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It's two months after the end of Shattered, and Lia is right back where she started: home, pretending to be the perfect daughter. But nothing’s the way it used to be. Lia has become the public face of the mechs, BioMax’s poster girl for the up-and-coming technology, devoting her life to convincing the world that she—and the others like her—deserve to exist. Then Jude resurfaces, and brings some scandalous information with him. Is BioMax really an ally to the mechs? Or are they using the technology for a great evil...and if so, can Auden really be a part of the plan? Meanwhile, Lia also learns a shocking truth about the accident that resulted in her download...a truth that forces her to make a decision she can never reverse.
363 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2010
39 people are currently reading
3123 people want to read
About the author
Robin Wasserman
116 books1,477 followersRobin Wasserman is the author of the novels MOTHER DAUGHTER WIDOW WIFE (June 2020) and GIRLS ON FIRE. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Tin House, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and several short story anthologies. A recent MacDowell Colony fellow, she is also the New York Times bestselling author of more than ten novels for young adults and teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 296 reviews
February 16, 2012
Ooooh......Where to start.
This book was perfect. There is not a single thing that I would change. Other than the ending but we'll get to that in a minute. Let me be clear about one thing. I was Never a fan of Riley. I always had a secret hope that he would disappear and Jude would fill the void that was left in Lia's heart. Sadly, they find out that he wasn't erased but he was somehow alive but even that didn't get me any less in love with this book. Now that you have read the good parts of the book (which was everything up to the last five pages) lets here the bad.
The.
Ending.
Was.
Crap.
No, serioulsy. She was better off puting "Sorry, I know that the entire trilogy is a work of art and the ending has to be glorious and all but I now have the sudden urge to write total crapola, put it at the end of the book and call it an ending. What was all that "I have become one with everything" crap she was talking about. I was furious when I read the ending. For those of you who have not figured it out yet she uploaded herself onto the server which is basically saying that all of her thoughts and memories are now in every AI machine out there including fridges, toasters, elevators, and etc. Huh. Ironic how once whe was fighting to not be recognized as a toaster and now she is one. I threw a fit when I saw that was all she put as the ending. Great job. Really. If it wasn't for the ending I probaly would have made a petition so we could have higher than five star ratings. BUt she did write that as an ending so I gave it three stars which is really pushing it. Anyway I still recommend reading this book as good closure to the series.
This book was perfect. There is not a single thing that I would change. Other than the ending but we'll get to that in a minute. Let me be clear about one thing. I was Never a fan of Riley. I always had a secret hope that he would disappear and Jude would fill the void that was left in Lia's heart. Sadly, they find out that he wasn't erased but he was somehow alive but even that didn't get me any less in love with this book. Now that you have read the good parts of the book (which was everything up to the last five pages) lets here the bad.
The.
Ending.
Was.
Crap.
No, serioulsy. She was better off puting "Sorry, I know that the entire trilogy is a work of art and the ending has to be glorious and all but I now have the sudden urge to write total crapola, put it at the end of the book and call it an ending. What was all that "I have become one with everything" crap she was talking about. I was furious when I read the ending. For those of you who have not figured it out yet she uploaded herself onto the server which is basically saying that all of her thoughts and memories are now in every AI machine out there including fridges, toasters, elevators, and etc. Huh. Ironic how once whe was fighting to not be recognized as a toaster and now she is one. I threw a fit when I saw that was all she put as the ending. Great job. Really. If it wasn't for the ending I probaly would have made a petition so we could have higher than five star ratings. BUt she did write that as an ending so I gave it three stars which is really pushing it. Anyway I still recommend reading this book as good closure to the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2011
Maybe this is just my problem with too-high expectations, but why are the conclusions to most trilogies always such a letdown? I just didn't feel engaged with the story anymore, and I completely lost interest and motivation halfway through. I skimmed the last half and just felt bored and confused. Why bother? Maybe I just like being teased by the possibilities of Book #1 in a series. "Skinned", like "The Adoration of Jenna Fox", raised some interesting bioethical questions. I was never really a fan of the unlikable Lia Kahn, but she just got more aggravating as the series progressed, and her romantic entanglements and friendships felt cold and insincere, as if trying to convince me that mechs can't in fact feel real love. But apparently they can whine and angst all over the place about it. I couldn't get back into the BioMax and Brotherhood conspiracy stuff, and I had to bail out. I'm being generous with two stars since I did enjoy the start to this series, despite its disappointing conclusion.
October 21, 2010
Can we get some closure please? And maybe a less confusing ending? Possibly a bit of romance? And let's not end this trilogy like it's being followed by another book, unless you really ARE following it up with another book.
Sorry, this book really let me down.
Big Review:
Lia Kahn is a mech-- a machine with memories and feelings of the deceased Lia Kahn. 'Wired' is the third book in a trilogy that follows her, her family, and mech friends as they learn if peace can really be had between orgs and mechs.
Okay, folks, if the 2/5 star rating didn't tell you, I'm not a fan of 'Wired'. I was on board with her first two titles and typically recommend them for those looking for good sci-fi. This book, however, not so much. There are low points and very few high points in 'Wired'.
Let's start with the high points, shall we? 'Wired' showcased a lot of Zo, Lia's 'org' sister. We've seen the relationship crumble in the earlier books and it was nice to see the sisters rebuild their bonds. Their banter back and forth was cute, especially when Jude was involved.
Jude is the other high point of the novel, and for no other reason than I've always found him a bit intriguing. He's the Han Solo character who you have to root for, even if he's a scoundrel.
Now onto the shortcomings... And boy were there shortcomings! The main problem is the writing. Lia's voice has always been a bit hard to follow, but this was way worse. Conversations were hard to follow and action was just confusing. So many new plot elements were introduced, only to be left open-ended and unfinished.
