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The Atlanteans #1
The Lost Code
In the year 2086, Camp Eden promises summer “the way things used to be,” back before the oceans rose, the sun became a daily enemy, and modern civilization sank into chaos. Located inside the EdenWest BioDome, the camp is an oasis of pine trees, cool water, and rustic charm.
But all at Camp Eden is not what it seems.
No one will know this better than 15-year-old Owen Parker. A strange underwater vision, even stranger wounds on Owen’s neck, and a cryptic warning from the enchanting lifeguard Lilly hint at a mystery that will take Owen deep beneath Lake Eden and even deeper into the past. What he discovers could give him the chance to save the tattered planet. But first, Owen will have to escape Camp Eden alive…
But all at Camp Eden is not what it seems.
No one will know this better than 15-year-old Owen Parker. A strange underwater vision, even stranger wounds on Owen’s neck, and a cryptic warning from the enchanting lifeguard Lilly hint at a mystery that will take Owen deep beneath Lake Eden and even deeper into the past. What he discovers could give him the chance to save the tattered planet. But first, Owen will have to escape Camp Eden alive…
435 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2012
About the author
Kevin Emerson
45 books446 followersAuthor of sixteen novels for children and young adults, most recently LAST DAY ON MARS, BREAKOUT, and the ATLANTEANS series. His books have been published in ten different countries. Formerly a science teacher and a creative writing teacher, Kevin is also a singer and drummer. He has won a spelling bee, lost a beauty pageant, and once appeared in a Swedish TV commercial.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews
May 22, 2012
I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this. The blurb gives off a dystopian, sci-fi feel to it. It obviously has some mythology too with the series titled The Atlanteans. So I wasn't sure how all this would fit together in one novel. Well, let's just say that it doesn't lack in originality! A futuristic dystopian world, domes, special genes, Greek mythology, secrets, and an adventure like no other. This is what you can expect from the world created in The Lost Code. Regardless of my rating, I was truly absorbed in this world at the start. It's so different, so much potential running through these pages that I had truly high hopes for it. I can honestly see some readers enjoying this, but I think it would attract specific tastes rather than a general readership.
My problems began with the slow, drawn out way the story is told. We start with a bang with Owen dying, this is then followed by lots of strange happenings that very much intrigued me. But then it takes a very long while to get further into the plot. We spend a lot of time with mostly unproductive tedious details and lengthy paragraphs about the summer camp the book is set in, instead of fleshing out the world and characters, or most importantly, moving on to the heart in the story: the mythology. With over 400 pages, I found myself getting bored and wanting to get to the point. By the time this happened - almost 3/4 through - my enthusiasm for it had died down so much that I wasn't able to enjoy the stronger ending.
This future is bleak. The world is basically uninhabitable because of the sun's deadly rays. People are forced to live underground or inside these Eden domes where everything is fake, but perfect. I didn't particularly buy this. Not the future itself - that is actually plausible, but the domes aren't especially believable. For one, how do they go about getting resources to keep the domes alive? And everyone is so care-free about it all. I never sensed the urgency that you get from dystopian futures where everything is on the brink of destruction. Making the setting inside this perfect, pretend world removes the dismal feeling I was expected to garner.
Our protagonist Owen is a character that I initially found interesting. He's very self conscious without much social experience. He's a bit of an outsider in his cabin but then he starts to realize he's different - very different. However, I never got to know him much more than this. I felt disconnected from him personally, this led me to become a bit detached from the story overall, not really feeling it. I also had a very hard time with his internal dialogue which he refers to as "technicians" dealing with his different organs and needs.
"The technician watching my heartbeat whispered to his neighbor, who was in charge of my blood-oxygen levels. Her screen flashed ominously. A persistent beeping made her head shake. 'There's not much more I can do', she said. 'We're going to need air'." - (Quoted from the uncorrected proof)
He has conversations and watches them "work" like this. Those parts just made me uncomfortable; I found it so bizarre. It's part of the reason I couldn't relate to Owen. There is also a little romance but I never felt real passion or chemistry between them. This may simply be because of everything stated above.
By the end, the story does pick up quite a bit with elaborate Atlantis mythology. If you can get past the overly descriptive nature of the book, the premise has immense potential. The ideas are clearly new and creative; it could become an overall great series especially with some more character development. I'd recommend this to fans of Percy Jackson, but expect a more lengthy, slower paced adventure.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
My problems began with the slow, drawn out way the story is told. We start with a bang with Owen dying, this is then followed by lots of strange happenings that very much intrigued me. But then it takes a very long while to get further into the plot. We spend a lot of time with mostly unproductive tedious details and lengthy paragraphs about the summer camp the book is set in, instead of fleshing out the world and characters, or most importantly, moving on to the heart in the story: the mythology. With over 400 pages, I found myself getting bored and wanting to get to the point. By the time this happened - almost 3/4 through - my enthusiasm for it had died down so much that I wasn't able to enjoy the stronger ending.
This future is bleak. The world is basically uninhabitable because of the sun's deadly rays. People are forced to live underground or inside these Eden domes where everything is fake, but perfect. I didn't particularly buy this. Not the future itself - that is actually plausible, but the domes aren't especially believable. For one, how do they go about getting resources to keep the domes alive? And everyone is so care-free about it all. I never sensed the urgency that you get from dystopian futures where everything is on the brink of destruction. Making the setting inside this perfect, pretend world removes the dismal feeling I was expected to garner.
Our protagonist Owen is a character that I initially found interesting. He's very self conscious without much social experience. He's a bit of an outsider in his cabin but then he starts to realize he's different - very different. However, I never got to know him much more than this. I felt disconnected from him personally, this led me to become a bit detached from the story overall, not really feeling it. I also had a very hard time with his internal dialogue which he refers to as "technicians" dealing with his different organs and needs.
"The technician watching my heartbeat whispered to his neighbor, who was in charge of my blood-oxygen levels. Her screen flashed ominously. A persistent beeping made her head shake. 'There's not much more I can do', she said. 'We're going to need air'." - (Quoted from the uncorrected proof)
He has conversations and watches them "work" like this. Those parts just made me uncomfortable; I found it so bizarre. It's part of the reason I couldn't relate to Owen. There is also a little romance but I never felt real passion or chemistry between them. This may simply be because of everything stated above.
By the end, the story does pick up quite a bit with elaborate Atlantis mythology. If you can get past the overly descriptive nature of the book, the premise has immense potential. The ideas are clearly new and creative; it could become an overall great series especially with some more character development. I'd recommend this to fans of Percy Jackson, but expect a more lengthy, slower paced adventure.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
May 8, 2013
Wow - a lot of people found this book disappointing... I'm surprised. I liked it very much. Other reviewers have done great plot summaries, so I won't re-invent the wheel. But I do want to present an alternate view of the story, and address some of the reviewer complaints:
I gather that people wanted more action/adventure and less of the main character's camp experience. Some folks felt that the story didn't really begin until the last few chapters, but it didn't seem that way to me - I thought the purpose of the first book was to make the awful environmental conditions very clear and give the main character, Owen, time to grow into his new identity. Because the story focuses on Owen himself, rather than leaping right into the mystery of his heritage, he has time to become real to readers. We're following along as he learns to use his newly acquired gift and gains enough confidence to start defending the underdog characters around him. The plot premise is that a high-school kid will save the world; watching Owen grow as a person convinces readers that he has the noble character for the job, as well as the unusual superpower.
One reviewer mentioned that the characters spend a lot of time swimming. To be fair, the book is about kids from Atlantis. Presumably they will swim a lot. But in each swimming scene, more of the story reveals itself: the uneasy truce between five kids with a shared secret, the link to Owen's heritage, the problems with the biodome's manufactured habitat, and yes, the budding romance between Owen and one of the camp councilors-in-training.
I think the folks who didn't particularly like the book probably gravitate to stories with lots of plot twists and action, and prefer that authors leave the introspection and philosophy out of it (which is not a bad thing! Plot twists and action are awesome!) That said, I found it chilling whenever a character described the earth "as it used to be," because the descriptions included references to real events: actual cloning experiments, atmospheric damage, toxic spills, global warming, the growing influence of big business. I wouldn't blame anybody who felt the book came off like a lecture - it sometimes struck me as preachy, and I liked the story - but for the most part, I felt the link between the global wasteland described in the story and real-life environmental issues added an extra level of tension.
As for the slower pacing, my impression is that the author used this first book to set groundwork for the next books in the series. Because we know the enemies, conditions and Owen's backstory, the author won't have to explain any of that in later novels; he can just dive right into the action scenes, knowing we'll understand the who and why. I'm pretty sure the pacing will pick up in book two, and stay fast until the end of the series.
I'm really glad I read the reviews, because now I'll know whether to recommend the book to somebody looking for new dystopian titles. If you read sci-fi and fantasy stories for the action and danger, and generally like books that start with a bang and don't let up, then The Lost Code probably won't be your cup of tea. If you like stories that dwell on characters' motivations and incorporate underlying themes - if you prefer the characters to interact and form relationships between action scenes - you might enjoy The Lost Code.
I guess it's easy to tell which kind of reader I am...
I gather that people wanted more action/adventure and less of the main character's camp experience. Some folks felt that the story didn't really begin until the last few chapters, but it didn't seem that way to me - I thought the purpose of the first book was to make the awful environmental conditions very clear and give the main character, Owen, time to grow into his new identity. Because the story focuses on Owen himself, rather than leaping right into the mystery of his heritage, he has time to become real to readers. We're following along as he learns to use his newly acquired gift and gains enough confidence to start defending the underdog characters around him. The plot premise is that a high-school kid will save the world; watching Owen grow as a person convinces readers that he has the noble character for the job, as well as the unusual superpower.
One reviewer mentioned that the characters spend a lot of time swimming. To be fair, the book is about kids from Atlantis. Presumably they will swim a lot. But in each swimming scene, more of the story reveals itself: the uneasy truce between five kids with a shared secret, the link to Owen's heritage, the problems with the biodome's manufactured habitat, and yes, the budding romance between Owen and one of the camp councilors-in-training.
I think the folks who didn't particularly like the book probably gravitate to stories with lots of plot twists and action, and prefer that authors leave the introspection and philosophy out of it (which is not a bad thing! Plot twists and action are awesome!) That said, I found it chilling whenever a character described the earth "as it used to be," because the descriptions included references to real events: actual cloning experiments, atmospheric damage, toxic spills, global warming, the growing influence of big business. I wouldn't blame anybody who felt the book came off like a lecture - it sometimes struck me as preachy, and I liked the story - but for the most part, I felt the link between the global wasteland described in the story and real-life environmental issues added an extra level of tension.
As for the slower pacing, my impression is that the author used this first book to set groundwork for the next books in the series. Because we know the enemies, conditions and Owen's backstory, the author won't have to explain any of that in later novels; he can just dive right into the action scenes, knowing we'll understand the who and why. I'm pretty sure the pacing will pick up in book two, and stay fast until the end of the series.
I'm really glad I read the reviews, because now I'll know whether to recommend the book to somebody looking for new dystopian titles. If you read sci-fi and fantasy stories for the action and danger, and generally like books that start with a bang and don't let up, then The Lost Code probably won't be your cup of tea. If you like stories that dwell on characters' motivations and incorporate underlying themes - if you prefer the characters to interact and form relationships between action scenes - you might enjoy The Lost Code.
I guess it's easy to tell which kind of reader I am...
June 9, 2012
Alright. *cracks knuckles* Time to get back into the reviewing game.
I have a deep love for the idea of Atlantis. It combines my affection for lost civilizations with my interest in natural disasters and my boundless enthusiasm for wild semi-magical technologies. More than once I've toyed with Atlantis concepts of my own, and someday I'd like to actually take a crack at writing one, if I can worldbuild it to my own satisfaction. So naturally, when I saw 'book one of the Atlanteans' on the cover of The Lost Code, I knew it had to come home with me.
This book came so close to being what I wanted. So close. The protagonist, Owen, develops gills very early in the book and the descriptions of them and of swimming with them were simply fabulous, as were the descriptions of what had happened to the world following the melting of the ice caps and the subsequent Great Rise. I was excited because look! Science! In a YA book! And there was enough about aquatic organisms and ecosystems that I thought maybe this was gonna go all the way, was going to be the marine-centric science fiction Atlantis that I wanted from it.
And then... around the halfway point, I'd say, came the twist that told me I was wrong. The nature of Atlantis changed and from then on I got a lot less invested. Blah blah blah secret experiments, blah blah blah same old cardboard villain I've seen in a whole lot of other YA books, blah blah blah smoochy romance and romantic! tension! caused by outside forces... blah blah blah huge infodumps. But then the ending was rather snappy, and I came away feeling not-quite-satisfied but plenty entertained, and so: three stars and I'll read the next one because why the heck not; this one went quickly.
A couple of miscellaneous notes, because like I said I'm getting back into the swing of reviewing and the re-entry's a bit rough:
- Owen's tendency to describe his body as if it were being run by tiny people was confusing at first, then interesting, then annoying. Unfortunately these hypothetical technicians had more personality in their dialogue than some of the main characters; therefore, his digressions were a problem for me not because of their weirdness, but because I didn't want to switch back to normal Owen-narration.
