Collide

The Solomon Experiment #1

by Christine Fonseca, Elizabeth Phillips (Narrator)

The most dangerous secrets are the ones that kill.

114 days--that's how long seventeen-year-old Dakota Harrison must wait to escape her life in Boresville. But when a surprising mental breakdown draws too much attention from a secret government group call the Order, Dakota discovers that her so-called boring life isn't so boring after all. Between the lies, secrets and assassins out to kill her family, Dakota learns that there's more to paranormal activity than ghosts and cheap mind tricks. Now she must uncover the truth before a new breed of terrorism takes everything away - including her life.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Amazon

Audiobook

First published July 4, 2014

About the author

Christine Fonseca is a bestselling author, licensed educational psychologist, and mentor for deep-feeling creatives. For more than three decades, she has guided artists, writers, and visionaries to embrace their emotional intensity, reclaim their creative fire, and cultivate a practice that is both sustainable and soulful.

Renowned for her pioneering work in emotional intensity, creative empowerment, and somatic writing, Christine dismantles the myth that sensitivity is weakness. Instead, she reveals it as a source of artistry, leadership, and transformation. Her voice is equal parts poetic and practical, timeless and magnetic — inviting readers into a deeper relationship with their art, their body, and themselves.

Christine’s books and teachings have touched audiences across the globe and been featured in Psychology Today, Parents.com, The Neurodiversity Podcast, and on international stages. She is the author of multiple bestselling works, including Nevertheless, Create: Art, Intensity, and the Practice of Showing Up; Write Through: Feeling Your Way to the Page; and Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings

For more information, visit her website - www.christinefonseca.com

Reviews

[SoWrongItsRANDI {Bell, Book & Candle} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bell, Book & Candle | Collide Review



It's time to hold on to your bootstraps, because this book is serious business! From start to finish I was engrossed in the story. Well...maybe not exactly from the start; I was a bit confused in the beginning about where the story was heading, but once it picked up there was no stopping the crazy train (pun intended)!

I loved the switch between past and present via journals entries and POVs, as it piqued my interest and kept me entertained. As the heavyweight champ of plot guessing, I totally guessed the plot twists correctly. I'm not going to lie; I may or may not have kissed my biceps after my suspicions were confirmed. That's not to say that this story is completely obvious, because it's not.



Anyways, there are some very good themes in this book: revenge, loss, atonement, love and my personal favorite: secrets. For the love of all that is holy, I will never understand why people think secrets will remain as such forever. As the saying goes: truth will out. I haven't a clue as to how the protagonist, Dakota, dealt with her world turning upside down.

Speaking of which, Dakota was a tad too whiny for my taste. Although I have not been in her particular situation, I can't help but think that she needs to get it together. Also it was weird how both Dakota and David are supposed to have some sort of a romance, but it seemed to be lacking any real chemistry or passion. I don't like to be told that two characters are in love or whatever; I want to feel it. And the Architect was such a jerk (understatement of a lifetime, I know), but I'm glad that the "Architect" (I'm not going to name any names!) received their comeuppance.



If you're looking for a book with an intriguing plot, action, revenge and some government conspiracy and experimentation - this is the book for you. On a side note, I can totally picture the big "G" experimenting on people - They probably already do!

[Christine Fonseca · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to bring this book to all of you. Less angst and more action than some of my other books, it has been so fabulous to write!

[Belkis · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Exhilarating stars! This one was quite the thrilling ride from start to finish! An absolute page turner to say the least. Never ever a dull moment in this entire story. Christine Fonseca has written one wonderfully intriguing story full of mystery, surprises, twists and turns that had me holding my breath and gripping my kindle. Loved the writing style used to tell the story with past and present timelines alternating between journal entries from the past and run-for-your-life-heart-pounding-chases in the present. This allowed the plot to unfold at a perfect pace while keeping the action focused and the intrigue deliciously intense. I literally had some nail-biting moments!

The characters are interesting, layered, and unique. I loved the characters' monikers!! Assassin, Architect, Eagle, Ninja, Samurai, Creator! Loved that! The plot centers on physic warfare and the experimentation of children with physic abilities. Specifically the extraordinary mental abilities of the five main characters. The story had a little bit of everything. Action, love, rage, revenge, despair, redemption, and loss. I would not mind getting more of this story and these characters so I'm happily jumping with excitement over the prospect of a second book!!

