Cover Image: Breakout

Breakout

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Actual rating is 3.5/5 stars.

So! Breakout.

Let me start of by saying that I did enjoy this book for what it was, a fast-paced, dystopian-vibe, prison breakout, YA novel with pretty enjoyable characters.

Things get started right away, like RIGHT away. About 5% in we're already getting into escape plans and forming bonds with characters. It starts off fast, and it doesn't ever slow down at all. At some points it gets a little TOO fast, but it doesn't detach much from the overall story. If you like a slow-burn, this is not the book for you. Period. Even the dialogue scenes between characters move at a much greater pace than what you'd expect.

The characters were pretty enjoyable for me for the most part! I enjoyed most of them, save for Ruthie, who I just never really enjoyed. Trip was enjoyable, but did get to be borderline annoying MULTIPLE times. Vaughn was someone I wish I had more time to get to know, and I'm adding Clare into that mix as well. Lezah and Seph were the ones I enjoyed the most, but Lezah is definitely the one who stands out. I enjoyed the group dynamic they shared, and seeing them connect all the pieces to the puzzle and interact with one another, trying to solve the bigger picture, was fun! They're thankfully likable characters.

So going off of all that...I did have issues. First off, the writing style. Though I liked it, I didn't like that sometimes the information of the mystery would be overly explained to us. I was able to figure it out just fine, but then there'd be just paragraphs, or even pages, of explanations when we already knew all that. Another things: the AI. There are different types of AI in this book, some mentioned and some playing an important part. I know NOTHING about them. That's one thing I would've liked explained. It just felt shoved in and I just found myself thinking "well what are they? what do they do?" and it was honestly annoying. Lastly, I didn't enjoy the ending sequence. It was building and then it just...stops. All this buildup, with emotions running high, and then just a few words makes everything suddenly ok. Like? WHAT!? I was expecting more, and the scene right after this just didn't help since it all worked out way too well and fast. This is where the fast pace just doesn't fit! It ruins the ending, albeit a happy ending, and I wish we could've gotten more.

Despite all that, I did enjoy it. It's a fun, fast-paced read that is sure to keep you preoccupied if you need it! I still do recommend this if the summary sounds interesting to you.

ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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The hunger games meets The maze runner: in this fast-paced book set in futuristic and post-war California, Lezah doesn't remember why she's imprisoned. Escaping from the prison where she's being kept and teaming up with a bunch of other teenage prisoners, Lezah is on the road to discover what is happening to her homeland and what is happened to her.
Good plot (sometimes a bit predictable), well rounded characters who I want to know more about in the next installation, and believable and well-crafted worldbuilding.

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Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an excellent YA Sci fi novel. From the beginning you could sense the despair, and isolation of Lezah prison. She is imprisoned with lots of other girls for a crime she can't remember committing and guarded by killer robots. She escapes and runs with friends that help and hinder her plans to return to her family. I enjoyed following her journey and cheering for her friends. Survival is difficult with each obstacle they encounter but they all work together to get through it.
The author creates an imaginative world run by controlled machines and VR controlled humans. Great character building and suspense. Awesome read.

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I don't want to say that I was disappointed in Breakout because the concept was really cool and its the darker side of dystopia which I love. BUT I am really disappointed. In 2019 I decided I wasn't going to force myself to finish books that I wasn't enjoying anymore, but I made an exception for Breakout because I did want to know more about this world and why things were the way they were. But you never actually find any of those things out?

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Its not often I get a book based on the cover but this cover really pulled me in (I am a huge sucker for spiders) and once I read the blurb I knew I had to read the story that went along with it.
I am new to this author and still fairly new to YA/Sci-Fi stories. While there were many things I liked about this story, there were also a few things that didn't work for me (also please remember that I received an early copy so some things might change upon the final draft and because of that parts of my review might also become irrelevant).

What I enjoyed about this book (besides the cover) were the creatures, the pace, and the main character. The story is like a Sci-Fi prison escape, maze like filled with some pretty awesome creatures. They were well written, diverse, interesting and just plain fun to read about. The story never losses pace, its fast and detailed. I loved that it caused me to flip the pages faster and kept me involved. Also the main character was a great choice for this story because she is bold, smart, level headed and a tad bit sassy. I enjoyed reading about her adventures and I can see her in more stories.

What didn't work as well for me was the authors writing style, as well as I felt there was too much added to the story. First, the author's writing style of short sentences. Was very annoying. It made the story very choppy. And dulled the flow. Much like this example. I also didn't think the author trusted the readers enough because it felt like everything was over explained. The author would mention something then explain it, even if it was easy for the reader to connect to without that added explanation. Last thing, I feel like the author took a bunch of notes from watching Sci-Fi movies and incorporated a bit of all of them. I think the author could have cut back and still had a great story.

I think others will enjoy this read if they are looking for an easy fast YA story. It was enjoyable if not a bit “been there, read that.” The ending was good and I can definitely see more stories with this group of characters. There are still some questions that need answered. I received an ARC via NetGallery and I am leaving an honest review.

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