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The Tomorrow Code
THE END OF THE WORLD started quietly enough for Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards. . . .
Tane and Rebecca aren’t sure what to make of it—a sequence of 1s and 0s, the message looks like nothing more than a random collection of alternating digits. Working to decode it, however, Tane and Rebecca discover that the message contains lottery numbers . . . lottery numbers that win the next random draw! Suddenly Tane and Rebecca are rich, but who sent the numbers? And why? More messages follow, and slowly it becomes clear—the messages are being sent back in time from Tane and Rebecca’s future. Something there has gone horribly wrong, and it’s up to them to prevent it from happening. As they follow the messages’ cryptic instructions, Tane and Rebecca begin to suspect the worst—that the very survival of the human race may be at stake.
Tane and Rebecca aren’t sure what to make of it—a sequence of 1s and 0s, the message looks like nothing more than a random collection of alternating digits. Working to decode it, however, Tane and Rebecca discover that the message contains lottery numbers . . . lottery numbers that win the next random draw! Suddenly Tane and Rebecca are rich, but who sent the numbers? And why? More messages follow, and slowly it becomes clear—the messages are being sent back in time from Tane and Rebecca’s future. Something there has gone horribly wrong, and it’s up to them to prevent it from happening. As they follow the messages’ cryptic instructions, Tane and Rebecca begin to suspect the worst—that the very survival of the human race may be at stake.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2008
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2190 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
October 29, 2011
This is a review, so there is spoilers..
Good premise, and alot of action, but goes down hill in second half when plot becomes ridiculous.
The Tomorrow Code is a young adult apocalypse novel about two kids in New Zealand who stumble across information from the future that the world will end soon. Like The Di Vinci code, action and plotting hide several large plot holes. This is a time travel story where two fourteen year-olds get information from the future sent by their future selves. It is never really explained how they discover how to send messages, and the whole thing is circular, they get messages from the future telling themselves how to build a machine to send messages back in time, so they do which allows them to send their past selves this knowledge (They actually name a sub they buy Mobius as this concept is called a Mobius strip) Neither of them have the technical know how to construct it and a friend builds it for them in the past..so how they know how to build it to tell their future selves in a plot hole big enough to drive a truck through. It also is unstated what makes them of all people so special to be placed in this Mobius strip, they are fourteen although the girl Rebecca seems to have alot of knowledge way outside the norm for a young girl. (the author gets this out of the way by stating she is a genius.) Its reminiscent of "Groundhog day" but end of the world style. But unlike Groundhog day, where the main character is pulled into the Mobius because he is a jerk and must see true love, there is no explanation for why these to kids get sucked into the loop. Its a big missing piece.
Also, the environmental message is laid on very thick and beats one over the head. The girls human self loathing/hatred (thinks we all should die) is good for the plot, but comes out of left field. A fourteen year old isn't that fatalistic without explanation, and the book doesn't invest the character with the motivation to make her views a natural outgrowth of her character.
The threat to humanity, when it presents itself, is rather absurd (we are powerless to fight an enemy that can be destroyed by..water, huh?) Although not having enough firetrucks handy when it gets out is understandable and was a good action scene and the sense of action and lost cause hopelessness of being out gunned and out manned was a page turner, wouldn't the rest of the world easily stop the threat once they had more time to prepare?
For young adults, its a decent read, especially for teenagers who like end of the world yarns. It has a chaste love story with two brothers competing for the girl and the kids are of course smarter than all the adults. However, for adults, once the "big reveal" in the second half of the book is sprung, the plot holes may make this a slog. However, I did read the whole thing, which shows the book is a page turner and is action packed. The New Zealand setting was different and I enjoyed the cultural flavor the setting provided. But the absurdity of the plot and the ham-fisted environmental message had me skimming the last hundred pages just to see how it ended.
Good premise, and alot of action, but goes down hill in second half when plot becomes ridiculous.
The Tomorrow Code is a young adult apocalypse novel about two kids in New Zealand who stumble across information from the future that the world will end soon. Like The Di Vinci code, action and plotting hide several large plot holes. This is a time travel story where two fourteen year-olds get information from the future sent by their future selves. It is never really explained how they discover how to send messages, and the whole thing is circular, they get messages from the future telling themselves how to build a machine to send messages back in time, so they do which allows them to send their past selves this knowledge (They actually name a sub they buy Mobius as this concept is called a Mobius strip) Neither of them have the technical know how to construct it and a friend builds it for them in the past..so how they know how to build it to tell their future selves in a plot hole big enough to drive a truck through. It also is unstated what makes them of all people so special to be placed in this Mobius strip, they are fourteen although the girl Rebecca seems to have alot of knowledge way outside the norm for a young girl. (the author gets this out of the way by stating she is a genius.) Its reminiscent of "Groundhog day" but end of the world style. But unlike Groundhog day, where the main character is pulled into the Mobius because he is a jerk and must see true love, there is no explanation for why these to kids get sucked into the loop. Its a big missing piece.
Also, the environmental message is laid on very thick and beats one over the head. The girls human self loathing/hatred (thinks we all should die) is good for the plot, but comes out of left field. A fourteen year old isn't that fatalistic without explanation, and the book doesn't invest the character with the motivation to make her views a natural outgrowth of her character.
The threat to humanity, when it presents itself, is rather absurd (we are powerless to fight an enemy that can be destroyed by..water, huh?) Although not having enough firetrucks handy when it gets out is understandable and was a good action scene and the sense of action and lost cause hopelessness of being out gunned and out manned was a page turner, wouldn't the rest of the world easily stop the threat once they had more time to prepare?
