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Unchipped #1
Unchipped: Kaarina
A civilization reliant on AR. Unchipped refugees forced outside its walls. Can a lone underdog save humanity from itself?
In the two years since the Great Affliction, the Happiness-Program has transformed a civilization on the brink of extinction into an organized, beautiful, and happy society. However, for the Unchipped--those whose chips can't connect to the system--living a comfortable life remains out of reach.
Kaarina, one of the Unchipped, would give anything to live inside the walls of the city again. Haunted by her mother's suicide and alone except for Bill, another Unchipped thousands of miles away whose thoughts are inexplicably linked to hers, Kaarina fights for survival, defending her beloved animals from the other savage Unchipped. But when her horse's illness drives her into the city to find medicine, she becomes acquainted with a Chipped man who makes her question everything.
Now a new fix to the system promises her the chance to finally be normal... just as she begins to learn life in the perfectly augmented reality may not be all that she imagined.
***If you love Brave New World, you're going to love the Unchipped series!
***Get early access to Unchipped short stories, plus the Unchipped prequel, The Meeting, by signing up for my newsletter!
In the two years since the Great Affliction, the Happiness-Program has transformed a civilization on the brink of extinction into an organized, beautiful, and happy society. However, for the Unchipped--those whose chips can't connect to the system--living a comfortable life remains out of reach.
Kaarina, one of the Unchipped, would give anything to live inside the walls of the city again. Haunted by her mother's suicide and alone except for Bill, another Unchipped thousands of miles away whose thoughts are inexplicably linked to hers, Kaarina fights for survival, defending her beloved animals from the other savage Unchipped. But when her horse's illness drives her into the city to find medicine, she becomes acquainted with a Chipped man who makes her question everything.
Now a new fix to the system promises her the chance to finally be normal... just as she begins to learn life in the perfectly augmented reality may not be all that she imagined.
***If you love Brave New World, you're going to love the Unchipped series!
***Get early access to Unchipped short stories, plus the Unchipped prequel, The Meeting, by signing up for my newsletter!
168 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2020
246 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
Taya DeVere
34 books101 followersBorn in Sweden, raised in Finland, I’ve wandered the corners of the world for two decades. I’m a life-experience junkie, writing sci-fi stories about unlikely heroes in dystopian and post-apocalyptic settings. Untouched nature, society’s marginalized misfits, made-up song lyrics, and licorice ice cream make my simulation go round.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 26, 2021
Interesting concept, but not all that well done. Did manage to finish so 2-stars rather than 1, but don’t think I’ll Be reading the others in the series.
January 15, 2021
This book reminded me of the classic Science Fiction that was one of my first great loves. I, Robot, Brave New World, Childhood's End, and 1984 were a few that came to mind. Books that told fantastic stories with great societal questions. Books that used a straight-forward writing style, and characters almost naive in their interaction with their world.
Ms. Devere captures this well, telling a story less far-fetched than these other classics might have seemed in their time. I was also reminded of The Giver while reading. The tight setting that was different through the eyes of the main character than through the rest of the inhabitants. The questions of what that differing sense meant for the greater population. A bit of a slow start fades away with the adjustment to writing style, and especially when the plight of Kaarina becomes more severe than first explained.
I look forward to reading the rest in this serially published universe.
Happy Reading :)
Ms. Devere captures this well, telling a story less far-fetched than these other classics might have seemed in their time. I was also reminded of The Giver while reading. The tight setting that was different through the eyes of the main character than through the rest of the inhabitants. The questions of what that differing sense meant for the greater population. A bit of a slow start fades away with the adjustment to writing style, and especially when the plight of Kaarina becomes more severe than first explained.
I look forward to reading the rest in this serially published universe.
Happy Reading :)
January 21, 2022
Interesting idea, the world building is ok, but we don’t know enough. None of the characters, even the main one Kaarina feel like real people. I’m debating if I want to read anymore books in this series.
October 14, 2020
The Review
A brilliant story, the author has created a fantastic blend of science-fiction storytelling with a post-apocalyptic vibe. The first novella in this series takes readers into the heart of this series’ mythology, where Kaarina discovers the world of the Chipped is vastly different than what she and her fellow Unchipped believe.
The character development and growth are equally on par with the myth-building the author does with the mythology of this universe. From the mysterious Doctor Solomon who seems to be in charge of the entire program to the seemingly savage nature of the other Unchipped, this was a fascinating deep-dive into a whole new sci-fi universe like no other.
The Verdict
Examining a distant future where a bid to save the lives of humanity comes at the cost of freedom, author Taya Devere’s “Unchipped: Kaarina” is a one-of-a-kind introduction into a highly addictive new sci-fi series. Full of action, suspense, and dystopian themes, this is a book readers won’t be able to put down. Be sure to grab your copy today!