[Jessica *The Lovely Books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collide caught my eye when I read the synopsis. It looked intriguing and just up my alley. I enjoyed the story very much but it took me awhile to get into it. The book started picking up around the halfway mark and by then I was glad I stuck with it.

The story follows more than one POV which I found cool. The main character, Dakota, comes to find that she has powers she never knew she had. Most of her life she's been in hiding with her family and for good reason. Someone wants her and several others like her back.

Throughout the story we meet lots of characters as well as learn a bunch of secrets. Towards the end the book really had me turning the pages and then bam it ended. I have so many questions I need answered!

Overall, I loved the concept of the book but I felt it was missing the passion that keeps me reading. If you're looking for an action packed with some mystery thrown in there, then I recommend you pick this one up!

*Review copy given in exchange for an honest review.

[Deborah Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy, Mother, Sweet, Son of a, I cannot even begin to describe my feelings about Collide by Christine Fonseca. I was not sure what I was reading at first. Every now and then I like to surprise myself and start a book without reading the synopsis. When you have an author like Christine, there is no need. You just know that the book is going to be awesome. This book, while a little confusing at first, did not disappoint.
Can you imagine what experiments the government does behind our backs? This story is about just that. A government experiment gone wrong. There is a lot of action in this book, so if you are looking for sweet romance… do not look here. This is life and death, revenge and redemption. You will not want to put this book down.
Total 5 stars from me. I love a book that has me reading so fast that I accidently turn an extra page and totally confuse myself. There was one part that had me steaming mad. Still not over it. You will know it when you get to it. Buy and read this book. You will not regret it.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Fonseca has once again kept me entranced in an action packed story. Collide is a fast paced journey full of adventure, danger, and deceit.

This is the story of five kids trained together by the Creator who has his own agenda when honing in on their psychic abilities. Warfare. The kids are all placed in hiding until ten years later when they are discovered and things start to unravel. The child know as the Architect has been used and manipulated by the Creator to seek vengeance on the other four kids. He uses her as a means to an end, and to bring the one known as the Assassin home. The Assassin is the only one he truly wants.

Collide starts with the action and doesn't quit until the last page. There is a little romance, which we all need, and a few tears to be shed along the way. This was an awesome start to a series and I can't wait for the next book to come out. I recommend Christine's writing to everyone.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, if anyone knows me, they know I am a huge fan of Christine Fonseca. I am always recommending her to my friends and family. Her Requiem series really blew me away. So it's not surprising that I loved this one, as well!

Blurb from Goodreads:
The most dangerous secrets are the ones that kill.
When a surprising mental breakdown draws too much attention from a secret government group call the Order, 17-year-old Dakota discovers that her so-called boring life isn’t so boring after all. Between the lies, secrets and assassins out to kill her family, Dakota discovers there’s more to paranormal activity than ghosts and cheap mind tricks. Now she must uncover the truth before a new breed of terrorism takes everything away – including her life.

I will be honest and say that Christine did consult me on quite a few passages for this book. And I'm so honored that she included me and felt my opinion was important enough to get my thoughts. And I can also say that she has done it again. If you are a fan of thrillers, mysteries and action packed books that keep you on your toes, this one is it!

Dakota, wow! She's indescribably strong, despite not really understanding what is going on in her life. She's being pushed and pulled by forces she doesn't understand. Things have been wiped clean from her memories, but she's still more determined than ever to figure out how to keep those she loves safe. Dakota questions everything and everyone in her life, not sure who she should trust or if she can really trust anyone at all. I can't even begin to describe how well her anxiety and fear come through off the pages of this book!

Josh, Dakota's brother, is an awesome character. He's strong and protective of Dakota, willing to risk anything to keep her safe (even if it might be himself). I can't say much more about him because I don't want to spoil anything, but know he will grab you in this book, and perhaps even give you a bit of heartache.

David, I really want to see MORE of him. He's sensitive and also extremely protective of Dakota. He's willing to sacrifice himself several times throughout the book to keep her safe.

