| Title | : | Remake (Remake, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1609079248 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781609079246 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published October 14, 2014 |
But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision
and worries about her upcoming Remake Day -- her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.
When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom
Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is
pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test
her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?
Remake (Remake, #1) Reviews
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Look, Ma. I wrote a book! #TotallyUnbiasedRating
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"Remake" is pretty well written, better than many other YA novels I have picked up. A rating of two stars feels a little harsh, but three stars feels a little too generous.
I thought that the idea of a society where children are raised androgynously is a very interesting concept, and to be perfectly frank I was disappointed with what the author chose to do with it. This book literally contains bible passages which are used to reinforce gender norms. I'm disappointed that this book is just a reinforcement that being gender-fluid or transgender is bad, as unfortunately it seems like that was the underlying message of this book. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering the publisher's track record.
Despite being written in first-person I felt like I didn't understand the deep desires and thoughts of this character. She never once made a decision for herself, and her morals and wants are easily influenced by whichever cute boy is standing the closest at the moment. "Remake" features a stereotypical dystopia love-triangle, with two equally repulsive males competing for her attention. One suffers from violent outbursts, the other successfully changes Nine into a completely new person.
The plot had several inconsistencies and was predictable at times. I understand that this book is to be part of a trilogy, however I don't have enough interest in the characters or world to want to come back for more. By the end of the book I was ready for a resolution, not a cliff hanger.
Read if: you are new to dystopia novels and prefer your books to have Christian morals.
Skip if: Christian fiction isn't your thing. -
It's a romance disguised as a dystopian novel.
In Freedom One, Nine can chose how she wants to look like when she turns seventeen. The only problem now is what exactly does she want to look like? What's the difference between a boy and a girl? How do babies appear? In Freedom One, no one really knows except for the evil Prime Minister/ Dictator.
In the plane, on her way to be Changed, her plane crashes and she is stranded on an Island with a family that gladly helps her out...and then she meets Kai...
From then on, Remake turned into a love story.
The plot is too simple for my liking and I really don't like how she just ditches Theron like that for Kai when I simply don't see anything in Kai that would make me like him. He's a fcking asshole and treats her like shit and then three chapters later they're making out. What would Kai see in Nine? Some naiveté perhaps? *sigh* I don't get it.
Everything else was fine, but this book just doesn't stand out. -
After a lot of pondering I've decided this is not the book for me or for people like me. It's a book you have to engage with on a purely emotional level and go along for the ride of the emotional character arc while ignoring or accepting the limits of the world building and bigger potential plot.
Remake asks a lot of questions that it never really answers and honestly for all that Nine is calling herself brave by the end of the book I don't see it. She rarely, if ever, really makes her own choices. Coincidence and circumstances forge her choices and she's often a bystander in her own life. When real conflict threatens it's always eased away because someone gives in, or something else comes up to give her another choice. Common sense is frequently discarded and it makes me want to slug her because her ignorance and selfishness continually puts at risk the people who she claims to love and herself.
It was a book that was a start, but never really went anywhere. There is an evil overlord society, there is a rebel cause and it doesn't matter in the slightest to the story. It's just a nice backdrop that it's hung against. In the end I'm not satisfied and I want to be because the right questions are there, but the exploration and the answers aren't. -
This book was a work of bravery. Bravo.
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Wow! I absolutely adored this book. I was instantly drawn into the character's world and voice. Nine is completely believable and 100% genuine in her thoughts and responses to things.
The world Ilima Todd creates is so beautifully creepy and unique I was just in love with it, but I think the juxtaposition of that and how life could be. Wow. It's very powerful. She doesn't shy away from the stickier subjects involved with the society she creates, but in the end it still has a great message. I think it was just a beautiful poignant novel!
I am also so torn about the guys in this book too! Don't worry it's not like a big love triangle. But I love them both. I think she made the right choice, but I hope we get more from the other guy and he finds his happy ending too!
I am emotionally invested in these characters! And that, my friends is a very good thing! I sure hope there is more coming! -
This is one of those rare books that lingers in your mind long after you finish the last page and lay the book down. The themes of the book are thought-provoking and powerful, but it is the characters which have found their way into my heart and seem to want to stay there. If you want a book that will capture you from page one, weave a descriptive spell, make you fall in love and shed a few tears, Remake will not disappoint. The only drawback is that the book ended. I need more!
