This was a really awesome YA dystopian/Scifi book. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good book in this sub-genre and I’m really happy this one did not disappoint! Again, as I often experience when reading standalone books, I do feel like this story would’ve been better if explored more extensively throughout the course of maybe a 2nd book for example. There was more possible to give it more depth overall.

But the writing, the angst/suspense combined with the setting was really well done I think, overall seeing!
There’s a touch of romance, but on the low key so that’s perfect for readers who don’t always want/need romance focus in a book. I think this book is perfect for all kind of readers, a very broad public.

Definitely recommend picking this one up!

This is such a fun book. I'll admit there were a few times my heart started racing reading Breakout while I went on this journey and I definitely got some Hunger Games vibes. The book could use a little more world building but I think the characters and the overall pacing of the story make it an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book more then I thought I would.
It was. A bit different of a read for me. But I liked that. I liked getting on something I don't normally read as much. And this book didn't let me down.

It was so fast paced and crazy
And I loved the character development through it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A definite 4 star read for me ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Breakout is an intense novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, tantalising with a barely perceptible intrigue that refuses to be let-go. Encapsulating twists and turns, the novel edges on a dystopian theme whilst tugging at the readers heart-strings.

First off lets talk about this amazing cover!! This is the real reason I grabbed this title. But shortly after starting I realized that this wasn't going to be what I thought it was going to be. I liked the story but a few things just didn't work. The first being the romance. I think this story would have worked a lot better if the romance wouldn't have been in there at all. We really didn't need it and it pretty much didn't serve any purpose at all. The next issue were the info dumps. Those were horrible and long. I wished that they would have either been summed up in the start as a prologue or shortened and spread out. I don't mind learning about things but when it basically stops the story to do it it just kind of sucks. Lastly, this book was fairly on the predictable side which really sucked.

The characters were fine and the story itself was pretty engaging but with the above mentioned things it just made the story kind of meh for me.

Lezah doesn’t know what landed her in prison, or really much of anything else about herself. With six days left before her execution the only chance she has to find out is to escape. And her only chance of escaping requires relying on strangers, possibly dangerous ones, and her former school rival. Can she trust anyone long enough to get out or will they all fall prey to the prison’s formidable defenses?

A. M. Rose’s Breakout is a book that I bounced around on how I felt about it, especially early on in reading it. But once it hit its stride, it worked really well.

The start was a little rough, with what’s nearly a new world entirely in the form of a California that’s been separated from the rest of the US by earthquakes. Special standouts on that were the WALTERS or Walking Computers, essentially robots that are meant to have free will, and the SOULS that everyone is supposed to have that are ID and phone and personal entertainment all rolled into one. SOULS do everything from let their users keep in contact to changing their appearances pretty drastically to being the main way the government kept tabs on citizens. It was all fed to the reader pretty bluntly at the start, which was necessary to a degree but also felt incredibly clunky.

I had a bit of a similar issue when the male characters, Trip and Seph, were introduced. It quickly became clear that Seph was our designated love interest, with his history with Lezah and his sad sad eyes and super competence. The build up to that felt like it took away from the immediacy of escaping the prison for a good bit. It felt like there were big neon signs telling me that this was going to be a huge part of the experience.

Here’s the thing though, both the rough bits from the start and Seph and Lezah’s whole thing, both worked out. The blunt early explanations felt weird because it was stuff that Lezah knew and wouldn’t have had much reason to explain to, essentially, herself but that smoothed out later once the characters were more in the action and things felt more focused. As to Lezah’s crushing on Seph? It wound up feeding character stuff for both of them as well as feeding in some bits of Lezah’s missing memories. The book hit a point in the action where the mystery and the full cast were more important than just those two characters, so it made the moments between Lezah and Seph feel more impactful. It wasn’t just the two of them and a world of card board cutouts.

This all said, the thing that made the book for me more than anything else was one of the antagonists. They were written in so well that I was genuinely caught off guard at the reveal. It was built in really well and makes me want to see how Rose handles other antagonists.

That’s about it. While I’m left wanting to see where things go for Lezah and company from the book’s ending on, it was still a satisfying ending that worked for the story. The things that didn’t work did well by the things I enjoyed. And, at the end of the day, I even wound up appreciating the romancey bits. So, Breakout earns a four out of five from me. I’m interested in seeing what A. M. Rose does in the future.

Very entertaining read, without giving away spoilers it gave me hunger games meets escape from furnace vibes. Really like the twists and turns even though they were too fast at times. If a second is written I will deff read. 4/5 stars.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. In this book we get to meet some great characters and I just loved their story. I loved getting to see where these characters end up and their journey to the end. This book was such an easy read and I highly recommend this title you will not be disappointed.

Breakout is a fast-paced Science Fiction ride. The action starts early on in the book and doesn't really let up. I wasn't a fan of the ending but I would love to see Breakout as a movie! 🎬📚🕷

For a spider cover, it's beautiful! (I hate spiders with a passion so the spiders better appreciate the compliment! 😌)

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for giving me the opportunity to read Breakout. 💕

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
A.M. Rose is a new-to-me author, and I'm curious to read more in the future. Breakout is not listed as the debut in a series, however, I hope there is more to come to answer many threads left untied.

Breakout starts with some confusion, because the narrator doesn't know where she is, why she's there, how she got there, with a large portion of her recent memory blank. Held prisoner, the world-building is futuristic, science fiction, a dystopian vibe.

Lezah is confined in a facility, and she has no idea why, only a countdown timer on her bracelet, counting down to what she assumes is her end. With only three days left, Lezah finds a way to attempt escape, along the way picking up four others.

Rapid pacing, nonstop action, Breakout has a Maze Runner and Hunger Games vibe, mixed with a sense of virtual reality of a live-action video game. There was an addictive, page-turner need for answers, which had me on the edge of my seat, but those answers were given as if the reader should just understand/know what the narrator does without it being on the pages.

Along the escape journey, Lezah's memory returns slowly, as she fits the pieces as to how she came to be imprisoned with these specific people. The returned memories are as murky once returned as they were when Lezah struggled to remember – piecemeal, barely fitting anything together.

While I feverishly read the novel, needing to know what happened next, I wanted answers to many questions. It felt as if plots didn't quite fit together, as Lezah rushed along, taking the reader on the journey with her.

At the end of the novel, I'm still not quite sure why everything that happened happened, with a quick resolution that was too easy. The easiest resolution I've ever read, to be honest. There needs to be a sequel to offer a real resolution/explanation. Lezah jumped from A, automatically assuming Q was the answer to whatever question was posed, yet the reader had no idea what B through P were to get to that Q conclusion.

While the pacing was rapid, which kept me engaged and entertained, it was at the detriment of the world-building, character building, and the who/what/where/why/how/when. Reminding me of a plot outline, where the writer is to fill in the gaps to enrich the experience.

With all that being said, I enjoyed the novel, definitely recommend to those who love this genre, and am looking forward to more from this author in the future.

Young Adult age-range: 12+, including profanity, kissing, and mild science fiction violence.


Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
Breakout was an exciting, young adult, sci-fi read! My attention was grabbed from the beginning. We follow a young lady, imprisoned with no memory of committing a crime. Fear gripped me, but I had to know what was going on. This future world is a strange place, where computers walk amongst men and fear dominates all.

When Lezah and her cellmate agree that they need to breakout before their death-date of four days and one day respectively, I was totally on-board. The insanity that follows is best left unsaid, so you get the full impact!

So many questions arise with no resolution. Lezah doesn't really know who she is, she only remembers bits and pieces of her family. Her rag-tag group of escapees all have their own lives, but they seem to remember things. Are these people trustworthy? Are they good guys or bad?

I just couldn't put this down, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the story, and hope there will be a book two. I enjoyed the ending, but there are still questions that need answers. I will be adding A.M. Rose to my list of authors to read!

Breakout by A.M. Rose is a young adult science fiction fantasy that is a dystopian, futuristic version of our society. The story is one that is rather fast paced as the characters face constant dangers.

