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I Am Traitor
At the end of the world, who can you trust? The story of one teenager's fight against an extra-terrestrial invasion. For fans of Michael Grant, Suzanne Collins and Robert Muchamore
London has been targeted by extra-terrestrial life; large pipes fall from the sky, sucking teenagers up into a world that is entirely unimaginable.
Amy Sullivan surrenders in a quest to save the teenage population. But nobody can prepare her for what's on the other side of the pipes; a grim and gruelling dystopian world run a specialised government. In order to save the human race, she must literally fight the other species.
Then Amy meets Caesar, a boy who doesn't seem entirely normal.
Amy must decide what's more important - saving planet Earth, or following her heart - wherever it might lead.
This is the modern day War of the Worlds with romance
London has been targeted by extra-terrestrial life; large pipes fall from the sky, sucking teenagers up into a world that is entirely unimaginable.
Amy Sullivan surrenders in a quest to save the teenage population. But nobody can prepare her for what's on the other side of the pipes; a grim and gruelling dystopian world run a specialised government. In order to save the human race, she must literally fight the other species.
Then Amy meets Caesar, a boy who doesn't seem entirely normal.
Amy must decide what's more important - saving planet Earth, or following her heart - wherever it might lead.
This is the modern day War of the Worlds with romance
394 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2017
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361 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
February 3, 2018
I enjoyed this book but i'm left slightly confused and i felt that way through the entire book and i don't know why i was feeling like it but i just was.
I like alien invasion stories i find them so interesting and there is so much you could play around with these types of stories. However i was left confused throughout my reading of this book and i think it was the fact of how the book was set out, Diary entry's and normal book setting but i couldn't for the life of me tell which one was the present and which was the past or were both just in the present and the main character was just writing in a diary for those main events? it might just be me being dumb but thats how i felt.
I liked some of the characters and some did annoy me a little bit but all and all the characters had good stories and were very well written.
The ending was a huge open ended ending for this book like i feel like it could have a sequel if it wanted to so i will be interested to see if it does get a second book.
I like alien invasion stories i find them so interesting and there is so much you could play around with these types of stories. However i was left confused throughout my reading of this book and i think it was the fact of how the book was set out, Diary entry's and normal book setting but i couldn't for the life of me tell which one was the present and which was the past or were both just in the present and the main character was just writing in a diary for those main events? it might just be me being dumb but thats how i felt.
I liked some of the characters and some did annoy me a little bit but all and all the characters had good stories and were very well written.
The ending was a huge open ended ending for this book like i feel like it could have a sequel if it wanted to so i will be interested to see if it does get a second book.
April 29, 2018
I was a traitor. I was a traitor to my country. I was a traitor to my people. I was a traitor to my planet
* *
2 / 5
I've never read anything quite like I Am Traitor, it's an imaginative book if nothing else. We have an alien invasion, teenagers being kidnapped, and a sense of foggy mystery that pervades the book so I never felt quite sure what was going on. Whilst interesting and keeps the reader on their toes, this also made it a very confusing and difficult read for me, not helped by the fact that several key elements of the book were not quite my thing.
"When we get home, Amy, I'm going to take you on a date. Like a proper date. I'm going to take you somewhere fancy. Somewhere posh. Like Nando's"
First off, our main character Amy Sullivan is fourteen years old, a little younger than I was expecting. Amy is obsessed by the fact that she hasn't had her first kiss (certainly not something I was concerned with at fourteen, or sixteen, or even eighteen...), I mean this is her go-to thought at any moment of danger, which became rather annoying. Other than this, Amy is an alright character but due to her age and interests I didn't find her particularly relatable. Other than kissing boys, or the lack thereof, Amy's chief concern is that Earth has been invaded by aliens and they are sucking teenagers up giant metal tubes to their spaceships.
This idea is really quite interesting and I wasn't at all sure where this would go and what it would involve! Unfortunately, the direction that it took wasn't really what I was hoping for: I Am Traitor focused on suspense, suspicion, and romance. It does get straight into the action, the aliens are already here, on Earth and taking teenagers, which is quite exciting, but Amy's narrative is very confusing, especially at the beginning. It alternates between the present and Amy's diary entries, but this isn't very clearly marked, making for confused and difficult reading.
It's funny how quickly your eyes get used to the dark. But the spirit ... the spirit never gets used to being locked up
I'm not a massive fan of alien books anyway, but I found it hard to sink my teeth in I Am Traitor for a variety of reasons: the youth of the main cast, the romance element, the purposeful withholding of key information from the reader, and the overwhelming focus on the ~power of love~. Most of these reasons were merely down to personal preference and this might be a great book for an alien-loving younger reader, but as an adult I didn't not enjoy it.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
* *
2 / 5
I've never read anything quite like I Am Traitor, it's an imaginative book if nothing else. We have an alien invasion, teenagers being kidnapped, and a sense of foggy mystery that pervades the book so I never felt quite sure what was going on. Whilst interesting and keeps the reader on their toes, this also made it a very confusing and difficult read for me, not helped by the fact that several key elements of the book were not quite my thing.
"When we get home, Amy, I'm going to take you on a date. Like a proper date. I'm going to take you somewhere fancy. Somewhere posh. Like Nando's"
First off, our main character Amy Sullivan is fourteen years old, a little younger than I was expecting. Amy is obsessed by the fact that she hasn't had her first kiss (certainly not something I was concerned with at fourteen, or sixteen, or even eighteen...), I mean this is her go-to thought at any moment of danger, which became rather annoying. Other than this, Amy is an alright character but due to her age and interests I didn't find her particularly relatable. Other than kissing boys, or the lack thereof, Amy's chief concern is that Earth has been invaded by aliens and they are sucking teenagers up giant metal tubes to their spaceships.
This idea is really quite interesting and I wasn't at all sure where this would go and what it would involve! Unfortunately, the direction that it took wasn't really what I was hoping for: I Am Traitor focused on suspense, suspicion, and romance. It does get straight into the action, the aliens are already here, on Earth and taking teenagers, which is quite exciting, but Amy's narrative is very confusing, especially at the beginning. It alternates between the present and Amy's diary entries, but this isn't very clearly marked, making for confused and difficult reading.
