Lovin' los libros

 

 

 

I was really looking forward to reading this one as I am always looking for young adult dystopian reads. Countdown is a fast-paced book filled with lots of action- but I felt the world building and characterization was really lacking. However, as a surface level book, I can honestly say I enjoyed reading this one.

 

I thought the premise of this book sounded pretty cool- we are immediately thrown into an underground reality game where two teens are forced to play and do what they must in order to survive to the next level. The book focused on the game, rather than the dystopian world surrounding it. All we really learn is that there was a plague and that there is a Colony where the elite, rich live. We don't get a whole lot of insight into the rest of the population. Kira, our female MC, lives a life of theft after her family's murder. Apparently, she has a special skill that allows her to empathize with others and by touching them can feel their emotions. This would have been a pretty cool extension of the storyline had it been developed more. We are just kind of told she has it and she can do it, and apparently there are others who have gained it after the plague also. But, that was kind of it. We see her read a few individuals in the novel and she gains some insight into their emotions, but I don't know. It just felt like a weak sub-storyline to be honest.

 

I suppose I liked Kira well enough. She is thrown into this game without any warning and is forced to work alongside another teen, Rogan, who she learns is a murderer. She is wary of him, but knows she has to work with him in order to survive. Rogan has a lot of secrets and she is right to be distrustful of him. Things don't add up where he is concerned, but after he hesitates on a mission, all of a sudden she starts to wonder if she's been told the truth about him. Kira does a complete 180 where Rogan is concerned and soon she's falling for him. Yeah, we have insta-love folks. Insta-love doesn't bother me, but it was like, one second she doesn't trust him for anything and the next they're making out and ready to jump into bed together. Whaaaat? I just didn't feel any kind of attachment to these characters and I didn't find their development to be very believable. The story occurs in a very short amount of time, so there really wasn't time for either of those things, but I still felt we only skimmed the surface of what could have been.

 

I did like that I didn't know what to expect. Each level of Countdown was a mystery, though I did figure the last level out, as it only seemed fitting. The fact pace and the action is what really kept me reading and I was completely immersed and engaged in the book. I would give this one a shot if you are an action fan, but if you are looking for a young adult dystopian, I don't feel you are going to get that here.