But I have to say my favorite character in this book is The Architect. I can't even explain exactly why. I love how the character's POV is written in third person. It gives the character so much depth. Being part of the all knowing, it was the perfect fit for this character.

The pacing of this book is great! I flew right through it, not wanting to put it down, and turning the pages with an eagerness I wasn't surprised by. This is how it's been whenever I read Fonseca's writing. She has a way of really pulling you so far into the story, you just don't want to leave. There's nothing slow about where Fonseca goes with this story. It's always moving you forward.

As for the story-line? Well, Fonseca has described it as Xmen meets Bourne Identity, and she could not be more right. I love how the paranormal is incorporated into this book. It's innovative and unique. Lovers of Mafi's Shatter Me series or Bracken's Darkest Minds series will truly love this book.

Collide is a fast moving, suspenseful thriller full of twists and turns around every bend. An action packed read that will have your heart slamming in your chest and your mind racing until the end.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I don't know what else to say about what I just finished reading. Okay, maybe something like "I WANT MORE"! This book is FAN FREAKING TASTIC. Yes, its a word, at least on this blog it is :).

My power went out tonight for over 3 hours, so what is a girl to do when the power is out? Get her paper white Kindle and read :). This was the book I chose to read. I started it yesterday, but only got like two pages in before I had to put it down and do the mom thing...hehe. It had already grabbed my interest so I was anxious to read it. Lets just say I am SO glad the power went out. It allowed me to read the rest of the book. I couldn't put it down.

Dakota has sort of a mental breakdown and grabs too much unwanted attention, which forces her and her family to flee. Dakota is totally in the dark about why her parents reaction to her behavior is so "dire" that they have to leave their home at that very moment.

While fleeing their home they are followed by "who knows who" and gunfire explodes around her. She can hear the fear in her parents voices and they tell her to get out of the car when it slows and find her brother Josh. Yes, just what every child wants right? For their parents to tell them to jump out of a moving car in the middle of gun fire. Gosh, this book had me on my toes the WHOLE time. It was AWESOME.

When Dakota finally finds her brother Josh, her world is turned upside down again. She finds out some things about her life that blow her mind. Some she is able to deal with and some she just isn't.

This book messed with my mind. The thought of being able to control things with my mind is more than I can wrap my head around. Although I do think it would come in quite handy...sometimes.

Josh tries to help Dakota understand but Dakota is dealing with her own daemons along with finding out about her past. She is having memories come to her in flashes that don't make sense. She has abilities that are coming to her that she doesn't have control over. It's all just so exciting.

While trying to escape they find a friend or ex-boyfriend :) on the way. David. I still don't know if I like David or not. I guess, I do, but I just don't know if he is "really" a good guy or not. He seems to be, but things are nothing what they seem in this book.

Man, I could go on forever and ever because I just want to tell you all the whole story :). BUT, you are going to have to go grab a copy of this for yourself.

I loved this book. It is action packed. The story is so awesome, and I want the next one out like NOW. I think I have been saying that a lot lately :). I really do wish the next one was out right now, because I MUST know what happens. MUST....I guess this is just what the author wants though right? For me to be left wanting. She did for sure. The writing is amazing and so much fun to read. I found myself holding my head a few times, thinking "WHAT just happened??????"
It was FAN FREAKING TASTIC!

Source: I was given this book by YA Bound Book Tours in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on this book.

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me say I love this cover. You have to really look at it to see the things that are not as obvious as the face, the stairs and the statuary, and the imagery is just beautiful. Does it reflect the story? Well, I’ll leave that to you to find out by reading the book but, whether it does or not, this is an awesome cover ;-)

Dakota is an interesting girl, especially because she doesn’t understand why her parents react as they do when a kind of emotional and mental breakdown focuses the wrong sort of attention on them. She’s even more bewildered and frightened when she finds her brother, Josh, who has much to tell her about who and what she is and why her memories are so wispy yet so frightening. On the run, they’ll encounter others to whom they have a connection…and then there’s the Architect, a most unique killer. What will the Creator have her do when she encounters her former fellow recruits? Is she past redemption? To me, although Dakota and David are clearly the main characters, the Architect is the most vivid, even quite appealing.