- I like the idea of the 'Cryos' a lot, and their characterization in relationship to their situation. That was neat enough that I'll handwave the unlikeliness that we'd have gotten working cryogenics tech by the time of the Great Rise.
- None of the characters had as much personality as I would have liked, but I appreciated the fact that Lilly seemed to have an investigative bent and was suspicious of things, and that she payed attention to her surroundings. I wish she'd had real interests, but I'll take vague personality traits in love interests when I can get 'em, especially since in the beginning of the book she was basically just That One Hot Chick Who's Out Of Owen's League. Any personality is better than that.
- Owen's use of the word 'screwed' when wondering about Lilly and Evan's past relationship bugged me. Look, dude, if you're gonna think about whether or not they had sex, think about it that way. This is kind of a personal pet peeve, but I find 'screwed' to be an annoying euphemism.
- Lilly's reaction to having hurt and possibly killed someone, even an enemy, was really believable and sympathetic for someone her age and with her background.
I think basically what I felt when I finished this book was that I wanted more, and not in the sense that I immediately craved a sequel. I wanted more worldbuilding, more science, more action (the pacing in this book is pretty weak, though I didn't notice until I finished because gosh those descriptions of swimming were fun), more characterization, more originality. It was competent enough that I'm optimistic about the sequel being able to deliver these things, and readable enough that I'll take the time to find out if it does.
I have a deep love for the idea of Atlantis. It combines my affection for lost civilizations with my interest in natural disasters and my boundless enthusiasm for wild semi-magical technologies. More than once I've toyed with Atlantis concepts of my own, and someday I'd like to actually take a crack at writing one, if I can worldbuild it to my own satisfaction. So naturally, when I saw 'book one of the Atlanteans' on the cover of The Lost Code, I knew it had to come home with me.
This book came so close to being what I wanted. So close. The protagonist, Owen, develops gills very early in the book and the descriptions of them and of swimming with them were simply fabulous, as were the descriptions of what had happened to the world following the melting of the ice caps and the subsequent Great Rise. I was excited because look! Science! In a YA book! And there was enough about aquatic organisms and ecosystems that I thought maybe this was gonna go all the way, was going to be the marine-centric science fiction Atlantis that I wanted from it.
And then... around the halfway point, I'd say, came the twist that told me I was wrong. The nature of Atlantis changed and from then on I got a lot less invested. Blah blah blah secret experiments, blah blah blah same old cardboard villain I've seen in a whole lot of other YA books, blah blah blah smoochy romance and romantic! tension! caused by outside forces... blah blah blah huge infodumps. But then the ending was rather snappy, and I came away feeling not-quite-satisfied but plenty entertained, and so: three stars and I'll read the next one because why the heck not; this one went quickly.
A couple of miscellaneous notes, because like I said I'm getting back into the swing of reviewing and the re-entry's a bit rough:
- Owen's tendency to describe his body as if it were being run by tiny people was confusing at first, then interesting, then annoying. Unfortunately these hypothetical technicians had more personality in their dialogue than some of the main characters; therefore, his digressions were a problem for me not because of their weirdness, but because I didn't want to switch back to normal Owen-narration.
- I like the idea of the 'Cryos' a lot, and their characterization in relationship to their situation. That was neat enough that I'll handwave the unlikeliness that we'd have gotten working cryogenics tech by the time of the Great Rise.
- None of the characters had as much personality as I would have liked, but I appreciated the fact that Lilly seemed to have an investigative bent and was suspicious of things, and that she payed attention to her surroundings. I wish she'd had real interests, but I'll take vague personality traits in love interests when I can get 'em, especially since in the beginning of the book she was basically just That One Hot Chick Who's Out Of Owen's League. Any personality is better than that.
- Owen's use of the word 'screwed' when wondering about Lilly and Evan's past relationship bugged me. Look, dude, if you're gonna think about whether or not they had sex, think about it that way. This is kind of a personal pet peeve, but I find 'screwed' to be an annoying euphemism.
- Lilly's reaction to having hurt and possibly killed someone, even an enemy, was really believable and sympathetic for someone her age and with her background.
I think basically what I felt when I finished this book was that I wanted more, and not in the sense that I immediately craved a sequel. I wanted more worldbuilding, more science, more action (the pacing in this book is pretty weak, though I didn't notice until I finished because gosh those descriptions of swimming were fun), more characterization, more originality. It was competent enough that I'm optimistic about the sequel being able to deliver these things, and readable enough that I'll take the time to find out if it does.
Read
February 21, 2017A very unique take on the story of Atlantis. My favorite thing was the butterflies that were little spy cameras. The setting is lovely. It will stay with you. Curious about the world outside the dome now.
April 23, 2012
This book really captured me. I love a book when I can get into the adventure within the plot and follow along with the characters. If you thought this book was just another story, think again.
What I adored about this book is the amazing plot line. The history of the Atlanteans, the secret maps, the codes to a long lost civilization, I fell into this plot quickly. I like that is plays fast in the plot so that the reader is immediately hooked. The story has so many elements in the plot line mixing them up to make one fantastic story.
The characters of the book are another great addition to the story. Each character plays a bigger role than expected. I loved that everything about the characters is kept secret so than even the readers are out of the loop along with the characters themselves. The characters grew fast in the knowledge that they gained, and quickly learn to survive.
The love interest is a small developing part of the story but one that I truly enjoyed. Innocent love between the characters is amazing. I love the small smiles, the wide eyes, and the sweet innocence that comes in their kiss. It's one of those loves that you just have to aww at!
The Lost Code is an entertaining adventure that keeps the reader hooked till the last page. The compelling narrative that is exciting and solid, The Lost Code creates a story beyond the pages. The sheer adventure of looking for clues made me feel like I was in an Indiana Jones movie! The Lost Code is a rich, fantasy adventure that anyone can read.
What I adored about this book is the amazing plot line. The history of the Atlanteans, the secret maps, the codes to a long lost civilization, I fell into this plot quickly. I like that is plays fast in the plot so that the reader is immediately hooked. The story has so many elements in the plot line mixing them up to make one fantastic story.
The characters of the book are another great addition to the story. Each character plays a bigger role than expected. I loved that everything about the characters is kept secret so than even the readers are out of the loop along with the characters themselves. The characters grew fast in the knowledge that they gained, and quickly learn to survive.
The love interest is a small developing part of the story but one that I truly enjoyed. Innocent love between the characters is amazing. I love the small smiles, the wide eyes, and the sweet innocence that comes in their kiss. It's one of those loves that you just have to aww at!
The Lost Code is an entertaining adventure that keeps the reader hooked till the last page. The compelling narrative that is exciting and solid, The Lost Code creates a story beyond the pages. The sheer adventure of looking for clues made me feel like I was in an Indiana Jones movie! The Lost Code is a rich, fantasy adventure that anyone can read.
March 25, 2012
I had such high hopes for this book but ended up being really disappointed. It wasn't because the story was bad per se - because it was good though not great - but it didn't really exist. I know that doesn't make sense, but hopefully I can explain.
I felt the REAL story didn't start begin until Chapter 16 (in my version, page 155 out of 276). That's more than halfway through the book, and after that, it was just about them finding out about who they really are and plans to escape. And the latter half was good but just one step above okay.
I was really bored for pretty much the first half of the book. It started Owen drowning and Lily saving him - okay, exciting action - but then the rest was pretty much about camp life and the boys bullying each other. I guess boys will be boys, but I didn't really understand what it had to do with the story except taking up space.
I started writing a detailed review about the story's progression but deleted it because I didn't want to include spoilers in the my review. Basically, once Chapter 16 rolled around, I started becoming interested in the book. The action was cool, but I felt the story from that point barely skimmed the surface of the Atlanteans (hey, it's the series title so not exactly a spoiler). I'm guessing Emerson is saving that for Book 2, but at this point, I'm not sure I'm going to be picking it up.
As for the romance, it's there, but it didn't really interest me.
Who knows, this book has received really high ratings so I may be in the minority, but I just thought it was okay.
I felt the REAL story didn't start begin until Chapter 16 (in my version, page 155 out of 276). That's more than halfway through the book, and after that, it was just about them finding out about who they really are and plans to escape. And the latter half was good but just one step above okay.
I was really bored for pretty much the first half of the book. It started Owen drowning and Lily saving him - okay, exciting action - but then the rest was pretty much about camp life and the boys bullying each other. I guess boys will be boys, but I didn't really understand what it had to do with the story except taking up space.
I started writing a detailed review about the story's progression but deleted it because I didn't want to include spoilers in the my review. Basically, once Chapter 16 rolled around, I started becoming interested in the book. The action was cool, but I felt the story from that point barely skimmed the surface of the Atlanteans (hey, it's the series title so not exactly a spoiler). I'm guessing Emerson is saving that for Book 2, but at this point, I'm not sure I'm going to be picking it up.
As for the romance, it's there, but it didn't really interest me.
Who knows, this book has received really high ratings so I may be in the minority, but I just thought it was okay.
May 12, 2012
okay I won this book as a ARC and it took me A WHILE to finish since it is coming out this month! but yaa... BUY IT! I loved this book!!!
This is a really unusual book, and that's what I loved most about it. There are no vampires, no shape shifters, no werewolves, no zombies, no nothiiiing. It is totally unexpected when we find out what some of the characters are. It takes place on Eden something something lol I kinda forgot and WOW! While I was reading I was wondering could this really happen to OUR world in REALITY? has this happened? The information the author wrote in the book was a lot to take in, he really put huge effort in it. So we are talking about the LOST ATLANTIS. If you haven't figured out yet, since that's what the series is called. The characters were really nice developed and I appreciated every each of one of them. You always have your villain and protagonists or maybe in this story protagonistsss. I LOVED the romance, it was undeniably cuute and very sweet. It was very well- written, and I loved how he described their world. It was mesmerizing and fresh. I don't really want to say much about this book because its a TO-READ NOW book, but to just appreciate our worlds wonders. This book taught me that we need to stop taking everything for granted and just let it be. I recommend it to anybody who wants to find out about the Lost Atlantis and be in for a ride:D
This is a really unusual book, and that's what I loved most about it. There are no vampires, no shape shifters, no werewolves, no zombies, no nothiiiing. It is totally unexpected when we find out what some of the characters are. It takes place on Eden something something lol I kinda forgot and WOW! While I was reading I was wondering could this really happen to OUR world in REALITY? has this happened? The information the author wrote in the book was a lot to take in, he really put huge effort in it. So we are talking about the LOST ATLANTIS. If you haven't figured out yet, since that's what the series is called. The characters were really nice developed and I appreciated every each of one of them. You always have your villain and protagonists or maybe in this story protagonistsss. I LOVED the romance, it was undeniably cuute and very sweet. It was very well- written, and I loved how he described their world. It was mesmerizing and fresh. I don't really want to say much about this book because its a TO-READ NOW book, but to just appreciate our worlds wonders. This book taught me that we need to stop taking everything for granted and just let it be. I recommend it to anybody who wants to find out about the Lost Atlantis and be in for a ride:D
January 24, 2013
“History is always written to serve the powerful.”
This was a good book!! :D
This book has some instances of sciency elements in it: When it talks about what it's like outside, the genetic code, DNA, and stuff like that. It also has some mythology about Atlantis about it, though it's not quite like the tradition story of it being underwater and all.
Likes:
Loved the action scenes!
The romance. I liked how there was some, but not enough that it dominates the whole book.
Descriptions of how life was like before the Great Rise.
Dislikes:
It was kinda slow in the beginning. Sure, there were some weird stuff going on, like the gills, the mystery "death", and all that, but in between the interesting stuff, it seemed like it was slow. It was around the halfway mark where Atlantis and all that history come in.
I think this is worth a read. ;)
This was a good book!! :D
This book has some instances of sciency elements in it: When it talks about what it's like outside, the genetic code, DNA, and stuff like that. It also has some mythology about Atlantis about it, though it's not quite like the tradition story of it being underwater and all.
Likes:
Loved the action scenes!
The romance. I liked how there was some, but not enough that it dominates the whole book.
Descriptions of how life was like before the Great Rise.
Dislikes:
It was kinda slow in the beginning. Sure, there were some weird stuff going on, like the gills, the mystery "death", and all that, but in between the interesting stuff, it seemed like it was slow. It was around the halfway mark where Atlantis and all that history come in.
I think this is worth a read. ;)
January 27, 2018
One down, two to go. Just because.
December 26, 2012
Seen at Scott Reads It
I have read so many mixed reviews of The Lost Code but I really liked the premise of it. I mean seriously a book about Atlantis sounds like such an original and cool idea. The Lost Code got off to a bit of a slow start but I definitely enjoyed it. The Lost Code tells the story of Owen who goes to Camp Eden, a camp located inside a dome that mimics conditions before the oceans rose. Global Warming much? Anyway the reader is whisked on a strange journey that takes the reader to Atlantis.
