Review: Fadeout - My Review
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 16, 2013
Disclaimer: I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.Synopsis: Silas is a 13 year old Carillian held in a Cartiam waiting for his emotions to be harvested to provide energy for the planet. As part of a rigid caste society, Carillians are non-entities deemed worthless except for the energy harvested from their minds. Silas wants to escape to protect his sister, who is also held at the Cartiam. Together, they plot their escape.Jamar is a member of the Tirean caste, the upper crust of society and son of the owner of the Cartiam that holds Silas and his sister Malina. Jamar picks Silas to be his plaything and companion to stave off the boredom of staying at the Cartiam with his father. The relationship between Jamar and Silas becomes a central theme to the book. No spoilers, though!What I liked: This was an interesting plot concept. Harvesting the emotions of a lower caste to support the rest of society was a chilling and disturbing idea, but the author handled it quite well. I liked the Jamar character, and his journey through the relationship with Silas was very well done. Real life things like bullies, emotional manipulation, and dreams of all types of people were hallmarks of the book.What I didn't like:  There could have been a little more explanation of how the caste system came into being. There were references to it, but it was never quite explained enough for me. Malina's character seemed a little flat. The story flowed a little unevenly and there were a few grammatical errors (very few). Lastly, the ending seemed geared more toward a sequel than the conclusion of this story.Overall impression: Despite the things I listed above, I liked this book a lot. Silas' story was one of heartbreak and triumph and I look forward to the next installment!