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The Chosen Twelve #1
The Chosen Twelve
The Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in this breathless survival thriller.
Lord of the Flies meets Philip K Dick.
There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.
The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.
But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?
Lord of the Flies meets Philip K Dick.
There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.
The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.
But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 18, 2022
61 people are currently reading
1089 people want to read
About the author
James Breakwell
13 books293 followersJames Breakwell is a professional comedy writer and amateur father of four girls, ages eight and under. He is best known for his family humor Twitter account @XplodingUnicorn, which boasts more than a million followers. The account went viral In April 2016 and transformed James from a niche comedy writer into one of the most popular dad brands on social media.
Since becoming internet famous, James has been profiled by USA Today, US Weekly, The Daily Mail, Metro, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Better Homes and Gardens, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Upworthy, The Chive, Bored Panda, 9gag, College Humor, various ABC and Fox TV news affiliates, and countless other TV, radio, and internet outlets. Pictures of his smiling girls have been displayed in newspapers as far away as India. His articles have appeared in Reader’s Digest, The Federalist, and AskMen. He writes a bi-monthly newspaper column for the IndyStar and has been a guest multiple times on HLN’s The Daily Share.
Closer Magazine named James its 2016 Blogger Dad of the Year. In 2017, he was a finalist for a Shorty Award in the parenting category.
James writes more than just family jokes. His Star Wars parody account @VeryLonelyLuke went viral in December 2015 and now has nearly 350,000 followers. Combined with James’ verified Facebook page, Instagram account, and other various comedy Twitter accounts, James has a total reach of more than 1.5 million followers. He also also reaches thousands of daily readers through his three webcomics, Unbelievably Bad, Unfridgeworthy, and Wombat Dojo.
James’ debut book, Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent’s Guide for Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, released in October 2017. The parenting book/zombie survival guide mashup is currently available in U.S. and UK markets and is slated to be translated into French and Korean. His second book, Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child, is scheduled for release November 6, 2018.
James is represented by Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group. He is open to advertising and writing inquiries.
Since becoming internet famous, James has been profiled by USA Today, US Weekly, The Daily Mail, Metro, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Better Homes and Gardens, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Upworthy, The Chive, Bored Panda, 9gag, College Humor, various ABC and Fox TV news affiliates, and countless other TV, radio, and internet outlets. Pictures of his smiling girls have been displayed in newspapers as far away as India. His articles have appeared in Reader’s Digest, The Federalist, and AskMen. He writes a bi-monthly newspaper column for the IndyStar and has been a guest multiple times on HLN’s The Daily Share.
Closer Magazine named James its 2016 Blogger Dad of the Year. In 2017, he was a finalist for a Shorty Award in the parenting category.
James writes more than just family jokes. His Star Wars parody account @VeryLonelyLuke went viral in December 2015 and now has nearly 350,000 followers. Combined with James’ verified Facebook page, Instagram account, and other various comedy Twitter accounts, James has a total reach of more than 1.5 million followers. He also also reaches thousands of daily readers through his three webcomics, Unbelievably Bad, Unfridgeworthy, and Wombat Dojo.
James’ debut book, Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent’s Guide for Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, released in October 2017. The parenting book/zombie survival guide mashup is currently available in U.S. and UK markets and is slated to be translated into French and Korean. His second book, Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child, is scheduled for release November 6, 2018.
James is represented by Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group. He is open to advertising and writing inquiries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
January 18, 2022
The blurb for this book does not hold back when it comes to mixing up names. It says that The Hunger Games meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy here, and it also mentions Lord of the Flies and Philip K. Dick. That's quite an interesting mixup, and since I've read the Hitchhiker, the Hunger Games, Lord of the flies and quite a few books of PKD (ubik being one of my favorites), I felt well prepared.
******************************
Read the interview with James Breakwell!
******************************
And was instantly surprised when I've met one of our the Protagonist, a rather old twelve year old (he's been twelve for at least 4000 days now) who's trying his best not to be killed by a door on his way to visit God, who apparently lives in a coffee machine. (Strange enough, I find that last part highly believable, coffee addict that I am.) And this really sets the tone on the humour that's going to be used throughout the book.
Automatic doors. Probably more dangerous than you think.
There's more to this than crude humour, but there's an abundance of it. Some of it is more philosophical, some is just nonsense (the funny kind). And with this apocalyptical setting, it is there to counter the darker notes, hinting at some dystopian futures. Sadly, those two things at times clash. Because some of the stuff is so nonsensical that it's easy to miss the point when the story wants you to take it in earnest again. It's like, are you still joking or is this for real now? I think that balance is not well maintained throughout the story.
So the humour is where the Hitchhiker blends in. And the fact that they are dappling in simulations had me questioning if those events where truly happening at all, or if we were already looking into a simulation. Since Philip K. Dick was mentioned in the blurb: If you've read A Maze of Death, you probably know what I'm talking about.
Hunger Games are easy to spot, too, because there is a lander primed to go down to the planet with twelve seats - and twentytwo people wanting in. Lord of the flies is a different matter, though. There are at some point two factions, but it's probably not the same group dynamic as in Golding's classic.
― Hunger Games: ✅
― Hitchhiker: ✅
― Philip K. Dick: ☑️ (in spirit)
― Lord of the Flies: ☑️ (in spirit)
Philip K. Dick might be present in spirit (it's that "questioning of reality" vibe), and so is Lord of the Flies. Then again you could almost use it as a reference every time you see one group of people splitting into two factions.
If you're really needing another reference to pop culture, then I would point you to Stanley Kubrick and his Space Odyssey. Because I'm almost certain the digitales (what we would call artificial intelligences) in this book can trace their direct ancestry back to HAL. Wouldn't be surprised, honestly.
HAL, or SCASL. Pretty much the same.
*****
So, what's the final verdict? The story is interesting, but the fact that the view point switches rather often makes it hard for the story to grip you. And the humour that is really needed to counter the overall apocalyptical feeling is either inexistent on times, or totally nonsensical over the top. It is, sadly, lacking balance.
On the plus side is the inventiveness of the story, the really interesting setting and the ending. (No, I'm not going to spoiler here - but it felt fitting.) That brings me to 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars on sites that don't support half stars.
Disclaimer: I've received a free Advanced Reader's Copy and are leaving this review voluntarily.
You can also read this review on my Blog.
******************************
Read the interview with James Breakwell!
******************************
And was instantly surprised when I've met one of our the Protagonist, a rather old twelve year old (he's been twelve for at least 4000 days now) who's trying his best not to be killed by a door on his way to visit God, who apparently lives in a coffee machine. (Strange enough, I find that last part highly believable, coffee addict that I am.) And this really sets the tone on the humour that's going to be used throughout the book.
Automatic doors. Probably more dangerous than you think.
There's more to this than crude humour, but there's an abundance of it. Some of it is more philosophical, some is just nonsense (the funny kind). And with this apocalyptical setting, it is there to counter the darker notes, hinting at some dystopian futures. Sadly, those two things at times clash. Because some of the stuff is so nonsensical that it's easy to miss the point when the story wants you to take it in earnest again. It's like, are you still joking or is this for real now? I think that balance is not well maintained throughout the story.
We formed the union of polar warrior monks riding diarrhea elephants.
Another day in the simulation
So the humour is where the Hitchhiker blends in. And the fact that they are dappling in simulations had me questioning if those events where truly happening at all, or if we were already looking into a simulation. Since Philip K. Dick was mentioned in the blurb: If you've read A Maze of Death, you probably know what I'm talking about.
Hunger Games are easy to spot, too, because there is a lander primed to go down to the planet with twelve seats - and twentytwo people wanting in. Lord of the flies is a different matter, though. There are at some point two factions, but it's probably not the same group dynamic as in Golding's classic.
― Hunger Games: ✅
― Hitchhiker: ✅
― Philip K. Dick: ☑️ (in spirit)
― Lord of the Flies: ☑️ (in spirit)
Philip K. Dick might be present in spirit (it's that "questioning of reality" vibe), and so is Lord of the Flies. Then again you could almost use it as a reference every time you see one group of people splitting into two factions.
If you're really needing another reference to pop culture, then I would point you to Stanley Kubrick and his Space Odyssey. Because I'm almost certain the digitales (what we would call artificial intelligences) in this book can trace their direct ancestry back to HAL. Wouldn't be surprised, honestly.
HAL, or SCASL. Pretty much the same.
*****
So, what's the final verdict? The story is interesting, but the fact that the view point switches rather often makes it hard for the story to grip you. And the humour that is really needed to counter the overall apocalyptical feeling is either inexistent on times, or totally nonsensical over the top. It is, sadly, lacking balance.
On the plus side is the inventiveness of the story, the really interesting setting and the ending. (No, I'm not going to spoiler here - but it felt fitting.) That brings me to 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars on sites that don't support half stars.
Disclaimer: I've received a free Advanced Reader's Copy and are leaving this review voluntarily.
You can also read this review on my Blog.
May 26, 2022
Space, robots, artificial intelligence, an apocalyptic world and 22 children what could go wrong? This sci-fi dystopian thriller really captured human nature in a funny yet hauntingly sober way that has readers pondering their existence but not in a serious way.