For young adults, its a decent read, especially for teenagers who like end of the world yarns. It has a chaste love story with two brothers competing for the girl and the kids are of course smarter than all the adults. However, for adults, once the "big reveal" in the second half of the book is sprung, the plot holes may make this a slog. However, I did read the whole thing, which shows the book is a page turner and is action packed. The New Zealand setting was different and I enjoyed the cultural flavor the setting provided. But the absurdity of the plot and the ham-fisted environmental message had me skimming the last hundred pages just to see how it ended.
November 22, 2011
"The Tomorrow Code" is, overall, an okay book. The sciences behind the entire plot are intriguing. Sadly, everything plummets from there.
The writing itself is merely decent. The narrative is no award-winning masterpiece; it's quite simple and two-demensional. It improved between the dull beginning and action end, but I was unimpressed.
The plot started off stagnant, emotionless, and-let's face it-boring. I was halfway through the book before I was truly interested. The beginning had a weird effect of dragging miserable while seemingly rushing through everything (my only guess is that the wrong parts were detailed, and the right ones only mentioned). The end saved it, along with the immunology and time messaging.
The characters I grew to hate more than love. Each character had their own likable factors, but the characterization seemed inconsistent through the entire novel, and I was alienated from sympathizing with them. Perhaps the most consistent character was the one we meet only once, and who died in the middle of the book.
The moral behind the series got incredibly cliche and corny unnaturally fast. I laughed when I should have been fervently agreeing. I was not convinced.
Also, there was an alliteration near the beginning that I positively hated. Don't try so hard, Mr. Falkner.
That being said, the death scenes were appealing in the way they were presented, the science was though-provoking, and the ending one of my favorites, but if you read it, do so for the science rather than literary genius.
The writing itself is merely decent. The narrative is no award-winning masterpiece; it's quite simple and two-demensional. It improved between the dull beginning and action end, but I was unimpressed.
The plot started off stagnant, emotionless, and-let's face it-boring. I was halfway through the book before I was truly interested. The beginning had a weird effect of dragging miserable while seemingly rushing through everything (my only guess is that the wrong parts were detailed, and the right ones only mentioned). The end saved it, along with the immunology and time messaging.
The characters I grew to hate more than love. Each character had their own likable factors, but the characterization seemed inconsistent through the entire novel, and I was alienated from sympathizing with them. Perhaps the most consistent character was the one we meet only once, and who died in the middle of the book.
The moral behind the series got incredibly cliche and corny unnaturally fast. I laughed when I should have been fervently agreeing. I was not convinced.
Also, there was an alliteration near the beginning that I positively hated. Don't try so hard, Mr. Falkner.
That being said, the death scenes were appealing in the way they were presented, the science was though-provoking, and the ending one of my favorites, but if you read it, do so for the science rather than literary genius.
May 7, 2010
A kids book? In the book description on Amazon.com this book is targeted to 9-12 year old. Between the concepts, vocabulary, and the way the humor is (and the unnecessary swearing), I'd say teen.
Because this is written in New Zealand, British words and phrase are found instead of US ones (e.g., car park vs parking lot). That, and descriptions & locations, etc. are all good for cultural expansion, or just general interest.
As often happens, when playing with the concept of time, it is arguable if they got it right. He introduces a couple of the well known paradoxes, which cleared the way for him to ignore having to explain further. I liked that.
The first chapter is entitled "the end" and, for the most part, it grabs you and moves along quickly. There are a few places you roll your eyes, but you remember it is a teen book and you accept it and go on to the last chapter entitled "the beginning." Although I had little doubt how it would end, it was still okay when I got there.
Overall he handled the science well, added enough breathe and environment to fill out the story without deviating away from its direction.
This is worth reading.
Because this is written in New Zealand, British words and phrase are found instead of US ones (e.g., car park vs parking lot). That, and descriptions & locations, etc. are all good for cultural expansion, or just general interest.
As often happens, when playing with the concept of time, it is arguable if they got it right. He introduces a couple of the well known paradoxes, which cleared the way for him to ignore having to explain further. I liked that.
The first chapter is entitled "the end" and, for the most part, it grabs you and moves along quickly. There are a few places you roll your eyes, but you remember it is a teen book and you accept it and go on to the last chapter entitled "the beginning." Although I had little doubt how it would end, it was still okay when I got there.
Overall he handled the science well, added enough breathe and environment to fill out the story without deviating away from its direction.
This is worth reading.
September 14, 2011
The Tomorrow Code is one of those books that I discovered by browsing a bookshelf in a shop, read the back of, found the blurb to be quite interesting, and bought there and then. No consideration, no drawn out thought process, just a purchase on instinct.
The blurb in question reveals a book with a promising, if not entirely original premise. Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards are close teenage friends that, through a combination of Tane's creative mind and Rebecca's brilliant intellect, find themselves in receipt of a cryptic message that reveals the upcoming winning lottery numbers. What's more, this message appears to have been sent from the future, by Tane and Rebecca themselves, and is the first in a string of messages that warns about something that, ultimately, looks an awful lot like the end of the world.
This book shows a lot of initial promise. Tane and Rebecca are interesting characters that interact very well together throughout the book. The book moves at a decent pace and hooks the reader with a combination of plot developments and Falkner's writing style, which at times is skilful enough to develop suspense in itself. The initial mystery of why the messages have been sent and what exactly they are warning Tane and Rebecca about is intriguing and keeps the pages turning.
