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The Alliance Chronicles #1
Regress
Secrets come in all shapes and sizes, but this one fits in the palm of your hand.
Tru’s seventeenth birthday is approaching, and she has a decision to make. She can receive a vaccine that will end her creativity. Or, she can help Zared, a boy from her past, expose government secrets—the ones on a SIM card she’s holding. Both choices are risky. Both choices come with consequences. Either way, she has ten days to decide.
Tru can put her faith in Zared—he’s harboring secrets of his own. But life in New Detroit requires more than hope.
Don't miss this gripping first book in the Alliance Chronicles—a suspenseful, post-apocalyptic thriller about Tru Shepard’s fight against a corrupt government.
Tru’s seventeenth birthday is approaching, and she has a decision to make. She can receive a vaccine that will end her creativity. Or, she can help Zared, a boy from her past, expose government secrets—the ones on a SIM card she’s holding. Both choices are risky. Both choices come with consequences. Either way, she has ten days to decide.
Tru can put her faith in Zared—he’s harboring secrets of his own. But life in New Detroit requires more than hope.
Don't miss this gripping first book in the Alliance Chronicles—a suspenseful, post-apocalyptic thriller about Tru Shepard’s fight against a corrupt government.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2016
5 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
S.F. Benson
33 books86 followersSF Benson is the author of the paranormal suspense series, The Spell Caster Diaries. Although she knows everything about Falls Creek, New York and the supernaturals living there, she resides with her husband and daughter in Long Beach, CA. When she’s not writing about strong heroes and heroines conquering the odds, she spends her time either reading romance and fantasy novels or binge-watching her favorite DC Universe shows or Marvel movies.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 2, 2024
Regress has a lot of potential as a book. The description sucked me in, and I was happy to have had a chance to get to know the story. That said, it was a bit of a letdown for me as I read it.
The good: I LOVED the quotes before each chapter showing the new bible verses and the new government laws and mandates. The world's outline and the scope were very thoroughly thought out and well done. There is a lot of scariness in what could happen to a combined religion/law sort of government that wants to rule in "peace." Tru & Z & Ko were all great characters to get to know. I loved the idea of them. Creativity blocking, the implications are endless. I kept flashing back to the "sense offenders" in Equilibrium, given daily medication not to have feelings to interact with society. This had to have been made by the Chinese government originally.
The bad: Tru & Z as a relationship... it's not so much that I couldn't see it because the events leading up to it were not very heartfelt. This felt like a very truncated backstory with little to no plausible reason to drop back into something and trust someone while questioning motives, etc. On top of that, even though Z is "described" as sexy, I wasn't feeling any actual spark between them. While this was vaguely described, the social class structure could have been built up more to make this the key element that it seemed to be throughout the story.
Ultimately, I just wanted to "feel" more from the characters. There are a lot of great elements, but it feels like the delivery just isn't QUITE there yet, but oh so close. However, S.F. Benson is well on her way with this one, and I would like to read more of her work in the future.
3.5 stars for me.
The good: I LOVED the quotes before each chapter showing the new bible verses and the new government laws and mandates. The world's outline and the scope were very thoroughly thought out and well done. There is a lot of scariness in what could happen to a combined religion/law sort of government that wants to rule in "peace." Tru & Z & Ko were all great characters to get to know. I loved the idea of them. Creativity blocking, the implications are endless. I kept flashing back to the "sense offenders" in Equilibrium, given daily medication not to have feelings to interact with society. This had to have been made by the Chinese government originally.
The bad: Tru & Z as a relationship... it's not so much that I couldn't see it because the events leading up to it were not very heartfelt. This felt like a very truncated backstory with little to no plausible reason to drop back into something and trust someone while questioning motives, etc. On top of that, even though Z is "described" as sexy, I wasn't feeling any actual spark between them. While this was vaguely described, the social class structure could have been built up more to make this the key element that it seemed to be throughout the story.
Ultimately, I just wanted to "feel" more from the characters. There are a lot of great elements, but it feels like the delivery just isn't QUITE there yet, but oh so close. However, S.F. Benson is well on her way with this one, and I would like to read more of her work in the future.
3.5 stars for me.
May 11, 2019
I've been trying to read as many books from my TR shelf as I can before taking a hiatus and going back to work on my own forthcoming novel. Some, like this one by S.F. Benson, have been buried in the pile for a long time.
Set in the near future, Regress follows seventeen-year-old protagonist Tru as she fights for her right to...well, remain herself, in a country where creativity has been banned.
The writing here is very good and the story is unique and well-assembled. While I was reading, I thought a great deal about the value of art in this world and what our world might look like without it. I would have liked a little more character development as I found myself more attached to the story than the characters. All in all this is a solid first effort and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Set in the near future, Regress follows seventeen-year-old protagonist Tru as she fights for her right to...well, remain herself, in a country where creativity has been banned.
