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The Culling #1
The Culling
Book one of Ramona Finn's new series, The Culling.
What happens to a girl trained as a executioner, who finds out her life is a lie?
In a solar system where The Authority decides who lives and who dies, only one of their own executioners can stop them.
Glade Io is a trained killer. Marked at a young age as an individual with violent tendencies, she was taken from her family and groomed to be a Datapoint—a biotech-enabled analyst who carries out the Culling. She is designed to identify and destroy any potential humans that threaten the colonies: those marked as lawbreakers, unproductive or sick. But when she’s kidnapped by rogue colonists known as the Ferrymen, everything Glade thinks she knows about the colonies, and The Authority that runs them, collapses into doubt.
Pulled between two opposing sides, and with her family’s lives hanging in the balance, Glade is unsure of who to trust—and time is running out.
What happens to a girl trained as a executioner, who finds out her life is a lie?
In a solar system where The Authority decides who lives and who dies, only one of their own executioners can stop them.
Glade Io is a trained killer. Marked at a young age as an individual with violent tendencies, she was taken from her family and groomed to be a Datapoint—a biotech-enabled analyst who carries out the Culling. She is designed to identify and destroy any potential humans that threaten the colonies: those marked as lawbreakers, unproductive or sick. But when she’s kidnapped by rogue colonists known as the Ferrymen, everything Glade thinks she knows about the colonies, and The Authority that runs them, collapses into doubt.
Pulled between two opposing sides, and with her family’s lives hanging in the balance, Glade is unsure of who to trust—and time is running out.
324 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2017
549 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
Ramona Finn
22 books109 followersRamona Finn writes about courageous characters who fight to live in broken, dystopian worlds. She grew up sitting cross-legged on her town's library floor - completely engrossed in science fiction books. It was always the futuristic world or the universe-on-the-brink-of-extinction plot lines that drew her in, but it was the brave characters who chose to fight back that kept her turning the pages.
Her books create deep, intricate worlds with bold characters determined to fight for their survival in their dystopian worlds - with a little help from their friends. And, of course, romance is never out of the question...
Like young-adult dystopian books? Then you're going to love Ramona Finn's "The Glitch" -- set in a futuristic world where an Artificial Intelligence rules, Lib wakes up in a barren land with one thought lodged in her mind: "Find the Glitches".
Her books create deep, intricate worlds with bold characters determined to fight for their survival in their dystopian worlds - with a little help from their friends. And, of course, romance is never out of the question...
Like young-adult dystopian books? Then you're going to love Ramona Finn's "The Glitch" -- set in a futuristic world where an Artificial Intelligence rules, Lib wakes up in a barren land with one thought lodged in her mind: "Find the Glitches".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
November 20, 2017
*I received this Arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review*
This felt like a mix of Red Rising and Ender's Game. I haven't read a dystopian novel in ages. I do enjoy them, but at this point, after having read so many now, they have just become a bit predictable for me. Ramona Finn loves all things dystopian, even from a young age so she decided to have a go and write her own. This isn't her first novel -in fact, she has a series called 'the Glitch'- which you can see from the writing, but the plot itself just felt predictable to me, and not a lot really happened, although I do get this is building up for the second book.
In a future where Earth is no longer inhabitable, and humans must live in the Solar System, the Authority rules all- Datapoints and The Culling are what the system relies on to survive.
Glade Io is a trained killer working for the Authority. Taken from her family at a young age, she is groomed to be a Datapoint- a biotech-enabled analyst who carries out the Culling. People deemed a risk to society, those who are lawbreakers, unproductive or sick, must be killed for the good of everyone else, and Glade is just one of the people responsible for sorting out the good from bad, and pulling the plug on those who need to be Culled.
When she is captured by rebel colonists known as 'The Ferrymen', Glade will begin to question everything she knows about the Culling and the Authority. Has she been lied to? Who can she trust?
With her feelings for one of the Ferrymen growing, Glade must decide whether to help the rebels or return to her post as a Datapoint and continue Culling.
I liked the idea of the plot, but I wanted something different, that sets it apart from all other dystopian novels. I guessed along the way what was going to happen, so it wasn't anything special in my opinion. Maybe the next book will blow this series out of the water? but unfortunately, this fell a little flat for me. I will continue with the next book despite this book not being up there for me, because I cannot handle not finishing a series and not knowing what happens, or if the first book was simply the lesser of the others, which does happen.
Glade is your predictable main character, a chosen one destined for greatness. She is brainwashed to believe in what the Authority tells her, and even when shown proof things aren't as they seem, she still can't sway from what she has grown up knowing. Her father was Culled when she was younger and yet she still believes what she is doing is right, although memories of her father are nothing but happy and his character doesn't line up with the criteria of those who are Culled. She also has twin sisters and a mother, who she wants to protect from the life she now lives.
Something I didn't enjoy reading through Glade's POV was the author's constant reminder that when Glade flicks her hair, it resembles a horse she once saw in a video. This is mentioned over and over, and honestly, it just felt really repetitive and I ended up rolling my eyes when it was then mentioned again, and again, and again.
Despite me finding this predictable, nothing new or special in the dystopian genre, part of me did enjoy it. I mean I do like dystopian novels, even though I have read so many. I found some of the other characters more unique and less predictable than our main character, and I think they are what made this book more enjoyable for me.
This book was well written, but I would have liked it not to be so repetitive at times. I will continue on with the next book with hopes there will be something different and new that will draw me in, but for now, my rating is as such. I will be keeping an eye out for Ramona Finn because I do believe with the right idea, she could be an amazing and well-known writer many will enjoy.
Recommended: Dystopian/ Sci-Fi/YA
This felt like a mix of Red Rising and Ender's Game. I haven't read a dystopian novel in ages. I do enjoy them, but at this point, after having read so many now, they have just become a bit predictable for me. Ramona Finn loves all things dystopian, even from a young age so she decided to have a go and write her own. This isn't her first novel -in fact, she has a series called 'the Glitch'- which you can see from the writing, but the plot itself just felt predictable to me, and not a lot really happened, although I do get this is building up for the second book.
In a future where Earth is no longer inhabitable, and humans must live in the Solar System, the Authority rules all- Datapoints and The Culling are what the system relies on to survive.
Glade Io is a trained killer working for the Authority. Taken from her family at a young age, she is groomed to be a Datapoint- a biotech-enabled analyst who carries out the Culling. People deemed a risk to society, those who are lawbreakers, unproductive or sick, must be killed for the good of everyone else, and Glade is just one of the people responsible for sorting out the good from bad, and pulling the plug on those who need to be Culled.
When she is captured by rebel colonists known as 'The Ferrymen', Glade will begin to question everything she knows about the Culling and the Authority. Has she been lied to? Who can she trust?
With her feelings for one of the Ferrymen growing, Glade must decide whether to help the rebels or return to her post as a Datapoint and continue Culling.
I liked the idea of the plot, but I wanted something different, that sets it apart from all other dystopian novels. I guessed along the way what was going to happen, so it wasn't anything special in my opinion. Maybe the next book will blow this series out of the water? but unfortunately, this fell a little flat for me. I will continue with the next book despite this book not being up there for me, because I cannot handle not finishing a series and not knowing what happens, or if the first book was simply the lesser of the others, which does happen.
Glade is your predictable main character, a chosen one destined for greatness. She is brainwashed to believe in what the Authority tells her, and even when shown proof things aren't as they seem, she still can't sway from what she has grown up knowing. Her father was Culled when she was younger and yet she still believes what she is doing is right, although memories of her father are nothing but happy and his character doesn't line up with the criteria of those who are Culled. She also has twin sisters and a mother, who she wants to protect from the life she now lives.
Something I didn't enjoy reading through Glade's POV was the author's constant reminder that when Glade flicks her hair, it resembles a horse she once saw in a video. This is mentioned over and over, and honestly, it just felt really repetitive and I ended up rolling my eyes when it was then mentioned again, and again, and again.
Despite me finding this predictable, nothing new or special in the dystopian genre, part of me did enjoy it. I mean I do like dystopian novels, even though I have read so many. I found some of the other characters more unique and less predictable than our main character, and I think they are what made this book more enjoyable for me.
This book was well written, but I would have liked it not to be so repetitive at times. I will continue on with the next book with hopes there will be something different and new that will draw me in, but for now, my rating is as such. I will be keeping an eye out for Ramona Finn because I do believe with the right idea, she could be an amazing and well-known writer many will enjoy.