Unfortunately those early standards aren't quite maintained as the book goes on. Once the 'threat' is revealed the plot struggles to keep its momentum, and eventually peters out into action sequences that are just not nearly as well written as the earlier sections.
That is not to say that the Tomorrow Code is a bad book. Far from it. Overall it was enjoyable, and the ideas within it are interesting and display a degree of originality. The science of the book is well explained, helping the reader to engage with the principles that the book uses. It also kept me sufficiently interested that I finished it in a handful of sittings. But its early promise does not follow through to the book's conclusion, resulting in a novel that is worth a look, but isn't going to set the world on fire.
The blurb in question reveals a book with a promising, if not entirely original premise. Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards are close teenage friends that, through a combination of Tane's creative mind and Rebecca's brilliant intellect, find themselves in receipt of a cryptic message that reveals the upcoming winning lottery numbers. What's more, this message appears to have been sent from the future, by Tane and Rebecca themselves, and is the first in a string of messages that warns about something that, ultimately, looks an awful lot like the end of the world.
This book shows a lot of initial promise. Tane and Rebecca are interesting characters that interact very well together throughout the book. The book moves at a decent pace and hooks the reader with a combination of plot developments and Falkner's writing style, which at times is skilful enough to develop suspense in itself. The initial mystery of why the messages have been sent and what exactly they are warning Tane and Rebecca about is intriguing and keeps the pages turning.
Unfortunately those early standards aren't quite maintained as the book goes on. Once the 'threat' is revealed the plot struggles to keep its momentum, and eventually peters out into action sequences that are just not nearly as well written as the earlier sections.
That is not to say that the Tomorrow Code is a bad book. Far from it. Overall it was enjoyable, and the ideas within it are interesting and display a degree of originality. The science of the book is well explained, helping the reader to engage with the principles that the book uses. It also kept me sufficiently interested that I finished it in a handful of sittings. But its early promise does not follow through to the book's conclusion, resulting in a novel that is worth a look, but isn't going to set the world on fire.
August 11, 2012
I have never understood the passion and jealousy characters exhibit. Maybe it's because I've always been pretty ambivalent when it comes to relationships. I've never really felt the need to be with someone else. Or maybe because God damn it, they are just over-reacting and need some help from a psychologist. Your world is dying and you send your brother out when you are the one warning yourself not to?! Makes no sense. Certainly I wouldn't want Tane as a brother.
Now that my irritation with Tane is out of the way on to the plot. I'm not really sure what to say in regards to it. At times thejealousy, and paranoia romance got in the way of the story, leaving me looking at the page in gibbering horror at how I was yet again, in yet another book being beaten over the head with some form of "romantic" angle. Huh. I guess I wasn't done with Tane.
The Tane/Rebecca/Fatboy (Harley) relationship overshadowed the entire book, and pretty much ruined any chance of me enjoying the story. I guess all I can say is thank God there isn't a sequel.
Now that my irritation with Tane is out of the way on to the plot. I'm not really sure what to say in regards to it. At times the
The Tane/Rebecca/Fatboy (Harley) relationship overshadowed the entire book, and pretty much ruined any chance of me enjoying the story. I guess all I can say is thank God there isn't a sequel.
February 13, 2023
Frustrating read that had a good setting but tons of plot holes like hello does communication exist this is precisely how every zombie apocalypse scenario begins
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2024
That was a crazy book. I loved that the book included some overlooked and underused topics like immunology, ecological depredation, and Maori culture. All big things that I knew virtually nothing about. It held my attention, tore at my heart, and played with my head. If only there was a second book to compensate for the painfully abrupt ending. The Tomorrow Code, in short, is a scientific thriller with a love triangle and intriguing themes.
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January 16, 2012What would you say if you could talk to yourself as you were six months ago? In Brian Falkner’s The Tomorrow Code, that message brings news of the end of the world. The novel offers a fast paced and exciting story line, with likable characters and a message that we have to take care of our earth. The only problem I had with it is that it was difficult to look past the flaws in the scientific reasoning. Overall, the book was a great read with very few criticisms to point out.
When New Zealand teenager Tane and his best friend Rebecca begin to wonder if there might be a way to send messages between the past and present, they build a transmitter radio to pick up gamma rays. They receive messages from their future selves, warning of a biological disaster that will wipe out all life on earth if they don’t do anything to stop it. Eventually, the question comes up: should they stop it? I found the theme of ‘do humans deserve to be here if we’re destroying our home’ to be interesting, and got me thinking that maybe we are doing more harm than good. “It would be a shame when this was all gone. He knew it was coming. The developers with their tractors and bulldozers would be here one day… One day this [forest] would be something he would tell his grandkids about, and they’d laugh, he thought, unsure whether to believe him” (Falkner 112). Tane knows of the wrongs that the human race is doing, and when it’s up to him to decide whether to save us all or let us perish, he considers all of his options. His thoughts lead the reader to really consider their purpose, and make you want to be more environmentally conscious.