A brilliant story, the author has created a fantastic blend of science-fiction storytelling with a post-apocalyptic vibe. The first novella in this series takes readers into the heart of this series’ mythology, where Kaarina discovers the world of the Chipped is vastly different than what she and her fellow Unchipped believe.
The character development and growth are equally on par with the myth-building the author does with the mythology of this universe. From the mysterious Doctor Solomon who seems to be in charge of the entire program to the seemingly savage nature of the other Unchipped, this was a fascinating deep-dive into a whole new sci-fi universe like no other.
The Verdict
Examining a distant future where a bid to save the lives of humanity comes at the cost of freedom, author Taya Devere’s “Unchipped: Kaarina” is a one-of-a-kind introduction into a highly addictive new sci-fi series. Full of action, suspense, and dystopian themes, this is a book readers won’t be able to put down. Be sure to grab your copy today!
May 2, 2021
Interesting take on a post apocalyptic world. There is not too much meat to this story. Barely an introduction to the world the author creates. There are people who have been chipped and those who haven’t. The ones who haven’t live “outside” the city just barely surviving, stealing and infighting to get by. While the chipped live in an augmented reality where everything is handed to them. Kay struggles with being alone and wants to become chipped, but ends up being talked out of it. She then starts a “revolution” within the chipped community. The character development is thin and could do with some better development. It looks like there will be 11 other characters in the following books. I’m not really sure what more could be written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2025
Suomalaisen naisen (ymmärtääkseni oikealta nimeltään minun kaimani!) englanniksi kirjoittama 2080-luvun Suomeen sijoittuva scifi. Teksti oli yllättävän helppoa, tarina yksinkertainen ja helposti seurattava.
Vähän juoni jotenkin poukkoili, hahmot olivat aika ohuita, (etenkin Markus joka ei tuntunut edes sanovan juuri mitään). Hyvää oli henkilöiden suomalaiset nimet (varmasti eksoottiset ulkomaisille lukijoille) ja jotkut suomalaiset lauseet, jotka sitten myös käännettiin suomea taitamattomille lukijoille myös englanniksi.
Paljon tässä oli hyvääkin, mutta myös epäloogisuutta. Miksi esim pitäisi tappaa lääkkeitä saadakseen kun niitä voi saada ison pussillisen ihan vain pyytämällä?
Scifi ei ole aivan minun genreäni.
Vähän juoni jotenkin poukkoili, hahmot olivat aika ohuita, (etenkin Markus joka ei tuntunut edes sanovan juuri mitään). Hyvää oli henkilöiden suomalaiset nimet (varmasti eksoottiset ulkomaisille lukijoille) ja jotkut suomalaiset lauseet, jotka sitten myös käännettiin suomea taitamattomille lukijoille myös englanniksi.
Paljon tässä oli hyvääkin, mutta myös epäloogisuutta. Miksi esim pitäisi tappaa lääkkeitä saadakseen kun niitä voi saada ison pussillisen ihan vain pyytämällä?
Scifi ei ole aivan minun genreäni.
November 22, 2020
In the future how will technology be used??? Will it be voluntary??
As you read this book, you go into a future fraught with the possibly of a lack of meeting people's most basic fundamental needs. That begs the question, what will people do to meet them? Will they decide that everything real and physical is to hard to deal with, and escape into a virtual world? In this story we see this possibility of what could happen through Katrina and her experiences. While lacking some in character support, and a need to flesh out the setting of the story, it was enjoyable and fast paced.
As you read this book, you go into a future fraught with the possibly of a lack of meeting people's most basic fundamental needs. That begs the question, what will people do to meet them? Will they decide that everything real and physical is to hard to deal with, and escape into a virtual world? In this story we see this possibility of what could happen through Katrina and her experiences. While lacking some in character support, and a need to flesh out the setting of the story, it was enjoyable and fast paced.
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July 25, 2021The story felt a little slow at the beginning, but the pace picked up within a few chapters. The idea of people living a better life in a virtual world isn’t new, but I did enjoy the story told from the perspective of someone who didn’t have access to that world.
I also like the banter between Kaarina, the main character, and Bill, the person on the other side of the world that she’s connected to because her chip implantation failed. This wasn’t explained or explored fully in the story, so I’m assuming it’s something that will be explained properly in one of the other stories.
This is a novella, not a full-length novel, which makes it a quick read.
I also like the banter between Kaarina, the main character, and Bill, the person on the other side of the world that she’s connected to because her chip implantation failed. This wasn’t explained or explored fully in the story, so I’m assuming it’s something that will be explained properly in one of the other stories.
This is a novella, not a full-length novel, which makes it a quick read.
