Nine

I have read all of Rachelle's books and have been a fan of her dad's work for years. This book didn't disappoint. With its dystopian elements, the book kept me hooked throughout and had several twists and turns. \\n\\nThe female leads Zoe and Lucy (Number Nine) are strong. Lucy was created by an organisation seeking to make the perfect weaponised human. But is she strong enough to be her own person?\\n\\nAlthough the Christian themes are subliminal, there are themes of good vs evil and sacrifice. There are themes of brutality though they are not too graphic )in my opinion) and are necessary to progress the story. Without these torture scenes, we would not know just what the girls have gone through. \\n\\nThis is a fantastic read. I would recommend it for anyone who likes dystopian fiction or thrillers. \\n\\n

The novel is set in our world and in our time, but has dystopian elements. (I hope. ) It centres around the supersecret government department Olivia and Seely work for, and where Lucy aka Nine was born and raised. It's one of those novels that gets you wondering about what the US government is up to in Area 51 or deep in the Colorado mountains . . . or other places. What is happening to people-children-in the name of research and politics?\\n\\nThere were a few things that bugged me. Some scenes were violent and showed the torture of children or teenagers. Was that necessary? I don't think we needed to see Nine almost drown while the """"leader of the free world"""" watched (in case you're wondering, he wore a blue suit and red tie). \\n\\nThe evildoers worked for an unnamed organisation they refer to as Xerox, just not the Xerox we know (although I suppose Lucy and her compatriots were copies of sorts). And I wasn't convinced by Seely's character-it was never clear whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. Some readers might appreciate this ambiguity, but I like to know. I also found the ending somewhat abrupt-maybe there will be a sequel to answer the remaining questions. \\n\\nThe story isn't overtly Christian fiction, but the overall message has definite echoes of John 15:13. The writing is excellent, and there are solid themes about identity and sacrifice. Recommended for fans of speculative and dystopian young adult fiction. \\n\\nThanks to Revell and NetGalley for…