"Decoy" Review

Date Published: April 12, 2012

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Number of Pages: 178

Publisher: Self-Published

First Thoughts:

This book was definitely really interesting, the concept and pace of this book was really unique and new to me. I loved the fact that I didn’t totally understand it all at once; it took time for each little detail to sink in. There was plenty of action, fight scenes and mysteries…I think one of the best aspect of this book was the fact that it had the sci-fi and thriller vibe to it. It kind of really made me think of all those movies I watched that had a similar vibe…this was definitely an interesting and somewhat spooky read.

Plot:

There was definitely a lot going on in this book; a whole new world was created and I really enjoyed the idea of the military…it seemed so realistic and unreal at the same time. The concept was unique and I found myself shocked at times to discover some of the secrets this little world was holding. There were a few moments of chaos where I found the plot was a little disoriented; I couldn’t really tell exactly what was happening but soon the plot worked itself out and everything made sense. As far as the pace of the story it was fast at most times and there were a few slower moments where the characters were adjusting and sorting through their ordeals. I really enjoyed seeing something different; something out of the norm for YA, it can get old reading the same plot over and over and this certainly wasn’t the same thrown out YA plot; it had its own rhythm and ideas; it just had a different read to it…made me think more of mystery and conspiracies…it seemed to follow more along the line of striving to make the readers question their reality. But I really thought this book had its own written rules, it had flare and creativity and it was fun to read. There were a few sketchy moments in the story where I couldn’t quite determine what was going on but there weren’t many of them and like I mentioned earlier they were eventually explained to where the reader and could understand. So overall I enjoyed the uniqueness and creativity this author put into creating this world, it was certainly interesting to see all the little quirks and secrets it withheld.

Romance:

Ugh! This was one area I did not enjoy about this book…I loved the idea of why the love triangle existed but that wasn’t the problem it was the semi love triangle that caused me to groan at times in the story. I’m all for romance but I’m getting tired of the love triangles, it’s been used so many times in books that it’s just annoying to read any more. I just enjoy a good old romance. I just wished the idea the author had of the love triangle could have been tweaked to fit into the story differently…like perhaps making the triangle not a conflict but a source of resolution…I don’t know but this was one area I did not enjoy with this book.

Characters:

I wasn’t able to connect well with the main character in the very beginning, the way she thought and acted was stiff and elusive it wasn’t until later on in the book that I was able to start to understand why she was the way she was and to see the world from her perspective. I soon grew to love her and I really liked that about this book…yes it’s always good to connect with the main character as soon as possible but I think for this book the approach the author took was perfect…it made the reader work for the connection. Now as far as the other characters they were easy to read and understand and each one had their own role to play and therefore left no room for unnecessary characters. So overall I did in the end enjoy this aspect of the book.

Transformation of the Character:

There were a few transformations in this book, some were more subtle than others and most of them were expected. It was nice to see the transformations as a process…to see the beginning and slowly see the steps that lead to the final product…though I believe that there’s still room for growing and therefore expect larger transformations as the series continues.

Description:

I really enjoyed the description in this book; it really allowed me to feel the chill factor when the scenes required it. Some of the best written description in this book was of the woods…the build-up of suspense and then full on action really gave the reader a great experience. I really liked the way the author chose to describe the area; the landscape. I think by pure description of the surroundings and moods you could really tell what was happening and the state of the situation. A lot of the colors and weather she chose added an even more somber and eerie mood; therefore adding even more to the mystery factor. As for the amount of description I didn’t feel like there was too much or too little, I think it was just the right amount. And as far as dialogue went though it was a bit awkward at times it was overall just right.

Style:

The author chose to write in one POV and in first person. By using these two styles it allowed the story to be more focused on just one area instead of the whole world and it allowed the mystery to be there. I liked that I was able to understand what was going on with Noel’s line of thinking, we were really privileged to know some of her past and how she was processing each new piece of information…it helped the reader eventually better connect to her. But as far as the author’s writing itself I had no problem reading it and found it to be really well written and fun to read.

Quote of the book:

““Does anyone have a pen? I deposited mine in Quinn’s shoulder,” I said with a prosaic tone.

“That’s so hot,” Taylor nudged Daniels.”

Goodreads Summary:

Lieutenant Noel Casey is taken aback by her newest military assignment. Her usual routine of vaccine development is interrupted when she's assigned to analyze Killian, a genetically engineered soldier designed for exceptional strength and intelligence. She's not accustomed to working with human subjects, especially a person created for warfare, and Killian's indifference is making it difficult to see past his robotic demeanor.

When Noel is attacked outside Killian's containment quarters, he is forced to intervene. The altruistic act instantly transforms their relationship, though neither will admit to the shift in sentiment. The predator is now the protector in Noel's eyes, and she's thrown off by her growing captivation.

As if her infatuation with a virtual stranger isn't enough of a distraction, she begins having terrifying nightmares. Her cryptic dreams appear to harbor an elusive warning as she watches them materialize into existence, proving the nightly visions foretelling. She begins to suspect the military base is concealing far more than an experimental soldier, and she can't shake the feeling Killian is the axis of the chaos. Noel must decide whether she'll accept the unconvincing explanations offered by her peers, or reject her comfortable environment for an unimaginable truth. With her premonitions pointing towards a violent outcome and her irrational draw to Killian becoming impossible to ignore, she realizes the choice has already been made for her. Noel's understanding of science is about to be shattered.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to fans of sci-fi and mystery. This was a really cool book to experience and I was able to really picture this town. Though I didn’t enjoy the romance aspect of the story, I did enjoy the concept of the military and how we really got an inside look at possibilities of what our government is doing and how they might function. I do want to continue this story and see if perhaps the semi-triangle romance would change in a different direction and I can see there’s so much more in store for these characters, so I say bring on the next book!

My Rating: