I received this book for free to review through Entangled Teen and NetGalley, and then found myself on a blog tour for it! That's cool. I want to thank Entangled Teen and NetGalley for letting me read and review a copy early. As always, my review is going to be 100% honest thoughts on the book. What I liked, what I might not have liked. I won't lie to you.
My favorite part about this book is that it's an action thriller. I love those types of books! I don't think the YA genre has enough action thrillers. They are just fun to read. The action keeps me on the edge of my seat, with the pages flying by.
Project Pandora is about a secret program where kids are born and bred for nefarious purposes. I got a smidgen of an Orphan Black vibe with this. I really enjoyed that whole shadowy project vibe. Discovering all the secrets, and trying to unearth the purpose of why this all was happening was pretty interesting.
I enjoyed the writing of this story. It was good. It had a nice flow and kept me reading.
This book had some pretty intense scenes too! Some things that really shocked me, and made me feel bad for the characters.
This novel was split into four different character points of view, which I don't know was really necessary. My favorite character to read about was Hades. I found him the most interesting. He's not a good guy. His time in the Program has messed him up. He's a touch psychotic, kind of scary, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him and intrigued by him. His story packed the most feels.
My second favorite character was Tyler. He's more the good guy character. The guy who's realizing what he has been forced into and trying to get out.
As for the two other perspectives, Shannon and Elizabeth, I didn't feel like they were really necessary. Everything could have been told from Tyler and Hades' points of view, and I feel I would have got the same story. Elizabeth and Shannon had some interesting moments, but I feel the book could have done better with less main characters to follow.
I also don't feel like this book had much of a plot. It had a cool concept, but I sometimes wondered what was the point of everything? What were they going to do next? What the ultimate plan was? How were they going to stop Project Pandora? A lot of the time, it just felt like the characters were running here and then there with no real purpose.
I thought this book was a lot of fun. I love action thrillers, conspiracies, assassins, and secret government programs. They are a good time to read. The ending left me with questions that I want answers to. I would recommend this book. Thanks Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5
Olympus is rising...

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Project Pandora by Aden Polydorus. Several teenagers are under a trance and are ordered to kill and commit other crimes for someone that goes by the name of Zeus. The mystery surrounding the teens unravels throughout the story as their pasts are explained and, while their memories gradually return, we see the torture they underwent as part of the experiment they evolved from. The teens have three names each: the regular name they go by, a mythological name and a number. The story is told through their alternating points of view, which is intense and suspenseful. Hades' story is a bit different from the other teenagers and his is more heartbreaking and tragic, more complicated and interesting. Project Pandora is a multiple genre book which can be classified as science fiction, dystopian and mystery. Worthy of 5 stars because of its riveting plot and the steady unraveling of the mystery.

We've seen this theme before so it is all in the writing whether the story succeeds or fails. With Project Pandora, the technique is fine and the story flows smoothly. But it is also a book of unrelenting grimness and terrible apathy - there is no glimmer of hope here, no relief from greedy/crooked/broken figures to offset the bleakness of the world. For that reason, I can say that the book is decently written but also not a story I wish to continue further.

The book follows four teens who are experiencing troubles in their lives along with memory loss. Tyler is an orphan living with a foster family, Shannon deals with mean girls and a jaded goth best friend, Elizabeth was in a car accident but deals with disaffected political parents who care only for appearances, and Hades is the walking wounded - a boy tortured physically and mentally for the sake of an organization who raises perfect kids from embryos and then molds then to their bidding. Tyler, Shannon, and Elizabeth will soon find out what Hades already knows - that they are all assassins and have been carefully conditioned to obey without hesitation when a murder needs committing.

Most of the book is the build up of the characters learning about the Pandora Project and how they exist within it. Which means we get a lot of murders and skulking, memory loss and questioning. Because this is YA, Shannon has a crush on Tyler while Hades Stalks Elizabeth through her incarnations. But the romance isn't the raison d'etre of the story - it is what compels Hades to be more than a broken shell but it isn't what can ever save him.

Those looking for nuanced characters won't find it here. EVERY adult is evil/uncaring in their own way. All the other kids in the book are mean or disaffected/disenfranchized in some way. Loose sex, drugs, etc. are devices to 'show' that they are unhappy teens acting out on others. Our main characters are cyphers - cryptic to show that even they do not know themselves.

There were weak points in the story telling. E.g, doing a 'love story' where the two characters are code named Hades and Persephone is rather obvious. As is the pairing of Apollo/Artemis. The Pandora project itself is risible and choices made by the characters are very deus ex machina to create a plot device/drama. The murders we see happen are to bad people who have done bad things to our heroes already - an easy out.

If you don't mind a healthy dose of pessimism and gloom in your books, you will likely enjoy the tale of teens learning they are murderers. Just don't expect a fluffy YA romance in there. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

4 phenomenal stars for this book!!!!

First of all, I wanted to thank the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! I truly ended up liking it way more than I was expecting and it was definitely a binge read for me.

The storyline intrigued me straight from the first chapter, although the character that really deserves every. single. mindblowing. star. is Hades - He was hands down my favourite character in this story and I lived for his POV chapters. His character was just so well crafted and his backstory was just !!! like I am shook?? at how quickly I fell in love with him? The romance buildup in this story was perhaps a little insta-love ish but for someone who lives for slow burns, I found it quite enjoyable and I couldn't help but be swept along with the characters' feelings for each other (especially Elizabeth and *surprise surprise* Hades)

The whole storyline kept me on the edge of my seat because I was so curious about what had happened to the characters in reality and what the project's intentions really were! I really wish some things hadn't ended the way they did - hence resulting in me becoming an emotional and miserable mess. But I guess a book that can make you experience such a wide array of emotions is what I'd call a good read and Project Pandora would fall into that category for sure.

I look forward to the release of this book and cannot wait for everyone to experience this emotionally wrecking ride ~ I am already anticipating the release of the sequel and excited to read more of the author's upcoming works!

Not reviewed as this titled was a DNF at 35%

Project Pandora is a thrilling adventure full of intriguing characters and a fascinating world that is expertly crafted.
I will be the first to admit that I requested this book on NetGalley because of its cover. (It’s absolutely stunning.) I didn’t know what I was getting into, and I think it works better to go into this book as blind as possible. The action kicks off from the very first page; wasting no time taking our characters into this mysterious and deadly world. It’s crazy as all heck and will surely throw readers, but as you continue reading and the mystery is slowly revealed, it becomes hard to put down.
I liked the idea of teenage assassins who were a part of a mysterious program, never truly aware of who or what they were. It’s an intriguing premise, one that isn’t easy to pull off, as it’s important to maintain the same level of suspense throughout, and yet, Aden Polydoros managed to do just that.
The varying points of view help to keep the book exciting, as we shift between these various characters and truly dive into their desires, their faults, and their strengths. However, the most interesting character was easily Hades who had the best arc throughout the story, compared to someone like Elizabeth, who admittedly had the weakest storyline of the bunch.
That doesn’t mean the book is without its flaws, though. As strong as the book is, it still manages to lose steam near the end. Some things felt repetitive and the action was mainly “off screen,” whereas the author had done such a great job of highlighting the action throughout the rest of the book. It’s because of this that I had to give the book four stars as opposed to five stars. The ending just fell flat, which was unfortunate. I do still plan to read the rest of the series, though.
One final note: I did like the use of the Greek codenames, however, it did seem weird to use Apollo and Artemis as the code names for a duo in the book given there’s a romantic aspect to the characters in this story.

Ratings on a Scale of 1-10

Quality of writing: 6

Pace: 7

Plot Development: 7

Characters: 6

Enjoyability: 8

Ease of Reading: 8

Although my ratings may seem a little low, I did actually enjoy this book. It was exactly what I needed to read, since it was a quick read that I didn’t have to focus to much on, which was great, since I was mostly reading in the car while we were going to my college orientation. The action started immediately, so there were no introductions to characters or anything, and it had been a while since I had received the book before I read it, so I went in knowing basically nothing about this book. In my opinion, that is the best way to read it, since the characters don’t know much in the beginning either, so it’s easiest to just catch on with them. One of my biggest complaints about this book, though has to be the character development. Most of the characters felt two-dimensional to me, and by the end I realized that I didn’t even ship half of the canon ships. There was so much jumping around between POVs and changing personas that I didn’t get a good idea for who the characters are. I will acknowledge that most of the characters don’t know who they are, themselves, but I felt no connection to a majority of them. On the flip-side, I did enjoy reading about Hades character, and I wish we saw more of him (and hope he continues to play a major role in the coming books). My liking to him may have come from the fact that he was the only character who was always himself, which proves my early assertion as to why the others didn’t really click. By the end, Hades had me questioning things not only about the story, but about my own life and going deeper into things than I’m sure the author intended. I almost wish Hades was the only POV, but then we would’ve missed out on a lot of the rest of the story. For the most part, I flew through this book in the car, but I will say there are a few slower spots, where I had to power through. The ending, for me, could’ve been better, but I can see the potential for coming books.