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Iedere maand wordt er een batch van tien jongens en tien meisjes geboren. Ze groeien gezamenlijk op en zijn allemaal identiek hetzelfde. Op hun zeventiende verjaardag is het Remake day en mogen ze allemaal bepalen hoe ze eruit gaan zien en welk beroep ze willen hebben. Het verhaal deed me een beetje denken aan Uglies, al kan ik me niet meer herinneren of je daar ook zelf je uiterlijk mocht kiezen. Erg interessant aan Remake vind ik dat je op je 17e ook je geslacht mag kiezen: het hoofdpersonage Nine stelt haar gender voortdurend in vraag. Wat maakt iemand een man? En wat is vrouwelijk? Een gedurfde thematiek.
Het boek leest vlot en doet je verlangen naar meer. Nine is een zeer fijn hoofdpersonage. Hier en daar is het plot wat cliché, maar echt storen deed het me niet.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op
Oog op de Toekomst. -
A very wishy-washy slightly edgy three stars. I'm kind of all over the place when it comes to my thoughts about this book. Stick with me...I'm sure I'll make some sort of conclusion! :D So we have a book that the characters are genderless until they are seventeen and then they get to be remade into whatever they want to be. Think the Giver with a dash of Divergent and the Bible. (Yes, I realize that's a bit of a crazy mixture.) So there is this genderless (for all purposes I'm just going to say she is a girl) girl named Nine and a few days before her remake she ends up stranded on an island where people live in these fascinating units called "families". This message I did like. The message that we need people to love in our lives that in turn love us unconditionally. I think the thing I struggled with was feeling attached to the characters. I couldn't make that connection that made me overly care. And the main boy was kind of a jerk until he magically wasn't and that kind of threw me for a loop. It talks about sex in a more animalistic mating sense and has the possibility of making young boys squeamish with it's talk about maturation. All in all...I think I choose to remain a fence sitter on this one and stick with my muddled stars.
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WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.
But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision and worries about her upcoming Remake Day -- her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.
When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?
UPDATED MY TAKE
I just listened to the audiobook again. If anything, I think I love this book even more this time around. I'd forgotten that there are religious (Biblical) references in it. It's not done heavy handedly, imho, but if that kind of thing bugs you, this is probably not the book for you.
What struck me so much this time was that I love the character Theron even more this time around. What a wonderful guy, a great best friend/brother/father to have. The second book has been announced, Resist, and I'm looking forward to the audiobook coming out.
MY TAKE
I've been wanting to read this book since it first came out earlier this year, but it wasn't until I was able to get my hands on a copy of the audiobook that I was able to. The narrator did a fabulous job and really added to the experience.
As for the story, it resonated with me on a number of different levels. My heart was totally engaged in the characters--the friendship Nine has with Theron (I hope I spelled it right since I only had the audiobook and not the paper one), the family who takes her after she's shipwrecked, and Kai. I loved these people.
Todd totally pulled me into the little island society. I've lived in the tropics, and I have a daughter who lives in Hawaii. Todd's writing made me feel so much like I was there with Nine; I could taste and feel it all so vividly.
***Spoiler Alert***
I may not be giving much away, and I will be careful not to say too much, but I did want to give the warning.
The thing that struck me the most was one of the themes of this story. Yes, it's another dystopian society that's just gotta be brought down (I'm so glad this is the first of a trilogy). There was a feel for me of "Logan's Run" and even one of Anne McCaffrey's "Killashandra". But most of all, I loved it because it made me think. There's one point where Kai is talking about the problems of the society in Freedom, that the people are offered a "false freedom".
It struck me that too often anymore people are offered "freedoms" that lack authenticity. They are shallow substitutes for more substantial things. One of those is the other theme: family. And the power of a loving one. I loved this about Remake.
And I loved the satisfying ending. While it was obvious there's more to come in the story, I wasn't left hanging. I'll be in a hurry to pick up the next book.
And I have some hopes for a certain best friend of Nine's and a sister of Kai's ... -
One of the best-paced stories I've ever read. Nine's journey of self-discovery is gripping. I especially loved her time on the island with an actual family. Awesome read!
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Check out my blog at
www.UtopiaNeverComes.blogspot.com
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I was really thrown off by how incredible I found this book. Had I known it was so good, I would have picked it up months ago; Another great dystopian book!! Although I tend to dislike books that sneak in Christian undertones, I did like the book as a whole. Could I have lived without the lines about one man and one woman getting married and birthing the next generation... Yes! Did it sour my entire experience... definitely not!