Even the main story of this novel and this series was pretty poorly executed. I understand cliff hanger endings when you're reading the first or second book in a trilogy, but if you are finishing the story, never visiting that world again, why not at least resolve the main storyline? Preferably in a way that isn't completely confusing to the reader. I kid you not, I had a lot of trouble following the last few chapters. I still don't know what exactly happened to Lia. If you have any idea's, please leave them here, because I'd like to know.
This whole novel rubbed me the wrong way. I expected something that would wrap up Lia's story, but got a whole lot of crazy plot lines and no real conclusion. It felt a lot like the third book in a four book series.
I would NOT recommend this unless you have read the first two books and feel you need to finish the series. And what does that mean for me recommending the series to new readers? I don't know. Maybe I still will, maybe I won't. I really hope Wasserman is considering writing a companion following two specific characters (you'll know who if you read 'Wired') and left this book without much conclusion because of that. Even as I think about that, though, I might be hard pressed to pick up another novel in this series...
This book was just highly disappointing.
Sorry, this book really let me down.
Big Review:
Lia Kahn is a mech-- a machine with memories and feelings of the deceased Lia Kahn. 'Wired' is the third book in a trilogy that follows her, her family, and mech friends as they learn if peace can really be had between orgs and mechs.
Okay, folks, if the 2/5 star rating didn't tell you, I'm not a fan of 'Wired'. I was on board with her first two titles and typically recommend them for those looking for good sci-fi. This book, however, not so much. There are low points and very few high points in 'Wired'.
Let's start with the high points, shall we? 'Wired' showcased a lot of Zo, Lia's 'org' sister. We've seen the relationship crumble in the earlier books and it was nice to see the sisters rebuild their bonds. Their banter back and forth was cute, especially when Jude was involved.
Jude is the other high point of the novel, and for no other reason than I've always found him a bit intriguing. He's the Han Solo character who you have to root for, even if he's a scoundrel.
Now onto the shortcomings... And boy were there shortcomings! The main problem is the writing. Lia's voice has always been a bit hard to follow, but this was way worse. Conversations were hard to follow and action was just confusing. So many new plot elements were introduced, only to be left open-ended and unfinished.
Even the main story of this novel and this series was pretty poorly executed. I understand cliff hanger endings when you're reading the first or second book in a trilogy, but if you are finishing the story, never visiting that world again, why not at least resolve the main storyline? Preferably in a way that isn't completely confusing to the reader. I kid you not, I had a lot of trouble following the last few chapters. I still don't know what exactly happened to Lia. If you have any idea's, please leave them here, because I'd like to know.
This whole novel rubbed me the wrong way. I expected something that would wrap up Lia's story, but got a whole lot of crazy plot lines and no real conclusion. It felt a lot like the third book in a four book series.
I would NOT recommend this unless you have read the first two books and feel you need to finish the series. And what does that mean for me recommending the series to new readers? I don't know. Maybe I still will, maybe I won't. I really hope Wasserman is considering writing a companion following two specific characters (you'll know who if you read 'Wired') and left this book without much conclusion because of that. Even as I think about that, though, I might be hard pressed to pick up another novel in this series...
This book was just highly disappointing.
February 6, 2012
Well.... If I've ever read a more disappointing series, I wasn't aware of it. I loved the entire trilogy, and was spellbound by the concept until the very end. As a personal fan of dystopian society novels, this one was fascinating and enrapturing. I cared about Lia, and I worried about her situation. The parallelism to modern life was unreal and brilliant. I had yet to read a novel that made me question the definition of humanity quite so thoroughly.
But that's where my praise ends.
I stayed up until much too late in the night a few weeks ago to finish this novel. Let's just say I threw it at the wall when I was finished, ranted about it to a fellow book enthusiast and went to bed thoroughly disappointed. I got the impression that Wasserman reached the final climax of her series, got bored, and ended it. Lia "becoming" the network was the most sell-out awful end to this incredible series. No explanation. No conception of what happens. No knowledge of ending anything. If you were going for a dramatic "I loved Big Brother" ending, mrs.wasserman, you failed.
I simply, as much as I would have loved to, cannot review the past two books because I now have a tainted view of them. Rereading them is out of the question. If you're reading this to wonder if you should read the book or not, I strongly suggest to do something more worthwhile and fulfilling than reading this unfinished novel.
That is all :)
But that's where my praise ends.
I stayed up until much too late in the night a few weeks ago to finish this novel. Let's just say I threw it at the wall when I was finished, ranted about it to a fellow book enthusiast and went to bed thoroughly disappointed. I got the impression that Wasserman reached the final climax of her series, got bored, and ended it. Lia "becoming" the network was the most sell-out awful end to this incredible series. No explanation. No conception of what happens. No knowledge of ending anything. If you were going for a dramatic "I loved Big Brother" ending, mrs.wasserman, you failed.
I simply, as much as I would have loved to, cannot review the past two books because I now have a tainted view of them. Rereading them is out of the question. If you're reading this to wonder if you should read the book or not, I strongly suggest to do something more worthwhile and fulfilling than reading this unfinished novel.
That is all :)
September 21, 2016
O ne sondu beh!!! Gerçekten okuduğum en değişik kitaplardan biriydi. Ama sıkıcı değildi, güzeldi. Birçok film ve kitaptan parçalar var gibiydi. Ama yine de dikkat çeken , kendini okutan bir seriydi. Birçok şeyi kaygısızca sorgulayip tabularla dalga gecebiliyor. bunu da genc karakterlerle yapıyor.
October 22, 2010
For how short this book was, it took me a much longer time than I'd have liked to finish it, but my plodding progress was mainly due to too much going on in life to get much reading done. I found the pacing was off a bit at times, but I think overall it felt that way because of how little time I really had to devote to this (which was frustrating, since I'd been anticipating this for a year). But, as can be seen by my overall rating, I loved this conclusion.
The character growth in here was excellent. Lia does spend a bit more time than I'd like dwelling on old fights and and grudges, which to some extent is certainly understandable, but I think that might be what led to the pacing feeling off for me. Zo, Auden and Jude all get good treatment, overall, in terms of development and screen-time, and it was good to see them become more human and three-dimensional in this. Zo, especially, improved so much in terms of being likable. Previously, she's more been a source of frustration, and mainly feeling like a background character, so it was great to see her finally give voice to some motivations and take part in the main action.
