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Linx #1
The Complex
The Complex - a young adult novel
Helena Linx is dying. Isolated and quarantined for over a decade, sixteen-year-old Helena lives in a virtual utopia run by a council of doctors bent on saving the world from a fatal and almost incurable disease. The pandemic has been contained, but she and hundreds of others are still waiting to be cured. Helena dreams of returning to the outside world and leaving behind the heavily regulated world of the Eyam Complex, a place where everything runs according to plan…until one fateful morning.
Things begin to change in the complex. And after everything dear to Helena—her father, her brother, and her boyfriend—is taken away, she finally gets what she wants.
But life on the outside isn’t what Helena expected. Never in her wildest dreams did Helena think that she’d leave Eyam only to become so desperate to get back in.
Helena Linx is dying. Isolated and quarantined for over a decade, sixteen-year-old Helena lives in a virtual utopia run by a council of doctors bent on saving the world from a fatal and almost incurable disease. The pandemic has been contained, but she and hundreds of others are still waiting to be cured. Helena dreams of returning to the outside world and leaving behind the heavily regulated world of the Eyam Complex, a place where everything runs according to plan…until one fateful morning.
Things begin to change in the complex. And after everything dear to Helena—her father, her brother, and her boyfriend—is taken away, she finally gets what she wants.
But life on the outside isn’t what Helena expected. Never in her wildest dreams did Helena think that she’d leave Eyam only to become so desperate to get back in.
368 pages, ebook
First published February 29, 2012
About the author
C. Zaragoza
9 books64 followersSan Francisco-based author of YA fiction. Nobody is worse at writing autobiographical blurbs than she is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 23, 2012
I have to say I always love reading novels in this genre, because you never know what you're going to get. With stories that are set in the future the author has the freedom to create their own unique and intriguing world, and C.E Zaragoza pulled this off and then some. After a brief prologue, the novel kicks off in Eyam, a strange closed off community in a large complex building. We meet Helena who is young but intelligent, and we discover that she and every other person in Eyam is suffering from an illness known as Cavall. This illness is what caused the breakdown of society and the reason why Helena and her family and many others have spent more than a decade living in quarantine.
I loved the sinister undertones to this novel, my suspicions were initially piqued when it was mentioned how despite Helena having had Cavall since she was a child she has never really felt sick. It quickly becomes apparent that those living in Eyam are being kept in the dark about many things. The problem is, most of them accept their immediate reality without asking any questions. Several things happen to cause Helena to start wondering if all is truly as it seems. I thought it was great how the author was subtle in showing that for some reason whenever anyone began showing any signs of rebellion or individuality they would soon find that they were cured and could go and start their new lives in the outside world.
This book really sucks you in, I found myself sitting down to read for a half an hour but there was just so much mystery that I couldn't stop. By the end of each chapter something new happens that makes you want to continue reading into the wee hours of the morning. Eyam was like a pleasant sort of prison, you know that those living there have no freedom, yet their lives aren't particularly difficult and they have everything they could ever ask for. Cuisines of all variety are served on demand in the dining area. Helena doesn't have to cook or do any other house work as it is all done for her. It will probably show my lazy side, but I really liked this futuristic aspect. All of the young people get to study for their chosen career, Helena studies art while her brother studies law.
My favourite character, aside from Helena, was Isaac Akhos, a sort of wild rogue living in the outside world who ends up kidnapping Helena to get the attention of the Medcouncil. I liked how he enlightened her as to the true nature of what happened to the world while she was living in Eyam, and how he affectionately nicknamed her Linx. Anyway, I'm hoping to see more of him in the next book in the series. I was amazed by how well written the novel was as a whole, as there is a large cast of characters, who are all given a good amount of exploration within the narrative. The best thing about the story was that it just kept you guessing all the time, and I found myself trying to figure out whether people could be trusted or not and if they had hidden agendas. Overall, this was a highly original story from a young and talented author who I have no doubt has many great books in her to come. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a story that contains mystery, action and intrigue.
February 26, 2015
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May 23, 2012
This is my 1st review and its fitting that it should be a brilliant book by a self publishing author. I loved this book and was so happy i stumbled across it. It was the cheapest book i have ever bought off amazon and is definatly one of the best. Just before this i had read the 2 Divergent books and they were brilliant and it would have been tough books to follow. But this book is definitly in the same league as the Divergent books. Im eagerly amaiting the sequel. ps. im from Ireland and thats proof i feel that this book is starting to catch on over the other side of the atlantic.
April 30, 2012
The Complex is one of the better dystopians I’ve read this year. The premise was unique and Ms. Zarazoga totally delivered on the expectations of the blurb and the sample. The twist to the story was foreshadowed enough that it made sense, but not so much that it was totally obvious.
What else I loved:
- The action picks up from the beginning, and sets the tone for a novel that is extremely well paced. The Complex opens with a prologue that was interesting, but didn’t completely catch my interest because it focused on a minor character (I like to jump right into the swing of things from the main character’s POV); however, the next chapter more than made up for it, swiftly presenting a mystery. Ms. Zarazoga has a good feel for when to ramp up the action, and just as you’re starting to feel like something needs to happen, it does. The twists and turns in this story are many and varied, so if you’re a fan of action, you will not be disappointed.
-One of the most impressive things about The Complex is that is contains, not one, not two, but three unique and detailed worlds. I’ve seen many authors master plot and characterization, but struggle at world building, and that is certainly not the case here. Each world is detailed, deeply thought-out, and unique, but they still fit together and make sense in the storyline. Showers are the sort of thing that normally get left out of a story – conventional wisdom says that sort of detail should be omitted because it’s boring. But Ms. Zarazoga masterfully uses little details like personal hygiene routines to highlight the differences in the lives of people from each area.
-In addition to the thought that clearly went into world building, it’s apparent from reading this book that Ms. Zarazoga has fully immersed herself in the world of her characters. Small details are foreshadowed and then revealed in ways that will have you saying “Ohhhh. I barely noticed that, but now it makes so much sense!” For instance, the things with the neighbors is SO something a dystopian govt. would do! Like hunting for Easter eggs, you will be rewarded with literary treats for paying attention. You can tell that she visualized the big picture going in, because the story progresses in a logical way and later action builds on what was established earlier.
-It has a real ending. Not a -cliff hanger wait a few months and pay me more money if you wanna know what happens- ending. It leaves some questions open for another story, but it answers the main questions presented, and as a reader, I really, really appreciate that. I often don’t read next installments of cliff hanger books, just on principle because I think that’s an awful thing to do to a reader.
What I didn’t love:
WARNING: THIS PART IS A LITTLE BIT SPOILERY!
I thought it was only fair to be specific about my feelings in this part of the review, so I discuss two plot points.
- The relationship between Helena and her initial love interest didn’t make sense to me. The first time we meet him, he and Helena are arguing and she mentions that “their world was so small that a conversation about coffee beans might lead to a serious argument and a break up.” To me, she doesn’t seem like a young woman in love. Later, there’s a scene where they have better chemistry but their relationship is mostly described through backstory, so we don’t see enough of them happy together for me to feel like he was an important part of her life. It seemed like she had more chemistry, and more time, with a platonic friend named Lucas. Because of this, I felt like it was melodramatic for her to be so crushed that he’d moved on after they were separated for months.
-There’s a main character who starts as an antagonist and turns into a protagonist, but I never found him fully sympathetic. In his first scene, he tells Helena, “We’re not going to kill you bitch, but if you keep shouting I will shoot you.” After that, I really couldn’t get onto this guy’s side. Soon after, he promises not to hurt her unless she runs. Again, not sympathetic. Then, when soldiers came to rescue Helena, instead of running toward them or even just slowing, she runs off with her kidnapper. A reasonable person should be angry and want to escape. After this, I found it hard to fully get behind Helena because I questioned her good sense. And I was even more confounded when she wanted her brother to defend her kidnapper in court. Sure he had a tough life, but he went about the solution the wrong way. This irked me. However, it says a lot that I still enjoyed the book while being annoyed with main character. The story itself it just that good. And to my surprise, another character that I started out hating ended up being one of my favorites. So I haven’t completely given up on Helena.
Overall:
I highly recommend The Complex to anyone who enjoys dystopians and/or action and/or good books in general. It’s a steal at $2.99. But I warn you, schedule your reading time well, because once you start reading it you will not do anything else until you finish. :)
What else I loved:
- The action picks up from the beginning, and sets the tone for a novel that is extremely well paced. The Complex opens with a prologue that was interesting, but didn’t completely catch my interest because it focused on a minor character (I like to jump right into the swing of things from the main character’s POV); however, the next chapter more than made up for it, swiftly presenting a mystery. Ms. Zarazoga has a good feel for when to ramp up the action, and just as you’re starting to feel like something needs to happen, it does. The twists and turns in this story are many and varied, so if you’re a fan of action, you will not be disappointed.
-One of the most impressive things about The Complex is that is contains, not one, not two, but three unique and detailed worlds. I’ve seen many authors master plot and characterization, but struggle at world building, and that is certainly not the case here. Each world is detailed, deeply thought-out, and unique, but they still fit together and make sense in the storyline. Showers are the sort of thing that normally get left out of a story – conventional wisdom says that sort of detail should be omitted because it’s boring. But Ms. Zarazoga masterfully uses little details like personal hygiene routines to highlight the differences in the lives of people from each area.
-In addition to the thought that clearly went into world building, it’s apparent from reading this book that Ms. Zarazoga has fully immersed herself in the world of her characters. Small details are foreshadowed and then revealed in ways that will have you saying “Ohhhh. I barely noticed that, but now it makes so much sense!” For instance, the things with the neighbors is SO something a dystopian govt. would do! Like hunting for Easter eggs, you will be rewarded with literary treats for paying attention. You can tell that she visualized the big picture going in, because the story progresses in a logical way and later action builds on what was established earlier.
-It has a real ending. Not a -cliff hanger wait a few months and pay me more money if you wanna know what happens- ending. It leaves some questions open for another story, but it answers the main questions presented, and as a reader, I really, really appreciate that. I often don’t read next installments of cliff hanger books, just on principle because I think that’s an awful thing to do to a reader.
What I didn’t love:
WARNING: THIS PART IS A LITTLE BIT SPOILERY!
I thought it was only fair to be specific about my feelings in this part of the review, so I discuss two plot points.
- The relationship between Helena and her initial love interest didn’t make sense to me. The first time we meet him, he and Helena are arguing and she mentions that “their world was so small that a conversation about coffee beans might lead to a serious argument and a break up.” To me, she doesn’t seem like a young woman in love. Later, there’s a scene where they have better chemistry but their relationship is mostly described through backstory, so we don’t see enough of them happy together for me to feel like he was an important part of her life. It seemed like she had more chemistry, and more time, with a platonic friend named Lucas. Because of this, I felt like it was melodramatic for her to be so crushed that he’d moved on after they were separated for months.
-There’s a main character who starts as an antagonist and turns into a protagonist, but I never found him fully sympathetic. In his first scene, he tells Helena, “We’re not going to kill you bitch, but if you keep shouting I will shoot you.” After that, I really couldn’t get onto this guy’s side. Soon after, he promises not to hurt her unless she runs. Again, not sympathetic. Then, when soldiers came to rescue Helena, instead of running toward them or even just slowing, she runs off with her kidnapper. A reasonable person should be angry and want to escape. After this, I found it hard to fully get behind Helena because I questioned her good sense. And I was even more confounded when she wanted her brother to defend her kidnapper in court. Sure he had a tough life, but he went about the solution the wrong way. This irked me. However, it says a lot that I still enjoyed the book while being annoyed with main character. The story itself it just that good. And to my surprise, another character that I started out hating ended up being one of my favorites. So I haven’t completely given up on Helena.
Overall:
I highly recommend The Complex to anyone who enjoys dystopians and/or action and/or good books in general. It’s a steal at $2.99. But I warn you, schedule your reading time well, because once you start reading it you will not do anything else until you finish. :)
June 25, 2012
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in this sub-genre of YA Fiction - Dystopian novels. In the vein of Hunger Games trilogy (Suzanne Collins) and Insurgent trilogy (Veronica Roth), The Complex features a lot of the same elements; a divided society, small pockets of controlled people, and of course -- rebellion.
The difference between The Complex and other major names is it's Pace.
-I really liked The Complex because it was very fast paced. The action kept me reading and it was very difficult to put it down, in the fear that Cathy E. Zargoza kept tricking me in the lull's of the story. I would think that finally it's slowed down, I think I can go do the dishes, but WAIT! SHE JUST SAID....! And I kept reading.
-Even though it's a quick read, I have every reason to believe that it's just begun. The adventure the heroine has departed on is a very big task. This opens up a wide berth for this world, and Cathy E. Zargoza can take us all over the continent taking and saving lives all in the same page.
-I liked the main character Helena because I felt her age was very well adapted. Helena is only 16, and unlike other YA novels she isn't 16 going on 40. She is 16, and experiencing emotions as a 16 year old does. It's been a while, but I can certainly relate to the choatic, feeling-too-much-at-once emotion. Helena cries, she's stubborn, but she cares, and she goes with her gut, even if it's the wrong move. She takes experiences as she sees them, and dosen't over-analyze, and isn't overtly suspicious, which I find suits her well (given she's a 'Complex Baby').
All in all, I think this is a fun book, and if you enjoy Dystopian books, put this on your To-Read list.
The difference between The Complex and other major names is it's Pace.
-I really liked The Complex because it was very fast paced. The action kept me reading and it was very difficult to put it down, in the fear that Cathy E. Zargoza kept tricking me in the lull's of the story. I would think that finally it's slowed down, I think I can go do the dishes, but WAIT! SHE JUST SAID....! And I kept reading.
-Even though it's a quick read, I have every reason to believe that it's just begun. The adventure the heroine has departed on is a very big task. This opens up a wide berth for this world, and Cathy E. Zargoza can take us all over the continent taking and saving lives all in the same page.
-I liked the main character Helena because I felt her age was very well adapted. Helena is only 16, and unlike other YA novels she isn't 16 going on 40. She is 16, and experiencing emotions as a 16 year old does. It's been a while, but I can certainly relate to the choatic, feeling-too-much-at-once emotion. Helena cries, she's stubborn, but she cares, and she goes with her gut, even if it's the wrong move. She takes experiences as she sees them, and dosen't over-analyze, and isn't overtly suspicious, which I find suits her well (given she's a 'Complex Baby').
All in all, I think this is a fun book, and if you enjoy Dystopian books, put this on your To-Read list.
May 14, 2012
This book was a great find. It's a story about a teenage girl in a futuristic landscape. Things start out interestingly and quickly escalate. There's action, romance, and because nothing is as it appears to be, plenty of mystery and suspense.
At times I find myself a bit suspect of young adult fiction, but novels like this one give me reason to explore the genre further. The book is well-written and avoids cliches. The story is original, the twists are compelling, and, at times, I couldn't put the book down. The characters are three-dimensional, likeable, and relatable. The protagonists are not caricatures, nor are any of the characters are perfect; the plot line does a great job of highlighting each of the characters' flaws. Helena, the main protagonist, is funny and empathetic. However, when challenges are presented, it's very interesting to see what choices she makes. Helena develops very complex relationships with the other main characters that are very interesting to explore. Her relationship with Isaac is particularly interesting and enjoyable, as she's the only one from a complex capable of sympathizing with him. Isaac is an intriguing character in is own right; a refreshing outsider, both bitter and hopeful and truly an underdog that readers will root for.
The Complex is a smart book and asks many compelling questions about the present and the future, both personal and philosophical. While the questions may be serious, the novel doesn't take itself too seriously and is never overhanded. Definitely an enjoyable read.
At times I find myself a bit suspect of young adult fiction, but novels like this one give me reason to explore the genre further. The book is well-written and avoids cliches. The story is original, the twists are compelling, and, at times, I couldn't put the book down. The characters are three-dimensional, likeable, and relatable. The protagonists are not caricatures, nor are any of the characters are perfect; the plot line does a great job of highlighting each of the characters' flaws. Helena, the main protagonist, is funny and empathetic. However, when challenges are presented, it's very interesting to see what choices she makes. Helena develops very complex relationships with the other main characters that are very interesting to explore. Her relationship with Isaac is particularly interesting and enjoyable, as she's the only one from a complex capable of sympathizing with him. Isaac is an intriguing character in is own right; a refreshing outsider, both bitter and hopeful and truly an underdog that readers will root for.
The Complex is a smart book and asks many compelling questions about the present and the future, both personal and philosophical. While the questions may be serious, the novel doesn't take itself too seriously and is never overhanded. Definitely an enjoyable read.
May 13, 2012
I chanced upon this book through an Amazon search, saw that it had gotten pretty awesome ratings, and decided to read it.
I AM SO GLAD I DID!
This is probably one of the better dystopians I've read over the last year. The characters were great, the world-building was fantastic, the concept was awesome, and I am running out of positive adjectives to describe this book.
I loved that the usual love triangle that is so popular in YA dystopias was done in a much better way than most others (save for Partials, Pure, and a few more). Helena was realistic and interesting. I liked that her whole plan wasn't to save the boy she loved all while being conflicted about another boy. Sure there was some normal human reactions to Devon and to Adam, but the whole plot didn't centre around a boy. She was a bit irritating at times, but she is a 16 year old girl, that is to be expected. I should know, I was one.
In any case, I absolutely loved this book and I am really excited for the next one. I hope there is a next one! OH PLEASE LET THERE BE A NEXT ONE!
I AM SO GLAD I DID!
This is probably one of the better dystopians I've read over the last year. The characters were great, the world-building was fantastic, the concept was awesome, and I am running out of positive adjectives to describe this book.
I loved that the usual love triangle that is so popular in YA dystopias was done in a much better way than most others (save for Partials, Pure, and a few more). Helena was realistic and interesting. I liked that her whole plan wasn't to save the boy she loved all while being conflicted about another boy. Sure there was some normal human reactions to Devon and to Adam, but the whole plot didn't centre around a boy. She was a bit irritating at times, but she is a 16 year old girl, that is to be expected. I should know, I was one.
In any case, I absolutely loved this book and I am really excited for the next one. I hope there is a next one! OH PLEASE LET THERE BE A NEXT ONE!
April 12, 2012
I totally loved this book. I can't even remember where or why I found it as the sample was just sitting on my kindle to check out at some point but I got to the end of the sample and was so hooked I bought the rest then and there without even checking the price.
I kinda expected a few of the plot twists but didn't mind at all as I was taken through the story and it even made it hard for me to sit down and write myself as I kept wanting to just pick up my kindle and carry on reading. In the end I took it to bed with me and didn't turn the light out till I was done.
Helena was wonderful and I really hope she gets what she wants in the next book as I totally totally adore her.
I kinda expected a few of the plot twists but didn't mind at all as I was taken through the story and it even made it hard for me to sit down and write myself as I kept wanting to just pick up my kindle and carry on reading. In the end I took it to bed with me and didn't turn the light out till I was done.
Helena was wonderful and I really hope she gets what she wants in the next book as I totally totally adore her.
July 13, 2012
Very easy, flowing and hooking read! I gave it 5 stars even before I was 1/2 done, and still believe it deserves it! Love the story line, characters, and twists. Super GEEKED that the next book is coming out in mere days! I just can't get enough of this genre, and this book definitely delivers! A must read!!
June 19, 2012
I'm a young reader and this book is one of my favorites. It was very suspenseful, exciting, and compelling. There were many parts in the book where I felt like I couldn't put the book down. The book reminds me of The Giver and Hunger Games, both books I really enjoyed.
My favorite character is Delly because she's tough and fierce. Helena also becomes tougher by the end of the book, which makes the ending very exciting. I also think Adam is very sweet and a likeable character.
I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
****SPOILER ALERT --Don't read if you do not want specific plot details****
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Helena and Lucas are reunited. I really enjoyed that part because I didn't think they would ever see each other again.
My favorite character is Delly because she's tough and fierce. Helena also becomes tougher by the end of the book, which makes the ending very exciting. I also think Adam is very sweet and a likeable character.
I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
****SPOILER ALERT --Don't read if you do not want specific plot details****
One of my favorite parts of the book was when Helena and Lucas are reunited. I really enjoyed that part because I didn't think they would ever see each other again.
December 9, 2012
This was such a page turner! It is a very well paced, fast, easy, and enjoyable read! It features a great cast of characters, each with their own quirks. I really enjoyed meeting each of them, and trying to figure out if they had any underlying agendas. I enjoyed the witty remarks and humor throughout the book too. I was often laughing with the snarky remarks.
The ending was so satisfying. Unlike other trilogies, there is no cliffhanger. It wraps things up nicely, with a few questions opened to continue on the next story. I am curious to read the next book, not blinded with frustration! And at $2.99 on nook, this read was a deal!!!
The ending was so satisfying. Unlike other trilogies, there is no cliffhanger. It wraps things up nicely, with a few questions opened to continue on the next story. I am curious to read the next book, not blinded with frustration! And at $2.99 on nook, this read was a deal!!!
July 9, 2012
A nice addition to the YAF genre, The Complex is fast-paced and suspenseful. It offers a compelling look at a disturbing possible future, dealing with themes that are very relevant today. The sci-fi tech adds a nice flavor, and the plot develops and twists without revealing too much at once, demanding that you continue to turn the page. I look forward to see where the story goes in the sequel.
August 12, 2012
I received this book free in a First Reads giveaway on Goodreads, and it was excellent! It was a very interesting dystopian novel, incorporating government and pandemic issues. I read it in two days. I couldn't put it down! I highly recommend it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2012
Fantastic read! Lots of action and suspense. Can't wait for the sequel.
December 20, 2012
The first book I won in a Goodreads give away and I am so happy that I did. I'm always a fan of Utopian/dystopian society books, and this one had a new twist to it. In 2051, a raging disease sweeps through the world, killing nearly everyone. People are quarantined in complexes until they can be cured, and as each person is cured, they are reoriented into society to live their life as a normal person.
The story focuses on 16 year old Helena Linx in the year 2064. She is a patient in the Eyam Complex. I think it's located in modern day Southern California. It's hard to tell because most people in this book don't know about the world outside of the complexes, so they don't know the landmarks. She loses her father after finding out that her brother, Harrison, is going to be cured and released from Eyam. After an outburst, her father is tranquilized and escorted out of their home in the complex never to be seen again. Then her brother is cured and leaves the complex, and Helena is left only with her boyfriend, Devon, and her best friend and neighbor, Lucas. When she goes in for a vaccine trial to cure her disease, Devon is cured and released. In a span of three months, everyone she was close to was gone. Then, she is cured and released and sent to Phoenix to be reoriented into society and start a new life.
Everything really starts to kick off when Helena is kidnapped from her new home in Phoenix and is told the truth of this Cavall disease and about the people she trusted her whole life to take care of her. As with all utopian novels, things aren't always what they seem with peoples' lives and their government. When Helena learns the truth, she wants nothing more than to stop it and put things straight and help her kidnappers reach their goal.
This book took me a few days to actually get started. That was my own fault. It didn't help that my mom was iffy about me reading this book. She said it was too close to my life and what's going on with me and my illness. I really had no way to explain to her why I wanted to read this book, but now I can surely say that this is nothing like what I'm going through. Not at all. It's a whole new way of looking at life. What would happen if the world was suddenly infected with an incurable disease? Either way, I just kept falling asleep when trying to read because I didn't feel well. But as soon as I really started reading and getting into the book, I could not put it down. If I did put it down, I couldn't get it out of my head, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I kept wondering what was going on, what was going to happen next, who would get caught, who would survive. That, to me, is what makes a book great. It stays with you even when you're not reading it or when you're done reading it. A good book gets you to think. I love books like that, and Complex didn't disappoint. I really can't wait for the next book in this series to come out. I just can't get ove rhow much I enjoyed this book.
The story focuses on 16 year old Helena Linx in the year 2064. She is a patient in the Eyam Complex. I think it's located in modern day Southern California. It's hard to tell because most people in this book don't know about the world outside of the complexes, so they don't know the landmarks. She loses her father after finding out that her brother, Harrison, is going to be cured and released from Eyam. After an outburst, her father is tranquilized and escorted out of their home in the complex never to be seen again. Then her brother is cured and leaves the complex, and Helena is left only with her boyfriend, Devon, and her best friend and neighbor, Lucas. When she goes in for a vaccine trial to cure her disease, Devon is cured and released. In a span of three months, everyone she was close to was gone. Then, she is cured and released and sent to Phoenix to be reoriented into society and start a new life.
Everything really starts to kick off when Helena is kidnapped from her new home in Phoenix and is told the truth of this Cavall disease and about the people she trusted her whole life to take care of her. As with all utopian novels, things aren't always what they seem with peoples' lives and their government. When Helena learns the truth, she wants nothing more than to stop it and put things straight and help her kidnappers reach their goal.
This book took me a few days to actually get started. That was my own fault. It didn't help that my mom was iffy about me reading this book. She said it was too close to my life and what's going on with me and my illness. I really had no way to explain to her why I wanted to read this book, but now I can surely say that this is nothing like what I'm going through. Not at all. It's a whole new way of looking at life. What would happen if the world was suddenly infected with an incurable disease? Either way, I just kept falling asleep when trying to read because I didn't feel well. But as soon as I really started reading and getting into the book, I could not put it down. If I did put it down, I couldn't get it out of my head, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I kept wondering what was going on, what was going to happen next, who would get caught, who would survive. That, to me, is what makes a book great. It stays with you even when you're not reading it or when you're done reading it. A good book gets you to think. I love books like that, and Complex didn't disappoint. I really can't wait for the next book in this series to come out. I just can't get ove rhow much I enjoyed this book.
June 12, 2012
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Italy: http://www.amazon.it/The-Complex-Linx...
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France: http://www.amazon.fr/The-Complex-Linx...
Available as a paperback:
US Site: http://www.amazon.com/The-Complex-Cat...
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Complex-C...
Germany: http://www.amazon.de/The-Complex-Cath...
Italy: http://www.amazon.it/The-Complex-Cath...
Spain: http://www.amazon.es/The-Complex-Cath...
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February 13, 2017
The concept is good and the plot was very good. At least until it started falling apart.
The characters should have been interesting and engaging but instead as time went on I found myself caring less and less about what they said and did. Many of the characters wavered between well developed and out of character and ridiculous. They feel one way one minute then "oops sorry I lied" and things change pace. It just wasn't consistent for me.
Also their plan to break back into the complex and reveal the truth was predictable and didn't accomplish anything. Literally absolutely nothing. Even the characters admit to that and freely admit that it's a terrible, slapped together idea. But still it "somehow" all works put in the end.
Seeing Helena reluctant to change things and instead keep her life simple and more or less uncomplicated was well done. Sure she felt bad about what the ruling government had done but she also recognized that to truly change things probably wouldn't make things better.
Not a bad idea but it needs work. I would not recommend this book as it is now.
The characters should have been interesting and engaging but instead as time went on I found myself caring less and less about what they said and did. Many of the characters wavered between well developed and out of character and ridiculous. They feel one way one minute then "oops sorry I lied" and things change pace. It just wasn't consistent for me.
Also their plan to break back into the complex and reveal the truth was predictable and didn't accomplish anything. Literally absolutely nothing. Even the characters admit to that and freely admit that it's a terrible, slapped together idea. But still it "somehow" all works put in the end.
Seeing Helena reluctant to change things and instead keep her life simple and more or less uncomplicated was well done. Sure she felt bad about what the ruling government had done but she also recognized that to truly change things probably wouldn't make things better.
Not a bad idea but it needs work. I would not recommend this book as it is now.
January 3, 2013
The characters and story line are quite simple. Quarantining a portion of the population has been done before. However, I often found myself drifting off, imagining what it would be like to live in this take on the future. Placing myself in the complex, the relocation communities, the desert, really helped carry me through this book.
There were times when I got frustrated with the main character and found her to be a bit bratty, but I once again tried to think of how I would react to the situations and decisions she faced if I was raised the way that she was.
Some of the characters were my favorites from the start, while other characters I hated the moment I met them, but in several cases, my feelings for them flipped. I didn't mind it much because I always appreciate when characters develop. I'd say the author did a decent job in unfurling these characters as they faced new challenges.
Now, on to book two.
There were times when I got frustrated with the main character and found her to be a bit bratty, but I once again tried to think of how I would react to the situations and decisions she faced if I was raised the way that she was.
Some of the characters were my favorites from the start, while other characters I hated the moment I met them, but in several cases, my feelings for them flipped. I didn't mind it much because I always appreciate when characters develop. I'd say the author did a decent job in unfurling these characters as they faced new challenges.
Now, on to book two.
March 1, 2013
I am so glad that I stumbled upon this series. I have read a ton of dystopian books, all the popular and some unpopular, and this is one of my favorite series. I don't write reviews for books ever, although I do rate them. My free time is limited and rather spent reading, but I decided to write a review on this book because I have recently been made aware ( by a different indie author ) how important Goodreads reviews can be to self published authors. I am not going to write a review of what the book was about as you already have a good idea if you've gotten this far...Im just going to say that this is a very interesting, unique, and well written series that you should take the time to read.
January 6, 2013
About the only thing this book has going for it is the concept, which is intriguing, albeit poorly executed. The dialog is contrite, information is dumped left and right, and there is no sense of character at all. Every character talks the same and more or less acts the same. The prose are loaded with extraneous information while ignoring important elements like tension building and plot and character development. It reads like a first draft. I think if it went through a round with some good beta readers or an editor, many of the problems would be fixed and it could be a really good book. In its current state, though, I cannot recommend this book.
July 14, 2014
Why do some people think that fiction for young adults means its OK to write badly? The only thing that kept me going was that it actually was a good plot. The dialogue was childish, the characterizations were weak. It wasn't so much that there were holes in the logic it was just that it was hard to believe in the characters motivations and change of heart. There was no depth to the story line, it was all a little bit too easy for them to solve their problems and absolutely totally unbelievable that no one in the complex ever questioned why they were there.
I would only recommend this for a young adult if they are a bit of a slow reader or if they wanted to turn it into a film.
I would only recommend this for a young adult if they are a bit of a slow reader or if they wanted to turn it into a film.
February 5, 2013
Totally unprepared for how much I liked this book. The genre is my favorite and the story is similar to other YA dystopias -- and thankfully more like Divergent & Hunger Games than Uglies.
Working my way through the 2nd one and the 3rd is expected early 2013 which might be leaning toward plots like Hegemon (I hope I hope!). Author promises to read the Amazon sample of any YA author who asks her too, which is cute.
I'm officially a fan.
http://zaragozawrites.blogspot.com/p/...
Working my way through the 2nd one and the 3rd is expected early 2013 which might be leaning toward plots like Hegemon (I hope I hope!). Author promises to read the Amazon sample of any YA author who asks her too, which is cute.
I'm officially a fan.
http://zaragozawrites.blogspot.com/p/...
January 8, 2013
A well written and fascinating Dystopian novel. I couldn't put it down, and couldn't wait for the sequels. A must read!
December 13, 2012
Very witty and well-written. I enjoyed the character development and the pacing. Team Isaac, hands down.
December 25, 2013
This book is jesus. asdf waiting for #4 to come out pffff
May 28, 2013
Adventure packed
Original concept
Vividly described
Great characters
So why only three stars? I was a bit confused towards the end. And although its YA, I wanted more romance
Original concept
Vividly described
Great characters
So why only three stars? I was a bit confused towards the end. And although its YA, I wanted more romance
Want to read
August 7, 2012Sounds so original and exciting!!
September 23, 2012
Probably closer to 3.5. It was pretty interesting but slow
January 1, 2014
Intriguing premise, great characters, good pace - a promising first book in a dystopian series I'm looking forward to reading more of!
August 28, 2016
Ok. It didn't have the "wow" I was hoping for.
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