Revived - Cat Patrick

Pages: 327

Published: April 1st 2012 by Hardie Grant Egmont

Genre: Contemporary/ Sci-Fiction/Y.A

Format: Paperback

Acquired: Library

Date Finished: 9^th October 2012

Synopsis:

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined

Thoughts/ Review:

When I first heard about Revived my thoughts were intrigue and a deep desire to pick up this book, to own it if possible. I ended up picking it up from the library and to be honest I am glad that I did. Revived was certainly not what I expected. From reading the synopsis I had different expectations of the story I was getting myself into, however revived was a fantastic story with a unique concept.

It’s safe to say that Revived was a more contemporary novel than sci-fi or dystopian which were themes that did run throughout the story, just not as strongly as I imagined. Daisy is a character that is easy to relate to, and interesting in the way that she fits with society and within her own ‘family.’ I found that her story was one of growth and acceptance and I feel that as a character when her eyes were opened she really started to question everything with maturity and Intelligence. The way she responded, even at times though it wasn’t the smartest way to react were justified and it broke my heart to see how the program affected so many lives; including Daisy’s.

Revived did suffer a case of Instant love, in the way that the relationship blossomed pretty quickly, but to me it was real and raw and it was honest. For her age and the situations that unfolded Cat let their romance unfold naturally and it was a really great experience to read. I could relate to their attraction, hell who couldn’t?  Haven’t we all had that attraction to that guy in high school, or the guy at work? I myself have had the attraction to some of my friend’s brothers as well, so I thought that element was cute and I liked Matt. He was mature in his own right, even despite what he was experiencing and I think he was a great match for Daisy and the fact that there was just a one on one relationship with the two of them made for better reading in my opinion. It allowed room for character growth between the two of them and made me enjoy each character more in their own right.

Audrey was a beautiful character and her situation is real and one I have experienced only if briefly. Her own journey and part in the story was wonderfully explored and her impact on Daisy and the characters surrounding was well fleshed out and one of the best parts of the story.

The ending of this book was a kicker. I certainly was on the edge of the bed, my heart beating. A little to jumpy but excited to find out what happens. Although the ending leaves a little to be desired in regards to the program itself and what happened to the villains it makes me wonder if she plans on writing or continuing with concept or if it’s a stand alone. I would certainly recommend this if you enjoy a strong contemporary read with a little flair of Sci-Fi, but if you’re looking for a heavy Sci-Fi book then this might leave you a little stung. For me I took it how it was and enjoyed it for what is. A great, quick and well paced read that I enjoyed immensely.

I am giving this:

★★★★

Bee Stings.