Recommended: Dystopian/ Sci-Fi/YA
November 21, 2017
This reminds me of Divergent.
Which is a good thing. I haven't completed the whole series yet (YES YES I'M LAGGING BEHIND IN READING MAINSTREAM BOOKS MY SISTER KEEPS YELLING AT ME TO FINISH READING IT), but I really enjoyed reading the first book. Glade is super similar to Tris - she's brave, intelligent, strong i.e. badass. Bonus: she's really good with computers. 😍
And the fighting! OH I LOVE THE FIGHTING SO MUCH.
The scenes are all written in small detail and I really enjoyed reading them. Glade is a very good fighter - I loved the scenes where she almost killed Sullia because she totally deserved that.
I HATE SULLIA SO MUCH.
She's such a b*tch. (Sorry for the bad language, but I couldn't think of a word negative enough to describe her.) She doesn't care about anyone but herself and spreads terrible rumors about Glade sleeping with the Ferryman, which is disgusting. Everything she does makes me want to punch her in the face.
The romance *swoon*
At first I shipped Glade and Dahn, but then he starts being terrible and starts defending the Authority. In the beginning he seems like an okay guy who obviously has feelings for Glade, and I liked him. But KUPIER IS SO MUCH BETTER OKAY HE + GLADE = PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT! I really liked how Glade doesn't really trust him at first, but at the end she becomes certain that he can be relied on and even asks him to rescue her sisters. THE DEVELOPMENT = BRILLIANT.
DATAPOINTS DATAPOINTS DATAPOINTS DATAPOINTS DATAPOI-
It's such a cool concept - half-computer, half-human sociopathic assassins. DYING FROM THE AWESOMENESS BRB.
However, I didn't like how Glade kept comparing herself to a horse?
I totally agree with Luna (read her review here). She mentioned that Glade kept saying she looked like the horse when tossing her hair for over five times - and yes. It was really annoying. Alright, you look like a freaking horse when you toss your hair, I get it!
Which is a good thing. I haven't completed the whole series yet (YES YES I'M LAGGING BEHIND IN READING MAINSTREAM BOOKS MY SISTER KEEPS YELLING AT ME TO FINISH READING IT), but I really enjoyed reading the first book. Glade is super similar to Tris - she's brave, intelligent, strong i.e. badass. Bonus: she's really good with computers. 😍
And the fighting! OH I LOVE THE FIGHTING SO MUCH.
The scenes are all written in small detail and I really enjoyed reading them. Glade is a very good fighter - I loved the scenes where she almost killed Sullia because she totally deserved that.
I HATE SULLIA SO MUCH.
She's such a b*tch. (Sorry for the bad language, but I couldn't think of a word negative enough to describe her.) She doesn't care about anyone but herself and spreads terrible rumors about Glade sleeping with the Ferryman, which is disgusting. Everything she does makes me want to punch her in the face.
The romance *swoon*
At first I shipped Glade and Dahn, but then he starts being terrible and starts defending the Authority. In the beginning he seems like an okay guy who obviously has feelings for Glade, and I liked him. But KUPIER IS SO MUCH BETTER OKAY HE + GLADE = PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT! I really liked how Glade doesn't really trust him at first, but at the end she becomes certain that he can be relied on and even asks him to rescue her sisters. THE DEVELOPMENT = BRILLIANT.
DATAPOINTS DATAPOINTS DATAPOINTS DATAPOINTS DATAPOI-
It's such a cool concept - half-computer, half-human sociopathic assassins. DYING FROM THE AWESOMENESS BRB.
However, I didn't like how Glade kept comparing herself to a horse?
I totally agree with Luna (read her review here). She mentioned that Glade kept saying she looked like the horse when tossing her hair for over five times - and yes. It was really annoying. Alright, you look like a freaking horse when you toss your hair, I get it!
June 4, 2018
Repetition at its finest. During only a short conversation, the heroine managed to toss her hair 6th fucking times :)
Chapter 1:
- “I cleared my throat and tossed my long black hair back over my shoulder.”
- “I tossed my long hair back over my shoulders.”
- “Behind his back, I tossed my mane of hair again.”
- “I tossed my hair back again and Haven followed the movement absently with his eyes.”
- “Halfway through tossing my hair, I froze.”
- “I tossed my glossy black hair back over my shoulders and took a deep breath.”
The conversation was so boring that I couldn’t remember what the characters talked about, only the constant hair-tossing (?!?).
Chapter 1:
- “I cleared my throat and tossed my long black hair back over my shoulder.”
- “I tossed my long hair back over my shoulders.”
- “Behind his back, I tossed my mane of hair again.”
- “I tossed my hair back again and Haven followed the movement absently with his eyes.”
- “Halfway through tossing my hair, I froze.”
- “I tossed my glossy black hair back over my shoulders and took a deep breath.”
The conversation was so boring that I couldn’t remember what the characters talked about, only the constant hair-tossing (?!?).
May 12, 2018
Glade Io is a Datapoint. She has been groomed by The Authority to carry out the Culling. It's her job to cull anyone showing violent or murderous tendencies. She wholeheartedly believes that she is making their world a better place to live in, but that all changes when she is kidnapped by a rebel group known as the Ferryman. While in captivity, she learns that what she believes to be true, may not be, and that The Authority is different than she was led to believe.
I have the kindle copy of this since it came out but never got the time to read it, and to be honest, I was getting a little fed up with the tropes in the dystopian genre. But when it came to audio, I jumped at the chance to listen. Well, this book was awesome!! It was so much better than I thought and I flew through it.
I really liked the idea of the plot. The Earth is uninhabitable, or so the Authority will have you believe, so everyone lives on different planets in the solar system. The Authority rules all and has a firm grip over everyone. Every few years, they use the Datapoints to Cull the population. With the use of their biotech, they are able to determine who will show violent or murderous tendencies and they then cull them. The plot held a steady pace and kept my attention throughout.
I really liked Glade Io. She was brave and wasn't like the rest of the Datapoints. Even though she was brainwashed since she was young, she didn't enjoy her job and did wonder about it. The only reason she kept doing it was because she wanted to save her sisters from the life she has to live. Once she gets kidnapped and meets Kupier, she starts to question everything and is determined to get to the truth.
In all, this was a great read. I mean, it does follow the usual pattern of girl realising the bosses are evil, girl also finding out she is special and the only one able to either stop them or help them destroy the world, and there is always a boy!! Even with this formula, I still ended up loving it. The world building and character development was awesome and I can not wait to read the next one!!
Stacey Glemboski read this really well. She portrayed Glade perfectly and her tones and cadences brought the story to life. She was easy to listen to and I loved her performance. I will have to check out more by her.
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
I have the kindle copy of this since it came out but never got the time to read it, and to be honest, I was getting a little fed up with the tropes in the dystopian genre. But when it came to audio, I jumped at the chance to listen. Well, this book was awesome!! It was so much better than I thought and I flew through it.
I really liked the idea of the plot. The Earth is uninhabitable, or so the Authority will have you believe, so everyone lives on different planets in the solar system. The Authority rules all and has a firm grip over everyone. Every few years, they use the Datapoints to Cull the population. With the use of their biotech, they are able to determine who will show violent or murderous tendencies and they then cull them. The plot held a steady pace and kept my attention throughout.
I really liked Glade Io. She was brave and wasn't like the rest of the Datapoints. Even though she was brainwashed since she was young, she didn't enjoy her job and did wonder about it. The only reason she kept doing it was because she wanted to save her sisters from the life she has to live. Once she gets kidnapped and meets Kupier, she starts to question everything and is determined to get to the truth.
In all, this was a great read. I mean, it does follow the usual pattern of girl realising the bosses are evil, girl also finding out she is special and the only one able to either stop them or help them destroy the world, and there is always a boy!! Even with this formula, I still ended up loving it. The world building and character development was awesome and I can not wait to read the next one!!
Stacey Glemboski read this really well. She portrayed Glade perfectly and her tones and cadences brought the story to life. She was easy to listen to and I loved her performance. I will have to check out more by her.
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
July 16, 2018
3.5 stars
Now, this is a dystopian concept that I haven’t run into before and fresh ideas are always welcome. Much of the tale’s plot and the behavior of the characters is similar to many other books but that all supports the central theme, that sociopathic tendencies can be harnessed to do the bidding of an evil government without a care or concern.