I was bothered by the fact that the science behind the message sending was impractical. Falkner’s idea was that messages could be sent back in time through tiny wormholes in the quantum foam in binary form that would then need to be decoded. It irritated me because it quite simply isn’t possible. Even the theory of quantum foam itself isn’t proven, let alone sending gamma messages through it. The assumption that anything could be sent through a wormhole would only make sense in the context of general relativity, which doesn’t make sense because general relativity doesn’t even take quantum foam into account. The only possible way the two could coexist, which would be too long an explanation to write about here; would destroy anything you could try to send through the wormhole. Plus, even if this was possible, it makes even less sense that two teenagers would be able to achieve it by building a radio out of scrap metal. It was hard to look past these inconsistencies, but with imagination it is only a little bit of a bother.
With many enjoyable scenes, interesting characters and thought provoking questions, The Tomorrow Code is a book that I would highly recommend. Even if you’re not into science, or not an environmentalist, just about anyone can find a way to relate to this book. I enjoyed every minute of reading it, and was so tied up with it that I couldn’t put it down!
September 6, 2011
The Tomorrow Code was about best friends Tane and Rebecca, who have an idea that someone from the future could’ve built a machine that sends messages to the past and they need someone to receive them. Don’t ask me how they thought of that. So they get this software program and start receiving messages from their future selves.
But the messages are kind of disturbing because they say that the world has ended and their past selves have to stop it from ending before it can happen.
Tane and Rebecca do their best to follow the instructions but they’re too late. Apparently Planet Earth has decided that humans are diseases and so it releases antibodies to kill them all off. The antibodies are these gigantic slugs that have humanlike faces. If one touches a human, the human instantly dissolves. It has a lot of gross details. Completely disgusting. So Tane and Rebecca know the situation is out of hand and that there is nothing they can do, so they escape New Zealand in their submarine. It’s the end of the book and Tane and Rebecca are at the bottom of the sea in their sub and they know above them humans are being dissolved by humungous slugs.
Tane turns to Rebecca and says, “Let’s use the time messaging device we built in our free time to send our past selves different messages than our other future selves sent us so we can save the world.”
Rebecca agrees.
The end.
Some parts were pretty good, but by the end I was thoroughly disgusted and depressed.
There was a little romance, but it was basically a waste of time. Tane was the main character and he was in love with Rebecca but I’m not sure why. But then Tane’s older brother, Fatboy (yes, Fatboy) asks Rebecca out and they become boyfriend and girlfriend. Oooh love triangle! Tane is obviously super jealous.
One day he gets a message saying don’t let Fatboy go to the evil lab. If you read between the lines it means if Fatboy goes, he’ll probably die or something. Tane goes to warn Fatboy, but he sees Fatboy and Rebecca kissing. And it turns out Rebecca was kissing Fatboy because she was breaking up with him. For guess who?? But Tane doesn’t know that so he’s super mad and doesn’t tell Fatboy.
That made me really repulsed by Tane. He basically chose to kill his brother just because he was jealous!
Of course, Rebecca finds out and gets really mad at Tane. I think he more than deserves it. So I’m really ticked off when later (with Fatboy right next to her!) she tells Tane that she was wrong to be angry and she understands that he was just hurt. Then she kisses him.
Seriously Rebecca? You forgive him that easily? Well, I kind of understand because she wasn’t sure she would ever see him alive again.
So that's it.
But the messages are kind of disturbing because they say that the world has ended and their past selves have to stop it from ending before it can happen.
Tane and Rebecca do their best to follow the instructions but they’re too late. Apparently Planet Earth has decided that humans are diseases and so it releases antibodies to kill them all off. The antibodies are these gigantic slugs that have humanlike faces. If one touches a human, the human instantly dissolves. It has a lot of gross details. Completely disgusting. So Tane and Rebecca know the situation is out of hand and that there is nothing they can do, so they escape New Zealand in their submarine. It’s the end of the book and Tane and Rebecca are at the bottom of the sea in their sub and they know above them humans are being dissolved by humungous slugs.
Tane turns to Rebecca and says, “Let’s use the time messaging device we built in our free time to send our past selves different messages than our other future selves sent us so we can save the world.”
Rebecca agrees.
The end.
Some parts were pretty good, but by the end I was thoroughly disgusted and depressed.
There was a little romance, but it was basically a waste of time. Tane was the main character and he was in love with Rebecca but I’m not sure why. But then Tane’s older brother, Fatboy (yes, Fatboy) asks Rebecca out and they become boyfriend and girlfriend. Oooh love triangle! Tane is obviously super jealous.
One day he gets a message saying don’t let Fatboy go to the evil lab. If you read between the lines it means if Fatboy goes, he’ll probably die or something. Tane goes to warn Fatboy, but he sees Fatboy and Rebecca kissing. And it turns out Rebecca was kissing Fatboy because she was breaking up with him. For guess who?? But Tane doesn’t know that so he’s super mad and doesn’t tell Fatboy.
That made me really repulsed by Tane. He basically chose to kill his brother just because he was jealous!
Of course, Rebecca finds out and gets really mad at Tane. I think he more than deserves it. So I’m really ticked off when later (with Fatboy right next to her!) she tells Tane that she was wrong to be angry and she understands that he was just hurt. Then she kisses him.
Seriously Rebecca? You forgive him that easily? Well, I kind of understand because she wasn’t sure she would ever see him alive again.
So that's it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2012
The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner was such a great book, the author is an absolute genius. It was something wild and different that you haven't seen before. A guaranteed fun read. At first I gave the book 4 stars, but then I thought; "What could the author improve about this book?" and I couldn't name a single thing. So I changed it to 5 stars, for this amazing book.
