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The Evaporation of Sofi Snow #1
The Evaporation of Sofi Snow
Ever since the Delonese ice-planet arrived eleven years ago, Sofi's dreams have been vivid. Alien. In a system where Earth's corporations rule in place of governments and the humanoid race orbiting the moon are allies, her only constant has been her younger brother, Shilo. As an online gamer, Sofi battles behind the scenes of Earth's Fantasy Fighting arena where Shilo is forced to compete in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb takes out a quarter of the arena, Sofi's the only one who believes Shilo survived. She has dreams of him. And she's convinced he's been taken to the ice-planet.
Except no one but ambassadors are allowed there.
For Miguel, Earth's charming young playboy, the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets and seduction. Until the Fantasy Fight's bomb goes off. Now the tables have turned and he's a target for blackmail. The game is simple: Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.
Except no one but ambassadors are allowed there.
For Miguel, Earth's charming young playboy, the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets and seduction. Until the Fantasy Fight's bomb goes off. Now the tables have turned and he's a target for blackmail. The game is simple: Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2017
62 people are currently reading
3959 people want to read
About the author
Mary Weber
13 books1,569 followersHi. I write books. I eat things. I kiss things. I believe in mermaids.
I'm also the author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow series, and the March 2019 release, To Best the Boys. When not working, I sing 80’s hairband songs to my three muggle children, and ogle my husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. We live in California, which is perfect for stalking aging movie stars while wearing fanny packs and sweatpants.
For those who like to know such things (mainly my mom), Storm Siren was featured in the Scholastic Book Fair and my novels have been endorsed by such nice humans as Marissa Meyer, CJ Redwine, Shannon Messenger, and Jonathan Maberry (in fact, Marissa Meyer and I have a fun interview in the paperback of her book, CRESS). Also, Boba tea & sweatpants are life. {We can chat about life (in sweatpants over tea, obviously) in my Newsletter.
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
I'm also the author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow series, and the March 2019 release, To Best the Boys. When not working, I sing 80’s hairband songs to my three muggle children, and ogle my husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. We live in California, which is perfect for stalking aging movie stars while wearing fanny packs and sweatpants.
For those who like to know such things (mainly my mom), Storm Siren was featured in the Scholastic Book Fair and my novels have been endorsed by such nice humans as Marissa Meyer, CJ Redwine, Shannon Messenger, and Jonathan Maberry (in fact, Marissa Meyer and I have a fun interview in the paperback of her book, CRESS). Also, Boba tea & sweatpants are life. {We can chat about life (in sweatpants over tea, obviously) in my Newsletter.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
June 14, 2017
This book somehow felt like two books - one I really enjoyed and one I nearly didn't finish reading; one with a genuinely interesting world created and one that was in places highly derivative; one with a strong focus on ties between siblings and one where the love story felt weirdly central but still tacked on - as such it is surprisingly difficult for me to write a coherent review.
The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is set in a unspecified future where after devastating world wars huge corporations rule the world instead of countries and where an alien race has parked their ice planet in Earth's proximity, solving all our global warming related problems and moving humanity's technological development along. Sofi and her brother Shilo are the children of the CEO of one of the biggest corporations and participants in a part virtual, part real fighting competition. At one of those competitions a bomb explodes and Shilo is missing, presumed dead. Plagued by nightmares and feeling a connection to her brother still, Sofi becomes convinced he is alive - and on the ice planet. She is absolutely determined to get her brother back, no matter the costs and seeks the help of Miguel, one of the Earth's ambassadors and one of the few people who have visited the planet.
I absolutely loved that Sofi's love for her brother is her driving motivation throughout the book. I understood their bond and Mary Weber created a very believable sibling relationship. I love when the central relationship in a book is a non-romantic one because I think the importance of those connections cannot be overstated. I could always understand Sofi's motives and she made perfect sense as a character.
While I thought Miguel's story line was interesting as well, I disliked the way Mary Weber withheld crucial information from the reader while still giving insight into Miguel's thought processes. This made the voice feel cheatery and I do not think it was necessary for the story told. I did however appreciate how she portrayed his bi-linguality; as someone often thinking in two languages at once I found it very convincing.
My main gripe with the book and the reason why it ultimately only gets three stars from me is the whole competition thing. For one, I found that highly derivative (they even state that only teenagers 17 and under can compete), but most importantly - those games do not make sense. I do not understand why in that version of the future there should be a game this barbaric and more importantly involving children. Talking of children - I also did not understand why an ambassador to Earth was a 17-year-old boy. (To be fair, that might just be my age showing - those kids are younger than my students!)
Overall though, I found the book to be highly entertaining and very readable. I sped through it within a few days and really wanted to know more about the world Mary Weber created here, so I am absolutely looking forward to the sequel and I'm hoping she'll tone down the dystopian elements while focussing on the great science fiction world she created.
_____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is set in a unspecified future where after devastating world wars huge corporations rule the world instead of countries and where an alien race has parked their ice planet in Earth's proximity, solving all our global warming related problems and moving humanity's technological development along. Sofi and her brother Shilo are the children of the CEO of one of the biggest corporations and participants in a part virtual, part real fighting competition. At one of those competitions a bomb explodes and Shilo is missing, presumed dead. Plagued by nightmares and feeling a connection to her brother still, Sofi becomes convinced he is alive - and on the ice planet. She is absolutely determined to get her brother back, no matter the costs and seeks the help of Miguel, one of the Earth's ambassadors and one of the few people who have visited the planet.
I absolutely loved that Sofi's love for her brother is her driving motivation throughout the book. I understood their bond and Mary Weber created a very believable sibling relationship. I love when the central relationship in a book is a non-romantic one because I think the importance of those connections cannot be overstated. I could always understand Sofi's motives and she made perfect sense as a character.
While I thought Miguel's story line was interesting as well, I disliked the way Mary Weber withheld crucial information from the reader while still giving insight into Miguel's thought processes. This made the voice feel cheatery and I do not think it was necessary for the story told. I did however appreciate how she portrayed his bi-linguality; as someone often thinking in two languages at once I found it very convincing.
My main gripe with the book and the reason why it ultimately only gets three stars from me is the whole competition thing. For one, I found that highly derivative (they even state that only teenagers 17 and under can compete), but most importantly - those games do not make sense. I do not understand why in that version of the future there should be a game this barbaric and more importantly involving children. Talking of children - I also did not understand why an ambassador to Earth was a 17-year-old boy. (To be fair, that might just be my age showing - those kids are younger than my students!)
Overall though, I found the book to be highly entertaining and very readable. I sped through it within a few days and really wanted to know more about the world Mary Weber created here, so I am absolutely looking forward to the sequel and I'm hoping she'll tone down the dystopian elements while focussing on the great science fiction world she created.