It's funny how quickly your eyes get used to the dark. But the spirit ... the spirit never gets used to being locked up
I'm not a massive fan of alien books anyway, but I found it hard to sink my teeth in I Am Traitor for a variety of reasons: the youth of the main cast, the romance element, the purposeful withholding of key information from the reader, and the overwhelming focus on the ~power of love~. Most of these reasons were merely down to personal preference and this might be a great book for an alien-loving younger reader, but as an adult I didn't not enjoy it.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
October 19, 2017
I received a copy of I Am Traitor from Hachette New Zealand to review.
I was so excited to pick this up because I love stories with alien invasions. I don’t know why. But there was just something about this story that I just didn’t click with. I don’t know if it was because I found some (or most) of the characters annoying or if the reason these aliens were abducting teens was just so disgusting and wrong or just all of it. I don’t know. I just know that it was just okay.
So I think the biggest shock for me was the reasons these twisted aliens were taking teenagers and then just expecting them to be grateful. Like “we’re giving you food, water and allowing you to live” but you just have to do this one thing for us. Which by the way was just too gross to even think about. But I guess that shouldn’t be so shocking considering these freaks have no empathy or even any emotions. I didn’t like them at all and just didn’t care that their species were facing extinction. What a shame.
And then there were the human characters and they annoyed me during most of the book. But I did finish I Am Traitor because I wanted to know what happened to them all. Maybe with the exception of one. I would have left him with those aliens.
I think the ending was kind of left open for a sequel but I haven’t looked into it to see if there will be one. Because to be honest I’m just not interested in reading it if there is another book. I guess this book just wasn’t for me. I think the story was okay up until the motivations of the aliens was revealed and then I was just like no. But, like I said, I still finished the book because I wanted to know how it ended.
I was so excited to pick this up because I love stories with alien invasions. I don’t know why. But there was just something about this story that I just didn’t click with. I don’t know if it was because I found some (or most) of the characters annoying or if the reason these aliens were abducting teens was just so disgusting and wrong or just all of it. I don’t know. I just know that it was just okay.
So I think the biggest shock for me was the reasons these twisted aliens were taking teenagers and then just expecting them to be grateful. Like “we’re giving you food, water and allowing you to live” but you just have to do this one thing for us. Which by the way was just too gross to even think about. But I guess that shouldn’t be so shocking considering these freaks have no empathy or even any emotions. I didn’t like them at all and just didn’t care that their species were facing extinction. What a shame.
And then there were the human characters and they annoyed me during most of the book. But I did finish I Am Traitor because I wanted to know what happened to them all. Maybe with the exception of one. I would have left him with those aliens.
I think the ending was kind of left open for a sequel but I haven’t looked into it to see if there will be one. Because to be honest I’m just not interested in reading it if there is another book. I guess this book just wasn’t for me. I think the story was okay up until the motivations of the aliens was revealed and then I was just like no. But, like I said, I still finished the book because I wanted to know how it ended.
September 17, 2017
God, I liked this but it just had so many problems with everything that in the end that colored the whole experience for me. I'll try to work out exactly where it all went wrong for me.
It started off well, with SOMETHING from out of space is terrorizing humankind, stealing teenagers. Despite the curfews, abductions etc, power comes on occasionally just so our bored heroine can connect with different people and further the plot. The first couple hundred pages she hasn't even been taken herself yet, she's just doing random recaps and floating around the story line. Then we finally got to the aliens and it was still confusing as all hell and there was no information. It took far too long for there to be any reason for this book to even exist, and as a reader that is frustrating.
Also random 'connections' between characters and just far too many coincidences to make this believable. All your information is eventually dumped on you all at once and things that should matter and just explained away in a sentence. Convenient.
The characters just aren't likeable. I know they are meant to be average teenagers, but I would punch Matilda in the face within five minutes of meeting her. Amy just goes 'that's Matilda' without ever explaining any growth in her character. Oh and someone should totally just stab Caesar. Yep, went there. (Love Mean Girls)
So it was poorly paced, the characters grated and the whole thing was just too convenient. But for some odd reason I still liked parts of it. I liked the straight up death and fight scenes. I liked the aliens, and I sought of understood their motivation. I liked the no happy ending. Maybe it suffered in translation, maybe it was just me. Still worth a shot at reading, just not my favorite read recently.
It started off well, with SOMETHING from out of space is terrorizing humankind, stealing teenagers. Despite the curfews, abductions etc, power comes on occasionally just so our bored heroine can connect with different people and further the plot. The first couple hundred pages she hasn't even been taken herself yet, she's just doing random recaps and floating around the story line. Then we finally got to the aliens and it was still confusing as all hell and there was no information. It took far too long for there to be any reason for this book to even exist, and as a reader that is frustrating.
Also random 'connections' between characters and just far too many coincidences to make this believable. All your information is eventually dumped on you all at once and things that should matter and just explained away in a sentence. Convenient.
The characters just aren't likeable. I know they are meant to be average teenagers, but I would punch Matilda in the face within five minutes of meeting her. Amy just goes 'that's Matilda' without ever explaining any growth in her character. Oh and someone should totally just stab Caesar. Yep, went there. (Love Mean Girls)
So it was poorly paced, the characters grated and the whole thing was just too convenient. But for some odd reason I still liked parts of it. I liked the straight up death and fight scenes. I liked the aliens, and I sought of understood their motivation. I liked the no happy ending. Maybe it suffered in translation, maybe it was just me. Still worth a shot at reading, just not my favorite read recently.
August 27, 2017
This was decent? I'm giving it a 3.5 as I didn't get into it until the last 100 pages and overall I didn't feel like the situation was dire when I should have, but it was decent and left me with a lot of questions about humans and human emotions!
February 13, 2018
Reading I am traitor is a joy. The prose flows at a fast pace and takes you with it, in fact I read the book in a day, almost in one sitting (darned laundry). I thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 1, 2017
This book was such a fun read. It follows a teenager called Amy when Londson is invaded by aliens. The story is told through a combination of diary entries and normal chapters, and I liked the mix. I thought the main character Amy was very endearing, so I really enjoyed reading from her POV.
For a while, the reader is left guessing what has happened with the alien invasion, and I really liked that suspense. I think I actually enjoyed the first 200 pages of this book more than the last. Although the plot was exciting at the end, I felt like it went it circles a little and could have been condensed. It was still a very fun read and the ending was very satisfying.
