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The Blending Time #1
The Blending Time
In the year 2069, turning seventeen means mandatory Global Alliance work assignments that range from backbreaking drudgery to deadly canal labor. Trying to survive in a world that's been ravaged by plagues and environmental disasters, three "s'teeners" from the harshest backgrounds think they've gotten lucky. Jaym, Reya, and D'Shay are chosen to be among thousands of blenders, whose task is to help repopulate and rebuild Africa after a devastating solar flare. But the continent itself―roiling with civil war and mercenaries intent on crushing the blending program at any cost―poses the gravest danger. Separated, the three friends struggle to escape the violence and chaos, and somehow reunite. But will following rumors of a mountain hideout lead them to sanctuary, or cost them their lives? "Shocking and unrelenting―Kinch delivers a blistering, no-holds-barred tale of a dystopian future that feels all too real."―Arthur Slade, Governor General Award-winning author of The Hunchback Assignments "Full of action, this is a compelling, realistic, and exciting thriller for more mature young readers."― Kirkus Reviews "Determinedly multi-ethnic, fast-paced, and with plentiful gore and violence, the book will draw reluctant readers who enjoy action and adventure."― Booklist
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 13, 2011
Quick Review:
As much as I love dystopian fiction, I can't say I loved this book enough for it to warrant more than 3 stars.
Pros: The situations that all three characters were thrown into. It projects a scarily detailed and plausible vision of the future. I suppose it would have been better if the author had expanded on his concepts like WorldSpeak, GlobeTran, AIDS III, and SUN Colony two, because these were great ideas that didn't quite get their starring role in the novel. But it was intriguing enough that I would read the sequel (when it finally comes around).
Cons: Another issue is that the characters didn't really fit their descriptions. Teenagers that have all grown up in poverty, dreading the day they turn 17, ready to be shipped off to mining facilities or war zones. You would think they could handle themselves better. They could be 10 years old, and it would still read the same way.
Best part: Reya and her numerous trials. I really appreciated her bravery, and down-to-earth personality. She actually used the skills she learned from growing up, and found a reasonable solution to her problems. Her character was thrown into arguably the most difficult situation, and she reacted with courage and perseverance that stays true to the story.
I would recommend this book for a weekend read, for it is fairly short.
As much as I love dystopian fiction, I can't say I loved this book enough for it to warrant more than 3 stars.
Pros: The situations that all three characters were thrown into. It projects a scarily detailed and plausible vision of the future. I suppose it would have been better if the author had expanded on his concepts like WorldSpeak, GlobeTran, AIDS III, and SUN Colony two, because these were great ideas that didn't quite get their starring role in the novel. But it was intriguing enough that I would read the sequel (when it finally comes around).
Cons: Another issue is that the characters didn't really fit their descriptions. Teenagers that have all grown up in poverty, dreading the day they turn 17, ready to be shipped off to mining facilities or war zones. You would think they could handle themselves better. They could be 10 years old, and it would still read the same way.
Best part: Reya and her numerous trials. I really appreciated her bravery, and down-to-earth personality. She actually used the skills she learned from growing up, and found a reasonable solution to her problems. Her character was thrown into arguably the most difficult situation, and she reacted with courage and perseverance that stays true to the story.
I would recommend this book for a weekend read, for it is fairly short.
March 21, 2012
I've been trying to pay attention to anything dystopian as I know it is a big teen trend and I am always looking for things to give out after someone has read The Hunger Games. I thought this book might have fit the bill and it starts out like a traditional dystopian work. The 3 teens are the main characters are Jayme, a lower class white boy, D'Shay, a young African American, and Reya, a Mexican refugee (note the very proper balance of races- not a criticism at all- but an example of how this novel tries so hard to be politically correct at the expense of other things). They are all recruits in a special program called SUN, which is being sent to help rebuild Africa- something like a post apocalyptic Peace Corps, but the realize they are part of something much bigger and nastier. They are not just being sent to bring skills, but they are being sent to breed with Africans and provide children. Africans can no longer reproduce with each other after a devastating solar flare which irradiated the country and also damaged their DNA and they are no longer able to reproduce. New blood and DNA must be brought in to keep the population alive. The story should be more griping and interesting than it is and while it is not graphic, the things it leaves unsaid are often more unsettling. The author is working so hard to include contemporary issues and raise social consciousness about 1st world countries attitudes towards Africa something of the fun of a story is lost along the way. Themes of rape, racism, sexism, and resistance are a big part of the narrative and while a truly good book makes you think and incorporates those into the story they are given more weight than the plot.
Teachers might find this useful to start a discussion, but as a fun read, not so much.
Teachers might find this useful to start a discussion, but as a fun read, not so much.
July 12, 2011
Still feels somewhat unedited = I liked the idea of this book set in 2069 when seventeen year olds are given mandatory work asignments to try and save the world and humanity after a devastating solar flare. However, I wish the author hadn't used quite so many abbreviations with lots of apostrophes - 'steeners for seventeeners and 'gades for renegades. They were excessive. I would have preferred just usng steeners and gades - I would have picked up the meaning. In that future world where everything is boiled down to its essence, apostrophes are not going to exist, much less matter, trust me. They barely do now.
Also, what happened to the diamonds? Who wouldn't keep track of the diamonds - that small detail just melted away. I will try the sequel, hoping it's better than this one.
Rape and a lot of violence in this book - more appropriate for high school.
Also, what happened to the diamonds? Who wouldn't keep track of the diamonds - that small detail just melted away. I will try the sequel, hoping it's better than this one.
Rape and a lot of violence in this book - more appropriate for high school.
November 11, 2015
The book I read was The Blending Time by Michael Kinch. This story is about three teenagers named Jaym, Reya, and D'Shay who are put into the blending program to help rebuild Africa while in the middle of a civil war. They are all brave and strong individuals to go through everything in Africa, the chaos, the pain. The ending is one of the best endings to a book I've ever read and seemed like a movie scene. The characters don't seem real because most people would die in the situations they go through or give up. The setting also doesn't seem that realistic because the world changed dramatically in 2069, with crazy advanced cities to the most chaotic lands. The story was decent, but the ending was amazing.
October 7, 2015
The Blending Time
Michael Kinch
In this story you follow three teens, Jaym, D’Shay, and Reya. They live in post-apocalyptic Africa. These teens try to make there way to Western Africa thinking they will have have a better life because no one really cares for them now. I was not very pleased with this book, it was just dull and not fun to follow. They only had one exciting climax which is at the end of the story. Anyone that likes a dull story from ages 12 to 22 would most likely like this book. I give this book two stars.
Michael Kinch
In this story you follow three teens, Jaym, D’Shay, and Reya. They live in post-apocalyptic Africa. These teens try to make there way to Western Africa thinking they will have have a better life because no one really cares for them now. I was not very pleased with this book, it was just dull and not fun to follow. They only had one exciting climax which is at the end of the story. Anyone that likes a dull story from ages 12 to 22 would most likely like this book. I give this book two stars.
February 14, 2011
Set in 2069, this is a truely disturbing dystopia. I won't summarize - goodreads does that for us - but it contains very mature themes, including rape. Not for fainthearted readers. However, it is a well told tale, if the various series of disasters seems overly contrived. Perhaps I'll get to write more another day, but worth the read if you're ready for it and enjoy the dystopian sci fi genre.
August 11, 2021
When I found The Blending Time by Michael Kinch in my local library I was hesitant I'd like it. Three hours later I found myself almost halfway through the book. It's surprised me how quickly I fell into it! My rotten human instincts liked the idea of "blending" so I read on to get any juicy details Kinch would cough up.
The chapters alternate between the three main characters and with how each chapter ended I was never left confused or frustrated. Wonderfully written!
The chapters alternate between the three main characters and with how each chapter ended I was never left confused or frustrated. Wonderfully written!
July 30, 2016
I really liked this dystopian novel. It was so different than a lot I have read in the genre. The book doesn't leave you hopeless and angry. It also brings up today's problems in a futuristic setting. I also liked the multicultural prospectives. A really good read for adults and older teens. Can't wait to read the sequel.
I reviewed this book also on my blog www.bourgette.com
I reviewed this book also on my blog www.bourgette.com
January 4, 2015
Great Read!