While the ending could have cleared up a few details for me and have been better (like whatever really happened with certain characters), I loved the ideas behind it. From a series perspective, I don't think there was anything else Wasserman could really have done to make a better ending for me. I was dreading a "we all lived happily ever after" ending, but she stayed true and gave what I felt was a proper dystpian ending. Yes, it's very open-ended, but I think the majority of intelligent readers will get a lot out of it. Like the trilogy as a whole, it really questions what humanity is, and what it means to be alive.
The character growth in here was excellent. Lia does spend a bit more time than I'd like dwelling on old fights and and grudges, which to some extent is certainly understandable, but I think that might be what led to the pacing feeling off for me. Zo, Auden and Jude all get good treatment, overall, in terms of development and screen-time, and it was good to see them become more human and three-dimensional in this. Zo, especially, improved so much in terms of being likable. Previously, she's more been a source of frustration, and mainly feeling like a background character, so it was great to see her finally give voice to some motivations and take part in the main action.
While the ending could have cleared up a few details for me and have been better (like whatever really happened with certain characters), I loved the ideas behind it. From a series perspective, I don't think there was anything else Wasserman could really have done to make a better ending for me. I was dreading a "we all lived happily ever after" ending, but she stayed true and gave what I felt was a proper dystpian ending. Yes, it's very open-ended, but I think the majority of intelligent readers will get a lot out of it. Like the trilogy as a whole, it really questions what humanity is, and what it means to be alive.
September 24, 2010
Terrible ending leaving far too much unfinished. It's a shame since this was (or could have been)a fabulous trilogy. It seems like the author had to end this story quickly so didn't bother to tie up loose ends.
January 30, 2019
Bitti ve kurtuldum diyorum ama serinin en iyi kitabıydı bol aksiyonlu Lia da az çok katlanılır düzeye geldi....sonu oldu bittiye geldi...
June 1, 2011
Oh no. Ohhhhh no. Just to be blunt here, I hated the ending. Do not expect a satisfying end to this amazing trilogy. But before I rant about that, let me start from the beginning.
The actual books are great. The plot, how fast the story went, and especially how much the characters changed. Characters maturing is difficult to write about because the author also has to make it believable. It is rarely done where this much growth occurs in one book and ends up well. Also, my opinions on all the characters has changed. Robin Wasserman did an amazing job at leading the readers to believe what she wanted them to so that when the truth comes out, the characters and readers are all taken aback. She is good at manipulating us to think one thing about a character and when their true colors come out,it's a pleasant surprise.
I would have given this book a big 4 stars because of how much I enjoyed it. There were some parts that got boring after a few minutes but then the actions starts up again and it kept me on my toes. But because of the horrible ending, I have to take off a full star. Endings, especially concerning a book series, is very important to me. Ending will not please everyone, but I feel strongly in the fact that there could have been a more finished ending than what Robin Wasserman gave. I could tell it was supposed to be 'deep'and a 'coming out', but I can't make myself think that with what all they have been through,it just ends like that. Still, this book will get a 3 stars from me and a recommendation. I just want to warn all of you not to have high expectations.
What do I think of the characters?
Lia is confused. Lia has been throught it all but in Wired, it seems like the worst has come for her. She was betrayed by the man she trusted the most and lost the one she fell in love with. Lia didn't know what to do with herself at first, taking orders from people
because it was better than doing nothing. But once she finally realized her destiny, nothing could stop her from doing it. Not Jude, not Zo, not Auden, and not even herself.
Jude is determined. He knows what he wants and will do anything to get it. He has grown the least out of all the main characters in the book. But I think it's for the best because of his strong personality. He is hinting more at the fact that he knew that Lia and him were meant to be. In fact, he even seemed a little scared knowing that someone could make him feel that way.He feels guilt for what happened to Riley, feeling it was his fault. This just fueled his determination to take BioMax and the Brotherhood down.
Zo is strong. She has the most strength, much more than Lia could ever muster. She has forgiven Lia and accepted who she was. Even if she is feeling cowardly and weak, she puts up a brave face i norder to support what she knows is right. Zo and Lia did not have much
of a relationship even before Lia's transformation. Now, it seems like they are more sisterly than when Lia was human. Zo has been betrayed one too many times and has grown stronger skin and revealed that she is not as naive as Lia thought her to be.
Riley-apathetic. Full of betrayal this book is, Riley has encountered the most of it. He was the most vulnerable because his memory has been ereased. I feel like Riley has been through the most but got nothing out of it. Once he found something he didn't like, he
immediately abandons it. Which, in the end, karma took over.
The actual books are great. The plot, how fast the story went, and especially how much the characters changed. Characters maturing is difficult to write about because the author also has to make it believable. It is rarely done where this much growth occurs in one book and ends up well. Also, my opinions on all the characters has changed. Robin Wasserman did an amazing job at leading the readers to believe what she wanted them to so that when the truth comes out, the characters and readers are all taken aback. She is good at manipulating us to think one thing about a character and when their true colors come out,it's a pleasant surprise.
I would have given this book a big 4 stars because of how much I enjoyed it. There were some parts that got boring after a few minutes but then the actions starts up again and it kept me on my toes. But because of the horrible ending, I have to take off a full star. Endings, especially concerning a book series, is very important to me. Ending will not please everyone, but I feel strongly in the fact that there could have been a more finished ending than what Robin Wasserman gave. I could tell it was supposed to be 'deep'and a 'coming out', but I can't make myself think that with what all they have been through,it just ends like that. Still, this book will get a 3 stars from me and a recommendation. I just want to warn all of you not to have high expectations.
What do I think of the characters?
Lia is confused. Lia has been throught it all but in Wired, it seems like the worst has come for her. She was betrayed by the man she trusted the most and lost the one she fell in love with. Lia didn't know what to do with herself at first, taking orders from people
because it was better than doing nothing. But once she finally realized her destiny, nothing could stop her from doing it. Not Jude, not Zo, not Auden, and not even herself.
Jude is determined. He knows what he wants and will do anything to get it. He has grown the least out of all the main characters in the book. But I think it's for the best because of his strong personality. He is hinting more at the fact that he knew that Lia and him were meant to be. In fact, he even seemed a little scared knowing that someone could make him feel that way.He feels guilt for what happened to Riley, feeling it was his fault. This just fueled his determination to take BioMax and the Brotherhood down.
Zo is strong. She has the most strength, much more than Lia could ever muster. She has forgiven Lia and accepted who she was. Even if she is feeling cowardly and weak, she puts up a brave face i norder to support what she knows is right. Zo and Lia did not have much
of a relationship even before Lia's transformation. Now, it seems like they are more sisterly than when Lia was human. Zo has been betrayed one too many times and has grown stronger skin and revealed that she is not as naive as Lia thought her to be.
Riley-apathetic. Full of betrayal this book is, Riley has encountered the most of it. He was the most vulnerable because his memory has been ereased. I feel like Riley has been through the most but got nothing out of it. Once he found something he didn't like, he
immediately abandons it. Which, in the end, karma took over.
August 13, 2017
as a whole this series doesnt seem quite as earth-shaking as it felt when i was 14 but i think it does have a lot of cool and interesting concepts. if you like concepts of artificial intelligence and what it means to be human (and you don't mind being beaten over the head with those concepts a little bit, as this is still ya) i would check these books out!
May 21, 2016
SO good! That ending though... wow!
October 19, 2017
I rated the first book in the series 5 stars and even went so far as to put it on my "Favorites" list. I rated the second book in the series 4 stars, questioning at the time why I'd rated the first one so highly and if I should've rated the second one 3 stars instead. Now, here I am, post-series conclusion. I seriously considered rating this one at least 2 stars...but you know what. No. I've waited to write this review, hoping I would feel less enraged by the time I put words to the keyboard. But no. NoNoNoNoNoNO! This is not only a 1 star book. This is a 1 star series, and I am going to update my prior ratings to reflect the same. Do not read this series. Just don't. It pulls you in. It enthralls you. "This could be my next favorite series," you think, because the writing is so spectacular and the philosophical concepts are so chilling. But everything you think and hope is wrong. Even the 4-5 star reviews of this series have criticisms, mainly of the ending. The 1-2 star reviews tell it like it is. This 1 star review is going to tell it like it is.
Our main character Lia is a bitchy, spoiled, selfish, manipulative liar who's largely indecisive about what she wants and values in life. That's not the problem. Give me a flawed character and tear her down, make her see the error of her ways and grow on many personal levels. Redeem her. That's a good story. That's what this story could've been. But in three books, it never got there.
Our love triangle (what's a YA without one, eh?) pits best friend against best friend. Riley and Jude have known each other forever but also kinda have a secret, not-so-secret melodramatic past that colors the dysfunction in every single interaction they have. Jude's charming, and he has strong beliefs. He wants to be a leader. Sure, he keeps secrets, but what leader doesn't? Riley is just kinda personality-less. He's...kind? But also...randomly defensive, angry and violent? When he changes android bodies, he has a black body in this book...but the cover shows all white people. That's shitty. Our vapid MC, of course, chooses Riley the entire series, even after he's the closest to dead data can get. Even after it's clear to THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE that she has more in common with Jude, that she feels NOTHING every time she kisses Riley, and that she keeps secrets with Jude while lying to Riley. Oh, but why am I writing this entire paragraph...because LIA IS AN ASEXUAL, AROMANTIC ANDROID. She is super unfulfilled in every way, because she simply doesn't feel as a mech the way she felt when she had a body. She makes that clear to the reader. Ad nauseam. You'd think as often as she complained about it to us, she'd figure it out after three books, come to some kind of authentic clarity and be honest about that. "Hey, I feel nothing when I kiss you; you're kinda like a comfort blanket. Can we just be cuddle friends?" But why would I expect Lia to have that kind of clarity when she can't even come to a conclusion about which side of the central plot she's on, when she can't even be decisive and honest about the BIG things.
So, there's BioMax, the corporation who created the mechs and owns pretty much everything to do with them. Then there's The Brotherhood, a religious cult fueled by Lia's ex-"friend zone" from the 1st book (the "smart" one who suicide jumped into a waterfall then blamed her for the injuries he sustained from it). Then there's Jude, whom she's mooching off of for pretty much the entire series (when she's not mooching off him, she's moochin' off her rich dad)...he is spear-heading the mech rebellion. For some reason, it's unclear whose side she's on. Even when she appears to take a side, she's more than willing to work with the other sides. Her loyalties shift constantly, but Jude's loyalty to her never shifts once. He's basically like, "Lia, what the fuck are you doing?" constantly, but then he shelters her, he forgives her, he even *trusts* her toward the end. But she's done nothing to prove worthiness of that trust. And when huge plot builds happen in this third book, it's mainly her sister's doing.
Oh yeah, she has an "org" (human) sister who constantly shifts allegiances as well. She's also a total bitch. But she comes around in the third book. She grows throughout her entire character arc. She saves the day multiple times. Honestly, both her and Jude are better than Lia in so many ways. But she's still super flawed, almost irredeemably so. No shocker there.
I kept reading because I needed to know what happened. Who wins the war? What does the future hold for this universe? Is it possible for them ever to be happy? The answer is...Lia becomes a computer virus, basically. She becomes one with the network and loses her body. Soooo, we don't get any of the answers we're looking for. The plot builds and builds and builds and then...it's over. I don't have to wax poetic about how terrible this ending is, because pretty much all of the other reviews have already said that. I honestly don't know how this made it through the beta reader stage of editing. This is the kinda ending that should've been caught and changed early on in the revision process. It's the kinda ending that makes you angry for wasting your time for three books. It's the kinda ending that makes me go back and change every rating to 1 star.