Glade is one of those sociopaths and, after being snatched from her mother and younger sisters as a young girl, she has been melded, in a manner of speaking, with a biotech system so that she is able to locate and assess candidates for culling and then carry out the procedure. What it boils down to is Glade is judge, jury and executioner; she murders people with the approval of the seven-person Authority and, because she’s a sociopath, she feels no remorse or reluctance whatsoever.
Except when she remembers that her own father was culled and she’s never understood why.
Things could have gone along this way for years but Glade and another Datapoint are taken captive by a band of resisters known as the Ferrymen and their leader, Kupier, begins to have a small effect on Glade and on her perspective. For the first time in her life, she has niggling questions about what she does and why and about the Authority. Back on the space station, she has a different view of herself and her fellow Datapoints, especially Dahn, and begins to fear one of the Authority, Jan Ernst Haven.
Even with the similarities to other dystopian stories, I came to really like these characters (my favorite may be Kupier’s kid brother) and some of the details of their world but there are still missing pieces. For instance, I want to know much more about how Earth came to be uninhabitable, how the people became space colonizers and why the Authority turned into such a force for evil. Perhaps more will be revealed in the next book.
Narrator Stacey Glemboski does a nice job with clear tones and good pacing. She has to work with a bit of a hindrance in that the point of view and even the setting frequently change without warning and it can be momentarily difficult to make the transition as a listener/reader but Ms. Glemboski eases the pain with her quite believable and effective voice characrterizations. I’ll gladly listen to more books she does.
Now, this is a dystopian concept that I haven’t run into before and fresh ideas are always welcome. Much of the tale’s plot and the behavior of the characters is similar to many other books but that all supports the central theme, that sociopathic tendencies can be harnessed to do the bidding of an evil government without a care or concern.
Glade is one of those sociopaths and, after being snatched from her mother and younger sisters as a young girl, she has been melded, in a manner of speaking, with a biotech system so that she is able to locate and assess candidates for culling and then carry out the procedure. What it boils down to is Glade is judge, jury and executioner; she murders people with the approval of the seven-person Authority and, because she’s a sociopath, she feels no remorse or reluctance whatsoever.
Except when she remembers that her own father was culled and she’s never understood why.
Things could have gone along this way for years but Glade and another Datapoint are taken captive by a band of resisters known as the Ferrymen and their leader, Kupier, begins to have a small effect on Glade and on her perspective. For the first time in her life, she has niggling questions about what she does and why and about the Authority. Back on the space station, she has a different view of herself and her fellow Datapoints, especially Dahn, and begins to fear one of the Authority, Jan Ernst Haven.
Even with the similarities to other dystopian stories, I came to really like these characters (my favorite may be Kupier’s kid brother) and some of the details of their world but there are still missing pieces. For instance, I want to know much more about how Earth came to be uninhabitable, how the people became space colonizers and why the Authority turned into such a force for evil. Perhaps more will be revealed in the next book.
Narrator Stacey Glemboski does a nice job with clear tones and good pacing. She has to work with a bit of a hindrance in that the point of view and even the setting frequently change without warning and it can be momentarily difficult to make the transition as a listener/reader but Ms. Glemboski eases the pain with her quite believable and effective voice characrterizations. I’ll gladly listen to more books she does.
December 5, 2017
This book was given to me by Netgally in return for a honest review
Well, let me break it down for you. The Culling is a story about a dystopian future were earth is no longer a place for humans. The humans have moved to different planets in the solar system and a new goverment has been leading the people ever since. To protect everyone from a few murders people the Culling was invented, wer every so often a group of modified humans cull a group off people that are believed to be murders. Not everyone has taken a liking towards the culling, a group of “Ferrymen” are trying to stop the Culling and take down the Authority.
The story follows Glade Io, a young girl that was chosen to be a datapoint. She and another datapoint have been abducted from there ship by the Ferrymen, because they want to get one of them to help them stop this all. Glade has a strong personallity, she is different than the others.. she doens’t really have to be the best and she want to know more. The other datapoints are the other way around, they want to be the best they can be. But Glade as a person lacked in some kind of ways and mayby that was the whole point. I found it sometimes a bit boring in how she viewed the world around here.. she was a bit flat at times.
Also the insta-love that happend in this book between Kupier and Glade.. it didn’t make alot of sence. It felt like it was a bit of Stockholm syndrome. You know, where you fall in love with your kidnapper. Other than that, there was good chemistry between the two of them. The other characters where just kinda there to fill the gap. It was a bit in between for me, the story itself was good.. i never read anything like it.. be the execution could have been better.
Well, let me break it down for you. The Culling is a story about a dystopian future were earth is no longer a place for humans. The humans have moved to different planets in the solar system and a new goverment has been leading the people ever since. To protect everyone from a few murders people the Culling was invented, wer every so often a group of modified humans cull a group off people that are believed to be murders. Not everyone has taken a liking towards the culling, a group of “Ferrymen” are trying to stop the Culling and take down the Authority.
The story follows Glade Io, a young girl that was chosen to be a datapoint. She and another datapoint have been abducted from there ship by the Ferrymen, because they want to get one of them to help them stop this all. Glade has a strong personallity, she is different than the others.. she doens’t really have to be the best and she want to know more. The other datapoints are the other way around, they want to be the best they can be. But Glade as a person lacked in some kind of ways and mayby that was the whole point. I found it sometimes a bit boring in how she viewed the world around here.. she was a bit flat at times.
Also the insta-love that happend in this book between Kupier and Glade.. it didn’t make alot of sence. It felt like it was a bit of Stockholm syndrome. You know, where you fall in love with your kidnapper. Other than that, there was good chemistry between the two of them. The other characters where just kinda there to fill the gap. It was a bit in between for me, the story itself was good.. i never read anything like it.. be the execution could have been better.
November 6, 2017
A special thank you goes out to Netgalley and Relay Publishing for allowing me to read this early. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
4.5 stars!
You would think that in the years of the Hunger Games and even going as far back as the Handmaid's Tale and 1984 that dystopians would have run their course. That they would have been dried up by now. Because let's be real, how many dystopians can really be out there and not all sound the same?
Well, allow me to point you in the direction of The Culling. Because this was absolutely phenomenal and I'm highly upset that I have to wait until January to get my hands on the next book.
I loved the concept of Datapoints. Humans with tech in their bodies which makes them nearly robots along with sociopathic tendencies. Count me in! I was fascinated and also slightly afraid of them. I wouldn't want to come across a Datapoint in a dark alley at night, that's for sure.
I really enjoyed Glade's POV. Sure, she was so entrenched in the belief of the Authority but I also liked that she questioned things. Even before she met Kupier. She had constantly questioned everything. I liked her confidence and I liked she was really into computers. Anytime a girl is interested in anything considered not girly, I get excited because that is awesome rep for girls in the science and technology field.
I also enjoyed that the POV wasn’t exclusive to just Glade. It added more to the story because clearly Glade didn't know everything. With Jan Ernst Haven, we got a more sinister look of things that were happen. With Kupier, we got a look at the rebels who were trying to take the Authority down. With Dahn, we got a look inside what is considered the perfect Datapoint. Every POV brought something to the table and enhanced the story.
If I could offer one teeny tiny complaint, it would that I would have liked to have learned more about the creation of the Authority. How did humans attain space travel and are able to live in different planets? (Glade was from Io, a moon of Jupiter) How did someone come up with the idea of Culling? I would have liked to learn more about the tech and how it connects to the Datapoint. Just little things like that. I'm one of those that really love backstories.
Other than my super tiny complaint, this book was really spot on. I think this will be a great series and I'm anxious to see where it will go.
4.5 stars!
You would think that in the years of the Hunger Games and even going as far back as the Handmaid's Tale and 1984 that dystopians would have run their course. That they would have been dried up by now. Because let's be real, how many dystopians can really be out there and not all sound the same?
Well, allow me to point you in the direction of The Culling. Because this was absolutely phenomenal and I'm highly upset that I have to wait until January to get my hands on the next book.
I loved the concept of Datapoints. Humans with tech in their bodies which makes them nearly robots along with sociopathic tendencies. Count me in! I was fascinated and also slightly afraid of them. I wouldn't want to come across a Datapoint in a dark alley at night, that's for sure.
I really enjoyed Glade's POV. Sure, she was so entrenched in the belief of the Authority but I also liked that she questioned things. Even before she met Kupier. She had constantly questioned everything. I liked her confidence and I liked she was really into computers. Anytime a girl is interested in anything considered not girly, I get excited because that is awesome rep for girls in the science and technology field.
I also enjoyed that the POV wasn’t exclusive to just Glade. It added more to the story because clearly Glade didn't know everything. With Jan Ernst Haven, we got a more sinister look of things that were happen. With Kupier, we got a look at the rebels who were trying to take the Authority down. With Dahn, we got a look inside what is considered the perfect Datapoint. Every POV brought something to the table and enhanced the story.
If I could offer one teeny tiny complaint, it would that I would have liked to have learned more about the creation of the Authority. How did humans attain space travel and are able to live in different planets? (Glade was from Io, a moon of Jupiter) How did someone come up with the idea of Culling? I would have liked to learn more about the tech and how it connects to the Datapoint. Just little things like that. I'm one of those that really love backstories.
Other than my super tiny complaint, this book was really spot on. I think this will be a great series and I'm anxious to see where it will go.
July 17, 2018
Reviewed on behalf of http://bookaddict.live,
This is book one in the trilogy. This book starts just as a culling takes place, and six year old Glade watches her father struck down and then his body is dragged away.
The Colonies are on the different planets, and are controlled by The Authority who are rule all the planets. They are responsible for the culling of all citizens showing violent or murderous tendencies.
The Culling take place every ten years.
They used datapoints, humans with tech integrated so they can read brainwaves, so they can kill anyone with dangerous and murderous thoughts.
Even though Glade’s father was taken in the last culling, Glade had no doubt the Authority was only trying to create a better life for everyone. Glade is now a Datapoint and will be responsible for the next Culling.
All is well until Glade is kidnapped by the Ferryman, and the she spends time with the leader. Everyone shows her kindness, but Glade is still firm in her believe in the Authority.
This is a gripping story keeps you listening, with superb narration. I listened to this in one go, as I didn’t want to stop. I ended listening through the night. I know this is geared to young Adults, as Glade is only 16years old. This oldie really enjoyed it, and I’m getting ready to listen to book two The Authority.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ramona Finn. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
This is book one in the trilogy. This book starts just as a culling takes place, and six year old Glade watches her father struck down and then his body is dragged away.
The Colonies are on the different planets, and are controlled by The Authority who are rule all the planets. They are responsible for the culling of all citizens showing violent or murderous tendencies.
The Culling take place every ten years.
They used datapoints, humans with tech integrated so they can read brainwaves, so they can kill anyone with dangerous and murderous thoughts.
Even though Glade’s father was taken in the last culling, Glade had no doubt the Authority was only trying to create a better life for everyone. Glade is now a Datapoint and will be responsible for the next Culling.
All is well until Glade is kidnapped by the Ferryman, and the she spends time with the leader. Everyone shows her kindness, but Glade is still firm in her believe in the Authority.
This is a gripping story keeps you listening, with superb narration. I listened to this in one go, as I didn’t want to stop. I ended listening through the night. I know this is geared to young Adults, as Glade is only 16years old. This oldie really enjoyed it, and I’m getting ready to listen to book two The Authority.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ramona Finn. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
January 15, 2018
publisher synopsis: What happens to a girl trained as a executioner, who finds out her life is a lie?
In a solar system where The Authority decides who lives and who dies, only one of their own executioners can stop them.
Glade Io is a trained killer. Marked at a young age as an individual with violent tendencies, she was taken from her family and groomed to be a Datapoint—a biotech-enabled analyst who carries out the Culling. She is designed to identify and destroy any potential humans that threaten the colonies: those marked as lawbreakers, unproductive or sick. But when she’s kidnapped by rogue colonists known as the Ferrymen, everything Glade thinks she knows about the colonies, and The Authority that runs them, collapses into doubt.
Pulled between two opposing sides, and with her family’s lives hanging in the balance, Glade is unsure of who to trust—and time is running out.
This book is GOOD!! It has a killer with a conscious, a killer that the system depends on. What happens when the conscience voice gets louder and that person realizes what she will really be doing when its not a simulation.
Thought provoking and fascinating! Couldn't put it down!! Can't wait for the next in the series!!
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In a solar system where The Authority decides who lives and who dies, only one of their own executioners can stop them.
Glade Io is a trained killer. Marked at a young age as an individual with violent tendencies, she was taken from her family and groomed to be a Datapoint—a biotech-enabled analyst who carries out the Culling. She is designed to identify and destroy any potential humans that threaten the colonies: those marked as lawbreakers, unproductive or sick. But when she’s kidnapped by rogue colonists known as the Ferrymen, everything Glade thinks she knows about the colonies, and The Authority that runs them, collapses into doubt.
Pulled between two opposing sides, and with her family’s lives hanging in the balance, Glade is unsure of who to trust—and time is running out.
This book is GOOD!! It has a killer with a conscious, a killer that the system depends on. What happens when the conscience voice gets louder and that person realizes what she will really be doing when its not a simulation.
Thought provoking and fascinating! Couldn't put it down!! Can't wait for the next in the series!!
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 1, 2017
A fascinating and absorbing sci-fi story with great characters and an awesome storyline. Glade is on a journey of seeking the truth but which is it, who does she trust and can she trust the one that made her feel things she had never before felt. A rather confused young lady but one who is determined to finding the answer to her search, the truthful one that is. Finding out you have feelings for the enemy, has twisted her scenario into a dangerous one, not only is she now searching for the truth of the culling, is it murder or justified killing, and is there such a thing, tied that with her feelings towards two guys who she considers to be great, Dahn who she knew for a long time and Kupier who she had just met but had an instant attraction to, and to top it off if her feelings for the enemy become public she would be blacklisted as a rebel and that means certain death. This has been an engrossing and interesting read, well worth the journey on the reading train.
December 21, 2017
I was given this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review- thanks!
A solid sci-fi dystopia where humanity is scattered among colonies on the outer planets and moons. Glade, our heroine and main POV, is a Datapoint, meaning she has been implanted with technology and trained to identify and remove threats to society. She believes this means she's stopping murderers, but it turns out she might be stopping anyone who dares question the government. Good settings and interesting side characters, but I would have liked a more complete plot arc. Very few things were solved in this book, which made me interested to read the sequels, but frustrated that I had spent a lot of time and effort for no conclusion.
A solid sci-fi dystopia where humanity is scattered among colonies on the outer planets and moons. Glade, our heroine and main POV, is a Datapoint, meaning she has been implanted with technology and trained to identify and remove threats to society. She believes this means she's stopping murderers, but it turns out she might be stopping anyone who dares question the government. Good settings and interesting side characters, but I would have liked a more complete plot arc. Very few things were solved in this book, which made me interested to read the sequels, but frustrated that I had spent a lot of time and effort for no conclusion.
June 2, 2018
Captivating story
I devoured this book in one sitting. Glade was a strong female character but identifiable as she struggled with accepting what she had been told her entire life and trying to control her emotions. Interesting world building on a space station with nuances of The Matrix and whether she would accept her new reality or choose to tow the line like a good datapoint. I have just bought book 2 and cannot wait to see what Glade does next.
I devoured this book in one sitting. Glade was a strong female character but identifiable as she struggled with accepting what she had been told her entire life and trying to control her emotions. Interesting world building on a space station with nuances of The Matrix and whether she would accept her new reality or choose to tow the line like a good datapoint. I have just bought book 2 and cannot wait to see what Glade does next.
June 14, 2018
DNF IT 100%
January 10, 2018
It is the distant future. People no longer live on Earth. Now we live across the galaxy, in colonies on distant (and some near) planets. All humans are ruled by The Authority, an organization made up of 7 people who claim to protect us and keep us safe from each other. To do this The Culling was created as a way to weed out the people who have murderous and violent thoughts and remove them from society (essentially kill them). Our protagonist, Glade Io, is part of the elite group of people who lead The Culling. Glade has always devoted herself to her training and The Authority, that is until she is kidnapped by a rogue group of rebels who make her question everything she believes.
The premise of this book first intrigued me, as it seemed like a new idea for a dystopian novel. However, this one played out like most dystopian novels. Girl must fight government. Girl must save everyone. Girl split between 2 love interests. Still, The Culling had some enjoyable parts and was a fast read. I am somewhat intrigued to see what happens in the next book of this series. This one definitely set things up for some more action. Overall I liked The Culling and give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The premise of this book first intrigued me, as it seemed like a new idea for a dystopian novel. However, this one played out like most dystopian novels. Girl must fight government. Girl must save everyone. Girl split between 2 love interests. Still, The Culling had some enjoyable parts and was a fast read. I am somewhat intrigued to see what happens in the next book of this series. This one definitely set things up for some more action. Overall I liked The Culling and give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
December 27, 2017
2.5/5
This wasn't bad but it wasn't something too good, either. I guess, it was like any other dystopian book out there, except for a few things that did stand out. For one, the romance is really good. The main character, Glade, doesn't fall for the guy instantly, neither does he for her. Their relationship is developed quite steadily, and while both were majority of the times at extreme opposite poles in terms of opinions, their views gradually become one and they develop a trust for each other, that I liked.