The writing here is very good and the story is unique and well-assembled. While I was reading, I thought a great deal about the value of art in this world and what our world might look like without it. I would have liked a little more character development as I found myself more attached to the story than the characters. All in all this is a solid first effort and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
December 20, 2016
It's 2025, Tru is almost seventeen years old and she's afraid of her inoculation. Every citizen has to get this vaccine, but it's for a disease that's no longer there. It has a nasty side effect, it kills creativity. Tru doesn't want to lose an important part of her personality. When she meets Zared, the boy she used to like, her chances to avoid inoculation have grown considerably. Zared helps Tru, but can she trust him?
Zared wants to expose their corrupt government and he needs something from Tru to make this happen. She helps him, while she isn't sure what's going on exactly. Tru knows people are keeping secrets from her and she's about to find out how big the lies of the people who are supposed to love her really are. She can't fight her enemies by herself and she has to make some difficult choices. Without proper information it's hard to decide who she should follow. What will the consequences of Tru's decisions be?
Regress is a fast-paced and gripping story set in the near future. The world has changed a lot. Tru is living in New Detroit, where science and technology are being used in mysterious ways. I liked S.F. Benson's world building. The political situation is being influenced by experiments and scientific research. It's interesting to see what such a nation will bring and how it is to grow up that way. I liked S.F. Benson's constant building of tension and I enjoy the way she works with the idea that a lot can change in a short period of time.
There are two narrators, Tru and Zared. I enjoyed reading the same story from different sides. Zared's chapters are shorter and they are very informative, Tru's are action packed and filled with drama and emotion. I loved this combination, it gives the story a good balance. I equally like Tru and Zared. They are both strong and resourceful. Love is what matters most to them and that makes them stand out. They have great chemistry and they look out for one another, which is sweet. They're fascinating main characters.
Regress is book one of The Alliance Chronicles. The ending made me crave more straight away. I loved this story and can't wait to find out what will happen to Tru and Zared.
Zared wants to expose their corrupt government and he needs something from Tru to make this happen. She helps him, while she isn't sure what's going on exactly. Tru knows people are keeping secrets from her and she's about to find out how big the lies of the people who are supposed to love her really are. She can't fight her enemies by herself and she has to make some difficult choices. Without proper information it's hard to decide who she should follow. What will the consequences of Tru's decisions be?
Regress is a fast-paced and gripping story set in the near future. The world has changed a lot. Tru is living in New Detroit, where science and technology are being used in mysterious ways. I liked S.F. Benson's world building. The political situation is being influenced by experiments and scientific research. It's interesting to see what such a nation will bring and how it is to grow up that way. I liked S.F. Benson's constant building of tension and I enjoy the way she works with the idea that a lot can change in a short period of time.
There are two narrators, Tru and Zared. I enjoyed reading the same story from different sides. Zared's chapters are shorter and they are very informative, Tru's are action packed and filled with drama and emotion. I loved this combination, it gives the story a good balance. I equally like Tru and Zared. They are both strong and resourceful. Love is what matters most to them and that makes them stand out. They have great chemistry and they look out for one another, which is sweet. They're fascinating main characters.
Regress is book one of The Alliance Chronicles. The ending made me crave more straight away. I loved this story and can't wait to find out what will happen to Tru and Zared.
April 20, 2016
The world building is great, set in the not too distant future Tru is living in a post-apocalyptic America. I'll be honest there was talk of a virus and cogents and creatives and genetics but I didn't understand all of it, either that's because it wasn't explained very well or its all just outside my knowledge base. But the basics are that creative thinkers are bad for the world and they need a vaccine on their 17th birthday.. which for Tru is fast approaching. Enter interesting boy who offers to help girl avoid her inoculation day...Except it isn't all as it seems.
Tru really bugged me... When she firsts meet Z she thought he looked familiar, then she remembers she knew a guy whose name began with a Z and then 4 days later its "he means the world to me, my present and my future".. which would be fine IF they had actually spent any quality time together. But they don't. And then despite the fact that he answers none of her questions, including the question of who he is working for, she trusts him blindly and chooses to believe him over her parents??? Alright her parents had their own secrets but at this point she had no reason to not trust them.. And then when she finally finds out who/what Zared works for she thinks of him as a traitor... given what they have both done together at this point I felt it was a tad ridiculous. According to the laws they had both passed traitor and signed their own death warrants long before the point where she realises who he really is.
For me this was one of those middle of the road books, I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I thought the book had lots of promise, but for me there were too many areas that grated on me and really spoiled the enjoyment factor. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it enough that I need to read to the end to find out what happens, I just didn't get that pull that insists I stay seated and read it.
Tru really bugged me... When she firsts meet Z she thought he looked familiar, then she remembers she knew a guy whose name began with a Z and then 4 days later its "he means the world to me, my present and my future".. which would be fine IF they had actually spent any quality time together. But they don't. And then despite the fact that he answers none of her questions, including the question of who he is working for, she trusts him blindly and chooses to believe him over her parents??? Alright her parents had their own secrets but at this point she had no reason to not trust them.. And then when she finally finds out who/what Zared works for she thinks of him as a traitor... given what they have both done together at this point I felt it was a tad ridiculous. According to the laws they had both passed traitor and signed their own death warrants long before the point where she realises who he really is.
For me this was one of those middle of the road books, I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I thought the book had lots of promise, but for me there were too many areas that grated on me and really spoiled the enjoyment factor. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it enough that I need to read to the end to find out what happens, I just didn't get that pull that insists I stay seated and read it.