_____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
June 12, 2017
See this review and more like it on www.Bookbastion.net!
I admire Mary Weber for her creativity and all she set out to do with the story here, but unfortunately a messy execution meant that I was lost for a majority of it.
The setting and the way it factors into the plot is certainly ambitious. A futuristic Earth-society, in which government control has broken down and been assimilated by 30 separate corporations is both a disturbing and intriguing idea. Also, it's one I could totally see happening in a dystopian future, so I enjoyed that aspect of it. But so many things are left totally unexplained. In particular: information about these corporations, and what made them so special that they became the majority power-holders in this society.
Every time you think something's about to be explained, the story shifts gears again in order to focus on something else that is similarly under described. Take for example, the gaming that Sofi and her brother participate in.
From what I could tell, it was part virtual reality, real people and computer hacking that went on behind the scenes while spectators watched. It made very little sense and as exciting as I'm sure it was intended to be, I wasn't entirely bought in because I had no idea what was going on.
Also, as much as I love the YA genre, I hate it when teenage characters are given jobs beyond their years. It's a pet peeve of mine to see central teenage characters in YA taking on the role of adults. Miguel - the male main character opposite Sofi - is a rainbow-haired playboy, and ambassador for his corporation to the alien race, and has been since he was 16 years old. As such, he's privy to all these political meetings and governmental machinations.
What happened to average teenagers getting caught up in events beyond their control? Do they all have to be ambassadors, royalty, assassins and otherwise overly-powered characters living beyond their means?
We can't talk about Miguel and Sofi and not talk about the romance. Weber skillfully avoids the instalove trope by making them old acquaintances with a history. The only problem is, their history is so dramatic, it moved from compelling to soap-opera. They dated once, but Miguel thought Sofi was too good for him, so he breaks up with her and Sofi believes it's because he didn't want to sleep with her and so the two orbit each other and hate, (but secretly love) each other all along.
Lastly, the prose left a lot to be desired. The places the characters visited were often barely-described beyond white-walls and large windows, and certain narrative choices drove me mental. You can't use a close 3rd person omniscient narrator and then purposefully choose to have that narrator gloss over certain things that are incredibly important to the plot, like a set of photos that keep getting brought up but not described until 84% into the story.
Also, specific descriptors left a lot to be desired:
I still don't really understand how or in what way Sofi really evaporated by the end of the story. I think it's clear from the way this ends that there are some big plans for the remainder of the series, but I don't think I feel invested enough in the story or the characters to see it through.
★★✩✩✩ = 2 stars out of 5
I admire Mary Weber for her creativity and all she set out to do with the story here, but unfortunately a messy execution meant that I was lost for a majority of it.
The setting and the way it factors into the plot is certainly ambitious. A futuristic Earth-society, in which government control has broken down and been assimilated by 30 separate corporations is both a disturbing and intriguing idea. Also, it's one I could totally see happening in a dystopian future, so I enjoyed that aspect of it. But so many things are left totally unexplained. In particular: information about these corporations, and what made them so special that they became the majority power-holders in this society.
Every time you think something's about to be explained, the story shifts gears again in order to focus on something else that is similarly under described. Take for example, the gaming that Sofi and her brother participate in.
From what I could tell, it was part virtual reality, real people and computer hacking that went on behind the scenes while spectators watched. It made very little sense and as exciting as I'm sure it was intended to be, I wasn't entirely bought in because I had no idea what was going on.
Also, as much as I love the YA genre, I hate it when teenage characters are given jobs beyond their years. It's a pet peeve of mine to see central teenage characters in YA taking on the role of adults. Miguel - the male main character opposite Sofi - is a rainbow-haired playboy, and ambassador for his corporation to the alien race, and has been since he was 16 years old. As such, he's privy to all these political meetings and governmental machinations.
What happened to average teenagers getting caught up in events beyond their control? Do they all have to be ambassadors, royalty, assassins and otherwise overly-powered characters living beyond their means?
We can't talk about Miguel and Sofi and not talk about the romance. Weber skillfully avoids the instalove trope by making them old acquaintances with a history. The only problem is, their history is so dramatic, it moved from compelling to soap-opera. They dated once, but Miguel thought Sofi was too good for him, so he breaks up with her and Sofi believes it's because he didn't want to sleep with her and so the two orbit each other and hate, (but secretly love) each other all along.
"You were so much more than good enough - so much better than what I'd known - that it broke something in me I have never recovered from."
Lastly, the prose left a lot to be desired. The places the characters visited were often barely-described beyond white-walls and large windows, and certain narrative choices drove me mental. You can't use a close 3rd person omniscient narrator and then purposefully choose to have that narrator gloss over certain things that are incredibly important to the plot, like a set of photos that keep getting brought up but not described until 84% into the story.
Also, specific descriptors left a lot to be desired:
"She frowned. And then her lungs imploded."
"Sofi's ribs cracked wide open twenty times in a row to match each new voice - each tearstained cheek."
"Her limbs had turned to gummy worms."
I still don't really understand how or in what way Sofi really evaporated by the end of the story. I think it's clear from the way this ends that there are some big plans for the remainder of the series, but I don't think I feel invested enough in the story or the characters to see it through.
★★✩✩✩ = 2 stars out of 5
Read
March 11, 2017:)
Since some have asked...
Topics this book explores beneath the surface (& if you know me you won't be surprised) - human trafficking, politics & elitism, strong women, identity, sibling relationships, parent/child relationships, how our words & actions impact others, the role the past plays in a person's choices, how we retain our humanity.
Since some have asked...
Topics this book explores beneath the surface (& if you know me you won't be surprised) - human trafficking, politics & elitism, strong women, identity, sibling relationships, parent/child relationships, how our words & actions impact others, the role the past plays in a person's choices, how we retain our humanity.
August 27, 2017
DNF @20%
I've started this multiple times since receiving it, only to lose interest very quickly and move on to something else. This time I was pushing through when I realized not only did I have no idea what was happening-- but that I didn't care.
I was completely lost and confused, but I didn't like any of the characters or the world or ANYTHING enough to figure it out.
I received an ARC of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity!
I've started this multiple times since receiving it, only to lose interest very quickly and move on to something else. This time I was pushing through when I realized not only did I have no idea what was happening-- but that I didn't care.
I was completely lost and confused, but I didn't like any of the characters or the world or ANYTHING enough to figure it out.
I received an ARC of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity!
May 29, 2017
I have really enjoyed Mary Webers writing before, especially with her previous series. So i was really excited to be sent this.
I will review in my up and coming video!
Super unique, witty, fast paced and romantic!
I will review in my up and coming video!
Super unique, witty, fast paced and romantic!
May 13, 2017
THE ICE-PLANET ARRIVED IN THE DUSKY HEAT OF SUMMER TWI-light during Earth's Fourth World War
This race of aliens called, the Delonese have come to Earth and supposedly made everything better, but as you can figure, there seems to be something very messed up about what these aliens are doing.
Sofi and her brother Shilo are involved in the Fantasy Fighting Games. This is what I thought the book was going to be about, all kinds of gaming and cool stuff. Yes, there are the games but there are no cool stuff, just weird, creepy stuff. Which is good too, but not so much in this case. I'm very interested to see where the next book is going to go with the cliffhanger we were left with and just some ewwwness.
The Fantasy Fighting Games had been the result of Earth's unquenchable thirst for virtual fun, violent sports, and citizen-elected superstars. Created eighteen months ago, the biannual Corporate Nations-produced FanFights had brought the world together in a way not quite seen before. And they'd emerged to the tune of heavy technology, a whole lot of Delonese influence on players' suits and arena materials, and the legal testing of any Corp-produced enhancement drugs.
Not to mention the bucketloads of blood spilled. Despite the fact no one actually died, the FanFights could be brutal--the gamers and Corporations saw to that. As if the Fourth War hadn't satiated the people enough.
Well, something horrible happens at the games and Shilo and Sofi are almost killed. Some of her friends were killed. Sofi was one of the techs behind the scenes that helped Shilo in the game itself. I'm not telling you any more, you can read it.
But when they were taking Sofi away for medical, she saw Shilo being taken away by the Delonese and no one needs to be taken anywhere by those aliens!
Now, Sofi is on the hunt for her brother with the help of some other friends. She also lets the world know it!
"I just wanted to tell y'all I'm alive and currently searching for my brother, whom I believe to also be alive."
She could say that without endangering him, right? She had no proof, but it might make whoever had him think twice. If they had him.
"So here's the thing . . . " She stared at the camera again.
"If anyone listening was involved in the attack or with our attempted murder, you should know I will find you. I'm already aware of who you are. And for the rest of you"--she winked--"well, enjoy."
I really enjoyed Sofi's character. I'm not too sure about her old boyfriend, Miguel. I guess I will have to see more more of his character development.
*I received a print copy through BookLookBloggers.*
July 27, 2017
This was an interesting sci-fi read with creepy undertones. The ending was a really twist that sets up the reader for interest in the second book for sure. I haven't read many books with an aspect if gaming and virtual reality so that was a breath of fresh air. Overall, some very intriguing aspects to this plot and a great concept.
May 29, 2017
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Mary Webber, and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for this opportunity.
This is a bleak insight into the possible future of our world. Ravaged by war, Earth needed the help of an alien species to unite its people. Now human life is lived under the shadow of their saviours.
The population is split into thirty corporations and members of each are given a chance at fame and freedom in their entry of the annual Fantasy Fighting games. The competitors of Corporation 30, for this part-online, part-reality game, are siblings Sofi and Shilo. Their chance of success is high, until a bomb is detonated inside the arena, killing audience and contestants alike.
While being transported to the emergency room, Sofi awakens to see Shilo carried away by someone not of the emergency team. Determined to find him and discover who would want to see them dead, Sofi sets out on a mission to fight their invisible enemy and reunite with her brother. But with aliens, old flames, and her own Corporation mixed up in this plot on their lives, that may be simpler said than done.
From about a quarter of the way into the book, I realised this was going to be a very different read from what I had imagined. I was expecting the initial portion of the plot, involving the games, to form much of the story-line but it played a woefully small part. This, I believe, would have made for a thrilling read and I wasn't too eager to move in from it.
From there, the plot descended into total chaos and I had trouble understanding exactly what was occurring. I felt like a lack of foundations were set, to inform the reader about the world, and I struggled with knowing my who from my what from my why, due to that.
Once I had gathered my bearings, I wasn't totally enthused about what I discovered. I wasn't sold on the romance and it felt like both an unnatural and awkward coupling. I was also still unsure about many of the characters' objectives and reasons for their action, which made much of what they did feel unbelievable.
This wasn't a wholly bad book, as many high ratings will attest to, but I had early problems with the story-line that impacted any future enjoyment I might have had with this book. It's unfortunate, as the this had such a strong beginning but the rest, it transpired, wasn't the story for me.
This is a bleak insight into the possible future of our world. Ravaged by war, Earth needed the help of an alien species to unite its people. Now human life is lived under the shadow of their saviours.
The population is split into thirty corporations and members of each are given a chance at fame and freedom in their entry of the annual Fantasy Fighting games. The competitors of Corporation 30, for this part-online, part-reality game, are siblings Sofi and Shilo. Their chance of success is high, until a bomb is detonated inside the arena, killing audience and contestants alike.
While being transported to the emergency room, Sofi awakens to see Shilo carried away by someone not of the emergency team. Determined to find him and discover who would want to see them dead, Sofi sets out on a mission to fight their invisible enemy and reunite with her brother. But with aliens, old flames, and her own Corporation mixed up in this plot on their lives, that may be simpler said than done.
From about a quarter of the way into the book, I realised this was going to be a very different read from what I had imagined. I was expecting the initial portion of the plot, involving the games, to form much of the story-line but it played a woefully small part. This, I believe, would have made for a thrilling read and I wasn't too eager to move in from it.
From there, the plot descended into total chaos and I had trouble understanding exactly what was occurring. I felt like a lack of foundations were set, to inform the reader about the world, and I struggled with knowing my who from my what from my why, due to that.
Once I had gathered my bearings, I wasn't totally enthused about what I discovered. I wasn't sold on the romance and it felt like both an unnatural and awkward coupling. I was also still unsure about many of the characters' objectives and reasons for their action, which made much of what they did feel unbelievable.
This wasn't a wholly bad book, as many high ratings will attest to, but I had early problems with the story-line that impacted any future enjoyment I might have had with this book. It's unfortunate, as the this had such a strong beginning but the rest, it transpired, wasn't the story for me.
February 24, 2018
The gaming made this book a must read for me, especially since Ive been loving scifi lately. It did take me a bit to get into since we were kind of just thrown into the story, but once I got a feel for the world and the characters the mystery behind the kidnapping and the blackmailing was thrilling. I had a bunch of theories that I couldn't wait to find out if they were true. The concept was fascinating but the world building was a little vague at times. I felt like I didnt get a decent grasp on the world until about a 25% into the book.
The fast pace plot kept things exciting but I wasnt completely invested in the characters. I liked the main characters but I didnt connect with them as much as I would have liked. Maybe once I read the sequel and spend more time with them Ill feel differently. Sofis love for her brother was really sweet but we dont really get to know him or their mother. I loved Sofis punk gamer vibe and Miguels heart of gold hidden behind the bad boy image. I didnt trust some of the characters but that made the story even more entertaining. I want to know more about the Aliens and where they come from.