Suppose you discovered one day that the scientists studying your special abilities weren’t just interested in how good your skills are but rather in how they could be manipulated? Suppose again that this is going on today; it wouldn’t be the first time such a thing has happened, would it? That is what makes Collide so intense and it’s what will draw me to the next book, Outbreak, due out in February. I’m very, very glad I won’t have to wait long to catch up with these characters Ms. Fonseca has embedded in my heart and mind.

[Myndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing, I can not WAIT for book 2! The author has woven a tale that is both exhilarating and heart wrenching. We get to see the use of psychological gifts, a mystery to be uncovered, and a childhood romance being kindled again. I was instantly drawn into the story and was so involved in the characters lives that each shock, each death, each new obstacle felt personal to me. Stories like these are the ones we love to read because we are so fully immersed in the story, it's almost hard to re-enter the real world. Warning, there is a cliffhanger at the end of this book, so reader beware. But for me it only served my desire to have the next book to read as soon as possible. I would also like the thank the author for not only sending me a copy of her book to read, but also including several bookmarks and signing the book for me. I will treasure it.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is centers on the physic warfare and the experimentation of children who have physic abilities. The main characters have very extraordinary and mental ability that is very important to the government. When you have the government involved you know that there will be some of sort of conspiracy involved.

If you enjoy paranormal with a lot of suspense with the psychological twist and romance than you need to pick this book up. Christine Fonseca has written an intriguing story with lots of mystery, and some surprises with a lot of twists and turns. That will have you on the edge of your seat.

[Jo-Anne Vandermeulen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Paced, Action Packed Compelling YA/Na Paranormal Suspense Leaving All Readers Thirsty For More!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I'd like to thank the author for sending me this book through a goodreads giveaway.
Second, I already wrote a review, but I deleted one of my shelves and I guess it deletes that book from all of your shelves. You should change that, GoodReads. I was so proud of it and unaware that by doing that EVERYTHING WOULD BE GONE.
Thirdly, my actual rating is 3.5, but I've been battling for a good month now on whether or not I want to present it as 3 stars or 4 stars. I recently decided on 4, because it's one of those books that I find that I like more after I let it sit. Usually, it's the other way around.

So, for now, I'm just going to say a few things:
-I did enjoy this book and I liked the concept. It reminded me of The Darkest Minds and Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy, and I enjoyed both of those books.
-I would recommend this book to people, because there were plot twists that I didn't see coming and exciting reveals. The characters weren't insufferable and I liked the font, but the font didn't affect my review.
-Speaking of things that didn't affect my review, this book needed an extra set of eyes before it was published. I just wanted to rip out my pen and have at all of the periods that weren't there, plurals that weren't supposed to be plural, general mistakes on the keyboard (My favorite was "Chills cascade down my spice as his voice fades away." on page 221) and those things annoy me but I'm not reviewing the dictionary, so it doesn't really matter.
-The writing: was pretty. It had a generic YA feel, but the way it came together made everything seem more dramatic. However, I noticed that lots of things were palpable and colliding with each other while threatening to intensify or fishtail.
-I, come to think of it, loved how the different narrations came together. It was confusing at first, and The Architect always being called The Architect got annoying after a while, but it was unavoidable. But everything kind of clicked, and I thought it was obvious who The Architect was, but nothing in this book was obvious.
-The book kind of dragged in some places, but for the most part, there was constantly stuff happening. Usually things that involved guns, which sort of brings me to my next point.
-The romance didn't take over the book! I personally hate romance in YA scifi, because most of the time, the romance either takes over the book and distracts from the action or just happens with no development while the action goes on. But the romance in this felt like a happy medium. The romantic moments were usually dedicated to the romance--no impending doom to stop the relationship from developing.
-I did have a problem with Dakota. She reacted to the fact that she was "special" in a fairly normal way, whereas most YA characters would just say "Cool. I'm doomed. Let's go grab a burger." But she never let it go and directed her anger out on the wrong people.
-And the last time I made a review and tried to mark something as a spoiler, goodreads ate my review, so I'll just say that I thought that Maya's motives towards the end of the book were kind of stupid.

