Vivian lives in the future, when being brought back from the
dead is a fact of life.
However, we’re not talking zombies here, or sparkly vampires
or unemotional robots, which actually is a relief. These revived humans are
simply that - humans, but with no memories of their lives before their deaths.
Since only younger bodies can be revived (anyone under 35), death by murder or
suicide appears to be a common cause.
When Vivian is revived, she adapts to her new life
underground rather well. The air on the surface is dangerous, so the only life
remaining is in a secure facility under the ground.
Vivian meets others who have been revived, and slowly comes
to learn about the nature and purpose of the facility, as well as the reasons
why she was killed the first time round.
I liked the book. I liked the author’s ideas and vision, and
I fully expect that her target audience will enjoy exploring the possibilities
in this new world in sync with Vivian.
I struggled with some of the tenses, and wonder if an editor
could help Ms Kobe with the lack of consistency. I also struggled with the
pacing of the novel, feeling sometimes that it dragged through too much
dialogue. The characters need a little more fleshing out. Vivian herself is 21
years old but she accepts her new situation like a docile child, then at times
whines about unimportant details like a petulant teenager. I have to admit that
she was difficult to like.
I think that Jodie Kobe has her hands on a really
interesting idea here. I’d love for her to talk to some professional writers /
editors before she writes the next volume - or even consider a redraft of
Revived. It could be tightened up to give it a much more gripping edge.
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