I was frustrated when they would mention the blackmail photos but not tell us what they were. If the character gets to see them than so should we. This book ends on a major cliffhanger that made the book feel incomplete to me. They were in the middle of doing something important and all of sudden its over. Although it does make me want to pick up the sequel to see what happens next and get some questions answered. So far most of my theories were right which is disapointing because I love being surprised so hopefully the sequel has a few twists and turns I dont see coming.
*received in exchange for an honest review*
The fast pace plot kept things exciting but I wasnt completely invested in the characters. I liked the main characters but I didnt connect with them as much as I would have liked. Maybe once I read the sequel and spend more time with them Ill feel differently. Sofis love for her brother was really sweet but we dont really get to know him or their mother. I loved Sofis punk gamer vibe and Miguels heart of gold hidden behind the bad boy image. I didnt trust some of the characters but that made the story even more entertaining. I want to know more about the Aliens and where they come from.
I was frustrated when they would mention the blackmail photos but not tell us what they were. If the character gets to see them than so should we. This book ends on a major cliffhanger that made the book feel incomplete to me. They were in the middle of doing something important and all of sudden its over. Although it does make me want to pick up the sequel to see what happens next and get some questions answered. So far most of my theories were right which is disapointing because I love being surprised so hopefully the sequel has a few twists and turns I dont see coming.
*received in exchange for an honest review*
Want to read
September 17, 2015Any book written by Mary Weber is a book that I will read.
December 1, 2017
About the Book
Ever since the Delonese ice-planet arrived eleven years ago, Sofi's dreams have been vivid. Alien. In a system where Earth's corporations rule in place of governments and the humanoid race orbiting the moon are allies, her only constant has been her younger brother, Shilo. As an online gamer, Sofi battles behind the scenes of Earth's Fantasy Fighting arena where Shilo is forced to compete in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb takes out a quarter of the arena, Sofi's the only one who believes Shilo survived. She has dreams of him. And she's convinced he's been taken to the ice-planet.
Except no one but ambassadors are allowed there.
For Miguel, Earth's charming young playboy, the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets and seduction. Until the Fantasy Fight's bomb goes off. Now the tables have turned and he's a target for blackmail. The game is simple: Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.
My Review
*Sigh* What to say. I definitely like the Storm Siren trilogy better so far. While I love that Sofi Snow is Science Fiction, human trafficking is dealt with within the story, and Sofi is a Native American character there are things I did not like about this novel. Firstly, the language caught me off guard. While it was mostly mild it is sprinkled throughout the story and there was a use of a pretty vulgar and crass word. Sex is implied and we learn that Sofi, a 17 year old has slept around. It's becoming quite clear that Thomas Nelson has different standards than they did with the previous owners. I'm stuck in the middle here. There was a lot I loved and yet things I did not love. This is not a book I definitively recommend to young YA readers. I think this would have worked better being an Adult novel.
Ever since the Delonese ice-planet arrived eleven years ago, Sofi's dreams have been vivid. Alien. In a system where Earth's corporations rule in place of governments and the humanoid race orbiting the moon are allies, her only constant has been her younger brother, Shilo. As an online gamer, Sofi battles behind the scenes of Earth's Fantasy Fighting arena where Shilo is forced to compete in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb takes out a quarter of the arena, Sofi's the only one who believes Shilo survived. She has dreams of him. And she's convinced he's been taken to the ice-planet.
Except no one but ambassadors are allowed there.
For Miguel, Earth's charming young playboy, the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets and seduction. Until the Fantasy Fight's bomb goes off. Now the tables have turned and he's a target for blackmail. The game is simple: Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.
My Review
*Sigh* What to say. I definitely like the Storm Siren trilogy better so far. While I love that Sofi Snow is Science Fiction, human trafficking is dealt with within the story, and Sofi is a Native American character there are things I did not like about this novel. Firstly, the language caught me off guard. While it was mostly mild it is sprinkled throughout the story and there was a use of a pretty vulgar and crass word. Sex is implied and we learn that Sofi, a 17 year old has slept around. It's becoming quite clear that Thomas Nelson has different standards than they did with the previous owners. I'm stuck in the middle here. There was a lot I loved and yet things I did not love. This is not a book I definitively recommend to young YA readers. I think this would have worked better being an Adult novel.
Read
May 7, 2017DNF
Mini review:
I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. When I heard about this book I was excited to read it! Before I started to read it I went to reread the synopsis and realized that this book may not be for me. After reading The Hunger Games I haven't wanted to read about any sort of death related games, which the MC's brother takes part in. Now when I actually started to read it I was bored and was not looking forward to reading about these games.
I do still recommend it. It just wasn't for me.
Mini review:
I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. When I heard about this book I was excited to read it! Before I started to read it I went to reread the synopsis and realized that this book may not be for me. After reading The Hunger Games I haven't wanted to read about any sort of death related games, which the MC's brother takes part in. Now when I actually started to read it I was bored and was not looking forward to reading about these games.
I do still recommend it. It just wasn't for me.
Read
February 6, 2017YA (definitely suitable for upper MG/lower YA readers, too)
Science Fiction
Futuristic
Gamer Girl MC
Dashing (seemingly Playboy) love interest
Intergalactic politics
Family complications (LOVED the sibling relationship)
Loyalty and betrayal
Secrets and twists
This one has it all. Mary Weber rocks! <3
Science Fiction
Futuristic
Gamer Girl MC
Dashing (seemingly Playboy) love interest
Intergalactic politics
Family complications (LOVED the sibling relationship)
Loyalty and betrayal
Secrets and twists
This one has it all. Mary Weber rocks! <3
May 21, 2017
This is a fast book set in a futuristic world ruled by corporations and filled with gamers, gadgets and aliens. The excitement and twists kept coming, and I couldn't stop reading once I started! But under the surface of this high action story are layers and themes of loss and family bonds and identity, as well as what it means to be human, value life and have true relationships, all of which turned up the emotional intensity. I'm dying for the next one now.
Full review to come <3
Full review to come <3
June 27, 2017
This was such a unique book! I haven't read much in the virtual reality genre, but I'm definitely interested in reading more, now. I just didn't feel overly connected to the plot or the characters, which prevented me from becoming really immersed in the story. Still worthwhile, though. :D
May 10, 2017
I loved Mary's Storm Siren trilogy, so I was expecting to love this one as well. I honestly had to push myself to get through it, it was so hard. I was bored, I didn't like the characters and the plot was extremely predictable.
