What do you think?
Rate this book
Mind Writer
Born with a rare genetic mutation, Eighteen-year-old Rinee Newburgh has been kept in a secret government facility all her life. Trained to enhance her skills as a Mind Writer, her unique talents give her the ability to transfer a person’s thoughts, memories, personality—their soul—into a clone created for those deemed vital to society’s continued survival.
When Rinee’s friend and right hand to the President, Andrei Malotetnev, is nearly killed in an assassination attempt, she discovers the terrible truth—that Mind Writers are regarded as disposable, and life outside the Facility is nothing more than a pollution-filled world on the brink of collapse. She also learns of Malotetnev’s plan to kill millions of people as a means of freeing up dwindling resources needed by the government. Horrified at the thought of a modern day holocaust, Rinee escapes the Facility in a desperate attempt to warn the people of his evil intentions.
Locked in a race against time, Malotetnev sends his most trusted assassin with orders to eliminate Rinee at any cost before the truth can be revealed. What he didn't count on was an assassin with a conscience.
When Rinee’s friend and right hand to the President, Andrei Malotetnev, is nearly killed in an assassination attempt, she discovers the terrible truth—that Mind Writers are regarded as disposable, and life outside the Facility is nothing more than a pollution-filled world on the brink of collapse. She also learns of Malotetnev’s plan to kill millions of people as a means of freeing up dwindling resources needed by the government. Horrified at the thought of a modern day holocaust, Rinee escapes the Facility in a desperate attempt to warn the people of his evil intentions.
Locked in a race against time, Malotetnev sends his most trusted assassin with orders to eliminate Rinee at any cost before the truth can be revealed. What he didn't count on was an assassin with a conscience.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2016
10 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 25, 2016
I liked this novel (3 stars here, 4 on Amazon), so I rate it 3.5 stars. The style and technical aspects of the writing are good, especially considering how hard it must be to co-author a novel and edit it. I would like to have seen more of a feminine touch given to the story, but I'm female. I've read some of Ms. Godfrees' other work and loved it, so I expected to see more of her influence in this book, although I recognized a good bit. One thing about the plot—lots of chasing/pursuing—became tiresome for me, but I react the same way in movies containing such. I can still recommend this book because I like the premise a lot and found a number of characters endearing.
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
February 27, 2018
5 Thoughts on Mind Writer (originally posted on my book blog here)
1. I don’t usually read sci-fi, thrillers, futuristic novels, or dystopia—and this is all of those in one! So I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. :) I do make exceptions in my usual reading genres to try different things sometimes, though, and when I was given a copy of this book and thought the premise sounded intriguing, I decided to dive in. I’m glad I did!
2. Mind Writer is a thrilling, engaging read, very well written and exciting. There are many twists and surprises, and each time the characters have a plan and it’s thwarted, they have to dash right into a new one... Governmental plots, a hired assassin, a heroine on the run with a special ability, crime bosses, and an underground Christian movement. The plot was fascinating to follow, with all its twists and turns, and all the little sub-plots and motives of the different characters! It felt like a movie. :)
3. The concept of people who have the ability to transfer someone’s mind/memories/soul to another body was interesting (though it seemed more fantasy-like than scientific to me, personally, which was fine). It was unique, and intriguing how that came into play in the story, particularly the memory aspect, and how the “colors” of people’s souls reflected on their level of goodness... I don’t want to spoil anything, though. ;)
4. I liked the heroine, Rinee, as well as anti-hero Clixon who has secrets of his own and something of a character arc, and other characters like Saminy with her accent and sweet family, and another unexpected ally or two... I particularly loved the parts with Rinee and Clixon—they make a great pair, and I loved their talks; they often made me smile or laugh. :)
5. Some of it was a bit scary for me (I just... don’t usually prefer dystopia! Just a me-thing. I know I’m in the minority. XD) and it was a bit gruesome occasionally, but otherwise as far as I remember it’s a clean read, and I believe young adults and adults alike would enjoy it. If you’re looking for a YA futuristic thriller with a Christian theme and a dash of sci-fi and dystopia, this is the book for you! ^_^
Note: I was given a copy of this book when I met the author at a writing workshop. (Thanks, Lisa!) I voluntarily reviewed this; my opinions are my own.
1. I don’t usually read sci-fi, thrillers, futuristic novels, or dystopia—and this is all of those in one! So I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. :) I do make exceptions in my usual reading genres to try different things sometimes, though, and when I was given a copy of this book and thought the premise sounded intriguing, I decided to dive in. I’m glad I did!
2. Mind Writer is a thrilling, engaging read, very well written and exciting. There are many twists and surprises, and each time the characters have a plan and it’s thwarted, they have to dash right into a new one... Governmental plots, a hired assassin, a heroine on the run with a special ability, crime bosses, and an underground Christian movement. The plot was fascinating to follow, with all its twists and turns, and all the little sub-plots and motives of the different characters! It felt like a movie. :)
3. The concept of people who have the ability to transfer someone’s mind/memories/soul to another body was interesting (though it seemed more fantasy-like than scientific to me, personally, which was fine). It was unique, and intriguing how that came into play in the story, particularly the memory aspect, and how the “colors” of people’s souls reflected on their level of goodness... I don’t want to spoil anything, though. ;)
4. I liked the heroine, Rinee, as well as anti-hero Clixon who has secrets of his own and something of a character arc, and other characters like Saminy with her accent and sweet family, and another unexpected ally or two... I particularly loved the parts with Rinee and Clixon—they make a great pair, and I loved their talks; they often made me smile or laugh. :)
5. Some of it was a bit scary for me (I just... don’t usually prefer dystopia! Just a me-thing. I know I’m in the minority. XD) and it was a bit gruesome occasionally, but otherwise as far as I remember it’s a clean read, and I believe young adults and adults alike would enjoy it. If you’re looking for a YA futuristic thriller with a Christian theme and a dash of sci-fi and dystopia, this is the book for you! ^_^
Note: I was given a copy of this book when I met the author at a writing workshop. (Thanks, Lisa!) I voluntarily reviewed this; my opinions are my own.
November 19, 2016
This is the first novel I have read by Lynch and Godfrees and I am glad I have done so. I have seen Lynch's books around Amazon and have another of his in my kindle but not read. It was this new novel that encouraged me to read from this author. This is the first of anything I have read of Lisa Godfrees.
I love this novel. Lynch and Godfrees write well and seem to be compliment each other in writing and developing this futuristic, science fiction, dystopian, medical based story. In a novel such as this, it needs to flow well, without any overly descriptive narrative. Having the latter, would only derail the plot and its flow and detract from the reader's enjoyment and attachment to the characters and story. This novel does not suffer from this. The authors are very competent in this aspect. I would not hesitate to read another novel of theirs either individually or if they team up in the future. Of the latter, I hope they do. They are a writing dynamo together!
I don't believe that in today's world with its advancements in medical/science, technology and research, and how the experts in these fields seem to push the envelope and ignore all boundaries on ethics, morals etc, that any reader would be surprised or shocked with the premise of this story. To use a well used and common cliché, it seems to be a case of not if but when! It is against this background that makes novels like Mind Writer such great escapism and enjoyable experience, but gives the reader an introduction into what could be an example of our future.
What I especially enjoy about Christian fiction is for its authors to take such futuristic and/or speculative topics such as what is in this novel and develop it against a Christian worldview.
The authors spend a considerable amount of the novel developing the antagonistic and protangonistic characters, the medical technology and practice of mind writing and the corruptness and deceit of those in charge of this, including a world depleted of resources on every level and suffering from the environmental effects of world war. We become endeared to the protagonists especially Rinee, Clixon, Saminy, her daughters and even the very sick Tory.
We also learn to despise, dislike, (or hate!) the antagonists of Blackstone, Malotetnev and others, and be angered at their evilness, corruption and deceitfulness. When the authors have the protagonists coming to the end of themselves and in dire circumstances with no apparent way out, the authors then introduce the spiritual aspects that make up this worldview.
Who do Rinee, Clixton turn to when they only have each other to rely on and that is becoming self limited? Which protagonist holds the key to the future of the circumstances that they find themselves in? It is here that this protagonist introduces these characters to the Three, (the Trinity of the biblical God) and the underground Christian church. The church members come to their aid, allowing their active faith to be a platform for the presence of The Three to destroy the actions and plans of the antagonists. Here also, the authors introduce the biblical ethics of the practice of mind writing and whether this is compatible with The Three's Sovereignty and veracity of His Scriptures.
For me, reading the last quarter of the novel, where all aspects of the plot come to a head, it was inevitable that some of the protagonists find the salvation offered from God. This not only reflects what happens in real life, in most circumstances, but also honours the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its power unto salvation.