“Rho knew from her histories that patrons on Earth who didn’t return library books were set on fire, so clearly it was a serious issue.” James Breakwell - The Chosen Twelve
Set in a base on some other planets moon, the children are brought up by Artificial intelligence embodied in robots of all kinds. From coffee makers too vacuums all to ensure the survival of no, not humanity but of Artificial Intelligence or as they call them Digitals.
The children are all aged 12 but have been kept at that age by some very advanced technology for many years, so in essence they are really really old 12year old’s. And since being brought up by robots they lack the full understanding of where they are and why. The digitals only give them enough information to keep them at a certain level of understanding and stop them from questioning the digitals intensions. Their quest is to colonies the planet who’s moon they are on but to get them ready to do that the children need to learn using a simulator and boy oh boy, the thing these kids came up with, pure childlike creativity.
“Edubot said organics had fought four world wars. That was absurd. Surely mankind would have learned its lesson after one.” James Breakwell - The Chosen Twelve
While all this is going on in the space station it’s overrun with dangerous robots infiltrated by artificial intelligences, each wanting to be the supreme intelligence thus creating a chaotic, dangerous world for the children to navigate, from robots that just want to kill organics a.k.a humans to automatic door with a vendetta against anything crossing its path.
The story is quirky and often showcases crude humor among the more serious topics of violence, ethics and what it means to be human. The plot was engaging and somewhat confusing as it jumps around a lot between so many characters which made it hard to keep track of at some points but somehow the story keeps the reader going to find out how it all ends.
The characters though not all fully developed were fun to interact with and infuriating at times as they lack basic knowledge that we take for granted.The Digitals were the most infuriating, how can you have so much knowledge yet know so little at the same time. By the end of the story the organics (the children) crept into your heart, and it ends on a surprisingly deep note full of heartbreak and understanding.
While the book is chaotic at times, it’s filled with just the right balance of humour and action to make it a good read. It also hid a few very philosophical and deeply meaningful quotes in there which made me wonder…
“Humans are flawed, but they evolve into better people and overcome adversity.” James Breakwell - The Chosen Twelve
Now I don’t know if I’m just too serious of a person but at some points it felt like the book was a commentary on all the flaws of humanity and its quest to grow and conquer indefinitely. But maybe that’s just me.
Thank you @NetGalley and @rebellionpublishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Rho knew from her histories that patrons on Earth who didn’t return library books were set on fire, so clearly it was a serious issue.” James Breakwell - The Chosen Twelve
Set in a base on some other planets moon, the children are brought up by Artificial intelligence embodied in robots of all kinds. From coffee makers too vacuums all to ensure the survival of no, not humanity but of Artificial Intelligence or as they call them Digitals.
The children are all aged 12 but have been kept at that age by some very advanced technology for many years, so in essence they are really really old 12year old’s. And since being brought up by robots they lack the full understanding of where they are and why. The digitals only give them enough information to keep them at a certain level of understanding and stop them from questioning the digitals intensions. Their quest is to colonies the planet who’s moon they are on but to get them ready to do that the children need to learn using a simulator and boy oh boy, the thing these kids came up with, pure childlike creativity.
“Edubot said organics had fought four world wars. That was absurd. Surely mankind would have learned its lesson after one.” James Breakwell - The Chosen Twelve
While all this is going on in the space station it’s overrun with dangerous robots infiltrated by artificial intelligences, each wanting to be the supreme intelligence thus creating a chaotic, dangerous world for the children to navigate, from robots that just want to kill organics a.k.a humans to automatic door with a vendetta against anything crossing its path.
The story is quirky and often showcases crude humor among the more serious topics of violence, ethics and what it means to be human. The plot was engaging and somewhat confusing as it jumps around a lot between so many characters which made it hard to keep track of at some points but somehow the story keeps the reader going to find out how it all ends.
The characters though not all fully developed were fun to interact with and infuriating at times as they lack basic knowledge that we take for granted.The Digitals were the most infuriating, how can you have so much knowledge yet know so little at the same time. By the end of the story the organics (the children) crept into your heart, and it ends on a surprisingly deep note full of heartbreak and understanding.
While the book is chaotic at times, it’s filled with just the right balance of humour and action to make it a good read. It also hid a few very philosophical and deeply meaningful quotes in there which made me wonder…
“Humans are flawed, but they evolve into better people and overcome adversity.” James Breakwell - The Chosen Twelve
Now I don’t know if I’m just too serious of a person but at some points it felt like the book was a commentary on all the flaws of humanity and its quest to grow and conquer indefinitely. But maybe that’s just me.
Thank you @NetGalley and @rebellionpublishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 16, 2022
2.5 Stars
This is one of those cases where a book just does not work for a reader. The concept sounded fun, but did not entirely work for me in execution. I found the narrative uneven. Along with flat characters and weak writing, this just did not work for me.
I requested this one because this publisher has often impressed me with original and unique stories. I took a chance on this one and was disappointed that it did not deliver the experience I was seeking.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is one of those cases where a book just does not work for a reader. The concept sounded fun, but did not entirely work for me in execution. I found the narrative uneven. Along with flat characters and weak writing, this just did not work for me.
I requested this one because this publisher has often impressed me with original and unique stories. I took a chance on this one and was disappointed that it did not deliver the experience I was seeking.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
December 24, 2021
The Chosen Twelve opens with a bang and rarely slows down. Things happen on the last interstellar colony ship. Robots "deleted" some humans, but 22 of them are still breathing. The problem? Only 12 seats on the lander needed to colonize the planet below and reboot the species.
Humans, named by letters of the Greek alphabet (Alpha, Phi, Sigma, Omicron, etc.), tend to focus on all the wrong things and ask too many questions. Robots, on the other hand, are programmed to kill each other. Not to mention that AI has taken over human education, and protagonists don't think like us. Nor do they follow the same moral code.
As expected, the conflict between the humans starts to boil. Expect casualties. Delta, one of the top-performing humans, has her view on things, and the story revolves around her plans (more or less - there are A LOT of characters).
It's pitched as "The Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and "Lord of the Flies meets Philip K Dick." Sounds good, but it's not accurate. Although to be fair, it has dark and absurd humor and contestants fighting for a limited number of seats.
I enjoyed quick pacing, funny dialogues, and Breakwells' inventiveness. Even though the story often borders on the absurd, it's still thoughtful and exciting. On the other hand, I didn't care for characters with 22 people and a relatively narrow focus on each of them. Spencer or Delta get more screentime and are pretty fun, though.
The Chosen Twelve is many things, including sci-fi, survival, and dark comedy. There's a hell of a lot going on here, but it had me gripped. Most of the time.
Humans, named by letters of the Greek alphabet (Alpha, Phi, Sigma, Omicron, etc.), tend to focus on all the wrong things and ask too many questions. Robots, on the other hand, are programmed to kill each other. Not to mention that AI has taken over human education, and protagonists don't think like us. Nor do they follow the same moral code.
As expected, the conflict between the humans starts to boil. Expect casualties. Delta, one of the top-performing humans, has her view on things, and the story revolves around her plans (more or less - there are A LOT of characters).
It's pitched as "The Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and "Lord of the Flies meets Philip K Dick." Sounds good, but it's not accurate. Although to be fair, it has dark and absurd humor and contestants fighting for a limited number of seats.
I enjoyed quick pacing, funny dialogues, and Breakwells' inventiveness. Even though the story often borders on the absurd, it's still thoughtful and exciting. On the other hand, I didn't care for characters with 22 people and a relatively narrow focus on each of them. Spencer or Delta get more screentime and are pretty fun, though.
The Chosen Twelve is many things, including sci-fi, survival, and dark comedy. There's a hell of a lot going on here, but it had me gripped. Most of the time.
December 22, 2021
what initially drew me into this novel was its ambitious concept— i love a good competition, maybe some exploration of human nature or whatever— but i found it incredibly bland. it had so much potential, but the author chose to go about it differently and he failed miserably. i could be nicer about this and could have given this 2 stars but looking back on my reading experience, i did not enjoy a single page of this novel.
i'm keeping this as short as possible so here is what i did not like:
- lazy characterization
- shoddy worldbuilding
- tedious plot
- weak themes
- rigid writing style
- irritating jokes and dialogue
- annoying characters
- poor attempt at scifi (incredibly uncreative)
- juvenile characters
- bland narrative voice
it was also 100-150 pages too long; entire chapters did not add anything new to the plot and only dragged out the story, which did not make for an enjoyable reading experience. i understand the desire to offer more information about the world the author created, but the filler chapters gave absolutely nothing. and i think because of this, i did not feel urgency or the importance of their goal.
anyway, i feel cheated because it promised me a good time and it gave me the opposite. see, when you comp hunger games, hitchhiker's guide, lord of the flies— and even mention pkd— you better deliver! but this was the plainest, most uninspiring scifi experience of my life. i was thoroughly bored, and only finished it out of sheer stubbornness. it was an utter waste of my time.
i'm keeping this as short as possible so here is what i did not like:
- lazy characterization
- shoddy worldbuilding
- tedious plot
- weak themes
- rigid writing style
- irritating jokes and dialogue
- annoying characters
- poor attempt at scifi (incredibly uncreative)
- juvenile characters
- bland narrative voice
it was also 100-150 pages too long; entire chapters did not add anything new to the plot and only dragged out the story, which did not make for an enjoyable reading experience. i understand the desire to offer more information about the world the author created, but the filler chapters gave absolutely nothing. and i think because of this, i did not feel urgency or the importance of their goal.
anyway, i feel cheated because it promised me a good time and it gave me the opposite. see, when you comp hunger games, hitchhiker's guide, lord of the flies— and even mention pkd— you better deliver! but this was the plainest, most uninspiring scifi experience of my life. i was thoroughly bored, and only finished it out of sheer stubbornness. it was an utter waste of my time.