I found a few parallels in this story to the wonderfully written series by Scott Westerfeld, Uglies. In both stories, characters live in a society where when they come of age, they are forced to make a choice to change their appearance. In both books, I saw parallels to our own society. In every country, every day there are children who think themselves not beautiful enough or thin enough or something of the sort. With teen suicide at an all time high in our world, I believe more books with morals in them about loving yourself should be written. This story definitely tries to portray that all people are born different and your differences are what make you beautiful... and I LOVED that about it!
I have read reviews that are negative about Remake, because they believe that it's strong Christian undertones are masking a diss on LGBT lifestyles. I can definitely see where someone may misinterpret that from what was written, but as a Homosexual Male, I choose to not see it that way. If the author was meaning to write this book as a "hate-letter to the LGBT community", then why was the character's best friend, Theron (who was in love with her), okay with her earlier decision to change sexes and become a man? Although she later decided against that change, Theron still wanted to live with her and his love for her never faltered.
I'm not giving a run through of the book in this review, because I really want you to read it for yourself. Give me feedback on what you think about the book, because it does really drag up a lot of emotions. -
I really wanted to like this book, but despite it being in one of my favorite genres I was disappointed. The author clearly had little respect for or understanding of non- binary people or LGBTQIA people. My biggest issue with this is that LGBTQIA people are look for representation in literature and this book on the surface seems to fit the bill, but this was very bias against and even hurtful to people with those identities. If this was marketed as Christian fiction, I believe this book could find satisfied readership. I still worry that with that marketing this would perpetuate and reinforces bias and intolerance.
There are secondary issues with pacing, world building, character development, and a rushed love triangle. The worst of these being that if you traded the main character out with an object like a rubber duck the story would not change. This is a common writing problem but with a minor theme being “girls can be brave too” I just wish Nine had more agency.
This is the authors first book and she had an amazing concept. I just hope that in future writing she hires a sensitivity reader to help weed out bias. -
I was so disappointed by this book. I saw the premise, and I was so excited to see a YA novel wrestling with the idea of gender non-conformity. However, this book would likely be very harmful if read by a young person who was struggling with gender identity. Remake has a very clear point of view, and it would be a good read for those that share that point of view or are looking to understand that particular point of view more deeply. I would reccomend staying away from this book if you think it could be triggering for you.
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In a world where the definition of family is anything goes, it was so refreshing to read a book that really explored all the sacred things family gives us - love, acceptance, sacrifice. As a side note I was so worried about the love triangle. In general I hate them and usually end up hating the characters in them, but this love story was awesome. Finally a girl that makes a choice no matter how hard it is.
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cannot believe the hatred towards the LGBT community in this book. Yes, a society that accepts transgender people has turned its back on family values, therefore, the entire concept of family will be foreign to this sinful society. Honestly floored by how many positive reviews this got.
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I've had my eye on this book for quite some time, ever since I first saw it at the local Deseret Bookstore. When I got it for Christmas, I was thrilled!
Gender is a hot-button cultural issue with many psychological and religious, even political, undertones. Thus, I was very impressed to see an author of faith had taken it on. That's brave. People of faith aren't politically popular right now, unless you're the Pope. And wearing it on your sleeve can earn you plenty of condemnation from your peers. Sure enough, when I went to rate this book FIVE STARS on Goodreads, I ended up exposed to plenty of negative, even angry, reviews. Fortunately, there are enough glowing reviews to land it very near to four whole stars cumulatively.
But this is an Afterglow Review, and this review blog is reserved for those books that wow-ed you, impressed you, or changed you, leaving you somehow better. Remake did that for me. I read it with my husband, which made me blush a bit in the particularly gushy parts, but definitely made the humor more fun. The mystery of it left us speculating and predicting throughout the book as we tried to figure out exactly why Nine is the way she is, so different from everyone else, and what the Prime Maker would do with her if she didn't do what was expected.
The part that impacted me, though, was the artful articulation of the true meaning and joy of FAMILY. It is, after all, what this book is all about. It ponders the questions, "Is family important? Necessary? Desirable? Or is it restrictive of freedom, oppressive of women, and inciting to revolution?"
For those of us who advocate for the continued protection of the natural family (I include myself as a homeschool mom who advocates for parents rights), family means something more to us than it seems to mean to those who believe a child is better off as a ward of the state. It means bundles of pride and joy, to be sure, but it also means mutual sacrifice, deep and abiding love, and an eternal sense of belonging that goes beyond all other affiliations in your life. Not everyone feels this way about family, and not everyone has had a beautiful experience in her own family. It can be difficult for family-lovers to articulate exactly why the family unit is worth protecting and proliferating.
