Series: Insignia, Book One
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Format: ARC
Published: 2nd August 2012
Number of Pages: 464
Book: For Review*
Genre:
Realistic-Fiction, Science-Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Horror,
Action-Adventure, YA
Recommended
Age: 12+
Contains: Violence, Death, Mild Swearing, Space War (Awesome Space War!)
No Alcohol, Drug References
Author's
Site: S.J. Kincaid
A thrilling sci-fi adventure.
An unforgettable hero.
Fourteen-year-old Tom Raines looks set to go the
same way as his listless, gambling addict of a gather, with no hope for the future – until one day everything changes.
Tom is recruited by the State to become a
Combatant: one of an elite group of teen soldiers, chosen for their unique
virtual reality skills, to fight World War III in space!
But is Tom’s future really as sage as the army
claims? Are there spies, and corruption,
in their number?
And what happens when you question the rules?
Review:
The world is split in two, at war with one
another. A war for the solar system...
Tom Raines is a gamer, playing to keep a
roof over his and his dad's heads, his father being an unsuccessful gambler.
But as much as Tom loves his father and gaming, he can't help wishing for more.
Wishing to be important.
And then his wish comes true. Someone has
noticed him, his amazing skill at virtual reality games. He's accepted into the
Pentagonal Spire, a military academy where he will be trained to fight in World
War Three.
It's like all Tom's dreams have come true
all at once; he's important, taller, acne-free, with a computer as a brain and
a cause to fight for – and maybe even a girlfriend.
But before his new life has even truly
begun, will everything be torn apart; will he be forced to leave the Spire? To
go back to being a nobody?
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked
this up. I'd been told that if you love Cherub
you'd love this, so I was picturing teen spies. And while there were teens and bundles of action, Insignia was in a world of its own. It
was funny and addictive, with the most amazing characters and world. I was expecting another dark dystopia, but
this was so, so, so much more than
that. It was original, it was addictive, it was freakin' hilarious. I loved this book to pieces!
Tom Raines was someone I loved right away. He was clever, sneaky, brave and funny, and
just made me grin with his witty snark and cheekiness! I just loved him! Oh, and he was also such an evil genius! And as
sweet as he was and as much as I loved him, the boy really did have the killer instinct!
All the characters were incredible,
hilarious and either utterly and completely loveable or hateable. Par example, Dalton I hated with a passion.
Tom, Vik, Wyatt, Beamer and Yuri, meanwhile, I adored! And the friendships
between them all were so real, so sweet, so funny! God, I loved them all –
especially Vik the “the spicy Indian”
who made me laugh non-stop and Wyatt Enslow, AKA “Man Hands” or “Evil Wench”,
who had no social skills and really made me laugh with her wit! Oh, and Elliot Ramirez I started off thinking
was really stuck up, but he really did grow on me: he was do sweet and friendly
and his inspirational talks killed me!
I have to mention Vik and Tom’s friendship,
because they were just classic! Those two absolutely killed me; they
actually had me cracking up in public spaces. I was enjoying their wittiness too much to
even care about looking like a total weirdo! Their immature madness was addictive and
absolutely sent me into hysterics. I LOVE
the "Doctors of Doom" (PhD
and MD)!
The world was amazing and so well thought
out. And the technology? Amazing!
The virtual reality games, the way the
war was fought; it was all so new and, well, amazing! I liked the parallel to privatisation and
media moguls in this book, how they bought about World War Three – it intrigued
me, in a twisted way. And you know what?
I just want to jump feet first into this world, to be a CamCo myself and fight
wars in space. And that may sound kinda nerdy, but trust me. If you read this
book, you'll so totally get it!
The writing was just brilliant! Witty, action-packed, addictive and absolutely hilarious! I don't know how Kincaid did it, but her words
and characters just had me creased with laughter. It also had me scared, touched and just
overall hooked. Loved it! And the plot was equally
addictive! I was sucked in from the very
first page and hooked from start to finish!
This was a believable, funny, technology-filled, action-packed and
twisty book I just gobbled up. I loved that most of the plot was completely
unforeseeable, that it twisted and turned and never failed to surprise me!
I loved that Insignia wasn't depressing like so many dystopias, but that it had
the perfect mix of horror and humour, adventure and friendship, technology and
emotions. I loved everything about this
book! I seriously cannot recommend this
one enough! Kincaid is an author to look
out for, an author who had me hooked to every word. I cannot wait for the next in the series! Ms Kincaid, you have a new number one fan in
The Book Addicted Girl!
Star Rating:
5 Out of 5
5 Out of 5
Read this
book if you liked:
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Cherub by Robert Muchamore
Department 19 by Will Hill
Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore
Challenges
It's Taking Part In:
Happy Reading
Megan
* This
book was received from Hot Key Books in exchange for an honest review
1 comment:
I featured this one on my blog a couple of weeks ago, and I've been eagerly awaiting its release ever since! I'm so glad you enjoyed the book so much, you've made me even more excited to read it!
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