Revived: Review

Title: Revived

Author: Cat Patrick

Release Date: May 2012

Published By: Little, Brown

Pages: 336

Goodreads Rating: 3.84 stars

Review: The government has secretly developed a drug, Revive, that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby has been a test subject ever since she died in a school bus crash as a little girl. She has been Revived five times in fifteen years, and each time means a new name, a new city, and a new life. But when she meets Matt McKean, she begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and when she discovers the true goals behind Revive, she realizes she's at the center of something far more sinister.

Cat Patrick introduces a fascinating concept in REVIVED. Although I've read other books dealing with the idea of coming back to life in one form or another, I've never quite read anything like this, with test subjects in a huge secret agency cover-up. This intriguing idea combined with a fast-moving plot and a highly readable narrating voice resulted in a book that I had far too much trouble putting down.

The characters were also crafted incredibly well. Daisy and Matt felt like real, honest people, and their budding romance as well as the intricate emotional issues they struggled with moved me to the point of tears, which does not happen frequently with me and novels. It's rare for a book to affect me this much on an emotional level, and I treasure it when it does occur, like here.

Perhaps some readers might disagree with me, but I loved the ending! It leaves me wanting more, more, more right away, and I absolutely can't wait for the sequel... assuming there is one. I might just have to cry in a corner if there isn't.

All in all, REVIVED was a wild ride that I adored every page of. From the emotional rollercoaster to the un-put-down-able plot, this novel ratchets up the suspense several notches to the point where you'll want to surgically attach it to your hand. I can't wait for the next book!

Cover Love (10)

This time, I'll be comparing the foreign covers of a novel I recently read and enjoyed (review coming soon!), Forgotten by Cat Patrick.

The top left is the US cover, the same as the copy I have. I like how the title is big and bold, but I'm not such a fan of the way the word is split up into threes because at least for me, at first sight it seems like the book is called "For Got Ten". I also wish the background wasn't quite so plain.

In the middle is the Australian cover. The first thing that jumps out at me is how pretty it is, with the soft, dreamy colors. The more I look at this cover, the more I like it, especially with the distortion to show how she forgets everything as she sleeps. This is my favorite cover of the bunch.

At the right is the UK version. The stormy background is pretty neat, as is the concept of the "past" and "future" selves colliding, but I don't like this cover as much. There's nothing really wrong with it; it just doesn't illustrate the tone of the novel to me.

Finally at the bottom is the French cover. The title is very cool, and I like those little, uh, things (I can't really tell what they are, haha) swirling between the two T's, but the purple shading makes the model look like a fairy. This seems like it would be a good cover for a paranormal or traditional urban fantasy instead of however Forgotten is classified as.

What's your favorite cover for this book? Least favorite?

Forgotten: Review

Title: Forgotten

Author: Cat Patrick

Release Date: June 2011

Published By: Little, Brown

Pages: 288

Goodreads Rating: 4.03 stars

Review: Every night when London goes to sleep, her memory resets. All she knows of her past is what she's written down on notes, but she can 'remember' the future. This certainly puts a damper on the romance she's started with a hot guy yet can't remember each morning, but the most disturbing part is the haunting visions she receive. As the visions become increasingly worse, she must learn the one thing she can never know - her past - in order to save her future.

This is the book with a compelling synopsis that makes you want to pick up the book and read it right away, which is why I had such high expectations for FORGOTTEN. I did enjoy this book, but not as much as I thought I would. The very thing that attracted me in the first place - the premise - was the same thing that bothered me the most.

I couldn't help noticing the large number of plot holes throughout the novel. It was mainly just a lot of little things here and there that stuck out while I was reading and bothered me a lot. The ending also bothered me. I kept going through the novel chiefly to find out what exactly was causing her strange retrograde amnesia, but when all was revealed in a hasty plot twist and abrupt ending, I only felt disappointment. I expected so much more from this book.

However, I want to keep emphasizing that I didn't dislike the novel, and in fact really liked it. There were numerous good aspects. For instance, the romance was swoon-worthy and PG at the same time, and I wanted to steal Luke from London and keep him for myself. The prose itself was also well-written, with each sentence crisp and succinct, giving the novel as a whole a fresh feel that kept me turning pages.

All in all, FORGOTTEN is a gripping read with a fascinating premise that doesn't quite carry through as much as it could have and had some inconsistencies that could be frustrating at times. Despite this and the abrupt ending, Cat Patrick weaves compelling characters with polished prose to create an intriguing book that readers are sure to enjoy.


I received a free copy of this book for review. This is no way affected my review, which is 100% honest.