I gave this book a 3 stars because there were a few things I didn't like. Perhaps because this book is really for a teen audience I noticed quite a lot of stereotypes throughout, which I may not have noticed when I was younger. Throughout this alien invasion they reference the holocaust and that made me a little uncomfortable. I know it's good to remind people about what happened, but it felt a little insensitive comparing it to an alien invasion. I also wasn't a fan of the way the author wrote the alien "language", I think that could have been missed out.
Thank you to Hodder for sending me a copy to review! I was really excited to read this after seeing that Sif Sigmarsdóttir is a very famous children's author in Iceland.
For a while, the reader is left guessing what has happened with the alien invasion, and I really liked that suspense. I think I actually enjoyed the first 200 pages of this book more than the last. Although the plot was exciting at the end, I felt like it went it circles a little and could have been condensed. It was still a very fun read and the ending was very satisfying.
I gave this book a 3 stars because there were a few things I didn't like. Perhaps because this book is really for a teen audience I noticed quite a lot of stereotypes throughout, which I may not have noticed when I was younger. Throughout this alien invasion they reference the holocaust and that made me a little uncomfortable. I know it's good to remind people about what happened, but it felt a little insensitive comparing it to an alien invasion. I also wasn't a fan of the way the author wrote the alien "language", I think that could have been missed out.
Thank you to Hodder for sending me a copy to review! I was really excited to read this after seeing that Sif Sigmarsdóttir is a very famous children's author in Iceland.
January 27, 2018
Review first published on my blog: http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
There are a lot of books about looming alien invasions and while they can be good if done well, they have been done SO much already. I Am Traitor while also dealing with the alien invasion concept arrives smack-down in the middle of the action, which is a much more exciting concept. Aliens are here, they're taking teenagers from across the globe and they seem to know exactly how many teenagers live in each home so they can pick them off one by one...
Amy's brother Andrew was already taken, but she wasn't because the aliens mistakenly took her friend Matilda instead who was staying with them. This gives Amy the chance to find the Resistance and team up with them so when she does get taken by the Visitors she has a plan to fight back and help save humanity. But when she too is taken on board of one of the alien ships and she's about to execute her plans, nothing is quite like she thought it was. There is a Resistance among the Visitors too - but which side is telling the truth? And can Amy even save humanity or is it too late?
I Am Traitor was consistently exciting and surprising, beyond the alien invasion concept it was wholly unique and with a very fascinating cast of characters, from kick-ass teens to traitors. I don't tend to read much sci-fi but if all alien novels are as original and well-written as this one I'll have to dip my toes into the genre much more.
There are a lot of books about looming alien invasions and while they can be good if done well, they have been done SO much already. I Am Traitor while also dealing with the alien invasion concept arrives smack-down in the middle of the action, which is a much more exciting concept. Aliens are here, they're taking teenagers from across the globe and they seem to know exactly how many teenagers live in each home so they can pick them off one by one...
Amy's brother Andrew was already taken, but she wasn't because the aliens mistakenly took her friend Matilda instead who was staying with them. This gives Amy the chance to find the Resistance and team up with them so when she does get taken by the Visitors she has a plan to fight back and help save humanity. But when she too is taken on board of one of the alien ships and she's about to execute her plans, nothing is quite like she thought it was. There is a Resistance among the Visitors too - but which side is telling the truth? And can Amy even save humanity or is it too late?
I Am Traitor was consistently exciting and surprising, beyond the alien invasion concept it was wholly unique and with a very fascinating cast of characters, from kick-ass teens to traitors. I don't tend to read much sci-fi but if all alien novels are as original and well-written as this one I'll have to dip my toes into the genre much more.
September 17, 2017
This was a hard one for me to review. I loved the idea behind the story, and anything pitched as ‘a modern day War of the Worlds’ piques my interest. Unfortunately the delivery of this fell flat.
I was quite surprised by how little actually happens in this story. The set up wasn’t great either, the invasion of these aliens (or ‘Visitors’ as they’re dubbed) isn’t clearly explained and because of that I struggled to get into it initially as I didn’t really understand what had happened so far.
The story is told in two styles. A first person narrative where the majority of the story is told, and diary entries from Amy. I think the idea is supposed to be that the diary entries are the present tense and the narrative is the past tense – perhaps to add tension, but it didn’t work that well for me because the diary entires seemed to be set directly before the events of the next chapter. So Amy would write something like ‘little did I know, everything was about to go wrong’ and then the next chapter would be where it described the events where it all went wrong. So it just became a little annoying and took away the element of surprise for the story.
Character-wise I didn’t like anyone very much. Amy is a typical ‘mousy shy girl’ with a ‘beautiful popular best friend’ and that really isn’t the end of the cliches. She’s also only fourteen, which really added to the immature feel of the book. Amy constantly worries about things like whether she’ll be killed before she’s ever been kissed (apparently the lack of kissing annoys her more than the thought of death) and of course she falls instantly in love with a boy after meeting him once.
Her best friend Matilda seemed to only be concerned with her appearance and boys. She was also very petty and childish. At one point, when Amy doesn’t want to reveal her top-secret plan to her, Matilda tries to convince all their friends to completely ignore her. Because apparently the prospect of their impending deaths wasn’t enough to put a lid on these childish behaviours.
The romance is forced and awkward. Amy honestly barely knows the guy and nor does she ever really get to know him, but why should minor things like that stand in the way of 'true love'.
There weren’t really any shocking plot twists and generally I found the storyline pretty disappointing. If an alien race has masterminded a plan to invade earth, I don’t expect them to be taken down by a group of fourteen year-olds armed with just an old laptop.
The ending also seemed pretty unresolved. They find a temporary solution to hold off the aliens but it’s implied that in a few years they could return.
Overall I was just massively disappointed. Lacking in a lot of detail (some areas are described as being ‘horrific’ to Amy – and are even compared to Concentration camps at times – but then are barely described to the reader so I didn’t feel her shock or horror at all), failing to effectively deliver on the alien invasion threat (very little was alienesque, it could’ve just been humans who’d kidnapped them and locked them onboard a ship. I didn’t get that ‘otherworldly race/culture’ feeling at all), and immature and annoying characters.