November 24, 2021
What do you think when you read the cover of this book? This has got to be a Sci-Fi version of The Hunger Games, right? Well, we surely get that, and I think maybe a bit too much.
This book is about 22 kids that are living aboard a colony ship that contains the last of humanity, and their mission is to save humankind. For that, they are prepared through a simulation using neural helmets to fight the monsters lurking on the planet below until someone - or something - deems they are fit to go on a lander that they soon discover only sits twelve of them. Now they have to choose, but will they make the right choice?
The book was fun. I had a great time reading it and despite having so many characters to keep up with, they were pretty easy to follow. They had very distinct personalities and, although they could be pretty dense sometimes, I found myself laughing reading some of their interactions and thoughts. I thought this could be a solid four-star read until I got to the last few chapters and couldn't really understand what was going on. I didn't particularly enjoy how it all ended and I'm left wondering, is there a second book coming out? Because if the answer is not, how could it end like this??
I received an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Rebellion, Solaris and Netgalley!
This book is about 22 kids that are living aboard a colony ship that contains the last of humanity, and their mission is to save humankind. For that, they are prepared through a simulation using neural helmets to fight the monsters lurking on the planet below until someone - or something - deems they are fit to go on a lander that they soon discover only sits twelve of them. Now they have to choose, but will they make the right choice?
The book was fun. I had a great time reading it and despite having so many characters to keep up with, they were pretty easy to follow. They had very distinct personalities and, although they could be pretty dense sometimes, I found myself laughing reading some of their interactions and thoughts. I thought this could be a solid four-star read until I got to the last few chapters and couldn't really understand what was going on. I didn't particularly enjoy how it all ended and I'm left wondering, is there a second book coming out? Because if the answer is not, how could it end like this??
I received an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Rebellion, Solaris and Netgalley!
April 4, 2022
I don’t know if I have the words to properly endorse this book, or even explain it for that matter… Robots, space, 12 year olds fighting to the death, killer kangaroos, and God lives in a coffee pot. It’s a trip to crazy town. But, a well done and enjoyable (if slightly psychotic) trip to a unique crazy town.
I follow James Breakwell on social media and get his weekly newsletter, so obviously I was already gonna give this book a chance, but I knew I was hooked from line one: “God lived in the coffee maker on deck four.”
I follow James Breakwell on social media and get his weekly newsletter, so obviously I was already gonna give this book a chance, but I knew I was hooked from line one: “God lived in the coffee maker on deck four.”
February 16, 2022
You lost me at explosive elephant diarrhea.
I can't figure out who this book is for. The storytelling is lacking depth, which I as an adult enjoy, but there is also too much graphic violence for the younger children, whom might enjoy the very childish jokes.
There are too many characters to keep track of and noone has the obvious role of protagonist. I can't find anyone to identify with because there is no deeper knowing of any of the characters since we have to fallow basically everybody, including some bots. The opportunity to get deep into the story is lost when you have so much to cover in a limited space. It ends with the reader not understanding the characters and why they do things the way they do. I also couldn't get into the story because half of it didn't even happen. A lot of things are set in the simulation which means you know that isn't actually happening and it brings nothing to help the story go forward. It could just have said it went good or bad, because the details we spend a lot of pages reading do not have any effect on what happens outside the simulations.
What I don't believe is that the humans would be so immature and unfriendly towards eachother after spending such a long time together, growing up together. They behave like they are 12 (only caring about hair, or nails, or sports, or fire etc) while they actually are adults in children's bodys. They went to college multiple times each. They whould have matured with time just as regular people. As well with the social skills of how to be together. The book didn't say they had spent too much time togehter and got tired of eachother, they just didn't hang out (with some exceptions, like the Peapod and Kappa/Epsilon). Most people wants other people around, we don't like being that alone for such a long time without it causing psychological damage. The relationship between most characters are unrealistic.
And last, that ending?! Anticlimatic. Leaving Zeta on the ship to die? Everyone else was just a big of an ass as Zeta was. It's unfair. And Spenser suddenly being some digital admiral able to kill SPACL? Why didn't he do anything sooner? And also them landing on a remote location just to be stagnant in space forever. Anticlimatic.
I can't figure out who this book is for. The storytelling is lacking depth, which I as an adult enjoy, but there is also too much graphic violence for the younger children, whom might enjoy the very childish jokes.
There are too many characters to keep track of and noone has the obvious role of protagonist. I can't find anyone to identify with because there is no deeper knowing of any of the characters since we have to fallow basically everybody, including some bots. The opportunity to get deep into the story is lost when you have so much to cover in a limited space. It ends with the reader not understanding the characters and why they do things the way they do. I also couldn't get into the story because half of it didn't even happen. A lot of things are set in the simulation which means you know that isn't actually happening and it brings nothing to help the story go forward. It could just have said it went good or bad, because the details we spend a lot of pages reading do not have any effect on what happens outside the simulations.
What I don't believe is that the humans would be so immature and unfriendly towards eachother after spending such a long time together, growing up together. They behave like they are 12 (only caring about hair, or nails, or sports, or fire etc) while they actually are adults in children's bodys. They went to college multiple times each. They whould have matured with time just as regular people. As well with the social skills of how to be together. The book didn't say they had spent too much time togehter and got tired of eachother, they just didn't hang out (with some exceptions, like the Peapod and Kappa/Epsilon). Most people wants other people around, we don't like being that alone for such a long time without it causing psychological damage. The relationship between most characters are unrealistic.
And last, that ending?! Anticlimatic. Leaving Zeta on the ship to die? Everyone else was just a big of an ass as Zeta was. It's unfair. And Spenser suddenly being some digital admiral able to kill SPACL? Why didn't he do anything sooner? And also them landing on a remote location just to be stagnant in space forever. Anticlimatic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2022
This was a huge surprise for me. I read the premise of this book and found it interesting but didn't have very high expectations since I didn't know anything about the author.
We follow 22 kids who were born inside a space station, raised solely by A.I. robots. The conditions inside the station are not ideal and the bots seem to have their own agenda, which doesn't always include what's best for the children. When the decision to finally abandon the station and attempt to land on a nearby planet is made, there is one small problem. There are only 12 seats for the 22 children...
Ok this is not a long book but it manages to tackle a lot of themes. A.I. intelligence, humanity, friendship, alienation and many more. And it does all that pretty successfully in my opinion, mixing humor, action and drama in appropriate doses. The children names are taken from the greek alphabet and I was worried that, not giving them real names, might prevent me from getting attached to them, but the author did a great job of making every child distinct from the next and by the end I was fully engaged with their struggles.
This book will make you smile, will make you care, get angry and through some great allegories will trouble you and make you think.
I believe The Chosen Twelve is a great book that everyone from a teenager and above will find inside something to enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for this ARC
We follow 22 kids who were born inside a space station, raised solely by A.I. robots. The conditions inside the station are not ideal and the bots seem to have their own agenda, which doesn't always include what's best for the children. When the decision to finally abandon the station and attempt to land on a nearby planet is made, there is one small problem. There are only 12 seats for the 22 children...
Ok this is not a long book but it manages to tackle a lot of themes. A.I. intelligence, humanity, friendship, alienation and many more. And it does all that pretty successfully in my opinion, mixing humor, action and drama in appropriate doses. The children names are taken from the greek alphabet and I was worried that, not giving them real names, might prevent me from getting attached to them, but the author did a great job of making every child distinct from the next and by the end I was fully engaged with their struggles.
This book will make you smile, will make you care, get angry and through some great allegories will trouble you and make you think.
I believe The Chosen Twelve is a great book that everyone from a teenager and above will find inside something to enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for this ARC
November 5, 2021
This is one of those books where I had no idea what was going on at first, but still was 100% on board from the first few sentences.
The story stars a bunch of twelve-year-olds who have been raised in an empty, slowly-falling-apart space station by a cabal of loosely-allied AIs with their own agenda. The kids are as odd as you would imagine given these circumstances, and when the AI in charge decides only 12 of them will live to start a new human colony, a horrible survival of the fittest situation is created.
At first, the book is funny and quirky. The AIs are hilarious. The kids are hilarious. The whole situation is off the wall and never fails to be interesting. The further it goes, the deeper it descends into violence and borderline insanity.
This book was never one for character development. Fully half of the kids are reduced to one single personality trait, even if the narrative is weirdly self-aware about this. There are a few we do get to know, but mostly it's about the plot. And it is a very interesting plot. I was hooked the whole time, and though the ending climax left me feeling a little unpleasantly hungover, I would call this a wholly engrossing and unique read.