Lezah is in prison with no memory of how she got there or if she did anything to deserve being locked up. There are only six days left on Lezah’s prison sentence but she will not be set free when her countdown is over, instead Lezah will be executed.

With a bracelet on that monitors every move and doles out electric shock punishments when breaking the rules Lezah has little hope of escaping. However, when another prisoner finds a way to deactivate the monitoring bracelet Lezah and her roommate act quickly to try and escape before their countdowns are over.

Breakout is one of those young adult novels that I end up having an internal debate with myself on how to go about rating when finished. The thing with this one was that I seemed to be constantly reminded of other series out there with the action that was taking place, most notably I couldn’t help but think the escape reminds me of searching the maze in The Maze Runner that has the pod like areas of Mockingjay, just kind of blending some from here or there. However, I do like the fast paced action so in the end I would give this 3 1/2 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was an intense book full of suspense AND twists! If you’re looking for a unique dystopian story that keeps you on the edge of your page, this is it!

We follow the main character who is stuck in a dark prison with zero memory of how or why she got there. With her execution date counting down, she and a few fellow inmates concoct a plan to break free from their torturous bracelets and attempt to find their way through the maze.

This was a super quick read as I read it in only two sittings. The characters drive you through the mystery behind their capture and the prison’s background. Creepy spiders and manipulative robots are around every corner adding a new level of uniqueness to the story.

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. The story is entertaining and even has parts where your heart is left racing. The writing style felt a little condensed to me, and I wish there was a bit more world building throughout the story.

I recommend this one if you are fans of dystopian novels with a scifi style AND if you love a good prison break story.

Breakout was fun and entertaining, but that was about the sum of it for me. It has vibes of The Hunger Games, but I don't fully understand the "why" of the story. I would have liked a bit of a deeper connection with Lezah, but the story is definitely more action-driven. While the plot is engaging, we don't really get a sense for the world in which it is taking place. Obviously some Bad Stuff™ has gone down, leading to underwater cities and random imprisonment of teens, but there's definitely room for more exploration.

I don't know if this is part of a series, but if it is a standalone, the ending felt a bit unfinished. But the book in general is still gripping, as it seems that absolutely no one is safe in this world.

Bottom Line: Entertaining, if not particularly memorable. I enjoyed it, but would have been much more invested with more world-building.

Breakout by A. M. Rose is a young adult science fiction book and part of the Entangled Teen series. This book has non stop action, twists and turns that kept me hooked from beginning until the end. I do have to say that I enjoyed this author's other book, Road to Eugenica, much better. Looking forward to the next book in both of these series. I enjoy this book's unique story line, and recommend it.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, Thank you.

2.5 out of 5 stars.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review of Breakout.

Breakout is the story of how Lezah, a convicted criminal living on a futuristic hellscape death row, breaks out of prison and unwillingly picks up four friends while she's at it. The concept really caught my attention more than the cover did, and it promised a mystery -- one I don't really feel paid off as well as it could have. While the story scraped through passably in the end, I had a lot of problems with it.

I love the promise of a good mystery, but in Breakout, big revelations were fed to me in little, obvious pieces until I had figured 90% of it out by the time the bombshell actually dropped. It wasn't like I was being given clues, which is how this sort of thing can be fun. No, it was more like characters were just blurting parts of the truth (or nearly telling it but getting interrupted) until the whole picture was eventually on the table. Lezah didn't really do anything to gain any of this information for herself, it just slowly comes to her through flashbacks or word of mouth. So the payoff on that wasn't what I expected at all. There is a better twist toward the ending, but if you look closer, it involves logical failings and plot holes and starts to crumble quickly. I don't want to give anything away, but I wasn't saying "what" for the right reasons when I read that part.

I had trouble picturing Lezah's world. Not her immediate surroundings, but rather the world she lived in. At the start Lezah starts talking about technology, giving us some sort of futuristic indication, but nothing substantial. At first I thought that the setting was being withheld for plot reasons -- like in Inside Out, where (spoilers) the world outside the building is unknown because the big twist is that the building is a spaceship and there is nothing outside. Or in the Maze Runner, where the characters are amnesiacs who only learn of their world's fate once they escape. But this never eventuated -- at around 90% I realised that I still had a lot of holes in my understanding. Some of these were thankfully cleared up, but many more were not.