Seriously. Don't read this letdown of a story.
Our main character Lia is a bitchy, spoiled, selfish, manipulative liar who's largely indecisive about what she wants and values in life. That's not the problem. Give me a flawed character and tear her down, make her see the error of her ways and grow on many personal levels. Redeem her. That's a good story. That's what this story could've been. But in three books, it never got there.
Our love triangle (what's a YA without one, eh?) pits best friend against best friend. Riley and Jude have known each other forever but also kinda have a secret, not-so-secret melodramatic past that colors the dysfunction in every single interaction they have. Jude's charming, and he has strong beliefs. He wants to be a leader. Sure, he keeps secrets, but what leader doesn't? Riley is just kinda personality-less. He's...kind? But also...randomly defensive, angry and violent? When he changes android bodies, he has a black body in this book...but the cover shows all white people. That's shitty. Our vapid MC, of course, chooses Riley the entire series, even after he's the closest to dead data can get. Even after it's clear to THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE that she has more in common with Jude, that she feels NOTHING every time she kisses Riley, and that she keeps secrets with Jude while lying to Riley. Oh, but why am I writing this entire paragraph...because LIA IS AN ASEXUAL, AROMANTIC ANDROID. She is super unfulfilled in every way, because she simply doesn't feel as a mech the way she felt when she had a body. She makes that clear to the reader. Ad nauseam. You'd think as often as she complained about it to us, she'd figure it out after three books, come to some kind of authentic clarity and be honest about that. "Hey, I feel nothing when I kiss you; you're kinda like a comfort blanket. Can we just be cuddle friends?" But why would I expect Lia to have that kind of clarity when she can't even come to a conclusion about which side of the central plot she's on, when she can't even be decisive and honest about the BIG things.
So, there's BioMax, the corporation who created the mechs and owns pretty much everything to do with them. Then there's The Brotherhood, a religious cult fueled by Lia's ex-"friend zone" from the 1st book (the "smart" one who suicide jumped into a waterfall then blamed her for the injuries he sustained from it). Then there's Jude, whom she's mooching off of for pretty much the entire series (when she's not mooching off him, she's moochin' off her rich dad)...he is spear-heading the mech rebellion. For some reason, it's unclear whose side she's on. Even when she appears to take a side, she's more than willing to work with the other sides. Her loyalties shift constantly, but Jude's loyalty to her never shifts once. He's basically like, "Lia, what the fuck are you doing?" constantly, but then he shelters her, he forgives her, he even *trusts* her toward the end. But she's done nothing to prove worthiness of that trust. And when huge plot builds happen in this third book, it's mainly her sister's doing.
Oh yeah, she has an "org" (human) sister who constantly shifts allegiances as well. She's also a total bitch. But she comes around in the third book. She grows throughout her entire character arc. She saves the day multiple times. Honestly, both her and Jude are better than Lia in so many ways. But she's still super flawed, almost irredeemably so. No shocker there.
I kept reading because I needed to know what happened. Who wins the war? What does the future hold for this universe? Is it possible for them ever to be happy? The answer is...Lia becomes a computer virus, basically. She becomes one with the network and loses her body. Soooo, we don't get any of the answers we're looking for. The plot builds and builds and builds and then...it's over. I don't have to wax poetic about how terrible this ending is, because pretty much all of the other reviews have already said that. I honestly don't know how this made it through the beta reader stage of editing. This is the kinda ending that should've been caught and changed early on in the revision process. It's the kinda ending that makes you angry for wasting your time for three books. It's the kinda ending that makes me go back and change every rating to 1 star.
Seriously. Don't read this letdown of a story.
June 15, 2011
I hate when I read about 2 trilogy books back to back and then have to wait a year for the next book.... That's what was going on with this one, I feel like I had amnesia for the beginning part of the book. It all slowly came back to me and I remembered how much I enjoyed the 1st 2 books, maybe that is why this one was a little dissapointing?!?!?!
Spoilers:
The "ending" sucks! This is supposed to be a trilogy, but that ending just left a ton up in the air. It leaves me thinking there will be more books.... note to self:investigate.
I thought the dialouge between the characters was 100% believable, which is a huge compliment coming from me... I usually have the opposite to say on many books.
I hated Riley and Lia's relationship this go round. I was actually rooting for Jude to get some action!
I wasn't really sad when Riley was erased.... that's probably not a good thing....
Lia's mom suprised me there in the ending.
I'm very glad Lia has gotten over all the crap with her sister, Zo.
Zo was my saving grace with this book. she was the comedic relief. The backbone. Lia really needed her this time.
Last thoughts: I would reccommend this series to those of you who liked
or those of you who are just curious about these books. They are original and entertaining. I do not regret the time devoted to them. In fact, if there was another book, I would read it.
3.0 stars.
Spoilers:
The "ending" sucks! This is supposed to be a trilogy, but that ending just left a ton up in the air. It leaves me thinking there will be more books.... note to self:investigate.
I thought the dialouge between the characters was 100% believable, which is a huge compliment coming from me... I usually have the opposite to say on many books.
I hated Riley and Lia's relationship this go round. I was actually rooting for Jude to get some action!
I wasn't really sad when Riley was erased.... that's probably not a good thing....
Lia's mom suprised me there in the ending.
I'm very glad Lia has gotten over all the crap with her sister, Zo.
Zo was my saving grace with this book. she was the comedic relief. The backbone. Lia really needed her this time.
Last thoughts: I would reccommend this series to those of you who liked
or those of you who are just curious about these books. They are original and entertaining. I do not regret the time devoted to them. In fact, if there was another book, I would read it. 3.0 stars.
September 21, 2012
I was prepared to really enjoy this book, based on my readings of past stories of androids and robots, such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (movie version was Bladerunner) and Bicentennial Man. However, the story got off to a slow start, not helped by the fact that this was the third book in a series, and the characters were familiar with each other and the world they lived in.