I'll add more later, because I wrote this review the day I finished the book. All in all, I recommend this book. It's not perfect, but it was fun.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital copy of this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All are my own opinion and is not compensated by any individual, organization, or company. This might contain minor spoilers.

Collide by Christine Fonseca is written in more than one POV. I liked the journal entries of the researchers that come with it, too. The story is about Dakota and four other gifted recruits as they tried to uncover memories from their childhood that was stored away from them because of the awful secrets they were all involved with and their gifts they never knew they had. But one of them was killed, and the killer was among them and was after their lives, too. Yet they were all busy hiding and they can’t afford to trust anyone and each other; because they all tell lies. Dakota doubts herself, too; she thinks she’s the killer. Memories and visions tell her that she is the killer.


It is confusing at times.

I find the tone very serene even though the situation describes the opposite.

Yes, it serves the action pretty well but it’s not enough for me. It’s like the characters are a little bit unstable about their reactions. I could not actually follow them a few times in the story. It’s like someone had promised to serve me a full course dinner with my favourite meal and dessert but failed to put in the table the one dessert I was eagerly excited for. It’s missing something and I was looking for it but I couldn’t find it.


This book has so much promise in it.

I couldn’t abandon it because the plot is so great, the characters are all fresh but you can see that they will soon bomb the book for smoke and action. Reading this has been fun. The twists and the secrets are all but a good vine for the story.

I might not give full marks for this but I will definitely look out for the second book and the others to follow. I really believe that many doors will soon open and showcase that missing piece I am looking for.

I recommend it to readers who love reading ‘bout clairvoyants and psychics. Because this book is about them and I think that they would highly enjoy it.

This review is originally from AMIABOOKLOVER

[J. Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collide is an extremely fast-paced novel that's an absolutely exhilarating read. Fans of action and suspense should be able to devour it without putting down the book once. Although it did take me a little bit to actually get into the book, once I did, I was unable to stop reading until I reached the end.

I love the concept of Collide, which really comes together as the book moves forward. Despite the pacing of the novel, the entire plot isn't slapped across the reader's face, and the story still has time to unfold. The truth is gradually revealed, as Dakota learns more about her past and the abilities she didn't know she possessed.

The characters of Collide were also very well-developed, even if some of the relationships between them felt a little flat. Dakota had a great voice that stayed interesting and realistic. The Architect may not have been the kind of person readers would root for, but I found her to be an incredibly compelling character. The changes in viewpoint worked very well, as the voices were all extremely different and the varieties in personality easily showed through. Between the first person narrative, third person narrative, and journal entries, the plot moved smoothly and rapidly, and every angle of the story was explored.

All in all, Collide is an exciting read devoid of slow moments. Between the attention-grabbing characters, twists in plot, and rapid pacing, the novel will leave readers breathless and hungry for more.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author, Christine Fonseca, for providing me with an electronic copy of Collide, in exchange for an honest review.

17 year old Dakota Harrison is counting the days until she can escape her small town and seek adventure. A sudden breakdown forces Dakota into the public view, as the visions she had as a child come slamming back. Already off balance from the visions, Dakota's world comes crashing down when the life she thought she had ends up being a lie.

The changing perspectives were confusing and did not help me to become invested in the story. Because the author does not establish Dakota as the main character first, I found it difficult to follow the plot. The premise of Collide is interesting, but the execution of said idea is where the book loses me for a while. When the seemingly disparate parts start to make sense, the book becomes more cohesive. Collide reminded me of a pilot episode for a new television series. Too much has to happen as a set up for the rest of the series, often leaving the viewer off balance as the separate parts start to come together. This book was just average for me, but I have a feeling that the rest of the series will be much stronger. Now that the basic framework has been established, the author can focus on the plot and how the main characters relate to it.

[Ali Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of paranormal for a while now and it was all feeling a little . . . same old, same old. No fault of the authors, I was just becoming immune to the excitement of reading. Little did I know that what was needed was something so different that it woke up all my senses and had me LOVING reading again. And that book was COLLIDE.

There are so many things I loved about this book that it's hard for me to narrow it down to a few words. But the highlights for me were the contemporary setting, the marriage between contemporary facts (government paranormal experiments) and fantasy (or is it??), and the points of view of the scientist, the Architect (no spoilers here!) and the main character.