Another thing I liked best is the writing. The prose is detailed, well descriptive and builds up a scene quite well, even when the scene is predictable. This made the action scenes pop out, and made up for the cliche scenes, for me. Though at times, the details became too much and I had to skim over to reach to the main point that's being told.
While the overall story didn't impress me much, because come on, which dystopian has a group going behind the authority because they believe in freedom and all that jazz? Yeah, pretty much all. Though, I won't be too firm on that point I mentioned because the way the story line would be perceived depends entirely on the reader, so there's a possibility that others might love this plot...which evidently many have liked.
This wasn't bad but it wasn't something too good, either. I guess, it was like any other dystopian book out there, except for a few things that did stand out. For one, the romance is really good. The main character, Glade, doesn't fall for the guy instantly, neither does he for her. Their relationship is developed quite steadily, and while both were majority of the times at extreme opposite poles in terms of opinions, their views gradually become one and they develop a trust for each other, that I liked.
Another thing I liked best is the writing. The prose is detailed, well descriptive and builds up a scene quite well, even when the scene is predictable. This made the action scenes pop out, and made up for the cliche scenes, for me. Though at times, the details became too much and I had to skim over to reach to the main point that's being told.
While the overall story didn't impress me much, because come on, which dystopian has a group going behind the authority because they believe in freedom and all that jazz? Yeah, pretty much all. Though, I won't be too firm on that point I mentioned because the way the story line would be perceived depends entirely on the reader, so there's a possibility that others might love this plot...which evidently many have liked.
I would recommend this to those who like a good ol' dystopian story with a romance that takes a spotlight subtly and writing that certainly engages you.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book via Netgalley but that in no way influences my rating and/or opinions about it. Thank you Relay Publishing and Ramona Finn!Blog | Twitter | Tumblr
August 6, 2018
It took me a while to get into this book but I’m glad I stuck with it. I really enjoyed the characters and the main struggle. Glade Io is a pretty standard main character. She’s likable but a bit flawed in her absolute belief in the Authority. Still, I felt it was true to her character that she wouldn’t immediately believe those that oppose the Authority. It’s that struggle (Glade’s ability to parse the truth) that really drew me in.
The Ferrymen of Charon are your standard rebels or resistance. They just want to protect their families and have enough to live a decent life. Coopier inherited the leadership of the Ferrymen when his brother Loose died. The Ferrymen have come up with a plan to take out the Authority, but they need a Data Point and set about kidnapping a few (Glade and Sulia). This is where things finally got interesting for me. Glade’s 16 years of believing in the Authority are challenged by the Ferrymen (how they act & what they show her) and her world begins to crumble a bit.
Back at the Authority, Glade continues to train under Don, her long-term mentor. The story has set up a love triangle and love triangles are not my thing. It rarely works for me and it doesn’t work here. Despite that, I like Don and his own inner struggle – to trust Glade, hold true to the Authority, hate the Ferrymen.
The main premise of the tale is that specially trained people with a very specific personality (a little sociopathy, still maleable, highly intelligent, etc.) can work with specialized tech to read another person’s brainwaves and then snuff them out. Yep. Snuff out hundreds to thousands of people from afar. Planetwide but sometimes from other planets. I couldn’t help but shake my head at this. The writing could have made this a bit more believable but it was real loose and ridiculous.
Also there were small things that just didn’t ring true. The Authority monitors the Data Points during training… yet not during an actual culling? Some of the Data Points take up communicating silently through their tech and yet it’s not a common practice and is apparently unmonitored? Unlikely. Also, Glade is considered rather important and yet they don’t monitor all her movements all the time through her tech? It would be so simple to do…. So because of all these small things like this, I often felt the writing was lazy instead of giving us a story with solid, realistic rules.
On the other hand, the emotions of the characters and how some of them grow throughout the story kept me engaged. Even Sulia, who is a jerk, might have something more going on than just what we see on the surface. Because of the characters, I look forward to Book 2. 4/5 stars.
The Narration: Stacey Glemboski did a great job with this book. She had distinct voices for all the characters and her male voices were believable. I really liked her voice for Coopier’s little brother and for Sulia when she’s being nasty. There’s plenty of tense emotions in this story and Glemboski did a great job portraying them. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ramona Finn. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
The Ferrymen of Charon are your standard rebels or resistance. They just want to protect their families and have enough to live a decent life. Coopier inherited the leadership of the Ferrymen when his brother Loose died. The Ferrymen have come up with a plan to take out the Authority, but they need a Data Point and set about kidnapping a few (Glade and Sulia). This is where things finally got interesting for me. Glade’s 16 years of believing in the Authority are challenged by the Ferrymen (how they act & what they show her) and her world begins to crumble a bit.
Back at the Authority, Glade continues to train under Don, her long-term mentor. The story has set up a love triangle and love triangles are not my thing. It rarely works for me and it doesn’t work here. Despite that, I like Don and his own inner struggle – to trust Glade, hold true to the Authority, hate the Ferrymen.
The main premise of the tale is that specially trained people with a very specific personality (a little sociopathy, still maleable, highly intelligent, etc.) can work with specialized tech to read another person’s brainwaves and then snuff them out. Yep. Snuff out hundreds to thousands of people from afar. Planetwide but sometimes from other planets. I couldn’t help but shake my head at this. The writing could have made this a bit more believable but it was real loose and ridiculous.
Also there were small things that just didn’t ring true. The Authority monitors the Data Points during training… yet not during an actual culling? Some of the Data Points take up communicating silently through their tech and yet it’s not a common practice and is apparently unmonitored? Unlikely. Also, Glade is considered rather important and yet they don’t monitor all her movements all the time through her tech? It would be so simple to do…. So because of all these small things like this, I often felt the writing was lazy instead of giving us a story with solid, realistic rules.
On the other hand, the emotions of the characters and how some of them grow throughout the story kept me engaged. Even Sulia, who is a jerk, might have something more going on than just what we see on the surface. Because of the characters, I look forward to Book 2. 4/5 stars.
The Narration: Stacey Glemboski did a great job with this book. She had distinct voices for all the characters and her male voices were believable. I really liked her voice for Coopier’s little brother and for Sulia when she’s being nasty. There’s plenty of tense emotions in this story and Glemboski did a great job portraying them. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ramona Finn. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
November 8, 2017
#Netgalley
I absolutely loved this book. I stayed up late reading this book and not wanting to put it down. It is quick and entertaining. Suspenseful and full of literary prose that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I love Young Adult, and #TheCulling did not fail to impress. There was the perfect blend of romance, suspense and adventure with a strong female character. Great descriptive sentences with one of my favorite lines being
"His hair was like gossamer spider webs, perfectly metallic in color" *Loc280.
Ramona uses inventive descriptions of average objects throughout the whole book. There are lots of twists and turns, with the ending leaving you wanting more. Ramona Finn has captured my attention and my heart with this first novel in her trilogy of The Culling.
The novel is set in a futuristic Solar System and begins on the Station, a training center for Datapoints. Telling the story of Glade Io, a female datapoint; which is a technical word for the half human, half computer mass executioners. Glade has been training for a few years to become one of the best datapoints in the solar system, but has questions about the tech that has been integrated into her body; too many questions for the leader of the Authority, Jan Ernst Haven. You can feel her doubt every time she speaks to or about Haven, and the whole culling program from the moment that she has a problem with the simulation. At a young age she was exposed to a culling involving her family and it has stuck with her all her life.
Then the world that she knows is up heaved when the station is attacked by Ferrymen, and she is taken captive. But what happens after that is nothing like she was programmed to believe it would be. Increasing her doubts about the real reason behind the the Culling and if it is the best thing for the population of the solar system.
I enjoyed Kupier and the relationship that ensues during her time with the ferrymen. His striking blue eyes seem to be the only bright and happy color within Glades life; looking up the meaning of the color blue it represents trust and loyalty. The author keeps coming back to his blue eyes and how reminiscent they are of earth's sky. I don't think this is a coincidence on the part of Ramona. I found myself looking forward to Glade and Kupier's interactions. His playfulness is uplifting and contagious.
Reading about Glade's struggles with who she can trust was heart breaking at times. Towards the end she is forced into an impossible situation, she perseveres, only to discover it forced her into a corner. Emotionally she seems to be unraveling, she has to decide where her loyalty is and the truths that she must face. I am truly looking forward to the second book to find out how the events will unfold.
Ramona Finn has a way with words that sets her apart from other authors. She keeps the tone light and soft while dealing with dark subjects of murder and brainwashing. One of my favorite lines from the novel is
"An idea fluttered down like a feather from the sky." *Loc1255
It is a poetic line while being in the context of anger and suspicion.
I would recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a Young Adult suspense with a bit of romance and teenage angst.
*Finn, R. (2017). The Culling. United Kingdom; Relay Publishing
I absolutely loved this book. I stayed up late reading this book and not wanting to put it down. It is quick and entertaining. Suspenseful and full of literary prose that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I love Young Adult, and #TheCulling did not fail to impress. There was the perfect blend of romance, suspense and adventure with a strong female character. Great descriptive sentences with one of my favorite lines being
"His hair was like gossamer spider webs, perfectly metallic in color" *Loc280.
Ramona uses inventive descriptions of average objects throughout the whole book. There are lots of twists and turns, with the ending leaving you wanting more. Ramona Finn has captured my attention and my heart with this first novel in her trilogy of The Culling.
The novel is set in a futuristic Solar System and begins on the Station, a training center for Datapoints. Telling the story of Glade Io, a female datapoint; which is a technical word for the half human, half computer mass executioners. Glade has been training for a few years to become one of the best datapoints in the solar system, but has questions about the tech that has been integrated into her body; too many questions for the leader of the Authority, Jan Ernst Haven. You can feel her doubt every time she speaks to or about Haven, and the whole culling program from the moment that she has a problem with the simulation. At a young age she was exposed to a culling involving her family and it has stuck with her all her life.
Then the world that she knows is up heaved when the station is attacked by Ferrymen, and she is taken captive. But what happens after that is nothing like she was programmed to believe it would be. Increasing her doubts about the real reason behind the the Culling and if it is the best thing for the population of the solar system.
I enjoyed Kupier and the relationship that ensues during her time with the ferrymen. His striking blue eyes seem to be the only bright and happy color within Glades life; looking up the meaning of the color blue it represents trust and loyalty. The author keeps coming back to his blue eyes and how reminiscent they are of earth's sky. I don't think this is a coincidence on the part of Ramona. I found myself looking forward to Glade and Kupier's interactions. His playfulness is uplifting and contagious.
Reading about Glade's struggles with who she can trust was heart breaking at times. Towards the end she is forced into an impossible situation, she perseveres, only to discover it forced her into a corner. Emotionally she seems to be unraveling, she has to decide where her loyalty is and the truths that she must face. I am truly looking forward to the second book to find out how the events will unfold.
Ramona Finn has a way with words that sets her apart from other authors. She keeps the tone light and soft while dealing with dark subjects of murder and brainwashing. One of my favorite lines from the novel is
"An idea fluttered down like a feather from the sky." *Loc1255
It is a poetic line while being in the context of anger and suspicion.
I would recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a Young Adult suspense with a bit of romance and teenage angst.
*Finn, R. (2017). The Culling. United Kingdom; Relay Publishing
July 20, 2018
In a galaxy controlled by the Authority, for which Glade Io is one of the people in charge of executing violent and rogue citizens remotely with the help of technology and the power of her mind, things are not what they seem. Was Glade's father really violent and was his death 'fair'? Amidst all these doubts, Glade is kidnapped by Ferrymen, people from a rogue planet that believe in very different things than the Authority.
This was a good dystopian story, with a good world building and some original things. I found the role of Data Points quite interesting, and I liked the idea of a database supporting their decisions. Although the story is good by itself, what I really enjoyed was the character development. Ramona Finn writes good scifi but part of that is thanks to fully fleshed characters, with actions that it is easy to connect to, and great dialogs and interactions.
As I have said, despite being a dystopian book, this is a strong character driven story. The are important things at stake here, but there is also a clear love triangle that at times seems to matter more to the story than the real conflict. I think this is mainly due to this book being aimed at a young adult public, and it did not bother me, but I could have done without it.
At times, the book reminded me of 'Ender's Game', and I almost expected some of the tricks that were used there to appear here too, but I am glad Ramona Finn has decided to stay far from that.
Although I really liked this book, there are a couple of things that I would like to mention. I missed some more world building and knowing more about how the society and the Authority worked. I know this was hidden mostly because the story is told from Glade's point of view, but I missed some more information from her side. Also, I wanted to know more about the quarters where she lived in, since it seemed very easy to sneak in unseen.
What I absolutely loved was Stacey Glemboski's narration. She is one of my favorite narrators, able to transport me to distant worlds and make me believe that I am listening to a whole bunch of different characters. She has an ample voice range, but she can also transmit the characters emotions multiplied by ten, bringing them to life in a way that you feel you are listening to real people.
I am curious about where this story is going so I am looking forward to the rest of the series. I think this would delight anyone into science-fiction.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ramona Finn. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
This was a good dystopian story, with a good world building and some original things. I found the role of Data Points quite interesting, and I liked the idea of a database supporting their decisions. Although the story is good by itself, what I really enjoyed was the character development. Ramona Finn writes good scifi but part of that is thanks to fully fleshed characters, with actions that it is easy to connect to, and great dialogs and interactions.
As I have said, despite being a dystopian book, this is a strong character driven story. The are important things at stake here, but there is also a clear love triangle that at times seems to matter more to the story than the real conflict. I think this is mainly due to this book being aimed at a young adult public, and it did not bother me, but I could have done without it.
At times, the book reminded me of 'Ender's Game', and I almost expected some of the tricks that were used there to appear here too, but I am glad Ramona Finn has decided to stay far from that.
Although I really liked this book, there are a couple of things that I would like to mention. I missed some more world building and knowing more about how the society and the Authority worked. I know this was hidden mostly because the story is told from Glade's point of view, but I missed some more information from her side. Also, I wanted to know more about the quarters where she lived in, since it seemed very easy to sneak in unseen.
What I absolutely loved was Stacey Glemboski's narration. She is one of my favorite narrators, able to transport me to distant worlds and make me believe that I am listening to a whole bunch of different characters. She has an ample voice range, but she can also transmit the characters emotions multiplied by ten, bringing them to life in a way that you feel you are listening to real people.
I am curious about where this story is going so I am looking forward to the rest of the series. I think this would delight anyone into science-fiction.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ramona Finn. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
November 10, 2017
This book falls somewhere around the very center of the bell curve for its genre. It's not bad -- it certainly has a place to fill in the teen dystopian market. Essentially, The Culling is like if Scythe by Neal Shusterman met Scott Westerfield's Uglies.
Glade is a fifteen-year-old trained to use cyborg VR computer technology to kill people from far away for the good of society. The book tracks her through her kidnapping by rebel forces, and her eventual disillusionment with the government that she serves. The most interesting parts are:
Most everything else is pretty standard. There's a love triangle set up where two older boys, a rebel and a fellow assassin, both spend their days pining for Glade. Glade is a never-before-seen prodigy at what she does, for reasons that are never fully explained. Glade is universally recognized as unique and different, for reasons that seem rather thin. Glade is taught by the kind and dashing rebel boy to let go of her rigid, repressed logic and embrace emotion and intuition...
I would also like to note that the end was abrupt as heck. Leaving some loose threads is necessary for a series, obviously, but I appreciate it when each book solidly ends its own self-sufficient epoch of the story. The Culling ends when Glade finally sits down and makes a mental decision about which side she wants to be on, but before she does anything about this decision.
Its not any kind of ending that a standalone book could support -- more like the end of a TV episode, calculated to force you to wait with bated breath for the next installment. It felt preemptively aborted and discouraged me from reading the series any further, rather than building up compelling suspense.
Glade is a fifteen-year-old trained to use cyborg VR computer technology to kill people from far away for the good of society. The book tracks her through her kidnapping by rebel forces, and her eventual disillusionment with the government that she serves. The most interesting parts are:
• The subtle worldbuilding details. Everyone uses the name of the planet/moon colony they're from as their last name. That's pretty cool, as well as the "synthetic black holes" everyone uses to travel within the solar system, and the delineation drawn between ships and "skips."