The story stars a bunch of twelve-year-olds who have been raised in an empty, slowly-falling-apart space station by a cabal of loosely-allied AIs with their own agenda. The kids are as odd as you would imagine given these circumstances, and when the AI in charge decides only 12 of them will live to start a new human colony, a horrible survival of the fittest situation is created.
At first, the book is funny and quirky. The AIs are hilarious. The kids are hilarious. The whole situation is off the wall and never fails to be interesting. The further it goes, the deeper it descends into violence and borderline insanity.
This book was never one for character development. Fully half of the kids are reduced to one single personality trait, even if the narrative is weirdly self-aware about this. There are a few we do get to know, but mostly it's about the plot. And it is a very interesting plot. I was hooked the whole time, and though the ending climax left me feeling a little unpleasantly hungover, I would call this a wholly engrossing and unique read.
January 21, 2022
*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*
2.5 stars
This isn't a bad book, it was just a case of it's not you it's me.
This is not the kind of book I'm used to reading which made me not like it that much.
My biggest problem with this book was the science fiction part, it was to heavy which I don't like even more when I'm reading in english because I don't understand all the terms and invented words.
I was happy that this was a quick book to read but I had the feeling that this book would never end, it dragged a little.
The characters I didn't like either I think only one of them I was interested in and I also found the whole age story confusing and unnecessary.
In the end as I said it's not a bad book, it has its interesting parts especially if you like science fiction.
2.5 stars
This isn't a bad book, it was just a case of it's not you it's me.
This is not the kind of book I'm used to reading which made me not like it that much.
My biggest problem with this book was the science fiction part, it was to heavy which I don't like even more when I'm reading in english because I don't understand all the terms and invented words.
I was happy that this was a quick book to read but I had the feeling that this book would never end, it dragged a little.
The characters I didn't like either I think only one of them I was interested in and I also found the whole age story confusing and unnecessary.
In the end as I said it's not a bad book, it has its interesting parts especially if you like science fiction.
January 18, 2022
James Breakwell’s The Chosen Twelve intrigued me because it was a story that sounded super interesting without giving me too many expectations. In fact, the expectations I did have ended up being completely wrong. Thus, it allowed me to enjoy the story because it was not what I anticipated at all.
The Chosen Twelve was a story that pulled me in from the start, leaving me curious about how all the pieces would come together. With plenty of moving parts, I was hooked on each element of the story and found myself creating theory after theory. I confess that there were a few points when I felt things moved a bit slowly, but this was not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story. With plenty of humour thrown in, I was engaged throughout.
Without a doubt, this made for an entertaining read.
The Chosen Twelve was a story that pulled me in from the start, leaving me curious about how all the pieces would come together. With plenty of moving parts, I was hooked on each element of the story and found myself creating theory after theory. I confess that there were a few points when I felt things moved a bit slowly, but this was not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story. With plenty of humour thrown in, I was engaged throughout.
Without a doubt, this made for an entertaining read.
November 5, 2021
5/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: sci-fi, multiple POVs, AI, end-of-human-life, space, space drama, competition, murderous robots
Big thanks to NetGalley and Solaris/Rebellion Publishing for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!
This book went in a lot of directions (in a good way) and I don't really know where to start. I really liked the murderous sentient robots and the not-twelve twelve year olds. Right off the bat this sets up a really interesting scenario for everyone involved, and that's before we even get to the whole question of whether the characters are truly ready to go planet-side.
There are three, perhaps four, main bots that get roles in the story. First is Edubot, who is the teacher for the kids on the moon base. She's quite long suffering and doesn't always understand their decisions or personalities, but she's a pretty decent character, in my opinion, even if she does delight in making them somewhat uncomfortable. SCASL is...not as nice. He's undoubtedly powerful and has successfully kept the lander safe for all the years since the humans planet-side got destroyed and until the ones on the moon base are 'ready,' but he's not great with people themselves, which causes trouble. Spencer is a non-speaking robot who, like the other main four, is not murderous. Spencer actually seems to like the kids a lot and genuinely wants to help them and see them succeed, particularly Gamma, who he's especially attached to. Finally, there's God the coffee pot. God doesn't really get a lot of lines since he's kind of mysterious and in a dangerous area of the base. However, he does play a role and is omniscient and honest in a way the other speaking bots aren't, so he deserves a space here.
The simulations were my favorite part and I liked the funniness the kids would get up to in them. Over time, the humor gets mixed in with the grim reality of trying to survive on a planet that's essentially trying to kill you. I also thought the murderous bots made things interesting since even 'home' wasn't considered safe. The bots resulted in a good number of near-fatal incidents during the book, and a couple prior to the book's beginning, and so it served as a good way of upping the stakes.
Delta was my favorite of the bunch. She's largely a loner, but she's had time to perfect what she's interested in and is a pretty good leader. She's competent, if a little distracted by a former love, but when said former love isn't in the room she's golden. Delta also has a good balance of sass and compassion and while she may start out uninterested in helping the others, the idea seems to grow on her more as the book goes on. I'd be happy reading a second book that features Delta as one of the mains.
Epsilon kind of stands as a foil to Delta since she's the other potential leader of the landing crew. Unlike Delta, Epsilon has remained with the other students for their entire time on the moon base and has always been in charge of the missions. Unlike Delta, she's completely unsuited to it. Not only is she bossy, but she's unwilling to listen to other ideas or really even acknowledge that other people can have good ideas. Plus, she's kind of just an all-around bitch who thinks she's doing the right thing. It was frustrating seeing her be unable to read past the propaganda simply because it supported her when all signs pointed a different direction. But, I suppose it made her an interesting and nuanced opponent.
Gamma is actually the character the book starts off with and he acts as a good witness. He's not really good at anything but he also isn't bad. His mediocrity means he's perfectly aware there's a good chance he won't be one of the chosen twelve but he doesn't seem to mind it so much. Instead, he contemplates other ways the human population could survive in a more peaceful way.
Alpha (yes, they're all named after Greek letters if that wasn't obvious now, lol) was a wishy-washy character for a lot of the book, but she really came into herself after the halfway mark and I ended up really liking her character. She wants a peaceful option that doesn't involve the possible genocide of the native fauna on the planet, but she also isn't afraid of fighting back against people or bots that are either 1) against this idea, or 2) trying to kill her.
There are a couple of other minor POVs in the book as-needed, but these are really the main ones (plus maybe Rho). Breakwell did a good job of making sure each of the twenty-two human characters were distinct enough from one another that it wasn't really an issue telling them apart. They all had their own interests and quirks and it was fun seeing them revealed as I read.
I will say, by the end of the book I was wondering why the twelve seats still mattered as much as they did, all things considered, but I guess the amount of food that was going to be available was a bigger issue than anything else, so it does still make sense. I don't know if there's going to be a sequel, but I'm hoping so because I'd love to see what happens after the chosen ones get on the lander and go down.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the characters. The plot was interesting and all the aspects of prepping to land on a new planet and fighting off killer robots while doing so kept the book moving and me engaged. There were a couple of plot points that I wish were filled in a little more (like the point of drilling down when it seemed to unfeasible), but they don't really take away from the story iself.
Recommended for people who like: sci-fi, multiple POVs, AI, end-of-human-life, space, space drama, competition, murderous robots
Big thanks to NetGalley and Solaris/Rebellion Publishing for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!
This book went in a lot of directions (in a good way) and I don't really know where to start. I really liked the murderous sentient robots and the not-twelve twelve year olds. Right off the bat this sets up a really interesting scenario for everyone involved, and that's before we even get to the whole question of whether the characters are truly ready to go planet-side.
There are three, perhaps four, main bots that get roles in the story. First is Edubot, who is the teacher for the kids on the moon base. She's quite long suffering and doesn't always understand their decisions or personalities, but she's a pretty decent character, in my opinion, even if she does delight in making them somewhat uncomfortable. SCASL is...not as nice. He's undoubtedly powerful and has successfully kept the lander safe for all the years since the humans planet-side got destroyed and until the ones on the moon base are 'ready,' but he's not great with people themselves, which causes trouble. Spencer is a non-speaking robot who, like the other main four, is not murderous. Spencer actually seems to like the kids a lot and genuinely wants to help them and see them succeed, particularly Gamma, who he's especially attached to. Finally, there's God the coffee pot. God doesn't really get a lot of lines since he's kind of mysterious and in a dangerous area of the base. However, he does play a role and is omniscient and honest in a way the other speaking bots aren't, so he deserves a space here.
The simulations were my favorite part and I liked the funniness the kids would get up to in them. Over time, the humor gets mixed in with the grim reality of trying to survive on a planet that's essentially trying to kill you. I also thought the murderous bots made things interesting since even 'home' wasn't considered safe. The bots resulted in a good number of near-fatal incidents during the book, and a couple prior to the book's beginning, and so it served as a good way of upping the stakes.
Delta was my favorite of the bunch. She's largely a loner, but she's had time to perfect what she's interested in and is a pretty good leader. She's competent, if a little distracted by a former love, but when said former love isn't in the room she's golden. Delta also has a good balance of sass and compassion and while she may start out uninterested in helping the others, the idea seems to grow on her more as the book goes on. I'd be happy reading a second book that features Delta as one of the mains.
