In fact, I found it very hard to put The Alpha Drive down. Two thumbs up and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series
.
April 16, 2016
While this is clearly a first book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll start with the issues: Because there are two organizations that both claim the other is trying to destroy the world, I feel like a better job could have been done distinguishing them from each other. Also, the relationship of the two main characters could have used a bit more delving into. That aside, though, this is a compulsively readable book. Despite the fact that I'd thought I was over dystopian novels, this one was fresh enough that those elements didn't bother me at all. I love that the main character was conflicted in her choices, and also that she wasn't necessarily gorgeous, as so many young heroines are these days. If you're a fan of young adult science fiction, pick up this book.
January 8, 2016
*This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
3.5 Stars
What I liked best about this book was the suspense or the way it kept me wanting to know more about what was really going on. Anytime you are able to read a book in 24 hours that is a good sign. It felt original for a dystopian novel with the dual worlds as the premise. I look forward to learning more about these two different worlds and also hope to see a little more character development in book #2. Torin was my favorite character and I hope we get to know him better in the next one. Overall it was a good, fun read and I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out.
3.5 Stars
What I liked best about this book was the suspense or the way it kept me wanting to know more about what was really going on. Anytime you are able to read a book in 24 hours that is a good sign. It felt original for a dystopian novel with the dual worlds as the premise. I look forward to learning more about these two different worlds and also hope to see a little more character development in book #2. Torin was my favorite character and I hope we get to know him better in the next one. Overall it was a good, fun read and I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out.
May 31, 2016
Futuristic action smashed together with a boarding school contemporary! Awesome mix between reading about Emery's experience trying to settle into her new school as well as trying to figure out where her loyalties should lie when given a top secret mission.
I liked hearing from Emery's POV but it was also cool to get to hear from Torin, Rhea and a couple of other characters too.
Although I'd figured out some of what was about to happen to Emery before she had, there were many surprises for me in amongst the story and it was great to find out what had happened after piecing the bits together.
I am looking forward to picking up the next one which is out later this year :D
I liked hearing from Emery's POV but it was also cool to get to hear from Torin, Rhea and a couple of other characters too.
Although I'd figured out some of what was about to happen to Emery before she had, there were many surprises for me in amongst the story and it was great to find out what had happened after piecing the bits together.
I am looking forward to picking up the next one which is out later this year :D
January 14, 2016
Interesting story line and characters. With this one you can dive into a world filled with mystery and deceit. What would you do if everything you thought you knew wasn't true after all? That's exactly what Emery finds out once she is transferred to a new school. Everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. When even more news comes to light she finds herself wondering who to trust. I found the story moved at a good pace and the characters were like-able. At the end we are left wondering what is going to happen next- and I can't wait to find
June 8, 2016
(3.5) I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! There was a bit of a lack of character development and weird points within dialogue, but the story was able to follow and the world was well-built. It was a great dystopian to help me get more experience within the genre, so I'm happy I got the opportunity to read and review this book!
August 8, 2020
This was an easy read. I don't think some things that happened made sense. Some of the characters reactions did not make sense. The absence of some characters did not make sense. But otherwise a decent read. The formatting was off. Some sentences would randomly finish on the next line. I'm not rushing to read her next book but, I would say this wasn't a bad read.
June 2, 2016
*3.5 stars*
I am uploading a full video review of this tonight! I did enjoy this book and it was a very quick and enjoyable read for me! I am really looking forward to the next book because the cliff hanger at the end!!
I am uploading a full video review of this tonight! I did enjoy this book and it was a very quick and enjoyable read for me! I am really looking forward to the next book because the cliff hanger at the end!!
June 16, 2016
UGH! Such an awful book! I felt like I was reading some bad teen fiction instead of sci-fi. Usually I have issues DNF'ing books but I honestly don't have the time to spend on reading something so pointless.
Wish I hadn't requested it from Netgalley.
Wish I hadn't requested it from Netgalley.
June 9, 2022
Great start to a series with inventive creativity. Amazing character development and a flowing story.
July 3, 2017
The Alpha Drive: Alpha drive is a like a diesel engine. After a few chapters of warming up, Emery takes you on a ride of adventure and suspense. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who would like to read a great story with hooks to keep you engaged! I look forward to the next two books in the series with great anticipation. From one author to another, fantastic work, Kristen!!
January 28, 2019
Three stars because I'm feeling generous today.
I like the idea and potential of this story, but the execution was very shallow and uneven. The pacing was all over the place. Despite spending a lot of time with the characters, we don't really get to know them (or care about them). Despite being mildly curious about what happens next, I was not compelled to continue this series.
The Alpha Drive was a very fast read, but in many ways too fast: We don't get any depth to the world or the characters. The Easter eggs are so incredibly in your face you have to be dense not to pick up on them. Why even pretend to lay out clues, when you just spell it right out anyway.
