Spark (Spark #1)Author: Rachael Craw
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, 464 pages
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
From Goodreads:
Evie doesn’t have a choice.
One day she’s an ordinary seventeen year old, grieving for her mother. The next, she’s a Shield, the result of a decades-old experiment gone wrong, bound by DNA to defend her best friend from an unknown killer.
The threat could come at home, at school, anywhere. All Evie knows is that it will be a fight to the death.
And then there’s Jamie. irresistible. off-limits.
Review:
I liked the concept, genetically modified people who are either protectors (Shields) and tethered to a Spark (someone who needs to be protected) until the Shield has killed the Stray (someone just as strong as a Shield but who is activated and is compelled to kill the Spark). However, there was SO MUCH INFO DUMPING. When Evie first finds out who (or what) she is, there are pages and pages of it. Too much information, too many acronyms.
After that it got better, but I still have so many questions that weren't answered. Things that didn't make sense that continued to bother me the whole book. For example, if two Shields are genetically perfect for each other, being together increases their power individually. So why wouldn't the corporation that created them want them to be together? No, instead, the corporation picks other people for them and even may pick someone who dampens the Shield and actually deactivates them. What???? Um…the corporation would want to use its assets, not let them go, and would also want its assets to be as strong as possible. That made no sense. Also, something happened between Jamie and Evie when they were fourteen, some sort of humiliating experience and it's never explained. It's danced around, alluded to, but never explained.
Interesting sci-fi but it could have been executed better. And honestly, the writing was awkward. I know it sounds like I didn't like it, I did, but from the reviews I read, I was expecting so much more.
Posted by: Pam
I hate info-dumping in books, it really bored me. I am still unsure about this one, I'm definitely not in a rush to get to it.
ReplyDeleteAww that sucks, because that cover is awesome!
ReplyDeletehmmm interesting that you say there was a lot of info dump, but you still had a bunch of unanswered questions. That's always the worst for me. Info-dump is bad enough, but then to still have questions? I think I'm going to skip this one. That cover is gorgeous tho!
ReplyDeleteI saw this book for the first time on someone else's blog a few weeks ago and added it to my TBR. First I want to see how the second book fares (it comes out in September).
ReplyDeleteI hate info dumping too, and I hope the all questions are answered in the next book.
Great review!
I am not inclined to read this one even if there are redeemable qualities. It reminds me a little of Dualed which I didn't care for and honestly, just doesn't sound worth it in the grand scheme of books I want to read.
ReplyDelete