Review: Romantic dystopian thriller sequel
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 6, 2014
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review* Please note that this review contains a few small plot spoilers.Susan's part in Kelsey's escape has backfired and she is being held in another facility against her will, forced to take part in taped therapy sessions. If she helps to discredit her friend and support Life First, they might have an incentive for her, but failure to do so could end in disaster.Susan was one of my favourite characters in Life First and I was hoping that we would find out what happened to her. Her story is central to the plot but we also get updates on what is happening to Kelsey in her new life which was also good. Rob was a nice addition as he was a really nice, ethical guy who wants to help people but got in over his head on a dodgy medical project. Kelsey's doctor is also back and I liked that we saw a different side to him in this book, giving him more depth and letting the reader see what makes him tick. The character development is strong and there are plenty of bad guys for our heroine to encounter, which is fun for the plot. The story flows nicely in our two locations with no confusion, and the storytelling is straightforward and easy to follow.Plot wise, I liked the action sequences with Kelsey in danger again, as it showed that she is not truly free even though she escaped from her prison cell. I liked the scenes were Rob's mother was interacting with Susan because you can feel her hatred shining through, and where the Colonel was making it clear what would happen if Susan refused to cooperate. These were tension filled sequences which let the reader experience the danger that Susan was in. I liked the way she was bullied and manipulated with the stick and carrot approach and the fact that a cure was dangled in front of her because we all want Susan to get that cure! The climax to the book was clever, well thought out and gripping for the reader, as you wonder whether success or failure is just around the corner.I liked both books in the series-book 1 was a mainly dystopian novel with elements of romance, friendship, betrayal and mystery to it. This book felt a bit more like a romance novel for Susan for the first two thirds of the book and then in the final third it returned to it's tension filled dystopian roots. I am not a fan of romance novels so I did find this a lot slower in plot when it went back to Susan and Rob each time. Their dates tended to drag a bit for me in places when I wanted to get back to escape plans or evil people trying to hurt them. It was still a good novel and these niggles are just about my personal taste and no reflection on the author or how good the plot was in general.Overall the book is enjoyable and tension filled, with something in it for fans of romantic suspence, dystopian and thrillers. I'm looking forward to the third book to see what happens to everybody.I rate this book 3 out of 5 on my star rating which is different to this site.1-didn't like2-ok3-like4-really liked5-loved