Therefore, it wasn't immediately obvious to me from the reading, although I knew from the jacket blurb, that the main character was an Android – a person who had died and whose brain synapses were integrated into a robotic body. She "lives" in a world which does not like the idea of robots/androids/mechanical beings who live among people as if they were people.
This is not a new concept (see the two references in the beginning). It took me quite a while to get into the storyline, and it wasn't until it reached the conclusion that I started to feel that the characters – the nonliving ones at least – might have some redeeming qualities.
In the final analysis, the book had the promise of a really great story, but it failed to deliver.
June 16, 2016
Mit Augenschließen gibt es auch noch 3,5 Sterne.
Die ganze Reihe hat mich so gar nicht gepackt. Eigentlich ist die Idee, die dahinter steckt grandios. Aber die Umsetzung hat mir nicht wirklich gefallen. Allerdings war dieses Abschlussband wieder ein wenig besser als der Vorgänger.
Die Handlung in "Wired" ist durchweg rasant, es passieren viele Dinge, auch zwischenmenschlich, mit denen man so nicht gerechnet hätte. Auch tauchen viele Charaktere aus dem ersten Teil "Skinned" wieder auf und bringen neuen Schwung in die Geschichte. Nur Auden, Lias Freund aus "Skinned" (und Feind aus "Crashed") kam mir hier leider wieder zu kurz; ich hätte sehr gerne mehr über sein Schicksal erfahren und wie er mit der Situation umgeht - doch dies wird im gesamten Buch leider nicht einmal angedeutet.
Der Schreibstil ist wie in den Vorgängern sehr nüchtern gehalten und besteht zu großen Teilen aus kurzen und bedeutungsschwangeren Hauptsätzen. Mir blieben dabei leider die Gefühle der Charaktere auf der Strecke, stattdessen wurde mehr Wert auf die Handlung gelegt. Die essentiellen Fragen darum, was das Menschsein ausmacht (die vor allem beim Lesen von "Skinned" aufgeworfen wurden) standen daher auch leider wieder im Hintergrund.
Das Ende des Buches fand ich sehr abrupt und es hat mich total unbefriedigt zurückgelassen.
Die ganze Reihe hat mich so gar nicht gepackt. Eigentlich ist die Idee, die dahinter steckt grandios. Aber die Umsetzung hat mir nicht wirklich gefallen. Allerdings war dieses Abschlussband wieder ein wenig besser als der Vorgänger.
Die Handlung in "Wired" ist durchweg rasant, es passieren viele Dinge, auch zwischenmenschlich, mit denen man so nicht gerechnet hätte. Auch tauchen viele Charaktere aus dem ersten Teil "Skinned" wieder auf und bringen neuen Schwung in die Geschichte. Nur Auden, Lias Freund aus "Skinned" (und Feind aus "Crashed") kam mir hier leider wieder zu kurz; ich hätte sehr gerne mehr über sein Schicksal erfahren und wie er mit der Situation umgeht - doch dies wird im gesamten Buch leider nicht einmal angedeutet.
Der Schreibstil ist wie in den Vorgängern sehr nüchtern gehalten und besteht zu großen Teilen aus kurzen und bedeutungsschwangeren Hauptsätzen. Mir blieben dabei leider die Gefühle der Charaktere auf der Strecke, stattdessen wurde mehr Wert auf die Handlung gelegt. Die essentiellen Fragen darum, was das Menschsein ausmacht (die vor allem beim Lesen von "Skinned" aufgeworfen wurden) standen daher auch leider wieder im Hintergrund.
Das Ende des Buches fand ich sehr abrupt und es hat mich total unbefriedigt zurückgelassen.
November 26, 2010
I enjoyed reading this book until the last few pages. The ending was confusing, and I needed more closure.
May 15, 2013
This could have been so good but the ending just killed it for me!
April 7, 2016
3.5 Sterne
Der letzte Band hat gegenüber den Vorgängern doch etwas nachgelassen
Der letzte Band hat gegenüber den Vorgängern doch etwas nachgelassen
March 25, 2021
Sonunun böyle olacağını hiç düşünmemiştim ama yine de keşke devamı olsaydı diye düşündüm.
July 7, 2021
Çok havada kaldı hiç seri finali gibi değildi.
March 4, 2011
Lia’s brain patterns, memories, and consciousness were uploaded into a new body, built by the Biomax Corporation when she was killed in a car accident. Since then she has been coping with the challenges of being a “mech” (a mechanical person) or “skinner” (derogatory term for mechs) – physical, mental, social, ethical, philosophical. Many “orgs” (normal, organic people – not machines) are uncomfortable with the idea and existence of mechs, and in Wired Lia has teamed up with her benefactors (Biomax) to create a reality show to demonstrate that mechs are just like everybody else. Except that they aren’t. They’re stronger, more perfect, more resilient, they don’t have to eat or drink or breathe, and they don’t get sick. But, even more importantly, they can never really die, because Biomax has every one of them copied and backed up on their servers. The Brotherhood, a group that strongly objects to the existence of skinners, has already committed violent acts against the mechs in the previous books, and although they initially show a more tolerant attitude in Wired, it’s all an act. Lia discovers that she is at the center of a web of lies surrounding the creation and technology of the mechs, and she and her friends must act before Biomax and the Brotherhood silence them and all of the other skinners.
By the end of this, I was more than a little tired of the bickering and drama in all of the relationships in this book – Lia and Zo, Lia and her father, Lia and Riley, Lia and Jude, Lia and Riley’s ex-girlfriend, Lia and Auden – can’t this girl get along with anyone? The confrontation between Lia & friends and Biomax was a complete letdown, too. They had absolutely no power and no leverage – what did they think they were going to accomplish? Despite the irritating characters, the injustices perpetrated against them make one sympathetic to their plight, and the philosophical/ethical questions of everlasting android intelligences are pretty interesting to consider. What Lia eventually becomes (at the very end) wraps this trilogy up nicely, although, somewhat abruptly as she suddenly professes to understand everything and knows what she has to do next. Maybe a consciousness and sensory array the size of a universe gives one a new perspective? I want to read that book.