From this point of view, I applaud the authors for what they achieved in presenting the Christian worldview of this medical practice and the Sovereignty of God. However, I would have liked more of the biblical ethics of mind writing to have been explored from this worldview. I just felt that what was presented was too short or too concise and thus run the risk as being seen by a reader as a weak biblical worldview.
I do believe that this may not have been what the authors intended. What they did present is relevant to the biblical ethics of transferring a person's soul into another. Would more of the biblical ethics of this issue detract from the action, suspense and flow of the story? I don't think so. I feel more would have challenged both the Christian and non-Christian reader to consider on a deeper level the biblical ethics of this practice, the nature of God and how totally Sovereign He is. I don't believe this would have detracted from any of the novel's construction or the reader's enjoyment of it.
I offer this as positive feedback. I realise that any Christian author would find it a fine line striking a balance between how much spiritual/biblical content to present and how much not to. Too much or too in-depth presents as preachy to the reader and derails the plot, its flow and characters. Too little, or none at all, presents the novel with questionable Christian/biblical content and whether it can be considered Christian fiction at all.
I have stated in many other reviews that I am not a fan of romance as a genre. However, I do enjoy romance when it is a subplot or a minor plot line. My enjoyment is even more pronounced when written by a male Christian author. Such was the case with the romance developing between Clixon and Rinee. If this was mainly developed by Lynch, then I am one happier camper than if it was mainly by Godfrees. No offence intended to you, Lisa Godfrees! The inclusion of romance not only added some light relief to the suspense and tension of the action scenes, but added more depth to these two characters.
A thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking glimpse of what our future could look like when medical science is manipulated through greed, deceit and the boundaries of morality and spiritual ethics are ignored or suppressed.
I am very much looking forward to the next novel (or a previous one) from each of these authors.
Strongly Recommended.
World Building 5/5
Characterisation 4/5
Story 5/5
Spiritual Level 4/5
Enemy Spiritual Level 3/5
Average Rating 4.2/5 Stars
-----------------------------
Spiritually, based on my review and on the following reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland, and that Mind Writer contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction outlined in this booklet, I award Mike Lynch and Lisa Godfrees with The Reality Calling Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction Award
Congratulations Mike Lynch and Lisa Godfrees!
I love this novel. Lynch and Godfrees write well and seem to be compliment each other in writing and developing this futuristic, science fiction, dystopian, medical based story. In a novel such as this, it needs to flow well, without any overly descriptive narrative. Having the latter, would only derail the plot and its flow and detract from the reader's enjoyment and attachment to the characters and story. This novel does not suffer from this. The authors are very competent in this aspect. I would not hesitate to read another novel of theirs either individually or if they team up in the future. Of the latter, I hope they do. They are a writing dynamo together!
I don't believe that in today's world with its advancements in medical/science, technology and research, and how the experts in these fields seem to push the envelope and ignore all boundaries on ethics, morals etc, that any reader would be surprised or shocked with the premise of this story. To use a well used and common cliché, it seems to be a case of not if but when! It is against this background that makes novels like Mind Writer such great escapism and enjoyable experience, but gives the reader an introduction into what could be an example of our future.
What I especially enjoy about Christian fiction is for its authors to take such futuristic and/or speculative topics such as what is in this novel and develop it against a Christian worldview.
The authors spend a considerable amount of the novel developing the antagonistic and protangonistic characters, the medical technology and practice of mind writing and the corruptness and deceit of those in charge of this, including a world depleted of resources on every level and suffering from the environmental effects of world war. We become endeared to the protagonists especially Rinee, Clixon, Saminy, her daughters and even the very sick Tory.
We also learn to despise, dislike, (or hate!) the antagonists of Blackstone, Malotetnev and others, and be angered at their evilness, corruption and deceitfulness. When the authors have the protagonists coming to the end of themselves and in dire circumstances with no apparent way out, the authors then introduce the spiritual aspects that make up this worldview.
Who do Rinee, Clixton turn to when they only have each other to rely on and that is becoming self limited? Which protagonist holds the key to the future of the circumstances that they find themselves in? It is here that this protagonist introduces these characters to the Three, (the Trinity of the biblical God) and the underground Christian church. The church members come to their aid, allowing their active faith to be a platform for the presence of The Three to destroy the actions and plans of the antagonists. Here also, the authors introduce the biblical ethics of the practice of mind writing and whether this is compatible with The Three's Sovereignty and veracity of His Scriptures.
For me, reading the last quarter of the novel, where all aspects of the plot come to a head, it was inevitable that some of the protagonists find the salvation offered from God. This not only reflects what happens in real life, in most circumstances, but also honours the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its power unto salvation.
From this point of view, I applaud the authors for what they achieved in presenting the Christian worldview of this medical practice and the Sovereignty of God. However, I would have liked more of the biblical ethics of mind writing to have been explored from this worldview. I just felt that what was presented was too short or too concise and thus run the risk as being seen by a reader as a weak biblical worldview.
I do believe that this may not have been what the authors intended. What they did present is relevant to the biblical ethics of transferring a person's soul into another. Would more of the biblical ethics of this issue detract from the action, suspense and flow of the story? I don't think so. I feel more would have challenged both the Christian and non-Christian reader to consider on a deeper level the biblical ethics of this practice, the nature of God and how totally Sovereign He is. I don't believe this would have detracted from any of the novel's construction or the reader's enjoyment of it.
I offer this as positive feedback. I realise that any Christian author would find it a fine line striking a balance between how much spiritual/biblical content to present and how much not to. Too much or too in-depth presents as preachy to the reader and derails the plot, its flow and characters. Too little, or none at all, presents the novel with questionable Christian/biblical content and whether it can be considered Christian fiction at all.
I have stated in many other reviews that I am not a fan of romance as a genre. However, I do enjoy romance when it is a subplot or a minor plot line. My enjoyment is even more pronounced when written by a male Christian author. Such was the case with the romance developing between Clixon and Rinee. If this was mainly developed by Lynch, then I am one happier camper than if it was mainly by Godfrees. No offence intended to you, Lisa Godfrees! The inclusion of romance not only added some light relief to the suspense and tension of the action scenes, but added more depth to these two characters.
A thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking glimpse of what our future could look like when medical science is manipulated through greed, deceit and the boundaries of morality and spiritual ethics are ignored or suppressed.
I am very much looking forward to the next novel (or a previous one) from each of these authors.
Strongly Recommended.
World Building 5/5
Characterisation 4/5
Story 5/5
Spiritual Level 4/5
Enemy Spiritual Level 3/5
Average Rating 4.2/5 Stars
-----------------------------
Spiritually, based on my review and on the following reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland, and that Mind Writer contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction outlined in this booklet, I award Mike Lynch and Lisa Godfrees with The Reality Calling Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction Award
Congratulations Mike Lynch and Lisa Godfrees!
September 19, 2016
I enjoyed this book very much, as dystopian novels go. The concept of transferring a mind from one body to another was fresh and original, especially the idea that some parts of the person's memories and thoughts would rub off on the person doing the transfer.
Rinee, a Mind Writer, gets to know her patients a bit too well, and she pays a high price every time she uses her unusual talent. State secrets present a moral dilemma for her and place her life in peril.
I liked the main characters and many of the secondary characters, especially Saminy; however, I found the villains too uniformly villainous. The story was told from many points of view, and so it was difficult to warm up to any of the characters. Even so, the world was fascinating and the plot kept up a good pace.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy dystopian science fiction.
Rinee, a Mind Writer, gets to know her patients a bit too well, and she pays a high price every time she uses her unusual talent. State secrets present a moral dilemma for her and place her life in peril.
I liked the main characters and many of the secondary characters, especially Saminy; however, I found the villains too uniformly villainous. The story was told from many points of view, and so it was difficult to warm up to any of the characters. Even so, the world was fascinating and the plot kept up a good pace.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy dystopian science fiction.
September 6, 2016
This book was a surprise sleeper for me. I'd never heard of it before, but as I've said in other reviews, the way I can tell a good book is if the first chapter grabs me and pulls me in. Mind Writer did just that, and I kept reading all the way to the end. The authors have crafted an imaginative tale about a group of people genetically able to transfer souls into cloned bodies of the dying or injured. Seems like a concept that wouldn't fit into a CF novel, but it actually does. And well. The world building is solid and the characters believable. There is a little bit of cliche and cheese, but I honestly kind of like those at times in a book, so it wasn't a detraction for me. There were also interesting questions raised about morality, and wow . . . what if someone really could do this and ended up retaining some of the memories of those they transferred. Interesting concept!
