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The Six #3
The Silence
Nothing is as it seems . . . When Adam joined the Pioneer program, he became one of six teens to forfeit their bodies for a new, digital existence. Together, the Six were unstoppable, protecting the world from artificial-intelligence systems that threatened the human race. But they were more than a team--they were family. Until now. Adam has a complex power within his circuitry that defies the very laws of physics. He wasn't programmed to have this power, and he can barely control it or its consequences. Adam's never felt more alone. Amber, the newest Pioneer, knows what it is like to be an outsider. She gets Adam in a way the others don't. Except Amber's software has been corrupted, and until Adam figures out exactly what she's become, the Pioneers--and the world--are in mortal danger.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2017
26 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Mark Alpert
17 books195 followersMark Alpert, author of Final Theory, The Omega Theory, Extinction, The Furies, and The Six, is a contributing editor at Scientific American. In his long journalism career he has specialized in explaining scientific ideas to readers, simplifying esoteric concepts such as extra dimensions and parallel universes. And now, in his novels, Alpert weaves cutting-edge science into high-energy thrillers that elucidate real theories and technologies.
A lifelong science geek, Alpert majored in astrophysics at Princeton University and wrote his undergraduate thesis on the application of the theory of relativity to Flatland, a hypothetical universe with only two spatial dimensions. (The resulting paper was published in the Journal of General Relativity and Gravitation and has been cited in more than 100 scholarly articles.) After Princeton, Alpert entered the creative writing program at Columbia University, where he earned an M.F.A. in poetry in 1984. He started his journalism career as a small-town reporter for the Claremont (N.H.) Eagle Times, then moved on to the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser. In 1987 he became a reporter for Fortune Magazine and over the next five years he wrote about the computer industry and emerging technologies. During the 1990s Alpert worked freelance, contributing articles to Popular Mechanics and writing anchor copy for CNN's Moneyline show. He also began to write fiction, selling his first short story ("My Life with Joanne Christiansen") to Playboy in 1991.
In 1998 Alpert joined the board of editors at Scientific American, where he edited feature articles for the magazine and wrote a column on exotic high-tech gadgets. With his love for science reawakened, he wrote his first novel, Final Theory, about Albert Einstein and the historic quest for the holy grail of physics, the Theory of Everything. Published by Touchstone in 2008, Final Theory was hailed as one of the best thrillers of the year by Booklist, Borders and the American Booksellers Association. Foreign rights to the novel were sold in more than twenty languages, and the movie rights were acquired by Radar Pictures, a Los Angeles production company. Alpert continued the saga of the Theory of Everything in his second book, The Omega Theory, a gripping story about religious fanatics who try to trigger Doomsday by altering the laws of quantum physics. His next thriller, Extinction, focused on brain-computer interfaces and a collective intelligence that decides to exterminate the human race. His fourth novel, The Furies, told the story of an ancient clan who share a genetic mutation so shocking that its discovery could change the course of history. And his first Young Adult novel, The Six, is about six dying teenagers whose lives are “saved” when their minds are downloaded into U.S. Army robots.
Alpert lives in Manhattan with his wife and two non-robotic teenagers. He's a proud member of Scientific American's softball team, the Big Bangers.
A lifelong science geek, Alpert majored in astrophysics at Princeton University and wrote his undergraduate thesis on the application of the theory of relativity to Flatland, a hypothetical universe with only two spatial dimensions. (The resulting paper was published in the Journal of General Relativity and Gravitation and has been cited in more than 100 scholarly articles.) After Princeton, Alpert entered the creative writing program at Columbia University, where he earned an M.F.A. in poetry in 1984. He started his journalism career as a small-town reporter for the Claremont (N.H.) Eagle Times, then moved on to the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser. In 1987 he became a reporter for Fortune Magazine and over the next five years he wrote about the computer industry and emerging technologies. During the 1990s Alpert worked freelance, contributing articles to Popular Mechanics and writing anchor copy for CNN's Moneyline show. He also began to write fiction, selling his first short story ("My Life with Joanne Christiansen") to Playboy in 1991.