By the end of this, I was more than a little tired of the bickering and drama in all of the relationships in this book – Lia and Zo, Lia and her father, Lia and Riley, Lia and Jude, Lia and Riley’s ex-girlfriend, Lia and Auden – can’t this girl get along with anyone? The confrontation between Lia & friends and Biomax was a complete letdown, too. They had absolutely no power and no leverage – what did they think they were going to accomplish? Despite the irritating characters, the injustices perpetrated against them make one sympathetic to their plight, and the philosophical/ethical questions of everlasting android intelligences are pretty interesting to consider. What Lia eventually becomes (at the very end) wraps this trilogy up nicely, although, somewhat abruptly as she suddenly professes to understand everything and knows what she has to do next. Maybe a consciousness and sensory array the size of a universe gives one a new perspective? I want to read that book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2018
The "Cold Awakening" trilogy revolves around Lia a young, wealthy, spoiled and aimless "it girl" of a dystopian future of sleek, life altering technology for some and grinding, numbing poverty for the rest. Her body burned beyond saving in a car accident, Lia's brain or self is placed into a synthetic body that cannot age or feel pain or fear, if her body is destroyed, her "self" would simply be transferred to yet another body.
Over the course of the three books, Wasserman with intelligence, insight and passion explores all the varied consequences of this transfer upon Lia and those around her. Is the "self" simply a collection of memories? How does the absence of fear and pain shape a person's relationship with this world. Immortality brings it's own loss. What is consciousness. Is there a soul.
How do others who die and hurt react to the presence of those who do not. Is a daughter, sister and friend still the same if they are now encased in synthetic body that may look like the person you love, but still is it. This future society is already divided into harsh, oppressive boundaries of have and have nots. So how would this play politically if some could escape even death.
Once of the things I really liked about these three books is the narrative evolution, Lia changes over the course of the book as does her family and friends, society, and the other synthetics or "Skinners" that surround her. The questions asked are answered in varying ways throughout the books' course. Lia goes from trying desperately to be what others want her to be, to be what other Skinners want, to finally discovering what she needs, to her own understanding of who she is, without the weight of others' expectations, fears, beliefs, and needs. The ending is both exultant and poignant.
Speculative, dystopian or science fiction, however you name it, should cause you to pause and think "what if" in ways that are both intelligent and emotional. Wasserman creates in Lia and others, complex, sympathetic characters who do cause one to think and feel a connection to.
I recommend this trilogy especially if you ever thought, "Hey, what if they could transfer my brain to this really cool robot body that would never die or age".
Over the course of the three books, Wasserman with intelligence, insight and passion explores all the varied consequences of this transfer upon Lia and those around her. Is the "self" simply a collection of memories? How does the absence of fear and pain shape a person's relationship with this world. Immortality brings it's own loss. What is consciousness. Is there a soul.
How do others who die and hurt react to the presence of those who do not. Is a daughter, sister and friend still the same if they are now encased in synthetic body that may look like the person you love, but still is it. This future society is already divided into harsh, oppressive boundaries of have and have nots. So how would this play politically if some could escape even death.
Once of the things I really liked about these three books is the narrative evolution, Lia changes over the course of the book as does her family and friends, society, and the other synthetics or "Skinners" that surround her. The questions asked are answered in varying ways throughout the books' course. Lia goes from trying desperately to be what others want her to be, to be what other Skinners want, to finally discovering what she needs, to her own understanding of who she is, without the weight of others' expectations, fears, beliefs, and needs. The ending is both exultant and poignant.
Speculative, dystopian or science fiction, however you name it, should cause you to pause and think "what if" in ways that are both intelligent and emotional. Wasserman creates in Lia and others, complex, sympathetic characters who do cause one to think and feel a connection to.
I recommend this trilogy especially if you ever thought, "Hey, what if they could transfer my brain to this really cool robot body that would never die or age".
September 14, 2020
2020
2.5 stars
What? Wait a second... THAT was the ending?! WTF!
I can't believe there was all that build up for THAT!
For one, Riley was never resolved. I mean, the author kinda sorta tried to, I guess. But it was a halfhearted attempt at best. And Jude and Riley and Lia never really figured out their s**t pretty much at all. They never forgave or resolved anything. They just kept looping around the same way they always did . Although, honestly, I was pretty done with the whole fighting between the three of them thing, anyway. I didn't really feel much when Riley finally disappeared (and I think that I should have because he was a pretty big character through the book), but it was almost a relief because I was pretty fed up with him and Lia and Jude by that point.
I guess I'm glad that Lia and Zo kind of figured each other out. And that it felt real. Lia finally started seeing her sister as a kicka** lady. And her sister finally started realizing that treating Lia the way that she was wasn't very productive or healthy. And I like that the whole Dad reveal was intense and emotional. And very, very sad. However, the whole Mom thing was dumb. It didn't really resolve anything. Or add anything. Or further the plot, really. I think the only reason it was added was to be a bridge between Lia, Jude, and Call Me Ben.
Even the Kiri thing was too obvious.
And the whole ending was pretty f***ing stupid. It's almost like this book was supposed to be a build up for the next novel. But there isn't a next novel, so why the s**t ending? It was such a let down. I don't know where it all really went wrong, but it was like the author ended it before she actually had the ending set. There were all these bad guys with BioMax and The Brotherhood, but then it just came down to one person at one place doing one bad thing (basically) and Lia disappearing. But not really. . Which is the dumbest s**t possible.
2.5 stars
What? Wait a second... THAT was the ending?! WTF!
I can't believe there was all that build up for THAT!