I'll be honest Edenwest BioDome (the location of Camp Eden) isn't such a spectacular setting. We vaguely learn about the world and The Great Rise (when the oceans rose) but not nearly enough. I had tons of questions about the domes being the inquisitive reader I am and most of my questions were not really answered. The world building isn't bad but it definitely was lacking. I did like how The Lost Code takes place in an unique and different kind of setting (a camp) as opposed to the barren wasteland or a totalitarian metropolis.
From the first few pages I wasn't a big fan of Owen but he definitely grew on me. In the beginning I thought that Owen seemed rather childish with trying to impress Lily.Owen kinda reminded me of Percy at first but then again Percy was 12 and Owen is supposed to be 15. I mean dude if you can't swim, don't take a swimming test just to impress the hot life guard. There was a bit of insta-love between Owen and Lily but that didn't really bother me. Luckily Owen really matured throughout the novel, at the end he was no longer that lovelorn boy. Lily is the "smart-girl" that really puts Owen in his place and reminded me a bit of Annabeth from Percy Jackson. She was very likeable from the start and I hope she continues to be a big part of The Atlanteans series. I do hope we learn more about Lily because even though I found her to be a likeable character, she wasn't developed that much.
In terms of plot The Lost Code starts off rather slowly but it eventually picked up the pace. We spend much of the beginning reading about camp activities while slowly strange happenings occur. Even though I think the camp activities were necessary in order to establish the characters and their relationships, I think it could have been shortened. Once the major conflict of The Lost Code I was definitely hooked and compelled to read more. I wish there was more Atlantis, codes, and strange happenings though. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first half. I really liked Kevin Emerson's writing style and it reminded me of the compelling style of Michael Grant.
The Lost Code is a fun read that took me on a journey unlike anything I have read. Sure it had some faults but overall it was an entertaining book. The first half of the book is slow-paced but it's necessary to add tension leading up to the second half. Will I read the sequel? I'm definitely ready for a sequel because after the ending I am pretty pumped to see more Atlantis. Unlike most books, The Lost Code's romance is cringe-worthy and I really enjoyed reading about Lily and Owen's relationship.I just hope that there's no love triangle introduced in the next book!
I have read so many mixed reviews of The Lost Code but I really liked the premise of it. I mean seriously a book about Atlantis sounds like such an original and cool idea. The Lost Code got off to a bit of a slow start but I definitely enjoyed it. The Lost Code tells the story of Owen who goes to Camp Eden, a camp located inside a dome that mimics conditions before the oceans rose. Global Warming much? Anyway the reader is whisked on a strange journey that takes the reader to Atlantis.
I'll be honest Edenwest BioDome (the location of Camp Eden) isn't such a spectacular setting. We vaguely learn about the world and The Great Rise (when the oceans rose) but not nearly enough. I had tons of questions about the domes being the inquisitive reader I am and most of my questions were not really answered. The world building isn't bad but it definitely was lacking. I did like how The Lost Code takes place in an unique and different kind of setting (a camp) as opposed to the barren wasteland or a totalitarian metropolis.
From the first few pages I wasn't a big fan of Owen but he definitely grew on me. In the beginning I thought that Owen seemed rather childish with trying to impress Lily.Owen kinda reminded me of Percy at first but then again Percy was 12 and Owen is supposed to be 15. I mean dude if you can't swim, don't take a swimming test just to impress the hot life guard. There was a bit of insta-love between Owen and Lily but that didn't really bother me. Luckily Owen really matured throughout the novel, at the end he was no longer that lovelorn boy. Lily is the "smart-girl" that really puts Owen in his place and reminded me a bit of Annabeth from Percy Jackson. She was very likeable from the start and I hope she continues to be a big part of The Atlanteans series. I do hope we learn more about Lily because even though I found her to be a likeable character, she wasn't developed that much.
In terms of plot The Lost Code starts off rather slowly but it eventually picked up the pace. We spend much of the beginning reading about camp activities while slowly strange happenings occur. Even though I think the camp activities were necessary in order to establish the characters and their relationships, I think it could have been shortened. Once the major conflict of The Lost Code I was definitely hooked and compelled to read more. I wish there was more Atlantis, codes, and strange happenings though. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first half. I really liked Kevin Emerson's writing style and it reminded me of the compelling style of Michael Grant.
The Lost Code is a fun read that took me on a journey unlike anything I have read. Sure it had some faults but overall it was an entertaining book. The first half of the book is slow-paced but it's necessary to add tension leading up to the second half. Will I read the sequel? I'm definitely ready for a sequel because after the ending I am pretty pumped to see more Atlantis. Unlike most books, The Lost Code's romance is cringe-worthy and I really enjoyed reading about Lily and Owen's relationship.I just hope that there's no love triangle introduced in the next book!
April 10, 2015
Atlantis is so cool.
Great concept, and the author is lovely.
Read it in preparation for his visit to our library.
Yay near-future sci-fi!
Great concept, and the author is lovely.
Read it in preparation for his visit to our library.
Yay near-future sci-fi!
September 18, 2017
As posted on booknook - YA and Fantasy book reviews
The Lost Code is a book about Owen Parker. He’s a pretty normal guy who is far from perfect. He’s not overly confident, he doesn’t have a muscular build, and he’s a little awkward. Owen has been selected to live in EdenWest, which is a dome compound 6 kilometers in diamter that protects its 200,000 inhabitants from the destroyed ozone and dangerous levels of radiation. The story starts off with Owen drowning. But when he’s finally rescued, he should be dead according to all logic; he was drowning for 10 minutes. The fact that he’s even alive is the first hint that something isn’t quite normal…
Soon enough, Owen discovers that his little water trauma caused him to grow gills! He’s not quite a merman, but he has the underwater breathing part nailed! He groups up with some similarly gifted friends and together they speculate: is this transformation a result of their time at Eden? Are they being experimented on? Or is this some kind of natural evolution?
I adored this book! It kind of reminds me of Percy Jackson & the Olympians in the way that EdenWest is set up as a camp and that you have a few kids with special abilities. There are games, crafts, counselors, campers — including some that you’ll love to hate. These Eden domes are the only protection people have from the deathly sun and radiation, but some people worry that the integrity of the dome is failing, despite the camp director’s claims that “everything is fine.” So when Owen suddenly grows gills after his near-death drowning experience, he meets up with some likeminded campers and start to discuss the possibility of a conspiracy. Is Eden really what they say it is? Or is something darker taking place?
Owen is a really awesome protagonist. It was refreshing to read from a male character's point of view. It also made the brewing romance great to read about. You know how girls obsess over guys, overanalyze everything, and wonder if they're doing or saying the right thing? We get a small glimpse into the male version of that! I also love how normal he is and how talking to girls doesn't come naturally for him.
The Lost Code is a really unique story, full of conspiracy, deception, and an incredibly intriguing world. It’s the kind of book that makes you think. Since it’s all about environmental issues, I couldn’t help but constantly wondering, “Will our world be like this some day?” It’s a really fascinating thing to think about. It’s interesting to hear the story unfold, learn what happened as the ozone started getting destroyed, and see how people try to combat the issue and find “save havens” in the Eden compounds. Then, next to all that, Kevin Emerson brings in some Atlanean lore! How cool!
This book is kind of slow moving. The first part is largely spent introducing us to the camp and letting us get a sense of what goes on. We quickly figure out who the camp bully is (Leech) and you’ll really love hating him. You’ll be screaming at Owen to punch Leech in the face or do other violent things. We also learn a lot about the state of the environment, the technology behind the compound, and so on. I can understand how it might be too slow for some pople. Emerson feeds us bits and pieces to keep us intrigued, but it might not be enough for you if you like a constant fast-paced story. But I was so intrigued by the history and all the information about Eden that it didn’t bother me too much. I was never bored with this story!
One thing that did bother me was the way that Owen referred to his body or his brain or whatever. He described it as if he had technicians constantly monitoring his body and working his motor skills, etc. These “technicians” had a bit of a personality and even some dialogue. This first shows up in chapter one and my first reaction was that it was different, but interesting. But then, I thought it was a one time thing. It’s constant throughout the whole story and just became weird and annoying. It reminded me of Ana’s "Inner Goddess" in Fifty Shades of Grey. Here are two quotes from The Lost Code, the first describing what the technicians are, and the second an example of how they’re used:
My second gripe is a bit of a spoiler so only click if you don’t mind spoiling the story! If you want a brief non-spoiling overview, then I’ll just say that I drew some assumptions with the whole Atlantean, ‘Owen growing gills’ thing and got really excited about it. Then it turned out quite different and it was a little disappointing for me.
This book is definitely worth reading. The dystopian environmental aspects are AWESOME and so fascinating to read about. Towards the end it also feels a lot like an epic adventure story. I’m really looking forward to the second book and can’t wait to learn more about the Atlantis lore!
The Lost Code is a book about Owen Parker. He’s a pretty normal guy who is far from perfect. He’s not overly confident, he doesn’t have a muscular build, and he’s a little awkward. Owen has been selected to live in EdenWest, which is a dome compound 6 kilometers in diamter that protects its 200,000 inhabitants from the destroyed ozone and dangerous levels of radiation. The story starts off with Owen drowning. But when he’s finally rescued, he should be dead according to all logic; he was drowning for 10 minutes. The fact that he’s even alive is the first hint that something isn’t quite normal…
Soon enough, Owen discovers that his little water trauma caused him to grow gills! He’s not quite a merman, but he has the underwater breathing part nailed! He groups up with some similarly gifted friends and together they speculate: is this transformation a result of their time at Eden? Are they being experimented on? Or is this some kind of natural evolution?
I adored this book! It kind of reminds me of Percy Jackson & the Olympians in the way that EdenWest is set up as a camp and that you have a few kids with special abilities. There are games, crafts, counselors, campers — including some that you’ll love to hate. These Eden domes are the only protection people have from the deathly sun and radiation, but some people worry that the integrity of the dome is failing, despite the camp director’s claims that “everything is fine.” So when Owen suddenly grows gills after his near-death drowning experience, he meets up with some likeminded campers and start to discuss the possibility of a conspiracy. Is Eden really what they say it is? Or is something darker taking place?
Owen is a really awesome protagonist. It was refreshing to read from a male character's point of view. It also made the brewing romance great to read about. You know how girls obsess over guys, overanalyze everything, and wonder if they're doing or saying the right thing? We get a small glimpse into the male version of that! I also love how normal he is and how talking to girls doesn't come naturally for him.
The Lost Code is a really unique story, full of conspiracy, deception, and an incredibly intriguing world. It’s the kind of book that makes you think. Since it’s all about environmental issues, I couldn’t help but constantly wondering, “Will our world be like this some day?” It’s a really fascinating thing to think about. It’s interesting to hear the story unfold, learn what happened as the ozone started getting destroyed, and see how people try to combat the issue and find “save havens” in the Eden compounds. Then, next to all that, Kevin Emerson brings in some Atlanean lore! How cool!
This book is kind of slow moving. The first part is largely spent introducing us to the camp and letting us get a sense of what goes on. We quickly figure out who the camp bully is (Leech) and you’ll really love hating him. You’ll be screaming at Owen to punch Leech in the face or do other violent things. We also learn a lot about the state of the environment, the technology behind the compound, and so on. I can understand how it might be too slow for some pople. Emerson feeds us bits and pieces to keep us intrigued, but it might not be enough for you if you like a constant fast-paced story. But I was so intrigued by the history and all the information about Eden that it didn’t bother me too much. I was never bored with this story!
One thing that did bother me was the way that Owen referred to his body or his brain or whatever. He described it as if he had technicians constantly monitoring his body and working his motor skills, etc. These “technicians” had a bit of a personality and even some dialogue. This first shows up in chapter one and my first reaction was that it was different, but interesting. But then, I thought it was a one time thing. It’s constant throughout the whole story and just became weird and annoying. It reminded me of Ana’s "Inner Goddess" in Fifty Shades of Grey. Here are two quotes from The Lost Code, the first describing what the technicians are, and the second an example of how they’re used:
A feeling began to ache in my chest, a certainty: Owen, it’s time to breathe. The order was matter-of-fact, like there were little technicians inside my body, wearing yellow jumpsuits and monitoring all of my functions on glowing screens. That was how I always felt, like others were in charge of me, like I was just along for the ride.
Come on, think! I told myself. The boat was nearing the Aquinara. We were headed back into the temple. There had to be something I could do to escape.
You should check out the new memories, advised the technicians. We think they’re fascinating! They all turned back to a flickering screen.
Then show me! I shouted at them.
My second gripe is a bit of a spoiler so only click if you don’t mind spoiling the story! If you want a brief non-spoiling overview, then I’ll just say that I drew some assumptions with the whole Atlantean, ‘Owen growing gills’ thing and got really excited about it. Then it turned out quite different and it was a little disappointing for me.
This book is definitely worth reading. The dystopian environmental aspects are AWESOME and so fascinating to read about. Towards the end it also feels a lot like an epic adventure story. I’m really looking forward to the second book and can’t wait to learn more about the Atlantis lore!
February 20, 2013
It was more like a 2.3 star. So, I rounded down. Because it deserved it.
What is it about?