In 1998 Alpert joined the board of editors at Scientific American, where he edited feature articles for the magazine and wrote a column on exotic high-tech gadgets. With his love for science reawakened, he wrote his first novel, Final Theory, about Albert Einstein and the historic quest for the holy grail of physics, the Theory of Everything. Published by Touchstone in 2008, Final Theory was hailed as one of the best thrillers of the year by Booklist, Borders and the American Booksellers Association. Foreign rights to the novel were sold in more than twenty languages, and the movie rights were acquired by Radar Pictures, a Los Angeles production company. Alpert continued the saga of the Theory of Everything in his second book, The Omega Theory, a gripping story about religious fanatics who try to trigger Doomsday by altering the laws of quantum physics. His next thriller, Extinction, focused on brain-computer interfaces and a collective intelligence that decides to exterminate the human race. His fourth novel, The Furies, told the story of an ancient clan who share a genetic mutation so shocking that its discovery could change the course of history. And his first Young Adult novel, The Six, is about six dying teenagers whose lives are “saved” when their minds are downloaded into U.S. Army robots.
Alpert lives in Manhattan with his wife and two non-robotic teenagers. He's a proud member of Scientific American's softball team, the Big Bangers.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 5, 2017
Please note: This review may cover some things that happened in the first two books, so if you haven’t read them, you should probably wait to read my review! “The Silence” begins with the cliffhanger of Book 2, where we learned Amber was not what she seemed. Although Sigma was destroyed, we find new threats/dangers for the pioneers and humanity in the warped Jenny and The Silence. Although we learn the truth through Adam about Jenny, she covers it up in his mind and he becomes unaware as are the other pioneers. Humanity has learned of the pioneers when Sigma began attacking them and the pioneers saved them- however, they don’t realize this and see the pioneers as the threat.
The first half of the book is business as usual, where the pioneers are searching for their identity and trying to protect themselves from people who don’t understand. The second half of the book really throws us for a loop with a twist I did not see coming. This book really departs from the storyline of the first two books and becomes something entirely different. While the first two were focused on the battle/war with Sigma, this one brings up a whole different world with what I will only describe as a crazy twist so as to avoid spoilers. I absolutely did not see this one coming.
We get a lot of answers and this one really concludes the series quite well. We begin to understand some of the pioneers a little better (mainly Zia becomes a little clearer) and we learn about the surge Adam can create/why. I was pretty shocked by the turn of events in this book- and I like to be surprised. It felt like a very different book than the first two for this reason. This one definitely becomes sci-fi/fits a different category- The Silence is a completely different enemy than Sigma. I won’t say much more to avoid spoilers, but be prepared to be surprised!
I am not sure if you need to read the first two to enjoy this one (it recaps in the beginning), but you definitely will appreciate the characters more if you have read more about them. Shannon is barely involved in this book- and I really wish we had gotten more from her throughout the series. She seems like such an interesting person, but her character is pretty limited to her interactions with Adam. Regardless, this book threw me for a loop, and I really enjoyed it! It’s a unique story that adds a whole other dimension to the series we’ve been reading/loving so far, and it’s an interesting conclusion! I highly recommend it for sci-fi/battle/technology lovers.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The first half of the book is business as usual, where the pioneers are searching for their identity and trying to protect themselves from people who don’t understand. The second half of the book really throws us for a loop with a twist I did not see coming. This book really departs from the storyline of the first two books and becomes something entirely different. While the first two were focused on the battle/war with Sigma, this one brings up a whole different world with what I will only describe as a crazy twist so as to avoid spoilers. I absolutely did not see this one coming.
We get a lot of answers and this one really concludes the series quite well. We begin to understand some of the pioneers a little better (mainly Zia becomes a little clearer) and we learn about the surge Adam can create/why. I was pretty shocked by the turn of events in this book- and I like to be surprised. It felt like a very different book than the first two for this reason. This one definitely becomes sci-fi/fits a different category- The Silence is a completely different enemy than Sigma. I won’t say much more to avoid spoilers, but be prepared to be surprised!
I am not sure if you need to read the first two to enjoy this one (it recaps in the beginning), but you definitely will appreciate the characters more if you have read more about them. Shannon is barely involved in this book- and I really wish we had gotten more from her throughout the series. She seems like such an interesting person, but her character is pretty limited to her interactions with Adam. Regardless, this book threw me for a loop, and I really enjoyed it! It’s a unique story that adds a whole other dimension to the series we’ve been reading/loving so far, and it’s an interesting conclusion! I highly recommend it for sci-fi/battle/technology lovers.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
June 4, 2017
The Silence, while technically the finale of the series, is more like a companion novel, or like an after-the-end sort of storyline. The Pioneers, who were created to defeat Sigma, the self-aware AI that was about to destroy the world, had completed their primary mission in the previous book. Now, their future lies ahead of them, and the possibilities are many. But having defeated the best AI in the world, they are the best now, which makes them a threat according the the very government that allowed their creation. But more than that, there is another insidious threat looming in the very fabric of their software, a secret that was unleashed much like Adam's surges in the previous novel.
