| Title | : | Resist (Remake, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1629721042 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781629721040 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 |
| Publication | : | First published November 3, 2015 |
Resist (Remake, #2) Reviews
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I can't wait for everyone to read Theron's story!
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I can't decide how I want to rate this one, so I'll settle at a nice middle-of-the-road three stars. It's one of the better YA dystopian novels I've read in a long while, and I was sufficiently hooked the whole way through the novel. It's also one of the few times that the villain felt truly evil and unhinged, something that's been missing from novels I've read of late. It's pretty action-packed, and there was a great deal of new information constantly being introduced. I was surprised by how much we learned in such a short period of time.
So why did I rate it three stars? Because as much as I had a good time reading it, there's one portion that gave me dramatic pause. It explicitly states that a family is made up of a man and a woman and their children, and that all should want this kind of life. It implicitly states that all other forms of living are wrong.
What's wrong with wanting a family? Nothing, nothing at all. My problem isn't with that so much as the idea that all other choices are wrong. What happens if two women love each other, or two men? What happens if a man and woman want to be together but don't want kids? What happens if a single person wants to just be alone and not form a family at all?
Again, the book doesn't explicitly say that these are wrong. But choosing to not offer alternatives sort of makes me feel like the author has very precise notions of what makes a family. This was confirmed once I went back and read the reviews for the first book. I didn't read the first in the series, so I was coming into this with no opinions either way. It wasn't until I started reading reviews about bible passages about gender roles and the choice to make it seem like only a m-f relationships is right.
So while I think this author is a good writer and has a pretty solid story going, I'm not too happy with her exclusivity. The more I think about it the more I don't like that message at all. -
Theron has such a heartbreaking ending in REMAKE, so I'm thrilled he got his own awesome story. I loved that we got to see Nine through his perspective, and I loved his romance with Pua. She was a fantastic scene-stealer in book one. Perfect match-up and a fab happy ending!
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Een spannend vervolg op Remake. Heel tof om vanuit een ander perspectief te lezen, terwijl bekende personages terugkeren in het verhaal. Tegen het einde start de storm pas echt, en dan is het spijtig dat het boek met zo'n grote cliffhanger eindigt. Er wordt voortdurend ergens naartoe gewerkt, maar hoe dat zal aflopen weten we pas in het vervolg..
Mijn complete recensie lees je op
Oog op de Toekomst. -
Oh how I adore Ilima's writing! She draws you right into this sequel that doesn't disappoint or suffer from what I call "second book syndrome". I often find the second book in a trilogy to be pretty lacking. They often lack character development, true story archs, or much action as they are the center of an overall arch rather than having much climax on their own.
Resist, however, is brilliant because it not only is a continuation of the overall arch of the series, but it is a story all on it's own, thanks in part I believe to it having a new narrator. In Resist we find out what has been going on with Nine and Kai eventually, but this book is Theron's book. And I adore that.
Theron was my favorite character (well, one of them) from Remake, and I absolutely love devling into his world. Seeing what it's like for him to live in Freedom 1, what life is really like there, and how he copes with the choices nine made and how that affects his decisions when he has to choose between this arbitrary "family" life that he doesn't understand, and the life he's always known.
Resist is poignant, beautifully written, and fast-paced that will keep the reader loving every moment. It has it all. Character driven action, romance, humor, sadness, and realistic darkness that is revealed about Freedom.
It ends is a cliff-hanger, the world turned upside down for the characters we love and I really cannot wait to read on! So just be aware if cliffhangers bug you, to expect one. :)
Well done Ilima! I absolutely loved it! -
I loved every part of this sequel. I thought the first book was well-paced, but RESIST clips along that I had a hard time putting the book down. Ilima Todd writes such beautiful, graceful prose. It's her imagery that draws me in because she manages to get the best lines right in the most tense situations. It's an excellent fantasy read for anyone who loves the genre!
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***Spoilers ahead***
Okay so I just finished this and it was alright.
I use a notecard as a bookmark, so I can write notes about books as I read them and my notes were more negative than positive. I'll start with the positive.
