11.5.2014 | Wednesday

The Revealed

category: Book Reviews
tag(s):
0 Comments

The Revealedtitle: The Revealed
author: Jessica Hickam
series: The Revealed #1
published: 17 June 2014
publisher: Spark Press
genre(s): action, dystopian, postapocalypse, romance, sci fi
pages: 265
source: Kindle Unlimited
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

rating: four-half-stars | series rating: five-stars

the blurb

Lily Atwood lives in what used to be called Washington, D.C. Her father is one of the most powerful men in the world, having been a vital part of rebuilding and reuniting humanity after the war that killed over five billion people. Now he’s running to be one of its leaders.

But in the rediscovered peace on Earth, a new enemy has risen. They call themselves the Revealed – a powerful underground organization that has been kidnapping 18 year olds across the globe without reservation. No one knows why they are kidnapping these teens, but it’s clear something is different about these people. They can set fires with a snap of their fingers and create a wind strong enough to barrel over a tree with a flick of their wrist. No one has been able to stop them, and they have targeted Lily as their next victim.

But Lily has waited too long to break free from her father’s shadow to let some rebel organization just ruin everything. Not without a fight.


my review

To me, the one thing that makes or breaks a good post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel is the connection to the world as we know it in the moment.  There has to be that thread of our own reality to truly bring the chilling possibilities home, to scare us with the potential for the utter destruction of our world as we know it.  Hunger Games did that with the world of Panem.  The Chemical Gardens did that with the total destruction of society in the United States.  And I felt like The Revealed accomplished that, too.

The story begins about six years after a nuclear war essentially destroyed the world.  Most of the United States is now a wasteland and society is virtually unrecognizable.  There are the very wealthy and there are the very poor with not a lot in between.  There are also the Revealed, a covert group of indivduals with outwardly questionable motives who selectively “kidnap” eighteen year olds.  It has become a part of life for the wealthy to hide their kids within secure compounds for the entire year in order to protect them, despite the fact that few get kidnapped and there is nothing that will stop those that are from being taken.

Our main character is Lily, currently on lockdown as her father vigorously campaigns for the upcoming presidential election.  This is the first election since the world was destroyed and the future depends on which candidate is chosen.  His opposition is the father of Kai, a childhood friend turned nemisis of Lily’s.  Both of these characters are extremely wealthy, the elite of new world.  They have all the advantages that most in this new world do not.  I did not expect to feel sympathy for them, but it is clear that money doesn’t solve everything.  If anything, it often makes things worse in this world.

There is so much to this story.  There was a little bit of romance between Kai and Lily, unexpected and pretty quick to happen.  This is something that usually bothers me, the concept of insta-love, but in this case… it works.  It is a world of chaos and Lily’s time is running out.  Everything about her life is in chaos and their romance is what she sees to be her last chance at having a life.  But this is so much more than romance.  The political intrigue reads like a Vince Flynn novel with no end of betrayals and conspiracies.  And there is a nice healthy dose of sci-fi right along with it.

I really enjoyed this book.  It kept me glued to the pages and reading.  Although there is currently no mention of it on Goodreads or the author’s site, there is another book coming caled The Enraged, which I am looking forward to.

Things to love…

  • The connection to the world as we know it.  That really highlighted the frightening possibilities for our own reality.
  • Lily’s choices.  I love that her choices revolved around remaining true to herself and her beliefs, rather than a guy.  Excellent role model!
  • The mystery and the intigure.  Loved it!

If you enjoy post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels, this is a good one to pick up.  I think this series has great potential!

 

About Jessica Hickam

After graduating from Arizona State University in 2011, Jessica relocated to Los Angeles where she now works in the film industry. From acting to assisting on the Paramount feature Star Trek: Into Darkness, her experiences have only reinforced her love for living in other worlds – whether they be from her own imagination or someone else’s.

Rating Report
plot
four-half-stars
characters
four-half-stars
writing
four-stars
pacing
four-half-stars
Overall: four-stars

reading challenges:

::spread the love::

Leave a Reply