Epsilon kind of stands as a foil to Delta since she's the other potential leader of the landing crew. Unlike Delta, Epsilon has remained with the other students for their entire time on the moon base and has always been in charge of the missions. Unlike Delta, she's completely unsuited to it. Not only is she bossy, but she's unwilling to listen to other ideas or really even acknowledge that other people can have good ideas. Plus, she's kind of just an all-around bitch who thinks she's doing the right thing. It was frustrating seeing her be unable to read past the propaganda simply because it supported her when all signs pointed a different direction. But, I suppose it made her an interesting and nuanced opponent.
Gamma is actually the character the book starts off with and he acts as a good witness. He's not really good at anything but he also isn't bad. His mediocrity means he's perfectly aware there's a good chance he won't be one of the chosen twelve but he doesn't seem to mind it so much. Instead, he contemplates other ways the human population could survive in a more peaceful way.
Alpha (yes, they're all named after Greek letters if that wasn't obvious now, lol) was a wishy-washy character for a lot of the book, but she really came into herself after the halfway mark and I ended up really liking her character. She wants a peaceful option that doesn't involve the possible genocide of the native fauna on the planet, but she also isn't afraid of fighting back against people or bots that are either 1) against this idea, or 2) trying to kill her.
There are a couple of other minor POVs in the book as-needed, but these are really the main ones (plus maybe Rho). Breakwell did a good job of making sure each of the twenty-two human characters were distinct enough from one another that it wasn't really an issue telling them apart. They all had their own interests and quirks and it was fun seeing them revealed as I read.
I will say, by the end of the book I was wondering why the twelve seats still mattered as much as they did, all things considered, but I guess the amount of food that was going to be available was a bigger issue than anything else, so it does still make sense. I don't know if there's going to be a sequel, but I'm hoping so because I'd love to see what happens after the chosen ones get on the lander and go down.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the characters. The plot was interesting and all the aspects of prepping to land on a new planet and fighting off killer robots while doing so kept the book moving and me engaged. There were a couple of plot points that I wish were filled in a little more (like the point of drilling down when it seemed to unfeasible), but they don't really take away from the story iself.
February 11, 2022
Planet of the Apes vs Lord of the Flies meets Terminate this giant Kangaroos that have evolved. We're freezers and killer doors ripe off arms children are 12 for years.
This odd but funny and brutal all to save mankind beware of giving machines too puch power
This odd but funny and brutal all to save mankind beware of giving machines too puch power
February 23, 2022
Actual rating: 3.5
Disclaimer: I requested a copy of this book from the publisher
So sadly even though I enjoyed this one I feel like I wasn't the perfect audience for The Chosen Twelve. I knew it follow a group of kids but at the same time I thought it would read more like adult scifi all the same. But no, it read quite young and it just didn't clikc with even.
I still have to say that it very enjoyable and easy to read and it touches it some dark topics from time to time. Though it the summary looks interesting to you give it a try! It literally what it promises!
More thoughts in an upcoming video
Disclaimer: I requested a copy of this book from the publisher
So sadly even though I enjoyed this one I feel like I wasn't the perfect audience for The Chosen Twelve. I knew it follow a group of kids but at the same time I thought it would read more like adult scifi all the same. But no, it read quite young and it just didn't clikc with even.
I still have to say that it very enjoyable and easy to read and it touches it some dark topics from time to time. Though it the summary looks interesting to you give it a try! It literally what it promises!
More thoughts in an upcoming video
January 9, 2022
DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reading copy of this novel from the publishers in return for an honest and unbiased review. My thanks to Rebellion Publishing for the opportunity.
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
At some vaguely defined point in the future, the human race has diminished to just a handful of twelve-year olds living in the remains of a colony ship half-buried on a moon orbiting the planet Dion, and believe me when I say that’s not the weirdest or most absurd part of James Breakwell’s disturbingly excellent The Chosen Twelve.
The story begins with one of the aforementioned twelve-year olds trying to outwit an automated door so he can go and talk to God. Who just happens to live in a coffee machine. The door wins. And thus the tone is set for a post-apocalyptic tale in which almost nothing is as it seems, and the humour is the only thing that stops the story tipping over into outright horror.
The bulk of the narrative follows the twenty-two humans as they are prepared for their ultimate mission: to repopulate the human race against all odds on a planet that is apparently designed for anything but human habitation. Helping (insert air-quotes there) the human kids are the bots, Edubot and SCASL. The former comes across as a well-intentioned but often ineffective school-ma’am type teacher, while the latter (full name Supreme Commander of All Sentient Life) is just an out-and-out bully with a dictatorial streak a mile wide. And they’re supposedly the good guys.
The kids themselves have spent the bulk of their lives, which turns out to be much more than the twelve years they’ve been told, playing simulations in order to learn how to overcome the obstacles they’ll encounter down on the planet’s surface, but when they find out only twelve of their number will get a place on the colony ship’s lone lander, divisions that were merely cosmetic before become entrenched and sides are drawn for what may very well be humanity’s final civil war.
Mixing up elements of Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games, and throwing in the absurdist humour of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this book flies along at a goodly pace once the initial introductions have been made. There are twists and turns in the narrative that will have your head spinning, but none of this hides the fact that under all that expertly wrought comedy, this is, at its heart, a darkly horrific tale of human survival, of hope against adversity, and of doing what’s necessary to beat the odds.
I’m not sure this one will be to everyone’s taste, but I do strongly recommend it to anyone who likes their dystopian, post-apocalyptic sci-fi with a hint of humour. Just be prepared for more than a few WTF moments.
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
At some vaguely defined point in the future, the human race has diminished to just a handful of twelve-year olds living in the remains of a colony ship half-buried on a moon orbiting the planet Dion, and believe me when I say that’s not the weirdest or most absurd part of James Breakwell’s disturbingly excellent The Chosen Twelve.
The story begins with one of the aforementioned twelve-year olds trying to outwit an automated door so he can go and talk to God. Who just happens to live in a coffee machine. The door wins. And thus the tone is set for a post-apocalyptic tale in which almost nothing is as it seems, and the humour is the only thing that stops the story tipping over into outright horror.
The bulk of the narrative follows the twenty-two humans as they are prepared for their ultimate mission: to repopulate the human race against all odds on a planet that is apparently designed for anything but human habitation. Helping (insert air-quotes there) the human kids are the bots, Edubot and SCASL. The former comes across as a well-intentioned but often ineffective school-ma’am type teacher, while the latter (full name Supreme Commander of All Sentient Life) is just an out-and-out bully with a dictatorial streak a mile wide. And they’re supposedly the good guys.
The kids themselves have spent the bulk of their lives, which turns out to be much more than the twelve years they’ve been told, playing simulations in order to learn how to overcome the obstacles they’ll encounter down on the planet’s surface, but when they find out only twelve of their number will get a place on the colony ship’s lone lander, divisions that were merely cosmetic before become entrenched and sides are drawn for what may very well be humanity’s final civil war.
Mixing up elements of Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games, and throwing in the absurdist humour of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this book flies along at a goodly pace once the initial introductions have been made. There are twists and turns in the narrative that will have your head spinning, but none of this hides the fact that under all that expertly wrought comedy, this is, at its heart, a darkly horrific tale of human survival, of hope against adversity, and of doing what’s necessary to beat the odds.
I’m not sure this one will be to everyone’s taste, but I do strongly recommend it to anyone who likes their dystopian, post-apocalyptic sci-fi with a hint of humour. Just be prepared for more than a few WTF moments.
January 2, 2022
This book wasn’t awful but at the same time, it didn’t do anything for me.
Alright, The Chosen Twelve, is 20 or so ‘kids’- but not actually kids, basically senior citizens- running around an abandoned ship in space. As the last humans to essentially exist, that we are aware of, they are in a constant power struggle with everyday objects that also harbor artificial intelligence. Essentially, these humans were born with a single purpose, return back to Earth and bring humans back from the brink of extinction. The only obstacle is a handful of invasive species and the fact that all the kids are unbelievably unexceptional and stupid. Honestly, the most frustrating part of this story is having to remember it’s a bunch of old ass adults who cannot do a single thing for themselves. Now don’t think you’re going to get to witness them even attempt to actually revive the population because the reality is the whole plot happens on this huge empty ship.
Now for my nit-picking, I wish that we would’ve had more of an opportunity to connect with the characters because, even by the end, I had a hard time rooting for any singular person (except Spenser). Another thing, death happened way too casually for how impactful it was upon certain characters. Because there wasn’t one single main character, and instead a handful, personalities weren’t always consistent- one of my biggest pet peeves in a story. There is a difference between character development and inconsistency that manifests into an almost split personality disorder.
In conclusion, I finished this book in like a day so it wasn’t that bad, right? I think that if I would’ve enjoyed even an aspect of the plot i’d rate it higher, but I was really just bored.