During World War IV, a planet of aliens arrived beside Earth and brought the War to a stop. Now, the world is split into 30 Corporations, where one team from each corporation must battle in Earth's Fantasy Fighting arena, the winners (and those deemed worthy enough) will become famous and rich, while the losers are sold to a life of misery. Sofi and Shilo are forced to enter the games by their mother, the Ambassador for Corporation 30, during the games a mysterious bomb goes off. While being carried to the emergency room, Sofi wakes up and sees that her brother is being taken away by the aliens, and later learns that her own Corporation wants her dead. Determined to find her brother, Sofi sets out on a mission to get him back from the aliens and make both of them evaporate.
I honestly thought I was going to love Sofi, she's the type of character I usually adore in books, but for some reason I wasn't a huge fan. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her either, she was very.. meh.
The romance in this story was very weird. Miguel and Sofi dated a few years back. He ended up leaving, and Sofi was crushed. Turns out that Miguel still loves Sofi and hasn't slept with anyone since.. and now Sofi hates his guts. I honestly feel like this backstory is a little too much, personally if I was in Sofi's place I would never get back together with this guy, I never liked him throughout the book. When the two ended up having some moments it seemed very awkward and cringy. It's not a romance I could ever ship.
The first third of the book I truly did enjoy. It was basically the hunger games arena style, but the players could change the arena themselves to try to kill the other players. It was very entertaining and I was excited to see what would happen next. Then once the bomb went off and Sofi went on her mission things started to slow down and then the romance came in and I just wanted to put the book down. The main problem with the second part of the story was how predictable it was. I guessed who the bad guy was right at the beginning, and I was right. It was easy to tell that the "alien planet" wasn't actually a planet (how would a planet travel through space without being in orbit) and lots of other things.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately it wasn't the one for me. I hope that you enjoy it more than I did if you do plan on reading it.
Happy Reading,
Aneta
During World War IV, a planet of aliens arrived beside Earth and brought the War to a stop. Now, the world is split into 30 Corporations, where one team from each corporation must battle in Earth's Fantasy Fighting arena, the winners (and those deemed worthy enough) will become famous and rich, while the losers are sold to a life of misery. Sofi and Shilo are forced to enter the games by their mother, the Ambassador for Corporation 30, during the games a mysterious bomb goes off. While being carried to the emergency room, Sofi wakes up and sees that her brother is being taken away by the aliens, and later learns that her own Corporation wants her dead. Determined to find her brother, Sofi sets out on a mission to get him back from the aliens and make both of them evaporate.
I honestly thought I was going to love Sofi, she's the type of character I usually adore in books, but for some reason I wasn't a huge fan. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her either, she was very.. meh.
The romance in this story was very weird. Miguel and Sofi dated a few years back. He ended up leaving, and Sofi was crushed. Turns out that Miguel still loves Sofi and hasn't slept with anyone since.. and now Sofi hates his guts. I honestly feel like this backstory is a little too much, personally if I was in Sofi's place I would never get back together with this guy, I never liked him throughout the book. When the two ended up having some moments it seemed very awkward and cringy. It's not a romance I could ever ship.
The first third of the book I truly did enjoy. It was basically the hunger games arena style, but the players could change the arena themselves to try to kill the other players. It was very entertaining and I was excited to see what would happen next. Then once the bomb went off and Sofi went on her mission things started to slow down and then the romance came in and I just wanted to put the book down. The main problem with the second part of the story was how predictable it was. I guessed who the bad guy was right at the beginning, and I was right. It was easy to tell that the "alien planet" wasn't actually a planet (how would a planet travel through space without being in orbit) and lots of other things.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately it wasn't the one for me. I hope that you enjoy it more than I did if you do plan on reading it.
Happy Reading,
Aneta
August 2, 2017
OH MY GOSH!
ASDFGHJKL!!!
I CAN'T EVEN!!!
HOW DO I WORD!!!
THIS BOOK IS SO AWESOME!!!
AND THAT ENDING!!!
ASDFGHJKL!!!!
CAN'T WAIT FOR BOOK 2!
ASDFGHJKL!!!
I CAN'T EVEN!!!
HOW DO I WORD!!!
THIS BOOK IS SO AWESOME!!!
AND THAT ENDING!!!
ASDFGHJKL!!!!
CAN'T WAIT FOR BOOK 2!
Read
May 23, 2018Wow, guys, just... Wow. This may be my favorite Mary Weber book ever. RTC!
September 17, 2017
I found both the plot and the characters in this book to be massively underwhelming and cliched. The main character is every single overused hacker-character trope that we've seen before. I also found the love interest being of latino origins to not feel very genuine. The plot took over half of the book before it got interesting and I found the ending to not be worth the trouble it took to get there. Overall I found this book incredibly weak.
I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2018
So first off I would like to say that I kind of put off reading this book for a while because I knew Mary Weber likes to end her books with cliffhangers(*cough* Storm Siren *cough*), and I didn't want to go through the agony of having to wait a year for the next book.
With that being said, I NEED RECLAIMING SHILO SNOW RIGHT NOW
*clears throat* Anyways, let's get onto the review shall we?
The plot: will keep you guessing and wondering who the bad guys, and good guys are. Also has an amazing message and one I feel like you don't see very often in YA books.
The characters: aren't your typical heroes, but that's something that I love about them. They aren't perfect, they are relatable.
The romance: two words my friends, no insta-love *hears gasping* I know, though sometimes insta-love isn't bad, books don't typically not have it, it is quite refreshing to have a book without it.
The ending: will leave you wanting the next book (see beginning text)
Now onto a few other things I feel like talking about:
The video game aspect: I haven't read many books that feature a plot around video games, but this one does, and I really enjoyed it
The Delonese planet: sounds super cool looking and I would totally want to visit...other than there are possible killer aliens living there, no big deal right? *nervous laughter*
Plot twistssssss: while some of them I kind of saw coming, some of them I didn't, and I love it when I don't see the plot twist coming
So yes, I love this book, you should read this book, and then we can all be in pain...I mean anticipation...waiting for Shilo Snow to release.
Keep reading & keep exploring galaxies! <3
With that being said, I NEED RECLAIMING SHILO SNOW RIGHT NOW
*clears throat* Anyways, let's get onto the review shall we?
The plot: will keep you guessing and wondering who the bad guys, and good guys are. Also has an amazing message and one I feel like you don't see very often in YA books.
The characters: aren't your typical heroes, but that's something that I love about them. They aren't perfect, they are relatable.
The romance: two words my friends, no insta-love *hears gasping* I know, though sometimes insta-love isn't bad, books don't typically not have it, it is quite refreshing to have a book without it.
The ending: will leave you wanting the next book (see beginning text)
Now onto a few other things I feel like talking about:
The video game aspect: I haven't read many books that feature a plot around video games, but this one does, and I really enjoyed it
The Delonese planet: sounds super cool looking and I would totally want to visit...other than there are possible killer aliens living there, no big deal right? *nervous laughter*
Plot twistssssss: while some of them I kind of saw coming, some of them I didn't, and I love it when I don't see the plot twist coming
So yes, I love this book, you should read this book, and then we can all be in pain...I mean anticipation...waiting for Shilo Snow to release.
Keep reading & keep exploring galaxies! <3
May 30, 2017
I normally am not one that is huge on sci fi, in any sub genre, but when I saw that Weber had a new book out, sci fi or not, I knew I had to read it.
I'm so very glad that I did because once again Weber shows us that the woman can write. She can create worlds whether, fantasy or science fiction, and make them completely believable. With characters that are lovable every bit as they are determined, single minded and fierce in doing what needs to be done, darn the consequences.
This was a fun read and one that I didn't struggle with at all, which was a relief because once I got into the story, it wasn't hard at all to want to shut out the outside world and read until I was done.
Set in a futuristic, almost game like feel to it, this was so easy to get into. With scientific jargon that wasn't complicated or hard to understand, instead you flowed easily right into the heart of the story which, like most of Weber's book, was full of secrets and lies and riddled with hidden agendas and mystery.
All in all a wonderful story that will stuck you in and leave you wanting the next one.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
I'm so very glad that I did because once again Weber shows us that the woman can write. She can create worlds whether, fantasy or science fiction, and make them completely believable. With characters that are lovable every bit as they are determined, single minded and fierce in doing what needs to be done, darn the consequences.
This was a fun read and one that I didn't struggle with at all, which was a relief because once I got into the story, it wasn't hard at all to want to shut out the outside world and read until I was done.
Set in a futuristic, almost game like feel to it, this was so easy to get into. With scientific jargon that wasn't complicated or hard to understand, instead you flowed easily right into the heart of the story which, like most of Weber's book, was full of secrets and lies and riddled with hidden agendas and mystery.
All in all a wonderful story that will stuck you in and leave you wanting the next one.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
November 10, 2017
I'M SO FREAKING CONFUSED.
October 15, 2019
This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
So Mary Weber is a very hit-or-miss author for me.
Storm Siren = Hit.
Siren's Fury = Miss.
Siren's Song = Hit.
To Best the Boys = Hit.
Mary Weber is the only author in the history of my whole reading career (that’s 30+ years!) where I DNF’d a sequel then went on to read the third book in the trilogy!
The Evaporation of Sofi Snow? Miss.
But… I can’t tell you why.
I want to. I would love to tell you that the worldbuilding is shoddy or the character motivations make no sense, the dialogue is implausible, and that Sofi and Miguel are just really bad for each other.
But I can’t.
Because every time I tried to listen to this audiobook, my mind would drift, I’d lose concentration, I’d miss something that was probably important (like the actual bomb exploding which I missed while driving so I couldn’t rewind it!) and then the next sequence of events would make little to no sense… so I’d start to think about other things again, and then I’d realise I’d missed the audiobook and start paying attention again only to have to scrape together what was going on from various hints in the narration.
Now, I don’t want to say outright that this book was the cause of said mind-wandering and inability to focus, but… this book just didn’t do it for me.
From what I can tell, Sofi is basically Perfect but her mother, the insanely rich and powerful leader of a Corporation (replaced countries in this future) forces her and her underage brother into Hunger-Games style arena battles. At some point, someone plants a bomb that explodes during one of these fights, and Sofi witnesses the weirdly human aliens taking her brother away, so she vows to find him, even though her own mother has confirmed that she, too, was killed in the attack. And there is some kind of young ambassador that has a complicated history with Sofi who can get her to the planet where he was taken.
But don’t ask me details about character development or what happened for large chunks of the narrative, because I have no idea.
It’s probably unfair of me to rate this book so lowly but… I’ve never had such problems listening to an audiobook before, so I don’t think it’s me.
As a bonus, I’m pretty sure Sofi was a person of colour, as was Miguel.
Also, the ending of this book was very unsatisfying.
So Mary Weber is a very hit-or-miss author for me.
Storm Siren = Hit.
Siren's Fury = Miss.
Siren's Song = Hit.
To Best the Boys = Hit.
Mary Weber is the only author in the history of my whole reading career (that’s 30+ years!) where I DNF’d a sequel then went on to read the third book in the trilogy!
The Evaporation of Sofi Snow? Miss.
But… I can’t tell you why.
I want to. I would love to tell you that the worldbuilding is shoddy or the character motivations make no sense, the dialogue is implausible, and that Sofi and Miguel are just really bad for each other.
But I can’t.
Because every time I tried to listen to this audiobook, my mind would drift, I’d lose concentration, I’d miss something that was probably important (like the actual bomb exploding which I missed while driving so I couldn’t rewind it!) and then the next sequence of events would make little to no sense… so I’d start to think about other things again, and then I’d realise I’d missed the audiobook and start paying attention again only to have to scrape together what was going on from various hints in the narration.
Now, I don’t want to say outright that this book was the cause of said mind-wandering and inability to focus, but… this book just didn’t do it for me.
From what I can tell, Sofi is basically Perfect but her mother, the insanely rich and powerful leader of a Corporation (replaced countries in this future) forces her and her underage brother into Hunger-Games style arena battles. At some point, someone plants a bomb that explodes during one of these fights, and Sofi witnesses the weirdly human aliens taking her brother away, so she vows to find him, even though her own mother has confirmed that she, too, was killed in the attack. And there is some kind of young ambassador that has a complicated history with Sofi who can get her to the planet where he was taken.
But don’t ask me details about character development or what happened for large chunks of the narrative, because I have no idea.
It’s probably unfair of me to rate this book so lowly but… I’ve never had such problems listening to an audiobook before, so I don’t think it’s me.
As a bonus, I’m pretty sure Sofi was a person of colour, as was Miguel.
Also, the ending of this book was very unsatisfying.
July 31, 2017
The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was a strange book, but in a good way. Very different from anything I’ve ever read. Author Weber keeps you guessing throughout the entire story. The world building was sublime. I felt like I’d lived in this world my whole life by the time I finished the book. And the plot was complex and filled with many twists and turns.
The characters were also very enjoyable. Sofi is a snarky, independent computer genius, who is determined to always get her way. But underneath all that causticness is vulnerability and pain. Heller and Claudius were very amusing characters who kept me snickering at their antics. And Miguel? Si, Si. Miguel was an excellent character. He was quite the paradox; complex but relatable, a player but caring too, he had secrets but was open and honest; he was the target of blackmail but believed strongly in honor and integrity. Not to mention that he was muy atractivo. In case you didn’t notice, he was my favorite character.
The ending is a tough one, but compared to the ending of Storm Siren I’m counting my lucky stars that I got off easy. I look forward to the next book, to see what will happen next in this story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Fiction Guild. I was not required to give a positive review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
http://pausefortales.blogspot.com/201...
The characters were also very enjoyable. Sofi is a snarky, independent computer genius, who is determined to always get her way. But underneath all that causticness is vulnerability and pain. Heller and Claudius were very amusing characters who kept me snickering at their antics. And Miguel? Si, Si. Miguel was an excellent character. He was quite the paradox; complex but relatable, a player but caring too, he had secrets but was open and honest; he was the target of blackmail but believed strongly in honor and integrity. Not to mention that he was muy atractivo. In case you didn’t notice, he was my favorite character.
The ending is a tough one, but compared to the ending of Storm Siren I’m counting my lucky stars that I got off easy. I look forward to the next book, to see what will happen next in this story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Fiction Guild. I was not required to give a positive review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
http://pausefortales.blogspot.com/201...
September 20, 2017
Absolutely loved this book. The voice, the characters, the aliens. Sorry, it's been a bit since I've written a review of anything, and I'm feeling out of practice, so I'm just going to leave it at: this was one of those books I couldn't put down when I had it in my hands, and felt drawn to it when I didn't have it in my hands. Also, if you loved the Lunar Chronicles, I'm willing to bet all kinds of money you'll enjoy this. My only disappointment: the sequel isn't due out for months!
October 22, 2020
Though I liked the story, an overuse of euphemisms messed this up. I've never seen them used so many times in one book; I felt like I was watching a theatrically movie that had its content edited for a television airing. I was always taught that using substitute words for profanity was just as bad as actually using them; I guess the author was never taught that. Discerning readers, be warned.
May 25, 2017
The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is set in the future. Earth is no longer ruled by a government, instead there are a system of corporations that are aligned with the Delonese… the inhabitants of the ice-planet that arrived eleven years ago. Sofi has had only her brother, Shilo, to count on since the death of her father… with her mother more interested in Corp 30 she has made sure that she’s the one person he can count on.
As part of a team representing Corp 30 in the Fantasy Fighting Arena Sofi is a talented online gamer and hacker with the one goal of winning to keep Shilo safe. The fights are a mix of real and virtual and only the most skilled succeed. When something goes wrong in one of the final fights and a bomb goes off, killing most of Sofi’s team everyone is convinced that Shilo was killed, but Sofi knows that’s not true… she knows he’s on the Delonese planet and she’ll do anything she has to in order to get him back. The one catch is that she’s not allowed on the planet, which means she’ll have to ask the one person she dislikes more than anyone.
Miguel is an Ambassador to the Delonese and someone is blackmailing him to keep the truth about the bomb in the Fantasy Fight games a secret. When Sofi comes to him for help, he knows she’s desperate, and he has to choose whether to help her and possibly start a war, or leave her behind and save his reputation.
I love alien books… and honestly, there are just not enough of them.
I also love books where our heroines are super smart and talented, and skilled and honestly, Sofi is all that and more. She’s a talented hacker/coder/gamer and everyone around her knows it. She hasn’t depended on anyone for years and she certainly has no urge to start now, but when her brother’s life is at stake, she’s willing to put her ego and the history she has with Miguel aside to help him. Sofi is just such an exquisitely developed character and there are so many layers to her. The girl who really wishes she had a mother who cared more about her and her brother than her job… the girl who, for the first time, had feelings for a boy that she was experiencing for the first time, the girl who is willing to do anything and everything to save her brother’s life. It’s so hard to just pin her down to one or two amazing things.
And Miguel … his story was a bit more subtle, but what we learn about him is that he’s way more complicated than he lets on. I just didn’t know what to think about him from the beginning but as the pieces of his story fall into place, you can’t help but want more for him and Sofi and you can see that despite this character he’s showing to the world, there is so much more to him.
Even the secondary characters jump off the page!
The story itself has some twists and turns and the ending is something I did NOT see coming. Weber had me thinking one thing the entire story and then BAM that is so not what was actually happening and I LOVE when books do that to me!
I want to know more about Sofi, I want to know more about Shilo, I want more Miguel!
If you don’t have this book on your radar yet, I highly recommend you get it there. This was an action packed, fast-paced story layered with the complications of politics, family bonds & relationships, loyalty, and betrayal. Fans of Sci-Fi and smart, complicated characters and relationships are definitely going to love this and I can’t wait for more in book 2!
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
As part of a team representing Corp 30 in the Fantasy Fighting Arena Sofi is a talented online gamer and hacker with the one goal of winning to keep Shilo safe. The fights are a mix of real and virtual and only the most skilled succeed. When something goes wrong in one of the final fights and a bomb goes off, killing most of Sofi’s team everyone is convinced that Shilo was killed, but Sofi knows that’s not true… she knows he’s on the Delonese planet and she’ll do anything she has to in order to get him back. The one catch is that she’s not allowed on the planet, which means she’ll have to ask the one person she dislikes more than anyone.
Miguel is an Ambassador to the Delonese and someone is blackmailing him to keep the truth about the bomb in the Fantasy Fight games a secret. When Sofi comes to him for help, he knows she’s desperate, and he has to choose whether to help her and possibly start a war, or leave her behind and save his reputation.
I love alien books… and honestly, there are just not enough of them.
I also love books where our heroines are super smart and talented, and skilled and honestly, Sofi is all that and more. She’s a talented hacker/coder/gamer and everyone around her knows it. She hasn’t depended on anyone for years and she certainly has no urge to start now, but when her brother’s life is at stake, she’s willing to put her ego and the history she has with Miguel aside to help him. Sofi is just such an exquisitely developed character and there are so many layers to her. The girl who really wishes she had a mother who cared more about her and her brother than her job… the girl who, for the first time, had feelings for a boy that she was experiencing for the first time, the girl who is willing to do anything and everything to save her brother’s life. It’s so hard to just pin her down to one or two amazing things.
And Miguel … his story was a bit more subtle, but what we learn about him is that he’s way more complicated than he lets on. I just didn’t know what to think about him from the beginning but as the pieces of his story fall into place, you can’t help but want more for him and Sofi and you can see that despite this character he’s showing to the world, there is so much more to him.
Even the secondary characters jump off the page!
The story itself has some twists and turns and the ending is something I did NOT see coming. Weber had me thinking one thing the entire story and then BAM that is so not what was actually happening and I LOVE when books do that to me!
I want to know more about Sofi, I want to know more about Shilo, I want more Miguel!