September 21, 2017
The Blending time was a really exciting book. It takes place 2069 and tells the story of three teenagers as they are forced to move to a new land to repopulate. It switches between the points of view of the three main characters, Jaym, D’Shay, and Rena, as they travel and encounter many problems. You feel as though you can never put the book down. It is constantly leaving you wondering what is going to happen in the next chapter and guessing the outcomes of certain situations. I could easily sit down and read this book again and still be enthralled by it. Unfortunately, there are some bad parts in there including death and implied rape. There is nothing too graphic though. The book is not confusing even though it switches points of view. Everything is very well written and can be easily understood. I loved the ending of the book and I definitely want to read the other books in the series.
April 20, 2020
YA dystopian fiction. I am assuming this is the first book in a series. There was a lot of build up here and not much else. I liked the three main characters one of them really stood out among the group though. The world has gone through a rough time. Three seventeen year old kids are sent to Africa to blend with the population and rebuild it. The book is about the difficulties the three kids encounter in their quest. There is alluding to rape, so if that bothers you do not read this book.
March 28, 2018
This book was actually pretty good! Although the cover art looked a little dates, I really felt as though the pacing in this story was great! I didn't get bored, confused, or lost at any point! That is a real accomplishment in my book in terms of fiction writing. I would recommend this to lovers of futuristic societies, apocalyptic fiction, YA adventure, and also cultural writing. Nice read!
January 23, 2017
Didn't really care for this book. The plot was not very interesting and the characters were not believable.
August 18, 2011
This book was a weird one for me. I wanted to really like it but at the end of the day, my like for it ended up falling pretty short of where I thought it was going to be.
My favorite aspect of it was the grittiness. I love gritty books that actually make you feel gritty and not in a grossed out way. I've read books where the characters are just gross but the world around them isn't. That just makes me gag, dirty characters. But when the world is gritty, and the author's awesome enough to actually project that onto your person through words, that's fantastic. It helps me anchor into the book more. I feel like a greater part of it and even if I end up not liking it all the way through, I at least felt something from it. Kinch does such a good job of portraying this dusted, wasted world that was once ours that I couldn't help not feel its grit all over me.
I really liked the characters too. I was rooting for all three of them as they tried to make their way through such a disorganized, corrupt society that disguises itself as something functioning. They're extraordinarily brave for taking the role of a blender a world away just to escape certain death in the canal. Despite the fact that they could be walking into it all over again. And again, I have such a soft spot for authors that beat the ever-loving snot out of their characters. I think Reya took it the worst but came out all the stronger for it. That's not to say D'Shay and Jaym had it easy but, well, to save some spoilers, what Reya went through was infinitely more terrible than what the boys had to handle.
Most importantly, once they all got to Africa, the story felt real to me. The presence of the pseudo-government faded and the realities of a dying world floated to the surface with all of their open sores on display. I believed what I was reading for that part. I didn't so much buy what was going on in the US and the total dissolution of society in a span of 50 years. I felt that wasn't time enough for all of that to happen. But I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to get over that hurdle and to Africa where I think Kinch really nailed it. There it became less about what the world had become and more about how people were trying to survive. I liked the focus shift that THE BLENDING TIME provided in that respect.
I didn't like the slang that was used. Not for any particular reason. It just really grated on me. It's basically just a lot of words chopped in half. It came off more lazy than anything else and it grated me every time I read one of the characters using it. Like 'scrapers for sky scrapers. I just didn't find it necessary.
Other than that I don't really have a valid reason for not loving THE BLENDING TIME. Maybe it was just the timing I had reading it. Or my mood those couple of days. Ultimately, it's a really good book. A hell of a lot better than some of the dystopians that are coming out now that completely spit in the face of worldbuilding. It just didn't grab me. I don't think I run into instances like this a lot but when I do, it bothers me. Why didn't I love this book? I have no idea. It just didn't hit me right. I don't know what else to say.
But I'd definitely recommend it to others and I know I'd like to keep reading the series to find out what happens with the characters. It's a great dystopian that, I feel, is more deserving of a place on the shelves than some of the other prettier covers that act as nothing but a facade for lackluster verbiage. Despite my lower rating, you should read this. Hopefully it'll hit you harder than it hit me.
My favorite aspect of it was the grittiness. I love gritty books that actually make you feel gritty and not in a grossed out way. I've read books where the characters are just gross but the world around them isn't. That just makes me gag, dirty characters. But when the world is gritty, and the author's awesome enough to actually project that onto your person through words, that's fantastic. It helps me anchor into the book more. I feel like a greater part of it and even if I end up not liking it all the way through, I at least felt something from it. Kinch does such a good job of portraying this dusted, wasted world that was once ours that I couldn't help not feel its grit all over me.