The characters were mostly forgettable. For once, the first person heroine is actually the most interesting character, but this comes at the expense of her being the only one who had developed interests, hobbies, and a personality that wasn't one-dimensional. You have this cool, smart teenager who is practically an engineer and then you have... Some other people. The second most interesting character isn't introduced until the start of the third act.

My main feeling here is that the author gave us snacks instead of feeding us an entire meal. Very few events stressed or satisfied me -- the novel just moves through from scene to scene without any time for reflection, character development or emotion. The first third was definitely more gripping than the second and third, simply because it set up grand things that never really eventuated in a satisfying way. It jumps from concept to concept -- first they are doing a classic breakout, then it suddenly turns into Maze Runner meets The Red Labyrinth (A recent release from Meredith Tate, if you want to know more I have a review up.) The change of scenery is odd but I'm willing to roll with it, because it would be cool if the only way out of the prison is through an impossible maze. Except... The maze isn't the exit. Or the entrance. It's just... In the middle of this prison for no reason that is made clear. It seems to exist to pad out the word count, separate the characters, and give them somewhere to kiss. And then once that's done with at around halfway through, they're back to the escape heist. After that you can find out for yourself, because it would suck for me to give it all away. Suffice to say though, don't go in expecting a consistent theme. I feel as though this is the concept for three books condensed into one -- each act seems to have a new objective and a theme of its own. Perhaps the world, characters and plot would have bloomed a lot better had it been more carefully crafted into a trilogy.

The only character development that is given any real attention is interpersonal relationships, and all bar one receive negligible attention at best; the relationship between Lezah and her love interest, with whom she had so little chemistry that it was impossible to feel invested. Lezah had a more interesting relationship with almost every other character, simply because her impressions of them were happening and adjusting in real-time, whereas all Seph's interesting relationship history with her is just another memory of hers. By the time they meet in the book, we have simply been told of a rivalry we never see and then it's full steam ahead to the mild sexual tension. There is a single reveal about their past later that is the only real piece of tension they experience, and it is resolved within two conversations without much inner dialogue about it from Lezah, if at all. As for the other characters, there are one or two things that come up (trying not to spoil much) but nothing to really make up for the lack of attention they were given as characters.

Toward the end at around 85-90%, a defining character moment of retribution is pushed aside to happen off-screen. This is the kind of scene that would bring some of the character definition and emotional turmoil that side characters in the book tend to lack, but we never see it. Lezah HERSELF even says "Too bad I couldn't be there to see it." Yeah, girl. Same.

This is a recurring theme. Secondary relationships (or one, in particular) develop off-screen and are barely addressed again. Revelations that seem significant are brushed aside as though they are nothing. At one point a character that has information about Lezah's past that both her and the reader have been waiting for just withholds it. Her reason? "You're not ready." We see no reasoning or thought process as to how she concluded this. This seemed to happen purely so Lezah can remember this important tidbit herself for slightly more drama. Frankly, the payoff wasn't worth it.

At this point you might be wondering if I have anything good to say about Breakout. Yes, I do! Despite the sad execution, the heroine and her concept are good. Also, at no point in this book did I EVER have difficulty imagining the spaces the characters were in. Despite all the narrative shortcomings I mentioned, this author really has a knack for letting you know exact where you are without spending eight paragraphs on descriptions. The setting establishment was short, sweet, and succinct. I can picture Lezah's cell, the walls of the maze, the air vents and service passages they used, all of it. Despite my problems, I really can't fault the prose itself. And finally, while the lead up to it was a big old mess, I did find myself enjoying the ending when it finally got to the point. The last couple of chapters were probably the parts I enjoyed the most. It's like everything interesting about Lezah and her world were finally being given to us, even though it did feel a little bit like the end of a Scooby doo episode. The ending actually giving us something is part of the reason my rating is 2.5 and not 1.5 or 2.