September 15, 2016
An Intriguing Premise
Great debut for Ms. Godfrees! I liked the premise of someone with a genetic condition who could transfer souls. Rinee is a smart heroine, and Clixon has a great story arc. I enjoyed the villain's POV too. The secondary characters were strong as well, which doesn't always happen. I would have liked a bit more background into the world although there are enough hints, I wasn't lost.
It was a quick read with good pacing. I'd recommend this to science fiction fans, especially those who like dystopian.
Great debut for Ms. Godfrees! I liked the premise of someone with a genetic condition who could transfer souls. Rinee is a smart heroine, and Clixon has a great story arc. I enjoyed the villain's POV too. The secondary characters were strong as well, which doesn't always happen. I would have liked a bit more background into the world although there are enough hints, I wasn't lost.
It was a quick read with good pacing. I'd recommend this to science fiction fans, especially those who like dystopian.
October 18, 2016
Sci-Fi technology, political intrigue, supernatural abilities, and a tiny touch of romance all entwine to make this dystopian a super read. Malotetnev has a diabolical scheme to usurp the president and take over the country--using innocent Rinee, a mind writer, to do it.
But she teams up with an assassin and a small team of worshipers in what seems to be a hopeless attempt to thwart his plans. All the power, all the resources are in Malotetnev's hands. How on earth can this rag-tag group stop him?
A definite page turner.
But she teams up with an assassin and a small team of worshipers in what seems to be a hopeless attempt to thwart his plans. All the power, all the resources are in Malotetnev's hands. How on earth can this rag-tag group stop him?
A definite page turner.
November 30, 2016
I loved this story. Mind writers that transfer souls into clones. As they do the transfer the memories of that person stay with the mind writer. This creates a great original read. The characters were well developed but there were so many at times I was a bit confused for a couple minutes. Overall a good read.
March 8, 2019
Don't judge by the cover
This is a great fantasy book with a terrible cover. Because of that the book deserves a 4.5 in reality.
Good story line, good twists. Maybe at the end, some more twists could have been fit in but it was OK.
This is a great fantasy book with a terrible cover. Because of that the book deserves a 4.5 in reality.
Good story line, good twists. Maybe at the end, some more twists could have been fit in but it was OK.
July 21, 2017
I was privileged several years ago to be a beta-reader for Mind Writer by Mike Lynch & Lisa Godfrees. There were times when I was beta-reading that I’d get so completely sucked into the story I’d forget to pay attention for feedback purposes. So I was thrilled when it got picked up for publication and I’m happy to report the completed novel is even better than the earlier version!
Mind Writer is mostly a story about the unique alliance between a young lady who knows too much and the man sent to capture her. They encounter friends, and enemies, as they sort through their personal troubles and fight to save the lives of everyone not in the upper-crust of society. It’s action-packed with the characters on constant move. The setting is interesting as a futuristic, environmentally degraded world that has a different flavor from the prevalent YA dystopians. It feels not only familiar but plausible.
It’s a little different from my usual fiction – Adult Science Fiction rather than YA Fantasy/Romance – but I enjoyed the story a lot. I only have two quibbles and they are both minor. 1) The cover – it’s just awful. It would have been better if it showed something like the two main characters on the back of a motorcycle, perhaps with an exploding hangar behind them. Something like that. 2) There’s a bit of a split-up toward the end, almost like two separate climaxes to the story, which I though diluted the tension just a bit. But it was understandable and not a huge deal. Oh – and I didn’t love Malotetnev’s name – just because it was difficult to pronounce while reading the book aloud to my hubby! I’ll confess I cut the “et” from the name pretty quickly. ;-)
All in all, Mind Writer is an exciting adventure and a fun read.
Mind Writer is mostly a story about the unique alliance between a young lady who knows too much and the man sent to capture her. They encounter friends, and enemies, as they sort through their personal troubles and fight to save the lives of everyone not in the upper-crust of society. It’s action-packed with the characters on constant move. The setting is interesting as a futuristic, environmentally degraded world that has a different flavor from the prevalent YA dystopians. It feels not only familiar but plausible.
It’s a little different from my usual fiction – Adult Science Fiction rather than YA Fantasy/Romance – but I enjoyed the story a lot. I only have two quibbles and they are both minor. 1) The cover – it’s just awful. It would have been better if it showed something like the two main characters on the back of a motorcycle, perhaps with an exploding hangar behind them. Something like that. 2) There’s a bit of a split-up toward the end, almost like two separate climaxes to the story, which I though diluted the tension just a bit. But it was understandable and not a huge deal. Oh – and I didn’t love Malotetnev’s name – just because it was difficult to pronounce while reading the book aloud to my hubby! I’ll confess I cut the “et” from the name pretty quickly. ;-)
All in all, Mind Writer is an exciting adventure and a fun read.