The narrative is smart and thoughtful, the action is non-stop, and in the end there's a very real love story that's not exactly what you might think. Love of family, of self, of hopes and dreams. Love lost.

Such a fresh and exciting book--yup! Loved it!

If you enjoy light science fiction, dabbling in paranormal abilities (ever tried "seeing" the face of a playing card while a friend hides it from you?), and an X-Files-type mystery, you will LOVE COLLIDE!

[Nereid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the author's other series and this one will be no different. There is always something familiar about these types of books, a melding of my favourite stories with elements of "Maximum Ride" Winter's Awakening" and that late night TV show called "Dark Angel." Corruption, greed and good versus evil plus plenty of action where one man wants to rule the world. There is that age old debate of nature vs nurture, are children born evil or do they learn to be that way? I really liked Dakota as she was strong at times yet so fragile dealing with her emotions, tortured by her memory returning and facing the consequence of her past. David and Josh were the perfect accompaniment of the older overprotective brother and her loyal and devoted boyfriend. The Architect was such an interesting character, so broken and lonely yet she had moments of such clarity but her thirst for vengeance always won out. This is a really good start to what promises to be a great new series and I can't wait to see what path the author takes us down next.

[Ashley Cestra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Collide! Christine fonseca wrote with just enough detail to paint a very vivid mental image, but not too much making it drawn out and boring. The story was constantly developing with not a one dull moment! I was most intrigued that the story was set in February of 2016. It helped with my imagination, giving possibility to fiction becoming a not so distant reality. The characters were well thought out and developed at a good pace, I wasn't left in the dark for too long as everything was told in the third person. The last 30 percent of the book was really enjoyable and intense with lots of character tension. I was impressed with Christine Fonseca's vision and I will certainly be reading book 2 when it's released!

[Laura Pauling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Christine's novel, Transcend. If you haven't read it you should. She's a great writer and this really shines through in Collide. This truly was a fast read in that I always wanted to keep reading to figure out more of the secrets of Dakota's past. Christine does a good job dropping enough hints so we're not frustrated, but wanting to know more.

In a horrifying twisted way it shows what can happen when government experiments are shut down and what could possibly happen to the lives of the kids who were the lab rats. The book could have gone in many different directions but I loved the combination of action and psychological suspense.

Highly recommend!

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Fonseca has blown me away yet again.
Collide gives the reader a look inside what happens when experiments get out of hand by a power hungry man. I felt like I was right there with Dakota, Josh, and David on their journey. There is so many feelings going on in this story: Dakota's confusion on her life of what is real and what is lies and there's love, hate, and loss; just to name a few.
I would love to see this story continue and I would recommend it to everyone that likes a little mystery with their paranormal.

This is a complimentary copy from the author for an honest review.

[Estelle (E) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't find the right words to describe why I didn't identify with this story
I guess I prefer when PNR sorties are not linked to anything from our current world, it takes something away..
Also I found the writing messy, there was no build up in the PNR world, nor in the main relationship.
The first 20% were hard to get into, 20% to 75% it picked up although it was predictable and then 75% was a DNF for me

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it but it always hurts my heart when the main character has to find their way after losing their family. I feel like this book was just an intro rather than a story that continues in book 2. I want more, more relationships details, more back story, more answers to why and how. I really like Dakota and David seems good for her. Hope he doesn't turn out to be too good to be true.

[B.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know. It was a fast read and kept my interest. It was exciting and well-written. But I just wasn't 5-star thrilled with it.

[Lisa Dess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was awesome. I really enjoyed the characters. It was full of action and was well paced. I can't wait for the next book.

[Whispering Chapters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collide is about a group of, you could say scientists that had started out the Solomon Projects. The Solomon Projects started with five children who were supposed to be trained to control their psychic abilities for warfare. Unfortunately, there was someone who obviously wanted more control and led the experiments astray, wanting to convert them into killers. They were all given names as if they were in a video game: Samurai, Ninja, and Assassin are my favorites. When a few of the scientists noticed the true intentions of the person leading the experiments into killers, they did everything possible to take them away. Unfortunately, they were all found.