As I mentioned, this novel sets a distinct tone compared to the previous two books. It was about protection and war, but now it is about survival. There are two distinct arcs in the book - the status of the Pioneers in a post-Sigma world and the Silence. The Army is threatening to consign them to a lessened life - an existence akin to making them powerless toys. But being such powerful transhuman AIs (or human-machine hybrids if you want to get technical), they reject this life being thrust on them and want to fight for their right to live and be treated as any other human life. For many in the government, they are just tools to be disposed off when the job is done, whereas for the Pioneers it is like they are murdering them. It evokes civil rights issues and the purpose of a human existence.
The other arc, the Silence is the major one of the book, but it crops up somewhere close to the end of the first half. And with Jenny's resurrection revealed as a cliffhanger in the last book, her motives for helping Adam seem shady. He doesn't know until late that she had manipulated him and posed as Amber, but by then they have opened a can of worms that they need to work together to get rid of. The very fabric of their world was being altered by Adam's surges and the implications of that are revealed in this book. The whole manipulation of matter and physical laws had seemed a bit out there in the last book, but with that explosive reveal, it suddenly becomes logical. Might I add, that reveal blew my mind - I had come across the theory in passing before and did not give it much thought but the way the book applied it to this plot was amazing. I could almost believe it possible, and yet, I feel like maybe in the grand scheme of things, in the living of life, it doesn't matter if it is true or not, like the conclusion of the book makes a point about.
While I have liked this series immensely and feel the science aspect of it is solid and makes for excellent world-building, I feel this book still lacks the emotional weight of the first two. Perhaps it was because the whole Model S-arc was abandoned quickly in favor of the Silence arc and then easily resolved in the epilogue, but this book felt a lot more tell than show when it came to Adam. There were superfluous explanations and descriptions in some parts, which interfered especially with fast paced scenes. But overall, it is a good conclusion to the series, and is a good work of speculative fiction.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley.
As I mentioned, this novel sets a distinct tone compared to the previous two books. It was about protection and war, but now it is about survival. There are two distinct arcs in the book - the status of the Pioneers in a post-Sigma world and the Silence. The Army is threatening to consign them to a lessened life - an existence akin to making them powerless toys. But being such powerful transhuman AIs (or human-machine hybrids if you want to get technical), they reject this life being thrust on them and want to fight for their right to live and be treated as any other human life. For many in the government, they are just tools to be disposed off when the job is done, whereas for the Pioneers it is like they are murdering them. It evokes civil rights issues and the purpose of a human existence.
The other arc, the Silence is the major one of the book, but it crops up somewhere close to the end of the first half. And with Jenny's resurrection revealed as a cliffhanger in the last book, her motives for helping Adam seem shady. He doesn't know until late that she had manipulated him and posed as Amber, but by then they have opened a can of worms that they need to work together to get rid of. The very fabric of their world was being altered by Adam's surges and the implications of that are revealed in this book. The whole manipulation of matter and physical laws had seemed a bit out there in the last book, but with that explosive reveal, it suddenly becomes logical. Might I add, that reveal blew my mind - I had come across the theory in passing before and did not give it much thought but the way the book applied it to this plot was amazing. I could almost believe it possible, and yet, I feel like maybe in the grand scheme of things, in the living of life, it doesn't matter if it is true or not, like the conclusion of the book makes a point about.
While I have liked this series immensely and feel the science aspect of it is solid and makes for excellent world-building, I feel this book still lacks the emotional weight of the first two. Perhaps it was because the whole Model S-arc was abandoned quickly in favor of the Silence arc and then easily resolved in the epilogue, but this book felt a lot more tell than show when it came to Adam. There were superfluous explanations and descriptions in some parts, which interfered especially with fast paced scenes. But overall, it is a good conclusion to the series, and is a good work of speculative fiction.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2017
When Adam joined the pioneer program he became part of a team, they were to protect the world from digital threats. Now Adam has more power and he's not sure how to use it , but his new girlfriend, and newest pioneer, Amber is helping him try to figure it out, only Adam's friends keep trying to warn him that her ideas are not in his best interest, only Adam won't listen. Adam feels more more alone and isolated.