God damn it, now I just have to put the rating down to two stars. The more I think about it, the less I like it.
I like Kristen Martin's YouTube-videos, but this books was just so surface-level compared to what it could have been. The bones were there, but the meat was lacking. The best part of this novel was the flow and ease of reading it. I sense that the author has a good voice, she just needs to find it and spend time honing it, instead of putting out new books like the publishing business is going out of style. She needs to slow down, dig deeper. Allow the world, the characters and the concepts to develop and grow into something more than uncooked spaghetti straws. They won't stick, alright? We need the novel to be al dente!
The main character, Emery, is supposed to be smart, nerdy and introvert, but behaves completely the opposite through the entire book: She goes to parties, drinks alcohol, fools around with boys and fights with her one-dimensional roommate.
When made aware of the fact that she lives in the Matrix (oops! Sorry, I meant Dormance of course), Emery barely bats an eyelid before accepting her new reality. She is very easily convinced and persuaded to one side or the other - without any actual proof. It sort of negates the description of her being smart and sharp eyed.
Emery never questions what people tell her and we never get a feel for who she is - is she scared? Excited to be training to save the world? Why doesn't she break up with her boyfriend, if he's such a drag to be with? What drives her to continue going to school and pretend everything is normal, once she's been told that they are all in a coma and nothing is real anyway? There were so many opportunities to explore the world and the characters, but the author ran them over with a freight-train in her rush to get to the end.
Emery studies Latin and at some point "speaking" Latin is mentioned, with no explanation to why students would have to practice speaking a language that is nearly extinct. It also made me wonder why "the bad guys", would operate in a boarding school where they teach students Latin - the same language that apparently is the foundation of their secret society.
When Emery finally figures out that a gas called "lethargum" is a code word for "lethargy", which puts people into a coma, a dead part of my soul momentarily revived in order to turn face down in its grave. Shame makes us turn away from ourselves, but no living part of me was engaged enough to do it.
The spaghetti went straight from uncooked to overcooked in a second; the potential became soggy and any hope of a delicious meal quickly dissolved into a mush of plain flour and eggs, going down the drain faster than Emery could switch sides in the war of the Matrix.
I like the idea and potential of this story, but the execution was very shallow and uneven. The pacing was all over the place. Despite spending a lot of time with the characters, we don't really get to know them (or care about them). Despite being mildly curious about what happens next, I was not compelled to continue this series.
The Alpha Drive was a very fast read, but in many ways too fast: We don't get any depth to the world or the characters. The Easter eggs are so incredibly in your face you have to be dense not to pick up on them. Why even pretend to lay out clues, when you just spell it right out anyway.
God damn it, now I just have to put the rating down to two stars. The more I think about it, the less I like it.
I like Kristen Martin's YouTube-videos, but this books was just so surface-level compared to what it could have been. The bones were there, but the meat was lacking. The best part of this novel was the flow and ease of reading it. I sense that the author has a good voice, she just needs to find it and spend time honing it, instead of putting out new books like the publishing business is going out of style. She needs to slow down, dig deeper. Allow the world, the characters and the concepts to develop and grow into something more than uncooked spaghetti straws. They won't stick, alright? We need the novel to be al dente!
The main character, Emery, is supposed to be smart, nerdy and introvert, but behaves completely the opposite through the entire book: She goes to parties, drinks alcohol, fools around with boys and fights with her one-dimensional roommate.
When made aware of the fact that she lives in the Matrix (oops! Sorry, I meant Dormance of course), Emery barely bats an eyelid before accepting her new reality. She is very easily convinced and persuaded to one side or the other - without any actual proof. It sort of negates the description of her being smart and sharp eyed.
Emery never questions what people tell her and we never get a feel for who she is - is she scared? Excited to be training to save the world? Why doesn't she break up with her boyfriend, if he's such a drag to be with? What drives her to continue going to school and pretend everything is normal, once she's been told that they are all in a coma and nothing is real anyway? There were so many opportunities to explore the world and the characters, but the author ran them over with a freight-train in her rush to get to the end.
Emery studies Latin and at some point "speaking" Latin is mentioned, with no explanation to why students would have to practice speaking a language that is nearly extinct. It also made me wonder why "the bad guys", would operate in a boarding school where they teach students Latin - the same language that apparently is the foundation of their secret society.
When Emery finally figures out that a gas called "lethargum" is a code word for "lethargy", which puts people into a coma, a dead part of my soul momentarily revived in order to turn face down in its grave. Shame makes us turn away from ourselves, but no living part of me was engaged enough to do it.
The spaghetti went straight from uncooked to overcooked in a second; the potential became soggy and any hope of a delicious meal quickly dissolved into a mush of plain flour and eggs, going down the drain faster than Emery could switch sides in the war of the Matrix.
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