Collide started out very slow for me. It got really good after a few chapters in, but it lacked a lot. I really wanted to like this book because the cover really had me intrigued. I'm sad to say I was disappointed. I loved the story but some characters didn't really developed throughout the story. There were parts that I was reading that I considered lacked information.

I would have wanted more of Mari's character and also the friendship that Mari, Maya and Dakota had. I would have loved to know more about those three characters. Their friendship was mentioned in passing but never given too much thought and I was saddened by this fact. Also, I wanted more in the story of Josh leaving and the relationship Dakota and David had. There was a friend, Elaine, mentioned at the beginning of the story that I thought I would see more in the story, but I didn't. Maybe she will be again in the second book. Who knows?

In summary, I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars just because this story lacked a lot and I'm sad by this because the story itself is good, just not great. It would have been so good if it had included a whole lot more. The author confirmed that for the second book there will be more background to the characters and more information to the whole story, which is exactly what I am looking for.

[Jasmyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collide was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were parts that I really, really liked. There were also parts that just seemed a bit dull. The beginning of the story was a little all over the place and the story dragged a lot until about half way through. By then, I had gotten a little more into the rhythm of the author's writing and the way events were pieced together within the book and within the individual chapters.

There were several points of view - we had Dakota, The Architect, and a doctor's journal. They all helped slowly piece together the history of five children with special powers. The history of a grand experiment that went bad - wiping the memories of most of the kids and splitting them in protective custody. But someone wants them back - for all the wrong reasons. The story is their fight for freedom and understanding.

There seemed to be a few too many "I learned this just in time to save the day" scenarios. I would understand a couple, but it seemed every time they got in trouble some really cool thing would help save the day. There also didn't seem to be too much logical character growth. While Dakota goes through a remarkable change - I had a hard time believing that it could have happened to her that quickly.

There really was no set ending. I hope the sequel explains a little more about Dakota's past and the inner workings of her power and mind. Perhaps it will make me understand her drastic change better. The premise of the world and story were great - it just needed to be flushed out a little better for me to really get into it.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/...

[Karen]

I was so looking forward to this book. The cover is awesome. The premise has so much promise. The delivery fell flat me, though. I have to admit that I didn't finish this book. I got 77% through this book. I got the gist of what the story was about. I met the characters (even the ones that died right away), I just couldn't get into this book. There was not enough of an intro to get me attached before things started to fall apart.

Maya and her brother were part of an experiment that gives them special powers. They are being chased by government agents. There is a bit of misinformation given to Maya to try to keep her safe. Everyone knows but her... Maya has special powers but she doesn't use them when she needs to. This girl just frustrated me. There were big gaps in her memory and her story. There wasn't enough of her for me to like Maya or care about her story.

This book has switching POVs which might have been part of the problem for me. It was so confusing from the start and then it picked up and started to make sense. By then, I had lost a lot of interest. There were a few scenes in this book that were well written. Most of what I read lacked the sort of detail to keep a readers attention.

I know I am in the minority here. This book was loved by plenty of people, so don't let this one bad review stop you from seeing for yourself. I, however, could not force myself to read another page.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collide is a new YA paranormal fantasy book by Christine Fonseca. Whilst this author has written quite a few books before, this was the first I'd heard of her and I'll definitely be reading her writing again.

Collide is about Dakota, a 17-year-old girl who suffers a huge breakdown in public which leads to the discovery of her having certain powers. Interspersed with chapters telling us about the "Architect" and her missions to kill several people, the story is slightly complex. It isn't hard to read, however, as the chapters are clearly defined and it is obvious who each chapter is about. It is better to go into this book knowing next-to-nothing, as I did, so I won't tell you much more about the plot.

With paranormal abilities, secret government groups, assassins, murder and terrorism, this book is jam-packed full of action. The story, whilst being fast-paced just lacked something for me. It was entertaining but only up to a point, I kept reading because I was mildly interested in the plot and characters but I wasn't gripped the way I'd hoped. My favourite aspect of this book is definitely the writing style. Christine Fonseca has a very interesting way of writing and her use of descriptive language was one of the main reasons I kept reading this book. I think the story just didn't gel with me personally, but I don't doubt for a second that others will love it.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5