This is a classic case of a concept that really could have shone if it had the development it deserved. Why it didn't, I'm not sure and it's not for me to guess. Instead we have a novel that mostly exists within the main character's inner dialogue and we learn little of importance outside of that context. I would have loved to know more about the characters or the world. Rather than following a consistent arc, we get bunny hops until the end. I spent a lot of time wondering where all this was going, and not for the right reasons.

I won't say it was terrible, because I think very few books are truly terrible, and this one had a few redeeming features. It just wasn't anything special. Nothing about it stands out as noteworthy. I feel as though I will have forgotten I read it within a few weeks.

Good storyline, rushed ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Breakout by A.M. Rose!
A prison full of young prisoners, with the last of their lives ticking away while robots guard and serve them, makes up the character pool for the first part of the book. Two cell mates try to escape since they don’t have anything to lose. They get another prisoner added to the escape party and the three of them accidentally end up in a juvenile prison for young men. The young men decide to escape also, so they go together. The main character is often mentioning that things are happening to her only, “happening to me”, like being trapped within four stone walls. Then the next paragraph states that the rest of the group is in there with her. It’s misleading. Breakout is a conglomeration of Virtual Reality and bits and pieces that are reminiscent of popular book plots, such as Hunger Games, Maze Runner and I, Robot. I don’t feel like the ending is solid and seemed almost rushed and I didn't feel the pull towards the characters that I would have like to; 3.5 stars.

Sadly I really wanted to like this.book ,I mean look at the cover ,that's what got me to put it and request it,but unfortunately I'm DNF it at 23 % . It reminds me some what along the lines of the Maze Runner and while I did read that book I didn't really like it either. So with that said I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me at least give it a try , exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was awesome. The intricacies of video games and the realism of the prison is a great combination. I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover and blurb and am glad to have gotten an ARC from netgalley as it was a great read. Looking forward to what may happen next.

Breakout is a dystopian science fiction story. The story centers around a terrible prison where people who have done terrible things go to die. Lezah finds herself here, but she doesn't know why. The past month of her life is a total blank. This prison is technologically controlled with robots in charge. Each inmate wears a bracelet that counts down to their day of death. Lezah and another inmate find a way to remove the bracelet. They intend to escape. Will they make it out alive? The story is a fast read filled with action and suspense. It's entertaining and an overall good read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll admit it. I requested to read this book solely because of the awesome spider on the front cover. Yes, I quickly glanced at the blurb so was intrigued by how the prison escape would unfold but really, the spider had already clinched the deal.

“This is a place they send people to die when they’ve done something wrong. Really wrong.”

Lezah is number twenty-two. She’s in prison but has no memory of committing a crime, and the clock on her metal bracelet is counting down to her expiration date.

Escaping this prison will be harder than Lezah can imagine. She doesn’t know who she can trust and every step of the way is fraught with danger. With plenty of action and countless spiders, Lezah learns that there’s a lot more at stake than she realised.

In a world that could easily become ours in the not too distant future if we’re not careful, climate change has altered the landscape and technology is potentially awesome or scary as hell, depending on who’s controlling it.

The pace was maintained throughout the story and the characters were faced with almost constant danger. The world was interesting and the sequences in the prison were well thought out. I really liked Vaughn and wanted to get to know her more.

The romance didn’t work for me at all; it felt insta and unnecessary. This is probably just me but I tend to find it amusing rather than sweet when a girl has time to appreciate a boy’s eyes or the way he smells when an entire group of people are in potentially mortal danger. I keep thinking they’re wasting time focusing on that when they could be making a better plan to escape; they could ogle to their heart’s content once they’re safe.

I made the mistake of rereading the blurb around the halfway point and realised it spoiled a couple of things characters hadn’t figured out or revealed yet. It wasn’t until I was past 60% before the characters caught up.

I’d encourage you to read some five star reviews of this book. I got dazzled by the cover spider and enjoyed the story overall but I found some aspects of it very predictable. While there were several lengthy info dumps I was left with so many unanswered questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Teen, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC, for the opportunity to read this book.