This is a very exciting action packed and suspenseful book with many twists and turns, It asks many very real questions about very real science and beliefs going on today and will leave you thinking what if? If you are in any way interested in computers and the digital world you will love this series, it is not written over anyone's head but takes you on a wild ride through the digital world and spits you out on the other side asking questions even scholars are asking now.
This is a very exciting action packed and suspenseful book with many twists and turns, It asks many very real questions about very real science and beliefs going on today and will leave you thinking what if? If you are in any way interested in computers and the digital world you will love this series, it is not written over anyone's head but takes you on a wild ride through the digital world and spits you out on the other side asking questions even scholars are asking now.
August 24, 2017
I'm really bummed that this is going to be the final book in this trilogy - especially since The Silence, in addition to a title that evokes certain Doctor Who memories, really gets into Doctor Who territory with its terrifying implications for not only humanity's future, but humanity's present as well. Not for nothing did this book, according to Alpert, begin as a ghost story - and it's a pretty damn scary one, with some serious twists that borrow liberally from a certain famous sci-fi film franchise, but I can't tell you which one without spoilers. But those twists, borrowed though they may be, are so unexpected that they really help conspire to cement this trilogy's reputation as some of the smartest YA sci-fi you're not reading, and why the hell is that?
To The Six, The Siege, and The Silence, I now say ave atque vale, though I still wish there could be more. At least I can read some of Alpert's other work, which I've totally been neglecting in the months since I discovered The Six.
To The Six, The Siege, and The Silence, I now say ave atque vale, though I still wish there could be more. At least I can read some of Alpert's other work, which I've totally been neglecting in the months since I discovered The Six.
November 3, 2017
mark Alpert makes a good point if our universe was a simulation so perfectly programmed we wouldn't be able to tell the difference
Want to read
October 6, 2016I want this so bad.
March 23, 2018
I recently finished reading The Silence By, Mark Alpert. The main theme of this book is don't let others control you. If the author wanted me to get one idea from this book it would be that I should do what I want not what others are forcing me to do. This book does not have any comparisons to the world I know. The only ones are that they have modern technology like us and there are countries with militaries. Also there are artificial intelligences. One way it contrasts to the world I know is that in the book there are robots from the future that are controlling a simulation of previous times and that humans are all a simulation. Another way it contrasts is that the technology is so advanced that they can turn dying humans into robots. This book has accomplished finishing a series of books that I long awaited the sequel of this book and I was very excited when it came out.
The genre of this book is science fiction. I know this because this book is about a story that is fake and has events from “ out of this world”. This book has two main settings. White Sands army base in New Mexico US and the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Those places are where the main action occurs. The author does not do a good job of making me feel like I am there. That is because this author did not include many descriptive words about the settings. For the one in NM USA, it was already described in the previous book in the series. However the bottom of the ocean I feel did not need any description for the surroundings. I could still understand the story without them. This book is the final book in the series. It almost feels like a new book though because it almost has a completely different plot than the other books. It is about a boy named Adam who was terminally ill and his dad was able to turn him into an incredibly high tech robot. He worked for the army and he was the most high tech robot in the world. He and his squad of other high tech robots were thought to be not needed and the government thought they were too powerful so the government started hunting them down. Adam and two of his friends from the army found a void that they discovered led to the world in between them and the “ coders”, the robots from the future who controlled the simulation that they lived in. I do not think these characters are very believable. That is because everything in this book is fake so I can not believe anything they say. I do think these characters are adequately described but we were told about most of their personality in the other books. They are not described in this book but they are described in other books.
This book has many strengths and weaknesses. One strength is the way the plot advanced. I like that because it made the progression of the story very clear. It helped me understand the story. One weakness is the amount of predictability in this books events. For example when Adam went into the void to get one of his friends I thought it was very obvious that he was going to get her and everything was going to be fine. Another strength in this book is how long the book is. I know that writing a book with this much info and plot could take a lot of pages but it was less than 300 pages. I think that is a very big accomplishment. I did not like this author's writing style. I felt like it did not include a lot of similes, metaphors etc…
I think people who like science fiction would like this book a lot. That is because this book is science fiction. I also think people who like books about robots and ais would like it because it is about both of those.
The genre of this book is science fiction. I know this because this book is about a story that is fake and has events from “ out of this world”. This book has two main settings. White Sands army base in New Mexico US and the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Those places are where the main action occurs. The author does not do a good job of making me feel like I am there. That is because this author did not include many descriptive words about the settings. For the one in NM USA, it was already described in the previous book in the series. However the bottom of the ocean I feel did not need any description for the surroundings. I could still understand the story without them. This book is the final book in the series. It almost feels like a new book though because it almost has a completely different plot than the other books. It is about a boy named Adam who was terminally ill and his dad was able to turn him into an incredibly high tech robot. He worked for the army and he was the most high tech robot in the world. He and his squad of other high tech robots were thought to be not needed and the government thought they were too powerful so the government started hunting them down. Adam and two of his friends from the army found a void that they discovered led to the world in between them and the “ coders”, the robots from the future who controlled the simulation that they lived in. I do not think these characters are very believable. That is because everything in this book is fake so I can not believe anything they say. I do think these characters are adequately described but we were told about most of their personality in the other books. They are not described in this book but they are described in other books.
This book has many strengths and weaknesses. One strength is the way the plot advanced. I like that because it made the progression of the story very clear. It helped me understand the story. One weakness is the amount of predictability in this books events. For example when Adam went into the void to get one of his friends I thought it was very obvious that he was going to get her and everything was going to be fine. Another strength in this book is how long the book is. I know that writing a book with this much info and plot could take a lot of pages but it was less than 300 pages. I think that is a very big accomplishment. I did not like this author's writing style. I felt like it did not include a lot of similes, metaphors etc…
I think people who like science fiction would like this book a lot. That is because this book is science fiction. I also think people who like books about robots and ais would like it because it is about both of those.
September 10, 2017
I really hate to say it, but this book really disappointed me.
I wanted to like this book so badly. I was super excited when it came out because I was such a fan of the first book in this series, but I read the whole thing in two days and all I can really say is that I had hoped for better.
First of all, let me address the fact that I am biased. I am a big fan of Sigma- it's the reason that I picked up The Six in the first place. I think Sigma was an outstanding villain and antagonist for many reasons- (I could go on for hours about Sigma, but I won't subject anyone to that in this review) and I don't think that Jenny/Amber really lived up to the high expectations that Sigma left me with after it was deleted. I just thought she was kind of annoying and almost childish.
It also bothered me that Adam fell for her tricks so easily. For example, when he asked her about the blocked-off cube in her memory and she completely (and irrationally) blew up about it, shouldn't he have been suspicious? I know I would have been.
The last thing that I want to say is that this book is very different from the previous two. It's so different, in fact, that I think it's a little disorienting. The plot of the series in the beginning was more or less that an AI gone rogue was plotting to destroy the world, and that it was up to six kids-turned-robots to stop it. In this book, we find out that the world is a program made by AI in the future to find out more about the human that created them. It's very different. Too different, in my opinion. I think that the premise of The Silence would have done better as its own separate book series.
The only problem with this, of course, is that a series like The Silence already exists. It's called The Matrix.
Well, those are my thoughts. To sum up, I guess, I think Sigma was a better antagonist and I think that this book would have done better if it was its own separate thing.
I wanted to like this book so badly. I was super excited when it came out because I was such a fan of the first book in this series, but I read the whole thing in two days and all I can really say is that I had hoped for better.
First of all, let me address the fact that I am biased. I am a big fan of Sigma- it's the reason that I picked up The Six in the first place. I think Sigma was an outstanding villain and antagonist for many reasons- (I could go on for hours about Sigma, but I won't subject anyone to that in this review) and I don't think that Jenny/Amber really lived up to the high expectations that Sigma left me with after it was deleted. I just thought she was kind of annoying and almost childish.
It also bothered me that Adam fell for her tricks so easily. For example, when he asked her about the blocked-off cube in her memory and she completely (and irrationally) blew up about it, shouldn't he have been suspicious? I know I would have been.
The last thing that I want to say is that this book is very different from the previous two. It's so different, in fact, that I think it's a little disorienting. The plot of the series in the beginning was more or less that an AI gone rogue was plotting to destroy the world, and that it was up to six kids-turned-robots to stop it. In this book, we find out that the world is a program made by AI in the future to find out more about the human that created them. It's very different. Too different, in my opinion. I think that the premise of The Silence would have done better as its own separate book series.
The only problem with this, of course, is that a series like The Silence already exists. It's called The Matrix.
Well, those are my thoughts. To sum up, I guess, I think Sigma was a better antagonist and I think that this book would have done better if it was its own separate thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2018
3.476 stars. For me, the less awesomest (huh?) story of the three. But bear with me...
This was an intriquing conclusion to a fantastic trilogy by Mark Alpert. I won't give away any of the plot but I am at least somewhat familiar with the Hypothesis that helps construct the basis of the story. It can't have been easy to write ANY kind of story about that even if the previous two books set it up rather well (I say that now in hindsight).
Having said that, I have to be blunt: (a) I'm a chemist by trade. All the techno-babble about software and physics and whatever else that is included in this book left me cold and lost me somewhat (ha! "somewhat" he said with airquotes); and (b) I don't believe it anyway. Sorry, but I don't really buy into ANY version of "religion" or better said the existence of a higher power (such as we could understand it anyway). It just comes back to we wee humans thinking far too much of ourselves again, namely, that anyone/thing would even bother with us in that way.
But hey, Mark Alpert took a stab at it and I can't deduct any respect from that. When it comes to theoretical physics or whatever the hell this counts as, he's better at it than I will ever be! But if I could come back to my own relatively erect-standing, meat-loving Neanderthal-like interests: I will say though that compared to the other two tomes, that I found 'The Silence' to be much less interesting from an action stand-point. In addition, the 'YA" angle did not work for me in this book, where the maturing teenagers from the previous stories seemed much too whiny and self-absorbed this time for my tastes.
HOWEVER, this is a very interesting series - 4 solid stars for the 3 together!! - and I can only recommend it to everyone. And now: I'm unplugging your reality forever you disgusting insects, goodb....
This was an intriquing conclusion to a fantastic trilogy by Mark Alpert. I won't give away any of the plot but I am at least somewhat familiar with the Hypothesis that helps construct the basis of the story. It can't have been easy to write ANY kind of story about that even if the previous two books set it up rather well (I say that now in hindsight).
Having said that, I have to be blunt: (a) I'm a chemist by trade. All the techno-babble about software and physics and whatever else that is included in this book left me cold and lost me somewhat (ha! "somewhat" he said with airquotes); and (b) I don't believe it anyway. Sorry, but I don't really buy into ANY version of "religion" or better said the existence of a higher power (such as we could understand it anyway). It just comes back to we wee humans thinking far too much of ourselves again, namely, that anyone/thing would even bother with us in that way.
But hey, Mark Alpert took a stab at it and I can't deduct any respect from that. When it comes to theoretical physics or whatever the hell this counts as, he's better at it than I will ever be! But if I could come back to my own relatively erect-standing, meat-loving Neanderthal-like interests: I will say though that compared to the other two tomes, that I found 'The Silence' to be much less interesting from an action stand-point. In addition, the 'YA" angle did not work for me in this book, where the maturing teenagers from the previous stories seemed much too whiny and self-absorbed this time for my tastes.
HOWEVER, this is a very interesting series - 4 solid stars for the 3 together!! - and I can only recommend it to everyone. And now: I'm unplugging your reality forever you disgusting insects, goodb....
August 9, 2020
I was pretty excited to keep reading the series after finishing The Six, which is the first book in the trilogy. After The Siege, I just needed to keep going because I believe in finishing what you start, and often third books are better than second books. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with The Silence - it was much harder to get into or feel engaged with than either of the first two, and just didn't have the same driving plot that the others have. The idea of being in a virtual simulation was an interesting one to explore, but it seems like it could have been better done somehow. Although explanations were provided, things just ended up feeling too far-fetched by the end of the book. Plus, it gets tiring when the protagonist keeps making the same mistakes over and over again despite saying he's learned his lesson the previous time. It might have made sense for Adam to keep falling for the hope of a relationship in the first book, but not so much now after having spent significant time as a Pioneer, being part of successful missions, and learning that he has capabilities nobody could have imagined. Not to mention that Amber / Jenny doesn't feel consistent through the story - yes, okay, alterations occurred due to Sigma, but something still feels off in the choices that she makes. I still like Alpert's ability to take sci-fi concepts and weave them into a good story, I just wish the story itself had been better in this case.