I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a quick YA read, to maybe fill the time between releases, since you don’t have to make a huge commitment to the characters to truly enjoy it.

OVERALL RATING (out of 5): 3 stars

Project Pandora is one heck of a mix of suspense, mystery, throw in romance as well as action and violence though the entire book. Just a heads up this is just the beginning and trust me when you finish you will be wanting more from this author and series.
This story is a little to dark for teen but safe for more of the young adults. This story has a lot of Greek mythology which I couldn't help but eat up. The story ended and all I could think is how much longer to I have to wait for the next in the series.
The author has a wonderful ability to blend action and character development into a story that races alone at the speed of light.
Great start to a series I plan to read.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advance copy.

I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did. See, I really like young adult, mystery, and thriller but I can never find books that have those genres all combined that I actually like. So when I saw the blurb for Project Pandora on NetGalley, my inner antenna went “Hrrmmmm, sounds interesting“. I am glad that I requested the book because it was not what I expected and believe me, that is a good thing.

What you read from the blurb is not even half of what goes on in the book. Not even close. There is so much that is revealed in the book that I don’t even think that the blurb could cover it. I was amazed at how easy it was to switch between the storylines too and how the author made some of the chapters as Dr notes/case studies and the actual storylines. What made it easy to distinguish between the chapters was that the author chose to use each character’s code name at the beginning of the chapter.

I also liked how the kids matched up with their code names. Take Tyler for instance. His code name is Apollo and every single painting/drawing that I have seen of Apollo, he has been a blonde. Which Tyler was. Shannon was a red-head and as was Artemis. Persephone was always shown as a blonde with blue eyes and Elizabeth is a blonde. Hades…..he is always pictured as a dark-haired, pale man and 2 was just that. Again, it is these little details that really made the book for me.

The whole Pandora Project was scary, at least to me, because I have no issues imagining something like this going down. Creating (for lack of a better word) children who will rise to power in the military, goverment…etc is a scary thing. But what scared me, even more, was the description of the sensory deprivation tanks and the horror that Hades and Elizabeth felt when they were going into them. I do wish that more background was given about why the Pandora Project was started. There were hints but nothing that was said outright. Normally, that would have bugged me but seeing that this will be a series, I can’t wait to see what is revealed in the second book.

Hades really gave me chills when I was reading his scenes. He was not a bad person but was being molded into a killing machine (or as he put it “evolving“). The torture that they put him through to change him after he tried to escape was horrendous and I am glad that the author only chose to touch upon it. Electroshock, subliminal messages, mind altering drugs and long stretches of time in a sensory deprivation tank…..no wonder he turned into who and what they wanted him to turn into. But deep down, and this is what got me, there was a small piece of himself that was 2 and a small piece that was horrified at all the killing he did.

Tyler and Shannon were not aware of who they were until almost the middle of the book when Tyler broke free from the “training” he received and realized what he was doing. Shannon was having doubts and finally broke free of her “training” when Tyler was able to break her out of her fugue (for lack of a better word). Elizabeth’s realization came at the end of the book and it was almost too late.

The end of the book was not a happy ending. Oh no, it wasn’t and the storylines were left up in the air. Which I loved. Listen, I like a happy ever after as much as the next person but sometimes a story doesn’t get that. And in this book, it definitely didn’t.

To summarize my reading experience with this book

Project Pandora is not a cute teeny bopper book where everything is all sunshine and rainbows. Instead, it is a dark, gritty book that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire book. This is one book that will be going on my must keep shelf and this is also a book where I will be eagerly anticipating the sequel.

How many stars will I give Project Pandora: 5

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Violence and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

<i>I received a digital copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and voluntary review</i>

<b>Rating:</b> 2,5 stars

A secret organisation <s>(brainwashing)</s> training teenagers to become perfect killers and leaders with code names based on Greek mythology? Hell. Yes.

But unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying the story as much as I had expected. I'm not even sure what to think about <i>Project Pandora</i>, if I'm completely honest. I don't think I've ever read anything like it before. It's very unique and cool but it didn't grip me. I wasn't hooked on the story, and also felt like skimming the middle. Perhaps because the book started off slightly too confusing in my opinion so that the story never pulled me in? I never started caring for the characters either, and I felt like they were a little predictable and boring?

The romance in this book is absolutely not lacking, but it was very unnecessary I believe and the codenames made a pairing a little.... Awkward?

All in all, I didn't enjoy reading <i>Project Pandora</i> very much but the premise of it is just so, <i>so</i> good that I don't want to give it less than 2,5 stars.

Tyler Bennett has spent most of his life going from one foster home to the next without having anyone in his life that he can trust so he’s mostly a loner. Tyler has been unaware though that there is something about himself that even he doesn’t realize, he’s a member of Project Pandora and is being controlled and used as an assassin with no memory of the events until now.

As Tyler begins regaining memories and control from the voice giving him order he realizes that he’s not the only one being used by Project Pandora. Tyler finds that he’s going to have to learn to trust others within the group if there will be any hope of them surviving the Project.

Project Pandora is the first book in the Olympus Experiments by Aden Polydoros. The series begins following four young adults with the chapters changing the point of view between them as their stories begin to unfold and find out how they are involved in the project. The story is a bit of suspense mixed with some romance with the relationships forming between the characters.

I did start off this one finding it a bit confusing in the beginning trying to remember which characters was which as each of them also have a Greek code name used when they are under the influence of the project. Then there is also parts between chapters where the “subjects” in the project are also referred to as a number so that also added in trying to keep track of who was being referred to at which point.

The story however was a fun one to follow as it built throughout the book. The opening pages throws the reader right into an assassination and builds the intensity of what and where could this go from here. I did find myself at the end with that thought too of that’s it….where’s this going to go from here on out as it is obvious there’s much more for the author to tell in any following installments.

After reading this installment to the series I decided on giving it 3.5 stars but I have a feeling that now that I am more familiar with the characters and how the story works the ratings will probably go up from here.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I really liked the idea behind this book, but felt like the execution was a little scattered. The chapters bounce around between 4 characters which made it hard to follow.

The ending of this book was surprising and I'd be interested to see where the next book goes.

Really suspenseful and original! Teenagers are assassins, but they seem directed by something in their brains. Then they become unaware of what just happened. The characters are quite believable and the situations seem possible. Really liked the book. I definitely want to read more by this author!

With shades of Jason Bourne, morally ambiguous characters, and trained teenage assassins, I absolutely devoured this book in two days.  This is a dark, intense YA read I found difficult to put down.

Although this book is heavy on action, all the characters are captivating and well-developed - but by far, my favorite is Hades.  He's cunning, dangerous, and untrustworthy, but with such a tragic backstory, I dare you not to like him.  He made the book for me.  I've read the author is working on a novella detailing Hades's past - can't wait to get my hands on that one.

Told from four POVs, I'd highly recommend this YA sci-fi/thriller to older teens and fans of espionage, conspiracy theories, and psychological thrillers.  Project Pandora knocked it out of the park.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

“Project Pandora” is a really intense and creative YA sci-fi/thriller. We follow four teenagers who are all part of Project Pandora. Project Pandora grew children in artificial wombs and then raised them to be assassins and politicians. They all have code names from Greek mythology. Hades is the only one who is aware of his role/job, and he suffers greatly psychologically from the physical/emotional abuse and his role as a murderer. The others have varying degrees of anxiety/depression from their dissociative identities which are triggered with specific phrases.

Elizabeth, or Persephone, is a senator’s daughter and expected to behave and dress perfectly at all times. She finds herself drawn to a stranger at a banquet, Hades, and does not want to play her perfect role if it means staying away from him. They become closer and begin to date as things spiral out of control. Shannon (Artemis) and Tyler (Apollo) go to a nearby public school, and they are attracted to each other- unknowing that their extracurricular activities include murdering people together. Things really begin to change as Hades begins to evolve and break free from the reigns of his captors and Tyler is able to resist the assassination brain washing.

In part, the book follows teenage romance, but the bigger part of the book focuses on Project Pandora and the control a group of people have over the teens. We get the idea that this is all a very small part of a much bigger plot, and it seems that this will be continued in a sequel. There is main character death here, which I am including in my review for people who may want the warning! The book is extremely intense and really only appropriate for older teen audiences, mostly because of violence, torture, and abuse.