It is about Rebecca and Tane who are best friends. They have known each other since birth, being family friends. Rebecca is extremely smart and she knows almost everything there is to know about science. They are both only 14, and so Rebecca always impresses with her smarts. Tane is more of an art guy, who loves creative thinking. With those combinations, this duo is now relied on to save the world. One day they decide to try and catch signals sent from the future, just for fun. They didn't think it was going to work, but when they decoded a series of 1's and 0's they suddenly noticed that something was wrong. The world was going to go under. But they didn't know how, when, where or even who. Can they save the world?
The book captures the reader more intensely page after page. I insisted on finishing this book in one day, it was so impossible to put down. The adventures of Rebecca and Tane change your perspective of the world and how things work, it is that impressive.
Now to one thing that I really wanted to talk about; the ending. Most books have a crappy ending, and that is just the way it is. It is hard to write a good ending, as all authors and amateur writers know. But not Brian Falkner. The ending of this book was so magnificent, I almost wanted to cry. The ending makes so much sense and yet leaves the reader to think on their own. It is a short ending, pulling a fast stop to the story. It may sound like this is bad, but in fact it makes the story so much better. The ending is probably one of the reasons that I gave it 5 stars, not 4. This book deserves so much more attention and love than it has gotten, it should be a blockbuster like Twilight or The Hunger Games. There is just so much to it, it would also make a great movie.
Yes, make this book a movie! Love it!
It is about Rebecca and Tane who are best friends. They have known each other since birth, being family friends. Rebecca is extremely smart and she knows almost everything there is to know about science. They are both only 14, and so Rebecca always impresses with her smarts. Tane is more of an art guy, who loves creative thinking. With those combinations, this duo is now relied on to save the world. One day they decide to try and catch signals sent from the future, just for fun. They didn't think it was going to work, but when they decoded a series of 1's and 0's they suddenly noticed that something was wrong. The world was going to go under. But they didn't know how, when, where or even who. Can they save the world?
The book captures the reader more intensely page after page. I insisted on finishing this book in one day, it was so impossible to put down. The adventures of Rebecca and Tane change your perspective of the world and how things work, it is that impressive.
Now to one thing that I really wanted to talk about; the ending. Most books have a crappy ending, and that is just the way it is. It is hard to write a good ending, as all authors and amateur writers know. But not Brian Falkner. The ending of this book was so magnificent, I almost wanted to cry. The ending makes so much sense and yet leaves the reader to think on their own. It is a short ending, pulling a fast stop to the story. It may sound like this is bad, but in fact it makes the story so much better. The ending is probably one of the reasons that I gave it 5 stars, not 4. This book deserves so much more attention and love than it has gotten, it should be a blockbuster like Twilight or The Hunger Games. There is just so much to it, it would also make a great movie.
Yes, make this book a movie! Love it!
February 5, 2021
Read this a few times before, but during a plague seemed like a good time to reread it. Frightening but well done, and I always find myself forgetting that it's set in New Zealand and then being delighted again that there's some really wonderful plot points that hinge on that.
April 26, 2020
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3
The Tomorrow Code is a young adult science fiction thriller that reminded me of both The Mist by Stephen King and The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. The story takes place in New Zealand and Tane and Rebecca are teens that receive a message from the future that provides them with winning lottery numbers. They continue to receive messages instructing them on what to do with their lottery winnings and warning of a future catastrophe. And then the killer mist descends on New Zealand – wiping out all human life in its wake.
I thought the story started out very strong and I was caught up in the messages from the future, but as the story continued, my interested faded. I had little interest in the teen romance and the competition between brothers Tane and Fatboy.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was Brian Falkner’s descriptions of birds, wildlife and the Maori people of New Zealand. Brian is from New Zealand and love and pride of his country shines through in his writing.
The Tomorrow Code is a young adult science fiction thriller that reminded me of both The Mist by Stephen King and The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. The story takes place in New Zealand and Tane and Rebecca are teens that receive a message from the future that provides them with winning lottery numbers. They continue to receive messages instructing them on what to do with their lottery winnings and warning of a future catastrophe. And then the killer mist descends on New Zealand – wiping out all human life in its wake.
I thought the story started out very strong and I was caught up in the messages from the future, but as the story continued, my interested faded. I had little interest in the teen romance and the competition between brothers Tane and Fatboy.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was Brian Falkner’s descriptions of birds, wildlife and the Maori people of New Zealand. Brian is from New Zealand and love and pride of his country shines through in his writing.
March 25, 2019
Name: Josh Halat
Book title: The Tomorrow Code
What i think: The Tomorrow Code is a great book that shows how it is when people are trying to invent new things. This book shows detail and very good word choice. I love the plot and the book is also like the movie interstellar.
Plot: The tomorrow code starts off with two kids sitting under the sky and they are both very smart. On that night they saw a star shoot by and that brought up the idea of time travel. They kept talking about this for the next couple days and then went to a friend to get some gamma ray bursts to analyse them and see what they were. After that they have to decrypt messages that tell them what to do and how to save the world/ survive.
Recommendations: I recommend this book to anyone who likes survival books. I also would recommend this book to people that are interested in books that are about making new things.
Book title: The Tomorrow Code
What i think: The Tomorrow Code is a great book that shows how it is when people are trying to invent new things. This book shows detail and very good word choice. I love the plot and the book is also like the movie interstellar.
