Review: If the Matrix married the Inception, this book would be the teenage son....
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 14, 2012
The Creators is a sci-fi/psychological thriller covering of Andrew as he learns to deals with the mysterious loss of his girlfriend along with mysterious dreams and weird coincidences. On top of that, he must learn to tap into and utilize a completely overwhelming power that allows him to manipulate dreams and reality while also being chased by a vengeful brother who he barely knows, a dictator and an army of police. Did I mention he was just in high school still?This book combines the best parts of a lot of "science-fiction" authors that I have read in the past including Piers Anthony and the movies, "Total Recall", "Inception", "The Matrix" and "I am Number Four" It has the feel and pacing of a comic book, which was something rather unique because you don't get dragged down in unnecessary details to get the action. The author, Devin Rice, does an excellent job of creating elaborate and engaging action scenes from car chases to "dream" fights, to space fights, and more.Action, though, isn't the only thing that is good about this book. There is also the love story, which drives the story and provides the unifying theme. In this regard, it is most like the movie, "Inception" or the "Matrix", where the love story is the motivating factor for the main character's highs and lows. Likewise, in this book Andrew's love for Regina (a mixture of "puppy love" and surprisingly mature love) is what drives Andrew to do unimaginably heroic and incredibly insane things throughout the book. Coupled with the fact that Andrew and Regina meet each other in different time periods as different people, it is definitely a roller coaster ride!The other good thing about the book is the mystery. Unlike other science fiction books I have read, the heroes in this book don't really know the full extent of their powers, neither do their opponents. The author does a good job of providing little glimpses of their power, without giving away the full potential. This makes it interesting because you never know exactly how powerful anyone can get, hence the interesting action sequences.Overall, this is an interesting and engaging sci-fi thriller with a good plot and lots of interesting twists and turns from a highly unique perspective. I recommend for any "serious" science fiction readers, especially for teens and young adults. If you are a fan of any of the movies that I mentioned above, this is a book you want to take a look at.Pros:* Action scenes- Detailed scenes like in a comic book with plenty of action and description. You can feel each physical or "psychological" hit, blow by blow. Each character has their own set of powers and limitations, which leads to some interesting battles* Fast-moving plot- The plot does not let up! From beginning to end, this is a book that has action throughout the book.* Plot-The plot maintains its theme throughout despite the character's transformations. All of the characters go through some kind of change. This aspect of the book is what keeps the book a comprehensive whole. It comes together at different parts of the book, which makes it like a puzzle you have to read through to get to the endCons:*  Confusing sections of the plot- There are some sections of the plot there were a little confusing.1. "Dream" sections and "Reality"-It was a little hard to really tell if the characters were in a "dream" or in a reality because there was a lot of paranormal things2. Background of the characters-You are given a little insight into their characters, but basic questions about their life before this is scant. 2) The boundary between dream and reality was a little confusing at first, but you get used to it after awhile3. Extended conflicts-If there were anything that needed to be taken out of this book, it would be the length of the conflicts. They are little bit too long. After a while, you start wondering how the heroes and their opponents have any shred of existence left after the battles. Still, they are*  Language- The language is highly geared for teens and young adults and is written from their perspective and may not appeal to older readers; though the themes and emotions will speak to all ages.