I really liked the characters too. I was rooting for all three of them as they tried to make their way through such a disorganized, corrupt society that disguises itself as something functioning. They're extraordinarily brave for taking the role of a blender a world away just to escape certain death in the canal. Despite the fact that they could be walking into it all over again. And again, I have such a soft spot for authors that beat the ever-loving snot out of their characters. I think Reya took it the worst but came out all the stronger for it. That's not to say D'Shay and Jaym had it easy but, well, to save some spoilers, what Reya went through was infinitely more terrible than what the boys had to handle.
Most importantly, once they all got to Africa, the story felt real to me. The presence of the pseudo-government faded and the realities of a dying world floated to the surface with all of their open sores on display. I believed what I was reading for that part. I didn't so much buy what was going on in the US and the total dissolution of society in a span of 50 years. I felt that wasn't time enough for all of that to happen. But I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to get over that hurdle and to Africa where I think Kinch really nailed it. There it became less about what the world had become and more about how people were trying to survive. I liked the focus shift that THE BLENDING TIME provided in that respect.
I didn't like the slang that was used. Not for any particular reason. It just really grated on me. It's basically just a lot of words chopped in half. It came off more lazy than anything else and it grated me every time I read one of the characters using it. Like 'scrapers for sky scrapers. I just didn't find it necessary.
Other than that I don't really have a valid reason for not loving THE BLENDING TIME. Maybe it was just the timing I had reading it. Or my mood those couple of days. Ultimately, it's a really good book. A hell of a lot better than some of the dystopians that are coming out now that completely spit in the face of worldbuilding. It just didn't grab me. I don't think I run into instances like this a lot but when I do, it bothers me. Why didn't I love this book? I have no idea. It just didn't hit me right. I don't know what else to say.
But I'd definitely recommend it to others and I know I'd like to keep reading the series to find out what happens with the characters. It's a great dystopian that, I feel, is more deserving of a place on the shelves than some of the other prettier covers that act as nothing but a facade for lackluster verbiage. Despite my lower rating, you should read this. Hopefully it'll hit you harder than it hit me.
January 25, 2011
Wow. Okay, I have to say, I can believe that this dystopian novel may be a very close description of our future world. Mr. Kinch has an amazing talent for world building. I was able to visualize clearly the haunting and disturbing world around me. This story follows three s’teeners (seventeen-year-olds) Jaym, D’Shay, and Reya, as they come together in a chance meeting, all heading to help rebuild Africa. I was really drawn into their stories, their lives, and how the interacted, bonded, and came to depend on one another. As they go their separate ways to their predetermined job posts, all hell breaks loose as ‘gades’ threaten the new, foreign world around them. I was really torn by this book. Now, for all those who read my reviews regularly, you know that abuse, rape-- things of that nature-- just don’t settle well with me. So, with that being said, Kinch does have some harsh scenes where Reya is involved. And I felt for her the most. Reya had suffered the hardest background among her friends. So when things just got worse for her, I was angry. Although I’m relieved to say that she did exact some much deserved vengeance, and I cheered her on all the way, I would have liked to have seen more happiness for her there at the end to balance her struggles. I was excited to see D'Shay and Jaym really evolve over the course of the book. They became strong, heroic characters in the face of adversity. But Reya's strength really stood out to me above all. Overall, I found Kinch’s writing enjoyable and clear and utterly realistic. I was left with a feeling of hope and promise and of a better future for these characters.
With rich description and thought-provoking scenes, I give The Blending Time 3 1/2 Flames!
With rich description and thought-provoking scenes, I give The Blending Time 3 1/2 Flames!
July 31, 2016
The chapters alternate between the perspectives of three 17 year olds in a miserable existence in 2069, somewhere not too far from the ruins of Seattle. Through three pretty different paths, they all end up on a job assignment to be "blenders": colonists to help repopulate Africa. They are each tested in numerous ways by the forces around them, and their situations are as harrowing as any popular dystopian novel around.