April 11, 2016
**** 4 Cranky Stars ****
Regress is set in the not too distant future and in a dystopian Detroit. Ravaged by illness and war, the people are governed by an oppressive regime known as the New Order.
Part of New Order’s keystone policies is to vaccinate its citizens at the age of seventeen. It’s predicated on health and safety, but it has more sinister overtones, especially for ‘creatives’.
Symbolically, art and artists have always been the point of subversion and resistance in society. Dangerous when the powers that be want conformity.
The main female lead, Tru Shephard is fast approaching her seventeenth birthday and she’s a creative. She is aware of the rumors – if you’re a creative the vaccine changes you. It takes away your creativity.
Tru’s desire to avoid the vaccine and loss of her sense of self sets her on a path, not just of personal rebellion, but discovery.
A chance encounter with Zared Aoki opens Tru’s eyes to the world around her and the possibility that you do not have to accept your fate.
As long-buried family secrets are revealed and the body count mounts, Tru is unsure who she can trust as her life and the lives of those she loves hangs in the balance.
This is an impressive debut novel from S.F. Benson. She is a strong writer and her work is full of enthralling characters.
I loved the diversity of the cast in this work and how the author played with moral ambiguity.
There are times when you can feel this is the debut novel of the author. There is a lot going on in this book from the symbolism, conspiracies, and key concepts the work is grounded on. Also, there were parts of the work where I wanted more and other parts that could have been condensed.
This book will appeal to YA-dystopian fans and those looking for a cast of strong characters.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
May 9, 2016
Regress has the promise of being a really good dystopian book, but I feel from early on the author goes wrong with lack of explanation. It can't be easy to write a really good book set in the future especially a book based on a post-Apocalyptic country, but if it isn't done right it an be even harder as a reader. Not really understanding what was going on threw me off for a lot of the book.
Tru is the main character, a teenage girl fast approaching her 17th birthday. This means she is facing her Inoculation Day, an injection given to some teenagers, with several different reasons for the vaccine cropping up throughout the story. In a desperate bid to avoid the vaccine, her life is thrown upside down. Zared enters her life, a boy who was a part of her life just a few short years ago yet she has trouble recalling who he is, but a few days later is the love of her life. Together, they aim to take on the New Order and out the real reason for the vaccine.
Relationships were one of the big flaws in Regress. Parents, friends, boyfriends.. without giving too much of the storyline away, Tru seemed so fickle for a teenage girl, and there was a massive lack of emotion running throughout the whole book. I lost count of the how many times Tru also 'thought someone looked familiar' yet she had such problems placing them, did the girl have memory issues?? I struggled to like any of the characters, usually you find yourself rooting or connecting with at least one, but if I am being honest even by the end of the book I simply wasn't bothered what happened to any of them.
There were a few good parts and it felt as of the book needed more time and effort put in to it, it seemed very rushed in places which put me off.
Tru is the main character, a teenage girl fast approaching her 17th birthday. This means she is facing her Inoculation Day, an injection given to some teenagers, with several different reasons for the vaccine cropping up throughout the story. In a desperate bid to avoid the vaccine, her life is thrown upside down. Zared enters her life, a boy who was a part of her life just a few short years ago yet she has trouble recalling who he is, but a few days later is the love of her life. Together, they aim to take on the New Order and out the real reason for the vaccine.
Relationships were one of the big flaws in Regress. Parents, friends, boyfriends.. without giving too much of the storyline away, Tru seemed so fickle for a teenage girl, and there was a massive lack of emotion running throughout the whole book. I lost count of the how many times Tru also 'thought someone looked familiar' yet she had such problems placing them, did the girl have memory issues?? I struggled to like any of the characters, usually you find yourself rooting or connecting with at least one, but if I am being honest even by the end of the book I simply wasn't bothered what happened to any of them.
There were a few good parts and it felt as of the book needed more time and effort put in to it, it seemed very rushed in places which put me off.
June 3, 2016
I chose to read this story based on the blurb alone and whilst I was not at all left disappointed, I did feel somewhat misled. There are details in the blurb which appear to be entirely missing in the story and others which are key to the story not in the blurb - it confuses me, this.
That said, the story is exceptionally well written, the author clearly has skills in putting language to good use without attempting to confuse the reader. There are a lot of acronyms which had me a little bewildered at times but given the type of story, it is to be expected.
I loved Tru's character - she's a rebellious, reckless, impulsive girl - just how I'd love to be and she makes up her own mind...or does she? Z initially appears to be of a similar ilk but there so much more to him than meets the eye - loved it!
Despite the beginning of the story, I hoped Ko would be more important in the grand scheme of the story, felt she would have featured more but when she does come into it, it was worth the wait.
There's a lot of maniuplation, deceit and intrigue throughout the story and the author handles it well, feeding you little droplets of information at a time - just enough to keep you going without becomming frustrated.
Finally, the ending. This is the only part I felt could have done with something more - the build up was huge and then...bam...its over, done...what the...? Cliff-hanger of all cliff-hangers there! In some ways, I salute the author on that, I'll definitely be reading the following book but wow, I really couldn't leave a reader like that!...Please let us have the next installment, like...now?!