Alright, The Chosen Twelve, is 20 or so ‘kids’- but not actually kids, basically senior citizens- running around an abandoned ship in space. As the last humans to essentially exist, that we are aware of, they are in a constant power struggle with everyday objects that also harbor artificial intelligence. Essentially, these humans were born with a single purpose, return back to Earth and bring humans back from the brink of extinction. The only obstacle is a handful of invasive species and the fact that all the kids are unbelievably unexceptional and stupid. Honestly, the most frustrating part of this story is having to remember it’s a bunch of old ass adults who cannot do a single thing for themselves. Now don’t think you’re going to get to witness them even attempt to actually revive the population because the reality is the whole plot happens on this huge empty ship.
Now for my nit-picking, I wish that we would’ve had more of an opportunity to connect with the characters because, even by the end, I had a hard time rooting for any singular person (except Spenser). Another thing, death happened way too casually for how impactful it was upon certain characters. Because there wasn’t one single main character, and instead a handful, personalities weren’t always consistent- one of my biggest pet peeves in a story. There is a difference between character development and inconsistency that manifests into an almost split personality disorder.
In conclusion, I finished this book in like a day so it wasn’t that bad, right? I think that if I would’ve enjoyed even an aspect of the plot i’d rate it higher, but I was really just bored.
January 27, 2022
The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell touts itself as a Lord of the Flies and Phillip K. Dick type story. For the most part, it does hit those marks without straying too far into either one to be uncomfortable for readers. Which I think is this story's most significant flaw.
The subject matter should be uncomfortable.
The Chosen Twelve starts with, "God lived in the coffee maker on deck four. Only Gamma Knew." Gamma, one of humankind's last organic beings, is standing before a door that may or may not be trying to kill him. On the other side of this door might be God. If only he could make it through this door.
You see, in Gamma's world, most of the machines are trying to kill the organics. Their programming has fizzled and popped and, in many cases, gained sentience. The machines have learned that humans should die. If Gamma steps through this door, he could be crushed to death. But on the other side, there might be answers. Gamma's life has been long, and he has been kept in the proverbial dark by the machines that control his survival. But like a man searching for water in the desert, Gamma believes that he can get answers if he can just make it through this door.
Gamma runs through the door, but the door is too quick and catches his arm and almost severs it. He begins to scream, but the ship is so big and full of so many things trying to kill you; the odds are that he will die with his arm trapped like a bear caught in a bear trap.
The "children" of the story, all 22 of them, are the last humans in the universe. The artificial intelligence that controls their ship grew them from embryonic form with the help of another machine designated, Edubot. The 22 fledgling humans were raised and educated according to the machine's ultimate goals. The humans would survive and help repopulate a planet and serve the machines. Thus helping create new computers from the raw materials on the colonized planet, they found. The children also live exceptionally long lives, with the help of technology, but are kept at the physical maturation age of 12.
They are 12, but not really.
The machines waited until the right moment to send the children to the planet and begin reconstruction, and that time is now.
Conflicts arise with the AI that controls the humans and with each other. We get our Lord of the Flies moments with that many different personalities and skill levels and only 12 seats to go to the planet. Humans can be real bastards to each other when there are scarce resources.
I enjoyed the characters of Gamma and Delta quite a bit. They stood in stark contrast to some of their classmates—especially Delta, who raised herself above her classmates in both skill and desire for a better world. The cast of characters is very long, named for the Greek alphabet, and they drop like flies. You care a great deal about some characters, while others pass by like a ship in the night.
Even with the level of deceit and violence the characters display, it doesn't venture near enough into the darkness of the human psyche for me to honestly believe in the predicament they face. These aren't children; their bodies belie the minds encased within, and I would expect them to act as such. Delta comes close, though. She starts to understand the necessity of some of her choices and feels the moral burden they entail.
There are certainly some very dark moments and bloodshed in The Chosen Twelve. The fight scenes are frenetic and well-written. It was hard for me to imagine swords in space like this, but Breakwell makes it work.
This is a highly imaginative novel. The predicaments the characters face are just shy of excessive and ridiculous, but if anything is possible, the highly imaginative and crazy can become plausible. Almost cherry-flavored food rations that you have to beg machines for, check. A robot that thinks of itself as a king, check. A metallurgist making swords that can cut through anything, check. Breakwell makes the scenarios work. And while I couldn't entirely shed disbelief, I was highly entertained by the dark comedy, fight scenes, and narrative.
I think this story will engage readers who like their science fiction and fantasy on the darker side. While it did not stray dark enough for me personally, Breakwell makes this highly imaginative story work and is worth reading.
The subject matter should be uncomfortable.
The Chosen Twelve starts with, "God lived in the coffee maker on deck four. Only Gamma Knew." Gamma, one of humankind's last organic beings, is standing before a door that may or may not be trying to kill him. On the other side of this door might be God. If only he could make it through this door.
You see, in Gamma's world, most of the machines are trying to kill the organics. Their programming has fizzled and popped and, in many cases, gained sentience. The machines have learned that humans should die. If Gamma steps through this door, he could be crushed to death. But on the other side, there might be answers. Gamma's life has been long, and he has been kept in the proverbial dark by the machines that control his survival. But like a man searching for water in the desert, Gamma believes that he can get answers if he can just make it through this door.
Gamma runs through the door, but the door is too quick and catches his arm and almost severs it. He begins to scream, but the ship is so big and full of so many things trying to kill you; the odds are that he will die with his arm trapped like a bear caught in a bear trap.
The "children" of the story, all 22 of them, are the last humans in the universe. The artificial intelligence that controls their ship grew them from embryonic form with the help of another machine designated, Edubot. The 22 fledgling humans were raised and educated according to the machine's ultimate goals. The humans would survive and help repopulate a planet and serve the machines. Thus helping create new computers from the raw materials on the colonized planet, they found. The children also live exceptionally long lives, with the help of technology, but are kept at the physical maturation age of 12.
They are 12, but not really.
The machines waited until the right moment to send the children to the planet and begin reconstruction, and that time is now.
Conflicts arise with the AI that controls the humans and with each other. We get our Lord of the Flies moments with that many different personalities and skill levels and only 12 seats to go to the planet. Humans can be real bastards to each other when there are scarce resources.
I enjoyed the characters of Gamma and Delta quite a bit. They stood in stark contrast to some of their classmates—especially Delta, who raised herself above her classmates in both skill and desire for a better world. The cast of characters is very long, named for the Greek alphabet, and they drop like flies. You care a great deal about some characters, while others pass by like a ship in the night.
Even with the level of deceit and violence the characters display, it doesn't venture near enough into the darkness of the human psyche for me to honestly believe in the predicament they face. These aren't children; their bodies belie the minds encased within, and I would expect them to act as such. Delta comes close, though. She starts to understand the necessity of some of her choices and feels the moral burden they entail.
There are certainly some very dark moments and bloodshed in The Chosen Twelve. The fight scenes are frenetic and well-written. It was hard for me to imagine swords in space like this, but Breakwell makes it work.
This is a highly imaginative novel. The predicaments the characters face are just shy of excessive and ridiculous, but if anything is possible, the highly imaginative and crazy can become plausible. Almost cherry-flavored food rations that you have to beg machines for, check. A robot that thinks of itself as a king, check. A metallurgist making swords that can cut through anything, check. Breakwell makes the scenarios work. And while I couldn't entirely shed disbelief, I was highly entertained by the dark comedy, fight scenes, and narrative.
I think this story will engage readers who like their science fiction and fantasy on the darker side. While it did not stray dark enough for me personally, Breakwell makes this highly imaginative story work and is worth reading.
January 16, 2022
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*
Okay, full disclosure, I was kind of lost when this started? But it was funny, and I like funny, so I kept going. And soon enough, I got the hang of it! Plus look, if you tell me it's The Hunger Games in space, I'm never going to not read that, right? And so I will tell you the things I enjoyed about this one!
►It's funny, remember? It made me crack up. Like a lot. I really liked the author's humor, and it made the book so much more readable. Because a bunch of (biologically) twelve year olds dying, in the last human outpost, at the hands of a broken vacuum or whatever? Bleak. But add in the humor, and it becomes very palatable.
►The concept is built for excitement. I mean, much like ALIE, these AIs just don't see the point of humanity. We're messy and emotional and as a rule, mess things up. So the AIs have come up with a plan to basically train the last humans, or "organics" as they call them, to pretty much just complete the AI agenda. It's a pretty good plan, honestly, but not one you want to follow if you are indeed a human. So you can tell from fairly early on that this will be far more nuanced than a simple "12 best organics" competition.
►So thought provoking. A lot of "no good choices" for sure, and wondering if humanity really was worth saving at this point. Especially when they are fighting each other so fiercely at this point in the species.
►While we don't get to know the individual characters too well, it actually works in this format. I almost never say that, but hear me out. These "kids" have been raised by machines. They have no culture to speak of, no awareness of the past, outside of what they've been fed by the artificial intelligence. And remember, these AIs don't even like humanity. So in essence, they're raising them to be like AIs. It makes sense! BUT. The humanity shines through anyway. And I think that is perhaps supposed to be the point? That despite the AIs' best efforts, these are still human beings with individual personalities.
►It's exciting and entertaining. The pacing was good, the story certainly entertained me, and I was certainly invested in seeing how it all panned out. And frankly, I'd be very here for a sequel.
Bottom Line: So very fun and entertaining, but still thought provoking and smart, I certainly enjoyed the ride!