A whole lot went down in this version of the world between 2010 and 2069--way too much for my cynical mind to handle. There has been a complete collapse of all world governments, leading to a Global Alliance of 7 of the new nations (though I was never exactly sure who they were--North America and Europe? Was South America in or out? Asia wasn't really mentioned at all until halfway through... I wanted a better picture of the political boundaries of the world.) ;there was a massive solar flare; epidemic outbreaks of new and old diseases (yay for leprosy making a comeback); calcified racism and segregation (a white character literally quaking with fear upon meeting an African American character for the first time); and WorldSpeak as a legitimate language (is that Esperanto? Spanglish?) . It was all a bit much to handle in only 50 years. So that sidelined me more than the actual events happening in the novel.
The ending clearly serves up the sequel, without being a total "To be continued" ending. I will likely read the sequel, but it is not my priority to find it immediately.
A whole lot went down in this version of the world between 2010 and 2069--way too much for my cynical mind to handle. There has been a complete collapse of all world governments, leading to a Global Alliance of 7 of the new nations (though I was never exactly sure who they were--North America and Europe? Was South America in or out? Asia wasn't really mentioned at all until halfway through... I wanted a better picture of the political boundaries of the world.) ;there was a massive solar flare; epidemic outbreaks of new and old diseases (yay for leprosy making a comeback); calcified racism and segregation (a white character literally quaking with fear upon meeting an African American character for the first time); and WorldSpeak as a legitimate language (is that Esperanto? Spanglish?) . It was all a bit much to handle in only 50 years. So that sidelined me more than the actual events happening in the novel.
The ending clearly serves up the sequel, without being a total "To be continued" ending. I will likely read the sequel, but it is not my priority to find it immediately.
July 12, 2011
Imagine being sent away half way across the world for a mission that vcould not be completed? well three teenagers have to do just that. Jaym, Reya, and D'Shay are on there way to repopulate Africa after a devistating solar flare nearly wipes out Africas' entire populateion.The three teenagers quickly become good friends while on there way to Africa. When they arrive to Africa ready to begin there mission they are encountered with some interseting issues. Jaym and
D'Shay make it to there villages safely ,but Reya get thrown off coures and is kidnapped and taken to a camp full of harsh mean men forcing her to do what she says or she will be killed. The friends made a back up plan to contact each other, but they all feel like hope is lost and they will not be able to reach each other.If I was Reay I would be in a sheer pani of what would happen to me next.
The only thing I can say to Michael Kinch is "well done".The Blending time is a wonderful thriller full of excitement. I would have to say that this book is a realistic fiction, because it is a very possible for something like a solar flare to happen. There is a prequal to this book called " The Fires of New Sun". Anyone who enjoys envirnmental disaster books and books that have you sitting on the edge of your chair would adore this book. In the end, there is no way to deny that anyone of anyage or background would enjoy this book and finish with a smile on there face.
D'Shay make it to there villages safely ,but Reya get thrown off coures and is kidnapped and taken to a camp full of harsh mean men forcing her to do what she says or she will be killed. The friends made a back up plan to contact each other, but they all feel like hope is lost and they will not be able to reach each other.If I was Reay I would be in a sheer pani of what would happen to me next.
The only thing I can say to Michael Kinch is "well done".The Blending time is a wonderful thriller full of excitement. I would have to say that this book is a realistic fiction, because it is a very possible for something like a solar flare to happen. There is a prequal to this book called " The Fires of New Sun". Anyone who enjoys envirnmental disaster books and books that have you sitting on the edge of your chair would adore this book. In the end, there is no way to deny that anyone of anyage or background would enjoy this book and finish with a smile on there face.
October 28, 2011
A futuristic dystopia based in the year 2069, the world has suffered several natural disasters and many governments have fallen or mutated as they may have in hundreds of years, over the short fifty years which this book projects. The Global Alliance mandates that any seventeen year olds must have a job placement. If they fail to obtain appointment then they will be assigned, or they will receive assignment if they are simply considered less desirable. This story follows the stories of three teenagers from the roughest areas of habitation, which are selected to travel to Africa, and work with the people there to try to save it from extinction. Due to larger political forces and convoluted politics, the three young adults find themselves plunged into chaos and danger, they struggle to reunite and survive. In a land, rolling with civil war and foreign mercenaries there is a rumor of a sanctuary, a mountain hideout where there is hope.
I am still not sure what I think about this book, it dealt with raw content, which at risk youth may encounter to some degrees in their own lives. Because of the extreme nature of this novel, their living situations will most likely not mirror the lives of its readers. To some girls who have suffered rape, it may be an outlet, albeit a violent one. To displaced boys there is a message of true friendship surviving despite the world around them.
I am still not sure what I think about this book, it dealt with raw content, which at risk youth may encounter to some degrees in their own lives. Because of the extreme nature of this novel, their living situations will most likely not mirror the lives of its readers. To some girls who have suffered rape, it may be an outlet, albeit a violent one. To displaced boys there is a message of true friendship surviving despite the world around them.
June 11, 2016
In the year 2069, the world pretty much sucks. When you turn seventeen, you either get selected for a good job, or you get stuck doing backbreaking work on the canal or drafted into almost certain death in the military. This story focuses on 3 teenagers from different places who are all given the mysterious option of becoming a "blender" for the SUN program. Being a slave or cannon fodder aren't really better options so they each go for it. Jaym, Reya, and D'Shay are put together in the beginning of the program where they learn being a blender means they are now breeding stock, matched up with an African who has been damaged by a massive solar flare. The flare caused genetic mutations that mean anyone with the mutation (anyone in Africa at the time) cannot have kids with anyone else with the same mutation. Surprisingly, none of them seemed really appalled at the forced prostitution, I guess the world really sucks. But from the moment they arrive nothing goes right and they are in peril and running. It ends instead of with a nice resolve into a 'you have to read the next book to see what happens now'. Despite how much I loathe endings like that, I enjoyed this read and will be going for the next one.
September 2, 2016
The premise of the book is really pretty good - post apocalyptic world insert natural disasters, insert solar flares, insert soaring overpopulation, insert genetic crisis ... there's a lot of good things going for it. The most interesting part of this book is the enormous culture-clash experienced when the three s'teeners of interest D'Shay, Jaym, and Reya are assigned to help 'blend' and rebuild Africa (aka 'go forth and multiply' and 'enviro-eco-boost the damaged land') and the difficulties that all three of them must face even though they are already from really different city-based backgrounds.
What this book fails to do is give me a firm storyline to stand on or develop its' main characters at all. I feel like I was pulled in a lot of different directions while I was reading and never got the time to really get to know any of the characters or come to care about them at all. I know that this book is meant to be the first in a trilogy, but all it feels like it is doing is setting up a world for things to happen in later books which to me feels like a cop-out. By the end, nothing is really resolved and that frustrated me very much.
What this book fails to do is give me a firm storyline to stand on or develop its' main characters at all. I feel like I was pulled in a lot of different directions while I was reading and never got the time to really get to know any of the characters or come to care about them at all. I know that this book is meant to be the first in a trilogy, but all it feels like it is doing is setting up a world for things to happen in later books which to me feels like a cop-out. By the end, nothing is really resolved and that frustrated me very much.
November 26, 2012
An interesting premise that lost steam near the end.
The premise is that in the 2060's, Africa was decimated by solar flares, causing chromosomal abnormalities in the remaining population, guaranteeing that all pregnancies will end in stillbirths. On the other side of the planet, spared from the flares but still struggling, three teens are assigned to their careers--as SUN "blenders:" essentially pure breeding stock, that when blended with the African tribes, will ensure the survival of their races.
That idea was unique. The emphasis on 'gades (I'd rather the use of "renegades," truthfully) fighting the aims of the SUN group started to get heavy-handed. I wanted more about how the teens reacted to their original assignments--that would have been more intruiging to me. I'll give the sequels a try if I can find them. But this started strong and fizzled a little at the end.
The premise is that in the 2060's, Africa was decimated by solar flares, causing chromosomal abnormalities in the remaining population, guaranteeing that all pregnancies will end in stillbirths. On the other side of the planet, spared from the flares but still struggling, three teens are assigned to their careers--as SUN "blenders:" essentially pure breeding stock, that when blended with the African tribes, will ensure the survival of their races.
That idea was unique. The emphasis on 'gades (I'd rather the use of "renegades," truthfully) fighting the aims of the SUN group started to get heavy-handed. I wanted more about how the teens reacted to their original assignments--that would have been more intruiging to me. I'll give the sequels a try if I can find them. But this started strong and fizzled a little at the end.
October 28, 2012
Really, really good considering it's a YA dystopian novel. My only criticism is that it's too short. Not only would I have enjoyed seeing more of the story, the length limits the development of the world. It feels a bit like picking up a diary from sometime in the future and not having access to a history book. There isn't a lot of explanation of how the world came to be this way, just off-handed remarks by the characters. But the events and entities mentioned are understandable if you project a comprehension of today's world 50- 100 years in the future.
If you can get past the lack of development and leap right into the story, glancing over slight non- sequitors, you are in for a treat with this book. The concept and the stories of the individual characters are absolutely amazing.
If you can get past the lack of development and leap right into the story, glancing over slight non- sequitors, you are in for a treat with this book. The concept and the stories of the individual characters are absolutely amazing.
January 14, 2014
While not high art, a very interesting, if a bit brutal, look at the near future. In a world savaged by climate change, wars and famine, there's still just too many mouths to feed. What to do? The Global Alliance requires that every 17 year old on the planet do compulsory service, usually something borderline dangerous to winnow the herds. Our three are headed to be "blenders".. meaning they will mix their genes with assigned African partners in an attempt to save the African culture and ways of life. Naturally, there are local baddies who detest any outsiders coming in. Can our NorAm three make a difference and will they survive to tell the tale?
This has the feel of sequels coming.
This has the feel of sequels coming.
June 11, 2017
The Blending Time by Michael Kinch is set in a dystopian society in 2069. The three main characters, Jaym, Reya and D'Shay travel to Africa which is a dying continent due to a solar flare. They bond on the boat ride but are then separated once they get there. All three experience violence and hardship in Africa. The story starts slow but the plot picks up over time. This science fiction book is the first in a trilogy so you will need to read two more books to know what happens to everyone. Because of the slow start and the lack of resolution I only rated The Blending Time three stars. I enjoyed another dystopian book, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, much more.
January 27, 2011
Young adult fiction that moves pretty quickly. Better for older teens since it has some sexual suggestivity. The somewhat outlandish plot -- 17 year olds are assigned to community propjects to help rebuild society after global solar flaws destroyed society. The 17 year olds in this book are "blenders" and are sent to Africa to "blend" their DNA and procreate with Africans.
The plot moves pretty quickly.
It looks like a chapter series, with more books to come. That's not from anything but my own sense of things, and the dnagling concluson of the (first?) book.
The plot moves pretty quickly.
It looks like a chapter series, with more books to come. That's not from anything but my own sense of things, and the dnagling concluson of the (first?) book.
August 17, 2011
This book had an interesting concept but it has to be the beginning of a series at least I hope it is because otherwise it is just an unfinished concept. The book was really too short and a little sparse on the details for me. It could have used a little more build up and editing/world building to make it a bit better. It felt like a lot of stuff was just left hanging or undeveloped. There were a lot of interesting things mentioned but then not explained. I guess they could be explained in future books in the series but I don't think I am interested enough to read further.
June 27, 2011
YA dystopian fiction. I am assuming this is the first book in a series. There was a lot of build up here and not much else. I liked the three main characters one of them really stood out among the group though. The world has gone through a rough time. Three seventeen year old kids are sent to Africa to blend with the population and rebuild it. The book is about the difficulties the three kids encounter in their quest. There is alluding to rape, so if that bothers you do not read this book.
April 23, 2011
I liked the book quite well, but I would've loved for it to have been a little longer so you could get a solid feel on the main characters. I got Jaym down pretty well since most of the book ended up being from his point of veiw after D'Shay met up with him. The others, Reya especially, didn't seem to have enough time in the spotlight to really shine. With how the book ended, though, there will probably be a sequel or a series, so maybe the next book will resolve some of these issues.
November 15, 2012
It's 2069 and the world sucks. When you are seventeen you have to pick what you want to do for the rest of your life (none of the options are promising) When a new choice (Blending Program)comes up three young people( with different nationalities) meet eachother on their ship to Africa. Renegades who are opposed to the Blending Program are out to kill any Blender they can and the village who is harboring them. Great story, fast paced. Never got boring.
Note: This book is first in a series
Note: This book is first in a series
November 12, 2015
Terrible. The writing and world building here are weak. Adding some arbitrary slang and throwing around new terms doesn't count as world building. The writing is meant to be 3rd person close POV but then shifts to first person thoughts without any indication of that change. While the main cast is diverse and I'm sure it's not the intent, the plot also smacks of a white savior narrative to me with the current version of the US going out to "save" Africa and repopulate. Pass.
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