May 26, 2016
Good read. Loved that it was based on my area of the country. Well developed storyline and characters. My favorite character by far is Tru. She is strong and strikes the reader as someone more than capable of exposing the evils of the government. Plus the little bit of romance along with a serious goal makes this book a must read.
April 30, 2016
You like dystopian? Great read!!
I love dystopian books and I have to say this one does not disappoint!!! Well written- hard to put down. Besides the action, great love story brewing between Zared and Tru. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!!
I love dystopian books and I have to say this one does not disappoint!!! Well written- hard to put down. Besides the action, great love story brewing between Zared and Tru. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!!
August 1, 2021
3.7 out of 5
Regress takes place in the year 2025 after the United States falls into disarray after an Ebola pandemic in 2020. Did I say that the book was written in 2005? The premise and timing caught my attention right away. Tru Shephard is scheduled to be inoculated with a vaccine that has less to do with Ebola and more to do with control over Creatives. That's where it starts, but as Tru goes deeper into what Intrepid is, the less clear the lines are between the truth and the lie.
What I liked
I did like Tru. She is young, impetuous, and naive, but she is also determined, smart, and has serious guts. I liked Zared too. He is definitely a good guy that is willing to do what it takes to make sure Tru is safe. The story itself is good, and the ending leads into the next book beautifully. I really am looking forward to watching Tru's character grow.
What I didn't like
I did feel as if the worldbuilding could have used more time. It's supposed to be a police state, but Tru and Zared seem to be able to move around relatively easy. There are drones, but there aren't drones everywhere. Same with cameras. People watching them. Etc. All things I would expect to be over the top in an authoritarian set up, weren't fully developed. Hopefully, this gets rectified somewhat in subsequent books.
Overall
It's an interesting read, and I am interested in what happens next. So the next book is on my sequel list.
Regress takes place in the year 2025 after the United States falls into disarray after an Ebola pandemic in 2020. Did I say that the book was written in 2005? The premise and timing caught my attention right away. Tru Shephard is scheduled to be inoculated with a vaccine that has less to do with Ebola and more to do with control over Creatives. That's where it starts, but as Tru goes deeper into what Intrepid is, the less clear the lines are between the truth and the lie.
What I liked
I did like Tru. She is young, impetuous, and naive, but she is also determined, smart, and has serious guts. I liked Zared too. He is definitely a good guy that is willing to do what it takes to make sure Tru is safe. The story itself is good, and the ending leads into the next book beautifully. I really am looking forward to watching Tru's character grow.
What I didn't like
I did feel as if the worldbuilding could have used more time. It's supposed to be a police state, but Tru and Zared seem to be able to move around relatively easy. There are drones, but there aren't drones everywhere. Same with cameras. People watching them. Etc. All things I would expect to be over the top in an authoritarian set up, weren't fully developed. Hopefully, this gets rectified somewhat in subsequent books.
Overall
It's an interesting read, and I am interested in what happens next. So the next book is on my sequel list.
November 21, 2017
Tru is approaching her 17th birthday, a time when every citizen must receive an inoculation. The New Order claims it is to keep everyone safe. However, as the shot will end her creativity, Tru is dreading the day, as she cannot imagine living life that way. Zared, a boy from her past, might just be the one to help her avoid the vaccination, but does he have more of a connection to things than he is letting on? Can she really trust him with her life?
This is the first book in “The Alliance Chronicles” series, as well as the first book I have read by this author. While it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I still found it to be an enjoyable suspense/post-apocalyptic/dystopian book. I would have enjoyed a bit more backstory for some of the characters, but the descriptions are good, and I could see things unfolding as though watching a movie, at times. Tru is a strong character, and the story alternates between her and Zared. On occasion, there was a bit more telling than showing. The book ends with a cliffhanger and, thankfully, an excerpt from book #2.
This is the first book in “The Alliance Chronicles” series, as well as the first book I have read by this author. While it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I still found it to be an enjoyable suspense/post-apocalyptic/dystopian book. I would have enjoyed a bit more backstory for some of the characters, but the descriptions are good, and I could see things unfolding as though watching a movie, at times. Tru is a strong character, and the story alternates between her and Zared. On occasion, there was a bit more telling than showing. The book ends with a cliffhanger and, thankfully, an excerpt from book #2.
August 30, 2016
How would you like to live in a world where your government controls everything you do and curiosity only gets you killed? Who would you trust if those closest to you were keeping secrets from you? How would you feel if you couldn't even trust your own family? Would you lie if you thought it would keep someone you loved safe? Regress takes you into that very world. It is set in the near future of 2025, the U.S is run by a new kind of government following a new order where no one is safe-especially if you are a creative-and creativity is banned and dangerous.
According to the new law, once you turn seventeen you are required to be inoculated-or vaccinated-to prevent an Ebola Pandemic, however, it comes with such a great sacrifice. The side effects of the vaccine can rob a creative of their unique abilities and take away their emotions leaving them empty inside. How would you feel if you couldn't feel love, joy or even loss? Well Tru Shepard is nearing her seventeenth birthday and she would rather die than have her spirit striped away. She has 10 days to figure out how to avoid going to her Inoculation Day.