Plot: The tomorrow code starts off with two kids sitting under the sky and they are both very smart. On that night they saw a star shoot by and that brought up the idea of time travel. They kept talking about this for the next couple days and then went to a friend to get some gamma ray bursts to analyse them and see what they were. After that they have to decrypt messages that tell them what to do and how to save the world/ survive.
Recommendations: I recommend this book to anyone who likes survival books. I also would recommend this book to people that are interested in books that are about making new things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2017
This book beings in the present day. Tane and Rebecca are two teenagers who have very interesting lives. When they start receiving messages from the future, they are able decode it, and solve future problems before they occur.
I liked this book because for many reasons. To start, I liked how action-packed and suspenseful it was overall. Although few, each significant character was developed fairly well. I liked the flow of the book. Each event leads to the next at a solid pace.
I didn't like how the real conflict didn't seem to present itself towards as a clear problem until the end of the book. It seemed to come up too quickly, and new characters seem to come in very suddenly. There was also a very minor use of sexist language, which I also wasn't a fan of.
Overall, this book was quite satisfying to read. The writing style was very intriguing, and left me wanting more. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure, and enjoys Science-Fiction.
I liked this book because for many reasons. To start, I liked how action-packed and suspenseful it was overall. Although few, each significant character was developed fairly well. I liked the flow of the book. Each event leads to the next at a solid pace.
I didn't like how the real conflict didn't seem to present itself towards as a clear problem until the end of the book. It seemed to come up too quickly, and new characters seem to come in very suddenly. There was also a very minor use of sexist language, which I also wasn't a fan of.
Overall, this book was quite satisfying to read. The writing style was very intriguing, and left me wanting more. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure, and enjoys Science-Fiction.
July 13, 2017
First half was ok, second half was ridiculous. I definitely don't recommend this book, its a waste of time and money
December 3, 2022
Pretty good
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May 28, 2019The Tomorrow Code
Personal review
I thought this was a really good book, even as it was quite difficult to follow up a book like Brain Jack. It had a similar sci-fi save the world kind of feel but it was not in a series. You can also tell this writing style apart from others pretty easily and I like that. Overall, it was a great read that kept me turning pages, and this book proves that while Goodreads sucks, reading can be not so bad.
Summary
Tane and Rebecca start the story off in a city in New Zealand. They are casually thinking about possible time travel and having small thoughtful discussions. Soon, the genius Rebecca is stumped by her average friend Tane, and they start trying to receive messages from the future. When they realize that it really works having received the next week's lottery numbers and winning millions. Soon the grim truth of imminent apocalypse unfolds before them as they struggle to decipher each cryptic message. I’m not going to say the rest because I don’t want to spoil it.
Recommendation
I think that anyone who loves books for a reason other than sappy romance will like this book. It gives you rare and otherwise obsolete (unless you are going into immunodeficiencies and biochemistry) knowledge about general immune systems of animals. It also has a great plot that had me and most likely many others reading late into the night.
Personal review
I thought this was a really good book, even as it was quite difficult to follow up a book like Brain Jack. It had a similar sci-fi save the world kind of feel but it was not in a series. You can also tell this writing style apart from others pretty easily and I like that. Overall, it was a great read that kept me turning pages, and this book proves that while Goodreads sucks, reading can be not so bad.
Summary
Tane and Rebecca start the story off in a city in New Zealand. They are casually thinking about possible time travel and having small thoughtful discussions. Soon, the genius Rebecca is stumped by her average friend Tane, and they start trying to receive messages from the future. When they realize that it really works having received the next week's lottery numbers and winning millions. Soon the grim truth of imminent apocalypse unfolds before them as they struggle to decipher each cryptic message. I’m not going to say the rest because I don’t want to spoil it.
Recommendation
I think that anyone who loves books for a reason other than sappy romance will like this book. It gives you rare and otherwise obsolete (unless you are going into immunodeficiencies and biochemistry) knowledge about general immune systems of animals. It also has a great plot that had me and most likely many others reading late into the night.
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February 15, 2017The Tomorrow Code
By: Ben Neadow
When I first checked out “The Tomorrow Code,” I didn’t think much of it. I only checked it out to have a book for class. But as the days went on, I got curious of what the book was about. So one afternoon I decided to pick the book up and started reading it. As I started reading and the pages started turning, I couldn’t help myself. I kept reading and reading and reading until I was content. But for some reason, I read 132 pages in under an hour.
Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards are teenagers that end up winning the lottery of 6 million dollars in their hometown of Sunnyvale. But before that, they receive messages of letters that seem to make words. Adding them together they received a message saying, “SUBEO NTLS.” Knowing that Subeo was a British submarine company, they figured that they must buy a submarine with the lottery money. After looking at multiple submarines, they decide on getting one called the Subeo Nautilus, which is an astounding 4 million New Zealand dollars. Once they receive the submarine they are receiving more messages, but Tane and Rebecca suspect the worst and act as if the survival of the entire human race is at stake. But at the end they realized what really happened and decided maybe next time not make the same mistakes, and were able to get home safely.
Not to spoil too much but, “The Tomorrow Code” is a great book that in my opinion should deserve to be read more often. The book will hook you in and not let go until the end which leaves you wanting more to read.
By: Ben Neadow
When I first checked out “The Tomorrow Code,” I didn’t think much of it. I only checked it out to have a book for class. But as the days went on, I got curious of what the book was about. So one afternoon I decided to pick the book up and started reading it. As I started reading and the pages started turning, I couldn’t help myself. I kept reading and reading and reading until I was content. But for some reason, I read 132 pages in under an hour.
Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards are teenagers that end up winning the lottery of 6 million dollars in their hometown of Sunnyvale. But before that, they receive messages of letters that seem to make words. Adding them together they received a message saying, “SUBEO NTLS.” Knowing that Subeo was a British submarine company, they figured that they must buy a submarine with the lottery money. After looking at multiple submarines, they decide on getting one called the Subeo Nautilus, which is an astounding 4 million New Zealand dollars. Once they receive the submarine they are receiving more messages, but Tane and Rebecca suspect the worst and act as if the survival of the entire human race is at stake. But at the end they realized what really happened and decided maybe next time not make the same mistakes, and were able to get home safely.
Not to spoil too much but, “The Tomorrow Code” is a great book that in my opinion should deserve to be read more often. The book will hook you in and not let go until the end which leaves you wanting more to read.
July 14, 2014
Wow. Just wow. This book made me think so much! And that ending! I wish there was a sequel, where they went back, and started the whole thing again, so we can find out what happens in the end!
When Fatboy and Rebecca started dating, I don't know why, but I felt really bad. Like I wanted Tane and Rebecca to go out instead of Fatboy and Rebecca. But the writing never suggested that Tane and Rebecca liked each other as more than friends, so I don't really understand where I got that feeling from...
I think my favourite line from this book is '"Do you know what global warming is?" Rebecca asked calmly. "I do. The world has a fever. Mother Nature is sick and the sickness is us!"'
I just love that, because it makes you think so much. We all think that we are the most important beings in the galaxy, but this book makes you think 'What if we aren't?' What if each planet can get sick? What if Earth is sick? What if we're the sickness? What if, if we spread out and colonise other planets, such as Mars, all we're doing, is contaminating the other planets with the sickness that is human kind? Or, what if there are other life forms on other planets, which mean that all the planets are already sick, just with a different type of sickness? I LOVE IT! IT MAKES YOU THINK SO MUCH!
And it's set in New Zealand, where I lived for 5 years, so I'm familiar with all of the places, which makes this book all the more cooler!
When Fatboy and Rebecca started dating, I don't know why, but I felt really bad. Like I wanted Tane and Rebecca to go out instead of Fatboy and Rebecca. But the writing never suggested that Tane and Rebecca liked each other as more than friends, so I don't really understand where I got that feeling from...
I think my favourite line from this book is '"Do you know what global warming is?" Rebecca asked calmly. "I do. The world has a fever. Mother Nature is sick and the sickness is us!"'
I just love that, because it makes you think so much. We all think that we are the most important beings in the galaxy, but this book makes you think 'What if we aren't?' What if each planet can get sick? What if Earth is sick? What if we're the sickness? What if, if we spread out and colonise other planets, such as Mars, all we're doing, is contaminating the other planets with the sickness that is human kind? Or, what if there are other life forms on other planets, which mean that all the planets are already sick, just with a different type of sickness? I LOVE IT! IT MAKES YOU THINK SO MUCH!
And it's set in New Zealand, where I lived for 5 years, so I'm familiar with all of the places, which makes this book all the more cooler!
October 18, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. The way Brian Falkner writes is excellent. This book has one of the best story lines I have ever read. This book in science fiction, it talks about sending letters to the past and how it would affect the present. Tane and Rebecca are the main characters, they figure out a way to receive messages to the past. Tane makes the initial thought of the possibility of sending messages to the past. Tane and Rebecca live in Auckland, New Zealand. Tane’s family is rich and Rebecca’s family is relatively poor. Rebecca however is smart enough to make the plan happen. They receive a message with the lotto numbers and win six million dollars. They had to have Fatboy, Tane’s brother help out because he was eighteen. They end up buying a sub marine because they receive a warning that the world is about to end. It will end with some kind of something called the Chimera project. Tane and Rebecca go to visit the lab where this project will start; they are lied to about its existence. Then they head back to the island and find out it is too late and are arrested. They escape however and run from a naval frigate. They soon discover that a fog has started killing people, it is the Chimera project. They are too late, it can’t be stopped. Fatboy dies, and the fog threatens New Zealand and the world. Tane and Rebecca end up having to live in the submarine and sent messages to the past to try to change the present.
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December 17, 2014 I think this book is really good. I never stop to think if time travel is real, everyone thinks it is science fiction. I think the book has a good plot and even if I really do not like physics that much, it got my attention and now I have a different perspective towards physics. The book is about two best friends, Tane and Rebecca (and Fatboy). They think of an idea when they saw a shooting star. They thought what if you can send back messages to the past. Rebecca thought deeply about the idea and looked for something that decodes a message from the future. She said that gamma rays could be a resource to decode the messages so they went and got random number from a gamma ray burst. What they found amazed them. I can’t tell you more or i will spoil it. The book has main characters like Tane, Rebecca and Fatboy but characters like Rebecca’s mom and Tane's mom, the scientist. I liked the ending. My favorite part was when they buy the submarine and get train by the weird guy. I liked how they do not question why kids are buying a submarine. I'm pretty sure that buying a submarine would be kind of hard without having the public knowing. Also when they win the lotto, how can the public not know that someone won the lotto and how Rebecca's mom does not even question why they have a new house. I like how this book takes place in New Zealand This book was fun to read
September 2, 2013
The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner is one thrilling sci-fi novel you're not gonna be able to put down!In New Zealand,Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards have been best friends since they can remember. But one day when they stumble across a series of 1s and 0s and begin to decode them, they realize that they are messages being sent to them from the future! Soon they figure out that its a message sent from their future selves that gives them winning lottery numbers. However that's not the only thing they include.It also tells them how to save the world from the impeding apocalypse. Throughout the story, Tane and Rebecca face many challenges, each more difficult than the one before. With Rebecca's intellect and Tane's creative mind, they must save all of humanity with their messages they must send and receive through time.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a big fan of time travel. This book has mystery, sci-fi, little bit of romance and is chock full of adventure! I gave this book a great 5/5 because it is such a thrilling, fun, intriguing novel that is a for-sure must-get!
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a big fan of time travel. This book has mystery, sci-fi, little bit of romance and is chock full of adventure! I gave this book a great 5/5 because it is such a thrilling, fun, intriguing novel that is a for-sure must-get!
January 26, 2012
The book is about a smart science geek named Rebecca and an artsy boy called Tane. They have been best friends since birth, they were born on the same day and have done everything together! But what if somehow, the future you's have send you a message. S.O.S. What do you do then? Obviously, something is very wrong. As they slowly uncover the secret messages, they they also discover the devastating truth. Can they stop the end of the world?
I loved it. I loved getting the clues and discovering the truth with them. Tane and Rebecca are very loveable, especially Tane. I think this story is suitable for a wide range of people. I think kids from the age of 12 can read it, but me, being 22 loved it as well. I have always been a big fan of science fiction/dystopian stuff, that helped. Also, the end of the world theme is something I enjoy a lot!
I think that everyone should give this book a try. I liked the writing style, I like the characters, I loved the plot, I liked all the side-characters. And I was a big fan of the ending. Four stars!
I loved it. I loved getting the clues and discovering the truth with them. Tane and Rebecca are very loveable, especially Tane. I think this story is suitable for a wide range of people. I think kids from the age of 12 can read it, but me, being 22 loved it as well. I have always been a big fan of science fiction/dystopian stuff, that helped. Also, the end of the world theme is something I enjoy a lot!
I think that everyone should give this book a try. I liked the writing style, I like the characters, I loved the plot, I liked all the side-characters. And I was a big fan of the ending. Four stars!
February 11, 2010
THE TOMORROW CODE was an impulse buy for me. I saw it at the bookstore and it looked intriguing, so I bought it. Only after I got home with it did I look up some of the reviews and was even more intrigued.
Tane and Rebecca begin receiving messages from their future selves that contain warnings about an upcoming disaster of epic proportions. The duo, with the help of Tane's brother, Fatboy, attempt to thwart the disaster, by unscrambling the coded messages and warn the others about impending danger for all of New Zealand and the world.
The story starts off slowly, but before you know it, gathers speed and turns into a fast-paced thriller. It took me a couple of days to get through the first third of the story, but only a day or so to finish the last two thirds. I was caught up in the horror of the events and was desperate to see it through. I was left pondering much on ecology and the Earth and the human race's place in it. Fabulous and thought-provoking!
Tane and Rebecca begin receiving messages from their future selves that contain warnings about an upcoming disaster of epic proportions. The duo, with the help of Tane's brother, Fatboy, attempt to thwart the disaster, by unscrambling the coded messages and warn the others about impending danger for all of New Zealand and the world.
The story starts off slowly, but before you know it, gathers speed and turns into a fast-paced thriller. It took me a couple of days to get through the first third of the story, but only a day or so to finish the last two thirds. I was caught up in the horror of the events and was desperate to see it through. I was left pondering much on ecology and the Earth and the human race's place in it. Fabulous and thought-provoking!
May 16, 2014
The book is quite interesting in some of the concepts it presents though i do wonder if the can follow through because of paradoxes in which they create a new future that didn't happen... well what i just said was confusing what i mean is that the future that the messages are sent from can't exist if certain events don't happen and because of the messages these events cease to exist thus destroying the future that was built on these events which in turn makes it so that the message was never sent and the cycle will keep repeating itself in a never ending loop. If what i have said is true then the events of the book will keep repeating themselves instead of what the ending tries to suggest. all in all though i consider this book to be a good read as i couldn't put it down the day i read it. i recommend it to anyone who can understand the basics of communicating with the future.
April 12, 2013
Absolutely loved this book - just the right amount of 'terror'. My daughter had been begging for it as it was in the 'restricted' section at school. This concerned me until she explained that some year 7 children at her school complained that they'd read everything in the library, so some books were put away just for them. Thankfully she read it quickly so I could get my hands on it! Have recommended to a lot of parents of boys!
October 15, 2008
Taut and exciting plot with intriguing clues sent from the future. A sf puzzler with a possible scenario and likable and interesting characters. Two young people receive coded instructions from the future and the survival of the world may depend on the solution. This suspenseful book will be perfect to hand to the Alex Rider readers and the Uglies fans.
December 2, 2008
I really enjoyed so many things about this book. First of all it is a true science fiction for middle school and young adult which is sometimes hard to find. I loved the particle physics and all of the science involved. It was fun to imagine time travel that may be possible. I also enjoyed that it took place in New Zealand. It really took the book to an interesting cultural level.
July 17, 2010
Only two words can describe this book: suspenseful and heart wrenching. Tane and Rebbecca receive Gamma Ray messages from the future, and find out the the human race is in terrible danger. Can Tane, his brother Harley, and Rebbecca save all of humanity before it's too late?
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