Ilima Todd gently and with plenty of awkward humor, helps us discover the depth of meaning in the family pattern through the eyes of an androgynous girl without family who is fostered into a tight-knit, God-fearing, and hard-working family. From her new mother, she learns what a mother even is, that it's sometimes a painful role to play, and that her impact with a few whispered words can reach her children months later across an ocean. From her new father, she learns how fathers and mothers lead together, how the love of parents is the glue that binds the whole family together, and how to lead with love. From her new siblings, she learns that you can be happy no matter your circumstances, that complaining makes things a lot worse, and that everybody in the family has work they can do for the good of all.
Even though Nine is eased into this new life, it is still very alien to her, having grown up in a batch of genetically engineered children as the social pariah with only one best friend to protect her from ceaseless teasing. She weighs the good and the bad in what she sees, and struggles with concepts like freedom vs. loyalty or choice vs. acceptance of things that aren't easily changed. All she's ever wanted her entire life is to change who she is completely so she can be more like her best friend in every way, even down to his gender. She mistakenly believes that strength and courage are male traits. Right up to the last chapter, the reader must wonder what she will choose to be. Even if you disagree with the Biblical and historic definitions of family, this story will allow you to explore what a world would be like where children aren't considered their parents' charges and natural birth within families is not only discouraged, but illegal.
A good dystopia shows us ourselves in a fun-house mirror to make us think about the distortions and what the real picture is and should be. Suzanne Collins in The Hunger Games forced us to realize the disgusting glamorization of violence in our entertainment by inventing a society where war and entertainment were one and the same. Ilima Todd has shown us our disregard for family stewardship, parents rights, and a child's need for the complementary and different abilities of both parents by inventing a society that isolates children from any constant caregivers, punishes parents for procreating and systematically sterilizes new citizens of a city ironically called Freedom 1.
In one particularly haunting conversation with the Prime Maker, Nine asks herself, "And what if I choose to be me?" -
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2015/1...
The concept behind Remake is very interesting. Males and females having their hormones suppressed until the age of 17. It made me wonder if this is how they would turn out. I am still not quite sure because they sounded like perfectly normal teenagers, except they all looked androgynous.
However, I just could not connect to this main character. Like I said, she struck me as a normal teenager with normal reactions, thoughts and doubts, except they were taken to a whole new level because she and the others actually got to choose who they want to be remade into, from every detail down to the gender.
There was a lot of pondering on why to choose either gender. She asks herself several times what it means to be a male or a female. It got a tad repetitive at some point, as did her insecurities. It's refreshing to have a main character that is not all hands on approach but only up to a point. Then it just sounds whiny. And boy was she whiny.
Also, she never questioned anything. Example: they have history lessons about how Earth's overpopulation led to people being made in small batchets. Was our main character never curious about how they were created before? No. I guess she just assumed they were always made, even though she has no idea how. Then there's this virus that killed lots of people because there was overpopulation? How can no one question that?
Nine's whole existence revolved around her red hair and freckles, who no one in her batch had, and her best friend, who stood up for her on every single occasion. So here we have a main character who wants to be just like her brave friend. Not find who she is, no, she wants to be exactly like her friend. I could have lived with that if there had been proper explanations and character development.
Things got a bit interesting after the shuttle crash. New characters and a new way of living comes into the picture.
But once it turned all teenage loveish I went back to losing interest for the most part. Nine - and yep, she kept that ridiculous name the entire book, even when said love interest suggests a much better one for her - slowly grows into her own. There's a lot of playful banter and yet more indecision. Then all of the sudden promises of eternal love and everything it entails. *barf* (sorry, let me wipe that for ya...)
Sorry. I am just not a fan of hateful relationships turning into love just because, or love triangles for that matter. Both of those need to be really well done to catch my interest. Neither did in this book.
And then it got even worse. There were things that just didn't make sense. *le sigh*
From then on, I cannot say I enjoyed the book much. I had figured out most of the revelations well before they were told, except for one which did surprise me.
In the end, I finished not even knowing how such a world was possible. I have read a lot of dystopias and can't say I ever finished feeling this way. It's just so odd.
Alas, it was a quick read and I think some teens will enjoy it. I did feel engaged by some of the descriptions and the writing was very easy to follow. There are several intriguing concepts, such as being able to change everything in your body, if you would feel happy then, at what lengths you'd go to fit in, the importance of family, amongst others. Being a christian, I enjoyed those and others.