It did have a really good base idea, and despite the lack of detail the writing wasn’t bad. Perhaps this would be better suited to a slightly younger YA reader. I think I expected a lot more from something tagged as being similar to War of the Worlds, because this really wasn’t anything like that at all.
I was quite surprised by how little actually happens in this story. The set up wasn’t great either, the invasion of these aliens (or ‘Visitors’ as they’re dubbed) isn’t clearly explained and because of that I struggled to get into it initially as I didn’t really understand what had happened so far.
The story is told in two styles. A first person narrative where the majority of the story is told, and diary entries from Amy. I think the idea is supposed to be that the diary entries are the present tense and the narrative is the past tense – perhaps to add tension, but it didn’t work that well for me because the diary entires seemed to be set directly before the events of the next chapter. So Amy would write something like ‘little did I know, everything was about to go wrong’ and then the next chapter would be where it described the events where it all went wrong. So it just became a little annoying and took away the element of surprise for the story.
Character-wise I didn’t like anyone very much. Amy is a typical ‘mousy shy girl’ with a ‘beautiful popular best friend’ and that really isn’t the end of the cliches. She’s also only fourteen, which really added to the immature feel of the book. Amy constantly worries about things like whether she’ll be killed before she’s ever been kissed (apparently the lack of kissing annoys her more than the thought of death) and of course she falls instantly in love with a boy after meeting him once.
Her best friend Matilda seemed to only be concerned with her appearance and boys. She was also very petty and childish. At one point, when Amy doesn’t want to reveal her top-secret plan to her, Matilda tries to convince all their friends to completely ignore her. Because apparently the prospect of their impending deaths wasn’t enough to put a lid on these childish behaviours.
The romance is forced and awkward. Amy honestly barely knows the guy and nor does she ever really get to know him, but why should minor things like that stand in the way of 'true love'.
There weren’t really any shocking plot twists and generally I found the storyline pretty disappointing. If an alien race has masterminded a plan to invade earth, I don’t expect them to be taken down by a group of fourteen year-olds armed with just an old laptop.
The ending also seemed pretty unresolved. They find a temporary solution to hold off the aliens but it’s implied that in a few years they could return.
Overall I was just massively disappointed. Lacking in a lot of detail (some areas are described as being ‘horrific’ to Amy – and are even compared to Concentration camps at times – but then are barely described to the reader so I didn’t feel her shock or horror at all), failing to effectively deliver on the alien invasion threat (very little was alienesque, it could’ve just been humans who’d kidnapped them and locked them onboard a ship. I didn’t get that ‘otherworldly race/culture’ feeling at all), and immature and annoying characters.
It did have a really good base idea, and despite the lack of detail the writing wasn’t bad. Perhaps this would be better suited to a slightly younger YA reader. I think I expected a lot more from something tagged as being similar to War of the Worlds, because this really wasn’t anything like that at all.
August 17, 2017
"Living isn't just breathing. Living is experiencing, enjoying, having fun just for the hell of it. You shouldn't just live life, you should feel life. You should feel all its different dimensions; you should feel happiness, sadness, elation, grief. Love."
I am Traitor is a novel with surprisingly (in the best possible way) profound things to say for a 14-year-old protagonist who starts out obsessed with getting her first kiss. First impressions can be deceptive, and the book starts out mundane, even banal, but gradually crescendoes into a full-fledged story with impeccable plotting and emotional depth. Yes, there are clichés, tropes, stock characters and what have you, which will probably bother experienced readers of sci-fi more than they did me, but for a YA novel billed as a "modern day War of the Worlds with romance," it offers enough twists on the traditional to satisfy even picky readers.
For those who worry that this is another half-baked premise manufactured solely for the main characters to kiss--don't. While we're flying blind, so to speak, for about the first half of the novel (there's little explanation as to what in the world is going on until then), the world-building works well when it finally emerges.
And while the relationship is rather too instalovish for my tastes, there's enough depth to it to keep things believable. More importantly, the novel's plot is strong enough to overcome any holes where the romance is concerned. Basically, I am Traitor is no Matched, even though it deals with many of the same themes. The way it handles those themes is more in alignment with The Giver, although I am Traitor is far more action-heavy.
There are echoes of The Diary of a Young Girl everywhere, and it's clear that Anne Frank's story influenced Amy Sullivan's journey on a significant level, down to short excerpts from Amy's fictional diary at the end of every chapter. I wasn't sold on the stylistic choice to begin with, especially as the excerpts created some narrative confusion due to being chronologically ahead of the chapters, but I've come to appreciate their indispensable value to the story. They are unconventional, sometimes confusing, sometimes painful or annoying or sad to read--just like the candid, private thoughts of a 14-year-old thrust into a fight way over her head.
And guys, the ending. I'm so happy that this book is a stand-alone, at least for now (I'm not saying a sequel could never work, but I'd have very high expectations for one). It's not easy to write an ending as gutsy and introspective as the one we get here, and trust me, it's worth it. A little cheesy, but worth it all the way, you get me?
YA dystopia may be over-saturated by this point, where all new releases must write something amazingly innovative or risk being panned as stale, but I am Traitor proves--convincingly--that the genre is far from dead. I hope that this author writes more speculative fiction, as she definitely has a gift for realistic world-building, and I definitely look forward to whatever she may come up with.
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book!*
I am Traitor is a novel with surprisingly (in the best possible way) profound things to say for a 14-year-old protagonist who starts out obsessed with getting her first kiss. First impressions can be deceptive, and the book starts out mundane, even banal, but gradually crescendoes into a full-fledged story with impeccable plotting and emotional depth. Yes, there are clichés, tropes, stock characters and what have you, which will probably bother experienced readers of sci-fi more than they did me, but for a YA novel billed as a "modern day War of the Worlds with romance," it offers enough twists on the traditional to satisfy even picky readers.
For those who worry that this is another half-baked premise manufactured solely for the main characters to kiss--don't. While we're flying blind, so to speak, for about the first half of the novel (there's little explanation as to what in the world is going on until then), the world-building works well when it finally emerges.
And while the relationship is rather too instalovish for my tastes, there's enough depth to it to keep things believable. More importantly, the novel's plot is strong enough to overcome any holes where the romance is concerned. Basically, I am Traitor is no Matched, even though it deals with many of the same themes. The way it handles those themes is more in alignment with The Giver, although I am Traitor is far more action-heavy.
There are echoes of The Diary of a Young Girl everywhere, and it's clear that Anne Frank's story influenced Amy Sullivan's journey on a significant level, down to short excerpts from Amy's fictional diary at the end of every chapter. I wasn't sold on the stylistic choice to begin with, especially as the excerpts created some narrative confusion due to being chronologically ahead of the chapters, but I've come to appreciate their indispensable value to the story. They are unconventional, sometimes confusing, sometimes painful or annoying or sad to read--just like the candid, private thoughts of a 14-year-old thrust into a fight way over her head.
And guys, the ending. I'm so happy that this book is a stand-alone, at least for now (I'm not saying a sequel could never work, but I'd have very high expectations for one). It's not easy to write an ending as gutsy and introspective as the one we get here, and trust me, it's worth it. A little cheesy, but worth it all the way, you get me?
YA dystopia may be over-saturated by this point, where all new releases must write something amazingly innovative or risk being panned as stale, but I am Traitor proves--convincingly--that the genre is far from dead. I hope that this author writes more speculative fiction, as she definitely has a gift for realistic world-building, and I definitely look forward to whatever she may come up with.
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book!*
August 2, 2020
Aliens have made contact with Earth, and are stealing teenagers through giant metal tubes that descend from their spaceships. After Amy Sullivan's older brother and best friends are taken, she volunteers to deliver a message to someone on the inside, in the hope that this will save everyone. But this requires her to allow herself to be stolen away as well.
My reading experience, and therefore this review, has been affected by the fact that I am currently completely obsessed with the tv show Torchwood, which is a spin off of Doctor Who. The fact that this book is about an alien invasion and is specifically set in Canary Wharf (the base of the ill-fated Torchwood One) should have made this a perfect read for me right now! Unfortunately, the plot of this book has too many similarities to Torchwood: Children of Earth, which is the show's third season, to the point where direct comparisons are unavoidable. The phrase 'children of Earth' is even used within the novel. In my opinion, that season of Torchwood is simultaneously one of the best pieces of television I've seen, and one of the most horrifying. When considering which executed the premise better, Torchwood is undeniably the winner.
Major spoilers for both I Am Traitor and Torchwood: Children of Earth below, because when I say 'completely obsessed' I am not remotely kidding.
I didn't really like the main character, Amy, or her friend, Matilda. Amy seemed more concerned with her own love life than the fact that the world appeared to be ending around her. When considering that she may potentially die without ever having been kissed, the dying part was not the thing that bothered her the most. Also, she's a moron. If you're caught somewhere you're not supposed to be by guards, and the person you're with immediately acts as if they're arresting you, then it's clearly a cover. There are multiple chapters where she's convinced she's been betrayed, and she was so shocked when she found out that she hadn't been. How genre blind can you get, seriously? Matilda was quite often a bad friend, at one point trying to convince their group to ignore Amy because she had done something that Matilda wasn't 100% happy with. There wasn't enough of most of the other characters to have anything much to actually dislike.
There is a forced unnecessary hetero relationship brewing throughout this novel. I doubt much more needs to be said on that topic. It's there. It would have been better if it hadn't been.
This novel's main gimmick is that between every chapter there is an entry from Amy's diary from a few chapters forward in the plot. However, this fails for two reasons. Firstly, the main narration is also in first person and past tense, which means that the diary entries would have to really distinguish themselves in order to be believable. This leads onto the second problem, that being that they do not. Aside from the font change, the diary chapters read exactly the same as the normal chapters do. This is especially noticeable when Amy apparently transcribes dialogue and actions happening around her perfectly. I don't know anyone who is a fast enough writer or detail oriented enough to put that much effort into their diaries. The weakness of the diary chapters was a huge letdown, because I usually really like unconventional methods of storytelling.
If the phrase 'politically correct' shows up in narration, you're probably doing something wrong. In this instance, it was used to describe a minor character that 'in a less politically correct era [would be] described as fat.' I don't have the energy right now to go into detail about the issues I have with this, but I have issues with this.
The novel could be very confusing. Often a question would be asked, and there would be pages of dialogue following it, and the protagonist would act as if she had been given the answer when she hadn't. I was constantly having to go back and reread passages because I thought I must have missed something, but I never had. There was also an astonishing lack of description of major areas, such as the 'Camp'. When Amy enters it for the first time, she goes off on a tangent about concentration camps, never really getting to the point, and the 'Camp' that she's in is clearly nowhere near as bad as those were. The Holocaust is referenced pretty often actually. One or two references would have been fine, and could have worked well, but I think Sigmarsdóttir overdid it a little.
While this book has enough problems that I was never going to love it, I definitely would have liked it a lot more if I hadn't already seen Torchwood. If you like sci-fi (or if you've read this book and are curious to see a slightly different take on an extremely similar premise) then I highly recommend that you watch it.
My reading experience, and therefore this review, has been affected by the fact that I am currently completely obsessed with the tv show Torchwood, which is a spin off of Doctor Who. The fact that this book is about an alien invasion and is specifically set in Canary Wharf (the base of the ill-fated Torchwood One) should have made this a perfect read for me right now! Unfortunately, the plot of this book has too many similarities to Torchwood: Children of Earth, which is the show's third season, to the point where direct comparisons are unavoidable. The phrase 'children of Earth' is even used within the novel. In my opinion, that season of Torchwood is simultaneously one of the best pieces of television I've seen, and one of the most horrifying. When considering which executed the premise better, Torchwood is undeniably the winner.
Major spoilers for both I Am Traitor and Torchwood: Children of Earth below, because when I say 'completely obsessed' I am not remotely kidding.
I didn't really like the main character, Amy, or her friend, Matilda. Amy seemed more concerned with her own love life than the fact that the world appeared to be ending around her. When considering that she may potentially die without ever having been kissed, the dying part was not the thing that bothered her the most. Also, she's a moron. If you're caught somewhere you're not supposed to be by guards, and the person you're with immediately acts as if they're arresting you, then it's clearly a cover. There are multiple chapters where she's convinced she's been betrayed, and she was so shocked when she found out that she hadn't been. How genre blind can you get, seriously? Matilda was quite often a bad friend, at one point trying to convince their group to ignore Amy because she had done something that Matilda wasn't 100% happy with. There wasn't enough of most of the other characters to have anything much to actually dislike.
There is a forced unnecessary hetero relationship brewing throughout this novel. I doubt much more needs to be said on that topic. It's there. It would have been better if it hadn't been.
This novel's main gimmick is that between every chapter there is an entry from Amy's diary from a few chapters forward in the plot. However, this fails for two reasons. Firstly, the main narration is also in first person and past tense, which means that the diary entries would have to really distinguish themselves in order to be believable. This leads onto the second problem, that being that they do not. Aside from the font change, the diary chapters read exactly the same as the normal chapters do. This is especially noticeable when Amy apparently transcribes dialogue and actions happening around her perfectly. I don't know anyone who is a fast enough writer or detail oriented enough to put that much effort into their diaries. The weakness of the diary chapters was a huge letdown, because I usually really like unconventional methods of storytelling.
If the phrase 'politically correct' shows up in narration, you're probably doing something wrong. In this instance, it was used to describe a minor character that 'in a less politically correct era [would be] described as fat.' I don't have the energy right now to go into detail about the issues I have with this, but I have issues with this.
The novel could be very confusing. Often a question would be asked, and there would be pages of dialogue following it, and the protagonist would act as if she had been given the answer when she hadn't. I was constantly having to go back and reread passages because I thought I must have missed something, but I never had. There was also an astonishing lack of description of major areas, such as the 'Camp'. When Amy enters it for the first time, she goes off on a tangent about concentration camps, never really getting to the point, and the 'Camp' that she's in is clearly nowhere near as bad as those were. The Holocaust is referenced pretty often actually. One or two references would have been fine, and could have worked well, but I think Sigmarsdóttir overdid it a little.
While this book has enough problems that I was never going to love it, I definitely would have liked it a lot more if I hadn't already seen Torchwood. If you like sci-fi (or if you've read this book and are curious to see a slightly different take on an extremely similar premise) then I highly recommend that you watch it.
December 5, 2017
'Loving the alien'
This started off really well. A modern reworking of War of the Worlds, with main character Amy, a geeky 14 year old, her brother, well drawn parents and airhead friend Matilda. It is set in Docklands modern day and the teenage concerns and actions seem plausible ( although I really can't judge), including her concerns about lack of boyfriends and never having been kissed. The dystopian anarchy is well drawn (looted supermarkets, patrolling soldiers, power cuts, lack of government information). Her friends are awful and unlikeable though and their characters barely developed. Which makes her reactions to later events ring like a cracked bell
Unfortunately for me the book falls apart badly after 150 pages when Amy is whisked up to the Alien spaceship on her mission for the resistance. Why would she not ask what she is carrying and why & how is it supposed to save humankind from the invaders? and so on. The description of 'the camp' (and the other sites is pedestrian, confusing and trite. And the aliens (or some of them) turn out to look like - and in fact are exactly like - teenage humans, with the same banter, slang, sensibilities including heart searching obsessions about love and sex. This is an astonishing failure of imagination. Honestly if you're going to have aliens at least make them alien not humans from a different planet. One has dreamy dimples, and autumnal smile and Amy is of course falls in lurve with him. This relationship now becomes the main focus of the book - it feels forced and absurd as they have only just met. The earnest heart to heart discussions between them and the explanations of why the aliens are here are just ridiculous.
In a SciFi book I also really expect some half credible science, but we don't get it here. The plot is utterly illogical and riddled with inconsistencies
I can't bear to discuss the battles and the great escape plan. Even in the middle of a massive shoot out, Amy has time to angst over how it is all her fault, the morality of fighting back and how she really wants that kiss with the alien. Groan
So sadly a massive disappointment.
This started off really well. A modern reworking of War of the Worlds, with main character Amy, a geeky 14 year old, her brother, well drawn parents and airhead friend Matilda. It is set in Docklands modern day and the teenage concerns and actions seem plausible ( although I really can't judge), including her concerns about lack of boyfriends and never having been kissed. The dystopian anarchy is well drawn (looted supermarkets, patrolling soldiers, power cuts, lack of government information). Her friends are awful and unlikeable though and their characters barely developed. Which makes her reactions to later events ring like a cracked bell
Unfortunately for me the book falls apart badly after 150 pages when Amy is whisked up to the Alien spaceship on her mission for the resistance. Why would she not ask what she is carrying and why & how is it supposed to save humankind from the invaders? and so on. The description of 'the camp' (and the other sites is pedestrian, confusing and trite. And the aliens (or some of them) turn out to look like - and in fact are exactly like - teenage humans, with the same banter, slang, sensibilities including heart searching obsessions about love and sex. This is an astonishing failure of imagination. Honestly if you're going to have aliens at least make them alien not humans from a different planet. One has dreamy dimples, and autumnal smile and Amy is of course falls in lurve with him. This relationship now becomes the main focus of the book - it feels forced and absurd as they have only just met. The earnest heart to heart discussions between them and the explanations of why the aliens are here are just ridiculous.
In a SciFi book I also really expect some half credible science, but we don't get it here. The plot is utterly illogical and riddled with inconsistencies
I can't bear to discuss the battles and the great escape plan. Even in the middle of a massive shoot out, Amy has time to angst over how it is all her fault, the morality of fighting back and how she really wants that kiss with the alien. Groan
So sadly a massive disappointment.
January 6, 2018
The idea for this book was quite different to many alien abducting books you might have read with teenagers all over the world being abducted the purpose of which you find out as you read the book. Amy is one of the teenagers kidnapped but she is kidnapped intentionally with the idea that she can save her fellow teenagers and bring them back to Earth. The fourteen year old falls for Caesar one of the humanoids who agrees to help Amy, her friends and the other teenagers who have been abducted get back to Earth.
I did not start to get into the story until just before Amy got kidnapped. However, a lot of what was going on then was so unrealistic especially when you have only minutes to save the earth but decide that this is the moment you want a kiss. Surely when your life is under threat that would be the last thing you would be considering. As the main character, I found Amy quite irritating at times. Her immaturity and up and down emotions made it impossible to get to grips with the story at times. It just didn't seem plausible that it was Amy that had been selected to save earth.
The story has been left open for a follow up novel but the characters need to be more likeable to keep the readers interested.
I did not start to get into the story until just before Amy got kidnapped. However, a lot of what was going on then was so unrealistic especially when you have only minutes to save the earth but decide that this is the moment you want a kiss. Surely when your life is under threat that would be the last thing you would be considering. As the main character, I found Amy quite irritating at times. Her immaturity and up and down emotions made it impossible to get to grips with the story at times. It just didn't seem plausible that it was Amy that had been selected to save earth.
The story has been left open for a follow up novel but the characters need to be more likeable to keep the readers interested.
August 28, 2018
I wanted to enjoy this book. I've like all the Icelandic writers I've read. I like teenage fiction. But this story of alien abduction just didn't ring true for me and I'm not completely sure why.
There were many instances when there was too much 'tell' of things that were important to the plot — things that seemed to need to be explained to the reader before we could grasp the next thing the characters were doing. This made the story clunky to read.
The raft of characters were also a raft of rather predictable characters — the school bullies, the 'nerd' friend, the 'blond' friend, the gorgeous hulk, the traitor and the comedian.
Having said this I did read to the end as I wanted to know what happened, but when the events came they came thick and fast with various twists and turns in the final couple of chapters that actually quite took your breath away and didn't let you fully engage what was happening.
Sadly wouldn't really recommend.
There were many instances when there was too much 'tell' of things that were important to the plot — things that seemed to need to be explained to the reader before we could grasp the next thing the characters were doing. This made the story clunky to read.
The raft of characters were also a raft of rather predictable characters — the school bullies, the 'nerd' friend, the 'blond' friend, the gorgeous hulk, the traitor and the comedian.
Having said this I did read to the end as I wanted to know what happened, but when the events came they came thick and fast with various twists and turns in the final couple of chapters that actually quite took your breath away and didn't let you fully engage what was happening.
Sadly wouldn't really recommend.
September 10, 2020
I enjoyed the premise of this novel, it wasn't one that I had read before and I thought it was a very interesting set up and description of the invasion. I particularly liked the beginning where the lockdown and the curfew was described as reading it during quarantine made me appreciate just how accurately it was written despite being published years before any of the COVID-19 events that we are experiencing at the moment. However, once upon the spaceship I thought the novel was a little lacking and focused too much on the insta love trope and played into the stereotypes of teenagers way too much, I mean really, a spaceship abduction and people were worried about their mascara and were reading magazines? The pacing between the text and the journal entries were also a little confusing and jumped around too much. Overall it was an okay read but could have done with a few improvements for it to be a higher rating.
September 5, 2017
i liked some parts better than others, but it gets a solid 7/10 for me. i sometimes had to remind myself that she's only 14 and that explains some of the responses she has to certain things. but it did sometimes slip my mind, because usually in ya the characters are between the 16-19 range. is it even ya? i'm not sure.
anyways, it's a good read. not too heavy on the brain and reads quite fluently. most characters are likable (coughsnottomcoughstheprick) so it makes it easier to sympathise with them.
what i do wonder about though ... will there be a sequel? an epilogue? anything to follow up on this? because the end is an end without really being an end and i'm just hngvgvdjcbsm about it. like i could live with it, but i'm just wondering if i will ever find out about the rest of it, or if i have to fill it in myself. gah.
anyways, it's a good read. not too heavy on the brain and reads quite fluently. most characters are likable (coughsnottomcoughstheprick) so it makes it easier to sympathise with them.
what i do wonder about though ... will there be a sequel? an epilogue? anything to follow up on this? because the end is an end without really being an end and i'm just hngvgvdjcbsm about it. like i could live with it, but i'm just wondering if i will ever find out about the rest of it, or if i have to fill it in myself. gah.
October 8, 2017
This sci-fi for teens is going to appeal to the market audience, and thankfully the female half of it too with its heroine Amy, but it's not anywhere near as good as it should be. The first section is fine, with a revisit of Wars of the Worlds through a sort of Cloverfield sensibility. It then bogs down on one of the space ships, with betrayal and suchlike machinations every few pages – not helped by the silly diary style of alternating sections, that do nothing except twist the time-lines unnecessarily and force stings and cliff-hangery bits upon us. Those bits that suggest something dramatic is around the corner when the narrative can only catch up to them are almost vital, as the book is far too long, and has so much that is inherently illogical I can't begin. Shame. One and a half stars.
November 3, 2017
Aliens aren't normally my thing but I Am Traitor really took me by surprise. Amy is 14 and she makes some pretty stupid decisions when the visitors start stealing teenagers from earth. None the less, she has an epic adventure that was exciting to follow. She has a distinct, humorous voice and I really respected her relationship with her brother Andrew and best friend Matilda. The way she cared made her lovable. The first two thirds of the book were really strong because of this, but then the love interest plotline became weirdly prominent and I don't think it massively worked. It wasn't consistently used and felt like more of a tool to publicise the book rather than something that happened organically. That being said, I did like some parts of the romance. So, basically, I'm conflicted. I don't think it should have been there but he was a bit yummy.
September 20, 2019
Amy Sullivan is a normal teenager living at home in London. One day, Earth gets an unexpected visitor from space, and her world is turned upside down when her friends and brother gets taken. What lengths will she go to in order to save them?
I liked this book, but not as much as I hoped I would. The main character was a little too obsessed with getting kissed, and the whole plot reminded me of a War of The Worlds/Torchwood Children of Earth crossover, which is good as I do like both. I liked Andrew as a character, he was loyal and brave. I wish Tom had stayed behind though, rarely do I get angry at a character but Tom I did!
I am interested in reading other books by the author though as I liked the writing style but sadly this book was just OK for me. I borrowed this book from my local library.
I liked this book, but not as much as I hoped I would. The main character was a little too obsessed with getting kissed, and the whole plot reminded me of a War of The Worlds/Torchwood Children of Earth crossover, which is good as I do like both. I liked Andrew as a character, he was loyal and brave. I wish Tom had stayed behind though, rarely do I get angry at a character but Tom I did!
I am interested in reading other books by the author though as I liked the writing style but sadly this book was just OK for me. I borrowed this book from my local library.
June 21, 2018
Alrighty,
I really enjoyed this book, it kept me entertained on the train to and from work for three days. I'm kind of sad it's finished now though.