For one, Riley was never resolved. I mean, the author kinda sorta tried to, I guess. But it was a halfhearted attempt at best. And Jude and Riley and Lia never really figured out their s**t pretty much at all. They never forgave or resolved anything. They just kept looping around the same way they always did . Although, honestly, I was pretty done with the whole fighting between the three of them thing, anyway. I didn't really feel much when Riley finally disappeared (and I think that I should have because he was a pretty big character through the book), but it was almost a relief because I was pretty fed up with him and Lia and Jude by that point.
I guess I'm glad that Lia and Zo kind of figured each other out. And that it felt real. Lia finally started seeing her sister as a kicka** lady. And her sister finally started realizing that treating Lia the way that she was wasn't very productive or healthy. And I like that the whole Dad reveal was intense and emotional. And very, very sad. However, the whole Mom thing was dumb. It didn't really resolve anything. Or add anything. Or further the plot, really. I think the only reason it was added was to be a bridge between Lia, Jude, and Call Me Ben.
Even the Kiri thing was too obvious.
And the whole ending was pretty f***ing stupid. It's almost like this book was supposed to be a build up for the next novel. But there isn't a next novel, so why the s**t ending? It was such a let down. I don't know where it all really went wrong, but it was like the author ended it before she actually had the ending set. There were all these bad guys with BioMax and The Brotherhood, but then it just came down to one person at one place doing one bad thing (basically) and Lia disappearing. But not really. . Which is the dumbest s**t possible.
January 27, 2011
There were so many tense moments in this book and I Loved Lia and Zoe forging a bond and enjoying being sisters who got on each others nerves. I love the new Riley, then I missed him and Jude was as all knowing and annoying as ever. The BioMax threat, Lia and Zoe's parents, and Lia and her friend(s)having to always try to outsmart whoever was trying to destroy the mechs was awesome, scary, and sad because you never knew who was going to turn against them. Lia was really a character who grew, as well as her sister. Lia had opinions she voiced, but her inner stream of consciousness was always up and down, good and bad, and she kept the reader totally enthralled with the reality and the unreality of her life, the mechs future and their well being. I was totally unprepared for the ending....
I think now I will start Wasserman's Chasing Yesterday Mystery Trilogy. If it is good suspense, I know our reeucant readers will enjoy it if the reading classes do a mystery genre unit.
On another note, I will be heavy into reviewing my PSLA books, so there will be lots of nonfiction and Reference/Professional books coming in my reviews!
I think now I will start Wasserman's Chasing Yesterday Mystery Trilogy. If it is good suspense, I know our reeucant readers will enjoy it if the reading classes do a mystery genre unit.
On another note, I will be heavy into reviewing my PSLA books, so there will be lots of nonfiction and Reference/Professional books coming in my reviews!
June 16, 2011
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS ENTIRE SERIES!
PERFECTLY WRIITEN, NOT TOO MUCH FUTURISTOC JARGON WHERE YOU COULDN'T MAKE OUT THE WORDS, PERFECT IN EVERY WAY.
A LOT OF CONTENT, I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CALL IT AN EASY READ, BUT MAN, DID I FLY THROUGH THE SERIES, I JUST COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN...WASN'T VER Y PRODUCTIVE FOR THAT WEEK THOUGH.
*SPOILER*
i am now off to hunt down the rest os ms. wasserman's other novels. read this series, you will love it!
PERFECTLY WRIITEN, NOT TOO MUCH FUTURISTOC JARGON WHERE YOU COULDN'T MAKE OUT THE WORDS, PERFECT IN EVERY WAY.
A LOT OF CONTENT, I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CALL IT AN EASY READ, BUT MAN, DID I FLY THROUGH THE SERIES, I JUST COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN...WASN'T VER Y PRODUCTIVE FOR THAT WEEK THOUGH.
*SPOILER*
i am now off to hunt down the rest os ms. wasserman's other novels. read this series, you will love it!
August 21, 2013
Maybe it is cheating to rate a book before you finish it - but that's the problem. I can't bring myself to finish the series. I read through the first two. I liked the first one. The second one kept me engaged. But this one...it is the last book in the series but there is still so much wrong with the world Lia lives in. The central conflict has changed - it started with acceptance from humans in the first book, morphed to the org-mech conflict in the second....but what is it now? I can't see a solution to the problems. Plus, Lia has never been interested in making the world a better place, which bothers me. Anyway, having read some of the reviews, it sounds like I made the right choice anyway. I just thought it was worth noting that I am so disinterested in the characters and plot that I couldn't even finish. And that is highly unlike me!
August 5, 2016
This is easily one of the most frustrating books I've read. Scratch that, this is one of the most frustrating /series I've read. What could have been a compelling trilogy was marred by a half-assed plot, half-assed characters and an equally half assed execution, and the ending - the ending was easily one of the worst things I've ever read. It could have been the saving grace of these books - it could have been great, the DECENT (albeit undeserving) conclusion to Lia's character arc. Instead what we got was a rushed, senseless four pages of explanation that led to the single most anti-climatic ending, ever. Ugh.
September 30, 2010
this is the third and supposed to be final book in the wired trilogy by robin wasserman. it continues in its distopian look at the future where our minds can actually be rescued after death and "downloaded" into mechanical bodies. lia, riley, and jude have to come together to save mechkind from the likes of biomax and other fanatical organizations. it is a great ending to a very good distopian series. i highly recommend this as a look at what makes a human tick.
January 21, 2011
I wasn't expecting it to end that suddenly. I had it at hold on the library for a while and so i was expecting a great book. The other one's were really good and I told my friend she should read the first one. But If i had know about the ending of this one, i wouldn't have told her. I like the way she ended it, but there were too many things that she didn't tie together. I feel as if she just gave up and decided to end it as quickly as she could.
December 22, 2011
I loved this series. It was like nothing i had read before when i started it, it was cool and unique and interesting. This book was not my favorite and it was a let down. The ending absolutely sucked so bad!!!! I was so angry when i finished it and i was like this is it!?!?!?!?!?!??! I was considering giving this one star because of the ending, but because i loved the fist two books and the characters, i decided to be generous and give it 2 stars
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