I definitely enjoyed the first bit of the book more because it introduced me to a new reality. Too bad I felt it was not properly backed up and there was just too much teenage stuff for me to enjoy. I did not find the main character interesting in the least and the romance completely overwhelmed what could have been a great dystopia.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. -
**3.5 stars**
This book provoked many different thoughts and questions for me.
Basically, it's a dystopian book where the people of Freedom 1's hormones are repressed until they turn 17. They don't go through a natural maturation process. This allows them the opportunity to be "remade". They can pick their gender, their skin color, teeth color, hair color, every thing a person can imagine about appearance can be altered to personal preference.
Nine is the main character. She is female. Her appearance is odd because she has red hair and freckles. At least it begins to grow out red, until her head is shaved, another way to keep the children without an identity. On her 17th birthday she boards a shuttle to go to the remake facility. Her plane crashes into the ocean and she is picked up by Islanders. Their society is a traditional society. It is made up of families, where people live with the attributes they are born with. They are loved and have consequences for decisions, emotional support, and mental stability.
The idea of a family is new to Nine. All of the beliefs that she grew up with are challenged and she learns to adapt and think outside of the module she knows.
I liked that this book took a hard look at the importance of families. It gave a perspective that freedom doesn't come by choosing to change our bodies, it comes from inside and having friends and family to love and accept you.
I had a hard time with some of the situations in the book. They weren't bad, just a little uncomfortable. Physical intimacy is looked at clinically. I don't think I would let younger YA readers read the book. There is material that require maturity.
I don't know if this is a stand alone book. There is a lot of places that Ilima Todd can take this story. I am interested to find out more about this dystopian society and hope that implodes! Overall, I would say that this is a good debut for this author. -
I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. Lucky me! When it's available to all, I highly suggest picking it up. Fun, yet thoughtful read.
This book fit right in the dystopian genre, however I really liked the imagery and real-world elements of the island life in the middle. It made me feel even more connected to the world she created (maybe that's because I dream of living the island life). Some people may say, "oh this part is like this other book where people get to be made pretty," or "she named the main character NINE...she must've just added the number 5 to FOUR from that other book." But even though parallels can be drawn (LIKE WITH EVERY OTHER BOOK THAT IS IN THE SAME GENRE), Ilima does a great job in making every character and plot choice relevant to the book. So don't hate on the parts that cause you to possibly reflect on other books or stories. All stories spring from the same elements, and when a book is a specific genre, there are specific elements that MUST be there to put it in that genre. But honestly, I enjoyed this book much more than those other two I slightly referenced above.
I also thought the author created a believable, not-so-distant future, type of world ironically named Freedom. Yes, they have the freedom to choose who they will be on the outside, however, they are distracted by that superficial choice into giving up other freedoms. I think we are often distracted by the superficial in todays world, forgetting what's really important.
The author crafts the story in a way to help the reader and the character within the story naturally form opinions on what is really important in life. Can't wait to read more from Ilima Todd! -
First thing I have to say is that the cover is gorgeous and absolutely fits the plot and character featured. Nine is a teen waiting for her 17th birthday when she will pick her trade and be "remade" as either a male of female. She is free to choose her physical features and ultimately the trajectory of her life according to her society's laws. But what she does not understand is that there is a whole other reality out there that involves family, fertility and love. This book tested the limits of conventionally accepted values and the turn our society is taking towards gender less definition of youth at the same time. It openly discusses sex, gender, and God but is set in a futuristic dystopian society much like The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld or Divergent by Veronica Roth. I personally would not let my children read it until they are older and had been well exposed to both sex and gender issues. However, as an adult who has read a wide range of similar YA dystopian books, I enjoyed Remake as a fresh take on what could very well be in our near future. The themes are freedom of choice, family, seeking truth and government oppression.
I wish there would have been a bit more character development, especially with the two boys she has to choose between. And, I am hoping there is a sequel, as this was announced as a two book deal and there are a lot of open ends at the conclusion of Remake. Would I recommend it? Yes. But moms and dads, please pre read before passing it on. Adults, this is thought provoking and extremely timely. Well done Ilima. You've asked and introduced some very important questions. -
Recommended to me by my good friend, Angie whose friend is the author. I am so glad I read this book. With the traditional family, consisting of a female mother and a male father with children, being challenged in the world today, I love that Ilima Todd has so boldly declared what makes this traditional family and it's relationships so precious. I am not generally a fan of Dystopian/Science Fiction novels. But this one is great! I could totally relate to Nine and her insecurities and her confusion. We all go forward in life and make decisions based on our knowledge or in some cases our ignorance. When we receive more knowledge and our "eyes are opened" we have to choose how that will effect the way we make decisions in the future. Whether that knowledge comes from circumstances that happen around us or to us, or whether it comes from our study and actively searching for it, it doesn't matter. What matters is what we do with that information we gain.