The positive:
I appreciate the change of character perspective. Poor Theron went through hell last book and it was nice to see how he handled that - as well as get some well deserved attention. And I really appreciated the flawed characters. Also the writing itself was decent. Descriptions were strong and easy to picture in my head.
And now for the negative:
-Why are Seekers and Techies separate trades? Seekers job is security for the province as well as searching and apprehending free-breaks; while Techies search for signs of technology outside of the province to catch rebels. Seeing as the rebels mostly live electricity-free lives, what the hell do techies do all day?? Are they also in charge of engineering in the province? Cause the book just made it seem like "oh my god the techies must be the ones tracking rebels technology use!!" There was no need for that revelation.
-Batchers have shaved heads; while Remade individuals can look however they want. Pua had long hair because she never needed to shave her head and that confused Theron because seeing a 17/18 year old with long hair was odd. But why was it odd? If the remake facility can make your teeth blue or change your gender or dye your skin color...surely it can give you whatever hair length you'd like.
And now for the super negative:
-This book (similar to the first one) was super preachy! Like every other page was about families and how important they are and every other internal monologue was Theron having a revelation about families. And it was almost always the same revelation. It got super repetitive.
-Also it bashed artificial insemination, saying that married sex is the right (and therefore the only way) to have kids. Oh and it bashed foster families at one point, saying that children have to be raised by hetero parents and not by anyone else. Yeah fostering isn't ideal, but for some thats all they have. Not everyone is lucky enough to have parents. Also way to completely invalidate same-sex parents or non-married parents. Rude. The only wrong way to raise a child is to not put the welfare of the child first. It's 2016, there's more than one type of family.
-The author is clearly gay and trans-phobic. I originally picked up the first book because I was interested in the gender changing aspect. I thought it would bring up more points about figuring out who you are through strength of character or other less tangible identity questions. Nope. It was about how we need to be thankful for who we're born as and not change or question thing, families are perfection blah blah blah. But life isn't so black and white like that. And I was really disappointed that they only character who had been open about changing their gender during their remake...was a villain?! Dun dun duhhh. Yep, there was literally a characterization of how evil transpeople will kill us all. Don't even get me started on how the "evil trans lady" enslaved all of the good people and forced them to make babies for her.
-On page 216, the author literally says that freedom and equality are bad. "She looks more free than i've ever seen her in Freedom, and it confirms to me everything about that place - the choices and the equality and the freedom - are good principles applied in a cracked way." I think i'm going to let that sentence speak for itself.
-The insta-love between Pua and Theron was annoying. He was was in love with Nine, then she broke his heart and he hated her, then he met Pua and can't stop thinking about her (also it was all surface level: her looks and not getting to know her at all), then he sees Nine again and is like "why can't Kai and I share you??", she says no and he's heart broken again, then he remembers Pua and is like "Shit I need to save her because I actually love her!". It sucks because something that I loved about the first book was how well the relationships developed over weeks at the least.
-This book suffered from World Unraveling Sequel Syndrome. Meaning that the more writing = the more plot holes and rough writing came to the surface. The story could have been 70ish pages less. Cut out the preachiness of the internal monologues. Or just cut out 2/3 of the internal monologues. It is possible to have too much build up to the climax. By the last few chapters I was bored and had already guessed the ending.
Negatives outweighed the positives. I won't be reading the next one. -
After finishing Remake I thought the story could end there just fine, but after reading Resist I realized that we needed to hear Theron's story. I loved that the author chose to continue the series from a different POV. I think it was a really smart move. Now we need a book three in the series, but even if we don't get one, Remake and Resist are still great reads. I love the emphasis on family!
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4.5 STARS OF AWESOME!
I am going a little to the left field for a minute. I might be introducing you to my inner "nerd" but I am totally okay with that. Now, let me ask a question...Am I the only person that writes an ending or a sequel to a book that you really liked in your head? Well, now that I have asked the question you know that I do this. When a book has a cliff hanger, I can dream about it forever until I come up with an "ending" that will satisfy me until the book comes out. OR, when I know there is a sequel coming out and it won't be for a while, I "write" in my head how I want the book to go...hehehe
Now, I was super excited to get invited to this tour because I really enjoyed the first book in this series. REMAKE. If you haven't read it, pick both books up. They are great.
I had a scenario in my head already when I started this book (go to above statement ;)), and as I started reading this wonderful book, the story starts to unfold in a way I was totally not expecting. Well, some yes, others no.
The book came to life right away. I watched as the words brought the whole world back to the front of my mind. After Nine, and Theron get "remade" something happens, and Nine doesn't come back from her Remake.
Theron is introduced to a new trade. We get to meet new characters, that are just as wonderful as the previous characters. Ilima, is a beautiful writer. I loved how she brought these new characters in and the roles they play.
Theron is devastated that Nine is gone and cannot seem to find a way to get her out of his mind. When introduced to his new trade, things begin to change for him, in a way Theron was not expecting. Regardless of whether or not he will ever see Nine again, he decides to go into this new trade and do the best he can. He meets Catcher. There is way more to Catcher than meets the eye,
While this story unfolds into the wonderful story it is, I was again taken into a scenario I indeed did not expect. It was fantastic. I cannot wait for the next book to come out. In the mean time I am going to have to "write" my own version so I don't dream about it every night.
Ilima's world, story, writing, and character building is fantastic. I do not think you will be disappointed if you pick this series up. -
“I need her because she gives me faith in a place that is faithless, hope in a place that is hopeless.”
After his rescue and return to Freedom, Theron goes through the motions of day to day life without Nine. He feels incomplete without her but finds some purpose in his chosen role as a healer. The uncertainty of Nine’s whereabouts torments him and he drinks and cage fights to release the pent up emotions broiling inside him. A chance encounter with a patient with no file becomes a turning point in his life when he is suddenly confronted with scenes that both horrify and anger him. He suddenly realizes that Freedom is the exact opposite of what it’s name purports to be.
“Freedom expects us to live our lives according to superficial desires. What will make me happy in this moment? What will bring me the most pleasure? They teach us we are slaves to our desires, but we’re so much stronger, so much greater.”
Resist is a YA dystopian novel that not only delivers a fascinating story but also introduces a deeper message about the purpose of life. The characters are well-developed and we immediately develop an affinity for Theron in his yearning for an explanation of why his life is devoid of meaning. Newer elements are introduced at the end of the plot which ended rather abruptly leaving you wondering if there is a sequel to this story.
You need to read the author’s first book “Remake” to truly understand this segment of the story. An imaginative and action packed story that I really enjoyed – I would recommend both Remake and Resist for any audience who loves dystopian fiction. -
Opening line:
"The world fell apart when she left."
What I love about this book is what you think it might be but it’s not. It’s about personal identity and family. Society fights against families but the rebels fight for the right to have families. Ms. Todd is a brillant wordsmith and I found myself frustrated right from the beginning with the way the leaders tell the citizins that all is well and they are free, when lurking many levels below the city there is an ugly side of the city and leaders. I love how important families are in this series.
The characters were real to me as was the conflicts that kept me reading. The world building also kept the story alive and real, even while sometimes sitting in the background. The romance and adventure add twists and intrigue throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. Keep them coming, Ms. Todd!
V: fighting
S: kissing, tension
L: No
Thanks to netgalley for the advanced read in exchange for my honest review. -
What a great sequel! I fell in love with Theron's perspective right from the start. I have to admit that I was disappointed at first that I didn't get to be in Nine's shoes, but Theron made up for it! I enjoyed seeing the world of Freedom One again and how Theron had to learn what real love was and what that had to do with family.
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I may have read this in one day. When I first started it and realized it was Theron's perspective I was a little disappointed not to be in Nine's mind again. However, as I got into it I became engrossed.
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Is there going to be a next one? Because I need the next one. What have I done??
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Great series! You should definitely read it!
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WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Having been rescued, Remade, and returned to Freedom, Theron must now face a life without Nine. Though he’s chosen to be a healer, he uses all the vices Freedom affords to try and dull the pain of losing Nine. But he can’t find the peace he so desperately needs. Until he meets Catcher, a man who shows him the dark truths behind Freedom’s Batcher program. From him, Theron learns what it means to be a leader and a father. When he falls in love with a captured rebel named Pua, Theron must choose: Freedom and its easy pleasures, or a life that is truly free but full of hardships and decisions.
MY TAKE
I loved Theron so much in Remake. I ached for him at the end of the book, so I was excited to see that he was the main character in Resist. He's definitely not in a good place at the beginning of the book. But an unusual case where Theron show his fast thinking and ingenuity leads him to the underbelly of Freedom and exposes things that even Nine hadn't know about.
Once again, this story dwells heavily on the surface pleasures our modern society offers, that also encourage our own selfishness. And how fulfilling having a family can be. Of being a mother or a father, a sister or a brother. The people of Freedom know nothing of this. They don't bond with each other like a family would.
The ending was cliffhangerish, but it wasn't a "literal" cliff-hanging event. Their circumstances are dire, but there's also hope.
***spoiler alert***
At the end of Remake, I really hoped that Kai's sister Pua might be a good love interest for Theron. Todd did not disappoint me. :D -
Family. Freedom. 'Resist' is the second book of what I assume will be a trilogy by author, Ilima Todd. I read the first book 'Remake', 2 years ago now, and it did take me a little while to recall events that led to the beginning of this one. It is a series and you cannot read this one without the other first or you will not understand the plot. Written, with the importance of the family unit in society in mind, this book follows the journey of Theron, who feels abandoned by Nine, who escapes Freedom One, in the first book. Theron comes to know a man called Catcher, and begins his journey of discovery and truth about the world he thought he knew, but is very different from what he believed. It all seems to be crumbling down, but then needs to escape with Catcher to the Rise, a group of rebels, hiding and living nearby.
Generally, I think this book is for the Teen market, it is a dystopian novel, that is popular with this age group. There are similarities between this story and others out there - and comparisons will likely be made. I do like the message that threads it's way through the story, and clarifying the importance of family, of having a mother & father, is great considering the society we live in today. I wasn't quite sure how this story could be extended, but it seems the author has a much larger 'global' issue to tackle in the next book. The major plus is this is a clean book, written by a Christian author & you can purchase it for your teens with a clear conscience.
I received this ARC from Shadow Mountain Publishing & Netgalley in return for my honest review. -
Ilma Todd does not disappoint in this enthralling sequel. Where the previous book, “Remake” sometimes struggled with odd pacing and mechanical characterization, “Resist,” is faster-moving and much more polished. Theron’s voice provides refreshing, and surprisingly heartfelt narrative. The result is a tightly-plotted, fast-paced thriller heaped with drama and horror. “Resist” offers intriguing insights into Freedom: its power structure, secrets of the Makers, and the growing rebellion.
The story is rich with political and moral commentary, and exploring themes of obedience, love, and change. It’s obvious that Todd had a point to make when she wrote about a society that destroys the family unit. The world of the book is an extension of certain trends in today’s society having to do with pleasure-seeking, the relevance of families, and population control. This installment never hits the reader over the head with the message, and in fact, allows both sides (Prime Maker and rebellion) to justify their causes. This second grittier, more confident installment of the trilogy will not disappoint. -
I was wondering if I'd need to re-read Remake before reading Resist. I didn't have time, and I wasn't really lost, but I do think it would have been good to read it again. I think you could read Resist on its own but it wouldn't mean nearly as much.
I liked that this is told from Theron's POV. He is a great character. He's very smart and compassionate. The feelings were a little tricky at times to distinguish, since most books only focus on romantic love and not familial love.
This is deep in some ways. Family is so important and it's hard to imagine a society where everyone can be remade however they want. In some ways that's seeming to be more prevalent in our society, but to have had their hormones suppressed so they couldn't even have the feelings that are God given is just messed up.
I loved Theron's enlightenment about family and how he was able to quickly realize what was missing.
I was sad that this is just a second book and not the conclusion. It was well written and intriguing, but I'm sad it's over and not resolved. It was a bit tough to read about the power hungry, evil people who were masking true freedom and happiness. -
I have a deep love for series, but it's been a long time since I've enjoyed a book two as much as this one. It's been a year since I visited the city of Freedom and got lost in Ms.Todd's world, and I had forgotten a lot of what happened in REMAKE.
This book not only reignited all the reasons I loved the first book, but it took me deeper into the secrets of the society and obliterated any theories I had about how this story would go. Right from the beginning the tension was high, and the suspense never quit. Just when I thought the story couldn't get more twisted, it pulled me new directions and surprised me around every corner.
If that wasn't enough, Ms. Todd masterfully wove a beautiful theme into her words that left me breathless in it's construction. A good book two is awesome, but one that's better than the first, now that's hard to find. -
Second book in the series, and again, I love the strong family message, but it did get a bit repetitive this time. At first I was disappointed that book two was from Theron's perspective because I enjoyed Nine's journey so much and didn't want to shift from that. But as the story progressed I came to appreciate Theron's experience as well, and he became more real to me—experiencing the intense conundrums and mixed emotions of life. I look forward to book three. I don't like it when a book leaves me hanging like this one did. I much prefer a story that can stand alone, even in a series. However, there are several nuggets of interest and satisfaction that the author threw the reader to make the cliff less hangy. I wish we had some news on the release date for number three. It's been a while since the last one.
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I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this book and couldn't put it down. This book is a sequel to Remake. What would it be like to live in a world, where no one even knows what the word family even means? That is what both Remake and Resist show you, a world where in Freedom One no one lives as a family, you are free to choose the kind of person you want to be, but in this world they take away the choice of having children and living as a family. I can't wait for the next book, there has to be a next book, there is a major cliff hanger! I wish the next book was coming out by the end of the year! -
What a book! I thoroughly enjoyed RESIST. I previously devoured the first in the series, REMAKE, loving the intriguing take on a society fighting against families and the rebels determined to take the right to families back. RESIST is just pretty much brilliant. I was struck by how the plot and narrative was used to describe families, children, conceiving--just...brilliant. Not sure how else to say it. I loved the way Ms. Todd used her words, so beautiful, touching, and moving. I loved Theron. He was so real, so strong, just great. I cannot WAIT to see how this series ends up.
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As much as I enjoyed "Remake" I loved "Resist" just as much if not more! Ilima has created this world that is so amazing I just don't want to leave it. I adore the life she has breathed into all of these characters. And as much as you love Theron in the first book, in this one he really becomes family. I am mostly depressed at the idea of having to wait and wait to read the third book. I seriously can not wait!
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4.5 stars. Ilima is a gifted writer, with a talent for story-telling. I couldn't put this book down! I loved this second book in the series, written from Theron's perspective. Can't wait for the next book!
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I like the premise of this book, but it's a little didactic for me. I also got really tired of the word "cracked." But overall, it was interesting and written well, especially if you like dystopian young adult fiction.
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An enjoyable read!
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I was not enthused to read this book, but I was curious and I owned it, what can I say? Almost immediately, I'm assaulted with the phrase, "The lisp from her pierced tongue sounds funny at high volume." I have a tongue ring. The lisp last for about a week after its pierced while your tongue is swollen, cause no duh, then it goes away.
We get this gem in chapter 2, "Setia’s tongue darts in and out of her mouth, the [tongue ring] studs clacking against her teeth." I just want you to picture what that would actually look like. Is Setia a lizard??? Has this woman ever met someone with a tongue piercing? Everyone with a tongue piercing knows not to tap it against their teeth cause it damages your teeth and it HURTS.
"She taps her tongue piercing against the roof of her mouth." YOU CAN'T HEAR THAT!!!! It's like saying you can hear someone's braces hitting food when they're chewing. You can't. That's ridiculous.
These lazy descriptions alone made me not want to continue the book. I just find it hard to believe that no one in the entire province ever wonders how people come into existence. Kids don't stop bugging you about it until you describe exactly where babies come from to them, but an entire society just accepts that we exist out of thin air? Even the doctors are that dense unless they see it up close?
I'm just not down with the premise of a book being "Trans gay sex workers will lead us to Handmaid's Tale-ing every non white woman if we reject Jesus." Yes, all the surrogates that create the population are described as "dark skinned" and they're not allowed to wear shoes.