Basically, the world is in shambles (no surprise there) and there are these big dome thingies that people live in. Apparently, our main character and narrator, Owen, lives outside of this place, underground, and only came here as a prize winner something-or-other. He finds out he has gills and is decended from the Atlantians blah blah blah.
Characters?
We have Owen, who is a totally...not impressive main character. He nearly drowns because he had a hernia in his side and wasn't intelligent enough to go "Gee, maybe this is a bad idea." But, apparently, when it comes to hot lifeguard chicks, your personal A. safety and B. dignity go out the window.
Next, we have the beautiful and perfect...I don't even remember her name. Oh, Lilly. Who. Cares. A total Mary-Sue, lifeguard, smart, rebellious, also has gills. Perfect for Owen, apparently. He gets her in the end, making this a totally expected outcome of events.
Those are basically the only important characters besides, you know, the bullies in the cabin tormenting Owen, Lilly's popular CIT friends (oh yeah, she's a year older than him and a CIT. Uncool kids are so getting the good life in books these days) and the people on the outside who want to take Owen for some unexplained reason, which I assume will be explained later.
World-building?
Not interesting at all. They're in a freaking metal bubble the whole time. Not very interesting. The most detailed part of the whole book is probably the bottom of the lake, which, by the way, is not all that interesting. Water! Oh, there's a rock! A zombie koi! Ooooo...
The thing they are staying in is apparently in northern America, and it protects them from the Sun's harmful radiation, which still causes them to put on sunscreen stuff that stains their skin purple. First off: wasn't the point of building this honking thing to not have to protect yourself from the sun? Second off: if technology allows you to build an enviroment dome thing, can't you make the sunscreen not stain people? Guess not.
Also, if the characters are in AMERICA, they shouldn't use METERS AND KILOMETERS. I dunno if the author is from England or whatevz, but come on. I don't think just because it's dystopian means that we aren't American and stubborn as all get-out anymore.
Storyline?
Was there even a story line? I'm pretty sure the only "story line" in the beginning of the book is Owen coming to terms with his magical gills and finding out that all the CITs have them too. Why nobody else has gills, I don't know. It makes no sense once so ever.
The Writing, Itself?
It was awkward reading it sometimes because, well, he was talking about his tounge and stuff and always comparing the inner-workings of his body to technicians. That last part was WAY overused. I was almost to the point that I thought that, along with the gills, they all had actual tiny people controlling their bodies or something.
Screw this. I'm changing this to one star.
No. In fact, I was not entertained.
What is it about?
Basically, the world is in shambles (no surprise there) and there are these big dome thingies that people live in. Apparently, our main character and narrator, Owen, lives outside of this place, underground, and only came here as a prize winner something-or-other. He finds out he has gills and is decended from the Atlantians blah blah blah.
Characters?
We have Owen, who is a totally...not impressive main character. He nearly drowns because he had a hernia in his side and wasn't intelligent enough to go "Gee, maybe this is a bad idea." But, apparently, when it comes to hot lifeguard chicks, your personal A. safety and B. dignity go out the window.
Next, we have the beautiful and perfect...I don't even remember her name. Oh, Lilly. Who. Cares. A total Mary-Sue, lifeguard, smart, rebellious, also has gills. Perfect for Owen, apparently. He gets her in the end, making this a totally expected outcome of events.
Those are basically the only important characters besides, you know, the bullies in the cabin tormenting Owen, Lilly's popular CIT friends (oh yeah, she's a year older than him and a CIT. Uncool kids are so getting the good life in books these days) and the people on the outside who want to take Owen for some unexplained reason, which I assume will be explained later.
World-building?
Not interesting at all. They're in a freaking metal bubble the whole time. Not very interesting. The most detailed part of the whole book is probably the bottom of the lake, which, by the way, is not all that interesting. Water! Oh, there's a rock! A zombie koi! Ooooo...
The thing they are staying in is apparently in northern America, and it protects them from the Sun's harmful radiation, which still causes them to put on sunscreen stuff that stains their skin purple. First off: wasn't the point of building this honking thing to not have to protect yourself from the sun? Second off: if technology allows you to build an enviroment dome thing, can't you make the sunscreen not stain people? Guess not.
Also, if the characters are in AMERICA, they shouldn't use METERS AND KILOMETERS. I dunno if the author is from England or whatevz, but come on. I don't think just because it's dystopian means that we aren't American and stubborn as all get-out anymore.
Storyline?
Was there even a story line? I'm pretty sure the only "story line" in the beginning of the book is Owen coming to terms with his magical gills and finding out that all the CITs have them too. Why nobody else has gills, I don't know. It makes no sense once so ever.
The Writing, Itself?
It was awkward reading it sometimes because, well, he was talking about his tounge and stuff and always comparing the inner-workings of his body to technicians. That last part was WAY overused. I was almost to the point that I thought that, along with the gills, they all had actual tiny people controlling their bodies or something.
Screw this. I'm changing this to one star.
No. In fact, I was not entertained.
May 22, 2012
*An ARC was provided by Harper Collin's Children's Books in exchange for an honest review*
I haven’t read a book with a boy as the main character since Percy Jackson, and I really loved those books. Owen isn’t as kick-butt as Percy was, but he (and this book) are special in their own ways.
First off, this is an amazingly original, imaginative idea. Atlantis, and dystopia. Great. All the books about werewolves and vampires are getting old because how many times can you tell the same story differently. 2012 has produced a great variety of new, imaginative stories, but I must say, this is one of the best. Not only was the idea amazing, but the story line and writing were as well. I loved that from page one there was action, and although it was boring at a few points in the story, they didn’t last long and then it was right back into the action. All the events flowed together, leading up to an amazing climax, and the great writing just topped it off. Really, really good.
When I first started this book, I hated Owen, because he was weak. But then, as I read on, I really started to like him. Not many books portray their main character as weak, especially if the main character is a guy, but it really showed how he grew over the course of the story, how he got some self esteem and really stood up for himself. So I really really like him and what Emerson did with him. I liked that he got stronger as the story progressed and finally overcame the bully that had messed with him.
I also really liked Lilly. She was totally kick-butt, and I loved that. Owen and her are a perfect combination of kick-butt-ness and used-to-be-weak-but-now-growing-out-of-it-ness (if that makes any sense :P). So great job Kevin Emerson for creating this great cast.
There is so much left to be explained so as you can imagine I really want to read the second book.
~Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf
I haven’t read a book with a boy as the main character since Percy Jackson, and I really loved those books. Owen isn’t as kick-butt as Percy was, but he (and this book) are special in their own ways.
First off, this is an amazingly original, imaginative idea. Atlantis, and dystopia. Great. All the books about werewolves and vampires are getting old because how many times can you tell the same story differently. 2012 has produced a great variety of new, imaginative stories, but I must say, this is one of the best. Not only was the idea amazing, but the story line and writing were as well. I loved that from page one there was action, and although it was boring at a few points in the story, they didn’t last long and then it was right back into the action. All the events flowed together, leading up to an amazing climax, and the great writing just topped it off. Really, really good.
When I first started this book, I hated Owen, because he was weak. But then, as I read on, I really started to like him. Not many books portray their main character as weak, especially if the main character is a guy, but it really showed how he grew over the course of the story, how he got some self esteem and really stood up for himself. So I really really like him and what Emerson did with him. I liked that he got stronger as the story progressed and finally overcame the bully that had messed with him.
I also really liked Lilly. She was totally kick-butt, and I loved that. Owen and her are a perfect combination of kick-butt-ness and used-to-be-weak-but-now-growing-out-of-it-ness (if that makes any sense :P). So great job Kevin Emerson for creating this great cast.
There is so much left to be explained so as you can imagine I really want to read the second book.
~Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf
February 10, 2012
Another dystopian novel? Author Kevin Emerson created a standalone novel in the popular dystopian genre. The reader is introduced to Owen, a slightly nerdy and funny young teen at a camp. Owen isn't at just any camp, however, the camp represents one of the only remaining habitable places on Earth. Earth has been ravaged by humans; the ozone layer has broken down and the fresh water is rapidly evaporating. Owen and his fellow campers are told that their small corner of the world is doing well, but Owen and a few of his "kind" believe there might be a deeper story.
Owen isn't the most popular boy at camp. He is regularly bullied by a few of the "cryo" children and their followers. The cryo children were frozen at the start of the ozone layer's breakdown by their families in a bid to save them. The reader will admire Owen's ability to stand up for himself and find his footing even when the reader knows many would cower. The other characters are fun to get to know, the author does a great job of developing many of the secondary characters. Owen's love interest, Lilly, is suspicious, intelligent, and somewhat mercurial in her moods. The reader will be rooting for the two throughout the novel.
With a plot as edgy and compelling as this, Emerson will capture and hold the readers' attention throughout the book. The reader will look forward to getting to know Owen and many of the other characters better and discovering the mystery behind the camp the characters inhabit. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.
January 2, 2013
There's so much to love about the Lost Code, but I'll try to keep it brief. Owen is an every-boy, not someone that anyone would think is special. Yet as he comes into his own in this dystopian setting you start to see that he really might be the one who can save his world. Add a cute girl and a creepy nemesis and the story is good to go.
I cannot say enough about Emerson's portrayal of teen dynamics. It was so spot on it gave me goosebumps. Very few adults can write about the shifting and exclusive world that they live in. I would read it just for that. Owen's relationship with Lily is the perfect example of that. While most YA has only a few core characters at most, The Lost Code is full of well fleshed out characters that act with their own motivations. Either Emerson did his footwork with each and every character or he has an innate ability to see every character, no matter how minor, in 3D.
There were negative aspects as well. The first part of the book was really slow, and it didn't speed up too much. Plus the mythology was really weak. It was six of one half dozen of another when it came to the whole magic/technology thing. I felt like it was supposed to mesh really well between the two but it just felt flimsy.
All in all this was a great learning tool for me as a hopeful writer.
I cannot say enough about Emerson's portrayal of teen dynamics. It was so spot on it gave me goosebumps. Very few adults can write about the shifting and exclusive world that they live in. I would read it just for that. Owen's relationship with Lily is the perfect example of that. While most YA has only a few core characters at most, The Lost Code is full of well fleshed out characters that act with their own motivations. Either Emerson did his footwork with each and every character or he has an innate ability to see every character, no matter how minor, in 3D.
There were negative aspects as well. The first part of the book was really slow, and it didn't speed up too much. Plus the mythology was really weak. It was six of one half dozen of another when it came to the whole magic/technology thing. I felt like it was supposed to mesh really well between the two but it just felt flimsy.
All in all this was a great learning tool for me as a hopeful writer.
May 2, 2012
Did I like the story? Yes
Could I read the story again? Yes
Will I let my 12-year-old daughter read it? Yes, she’s on page 45 now
Will I read the next in the series? Yes either from Library or at a good price, but I wouldn’t say that I’d stand at the bookstore at midnight waiting on release date.
Will I read other books from the same author? Yes
How many stars? Gave it 4 stars because I answered everything yes above :).
I did read a few reviews before I read the book (won via Goodread’s giveaway), and the majority said the beginning was slow. I didn’t find it slow, maybe because I was prepared for it… or perhaps because I tend to read a ton of free books from amazon.com and smashwords.com that sometimes go unedited or without a true criticism. It did have a few moments where the author seemed to do more telling about the setting than showing the reader through the story.
The author/publisher submitted book blurb pretty much sums up the complete first book. It mentions Owen is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race (if you’re curious which race, just look at the book series listed on the cover and by the title – The Atlanteans #1). I am curious to see where the next books will take us on the adventure.
Could I read the story again? Yes
Will I let my 12-year-old daughter read it? Yes, she’s on page 45 now
Will I read the next in the series? Yes either from Library or at a good price, but I wouldn’t say that I’d stand at the bookstore at midnight waiting on release date.
Will I read other books from the same author? Yes
How many stars? Gave it 4 stars because I answered everything yes above :).
I did read a few reviews before I read the book (won via Goodread’s giveaway), and the majority said the beginning was slow. I didn’t find it slow, maybe because I was prepared for it… or perhaps because I tend to read a ton of free books from amazon.com and smashwords.com that sometimes go unedited or without a true criticism. It did have a few moments where the author seemed to do more telling about the setting than showing the reader through the story.
The author/publisher submitted book blurb pretty much sums up the complete first book. It mentions Owen is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race (if you’re curious which race, just look at the book series listed on the cover and by the title – The Atlanteans #1). I am curious to see where the next books will take us on the adventure.
February 5, 2012
Global warming has finally caught up with the world, and people live in a crazy world of haves (those who live inside five biodomes) and have nots (those that live underground, wear super-protective UV gear and where the average age life span is 45). When Owen wins a trip to summer camp in one of the domes, he finds that things are not as advertised in the brochure...and that's before he nearly drowns and grows gills. There are lots of ideas in this book-about global warming, technology, and even standing up for yourself in the face of bullying-Emerson does a great job of tying them into an action-packed yarn which will indoubtedly delight science fiction fans,and readers who enjoy dystopic fiction and are looking for a different twist. This book may have a home with middle grade readers (although it's marketed for 8th and up)...although there's some a little semi-chaste romance, it feels more like a novel for younger readers-like the romance in a Rick Riordian book for middle readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2012
Based on an ARC.