I love books that keep your mind going even after the book is finished and it is back on the bookshelf. (My intellectual side) This book does that for me. I didn't know, until reading about "Remake" on "Goodreads" that the author was thinking of this as the first book in a series. It definitely is a stand alone novel and can be read as such. Although, I am interested in what elements of the story a 2nd and 3rd book would reveal.
Update: Re-read in September 2016 and I enjoyed my re-read just as much. I want to read the other books in the series now.
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I wasn't intending to read this book - YET. It was on my TBR shelf and fell into my hands after a long day when I was hunting for distraction. Ilima had a touchy premise that made me squirm just a little bit, especially with the current climate of questioning the importance of gender in our society.
I started reading and was immediately taken with Nine's story. As it progressed, I enjoyed the perspective Nine could offer, coming from a place of no knowledge of family, community and struggling to understand her personal identity, both in gender and her offering to the world. I loved seeing Nine grow and challenge herself.
Without revealing the ending, I was satisfied. I'm not sure if this is a series, but it felt like it was because Nine ends with so much left to resolve for both communities. I'm curious as to how the general public will react to this intriguing novel set in the future. It raises all kinds of questions and puts them out there with the answers that Nine discovers. I'm okay with the conversation that will come from this and praise Ilima for being willing to take some risks with a story line that isn't necessarily politically correct on every level and yet explores things with an acceptance of both sides of the coin while pointing out their corresponding consequences.
Definitely worth reading, and a great book for a Book Club and YA groups. -
I actually really liked this book which shocked me based on just reading the summary. I thought it would be a lot like every other book I read and I soon found that was not the case. It was a quick read that I was able to finish on a rainy day and it kept me captivated throughout. I loved how you could see the chemistry between Kai and Nine slowly grow throughout the book. I appreciated how their relationship grew in a way that did not make me want to bash my head against a wall. It was also a refreshing change for there not to be a love triangle (Theron does not count :D) and I did not feel like the book lagged at all. This light read is perfect for a lazy day and I did appreciate how it ended on such a note that I am able to take it as a stand alone or continue the series if I want too. This is a wonderful book about discovering who you are and being comfortable with yourself for the way you look.
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This book was amazing. Truly. And as an author, it's sometimes hard to read a story without critiquing it at the same time. I was totally lost in this story. It takes a lot for me to want to sit all day reading when I have so much to do. It has to be awesome. This book was awesome.
I am now in love with Ilina. I want to bring her home and tuck her into to bed with me and have her tell me stories every night. Since that would be creepy, I'll just get her books. You should too.
This book captivated me right from the beginning and kept me hooked the whole way through. I don't do reviews where I tell what happens in the story, summing it up. If you want to know what it's about, read the book. As for me... I can't wait for book two. There had better be a book two. Just sayin'. -
Much young adult dystopian fiction has a "just be yourself and you can change the world" message. But Remake goes one step further . . . Nine is trying to become her best self, and yet nothing in her culture has taught her what being your best self means. This is a great book club book. Lots of discussion on what it means to be brave, the importance of family, the importance of choices . . . while at the same time being an engaging and adventuresome story. I can't wait for my pre-ordered copy to come in October so my older children can read it!
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This book is a great read! I would definitely recommend it to family and friends. There are two main themes that I found in this book. One, that Family is more than just people you're related to (whether by marriage or blood); it is defined by the love, work, and sacrifice each person makes to keep each other safe, happy, and well. The second was the importance of a woman's strength. Too often we are defined as the weaker sex; oh, but we are much more than what we seem. Our labor is a true labor of love. We don't need to be a man to be brave and strong. We have our own strength.
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This book was a page turner. I wish she had expanded the first and last parts of the book as those were the most interesting. The middle was a bit slow. Definitely a book for teenage girls. Ilima Todd boldly pushes good morals and family values in this book that are becoming lost in society. Honestly she pushed it too much for my liking, though I agree, others might be turned off from it. Overall the book was fine, not divergent status but it kept my interest.