October 20, 2016
Not my usual cup of tea (not usually a fan of fantasy), but I have to admit this is a good one. Mike Lunch and Lisa Godfrees have made a good team. The tension is tight and keeps you reading. The next turn could take you ... well, anywhere you might not want to go.
Rinee Newburgh is a mindwriter, and not even she knows what that is until it comes her turn to perform a duty that only a mindwriter can do. She's supposed to go to a special place if she completes her task acceptably, but she finds out that special place is not all it's cracked up to be. Plus her task is pretty awful all by itself, and if she loses her gloves--which she does, twice--well, everyone pays.
And then there's Mark Clixon, a man who performs an expensive service in order to purchase medicine for his son Toby. Never mind that it's a pretty deplorable job, and now no one trusts him.
The two of them are manipulated by a man who wants to be president, but first the present president has to be removed, along with much of the population of the country. Can the Three stop him? Will Rinee and Clixon get out of their mess?
You will never know unless you buy the book--available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I received this book free from one of the authors in return for an honest review.
Rinee Newburgh is a mindwriter, and not even she knows what that is until it comes her turn to perform a duty that only a mindwriter can do. She's supposed to go to a special place if she completes her task acceptably, but she finds out that special place is not all it's cracked up to be. Plus her task is pretty awful all by itself, and if she loses her gloves--which she does, twice--well, everyone pays.
And then there's Mark Clixon, a man who performs an expensive service in order to purchase medicine for his son Toby. Never mind that it's a pretty deplorable job, and now no one trusts him.
The two of them are manipulated by a man who wants to be president, but first the present president has to be removed, along with much of the population of the country. Can the Three stop him? Will Rinee and Clixon get out of their mess?
You will never know unless you buy the book--available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I received this book free from one of the authors in return for an honest review.
September 7, 2016
A little better than merely okay: 2.8 or so. I did like the story. It had an interesting sci-fi premise (clones! immortality! mind-swapping!) and was very good at holding suspense. A little preaching, but very minimal IMO. A little on the dark side of dystopian, which was unexpected, but not so utterly depressing that it ruined it.
My biggest reading hurdle was the use of "alright". I understand this is coming into informal use more and more, but I agree with Dictionary.com : "Basically, it is not all right to use alright in place of all right in standard English. ... all right is the only acceptable form in edited writing." This book had two authors and presumably an editor, yet not one of the three of them knew this? This nonstandard form is used extensively (I would guess at least 25 times, maybe more) and every time, it made me want to circle it with a red pen! Made it hard for me to stay in the story. But if you like this informal pseudoword, or you're indifferent, or you can persuade your inner editor to ignore things while you read, then it may not be a problem for you like it was for me. Read it for the cool sci-fi plot.
My biggest reading hurdle was the use of "alright". I understand this is coming into informal use more and more, but I agree with Dictionary.com : "Basically, it is not all right to use alright in place of all right in standard English. ... all right is the only acceptable form in edited writing." This book had two authors and presumably an editor, yet not one of the three of them knew this? This nonstandard form is used extensively (I would guess at least 25 times, maybe more) and every time, it made me want to circle it with a red pen! Made it hard for me to stay in the story. But if you like this informal pseudoword, or you're indifferent, or you can persuade your inner editor to ignore things while you read, then it may not be a problem for you like it was for me. Read it for the cool sci-fi plot.
November 27, 2016
The idea of mind/soul transfers is fascinating, which is why this book can grab your interest and hold it. I loved the characters and the action. However, late in the second half, I didn't clearly follow how or why Rinee was able to touch some people without a mind transfer, and with others, it was automatic. Maybe I was reading too fast--in a hurry to get to the next scene!
While romance is in the story, it's not a major part. Lynch and Godfrees do an excellent job making this an action-adventure in a dystopian world without getting cheesy on the love interests.
While romance is in the story, it's not a major part. Lynch and Godfrees do an excellent job making this an action-adventure in a dystopian world without getting cheesy on the love interests.
August 20, 2016
I thought the book was entertaining and fun to read. The rating would have been higher for me, but it went a little flat for my tastes. That doesn't mean the book isn't worth reading, but I would have liked a few more things.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews