Mundie Moms

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Book Review: ADAPTATION by Malinda Lo

Written by: Malinda Lo
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Source: Purchased
Series: Adaptation series #1
Purchase: IndieBound | amazon | Barnes and Noble
Goodreads:  Adaptation (Adaptation, #1)

Rating: 5 out of 5 action-packed stars. I loved it!!!

Synopsis: Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now. Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are stranded.

Reese and her debate team partner and longtime crush David are in Arizona when it happens. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On their drive home to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway at night in the middle of Nevada, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won’t tell them what happened, where they are—or how they’ve been miraculously healed.

Things become even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an entirely new direction—and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has worked for decades to keep secret.

Aside: I like when reviewers admit biases. So here goes, I love pretty much all plots that play upon a certain subject matter. I won't divulge it fully, but think "X Files" and "Fringe" and I'm there. Throw in a government conspiracy and you've got me sitting up late and flipping pages.

I wasn't sure what ADAPTATION was about. Yes, I read the synopsis and thought hmm, bird invasion, eh? Interesting. But what I didn't expect was to be pulled into Reese's story with such force that yes, I ignored pretty much everything (except my dog's repeated requests to be let outside).

Here's what Malinda does brilliantly -- she writes this seemingly sweet, little story about Reese and an unexpectedly awkward moment that occurred during a debate competition. Just when you fall into the rhythm of what could be a contemporary romance plot, Malinda pulls you away into scenes so action packed that you find yourself holding your breath and then trying to exhale normally so that people around you don’t notice you’re not breathing while reading, what, a book?!? Phew. See? I held my breath just writing that run-on sentence.

And then yes, there is romance. Malinda, you can write me a kissy scene any old time (not that she’s taking requests). The romance in this story is so real, it could be the storyline of a favorite romance of mine. Swing sets, corner coffee shops and San Francisco. Oh, how Malinda made me miss the city I used to visit so often.

But then there’s the matter of the birds, terrorism and Reese discovering what happened in that military hospital. As a reader, I didn’t have much time to focus on the romance because I was too busy discovering what will happen next. If you love science fiction, you must pick up ADAPTATION . Musty-must-must.

In fact, while Katie’s away at BEA and I’m quietly keeping things up to date on MMs, so I think I’ll give away a hardcover of the book. Fill out the Rafflecopter widget below. Yes, the giveaway is open to international addresses. Anywhere that The Book Depository or Barnes and Noble will ship. Okay now, go enter. Or go to the library and check it out. Or go to the bookstore and purchase a copy. It’s worth it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

33 comments:

  1. I loved your review! Will add this to my list. The book I just finished was Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins and I loved it.

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  2. I'm reading Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris, and I LOVE it!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. Oooooh, I've heard only good things about that one!

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  3. I would love a copy! Love Malinda's other work.

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    1. theraveler - thanks for entering the giveaway!

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  4. I must recommend you Lost and Found by Nicole Williams. Great book!

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  5. Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith (snagged it from a Goodreads giveaway -- definitely a gem).

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  6. I flipped through The Modernist Cuisine last night. Wow, that is a gorgeously hefty coffee table tome.

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  7. My latest favourite read is "A Girl Named Grace" by Janna Lafrance. It's inspirational fiction and was a nice break from the series' I've been reading.

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  8. My latest favourite read, which I just finished reading, was the latest book of the Heist Society series by Ally Condie

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  9. The Program by Suzanne Young

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  10. My last favorite read was Salvation by Erica Stevens! AMAZING, WHAT A RIDE! :) Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    Rafflecopter Name: Vannah Batista

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  11. My latest favorites are Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia/Margaret Stohl and Black City by Elizabeth Richards. Loved them!

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  12. The Archived by Victoria Schwab.

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  13. Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys!

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  14. I have been reading the "Goddess Girls" series by Joan Holub. These are a cute take on mythology.

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  15. I am reading through the Game of Thrones books.

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  16. I really want to read this one! I also have Ash on my Kindle waiting for me.

    Gaah, it's hard recommending just ONE book. I think this year has been good with my reads! I'd recommend Stiefvater's Raven Boys and Scorpio Races, loved both! And "The Summer I Became a Nerd", it was so nerdy and adorable!

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  17. O.O...I think I need to read this before I spontaneously explode....

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  18. My last favorite read was The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke--it's the sequel to The Assassin's Curse. That series is definitely one of my all time favorites!

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  19. I absolutely loved goddess by Josephine angelini

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  20. Adaptation was great! I liked Ash and Huntress, too. :)

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  21. Last favourite read: "A Stranger in Olondria" by Sophia Samatar

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  22. My last favourite read was Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout :)

    Thank you for the giveaway!

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  23. I loved Poison Princess by Kresley Cole.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

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  24. I am really excited to read this book now! The synopsis was interesting and the book review just brought it over the top! It definitely sounds like some I would want to read :D

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  25. My last read was THE WAVES by Virginia Woolf. Sorry. I know it's not YA but I had to recommend it, it's just too great. :) However, the last YA book that I've read was The speed of dark by Elizabeth Moon :D
    Thanks for the giveaway.

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  26. Wow this sounds incredible. I am also a big Fringe fan so this seems right up my alley :) Great review!

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  27. the last book i read was hush, hush by becca fitzpatrick. my trusting friend lent it to me over 2 years ago (it was a signed copy, she personally knows the author) and my guilt at not having read it yet finally got to me. so i picked it up and could not put it down. made me wonder why i waited so long...but if i won this book, i promise i would not wait two years to read it :)

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  28. The Eternity Cure is fantastic!

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  29. I've recently read Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, and The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe, all of which I highly recommend!

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