The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. Earth is becoming a wasteland.
When Owen arrives at Camp Eden, one of the only remaining habitable places on earth, he never imagined that his life would take a dramatic turn. The knowledge he would discover, just may be the key to discovering forgotten history. Little did he know what transformations he would go through
This was a refreshing take on the dystopian genre that seems to be everywhere right now. Based on the Atlantean myth, it was filled with adventure. The novel takes a slower route, but this helps to really set up the mystery along with the world building. I would have enjoyed more world building, but I don't think it lacked any. It left plenty to be answered in the sequel.
Once the novel takes off it's very action packed. While reminiscent of the Percy Jackson, this book would appeal to an older YA audience. There is an unsettling feel and some violence. Can't wait to find out all of the mysteries of the Atlanteans in the next installment.
The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. Earth is becoming a wasteland.
When Owen arrives at Camp Eden, one of the only remaining habitable places on earth, he never imagined that his life would take a dramatic turn. The knowledge he would discover, just may be the key to discovering forgotten history. Little did he know what transformations he would go through
This was a refreshing take on the dystopian genre that seems to be everywhere right now. Based on the Atlantean myth, it was filled with adventure. The novel takes a slower route, but this helps to really set up the mystery along with the world building. I would have enjoyed more world building, but I don't think it lacked any. It left plenty to be answered in the sequel.
Once the novel takes off it's very action packed. While reminiscent of the Percy Jackson, this book would appeal to an older YA audience. There is an unsettling feel and some violence. Can't wait to find out all of the mysteries of the Atlanteans in the next installment.
May 7, 2014
The Lost Code started out okay, but i quickly lost interest.
Owen was an alright character to start with, but as the story progressed, i liked him less and less.
The other characters were the same. By the end of the book, there wasn't one character that i liked.
The pacing was way too slow.
It felt like it took me hours to get through a few chapters, and whenever i put it down, i didn't have the motivation to pick it back up again.
Overall, slow and dull.
Owen was an alright character to start with, but as the story progressed, i liked him less and less.
The other characters were the same. By the end of the book, there wasn't one character that i liked.
The pacing was way too slow.
It felt like it took me hours to get through a few chapters, and whenever i put it down, i didn't have the motivation to pick it back up again.
Overall, slow and dull.
January 15, 2014
30 Tage lang soll der 15-jährige Owen Parker in Camp Eden verbringen. Eine Art Ferienlager, in das er aber nur durch das Glück in der Lotterie durfte. Einzig und alleine diese entscheidet, wer dort den Sommer verbringen darf. Owen möchte eigentlich gar nicht in das Camp, und seinen kranken Vater alleine zurück lassen. Jedoch bestand dieser darauf, dass Owen sich diese Möglichkeit nicht entgehen lässt, 30 Tage lang ein normaler Jugendlicher zu sein, in der Sonne zu spielen, zu schwimmen und einfach nur die Zeit an der frischen Luft zu genießen. Denn dies alles kennt er nicht. So lebt er doch zusammen mit seinem Vater und vielen anderen unter der Erde, hat noch nie die Sonne auf seiner Haut gespürt, oder die Oberfläche gesehen. Owen beugt sich dem Wunsch seines Vaters und reist zur Kuppel Eden West, in deren Inneren sich das Camp Eden befindet. Durch die extremen Klimabedingungen sind die Menschen gezwungen unter Kuppeln, oder in unterirdischen Höhlen zu leben. Wobei die Kuppeln nur den höheren Gesellschaftsschichten vorbehalten sind.
Owen bewohnt im Camp eine Hütte mit mehren anderen Jungen zusammen, doch macht es ihm keinen großen Spaß dort. Es existiert in seiner Campgruppe eine bestimmte Hackordnung und Leech, der Anführer der Gruppe, macht ihm gleich am ersten Tag klar, dass er ganz unten in dieser Rangordnung steht. So versucht Owen nicht weiter groß aufzufallen. Er ist anfangs fasziniert von seiner Umgebung, jedoch merkt er schnell, dass viel mehr hinter Eden steckt und Dinge vor sich gehen, die etwas mit der Umgebung zu tun haben. Nach einem Wettkampf im Schwimmen, dass als eine Prüfung ausgelegt ist entwickelt Owen besondere Fähigkeiten. Er kann auf einmal unter Wasser atmen. Während er versucht, den Ursachen auf den Grund zu gehen, trifft er auf Lilly und ihre Freunde. Sie sind ihm sehr ähnlich. Was geht in Eden West vor sich? Sind er und die anderen das Ergebnis von irgendwelche Experimenten? Was hat es mit der Sirene auf sich, die er als einziger scheinbar sehen kann? Wurde er wirklich zufällig ausgelost und ausgewählt?
Owen stammte aus ärmlichen Verhältnissen, seine Mutter ist eines Tages einfach verschwunden und hat ihn und seinen Vater alleine zurück gelassen. Ob sie noch lebt, weiß keiner der beiden. So gut er kann versucht Owen sein Leben zu leben, und über die Wochen im Feriencamp freut er sich keinesfalls, macht er sich doch größere Sorgen um seinen Vater als um sich. Er ist nicht der typische mutige Junge, sondern schüchtern und zurückhaltend, mit noch wenig Selbstbewusstsein, wächst jedoch im Laufe der Handlung über sich hinaus. Dadurch macht er eine starke Entwicklung durch, und wird mutiger, entschlossener. Vor allem möchte er mehr über die Ursachen herausfinden und darüber, was hinter allem steckt.
Von der hübschen und selbstbewussten Lilly ist Owen vom ersten Tag an fasziniert. Er meint, dass er zwar Luft für sie ist, träumt jedoch davon sie näher kennen zu lernen. Das Lilly ihn im Auge behalten hat und ihm nicht ganz unähnlich ist, erfährt er schließlich auch noch. Ihre rebellische Art und ihre Ansichten sind mit ausschlaggebend dafür, was für eine Wandlung Owen durch macht.
Auch die anderen Charaktere im Buch sind sehr realistisch beschrieben und man könnte auch sicher in seinem realen Leben Menschen finden, die ihnen ähnlich sind. Sie sind tief gehend und detailreich, und einen jeden hier auf zu zählen, der die Handlung des Buches irgendwie vorantreibt, oder in die Intrigen verwickelt ist, würde für eine wirklich lange Rezension sorgen und deren Rahmen sprengen.
Das Cover ist in Rottönen gehalten und auf dem an verkratztes Metall erinnernden Hintergrund sind Wassertropfen zu sehen. In einem dieser Tropfen, dem größten in einem dunklen himmelblau, ist die Silhouette eines Jungen zu sehen. Es soll Owen unter Wasser darstellen, so vermute ich. Das Cover passt sehr gut zur Dystopie mit dem Wasserthema und dem rot. Die Silhouette in dem Wassertropfen ist ein Eyecatcher, der den Blick des Betrachters auf sich zieht und neugierig macht.
Kevin Emersons Schreibstil ist leicht verständlich in den Beschreibungen, hat eine passende Wortwahl und kurze Satzformulierungen, was für ein Jugendbuch typisch ist. Als Leser wird es einem nie langweilig, wenn die Geschehnisse aus Owens Sicht geschildert werden. Man bekommt eine starke Bindung zur Hauptfigur, da man auch einen wirklich guten Einblick in seine Gedankengänge und seine Gefühle erhält. Nach und nach steigert sich der Handlungsstrang von einem langweiligen Camp Alltag zu einem actionreichen und spannenden Höhepunkt am Schluss. Die vielen Rätsel und offenen Fragen werden nach und nach beantwortet und gelöst, alle Handlungsfäden zusammen geführt. Die zarten Bande zwischen Owen und Lilly stören nicht den actionreichen Ablauf und sind nicht schnulzig, oder nervend, wirken an manchen Stellen leider ein klein wenig gezwungen.
Der 1. Band der Atlantis-Reihe ist spannend und interessant, es werden Themen angesprochen, die aktuell sind und einen nachdenken lassen. Was passiert mit unserer Erde wirklich bei den Klimaveränderungen und was mit uns? Man möchte einfach auch wissen, wie es mit Owen und seinen Freunden weiter geht, was passiert. Ich freue mich schon jetzt auf weitere Teile der Reihe und kann Euch dieses spannenden und interessante Buch nur ans Herz legen. Es ist ein gut durchdachter und auch realistischer Roman, der doch mit seinem Fantasyanteil und mystischen Elementen eine dystopische mögliche Zukunft zeigt. Eine wunderbare und gelungene Mischung aus Fantasy und Dystopie.
Vielen Dank an den Heyne fliegt Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar
Owen bewohnt im Camp eine Hütte mit mehren anderen Jungen zusammen, doch macht es ihm keinen großen Spaß dort. Es existiert in seiner Campgruppe eine bestimmte Hackordnung und Leech, der Anführer der Gruppe, macht ihm gleich am ersten Tag klar, dass er ganz unten in dieser Rangordnung steht. So versucht Owen nicht weiter groß aufzufallen. Er ist anfangs fasziniert von seiner Umgebung, jedoch merkt er schnell, dass viel mehr hinter Eden steckt und Dinge vor sich gehen, die etwas mit der Umgebung zu tun haben. Nach einem Wettkampf im Schwimmen, dass als eine Prüfung ausgelegt ist entwickelt Owen besondere Fähigkeiten. Er kann auf einmal unter Wasser atmen. Während er versucht, den Ursachen auf den Grund zu gehen, trifft er auf Lilly und ihre Freunde. Sie sind ihm sehr ähnlich. Was geht in Eden West vor sich? Sind er und die anderen das Ergebnis von irgendwelche Experimenten? Was hat es mit der Sirene auf sich, die er als einziger scheinbar sehen kann? Wurde er wirklich zufällig ausgelost und ausgewählt?
Owen stammte aus ärmlichen Verhältnissen, seine Mutter ist eines Tages einfach verschwunden und hat ihn und seinen Vater alleine zurück gelassen. Ob sie noch lebt, weiß keiner der beiden. So gut er kann versucht Owen sein Leben zu leben, und über die Wochen im Feriencamp freut er sich keinesfalls, macht er sich doch größere Sorgen um seinen Vater als um sich. Er ist nicht der typische mutige Junge, sondern schüchtern und zurückhaltend, mit noch wenig Selbstbewusstsein, wächst jedoch im Laufe der Handlung über sich hinaus. Dadurch macht er eine starke Entwicklung durch, und wird mutiger, entschlossener. Vor allem möchte er mehr über die Ursachen herausfinden und darüber, was hinter allem steckt.
Von der hübschen und selbstbewussten Lilly ist Owen vom ersten Tag an fasziniert. Er meint, dass er zwar Luft für sie ist, träumt jedoch davon sie näher kennen zu lernen. Das Lilly ihn im Auge behalten hat und ihm nicht ganz unähnlich ist, erfährt er schließlich auch noch. Ihre rebellische Art und ihre Ansichten sind mit ausschlaggebend dafür, was für eine Wandlung Owen durch macht.
Auch die anderen Charaktere im Buch sind sehr realistisch beschrieben und man könnte auch sicher in seinem realen Leben Menschen finden, die ihnen ähnlich sind. Sie sind tief gehend und detailreich, und einen jeden hier auf zu zählen, der die Handlung des Buches irgendwie vorantreibt, oder in die Intrigen verwickelt ist, würde für eine wirklich lange Rezension sorgen und deren Rahmen sprengen.
Das Cover ist in Rottönen gehalten und auf dem an verkratztes Metall erinnernden Hintergrund sind Wassertropfen zu sehen. In einem dieser Tropfen, dem größten in einem dunklen himmelblau, ist die Silhouette eines Jungen zu sehen. Es soll Owen unter Wasser darstellen, so vermute ich. Das Cover passt sehr gut zur Dystopie mit dem Wasserthema und dem rot. Die Silhouette in dem Wassertropfen ist ein Eyecatcher, der den Blick des Betrachters auf sich zieht und neugierig macht.
Kevin Emersons Schreibstil ist leicht verständlich in den Beschreibungen, hat eine passende Wortwahl und kurze Satzformulierungen, was für ein Jugendbuch typisch ist. Als Leser wird es einem nie langweilig, wenn die Geschehnisse aus Owens Sicht geschildert werden. Man bekommt eine starke Bindung zur Hauptfigur, da man auch einen wirklich guten Einblick in seine Gedankengänge und seine Gefühle erhält. Nach und nach steigert sich der Handlungsstrang von einem langweiligen Camp Alltag zu einem actionreichen und spannenden Höhepunkt am Schluss. Die vielen Rätsel und offenen Fragen werden nach und nach beantwortet und gelöst, alle Handlungsfäden zusammen geführt. Die zarten Bande zwischen Owen und Lilly stören nicht den actionreichen Ablauf und sind nicht schnulzig, oder nervend, wirken an manchen Stellen leider ein klein wenig gezwungen.