If you don’t have this book on your radar yet, I highly recommend you get it there. This was an action packed, fast-paced story layered with the complications of politics, family bonds & relationships, loyalty, and betrayal. Fans of Sci-Fi and smart, complicated characters and relationships are definitely going to love this and I can’t wait for more in book 2!
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
April 6, 2017
what a horrible cliff hanger ending o.o
(review to come when published)
(review to come when published)
February 27, 2019
That ending wrecked me. (And here I thought the Storm Siren trilogy cliffhangers were bad.)
But let me back up a bit. The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was exactly the cool, techy, futuristic sci-fi novel I wanted, but that’s not what made me love it.
What I loved were the characters. Broken, bruised characters with scarred pasts. Characters running from guilt. Characters clinging to the very few good things left in their lives.
What I loved was the gut-wrenching heart of the story. I knew that this book speaks on human trafficking, but I wasn’t prepared to flip the pages faster and faster, heart in my throat, as I witnessed the brokenness of humanity shouting from within the pages of a fictional world.
Rabbit trail: It’s books like these that are driving Christian fiction in the right direction. Some of you reading this review may not be comfortable with the light smattering of language, or mentions of sex, or references to characters sleeping around, or the depiction of the horrors of trafficking. It’s not pretty. But given the context, I think it was necessary. I think the grittiness was important, and wasn’t there for its own sake; it was there as a rolling up of the sleeves, a digging into the dirt to get to the root of deep pain. There are souls living the same pain that are crying out to be seen, accepted, and healed. They—we—need books like these.
(Rabbit trail over.)
After devouring book 1, I am so eager to dive into the sequel ASAP! Thank heavens it’s sitting ready on my shelf. <3
But let me back up a bit. The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was exactly the cool, techy, futuristic sci-fi novel I wanted, but that’s not what made me love it.
What I loved were the characters. Broken, bruised characters with scarred pasts. Characters running from guilt. Characters clinging to the very few good things left in their lives.
What I loved was the gut-wrenching heart of the story. I knew that this book speaks on human trafficking, but I wasn’t prepared to flip the pages faster and faster, heart in my throat, as I witnessed the brokenness of humanity shouting from within the pages of a fictional world.
Rabbit trail: It’s books like these that are driving Christian fiction in the right direction. Some of you reading this review may not be comfortable with the light smattering of language, or mentions of sex, or references to characters sleeping around, or the depiction of the horrors of trafficking. It’s not pretty. But given the context, I think it was necessary. I think the grittiness was important, and wasn’t there for its own sake; it was there as a rolling up of the sleeves, a digging into the dirt to get to the root of deep pain. There are souls living the same pain that are crying out to be seen, accepted, and healed. They—we—need books like these.
(Rabbit trail over.)
After devouring book 1, I am so eager to dive into the sequel ASAP! Thank heavens it’s sitting ready on my shelf. <3
June 14, 2017
What would you do if the most important person in your life was snatched away? Sofi Snow finds out in Mary Weber's thrilling new Sci-Fi novel, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow.
Coming on the heels of her powerful trilogy (Storm Siren, Siren's Fury, Siren's Song) I wasn't sure what to expect. I could tell that it was science fiction--something I was hugely excited about--and that was about it. I dove headfirst into Sofi's gaming and hacking world and promptly found myself lost in the thrill of what would happen.
Sofi, much like Nym from the Storm Siren trilogy is a strong yet broken character. That's probably one of my favorite things about her. She's passionate and real, a beautiful yet broken heroine who shows us what it's like to fight for those you love. Don't we all wish we could be like that? I find that it's too easy to read a book about someone (especially a female protagonist) who is strong or finds herself in impossible situations and thrust into leadership and then knows exactly what to do. I felt as if Sofi's environment and reactions were accurate to who she was as a character, successes and fumbles. She's not perfect and has made mistakes in the past, but that's part of who she is (and what I assume she'll need to heal from in the future).
On another note, I love how Mary weaves in themes that she is passionate about. Read her note at the beginning of the reviews on Goodreads to see what I mean. I know Mary and I know that she is genuine in her passion for the things she talks about in this note and I can see those themes brought to life in this book!
I also enjoyed the world building. Hovercrafts, transports, and tech. Ahhh, things that send shivers up my spine in delight of futuristic worlds. Enter: The Delonese. I loved the addition of this humanoid type race that happens to be light years ahead in regards to technology. And yet there's something off about them (per the story and plot, of course) and I like that intrigue.
By the end of this book I was gripping my kindle and wondering how it was all going to work out. I won't say cliffhanger...but I will say you're going to want the second book ASAP.
I recommend this to those who enjoy science fiction and YA books, but also to those who like a good story about a genuine heroine. If you enjoyed the Storm Siren trilogy you'll find this is different, but that's okay. It's still Mary's writing, just in a different setting ;-)
My rating: 4
See my original review: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2017/06...
_______________
I received this book for free but was under no obligation to post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.
Coming on the heels of her powerful trilogy (Storm Siren, Siren's Fury, Siren's Song) I wasn't sure what to expect. I could tell that it was science fiction--something I was hugely excited about--and that was about it. I dove headfirst into Sofi's gaming and hacking world and promptly found myself lost in the thrill of what would happen.
Sofi, much like Nym from the Storm Siren trilogy is a strong yet broken character. That's probably one of my favorite things about her. She's passionate and real, a beautiful yet broken heroine who shows us what it's like to fight for those you love. Don't we all wish we could be like that? I find that it's too easy to read a book about someone (especially a female protagonist) who is strong or finds herself in impossible situations and thrust into leadership and then knows exactly what to do. I felt as if Sofi's environment and reactions were accurate to who she was as a character, successes and fumbles. She's not perfect and has made mistakes in the past, but that's part of who she is (and what I assume she'll need to heal from in the future).
On another note, I love how Mary weaves in themes that she is passionate about. Read her note at the beginning of the reviews on Goodreads to see what I mean. I know Mary and I know that she is genuine in her passion for the things she talks about in this note and I can see those themes brought to life in this book!
I also enjoyed the world building. Hovercrafts, transports, and tech. Ahhh, things that send shivers up my spine in delight of futuristic worlds. Enter: The Delonese. I loved the addition of this humanoid type race that happens to be light years ahead in regards to technology. And yet there's something off about them (per the story and plot, of course) and I like that intrigue.
By the end of this book I was gripping my kindle and wondering how it was all going to work out. I won't say cliffhanger...but I will say you're going to want the second book ASAP.
I recommend this to those who enjoy science fiction and YA books, but also to those who like a good story about a genuine heroine. If you enjoyed the Storm Siren trilogy you'll find this is different, but that's okay. It's still Mary's writing, just in a different setting ;-)
My rating: 4
See my original review: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2017/06...
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I received this book for free but was under no obligation to post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.
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