Tru is like a magnet when it comes to trouble and she doesn't like to follow anyone's rules but her own and she doesn't trust easily. She has this constant need for answers. While exploring the city she runs into an old flame from her past. Zared Aoki, after the loss of both parents finds a life with the Alliance. They save his life leaving him feeling indebted to carrying out their mission to destroy and expose the new order. Tru might have been his target but he wasn't planning on falling in love with her. Zared finds himself in a vulnerable position and finds it harder and harder to keep her safe, whether it be safe from danger or from his secrets. Tru realizes that there is a lot that Zared is keeping from her and she starts to question whether to trust him or not. Feeling surrounded by a web of secrets as it is, Tru finds that her mother also has many secrets she is keeping from her. Is she lying to keep Tru safe? Would you be worried and try to seek answers yourself even if it was a threat to your life? What would you risk if it meant saving the world from this new order? This are some things to ponder.
Although It took me a few chapters to start enjoying this book, it did prove to be worth it in the end. It was written well and was jammed packed with suspense, action and drama. It is very fast paced and the beginning of the story has an overwhelming amount of information to process but I promise it does get better. Much better. Just be patient. This book reminds me of a good combination of divergent series and hunger games and you will understand why when you read it.
I'd definitely recommend this book. I found it very disturbing yet fascinating too. In a great way.
What I love most about this book are the characters. They are so perfect for the story. Tru and Zared are just kids but do such a great job of holding themselves together. The amount of stress and loss they endure is more then that of any adult. Many would have given up. I can't help but to let it reflect upon my own world and all the sadness and hatred in it. It takes a strong person to risk themselves and whose they love to have faith in restoring such a lost world. Tru and Zared never really gave up hope to make this change. They represent light in the darkest of times and together hold the key to what is left good in the future. They are wise and I can only hope that their humbleness and strength continues on into the next book that I'm now very anxious to read.
According to the new law, once you turn seventeen you are required to be inoculated-or vaccinated-to prevent an Ebola Pandemic, however, it comes with such a great sacrifice. The side effects of the vaccine can rob a creative of their unique abilities and take away their emotions leaving them empty inside. How would you feel if you couldn't feel love, joy or even loss? Well Tru Shepard is nearing her seventeenth birthday and she would rather die than have her spirit striped away. She has 10 days to figure out how to avoid going to her Inoculation Day.
Tru is like a magnet when it comes to trouble and she doesn't like to follow anyone's rules but her own and she doesn't trust easily. She has this constant need for answers. While exploring the city she runs into an old flame from her past. Zared Aoki, after the loss of both parents finds a life with the Alliance. They save his life leaving him feeling indebted to carrying out their mission to destroy and expose the new order. Tru might have been his target but he wasn't planning on falling in love with her. Zared finds himself in a vulnerable position and finds it harder and harder to keep her safe, whether it be safe from danger or from his secrets. Tru realizes that there is a lot that Zared is keeping from her and she starts to question whether to trust him or not. Feeling surrounded by a web of secrets as it is, Tru finds that her mother also has many secrets she is keeping from her. Is she lying to keep Tru safe? Would you be worried and try to seek answers yourself even if it was a threat to your life? What would you risk if it meant saving the world from this new order? This are some things to ponder.
Although It took me a few chapters to start enjoying this book, it did prove to be worth it in the end. It was written well and was jammed packed with suspense, action and drama. It is very fast paced and the beginning of the story has an overwhelming amount of information to process but I promise it does get better. Much better. Just be patient. This book reminds me of a good combination of divergent series and hunger games and you will understand why when you read it.
I'd definitely recommend this book. I found it very disturbing yet fascinating too. In a great way.
What I love most about this book are the characters. They are so perfect for the story. Tru and Zared are just kids but do such a great job of holding themselves together. The amount of stress and loss they endure is more then that of any adult. Many would have given up. I can't help but to let it reflect upon my own world and all the sadness and hatred in it. It takes a strong person to risk themselves and whose they love to have faith in restoring such a lost world. Tru and Zared never really gave up hope to make this change. They represent light in the darkest of times and together hold the key to what is left good in the future. They are wise and I can only hope that their humbleness and strength continues on into the next book that I'm now very anxious to read.
April 13, 2016
Review of Regress.