Overall, I found it enthralling and hard to put down as we follow these four unique but engaging characters on their journeys of self-discovery. Despite the many viewpoints, it was easy to follow and the story unfolds beautifully! I am looking forward to seeing where this series may go in the future.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Project Pandora (Assassin Fall #1)
Aden Polydoros
Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ Please read the interview if you are interested in this book. I think some background information to Project Pandora/Aden Polydoros would be useful to understand if this book is for you.
Project Pandora wasn't what I expected. It reminded me of a mixture of Kyle XY and Blindspot (Both starring Jaimie Alexander). I would say its unique and a little outside the box. I haven't read anything like it before, and I feel the synopsis of the book doesn't do it justice.


Project Pandora is a mystery, suspense novel with romance mixed in. It has violence and action throughout and is set-up to leave you wanting more. Project Pandora is just the beginning.
I would recommend reading a sample of this book before deciding if it is for you.


Tyler Bennett has trust issues. He is a foster child who moved around a lot. Now he is beginning to lose himself. He can't remember how he got his injuries or what he did the night before. He is questioning himself never mind others.


Shannon has a thing for Tyler but could they be closer than they realise already? They are drawn to each other but learning their secrets could get them both killed. Pandora's box should never be opened. Not even to take a little peek. If you haven't guessed Project Pandora contains Greek mythology.


This book is written as a story but also contains case notes. It's dark, especially for a teen read. For the right audience, this is going to knock your socks off, however, unfortunately, this book wasn't for me.

Paperback £7.86 or Kindle Edition £7.47, 300 pages

Expected publication: August 1st, 2017 by Entangled: Teen


❤ Book synopsis ❤ (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450642-project-pandora)

Tyler Bennett trusts no one. Just another foster kid bounced from home to home, he’s learned that lesson the hard way. Cue world’s tiniest violin. But when strange things start happening—waking up with bloody knuckles and no memory of the night before or the burner phone he can’t let out of his sight— Tyler starts to wonder if he can even trust himself.

Even stranger, the girl he’s falling for has a burner phone just like his. Finding out what’s really happening only leads to more questions…questions that could get them both killed. It’s not like someone’s kidnapping teens lost in the system and brainwashing them to be assassins or anything, right? And what happens to rogue assets who defy control?

In a race against the clock, they’ll have to uncover the truth behind Project Pandora and take it down—before they’re reactivated. Good thing the program spent millions training them to kick ass...

❤ Interview with Aden Polydoros:
Question One; what was your inspiration behind Project Pandora?

The inspirations for Project Pandora came from Project MKULTRA, the experiments performed by Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron, and the eugenics movement. The Bourne Identity movie was also an influence.
Question two; Project Pandora is your debut novel. It has an underlying theme of Greek mythology which we all know is a mixture of good and evil. Is this a subject you have a special interest in?

Greek mythology is definitely an interest of mine. Mythology in general has always fascinated me, but Greek mythology has a special place in my heart because my dad's side of the family is Greek. Right now, I'm reading up on Egyptian and Slavic mythology for two other stories (unrelated to Project Pandora) I'm playing around with.
Question three; The book has a darker side to it than most teen reads. Was this your intention from the start?

Yes and no. The first scene I wrote in this story was the first chapter, which takes place from Tyler's point of view as he performs an assassination. I knew from the beginning that it would be a dark, gritty story. I just didn't plan for it to end up as dark as it did.

I began writing it when I was eighteen, so I wasn't much older than the protagonists in the story. I was going through a rough spot then and used writing as a way to channel my emotions, so a lot of that can be seen in my characters' personalities. Tyler got my depression, Elizabeth and Shannon got my doubt and anxiety. Hades got my existential crisis, sort of. It was nice to create a book about characters suffering from anxiety and depression that didn't focus on their mental illnesses.
Question four; Did the book turn out the way you expected?
No. Hades was originally going to be a minor character with only a few chapters from his point of view. I planned to make him the antagonist and an irredeemable jerk. Instead, he turned out more morally ambiguous than I intended, and in the process of edits, became my favorite character. Needless to say, he also upped the story's body count a fair amount...
Question five; Project Pandora is just the start of this series do you already have something in the pipeline for the next installment?
I have written the sequel and an accompanying novella. The novella will mainly focus on Hades's backstory, since his past influences his behavior more than with other characters.

Thank you so much for answering my questions Aden Polydoros and I hope this helps readers.

*I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*. Happy reading everyone :)