4.5*
Okay, full disclosure, I was kind of lost when this started? But it was funny, and I like funny, so I kept going. And soon enough, I got the hang of it! Plus look, if you tell me it's The Hunger Games in space, I'm never going to not read that, right? And so I will tell you the things I enjoyed about this one!
►It's funny, remember? It made me crack up. Like a lot. I really liked the author's humor, and it made the book so much more readable. Because a bunch of (biologically) twelve year olds dying, in the last human outpost, at the hands of a broken vacuum or whatever? Bleak. But add in the humor, and it becomes very palatable.
►The concept is built for excitement. I mean, much like ALIE, these AIs just don't see the point of humanity. We're messy and emotional and as a rule, mess things up. So the AIs have come up with a plan to basically train the last humans, or "organics" as they call them, to pretty much just complete the AI agenda. It's a pretty good plan, honestly, but not one you want to follow if you are indeed a human. So you can tell from fairly early on that this will be far more nuanced than a simple "12 best organics" competition.
►So thought provoking. A lot of "no good choices" for sure, and wondering if humanity really was worth saving at this point. Especially when they are fighting each other so fiercely at this point in the species.
►While we don't get to know the individual characters too well, it actually works in this format. I almost never say that, but hear me out. These "kids" have been raised by machines. They have no culture to speak of, no awareness of the past, outside of what they've been fed by the artificial intelligence. And remember, these AIs don't even like humanity. So in essence, they're raising them to be like AIs. It makes sense! BUT. The humanity shines through anyway. And I think that is perhaps supposed to be the point? That despite the AIs' best efforts, these are still human beings with individual personalities.
►It's exciting and entertaining. The pacing was good, the story certainly entertained me, and I was certainly invested in seeing how it all panned out. And frankly, I'd be very here for a sequel.
Bottom Line: So very fun and entertaining, but still thought provoking and smart, I certainly enjoyed the ride!
Read
October 31, 2022I already follow James Breakwell’s musings on parenthood, so know that I like his writing style and humour. Add in the fantastic sci-fi concept here and the high-achieving comparative texts (The Hunger Games, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Lord of the Flies, Philip K. Dick) and picking up this book was a complete no-brainer for me.
Sadly, while I love the idea of this book A LOT, it didn’t quite work for me in practice.
The first two thirds of the book are spent establishing the twenty-two ‘organic’ characters via their antics on the simulation table and their interactions with each other, but most of them feel like single-note sketches (one who like goldfish, one who sings, one who wears shorts, one who wears nail polish and so on). Only six of the twenty-two actually get much character development and then only later on, for most of the story it’s mainly Gamma and Delta that stand out as fully-fleshed-out characters.
Similarly, I felt that the non-organic characters like SCASL and Edubot had so much story potential and yet not enough was made of it – so many unfulfilled opportunities there.
The majority of the ‘Hunger Games/Lord of the Flies’-esque action (involving in-fighting between the organics and them fighting the bots, plus some major decision-making) all happens in the last 20% of the book and so feels quite rushed and packed in. The ending in particular felt rushed, and even unfinished, after such a long build-up. And we were left with unanswered questions: Spenser? The god in the coffee machine? The predecessors? Do the purported table dangers actually exist? It was so unsatisfying not to know all the intriguing details!
As expected, I loved the writing here and the humour, and the worldbuilding ideas and plot ideas are superb. It’s just the character development and the pacing that felt like they needed a little more work to bring it all together.
I’m still hooked on the author’s parenting posts, however, and I would definitely still check out future books because of all the potential obvious here.
Sadly, while I love the idea of this book A LOT, it didn’t quite work for me in practice.
The first two thirds of the book are spent establishing the twenty-two ‘organic’ characters via their antics on the simulation table and their interactions with each other, but most of them feel like single-note sketches (one who like goldfish, one who sings, one who wears shorts, one who wears nail polish and so on). Only six of the twenty-two actually get much character development and then only later on, for most of the story it’s mainly Gamma and Delta that stand out as fully-fleshed-out characters.
Similarly, I felt that the non-organic characters like SCASL and Edubot had so much story potential and yet not enough was made of it – so many unfulfilled opportunities there.
The majority of the ‘Hunger Games/Lord of the Flies’-esque action (involving in-fighting between the organics and them fighting the bots, plus some major decision-making) all happens in the last 20% of the book and so feels quite rushed and packed in. The ending in particular felt rushed, and even unfinished, after such a long build-up. And we were left with unanswered questions: Spenser? The god in the coffee machine? The predecessors? Do the purported table dangers actually exist? It was so unsatisfying not to know all the intriguing details!
As expected, I loved the writing here and the humour, and the worldbuilding ideas and plot ideas are superb. It’s just the character development and the pacing that felt like they needed a little more work to bring it all together.
I’m still hooked on the author’s parenting posts, however, and I would definitely still check out future books because of all the potential obvious here.
January 18, 2022
The last interstellar shop containing the final batch of humans to survive humanity's destruction left Earth an unspecified amount of time ago. Based on a moon orbiting a new planet, 22 teenagers live on a slowly breaking down outpost, They are put through simulations every day by their teacher, Edubot, but never seem to grasp how to survive on the planet's surface which is teeming with unfriendly flora & fauna. The teenagers also have to live with rogue machines trying to kill them & each other if they venture too far from the main rooms. On top of all this, they then find out that there are only 12 seats on the lander which will take them to the planet's surface, & the other 10 will be left behind to fend for themselves.
I really wasn't sure what to expect when starting this, but it turned out to be an entertaining read. It reminded me of Robot Wars, a British TV program where humans built robots which battled each other, only in this book they also battled the humans. Just imagine your robot floor cleaner gained intelligence & tried to kill you every chance it got! There was just the right balance of violence & humour that it didn't go too dark, but dark enough that the ending had some pathos (shout out to Spenser). One of the most inventive books I've read in a while.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Rebellion/Solaris, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
I really wasn't sure what to expect when starting this, but it turned out to be an entertaining read. It reminded me of Robot Wars, a British TV program where humans built robots which battled each other, only in this book they also battled the humans. Just imagine your robot floor cleaner gained intelligence & tried to kill you every chance it got! There was just the right balance of violence & humour that it didn't go too dark, but dark enough that the ending had some pathos (shout out to Spenser). One of the most inventive books I've read in a while.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Rebellion/Solaris, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
November 30, 2023
This was a good read, as long as you don't compare it to "the Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and "Lord of the Flies meets Philip K Dick," as is the book description. I will confess, I was about ready to quit reading, but finally on page 69 (chapter 7) my interest was piqued. It IS a rather creative, and also funny in parts, dystopian novel set in outer space with the last few surviving members of humanity. I thought it was an interesting take on what could happen and also realistic in how people reacted to the different dilemmas that arose, especially in placing too much faith in AI and robots. The main cons for me were that there were too many characters and some of the scenes were not sufficiently fleshed out so it was hard to picture what was happening. I will say, Breakwell did his best trying to give each character distinct characteristics and personality, but I still had trouble keeping track of who was who. Overall, I'm glad I read it and I am eager to read the 2nd book in this series.
December 24, 2021
This was everything I hoped it would be.
This book follows Gamma, Delta and the remaining humans on a colony ship on the moon. These humans have been tasked by AI to prepare themselves for landing on hostile earth. The only issue is that there is 25 of them and only 18 seats on the lander.
One thing I liked about this book was the age of the protagonists. They did act with the naivety of 12-year-olds and you can see them begin to mature and grow. They also all had their interests and acted in a childish way that was realistic but not annoying which I liked.
This did however lead to the issue of their relationships. Although they are adults through time they're in the body of 12-year-olds and have not gone through puberty and also have been brainwashed into thinking they're 12. It just felt very off to me.
I did however like the way AI was represented and also the politics and the simulations. It all felt very realistic and the power dynamics are very clear. You'd have to read it to understand that better.
Overall I enjoyed this a lot. I liked the ending, I liked the philosophy and weirdly made me think.
This book follows Gamma, Delta and the remaining humans on a colony ship on the moon. These humans have been tasked by AI to prepare themselves for landing on hostile earth. The only issue is that there is 25 of them and only 18 seats on the lander.
One thing I liked about this book was the age of the protagonists. They did act with the naivety of 12-year-olds and you can see them begin to mature and grow. They also all had their interests and acted in a childish way that was realistic but not annoying which I liked.
This did however lead to the issue of their relationships. Although they are adults through time they're in the body of 12-year-olds and have not gone through puberty and also have been brainwashed into thinking they're 12. It just felt very off to me.
I did however like the way AI was represented and also the politics and the simulations. It all felt very realistic and the power dynamics are very clear. You'd have to read it to understand that better.
Overall I enjoyed this a lot. I liked the ending, I liked the philosophy and weirdly made me think.
February 3, 2022
Funny and heartbreaking. All I can say to the digitals is you shouldn't have changed the literature and read Lord of the Flies for how this would turn out. I cannot wait to read the next James Breakwell fiction. I never would have guessed this was your first work of fiction if you had not told me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2022
This is the story of 22 kids who are not kids at all trapped on a moon fighting to decide who lands on the planet below. They fight each other, they fight the digitalis around them and sometimes they fight themselves.