Der 1. Band der Atlantis-Reihe ist spannend und interessant, es werden Themen angesprochen, die aktuell sind und einen nachdenken lassen. Was passiert mit unserer Erde wirklich bei den Klimaveränderungen und was mit uns? Man möchte einfach auch wissen, wie es mit Owen und seinen Freunden weiter geht, was passiert. Ich freue mich schon jetzt auf weitere Teile der Reihe und kann Euch dieses spannenden und interessante Buch nur ans Herz legen. Es ist ein gut durchdachter und auch realistischer Roman, der doch mit seinem Fantasyanteil und mystischen Elementen eine dystopische mögliche Zukunft zeigt. Eine wunderbare und gelungene Mischung aus Fantasy und Dystopie.
Vielen Dank an den Heyne fliegt Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar
March 1, 2014
Owen Parker lebt in einer ungemütlichen Zukunft, die Welt ist vom Klimawandel zur einzigen Gefahrenzone geworden, in der das Überleben zur echten Herausforderung wird. Entweder die Menschen leben unter der Erde, die sie vor der Sonne schützt oder unter riesigen Kuppeln in der die frühere Schönheit der Natur, zumindest im Schein noch gegeben ist, in Wirklichkeit ist auch da alles nur Illusion an der sich niemand zu stören scheint.
Owen kommt auf den sogenannten Hubs, den Plätzen unter der Erde, durch eine Lotterie wird er ins Camp Eden eingeladen, das sich unter einer dieser Kuppeln verbirgt, dass dieser Aufenthalt sein ganzes Leben in ein neues Licht rückt, hatte er bei seiner Anreise nicht erwartet.
Doch schon schnell machen sich Veränderungen in ihn breit, bei einer Schwimmprüfung im See bekommt er einen Krampf, er ist dabei zu ertrinken als ihm Kiemen wachsen die sein überleben sichern.
Lilly Juniorbetreuerin im Camp, zieht ihn aus dem Wasser und rät ihm dringend davon ab, diese Veränderung an die Leiter des Camps weiter zu tragen, er vertraut ihr und findet schon bald heraus, dass sie ebenfalls Kiemen besitzt und es gibt noch mehr von ihnen..
Er findet heraus, dass er das Erbe von Atlantis in sich trägt, dass er ein Atlanter ist, mit dem neu gewonnenen Wissen, versucht er das Camp zu verlassen, doch das lassen die Leiter des Camps nicht einfach so zu, denn genau nach ihm haben sie gesucht..
Tatsächlich mag ich das Cover sehr gerne, der orange-rote Hintergrund spiegelt für mich die dortige Welt wieder, während die Wasserblasen, dann das neu entdeckte sind, das Wasser für sich zu nutzen, das dem ganzen so ein wenig einen Hoffnungsschimmer verleiht, mir gefällt das Zusammenspiel hier einfach recht gut. :)
Ich war sehr gespannt inwiefern Atlantis in diesem Buch eine Rolle spielt, tatsächlich finde ich die Sage um die versunkene Stadt recht faszinierend, allerdings wird dieser Aspekt in der Geschichte dann doch anders integriert als ich es mir vorgestellt oder gar gewünscht hatte, nichtsdestotrotz, kam das alles recht unerwartet, was eine gewisse Neugierde in mir geweckt hat, die befriedigt werden wollte, so dass ich mich schnell damit anfreunden konnte.
Generell war es für mich schwierig zu erahnen, welche Richtung dieses Buch einschlagen würde, was natürlich eine gewisse Spannung erzeugt, allerdings konnte die sich dann in der ersten Hälfte nicht unbedingt halten.
Die Handlung schreitet nur sehr langsam voran, während man schnell mit Owen und seinen Kiemen in Berührung kommt bleiben die Antworten und Hintergründe diesbezüglich nur sehr wage bzw. gibt es nur Spekulationen der anderen Kiemenmenschen und dann verliert sich die Handlung auch schon wieder im Camp-Alltag.
Ich fand es nicht nur negativ, es hat durchaus positive Effekte mit sich gebracht, so konnte man als Leser zusammen mit Owen in Ruhe seine neuen Fähigkeiten entdecken und sein zurecht kommen damit erleben.
Auch bekommt man dadurch einen gewissen Einblick über den Verlauf dieser Welt, was sie ausmacht und wie sie funktioniert, auch wenn vieles sich im Nachhinein als Trug herausstellen mochte, es ist nur eine Sache, de einem dabei hilft die Welt vor dem inneren Auge aufleben zu lassen.
Nur der Spannung wurde damit einen gewissen Abbruch getan, das ändert sich dann ab der zweiten Hälfte des Buches allerdings sehr fix und viele neue Eindrücke kommen auf einen zu, bei den ich anfänglich dann sogar die Schwierigkeit hatte zu folgen.
Das Geheimnis um die Atlanter kommt immer weiter zu Tage, leider blieben mir hier noch viele Fragezeichen auf der Stirn stehen, denke allerdings das die weiteren Teile darauf aufbauen werden und das ist dann auch vollkommen okay.
Was mich dann auch noch mal recht schockiert hatte, war die Grausamkeit die gegen Ende dann zunahm, es wurden sämtliche Versuche mit Kiemenmenschen angestellt, diese Entdeckung war nicht nur für die Protagonisten selbst, ein abscheulicher Fund, die Beschreibung dessen was sie vorfanden war auch für mich sehr nahe an der Grenze zu dem was ich vertragen kann. Nicht das ich es negativ werten möchte, es war ein schockierender Moment, der die Grausamkeit hinter der Maskerade nur noch mehr verdeutlichte, demnach eher positiv und ein überraschender Moment. :)
Es lässt sich insgesamt eine gewisse Komplexität feststellen was den ganzen Handlungsaufbau betrifft, die entfaltet sich hier zum Teil, lässt aber noch einige Luft nach oben frei und darauf bin ich im Endeffekt sehr gespannt in den nächsten Teilen.
Die Charaktere sind hier in einer großen Zahl vorhanden, bleiben bis auf Owen und Lilly allerdings auch recht flach. In diesem Buch ist es nicht unbedingt störend, da das Abenteuer mehr im Fokus steht und stehen sollte, ein bisschen mehr liebe zum Detail, wäre bei der Zeichnung der Charaktere allerdings auch nicht weiter schlimm gewesen.
Dennoch gab es einige Charaktere die ich mochte, gerade deshalb hätte ich vielleicht auch einfach gerne einen besseren Bezug zu ihnen aufbauen wollen und mehr über sie und ihre Geschichte erfahren. Seis drum, Owen und Lilly kommen gut zur Geltung und sind zwei sehr sympathische Protagonisten, auch wenn sie mehr dem gängigen Stereotypen folgen, als wirklich einzigartige Persönlichkeiten zu sein.
Eine interessante und abenteuerliche Geschichte, die einen durchaus in den Bann zieht, wenn die erste etwas langatmige Phase überstanden ist. Das temporeiche Ende, mit vielen kleinen Details über die Hintergründe, machen Lust auf die Fortsetzungen auf die ich nun wohl geduldig warten muss. :>
Owen kommt auf den sogenannten Hubs, den Plätzen unter der Erde, durch eine Lotterie wird er ins Camp Eden eingeladen, das sich unter einer dieser Kuppeln verbirgt, dass dieser Aufenthalt sein ganzes Leben in ein neues Licht rückt, hatte er bei seiner Anreise nicht erwartet.
Doch schon schnell machen sich Veränderungen in ihn breit, bei einer Schwimmprüfung im See bekommt er einen Krampf, er ist dabei zu ertrinken als ihm Kiemen wachsen die sein überleben sichern.
Lilly Juniorbetreuerin im Camp, zieht ihn aus dem Wasser und rät ihm dringend davon ab, diese Veränderung an die Leiter des Camps weiter zu tragen, er vertraut ihr und findet schon bald heraus, dass sie ebenfalls Kiemen besitzt und es gibt noch mehr von ihnen..
Er findet heraus, dass er das Erbe von Atlantis in sich trägt, dass er ein Atlanter ist, mit dem neu gewonnenen Wissen, versucht er das Camp zu verlassen, doch das lassen die Leiter des Camps nicht einfach so zu, denn genau nach ihm haben sie gesucht..
Tatsächlich mag ich das Cover sehr gerne, der orange-rote Hintergrund spiegelt für mich die dortige Welt wieder, während die Wasserblasen, dann das neu entdeckte sind, das Wasser für sich zu nutzen, das dem ganzen so ein wenig einen Hoffnungsschimmer verleiht, mir gefällt das Zusammenspiel hier einfach recht gut. :)
Ich war sehr gespannt inwiefern Atlantis in diesem Buch eine Rolle spielt, tatsächlich finde ich die Sage um die versunkene Stadt recht faszinierend, allerdings wird dieser Aspekt in der Geschichte dann doch anders integriert als ich es mir vorgestellt oder gar gewünscht hatte, nichtsdestotrotz, kam das alles recht unerwartet, was eine gewisse Neugierde in mir geweckt hat, die befriedigt werden wollte, so dass ich mich schnell damit anfreunden konnte.
Generell war es für mich schwierig zu erahnen, welche Richtung dieses Buch einschlagen würde, was natürlich eine gewisse Spannung erzeugt, allerdings konnte die sich dann in der ersten Hälfte nicht unbedingt halten.
Die Handlung schreitet nur sehr langsam voran, während man schnell mit Owen und seinen Kiemen in Berührung kommt bleiben die Antworten und Hintergründe diesbezüglich nur sehr wage bzw. gibt es nur Spekulationen der anderen Kiemenmenschen und dann verliert sich die Handlung auch schon wieder im Camp-Alltag.
Ich fand es nicht nur negativ, es hat durchaus positive Effekte mit sich gebracht, so konnte man als Leser zusammen mit Owen in Ruhe seine neuen Fähigkeiten entdecken und sein zurecht kommen damit erleben.
Auch bekommt man dadurch einen gewissen Einblick über den Verlauf dieser Welt, was sie ausmacht und wie sie funktioniert, auch wenn vieles sich im Nachhinein als Trug herausstellen mochte, es ist nur eine Sache, de einem dabei hilft die Welt vor dem inneren Auge aufleben zu lassen.
Nur der Spannung wurde damit einen gewissen Abbruch getan, das ändert sich dann ab der zweiten Hälfte des Buches allerdings sehr fix und viele neue Eindrücke kommen auf einen zu, bei den ich anfänglich dann sogar die Schwierigkeit hatte zu folgen.
Das Geheimnis um die Atlanter kommt immer weiter zu Tage, leider blieben mir hier noch viele Fragezeichen auf der Stirn stehen, denke allerdings das die weiteren Teile darauf aufbauen werden und das ist dann auch vollkommen okay.
Was mich dann auch noch mal recht schockiert hatte, war die Grausamkeit die gegen Ende dann zunahm, es wurden sämtliche Versuche mit Kiemenmenschen angestellt, diese Entdeckung war nicht nur für die Protagonisten selbst, ein abscheulicher Fund, die Beschreibung dessen was sie vorfanden war auch für mich sehr nahe an der Grenze zu dem was ich vertragen kann. Nicht das ich es negativ werten möchte, es war ein schockierender Moment, der die Grausamkeit hinter der Maskerade nur noch mehr verdeutlichte, demnach eher positiv und ein überraschender Moment. :)
Es lässt sich insgesamt eine gewisse Komplexität feststellen was den ganzen Handlungsaufbau betrifft, die entfaltet sich hier zum Teil, lässt aber noch einige Luft nach oben frei und darauf bin ich im Endeffekt sehr gespannt in den nächsten Teilen.
Die Charaktere sind hier in einer großen Zahl vorhanden, bleiben bis auf Owen und Lilly allerdings auch recht flach. In diesem Buch ist es nicht unbedingt störend, da das Abenteuer mehr im Fokus steht und stehen sollte, ein bisschen mehr liebe zum Detail, wäre bei der Zeichnung der Charaktere allerdings auch nicht weiter schlimm gewesen.
Dennoch gab es einige Charaktere die ich mochte, gerade deshalb hätte ich vielleicht auch einfach gerne einen besseren Bezug zu ihnen aufbauen wollen und mehr über sie und ihre Geschichte erfahren. Seis drum, Owen und Lilly kommen gut zur Geltung und sind zwei sehr sympathische Protagonisten, auch wenn sie mehr dem gängigen Stereotypen folgen, als wirklich einzigartige Persönlichkeiten zu sein.
Eine interessante und abenteuerliche Geschichte, die einen durchaus in den Bann zieht, wenn die erste etwas langatmige Phase überstanden ist. Das temporeiche Ende, mit vielen kleinen Details über die Hintergründe, machen Lust auf die Fortsetzungen auf die ich nun wohl geduldig warten muss. :>
September 8, 2017
This book wasn't bad but it was straight-up weirder than an anesthesia induced dream.
January 9, 2019
AHHHHHHHH they should not have ended that like that....... it was a great book, but I dont have the next in series.
January 9, 2013
Find more reviews at I Have Lived a Thousand Lives
This is a mess.
I've always thought it was harder to write reviews for Great books than for Bad ones but The Lost Code is the closest book to prove that assumption wrong. I don't even know where to start.
Ok. Fine. Let's just get this over with.
There are no likeable characters. They are all boring and annoying and I want to punch each and every one of them in the face for existing. The most annoying of them all is Owen, the main character, our narrator. I don't know how old he's supposed to be but judging from the cover, he's 16. He certainly didn't act like one though. He thought, acted and spoke like he was 11. The first scene is him drowning because he decided to swim even though he had some illness that would lead to his drowning. Why? Because he wanted to impress the camp councilor, Lilly. He's decided he was in love with her after staring at her from afar. Oh my God, stop the torture. Here I thought teenage girls YA has got now were bad. Owen is on the run for being more annoying than your average lovesick, angst-filled teenage girl. For the rest of the book, Owen is just pining for Lilly, nursing his crush while whining about how she's never going to notice him. I don't know what he sees in Lilly. She had no remarkable feats and about as interesting as lint. Their romance was one of the cringiest that has ever existed. The rest of the cast were the camp kids and councilors. I don't even remember their names though. The camp director was a creep. The bully was pathetic. I didn't even hate him because I just felt bad for him for having to say those pathetic taunts Emerson fed him. Then there was this one guy who spoke this:
I wish I was kidding. I copied that letter by letter.
The worst thing about this book is the world building.
None of it made sense. It was very scattered and Emerson kept throwing things at me, at the randomest places and I'm trying to catch it but I don't know know what to do with the information he just gave me. It certainly didn't make things clearer. There was way too many natural disasters that there was no way they happened naturally. The ozone layer was in pieces. Three quarters of the land mass has flooded. Yellowstone got it the worst, apparently. Everyone needs to wear sunscreen. There was a three-year fire. Oh and people burned their own houses and stuff so that when the fire finally reached the area, there would be nothing left to burn and the fire would eventually die out. Sure, that's cool. Except now no one has a place to live. Hmmm... What other horrendous ploy for world building did Emerson attempt? Right, there are five or six (can't remember) massive domes where rich people live and send their kids to. It's supposed to be the best protection humans have to offer against the wrath of Mother Nature. These domes are used as a summer camp. Yup. The government chooses to spend what little money they have left to entertain rich people's children. Everything is man-made and they've tried to replicate the place to closely resemble what life used to be like. Seems like just a big fat waste of money to me. Also when Mother Nature first started her campaign to burn us all, rich people could get themselves frozen until humans have rebuilt society and they can get thawed back out. I'm pretty sure Owen used to live in a cave society or something. He called it the Hub and he kept saying that people aren't allowed to the surface and that he hasn't seen rain. I just assumed he lives in a cave. How does that work if the whole damn place is flooded? It's supposed to be 2086 but Owen will say something that will make me think that's it's like 100 years in the future.
I don't even know if it would be fair to say that I thought this book had potential. I'm sure I thought so during the first 20 pages or something but i don't even know if this can be salvaged. The heart of the story was just lost, utterly lost. There is no way I'm reading the next one. If you haven't read this book, good for you. If you haven't even heard of this book before, then I apologize for bringing your attention to this monstrosity. I'll leave you with the funniest quote in the book:
This is a mess.
I've always thought it was harder to write reviews for Great books than for Bad ones but The Lost Code is the closest book to prove that assumption wrong. I don't even know where to start.
Ok. Fine. Let's just get this over with.
There are no likeable characters. They are all boring and annoying and I want to punch each and every one of them in the face for existing. The most annoying of them all is Owen, the main character, our narrator. I don't know how old he's supposed to be but judging from the cover, he's 16. He certainly didn't act like one though. He thought, acted and spoke like he was 11. The first scene is him drowning because he decided to swim even though he had some illness that would lead to his drowning. Why? Because he wanted to impress the camp councilor, Lilly. He's decided he was in love with her after staring at her from afar. Oh my God, stop the torture. Here I thought teenage girls YA has got now were bad. Owen is on the run for being more annoying than your average lovesick, angst-filled teenage girl. For the rest of the book, Owen is just pining for Lilly, nursing his crush while whining about how she's never going to notice him. I don't know what he sees in Lilly. She had no remarkable feats and about as interesting as lint. Their romance was one of the cringiest that has ever existed. The rest of the cast were the camp kids and councilors. I don't even remember their names though. The camp director was a creep. The bully was pathetic. I didn't even hate him because I just felt bad for him for having to say those pathetic taunts Emerson fed him. Then there was this one guy who spoke this:
"Dude, that's aMAZing! They HATE you!"
I wish I was kidding. I copied that letter by letter.
The worst thing about this book is the world building.
None of it made sense. It was very scattered and Emerson kept throwing things at me, at the randomest places and I'm trying to catch it but I don't know know what to do with the information he just gave me. It certainly didn't make things clearer. There was way too many natural disasters that there was no way they happened naturally. The ozone layer was in pieces. Three quarters of the land mass has flooded. Yellowstone got it the worst, apparently. Everyone needs to wear sunscreen. There was a three-year fire. Oh and people burned their own houses and stuff so that when the fire finally reached the area, there would be nothing left to burn and the fire would eventually die out. Sure, that's cool. Except now no one has a place to live. Hmmm... What other horrendous ploy for world building did Emerson attempt? Right, there are five or six (can't remember) massive domes where rich people live and send their kids to. It's supposed to be the best protection humans have to offer against the wrath of Mother Nature. These domes are used as a summer camp. Yup. The government chooses to spend what little money they have left to entertain rich people's children. Everything is man-made and they've tried to replicate the place to closely resemble what life used to be like. Seems like just a big fat waste of money to me. Also when Mother Nature first started her campaign to burn us all, rich people could get themselves frozen until humans have rebuilt society and they can get thawed back out. I'm pretty sure Owen used to live in a cave society or something. He called it the Hub and he kept saying that people aren't allowed to the surface and that he hasn't seen rain. I just assumed he lives in a cave. How does that work if the whole damn place is flooded? It's supposed to be 2086 but Owen will say something that will make me think that's it's like 100 years in the future.
I don't even know if it would be fair to say that I thought this book had potential. I'm sure I thought so during the first 20 pages or something but i don't even know if this can be salvaged. The heart of the story was just lost, utterly lost. There is no way I'm reading the next one. If you haven't read this book, good for you. If you haven't even heard of this book before, then I apologize for bringing your attention to this monstrosity. I'll leave you with the funniest quote in the book:
"Xane's parents, and most of the Taiwanese, had emigrated to Coke-Sahel, which was formed when the Coca-Cola complany merged with Walmart and then purchased twelve West African countries."
August 11, 2019
Really exciting and gripping science fiction adventure mystery, written by a former science teacher, with great ideas and enticing characters. I had trouble putting it down at every reading. I would highly recommend it.
I noticed some reviewers weren't satisfied with the ending. Perhaps they are not aware that this is the first book in a trilogy. The book does end satisfyingly, leaving the reader looking forward to part 2 in the trilogy.
I noticed some reviewers weren't satisfied with the ending. Perhaps they are not aware that this is the first book in a trilogy. The book does end satisfyingly, leaving the reader looking forward to part 2 in the trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2012
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
With the ozone all but gone, the world is completely ravished and the temperature only continues to soar causing the oceans to rise at astronomical rates. Unprotected sun exposure is deadly in even the smallest amounts. To survive, most people have moved underground, like Owen and his father, but life isn't easy. Then Owen is selected for a month long camp under one of the domes built to simulate how life and nature used to be, and he counts himself lucky despite his worry for his father. Life seems easier for the people under the dome, but it holds it's own secrets and safety really is only an illusion. The creators have been searching for something, something ancient, and Owen may be the very key they need to find it. As revelations are made about exactly who and what he is descended from, he will quickly have to decide who to trust as the very fate of the world may just rest on his shoulders.
The Lost Code starts out very slow, and aside from the event that set some things in motion, I felt like there wasn't any progress at all until the last third of the book. Granted, I do realize that most first installments in a series are a little slower than the sequels due to setting up the mythology behind the world. Even so, I have a feeling I wouldn't have finished this book if I had not have know from the description that it would center around Atlantis. I just felt like a lot of the stuff with the rest of the campers was unnecessary filler to the story. I would have much rather have had an expansion on the reason why the world was falling apart, or more of the Atlantean aspect. There was so much unfulfilled potential to have foreshadowed things more, adding to the suspense or mystery behind what was happening that I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
There is a little romance in The Lost Code, but it didn't draw me in at it seemed two dimensional at best. I think a lot of that had to do with Owen's extreme awkwardness, and his inability to see himself clearly. I mean he had the queen bee girls fawning over him, so he has to be decent looking. I'm definitely not saying looks are everything, in fact in my opinion, they mean nothing compared to how a person acts. So I think his low place on the totem pole was really self-induced due to his lack of confidence. The actual love interest (name excluded to avoid spoilers) did seem to find Owen's behavior to be endearing, but the whole thing between them just seemed forced. Perhaps in time they will grow on me as a couple, but for now I can't help feeling rather indifferent towards the two of them.
My two favorite legends in mythology are the Greek Gods, and the mystery behind Atlantis. I've read several books with Greek aspects, but nothing to do with Atlantis, so I was extremely excited when I found out about The Lost Code, especially considering how great that description sounds. So, my expectations were probably a little high due to that excitement. Now that I've read it, I'm having a very hard time deciding how I felt about The Lost Code in the end. It isn't that I didn't enjoy the story, I did, there were just a lot of factors that caused me a good deal of frustration and disappointment. That being said, I have a feeling the next installment will be much faster paced now that it looks like the Atlantean aspect will be playing a much larger role in things. So in the end, I'm going to rate The Lost Code as a mediocre read, but a good foundation for the series, and hope the "wow" factor comes into play in the next installment.
With the ozone all but gone, the world is completely ravished and the temperature only continues to soar causing the oceans to rise at astronomical rates. Unprotected sun exposure is deadly in even the smallest amounts. To survive, most people have moved underground, like Owen and his father, but life isn't easy. Then Owen is selected for a month long camp under one of the domes built to simulate how life and nature used to be, and he counts himself lucky despite his worry for his father. Life seems easier for the people under the dome, but it holds it's own secrets and safety really is only an illusion. The creators have been searching for something, something ancient, and Owen may be the very key they need to find it. As revelations are made about exactly who and what he is descended from, he will quickly have to decide who to trust as the very fate of the world may just rest on his shoulders.
The Lost Code starts out very slow, and aside from the event that set some things in motion, I felt like there wasn't any progress at all until the last third of the book. Granted, I do realize that most first installments in a series are a little slower than the sequels due to setting up the mythology behind the world. Even so, I have a feeling I wouldn't have finished this book if I had not have know from the description that it would center around Atlantis. I just felt like a lot of the stuff with the rest of the campers was unnecessary filler to the story. I would have much rather have had an expansion on the reason why the world was falling apart, or more of the Atlantean aspect. There was so much unfulfilled potential to have foreshadowed things more, adding to the suspense or mystery behind what was happening that I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
There is a little romance in The Lost Code, but it didn't draw me in at it seemed two dimensional at best. I think a lot of that had to do with Owen's extreme awkwardness, and his inability to see himself clearly. I mean he had the queen bee girls fawning over him, so he has to be decent looking. I'm definitely not saying looks are everything, in fact in my opinion, they mean nothing compared to how a person acts. So I think his low place on the totem pole was really self-induced due to his lack of confidence. The actual love interest (name excluded to avoid spoilers) did seem to find Owen's behavior to be endearing, but the whole thing between them just seemed forced. Perhaps in time they will grow on me as a couple, but for now I can't help feeling rather indifferent towards the two of them.
My two favorite legends in mythology are the Greek Gods, and the mystery behind Atlantis. I've read several books with Greek aspects, but nothing to do with Atlantis, so I was extremely excited when I found out about The Lost Code, especially considering how great that description sounds. So, my expectations were probably a little high due to that excitement. Now that I've read it, I'm having a very hard time deciding how I felt about The Lost Code in the end. It isn't that I didn't enjoy the story, I did, there were just a lot of factors that caused me a good deal of frustration and disappointment. That being said, I have a feeling the next installment will be much faster paced now that it looks like the Atlantean aspect will be playing a much larger role in things. So in the end, I'm going to rate The Lost Code as a mediocre read, but a good foundation for the series, and hope the "wow" factor comes into play in the next installment.
August 2, 2012
This dystopian story takes place in a world where it is no longer safe to be outdoors because of danger from the sun due to ozone damage. Owen Parker finds himself the winner of a contest to participate in a summer camp in one of the exclusive domes that have been built for people to live in safely, which recreates the feel of the real world before the earth was damaged. Owen is from the hub, an underground community for those not fortunate enough to live in the domed community of Eden. He pretty much tries to keep to himself and stay inconspicuous. Owen finds himself at the lake for swimming testing. Normally, he wouldn't participate in this strenuous test, but he finds himself quite taken with the instructor, Lilly, who is one of the other girls at the camp. Despite his better judgement he jumps in and does pretty well for a while. The next thing he knows he has cramp, he's sinking to the bottom, and no one notices that he isn't there. As he slowly begins to lose consciousness, he hears a strange voice begin to speak to him telling him that what is oldest will be new and what was lost shall be found. That is the last thing Owen remembers before he drowns.
The next thing he knows he wakes up to Lilly giving him CPR. When Lilly whispers to him not to tell them (meaning the camp leaders) how long he was under the water, he was shocked to find that he had been under more than 10 minutes. From this point on the world as Owen Parker knows it is forever changed. Destined to unlock the code that will help save the world, Owen finds himself no longer a follower, but an emerging leader, under the close observation of the leaders of the camp, and in the beginning of a budding relationship with Lilly. He discovers new friends that have undergone the same changes that he has experienced, and he finds that there are those who would do anything to stop him. Owen must decide whether to give in or stand up for what he knows is right. The future of humanity just might depend on it.
This dystopian story also incorporates some mythology, centered around the lost city of Atlantis, which was interesting and fresh. I liked the main character Owen. I am not sure how old he was, but he seemed to be one of the older campers. Lilly, who I really liked, was a little older that Owen and had a great personality. There are several other characters in the book who also play important roles, one being Leech, who was quite the bully. The story line was interesting, though a little slow-paced in the beginning, but by the end of the book there was quite a bit of action, and the Atlantis mythology comes more into play. The love interest was sweet also. The Lost Code is a book that I think would appeal mainly to the middle grade age group and some older teens, and I would definitely recommend it to that age group. It reminds me somewhat of Percy Jackson, though not as fast paced. With that in mind, if you enjoy dystopian stories and mythology, then The Lost Code is something you or your children might enjoy.
The next thing he knows he wakes up to Lilly giving him CPR. When Lilly whispers to him not to tell them (meaning the camp leaders) how long he was under the water, he was shocked to find that he had been under more than 10 minutes. From this point on the world as Owen Parker knows it is forever changed. Destined to unlock the code that will help save the world, Owen finds himself no longer a follower, but an emerging leader, under the close observation of the leaders of the camp, and in the beginning of a budding relationship with Lilly. He discovers new friends that have undergone the same changes that he has experienced, and he finds that there are those who would do anything to stop him. Owen must decide whether to give in or stand up for what he knows is right. The future of humanity just might depend on it.
This dystopian story also incorporates some mythology, centered around the lost city of Atlantis, which was interesting and fresh. I liked the main character Owen. I am not sure how old he was, but he seemed to be one of the older campers. Lilly, who I really liked, was a little older that Owen and had a great personality. There are several other characters in the book who also play important roles, one being Leech, who was quite the bully. The story line was interesting, though a little slow-paced in the beginning, but by the end of the book there was quite a bit of action, and the Atlantis mythology comes more into play. The love interest was sweet also. The Lost Code is a book that I think would appeal mainly to the middle grade age group and some older teens, and I would definitely recommend it to that age group. It reminds me somewhat of Percy Jackson, though not as fast paced. With that in mind, if you enjoy dystopian stories and mythology, then The Lost Code is something you or your children might enjoy.
May 14, 2016
"Flucht aus Camp Eden" ist der Start einer spannenden Trilogie.
Eine Welt in der Zukunft, die durch Klimakatastrophen kaum noch bewohnbar ist. Die Sonne ist so aggressiv, dass man nicht mehr unter ihr leben kann. Daher haben die Menschen Kuppeln gebaut, in denen sie nun leben.
Owen ist das erste Mal im Feriencamp und als er bei einem Tauchunfall fast ums Leben kommt, ändert sich plötzlich alles. Er entdeckt Fähigkeiten an sich, die er nicht versteht und die ihm eigenartig vorkommen. Wie konnte er den Unfall überleben? Wieso darf er niemandem die genauen Details des Unfalls erzählen? Wieso will Lilly, dass er stillschweigen bewahrt?
Nach und nach kommen Owen und Lilly einem unglaublichen Geheimnis auf die Spur. Ihre Gegner schrecken vor nichts zurück. Doch wer ist Freund, wer ist Feind? Wem können sie vertrauen und woher kommen die Fähigkeiten?
Das Cover hat mir von Anfang an richtig gut gefallen. Die Farben sind toll und mystisch.
Es zeigt Owen und Lilly, die beiden Hauptprotagonisten. Im Hintergrund kann man das Feriencamp erahnen, in dem die beiden sich kennenlernen. Umrahmt wird das Cover von geheimnisvollen Zeichen.
Owen ist kein typischer Mädchenschwarm und fühlt sich von den Jungen eher ausgeschlossen. Sein Unfall macht die Situation nicht besser und die anderen machen sich über ihn lustig.
Als er Lilly trifft ist er sehr verunsichert.
Lilly ist eine tolle Hauptfigur. Sie nimmt nichts einfach so hin, denkt viel über die Welt und das Geschehen nach und versucht eine Lösung zu finden. Sie ist liebenswert, vertrauensvoll und eine gute Freundin, mit der man auch Spaß haben kann.
Im Laufe der Geschichte lernen Owen und Lilly sich besser kennen. Die beiden ergänzen sich gut und harmonieren miteinander. Man merkt, wie Owen nach und nach aufblüht.
Ich mag Bücher, die in der Zukunft spielen. Ich finde es sowohl erschreckend als auch atemberaubend zu lesen, wie die Welt einmal aussehen könnte und in "Die Vertriebenen" finde ich die Welt sehr beängstigend. Ich frage mich immer, ob wir auch mal an so einen Punkt kommen werden und wie unsere Welt in der Zukunft aussehen wird.
Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und die Geschichte zeigt tolle Ansätze, jedoch konnte mich das Buch nicht packen. Es ist gut und spannend und ich freue mich auch auf die anderen beiden Teile, aber irgendetwas hat mir gefehlt, um mich komplett mitzureißen.
Es ist eine interessante Geschichte, aus der man aber noch etwas mehr hätte herausholen können.
Eine Welt in der Zukunft, die durch Klimakatastrophen kaum noch bewohnbar ist. Die Sonne ist so aggressiv, dass man nicht mehr unter ihr leben kann. Daher haben die Menschen Kuppeln gebaut, in denen sie nun leben.
Owen ist das erste Mal im Feriencamp und als er bei einem Tauchunfall fast ums Leben kommt, ändert sich plötzlich alles. Er entdeckt Fähigkeiten an sich, die er nicht versteht und die ihm eigenartig vorkommen. Wie konnte er den Unfall überleben? Wieso darf er niemandem die genauen Details des Unfalls erzählen? Wieso will Lilly, dass er stillschweigen bewahrt?
Nach und nach kommen Owen und Lilly einem unglaublichen Geheimnis auf die Spur. Ihre Gegner schrecken vor nichts zurück. Doch wer ist Freund, wer ist Feind? Wem können sie vertrauen und woher kommen die Fähigkeiten?
Das Cover hat mir von Anfang an richtig gut gefallen. Die Farben sind toll und mystisch.
Es zeigt Owen und Lilly, die beiden Hauptprotagonisten. Im Hintergrund kann man das Feriencamp erahnen, in dem die beiden sich kennenlernen. Umrahmt wird das Cover von geheimnisvollen Zeichen.
Owen ist kein typischer Mädchenschwarm und fühlt sich von den Jungen eher ausgeschlossen. Sein Unfall macht die Situation nicht besser und die anderen machen sich über ihn lustig.
Als er Lilly trifft ist er sehr verunsichert.
Lilly ist eine tolle Hauptfigur. Sie nimmt nichts einfach so hin, denkt viel über die Welt und das Geschehen nach und versucht eine Lösung zu finden. Sie ist liebenswert, vertrauensvoll und eine gute Freundin, mit der man auch Spaß haben kann.
Im Laufe der Geschichte lernen Owen und Lilly sich besser kennen. Die beiden ergänzen sich gut und harmonieren miteinander. Man merkt, wie Owen nach und nach aufblüht.
Ich mag Bücher, die in der Zukunft spielen. Ich finde es sowohl erschreckend als auch atemberaubend zu lesen, wie die Welt einmal aussehen könnte und in "Die Vertriebenen" finde ich die Welt sehr beängstigend. Ich frage mich immer, ob wir auch mal an so einen Punkt kommen werden und wie unsere Welt in der Zukunft aussehen wird.
Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und die Geschichte zeigt tolle Ansätze, jedoch konnte mich das Buch nicht packen. Es ist gut und spannend und ich freue mich auch auf die anderen beiden Teile, aber irgendetwas hat mir gefehlt, um mich komplett mitzureißen.
Es ist eine interessante Geschichte, aus der man aber noch etwas mehr hätte herausholen können.
January 31, 2016
Meine Meinung:
Aufmerksam bin ich auf das Buch geworden, durch die Neuerscheinungen. Ich war super neugierig auf das Buch, weil ich nicht so richtig wusste, was mich genau erwartet. Ich hatte vom Klappentext her gedacht, dass es sich um eine Dystopie mit Fantasyelementen handelt, da habe ich mich allerdings getäuscht.
Dies war auch der Grund, warum mir das Buch wirklich gut gefallen hat, denn es ist in eine Richtung gegangen, mit der ich so nicht gerechnet habe, was aber sehr positiv ist.
Der Autor hatte da wirklich eine tolle Idee und hat die Elemente toll verbunden.
Außerdem fand ich die Idee mit dem Klimawandel sehr realistisch, da dies ein Thema ist, was uns momentan ja auch beschäftigt.
Dennoch hatte ich anfangs Probleme mit der Welt, die er erschaffen hat. Mir fehlten vor allem zu Beginn einige Infos. um richtig in die Geschichte eintauchen zu können.
Geschrieben ist das Buch aus der Sicht von Owen, sodass man seine Gefühle und Gedankengänge gut nachvollziehen konnte. Zu Beginn des Buches musste ich mich erst einmal an den Schreibstil gewöhnen, denn Kevin Emerson hat einen Stil, der sich von anderen abhebt.
Das Buch wurde ca. ab der Mitte richtig spannend. Es kam fahrt auf und ich wollte es gar nicht mehr weg legen. Dennoch hätte ich mir etwas mehr gewünscht.
Die Charaktere in dem Buch haben mir gut gefallen. Besonders Owen, denn er ist super authentisch. Durch seine tollpatschige Art muss man ihn einfach mögen. Mit Lily musste ich erst warm werden, aber auch sie mochte ich dann wirklich gerne.
Fazit:
Der erste Teil der Trilogie "Die Vertriebenen - Flucht aus Camp Eden" konnte mich mit einer grandiosen Idee überzeugen. Ich hatte in dieser Form damit einfach nicht gerechnet. Zu Beginn des Buches hatte ich ein paar Probleme, die aber schnell verflogen sind. Von mir bekommt es auf jeden Fall eine Leseempfehlung und solle auf jeden Fall mehr Aufmerksamkeit bekommen!
Aufmerksam bin ich auf das Buch geworden, durch die Neuerscheinungen. Ich war super neugierig auf das Buch, weil ich nicht so richtig wusste, was mich genau erwartet. Ich hatte vom Klappentext her gedacht, dass es sich um eine Dystopie mit Fantasyelementen handelt, da habe ich mich allerdings getäuscht.
Dies war auch der Grund, warum mir das Buch wirklich gut gefallen hat, denn es ist in eine Richtung gegangen, mit der ich so nicht gerechnet habe, was aber sehr positiv ist.
Der Autor hatte da wirklich eine tolle Idee und hat die Elemente toll verbunden.
Außerdem fand ich die Idee mit dem Klimawandel sehr realistisch, da dies ein Thema ist, was uns momentan ja auch beschäftigt.
Dennoch hatte ich anfangs Probleme mit der Welt, die er erschaffen hat. Mir fehlten vor allem zu Beginn einige Infos. um richtig in die Geschichte eintauchen zu können.
Geschrieben ist das Buch aus der Sicht von Owen, sodass man seine Gefühle und Gedankengänge gut nachvollziehen konnte. Zu Beginn des Buches musste ich mich erst einmal an den Schreibstil gewöhnen, denn Kevin Emerson hat einen Stil, der sich von anderen abhebt.
Das Buch wurde ca. ab der Mitte richtig spannend. Es kam fahrt auf und ich wollte es gar nicht mehr weg legen. Dennoch hätte ich mir etwas mehr gewünscht.
Die Charaktere in dem Buch haben mir gut gefallen. Besonders Owen, denn er ist super authentisch. Durch seine tollpatschige Art muss man ihn einfach mögen. Mit Lily musste ich erst warm werden, aber auch sie mochte ich dann wirklich gerne.
Fazit:
Der erste Teil der Trilogie "Die Vertriebenen - Flucht aus Camp Eden" konnte mich mit einer grandiosen Idee überzeugen. Ich hatte in dieser Form damit einfach nicht gerechnet. Zu Beginn des Buches hatte ich ein paar Probleme, die aber schnell verflogen sind. Von mir bekommt es auf jeden Fall eine Leseempfehlung und solle auf jeden Fall mehr Aufmerksamkeit bekommen!
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