I really hope there's a second book because the ending felt incomplete here, and it would be good to have a happily ever after for Amy and Caesar.
I liked most of the characters, Andrew and Amy were good people and I like how Amy is a normal teenager and not exactly hero material. I disliked Matilda's materialistic tendencies, but she had some redeeming qualities, I hated Tom though. He was always nagging and just super annoying.
overall, despite some unlikable characters, the book was great in concept, writing and characterisation/setting and I would read the next book should there be one
I really enjoyed this book, it kept me entertained on the train to and from work for three days. I'm kind of sad it's finished now though.
I really hope there's a second book because the ending felt incomplete here, and it would be good to have a happily ever after for Amy and Caesar.
I liked most of the characters, Andrew and Amy were good people and I like how Amy is a normal teenager and not exactly hero material. I disliked Matilda's materialistic tendencies, but she had some redeeming qualities, I hated Tom though. He was always nagging and just super annoying.
overall, despite some unlikable characters, the book was great in concept, writing and characterisation/setting and I would read the next book should there be one
January 30, 2019
Sorry, but NO.
I just couldn't get past the MC's incredibly annoying voice! Her world is shattered after her Brother is SWALLOWED BY AN ALIEN SNAKE TUBE, PROBABLY DEAD AND SHE MAY WELL BE NEXT but she's more focused on the fact that she hasn't kissed a boy ever! I get that crossing you mind but the whole "Cringe!" and "double cringe" element were too much for me. I really hope that she overcomes her ridiculous woe-is-me-will-I-ever-be-kissed-ness by the end.
I read almost 100 pages before I opted out of this one.
The Sci-Fi element was pretty good, I don't think that I'd have persevered without it tbh, but there are too many books to read and too little time. I'm moving on and so should you :(
I just couldn't get past the MC's incredibly annoying voice! Her world is shattered after her Brother is SWALLOWED BY AN ALIEN SNAKE TUBE, PROBABLY DEAD AND SHE MAY WELL BE NEXT but she's more focused on the fact that she hasn't kissed a boy ever! I get that crossing you mind but the whole "Cringe!" and "double cringe" element were too much for me. I really hope that she overcomes her ridiculous woe-is-me-will-I-ever-be-kissed-ness by the end.
I read almost 100 pages before I opted out of this one.
The Sci-Fi element was pretty good, I don't think that I'd have persevered without it tbh, but there are too many books to read and too little time. I'm moving on and so should you :(
November 15, 2017
This book had a really strong start, it almost feels like it does a change later in the story. It speeds up a bit. I did not dislike it but I felt a few character relationships got sidelined for the romance. Andrew and Amy's relationship as a brother and a sister were far Kore interesting. Also I felt the aliens were a bit too normal, at the start you really get a sense of other worldly terror; this is somewhat dampened towards the end of the book.
Never the less there is some good writing here and it makes for a strong YA sci fi. Alien YA seems to be less these days. If you like alien abduction stuff you'll like this. Strong writing but not as great towards end.
Never the less there is some good writing here and it makes for a strong YA sci fi. Alien YA seems to be less these days. If you like alien abduction stuff you'll like this. Strong writing but not as great towards end.
January 31, 2019
Overall I actually enjoyed this, and I wasn’t expecting to. I started off rolling my eyes a little at the main characters, (as other reviewers have mentioned the obsession with getting kissed is a bit much!), but as the story moves on she finds herself much more as a person. It’s interesting to see how people might try to cling to any sense of normalcy in an abnormal situation, how tiny things can mean a lot. Certain comparisons with the Camp were very striking, and the end might leave you questioning your own morals if you were on the other side. I’d quite like a sequel! Its definitely open for one.
August 29, 2023
this book was a total disaster.
it is about a women called Amy Sullivan.
she lives in a flat in the middle of London, England.
he interacts with her friends.
then the aliens invade the earth and they don't know what to do.
it becomes the worlds worst place now and she misses her friends and family back home.
she is abducted by aliens and not allowed to return to earth.
she is stuck in a space ship and doesn't know what to do.
i don't know what happens in the end.
i think she goes back to planet earth.
it is about a women called Amy Sullivan.
she lives in a flat in the middle of London, England.
he interacts with her friends.
then the aliens invade the earth and they don't know what to do.
it becomes the worlds worst place now and she misses her friends and family back home.
she is abducted by aliens and not allowed to return to earth.
she is stuck in a space ship and doesn't know what to do.
i don't know what happens in the end.
i think she goes back to planet earth.
November 15, 2017
Did Signarsdóttir's YA SF novel is a disappointing affair hampered by poor world building, inconsistencies and holes in the plot, two-dimensional characters who never react as you would expect and a main character who is supposed to be the "every teen" who saves the day but who displays zero common sense - all of which is a shame because there are hints at sophisticated politics here that never get a chance to breathe.
January 20, 2018
I liked the story- while it was the cliche ‘aliens come to earth and abduct humans’, the plot had a twist to it that kept it fresh. The main characters were also well written, however I could not stop my annoyance over some characters idiotic actions (I can not stand Matilda or Tom). My favourite character was Caesar, and well... Would recommend to read as it was decent but not mind blowing novel. 3/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2025
DNF. Felt like a mess. The humans weren't well written and the aliens even worse. It also felt like nothing much happened, which is weird considering the plot. The biggest shame for me is that we finally have an Icelandic writer publishing something outside of crime and horror. Sci-fi! Woo! But it fell flat.
I picked this book up on the free pile outside the library, so I guess I see why it was there.
I picked this book up on the free pile outside the library, so I guess I see why it was there.
December 12, 2017
I Am Traitor just about make a it to 3 stars. There are some pretty major floors in plotting, the characters don't really talk like teenagers from the Isle of Dogs, and the diary entry thing doesn't always work. However, I enjoyed it. The main character was likeable and believable and I made it through to the end.
October 30, 2017
I received a review copy of this book from Goodreads for an impartial review.
I was hoping that this would be something new but unfortunately it just seemed to be a mismatch of all other dystopian novels mixed in a bad way. I saw nothing original and the characters were a bit flat - disappointing.
I was hoping that this would be something new but unfortunately it just seemed to be a mismatch of all other dystopian novels mixed in a bad way. I saw nothing original and the characters were a bit flat - disappointing.
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