I quite enjoyed this, although it dragged a bit in spots. My favourite characters were Spenser, Delta and Gamma. I hope to see more of them.
I quite enjoyed this, although it dragged a bit in spots. My favourite characters were Spenser, Delta and Gamma. I hope to see more of them.
May 17, 2023
I loved this book. I thought the story was so interesting and captivated me quickly.
February 24, 2025
What an odd, delightful, strangely reflective, funny book. The opening sentence "God lived in a coffee maker on deck 4." had me laughing immediately.
August 27, 2022
Full review at The Quill to Live: https://thequilltolive.com/2022/01/19...
The Chosen Twelve, by James Breakwell, is a humorous standalone dystopian thriller about a group of young senior citizens competing in a series of chaotic simulations to determine the fate of the Earth and all organic life. It strikes an uncommon balance between silly and serious and certainly checks the box when it comes to having fresh perspectives for the genre. But, with such a strange and chaotic premise, does the book manage to tie everything back together?
Our narrative focuses on twenty-two ‘children’, each of which is about sixty-three years old but are trapped in a state of bodily suspension right before puberty on a space station orbiting Earth. These youthful geriatrics all are named after a Greek letter of the alphabet, are a little bit insane, and have been entrusted with the future of sentient life. The Earth of this timeline has been completely destroyed due to human negligence and nuclear fallout – so the A.I.’s have taken over custody of intelligent life in the universe. After the complete death of our species, the A.I.’s have decided it would be good to start expanding their reach away from the hellscape that is Earth. To do this, they have realized that they will need a small crew of human operatives to do things that they physically can’t. So, they decant some embryos they have in storage and set them up in a huge competition to determine who will be the chosen twelve to get on a spaceship and further sentient life. Just one problem, being trapped as twelve-year-olds for close to sixty years has made all of them go batshit insane.
The Chosen Twelve is just chock full of absurd humor, ludicrous situations, strange conversations about the meaning of existence, and clever commentary on the human condition. A large portion of the story revolves around coming up with a solution to genetically engineered mega-death kangaroos. Not all of it lands. I found that the book was trying to evoke a similar narrative style as that of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, and it does a mostly good job. Breakwell has his own voice that is quite fun that manages to feel original, but still great for fans of those two iconic authors. The humor is not flawless though, as there are times when jokes fall flat and tonal shifts can feel grating. But, for the most part, I was picking up what Twelve was putting down and having a great time. Twelve has a really interesting structure to its story that allows it to use its cast very effectively to tell its story. Most of our characters are a sort of faceless set of beings that just exist to move the story around. They each have a few clear recognizable traits (a love of reading, a hatred for doors, a talent for storytelling, and more) but they sort of sit at the back of your consciousness and let the humor and chaos take center stage.
However, that doesn’t mean the characters are bad and I was very attached to most of them (even the complete fuck ups) by the end of the book. There isn’t really a protagonist to the story, but Delta and Gamma spend the most time in the spotlight. Delta is the rogue in the story, resisting the plans of the A.I.s and providing a strong counterpoint to their ideas. Gamma is the witness who provides a window into most of the happenings around the story. All of them are great in their own way, but some readers might struggle to find attachment with these characters due to the story structure.
If you are looking for something different with a strain of humor running through it, The Chosen Twelve might be what you are looking for. Its chaotic plot, psychotic characters, alphabetized cast, and interesting premise kept me interested from beginning to end. It could have been a little more consistent and a little more mature at times, but I think it was overall a good time.
The Chosen Twelve, by James Breakwell, is a humorous standalone dystopian thriller about a group of young senior citizens competing in a series of chaotic simulations to determine the fate of the Earth and all organic life. It strikes an uncommon balance between silly and serious and certainly checks the box when it comes to having fresh perspectives for the genre. But, with such a strange and chaotic premise, does the book manage to tie everything back together?
Our narrative focuses on twenty-two ‘children’, each of which is about sixty-three years old but are trapped in a state of bodily suspension right before puberty on a space station orbiting Earth. These youthful geriatrics all are named after a Greek letter of the alphabet, are a little bit insane, and have been entrusted with the future of sentient life. The Earth of this timeline has been completely destroyed due to human negligence and nuclear fallout – so the A.I.’s have taken over custody of intelligent life in the universe. After the complete death of our species, the A.I.’s have decided it would be good to start expanding their reach away from the hellscape that is Earth. To do this, they have realized that they will need a small crew of human operatives to do things that they physically can’t. So, they decant some embryos they have in storage and set them up in a huge competition to determine who will be the chosen twelve to get on a spaceship and further sentient life. Just one problem, being trapped as twelve-year-olds for close to sixty years has made all of them go batshit insane.
The Chosen Twelve is just chock full of absurd humor, ludicrous situations, strange conversations about the meaning of existence, and clever commentary on the human condition. A large portion of the story revolves around coming up with a solution to genetically engineered mega-death kangaroos. Not all of it lands. I found that the book was trying to evoke a similar narrative style as that of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, and it does a mostly good job. Breakwell has his own voice that is quite fun that manages to feel original, but still great for fans of those two iconic authors. The humor is not flawless though, as there are times when jokes fall flat and tonal shifts can feel grating. But, for the most part, I was picking up what Twelve was putting down and having a great time. Twelve has a really interesting structure to its story that allows it to use its cast very effectively to tell its story. Most of our characters are a sort of faceless set of beings that just exist to move the story around. They each have a few clear recognizable traits (a love of reading, a hatred for doors, a talent for storytelling, and more) but they sort of sit at the back of your consciousness and let the humor and chaos take center stage.
However, that doesn’t mean the characters are bad and I was very attached to most of them (even the complete fuck ups) by the end of the book. There isn’t really a protagonist to the story, but Delta and Gamma spend the most time in the spotlight. Delta is the rogue in the story, resisting the plans of the A.I.s and providing a strong counterpoint to their ideas. Gamma is the witness who provides a window into most of the happenings around the story. All of them are great in their own way, but some readers might struggle to find attachment with these characters due to the story structure.
If you are looking for something different with a strain of humor running through it, The Chosen Twelve might be what you are looking for. Its chaotic plot, psychotic characters, alphabetized cast, and interesting premise kept me interested from beginning to end. It could have been a little more consistent and a little more mature at times, but I think it was overall a good time.
November 3, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this book. This was a great read, especially for middle school aged children. From experience as an ELA teacher, I know this book has the amount of humor and action that really appeal to kids. The plot was original and moved at a great speed. The only thing that took away from the book for me was the characters being named after Greek letters. Sometimes they could get a bit mixed up. I won't stop that from recommending this book to my students when it comes out however. I can think of a bunch of students who will want to read about a group of forever 12 year olds battling robots on a space station to save the human race.
February 3, 2022
“there used to be this guy called Hitler. He was a disco dancer turned megalomaniac. Everybody agrees he was the epitome of evil. In fact, it might be the only thing all organics ever agreed on. ‘Don’t be like Hitler’ became a universal mantra. But nobody could agree on what being like Hitler meant. Pretty soon, people who disagreed what kind of flowers to plant in a park were calling each other Hitler. The term became meaningless.”
This writer has put everything everyone loves about science fiction into one book. The blurb says it is Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Lord of the Flies meets Philip K Dick. It’s spot on.
The human race fought each other to death and the last remaining survivors take a colony ship to live on a new planet. The first problem they come across is their ship’s A.I. Humans had a hard time getting it just right. Their first two ships flew directly into the sun. By making all their electronics think independently, they get to the planet but the A.I’s takeover when the humans end up killing themselves there. 24 embryos are found hidden away on the ship and are raised by an edubot who paused their growth at 12 years old and runs them through simulations to have them figure out how to survive. They have been doing this for SEVERAL years and being 12, the children use the simulations more as a video game like inventing elephant diarrhea to combat killer kangaroos and wolf sharks.
Edubot gets taken over by a bigger A.I. and tells the children only twelve of them will land on the planet and the rest will be left behind. This is where we go full out Lord of the Flies but in a way if Leslie Nielsen made a parody of it.
I absolutely loved this book and didn’t want it to end.
https://piratetwinkiereadsblog.wordpr...
This writer has put everything everyone loves about science fiction into one book. The blurb says it is Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Lord of the Flies meets Philip K Dick. It’s spot on.
The human race fought each other to death and the last remaining survivors take a colony ship to live on a new planet. The first problem they come across is their ship’s A.I. Humans had a hard time getting it just right. Their first two ships flew directly into the sun. By making all their electronics think independently, they get to the planet but the A.I’s takeover when the humans end up killing themselves there. 24 embryos are found hidden away on the ship and are raised by an edubot who paused their growth at 12 years old and runs them through simulations to have them figure out how to survive. They have been doing this for SEVERAL years and being 12, the children use the simulations more as a video game like inventing elephant diarrhea to combat killer kangaroos and wolf sharks.
Edubot gets taken over by a bigger A.I. and tells the children only twelve of them will land on the planet and the rest will be left behind. This is where we go full out Lord of the Flies but in a way if Leslie Nielsen made a parody of it.
I absolutely loved this book and didn’t want it to end.
https://piratetwinkiereadsblog.wordpr...
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