I was asked to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I give it five stars. It is full of action. The characters are complex and even the minor characters have layers, some yet to be pealed away. The story does end in a cliff hanger so beware. The sneak peak into the next book only services to make this reader want to read more about these two and this nation in turmoil. The author writes from two points of view. Some chapters are in Tru's voice and others in Zared's. This helped this reader understand the plot so much more, but could get confusing for some readers. It was through this back and forth that the truths were revealed. The use of quotes from various future genre at the start of each chapter really helped this reader glimpses into the mindset of the characters and this horrible world. I think books that include notes from major books or laws are a great way to show the mindset of the society. By changing the words to meet the author's world was really helpful to this reader. Hopefully the next book will address more of these books, such as more on genetics. New World Order was a concept developed years ago, but I remember it in the nineties as a group that wanted to change the world by having one type of money, ( no exchange); whole world using metric and Celsius measurements and one agreed on language. Eradicating traits that do not fit the government's ideals does seem a plausible next step. The author introduces the reader to a world ravished by war, greed, and fear. Some things are very 21 century, subways and flash drives, while the military run government and the level of surveillance are not. Truly Shepard was a rebellious teen. Her creative side has her sneaking out to hear banned music in the worse side of town and staying out past curfew. It was this not following rules that put her into grave danger and back into the life of Zared. Her world is a series of heroine events with twists and turns intertwined with deceit. The author allows they are reader to share in this character's culture with Tru's mom speaking in Spanish and calling her darling,etc. I like that Tru had a panicked attack. It makes her more believable. She reacted to the scary world the way any human would. Survive and when it was over react. Even the wanting to go back to simpler times when one is in a bad situation was such a real human reaction . “You remember how things used to be? Teens dated. Went to movies. Ate too much fast food.”Retro,” he said. “I don’t care what you call it. I want it. I don’t want to live worrying about someone killing us.” I rubbed my arms. Was it wrong to cling to a past we’d never experience again?" . i love that the author asks the questions through the characters that the reader is thinking too. A nice way to make the reader sympathize with the characters and want to read on for answers. Who is a good guy and who is lying? Will Tru find the answers she is looking for? Will finding the truth be enough to help her survive in the government controlled world bent on destroying all creativity?
I was asked to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I give it five stars. It is full of action. The characters are complex and even the minor characters have layers, some yet to be pealed away. The story does end in a cliff hanger so beware. The sneak peak into the next book only services to make this reader want to read more about these two and this nation in turmoil. The author writes from two points of view. Some chapters are in Tru's voice and others in Zared's. This helped this reader understand the plot so much more, but could get confusing for some readers. It was through this back and forth that the truths were revealed. The use of quotes from various future genre at the start of each chapter really helped this reader glimpses into the mindset of the characters and this horrible world. I think books that include notes from major books or laws are a great way to show the mindset of the society. By changing the words to meet the author's world was really helpful to this reader. Hopefully the next book will address more of these books, such as more on genetics. New World Order was a concept developed years ago, but I remember it in the nineties as a group that wanted to change the world by having one type of money, ( no exchange); whole world using metric and Celsius measurements and one agreed on language. Eradicating traits that do not fit the government's ideals does seem a plausible next step. The author introduces the reader to a world ravished by war, greed, and fear. Some things are very 21 century, subways and flash drives, while the military run government and the level of surveillance are not. Truly Shepard was a rebellious teen. Her creative side has her sneaking out to hear banned music in the worse side of town and staying out past curfew. It was this not following rules that put her into grave danger and back into the life of Zared. Her world is a series of heroine events with twists and turns intertwined with deceit. The author allows they are reader to share in this character's culture with Tru's mom speaking in Spanish and calling her darling,etc. I like that Tru had a panicked attack. It makes her more believable. She reacted to the scary world the way any human would. Survive and when it was over react. Even the wanting to go back to simpler times when one is in a bad situation was such a real human reaction . “You remember how things used to be? Teens dated. Went to movies. Ate too much fast food.”Retro,” he said. “I don’t care what you call it. I want it. I don’t want to live worrying about someone killing us.” I rubbed my arms. Was it wrong to cling to a past we’d never experience again?" . i love that the author asks the questions through the characters that the reader is thinking too. A nice way to make the reader sympathize with the characters and want to read on for answers. Who is a good guy and who is lying? Will Tru find the answers she is looking for? Will finding the truth be enough to help her survive in the government controlled world bent on destroying all creativity?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2016
3.5 STARS
Tru Shepard lived in a time where the future is bleak for “creatives” like her. After humanity had fallen due to an outbreak of a virus that killed a lot of people, a new government was born out of desperation.
Its aim is to help salvage what’s left of the human race and bent on controlling everyone in an attempt to avoid another catastrophe by forcing the future generation to be inoculated with a vaccine when they reach the age of 17. Seemed harmless enough...unless you’re a creative like Tru. She’s heard of and seen friends who were creatives like her vaccinated and diminished right before her very eyes. It seemed to have a terrible side effect to people with passion in their blood.
In her quest to find a way to escape the inevitable, Tru came across Zared, a forgotten old-flame who rekindled feelings deep in her heart. Zared, however, is now a young man with a troubled past bent on a mission to destroy the government. He roped in Tru to help him and together they started a series of events with fatal consequences that neither of them had been prepared to face.
While reading this book, I was torn in so many ways and it left me a bit uncertain on how to approach the review. First off, I liked that the characters are all of different ethnic group. It was a refreshing diversion from the norm. Each character was unique and had a voice asking to be heard throughout the book, although it’s told from Tru’s and Zared’s POV.
I think that might be were the dilemma arose from with me. The story is full of strong characters and each one was trying to talk to me, I ended up being over-whelmed by them all.
The story itself has a lot of promise and covered interesting concepts like genetic experimentation as well as human cloning. But I think this first book to the series covered so much information and everything got cramped along with character development which resulted to it being such a busy read. There could easily be two books inside this one and had that been the case, it wouldn’t have felt rushed and overpowering for me.
The relationship between Tru and her mom made me frown a bit then I remembered 2 words: Teenagers and Hormones. Enough said.
Tru lost her loved-ones but the pace of the story didn’t allow her to grieve for them, which had she been given the chance would have made her show another side to her character.
Still, the series held promise and the ending gave us a glimpse of more exciting things coming in book 2.
Tru Shepard lived in a time where the future is bleak for “creatives” like her. After humanity had fallen due to an outbreak of a virus that killed a lot of people, a new government was born out of desperation.
Its aim is to help salvage what’s left of the human race and bent on controlling everyone in an attempt to avoid another catastrophe by forcing the future generation to be inoculated with a vaccine when they reach the age of 17. Seemed harmless enough...unless you’re a creative like Tru. She’s heard of and seen friends who were creatives like her vaccinated and diminished right before her very eyes. It seemed to have a terrible side effect to people with passion in their blood.
In her quest to find a way to escape the inevitable, Tru came across Zared, a forgotten old-flame who rekindled feelings deep in her heart. Zared, however, is now a young man with a troubled past bent on a mission to destroy the government. He roped in Tru to help him and together they started a series of events with fatal consequences that neither of them had been prepared to face.
While reading this book, I was torn in so many ways and it left me a bit uncertain on how to approach the review. First off, I liked that the characters are all of different ethnic group. It was a refreshing diversion from the norm. Each character was unique and had a voice asking to be heard throughout the book, although it’s told from Tru’s and Zared’s POV.
I think that might be were the dilemma arose from with me. The story is full of strong characters and each one was trying to talk to me, I ended up being over-whelmed by them all.
The story itself has a lot of promise and covered interesting concepts like genetic experimentation as well as human cloning. But I think this first book to the series covered so much information and everything got cramped along with character development which resulted to it being such a busy read. There could easily be two books inside this one and had that been the case, it wouldn’t have felt rushed and overpowering for me.
The relationship between Tru and her mom made me frown a bit then I remembered 2 words: Teenagers and Hormones. Enough said.
Tru lost her loved-ones but the pace of the story didn’t allow her to grieve for them, which had she been given the chance would have made her show another side to her character.
Still, the series held promise and the ending gave us a glimpse of more exciting things coming in book 2.
February 6, 2017
Overall Assessment:
I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t connect with it. I tried for about two weeks before I was finally able to slog through it. The only reason I finished it is because I won the second book in a giveaway on Goodreads.
I don’t think I will be moving onto the second book though. Not unless the Zombie Apocalypse happens and I need something to read in between killing zombies and canning peaches, anyway.
What I liked:
– At the beginning of each chapter there were little snippets of the New Order’s Bill of Rights, Pledge of Allegiance, “10 Commandments of Personal Conduct”, a new Hippocratic Oath, and more. I think this helped with picturing how controlling the government was in the New Order. A couple examples below:
“I will use my position to eradicate illnesses and those individuals who breed illnesses. –Hippocratic Oath, 2020" Yikes.
“In a effort to maintain a peaceful society, the New Order and its affiliates may use any method of search and seizure necessary without provocation. — Bill of Trust, The American Republic, 2020"
What I didn’t:
– The whole book felt very rushed. There was no character development, which is what led me to not caring what happened to either of the main characters or the general population of the world in the book.
– The “love story” between Z and Tru felt forced, unlikely, and shallow. Z shows back up in her life after disappearing for years and BAM she’s in love with him and trusts him with her life? Come on. I know teenage girls can be hormonal and idealistic, but damn.
– Even with all the action, it was boring.
Would I recommend this book to family and/or friends?
– Ehhhh…..maybe. If you are super hard-core about reading every YA post-apocalyptic novel out there, then sure. There are a lot better options though, IMO.
I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t connect with it. I tried for about two weeks before I was finally able to slog through it. The only reason I finished it is because I won the second book in a giveaway on Goodreads.
I don’t think I will be moving onto the second book though. Not unless the Zombie Apocalypse happens and I need something to read in between killing zombies and canning peaches, anyway.
What I liked:
– At the beginning of each chapter there were little snippets of the New Order’s Bill of Rights, Pledge of Allegiance, “10 Commandments of Personal Conduct”, a new Hippocratic Oath, and more. I think this helped with picturing how controlling the government was in the New Order. A couple examples below:
“I will use my position to eradicate illnesses and those individuals who breed illnesses. –Hippocratic Oath, 2020" Yikes.
“In a effort to maintain a peaceful society, the New Order and its affiliates may use any method of search and seizure necessary without provocation. — Bill of Trust, The American Republic, 2020"
What I didn’t:
– The whole book felt very rushed. There was no character development, which is what led me to not caring what happened to either of the main characters or the general population of the world in the book.
– The “love story” between Z and Tru felt forced, unlikely, and shallow. Z shows back up in her life after disappearing for years and BAM she’s in love with him and trusts him with her life? Come on. I know teenage girls can be hormonal and idealistic, but damn.
– Even with all the action, it was boring.
Would I recommend this book to family and/or friends?
– Ehhhh…..maybe. If you are super hard-core about reading every YA post-apocalyptic novel out there, then sure. There are a lot better options though, IMO.
January 9, 2017
REGRESS
by
S.F. Benson
The Alliance Chronicles
In the not too distant future large portions of the world's population gets decimated by the Ebola virus. This leads to Street wars and revolution. The New Order steps in with stringent measures of control, categorizing citizens according to their abilities with creatives being disdained as being too unpredictable. The institute a mandatory vaccine which ostensibly eradicates the virus and other diseases. At age 17 young people are vaccinated and are expected to enter the adult world and get jobs and get married.
Truly Shara Shepherd, on the eve of her 17th birthday receives a text from the CHA (Center for Human Advancement) to inform her of her inoculation day. She is rebellious and as a result misses the curfew and while trying to escape the notice of the drone police meets up with Z (Zared Aioki) in an alleyway. They have a history from schooldays as well as their parents knowing each other before Tru's family had been downgraded. Zared's mother died of the virus and soon after his father abandoned him and for a while he lived on the streets. Z recruits Tru to help him find Intrepid.
What follows is a trip of note through the red tape of their corrupt society, double agents a government spy planted in Tru's family, death, an unwanted betrothal, capture and torture.
Each chapter in the book is preceded by eery little excerpts from speeches, propaganda and even a revised version of the ten commandments, from both the government and the Alliance. These excerpts bring home to the reader just how perverted the the American Republic is.
A book that succeeded in transporting me to another time and place and got my emotions fired up! As such I award 4 stars to this offering.
by
S.F. Benson
The Alliance Chronicles
In the not too distant future large portions of the world's population gets decimated by the Ebola virus. This leads to Street wars and revolution. The New Order steps in with stringent measures of control, categorizing citizens according to their abilities with creatives being disdained as being too unpredictable. The institute a mandatory vaccine which ostensibly eradicates the virus and other diseases. At age 17 young people are vaccinated and are expected to enter the adult world and get jobs and get married.
Truly Shara Shepherd, on the eve of her 17th birthday receives a text from the CHA (Center for Human Advancement) to inform her of her inoculation day. She is rebellious and as a result misses the curfew and while trying to escape the notice of the drone police meets up with Z (Zared Aioki) in an alleyway. They have a history from schooldays as well as their parents knowing each other before Tru's family had been downgraded. Zared's mother died of the virus and soon after his father abandoned him and for a while he lived on the streets. Z recruits Tru to help him find Intrepid.
What follows is a trip of note through the red tape of their corrupt society, double agents a government spy planted in Tru's family, death, an unwanted betrothal, capture and torture.
Each chapter in the book is preceded by eery little excerpts from speeches, propaganda and even a revised version of the ten commandments, from both the government and the Alliance. These excerpts bring home to the reader just how perverted the the American Republic is.
A book that succeeded in transporting me to another time and place and got my emotions fired up! As such I award 4 stars to this offering.
Read
August 29, 2016I got lost in this world and finished this book in 2 days!!! I could NOT put it down! I just had to know what happened next! Sorry kids go make yourself a sandwich! Mommy is busy! In this particular world, your genetics have to meet certain requirements or you weren't needed. Could you imagine living in a World where you are told Who to Marry? What job you will have? What time you will come inside? If you didn't follow the Rules it meant Death! This is the world of the characters we will meet: Truly Shepard- a Creative who is just shy of her 17th birthday, which means it's almost time for her inoculation!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! For creatives that can be deadly! Then there is her bff Ko, who can skip the inoculation because she is going to become a Riza Officer. Ko can't help but to love rules and follow them. She likes order. Eventually we meet the handsome Zarek, he's mysterious and for good reason. Tru is not sure whether she should trust him or not but on instinct she decides to follow him for now... IF you want to know more about him, well I guess you just need to pick up the book and read it!?!
There is so much lies, deception, betrayal, and more in this book you won't know which way is up and which way is down! Who are the good guys and are the bad? I Have to get the next book because I can't leave it like this... Benson you didn't disappoint me yet again!
There is so much lies, deception, betrayal, and more in this book you won't know which way is up and which way is down! Who are the good guys and are the bad? I Have to get the next book because I can't leave it like this... Benson you didn't disappoint me yet again!
June 30, 2016
This book is based on the near future of what could become of us. With Ebola killing millions, Tru has to decide who to trust. Taking the lose of loved ones she must decide which side she is on. This was a good book. There were some parts that I thought could have been better. What I mean by that is it didn't feel like the situation would have actually happened in real life. Like...asking the guard(s) to leave so she could talk to her boyfriend. No actual guard, no matter age, would actually give them time to plot their way out. Overall, it was a good read and with the cliffhanger ending...I must read the next book!
October 6, 2016
Regress was a whirlwind read! Banning creativity, seriously?! I was enjoying the words on these pages. S.F. Benson sure took an overused genre and created something that held my attention! I really enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter mentioning different rules and beliefs of the officials in this post apocalyptic world! Benson is a great storyteller.. although, I would have liked to read more depth into the main character' love life, I was surprised to see how many times I had to pick my jaw off the floor! Regress was a good read and I already have book 2 in my hands!
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