• Glade's gradual working free from her brainwashing. It's a good, gradual progression where she has to fight through everything she's always been taught, and all the incentives, personal and physical, that keep her on the side of the Authority. This is my favorite thing from this book, and I only wish it hadn't relied so much on her liking a cute boy from the rebel side.
Most everything else is pretty standard. There's a love triangle set up where two older boys, a rebel and a fellow assassin, both spend their days pining for Glade. Glade is a never-before-seen prodigy at what she does, for reasons that are never fully explained. Glade is universally recognized as unique and different, for reasons that seem rather thin. Glade is taught by the kind and dashing rebel boy to let go of her rigid, repressed logic and embrace emotion and intuition...
I would also like to note that the end was abrupt as heck. Leaving some loose threads is necessary for a series, obviously, but I appreciate it when each book solidly ends its own self-sufficient epoch of the story. The Culling ends when Glade finally sits down and makes a mental decision about which side she wants to be on, but before she does anything about this decision.
Its not any kind of ending that a standalone book could support -- more like the end of a TV episode, calculated to force you to wait with bated breath for the next installment. It felt preemptively aborted and discouraged me from reading the series any further, rather than building up compelling suspense.
November 9, 2017
https://becsbookshelf.wordpress.com/2...
This book was a good book and I have mixed feelings about it. It had all the themes that a lot of other dystopian books have looked into so because of this I felt that it wasn’t very original however the whole idea of a Datapoint was very interesting.
I love that the main character is so headstrong and does what she wants, strong characters are awesome to read. However, the main character Glade goes around and around in circles sometimes about being on the station and leaving her sisters behind on their home planet. This became quite annoying because she never realises that it doesn’t matter in the end if she’s there or no the authorities will end up taking them anyway. I mean her character is strong however I feel like her common sense is missing at the end of the day. The fact that this is continuously brought up in the book and she never listens or makes the connection herself made her an annoying character is some parts.
It felt like in some parts she became slow and foolish in parts of the book in order to benefit the storyline and what was happening in the book at the time. The other characters were written quite well and I really enjoyed the way that they interacted with Glade and each other throughout the book.
Certain parts of the content of the book could be left out and even stopped being repeated continuously. It’s great that the author wants to make a point to the reader about the things that are happening and the comparisons that are being made however the number of times this happens in the book it becomes overused and somewhat annoying. An example of this would be Glade’s comparison to the horse video that she had seen. It was a good comparison and I understood why it was made but it became overused and unneeded after being used a few times.
There was also a few parts of the book where the reading flow was disrupted due to the author telling us what is happening rather than showing us, especially when there were flashbacks or when Glade was referring to something in the past. It threw me off.
I enjoyed reading about the love interests and like the idea of the love triangle but the way that it was set up left it feeling obvious.
I think that in order to improve the book the author should work on making certain aspects less obvious, this will leave the audience reading longer and work on the characters especially Glade so that their personalities aren’t compromised because of the plot. I found that some characters ended up feeling different in some parts of the book which left me confused, their personalities changed and it was weird.
This book was a good book and I have mixed feelings about it. It had all the themes that a lot of other dystopian books have looked into so because of this I felt that it wasn’t very original however the whole idea of a Datapoint was very interesting.
I love that the main character is so headstrong and does what she wants, strong characters are awesome to read. However, the main character Glade goes around and around in circles sometimes about being on the station and leaving her sisters behind on their home planet. This became quite annoying because she never realises that it doesn’t matter in the end if she’s there or no the authorities will end up taking them anyway. I mean her character is strong however I feel like her common sense is missing at the end of the day. The fact that this is continuously brought up in the book and she never listens or makes the connection herself made her an annoying character is some parts.
It felt like in some parts she became slow and foolish in parts of the book in order to benefit the storyline and what was happening in the book at the time. The other characters were written quite well and I really enjoyed the way that they interacted with Glade and each other throughout the book.
Certain parts of the content of the book could be left out and even stopped being repeated continuously. It’s great that the author wants to make a point to the reader about the things that are happening and the comparisons that are being made however the number of times this happens in the book it becomes overused and somewhat annoying. An example of this would be Glade’s comparison to the horse video that she had seen. It was a good comparison and I understood why it was made but it became overused and unneeded after being used a few times.
There was also a few parts of the book where the reading flow was disrupted due to the author telling us what is happening rather than showing us, especially when there were flashbacks or when Glade was referring to something in the past. It threw me off.
I enjoyed reading about the love interests and like the idea of the love triangle but the way that it was set up left it feeling obvious.
I think that in order to improve the book the author should work on making certain aspects less obvious, this will leave the audience reading longer and work on the characters especially Glade so that their personalities aren’t compromised because of the plot. I found that some characters ended up feeling different in some parts of the book which left me confused, their personalities changed and it was weird.
November 9, 2017
Glade Io was taken from her home at a young age to be trained as an assassin. Glade’s job is to cull out people that have murderous or violent tendencies to help make the world a better place to live.
When Glade is kidnapped by group of people that is known as the Ferryman she soon learns that everything she has been taught and raised to believe by The Authority may be a lie. After being kidnapped Glade starts to question her whole life and The Authority. Glade has to be very careful in her investigation of The Authority as it could cost her, her family.
You know you would think that I would get tired of reading Dystopian novels after a while but I don’t think I could ever get tired of this genre. Each book is unique its own way and each and every author adds their own distinct touch to each novel just a little something that makes them all different in some way or other. I love the world building in dystopian novels.
It bugged me to no end as to why Glade didn’t question The Authority more than she did. Why didn’t she trust them less? I mean for the things that The Authority did to her but on the other hand I guess she trusted them and believed in them for the things that The Authority put her through. I guess if they did to me what they did to her I would believe in them too. I am not saying that she didn’t question what they taught her to believe because she did.
Glade is one tough cookie to have lived through what The Authority put her through and come out with her mind still intact. Most of the characters were really great people but there were a few that I didn’t care for very much and some I think are probably good but are sort of brain washed and just need a little help. But there are some that you could probably never help or change their ways. Some people are always going to be out for number one.
I really enjoyed reading The Culling and it will stay with me for a long time to come. The Culling is a fast read but it is one that you want to take your time with and absorb all that you can. I couldn’t believe that ending it just blew me away I was like no, no, no way. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
When Glade is kidnapped by group of people that is known as the Ferryman she soon learns that everything she has been taught and raised to believe by The Authority may be a lie. After being kidnapped Glade starts to question her whole life and The Authority. Glade has to be very careful in her investigation of The Authority as it could cost her, her family.
You know you would think that I would get tired of reading Dystopian novels after a while but I don’t think I could ever get tired of this genre. Each book is unique its own way and each and every author adds their own distinct touch to each novel just a little something that makes them all different in some way or other. I love the world building in dystopian novels.
It bugged me to no end as to why Glade didn’t question The Authority more than she did. Why didn’t she trust them less? I mean for the things that The Authority did to her but on the other hand I guess she trusted them and believed in them for the things that The Authority put her through. I guess if they did to me what they did to her I would believe in them too. I am not saying that she didn’t question what they taught her to believe because she did.
Glade is one tough cookie to have lived through what The Authority put her through and come out with her mind still intact. Most of the characters were really great people but there were a few that I didn’t care for very much and some I think are probably good but are sort of brain washed and just need a little help. But there are some that you could probably never help or change their ways. Some people are always going to be out for number one.
I really enjoyed reading The Culling and it will stay with me for a long time to come. The Culling is a fast read but it is one that you want to take your time with and absorb all that you can. I couldn’t believe that ending it just blew me away I was like no, no, no way. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
July 26, 2018
In a solar system where who lives and who dies is decided by The Authority, it’s only one of their own executioners who has the potential to stop them. Glade Io is a Datapoint, a trained killer. She was marked at a young age as an individual with violent, sociopathic tendencies, and was taken away from her family, so that she could be trained as a Datapoint, a biotech enabled analyst who carries out the Culling. She has been designed to identify and destroy anyone who may, potentially threaten the colonies, the ones marked as lawbreakers, unproductive, sick. But, when she’s abducted by rogue colonists, known as The Ferrymen, everything that Glade has ever known about the colonies, the Culling, and The Authority in charge of both, are called into question, collapsing into doubt. She finds herself caught in the middle, torn between two opposing sides, while the safety of her family hangs in the balance. Glade is unsure who she should trust, and time is rapidly running out.
I thought the premise of this story was incredibly interesting and wanted to see if the story would be able to live up to the expectations. I can honestly say that this story not only met but exceeded my expectations. The story is imaginative and well written, and populated by amazingly well written characters, both among The Authority and Datapoints and the Ferrymen, as well as the civilians that live throughout the solar system. I was kept in suspense all the way through and I already had to start reading the next book because I absolutely have to know what happens next to Glade and her family, Kupier and his family, as well as the Datapounts.
I thought the premise of this story was incredibly interesting and wanted to see if the story would be able to live up to the expectations. I can honestly say that this story not only met but exceeded my expectations. The story is imaginative and well written, and populated by amazingly well written characters, both among The Authority and Datapoints and the Ferrymen, as well as the civilians that live throughout the solar system. I was kept in suspense all the way through and I already had to start reading the next book because I absolutely have to know what happens next to Glade and her family, Kupier and his family, as well as the Datapounts.
July 20, 2018
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Ramona Finn. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
The Culling is about a terrible future not just for Earth but for the entire solar system. The Authority has taken over and it is their practice to rid the solar system of those who have violent tendencies through what they call culling. They have teenagers called Datapoints who have been synced to their database and they are trained to do the actual culling.
Glade Io is special and the Authority expects more out of her than anyone else. Unfortunately, she's beginning to question some things. She doesn't understand why she's not allowed to get into the Database to see how things work. This and her independence tend to get her into trouble and she knows that she could die if she's not careful.
Glade's character is well-developed and I could feel the conflict within her especially when she was told her sisters would become Datapoints. The rest of the characters are interesting, some evil, some fun.
The narrator does a good job at timing as well as differentiating between the different characters.
The Culling is definitely a book you don't want to miss if you like young adult fiction. The way it ends though will make you want to read the second book right away!
The Culling is about a terrible future not just for Earth but for the entire solar system. The Authority has taken over and it is their practice to rid the solar system of those who have violent tendencies through what they call culling. They have teenagers called Datapoints who have been synced to their database and they are trained to do the actual culling.
Glade Io is special and the Authority expects more out of her than anyone else. Unfortunately, she's beginning to question some things. She doesn't understand why she's not allowed to get into the Database to see how things work. This and her independence tend to get her into trouble and she knows that she could die if she's not careful.
Glade's character is well-developed and I could feel the conflict within her especially when she was told her sisters would become Datapoints. The rest of the characters are interesting, some evil, some fun.
The narrator does a good job at timing as well as differentiating between the different characters.
The Culling is definitely a book you don't want to miss if you like young adult fiction. The way it ends though will make you want to read the second book right away!
January 11, 2023
I found this book on Amazon free books. I really like the overview on Amazon, so I thought I would give it a try. The book is about a young female who is forced to work for the government. She lives in a world after Earth. The world is divided up on different plants. The government is using teenager to thin out the population though the Culling.
I really like this book. The main reason is because the main character just it not given in to what she was been told. She question everything even from the way beginning. She question every answer she was given. The reason that I like this was because most other book just have female character change sides with no fight.
The other reason I like this book because I did not see where the book was going. The writer of the book had me keep reading because I was not sure where the book was going. The book also had good pacing. The writer keep you at equal pace the whole time. The writer also opens up different pathes open for the next book which I like.
I really like this book. The main reason is because the main character just it not given in to what she was been told. She question everything even from the way beginning. She question every answer she was given. The reason that I like this was because most other book just have female character change sides with no fight.
The other reason I like this book because I did not see where the book was going. The writer of the book had me keep reading because I was not sure where the book was going. The book also had good pacing. The writer keep you at equal pace the whole time. The writer also opens up different pathes open for the next book which I like.
November 8, 2017
A fast paced dystopian scifi full of action and I enjoyed it! What set this one apart from the usual dystopian is the scifi aspect. There are different colonies throughout the solar system occupied by humans where the Authority, who are the government, is trying to keep control over the population by eliminating those who have violent tendencies by culling them. Or so they say... It's kind of like Minority Report and Ender's Game combined. Children are selected based on their sociopath levels and are recruited and trained to be Datapoints who handle the culling, being told they are saving the population by culling people before they can act on their murderous tendencies. I really like the concept and story line. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Note: I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Review Copy of this book.
November 9, 2017
The Culling, book 1 of a 3 part series by Ramona Finn, this book was amazing and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
As a child Grade Lo saw her father culled leaving her with a lot of questions, 10 years later she’s training to be a datapoint and be the one who does the culling when the time comes. But those qluestions Grade had as a child are still there along with a lot more, when she gets kidnapped by ferrymen, the ones who she’s been told are the enemy, she meets their leader Kupier and he tells her everything she’s been told is a lie, Grade doesn’t know what to believe and when she returns to the authority it leaves her with more questions than answers. Grade has a destiny but she has to figure out which side she’s on.
I loved this book, the author is a wonderful storyteller. I can’t wait for book 2 to be released.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
As a child Grade Lo saw her father culled leaving her with a lot of questions, 10 years later she’s training to be a datapoint and be the one who does the culling when the time comes. But those qluestions Grade had as a child are still there along with a lot more, when she gets kidnapped by ferrymen, the ones who she’s been told are the enemy, she meets their leader Kupier and he tells her everything she’s been told is a lie, Grade doesn’t know what to believe and when she returns to the authority it leaves her with more questions than answers. Grade has a destiny but she has to figure out which side she’s on.
I loved this book, the author is a wonderful storyteller. I can’t wait for book 2 to be released.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
November 15, 2017
A good read. The plot felt familiar to every other dystopian book I’ve read in the past 5 years (like other reviewers), however the story was interesting and kept me interested. I’ll definitely read the next book when it comes out in January.
The positives:
• I really liked that the main character questioned things without others telling her to.
• It was a good story line, kind of like Enders game meets the hunger games.
• I think the writing style and detail was on par with most young adult books in the genre. The focus on technology was cool and I liked the concept of datapoints.
The negatives:
• I did feel like there could have been more character development and back story - I really wanted to know more.
• The last quarter of the book felt rushed and I think the story would have benefited had some of Glade’s choices been explored more.
The positives:
• I really liked that the main character questioned things without others telling her to.
• It was a good story line, kind of like Enders game meets the hunger games.
• I think the writing style and detail was on par with most young adult books in the genre. The focus on technology was cool and I liked the concept of datapoints.
The negatives:
• I did feel like there could have been more character development and back story - I really wanted to know more.
• The last quarter of the book felt rushed and I think the story would have benefited had some of Glade’s choices been explored more.
April 14, 2018
I'm not really sure how to feel about this book. I've read a lot of dystopian books over the last 2 years and they're starting to feel very similar. However the book is well written and the characters are really interesting. The concept of the Culling is horrific and even worse that they train teenagers to carry it out.
Glade is a great lead character and an interesting contradiction, chosen for her sociopath tendencies and trained to be unfeeling she does still care, a lot in some cases.
Overall it's left me with a desire to know what's going to happen next.
The narration is excellent, great character voices and the delivery is emotive and dynamic.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Glade is a great lead character and an interesting contradiction, chosen for her sociopath tendencies and trained to be unfeeling she does still care, a lot in some cases.
Overall it's left me with a desire to know what's going to happen next.
The narration is excellent, great character voices and the delivery is emotive and dynamic.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
September 20, 2018
Slow beginning
I always finish a book I start. That being said I almost gave up on this one by 30% in. It was sooooo boring and I was struggling to pay attention. But I stuck it out and I'm happy I did. The story did pick up, and I really enjoyed the dystopian aspect from a different side. The main character of the story is actually on the side of "The Authority" rather than being a rebel to begin with. You see her begin to doubt her governing body and what they represent. I'm going to give the next installment a shot. Hopefully now that the story has developed the second book will remain a bit more fast paced.
I always finish a book I start. That being said I almost gave up on this one by 30% in. It was sooooo boring and I was struggling to pay attention. But I stuck it out and I'm happy I did. The story did pick up, and I really enjoyed the dystopian aspect from a different side. The main character of the story is actually on the side of "The Authority" rather than being a rebel to begin with. You see her begin to doubt her governing body and what they represent. I'm going to give the next installment a shot. Hopefully now that the story has developed the second book will remain a bit more fast paced.
April 18, 2018
What if you lived in a world sort of like hunger games, but people were culled by the government by a program used by teenagers to get rid of any who murder or are rebels to said government. You are trained to do this and never questioned until a rebel force takes you and tells you things you never heard of. Glade is brought to think the government culling program is perfect and to be trained to do it was an honor until things suddenly change. Haven’t read a dystopian in awhile and the character building, setting, problems, and etc was awesome.
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