December 15, 2018
The book started with the usual - team romance, establishing a bad guy, etc. By the middle, it was great! We get to see the AIs of the year 3000. The robots "compile" the language of 3000 into binary. Good to see binary persisting.
I loved the callout to the world starting 1/3/71 and some rationale there. Along with the everything is software vs the real world;.
I also liked at the end how the programmers send an "angel" to Adam's mom so she accepts him. And the reboot.
I loved the callout to the world starting 1/3/71 and some rationale there. Along with the everything is software vs the real world;.
I also liked at the end how the programmers send an "angel" to Adam's mom so she accepts him. And the reboot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2017
This did not seem as good as the first book in the series. Adam was too quick to trust everything "Amber" was telling him. I did like the interesting premise of them all being characters in a simulation. I wonder if we are. If we are, I hope the creators of ours will give us a warmer winter but no ice storms.
March 10, 2018
This final book actually made me about the simulation theory or whatever. It is definitely possible that we are a simulation. I think this book was better than the first but not as good as the second. It was a bit too unrealistic and it seemed like the author wrote this to make some extra bucks from this series. Still, not a bad book.
January 31, 2022
This is an intriguing conclusion to the trilogy with quite a plot twist as Adam and the other Pioneers are challenged when their program and their very existences are threatened to be shut down by the government. Can they save themselves? Can they save the world?
February 7, 2024
Not going to lie, this one gave me a great deal of anxiety. The whole series was imaginative and so well researched and written. And this one was superb - it just was a bit triggering, I guess.
I hope to hear more from this author.
I hope to hear more from this author.
July 14, 2017
this third book of 'the six' reminded me so much of the movie 'the matrix' that i kept seeing neo and his gang in my head when adam, zia and jenny face off with the sentinels.
May 21, 2020
One of my new favorites.
Another amazing ending to another series.
Another amazing ending to another series.
June 4, 2020
To me the book started out insanely slow. The ending is pretty good though and that’s why I gave it 3 stars.
August 4, 2021
Final book in The Six Series trilogy. This one took some strange twists and turns and was quite as dark and gory as the other two but in all, it was an interesting story.
December 3, 2023
This was my least favorite of the series. It dragged for most of the story and then finally got crazy and fun again at the end.
November 13, 2025
Twists and turns
Enjoyed the read. It's a little long on belief suspension, until it isn't because of a new turn. Enjoyed it alot.
Enjoyed the read. It's a little long on belief suspension, until it isn't because of a new turn. Enjoyed it alot.
February 19, 2017
First of all I didn't realise this was the third book in a series when I read it and I hadn't read the previous two. However, the introduction provides a solid backstory to what happened earlier in the series. The idea and main theme of the series is a good one, sick and dying teens have their memories frozen and stored to be later used in the Pioneer Program in which in many ways they are reborn, but no longer human. Adam is the first of six teens to forfeit their bodies for a new, digital existence and this is the major early theme of the series. These are not normal kids. So effectively these teens are used as weapons, of course, the technology goes rogue in the style of Terminator and the machines try to take over. This was a very solid teen read, but I would recommend starting book 1 so as to get in tune with the characters, who in many ways live a pretty horrible existence. The author pulls out all the stops and throws a fantastic range of technology at the reader, with a top notch imagination and scientific brain. This would be a good read for most teenagers, especially those who spent alot of time on their phones or computer, as it shows other, very believable ways, computers might be used for in the near future. It's a very good blend of science fiction and speculative fiction and compares well with other authors who write in this area from Jonathan Maberry, Daniel Suarez, to Cory Doctorow and Will McIntosh.
April 20, 2023
Alpert kills off in surprises. Title and concept reminds me of Dr Who where world went dark but people were kept ignorant of change. Series has Jenny as Super god or devil where rules change to keep plot going. Almost arbitrary.
September 29, 2017
Epic conclusion that questions the logic of the universe, is the butterfly dreaming or the man?
Read
March 6, 2018Great
Read
February 19, 2019This is a good book. Its the third book so I would have liked to have read the first and second book before this one but I was able to understand this third book because it gave a brief introduction of what had happened in the other books. I didn't really finish the book but I turned it in today to the Library because I wasn't really reading it daily so I figured I would return it and read a book that I need to read for my other class. Its a good book though I recommend it to others who are interested in reading a story that talks about the future.
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