June 7, 2023
This story honestly wasn’t interesting at first. Nothing much happens at the beginning, and it felt like some details were excessive. However, it did get better as it went on. The action picks up, and I learned about some other good aspects of the story, such as actually covering what happened in non-American countries in a dystopian world and a little LGBTQ+ rep. By the end, I just had an all-around good experience with the story. And perhaps the more boring beginning is the style of adult stories, rather than what I typically read.
May 25, 2023
Great read!
Im not sure what I expected, but I am hooked and ready for book 2!! I really got into the characters, perfectly paced, just the right amount of world building, not overly done, and it spoke to my emotions! I was on edge of my seat rooting for people!! I genuinely loved this story and read it in a day! I have not read anything by this author before, but will definitely be looking for more!
Im not sure what I expected, but I am hooked and ready for book 2!! I really got into the characters, perfectly paced, just the right amount of world building, not overly done, and it spoke to my emotions! I was on edge of my seat rooting for people!! I genuinely loved this story and read it in a day! I have not read anything by this author before, but will definitely be looking for more!
September 30, 2023
After a couple of dozen pages I really felt I had missed a chapter. The book starts with a story about Kaarina’s mother. In the next chapter Kaarina is in the middle of nowhere pulling duct tape off a pair of trainers, talking to an ‘imaginary’ man.
I actually download the book again in case I had missing sections in my copy.
I kept reading thinking the author would develop the ‘World’ and put some ‘flesh’ of the main characters ‘bones’. I’m afraid by halfway I’d had enough.
I actually download the book again in case I had missing sections in my copy.
I kept reading thinking the author would develop the ‘World’ and put some ‘flesh’ of the main characters ‘bones’. I’m afraid by halfway I’d had enough.
September 26, 2020
I was captivated. What a great introduction to the Unchipped series. When everyone is choosing to take the promise of life in the Happiness Program, not everyone will be on that same path. A scary world comes to life in this story, where it almost feels like the future could be being predicted. Looking forward to the next book as I turned the last page.
April 21, 2021
Oh so good
First book in a twelve book series and I am hooked. If you liked Brave New World, you will absolutely love this. Kaarina is a character easy to like and what is not to love about Bill who the next book is about. Fast paced and hard to put down. You will find yourself immediately immersed into their world.
First book in a twelve book series and I am hooked. If you liked Brave New World, you will absolutely love this. Kaarina is a character easy to like and what is not to love about Bill who the next book is about. Fast paced and hard to put down. You will find yourself immediately immersed into their world.
March 22, 2021
Captivating from the very start! I'm a big fan of sci fi and dystopian fiction, and Kaarina was right up my alley. The UC world is incredibly well developed, and the characters draw you into the story straightaway, making you crave more. Looking forward to Book 2!
April 27, 2021
Unfortunately I found it to be underwhelming. I was excited to start it. But as I got further into it I felt bored. But I don't like leaving books unfinished so I continued on. But unfortunately I didn't feel like I needed more after it ended.
November 12, 2020
Rose
Great writing. A new story written in a new way! I loved it, couldn't put it down until I re a every last word!
Great writing. A new story written in a new way! I loved it, couldn't put it down until I re a every last word!
January 4, 2021
Taya’s writing is fluent and beautiful, her describings are very much alive. The story is intriguing and fresh with great characters. I loved this and can’t wait for the next part!
March 26, 2021
Surprisingly good
Honestly, I wish it was longer. I truly like these people and want to get to know them all better.
Honestly, I wish it was longer. I truly like these people and want to get to know them all better.
April 2, 2021
An interesting sci-fi story.
I would have liked some more description of the world.
Decent characters, not sure where this will go in the next book.
I will probably try it.
I would have liked some more description of the world.
Decent characters, not sure where this will go in the next book.
I will probably try it.
April 14, 2021
A good concept
The idea of a dystopian society where people must have a chip and live in virtual world is an interesting concept. Unfortunately, the plot moves too slowly.
The idea of a dystopian society where people must have a chip and live in virtual world is an interesting concept. Unfortunately, the plot moves too slowly.
May 3, 2021
Different PAW
I wonder if I should make a joke about the chips in the Covid vaccine? Part PAW, part AI run like matrix.
I wonder if I should make a joke about the chips in the Covid vaccine? Part PAW, part AI run like matrix.
June 29, 2021
dystopia of power and medicine. brilliantly
Read
January 5, 2023Fun in a dark, post apacolyptic way!
A great adventure with gov't going crazy with power. Good way to wake up. Freedom is spool important. Worth the risks.
A great adventure with gov't going crazy with power. Good way to wake up. Freedom is spool important. Worth the risks.
February 22, 2022
This book has an interesting premise. Everyone is connected via AI chips implanted in them. Can a person survive on the fringes of society?
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews