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The Four Cities #1
Reset
Can you love someone you don’t remember?
After the Last War destroyed most of the world, survivors form a new society in four self-sustaining cities in the Mojave Desert. In the utopia of the Four Cities, inspired by the lyrics of “Imagine� and Buddhist philosophy, everything is carefully planned and controlled: the seasons, the weather—and the residents. To prevent mankind from destroying each other again, its citizens undergo a memory wipe every four years in a process called tabula rasa, a blank slate, to remove learned prejudices. With each new cycle, they begin again with new names, jobs, homes, and lives. No memories. No attachments. No wars.
Aris, a scientist who shuns love, embraces tabula rasa and the excitement of unknown futures. Walling herself off from emotional attachments, she only sees relationships as pointless and avoids deep connections. But she is haunted by a recurring dream that becomes more frequent and vivid as time passes. After meeting Benja, a handsome free-spirited writer who believes his dreams of a past lover are memories, her world is turned upside down. Obsessed with finding the Dreamers, a secret organization thought to have a way to recover memories, Benja draws her down a dangerous path toward the past. When Metis, the leader of the Dreamers, appears in Aris’s life, everything she believes falls to pieces. With little time left before the next tabula rasa, they begin a bittersweet romance, navigating love in a world where names, lives, and moments are systematically destroyed.
Thought-provoking and emotionally resonant, Reset will make you consider the haunting reality of love and loss, and the indelible marks they leave behind.
After the Last War destroyed most of the world, survivors form a new society in four self-sustaining cities in the Mojave Desert. In the utopia of the Four Cities, inspired by the lyrics of “Imagine� and Buddhist philosophy, everything is carefully planned and controlled: the seasons, the weather—and the residents. To prevent mankind from destroying each other again, its citizens undergo a memory wipe every four years in a process called tabula rasa, a blank slate, to remove learned prejudices. With each new cycle, they begin again with new names, jobs, homes, and lives. No memories. No attachments. No wars.
Aris, a scientist who shuns love, embraces tabula rasa and the excitement of unknown futures. Walling herself off from emotional attachments, she only sees relationships as pointless and avoids deep connections. But she is haunted by a recurring dream that becomes more frequent and vivid as time passes. After meeting Benja, a handsome free-spirited writer who believes his dreams of a past lover are memories, her world is turned upside down. Obsessed with finding the Dreamers, a secret organization thought to have a way to recover memories, Benja draws her down a dangerous path toward the past. When Metis, the leader of the Dreamers, appears in Aris’s life, everything she believes falls to pieces. With little time left before the next tabula rasa, they begin a bittersweet romance, navigating love in a world where names, lives, and moments are systematically destroyed.
Thought-provoking and emotionally resonant, Reset will make you consider the haunting reality of love and loss, and the indelible marks they leave behind.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published May 25, 2021
93 people are currently reading
4,619 people want to read
About the author
Sarina Dahlan
9books90followersSarina Dahlan was born into an Indonesian family in Thailand, and immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve. While children in the west grew up on fairytales, she learned parables through ghost stories, mythologies, and Japanese manga.
A graduate of the University of California, San Diego with degrees in Psychology and Visual Arts, she has blended both disciplines in careers as an advertising producer, corporate marketing strategist, small business owner, and a writer.
She finds inspiration for her stories in traveling, the people she knows, and the places she has lived. She currently resides in San Diego, California with her family.
A graduate of the University of California, San Diego with degrees in Psychology and Visual Arts, she has blended both disciplines in careers as an advertising producer, corporate marketing strategist, small business owner, and a writer.
She finds inspiration for her stories in traveling, the people she knows, and the places she has lived. She currently resides in San Diego, California with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
April 20, 2021
TL;DR: Interesting take on classic dystopia that fans of the genre might enjoy, but with repetitive explanation and clunky dialogue. Most unfortunately, #Reset is a celebration of heternormative, mononormative, and frankly, toxic romantic love and relationships that deeply turned this reader off. My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The premise of Reset is reminiscent of other literary dystopian societies in the vein of Brave New World, We, 1984, etc. As a lover of the genre, I was interested in this take. In Dahlan’s Reset there are 4 city communities that survived an apocalyptic war generations before. The city’s creator instituted a system, called Tabula Rasa, whereby every resident has their memories erased every 4 years and children are produced and raised in facilities, not families. The philosophy behind this system is that humanity’s downfall is its propensity for things like love, hate, prejudice, revenge, etc., and therefore, it can only exist if the memories that make those feelings endure are periodically removed. One of my first frustrations with the book was simply how many times this philosophy was explained. It got very repetitive.
The conflict in the story arises because there are a small subset of people, called Dreamers, who convene in secret meetings to take a hallucinogenic that helps them remember their memories through dreams. The main question that Reset raises--a few too many times--is whether life is really worth living without memories, and the love and relationships they allow us to build.
The dialogue felt clunky and artificial. So many parts were supposed to have cute and sexy romantic vibes, but they just didn’t. I did a lot of cringing at the dialogue between Aris and Benja and Metis.
I also really disliked how mononormative this book was. It really, really glorifies the whole soul mate, love at first sight, fated romance thing. At several points it also comes off as explicitly critical of people who have open, poly, or ENM arrangements. At one point it’s even stated that “A marriage is an agreement between two people to be monogamous.� Sure that’s the dominant social norm, but it excludes a lot of happy, healthy married couples for whom that agreement is not a condition of their marriage.
On top of that, there’s also some less explicit shade thrown at casual dating and sex. Before the main character regains some memories, she was prone to having one night stands, but her life during that time is characterized as empty. There are also instances where the book justifies some really unreasonable examples of male jealousy. And generally toxic male behavior.
On a similar note, one of the plot twists is grossly reminiscent of the classic “woman does wrong and the world gets punished� trope. Eve eats an apple and gets humanity kicked out of Eden. Pandora opens a box she wasn’t supposed to and unleashes death and sickness on the world. Now we have: woman hurts man and he takes away everyone’s memories and capacity for long-term loving relationships. And somehow it’s treated as an understandable response? No thank you.
Now I’m getting nit-picky, but a description of one female character also drove me nuts: “She’s pretty. If only she would wear it with less severity and a little more warmth.� Like, I thought we all agreed it’s gross to tell women to smile more. This really irked me because it’s the kind of description I would expect from a male author.
Feminist rant done. I’m sure this book will appeal to lovers of The Bachelor and rom-coms that don’t hold up, but I need more nuance and social change in my fiction diet.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of Reset is reminiscent of other literary dystopian societies in the vein of Brave New World, We, 1984, etc. As a lover of the genre, I was interested in this take. In Dahlan’s Reset there are 4 city communities that survived an apocalyptic war generations before. The city’s creator instituted a system, called Tabula Rasa, whereby every resident has their memories erased every 4 years and children are produced and raised in facilities, not families. The philosophy behind this system is that humanity’s downfall is its propensity for things like love, hate, prejudice, revenge, etc., and therefore, it can only exist if the memories that make those feelings endure are periodically removed. One of my first frustrations with the book was simply how many times this philosophy was explained. It got very repetitive.
The conflict in the story arises because there are a small subset of people, called Dreamers, who convene in secret meetings to take a hallucinogenic that helps them remember their memories through dreams. The main question that Reset raises--a few too many times--is whether life is really worth living without memories, and the love and relationships they allow us to build.
The dialogue felt clunky and artificial. So many parts were supposed to have cute and sexy romantic vibes, but they just didn’t. I did a lot of cringing at the dialogue between Aris and Benja and Metis.
I also really disliked how mononormative this book was. It really, really glorifies the whole soul mate, love at first sight, fated romance thing. At several points it also comes off as explicitly critical of people who have open, poly, or ENM arrangements. At one point it’s even stated that “A marriage is an agreement between two people to be monogamous.� Sure that’s the dominant social norm, but it excludes a lot of happy, healthy married couples for whom that agreement is not a condition of their marriage.
On top of that, there’s also some less explicit shade thrown at casual dating and sex. Before the main character regains some memories, she was prone to having one night stands, but her life during that time is characterized as empty. There are also instances where the book justifies some really unreasonable examples of male jealousy. And generally toxic male behavior.
On a similar note, one of the plot twists is grossly reminiscent of the classic “woman does wrong and the world gets punished� trope. Eve eats an apple and gets humanity kicked out of Eden. Pandora opens a box she wasn’t supposed to and unleashes death and sickness on the world. Now we have: woman hurts man and he takes away everyone’s memories and capacity for long-term loving relationships. And somehow it’s treated as an understandable response? No thank you.
Now I’m getting nit-picky, but a description of one female character also drove me nuts: “She’s pretty. If only she would wear it with less severity and a little more warmth.� Like, I thought we all agreed it’s gross to tell women to smile more. This really irked me because it’s the kind of description I would expect from a male author.
Feminist rant done. I’m sure this book will appeal to lovers of The Bachelor and rom-coms that don’t hold up, but I need more nuance and social change in my fiction diet.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2021
Do NOT. I repeat do NOT, sleep on this book!
I’m not a sci-fi reader, but this book I absolutely loved. What a surprise! At its core is a love story that we all want. The chemistry between the characters was lovely, and I was just sad to see this book end.
Such an interesting premise with a slow-ish pace, this book will be one I think about often. So many questions about the meaning of life and “what-ifs� were tackled in this book.
Definitely a memorable read. Pick it up!
I’m not a sci-fi reader, but this book I absolutely loved. What a surprise! At its core is a love story that we all want. The chemistry between the characters was lovely, and I was just sad to see this book end.
Such an interesting premise with a slow-ish pace, this book will be one I think about often. So many questions about the meaning of life and “what-ifs� were tackled in this book.
Definitely a memorable read. Pick it up!
October 24, 2023
Author’s Note: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading RESET, my quiet speculative love story. Whether you came across this book on your own, through a recommendation, or through the Once Upon a Book Club, I’m grateful it found its way into your hands.
August 24, 2021
Author’s Note: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading RESET, my quiet speculative love story. Whether you came across this book on your own, through a recommendation, or through the Once Upon a Book Club, I’m grateful it found its way into your hands.
March 25, 2021
Reset will be one of my go-to books to hand sell in the science fiction genre in 2021. I listened to the author talk during a breakout session at Winter Institute 16 and became obsessed with reading it.
The premise of the novel is that two people, the Planner and the Crone, created four utopian cities prior the Last War, resulting in the destruction of the earth. There is no hunger, unemployment, homelessness, or inequality. There is also no memory of anything � love, friendship, possession, or prejudice. Every four years, through a process called Tabula Rasa, everybody has her memory erased and receives a new name, a job, a house, and life.
Reset is a go-to science fiction book in 2021 because it is a face-paced, well-written, sexy, and smart. The journey of the two protagonists, Metis and Aris, to their metaphoric memory home is hallowing filled with zealots, clones, and drones. The dialogue articulates philosophical questions about the nature of consciousness, choice, the fitness of humans for a communistic society, likeability algorithms, and love without the boring stiltedness of Phillip K. Dick. (It helps to have fully drawn male and female characters.) The sex scenes have the steamy subtly of the best romance novels.
For comparisons, Reset has the intelligence and heartbreak of love in a surveillance state as Orwell’s 1984 and Hoffman's The Standardization of Demoralization Procedures. It’s like a better written Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. For movie comparisons, Reset can be likened to Matrix for the Architect and the Oracle and the sense of looping time.
The premise of the novel is that two people, the Planner and the Crone, created four utopian cities prior the Last War, resulting in the destruction of the earth. There is no hunger, unemployment, homelessness, or inequality. There is also no memory of anything � love, friendship, possession, or prejudice. Every four years, through a process called Tabula Rasa, everybody has her memory erased and receives a new name, a job, a house, and life.
Reset is a go-to science fiction book in 2021 because it is a face-paced, well-written, sexy, and smart. The journey of the two protagonists, Metis and Aris, to their metaphoric memory home is hallowing filled with zealots, clones, and drones. The dialogue articulates philosophical questions about the nature of consciousness, choice, the fitness of humans for a communistic society, likeability algorithms, and love without the boring stiltedness of Phillip K. Dick. (It helps to have fully drawn male and female characters.) The sex scenes have the steamy subtly of the best romance novels.
For comparisons, Reset has the intelligence and heartbreak of love in a surveillance state as Orwell’s 1984 and Hoffman's The Standardization of Demoralization Procedures. It’s like a better written Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. For movie comparisons, Reset can be likened to Matrix for the Architect and the Oracle and the sense of looping time.
May 21, 2021
This book came to me courtesy NetGalley and is one of the most thought-provoking stories I’ve read in years. For the first time in forever, I was forced to slow down my usual break-neck pace through the pages. There were sentences that were so impactful, so profound, I had to savor them. Think about their implications. Consider the ramifications. It took me three days of profound enjoyment to reach the end.
The book was amazing.
And its ending left me in a glow that hasn’t left me in the past week.
In general, I love authors who play with human perception of time and connection with others. This book combined that with lyricism and philosophical passages that had old Beatles tunes haunting my brain and made me ponder how different individuals might conceive of and implement a utopia. And what they would force the populations of these idyllic locations to give up.
As someone who treasures my dreaming capacity, a passage like this one gave me shivers of horror:
By some reason that Metis doubts was Bodie’s will, he underwent the Dreamcatcher treatment. All Dreamers know the consequence of dream erasure. Once erased, the memories attached to those dreams are gone. They will no longer resurface.
from “Reset� by Sarina Dahlan
And the creeping gap of missing memories–even when driven by so noble a goal as peace in a post-apocalyptic world–makes the humans operating within them not much more than empty puppets:
“I don’t deny that Tabula Rasa was created out of a desire for peace. But anything that takes away choice eats away at our soul. Without our memories, we are but empty vessels waiting to be filled and drained at each cycle. Love, the most vital of human needs, cannot exist fully outside the garden of memories.�
from “Reset� by Sarina Dahlan
The story was an elegant and unique love story on many levels, crossed with a philosophical treatise on what it takes to live harmoniously, combined with a classic sci-fi exploration of the ethics of using advanced technology. The world-building allowed for a full exploration of each of these components within a richly imagined environment–down to the vaguely salty after-taste of water reclaimed through desalination for use in a manufactured desert oasis.
I’ve already started passing out the title and Amazon links to my friends and colleagues, because this book deserves discussion and sharing, whether or not your normal tastes run to sci-fi or even romance. I’d never heard of this author prior to reading this book, and from her ŷ profile, it appears this might be her first novel, but based on the excellence of its execution, her next book will be an automatic purchase for me.
The book was amazing.
And its ending left me in a glow that hasn’t left me in the past week.
In general, I love authors who play with human perception of time and connection with others. This book combined that with lyricism and philosophical passages that had old Beatles tunes haunting my brain and made me ponder how different individuals might conceive of and implement a utopia. And what they would force the populations of these idyllic locations to give up.
As someone who treasures my dreaming capacity, a passage like this one gave me shivers of horror:
By some reason that Metis doubts was Bodie’s will, he underwent the Dreamcatcher treatment. All Dreamers know the consequence of dream erasure. Once erased, the memories attached to those dreams are gone. They will no longer resurface.
from “Reset� by Sarina Dahlan
And the creeping gap of missing memories–even when driven by so noble a goal as peace in a post-apocalyptic world–makes the humans operating within them not much more than empty puppets:
“I don’t deny that Tabula Rasa was created out of a desire for peace. But anything that takes away choice eats away at our soul. Without our memories, we are but empty vessels waiting to be filled and drained at each cycle. Love, the most vital of human needs, cannot exist fully outside the garden of memories.�
from “Reset� by Sarina Dahlan
The story was an elegant and unique love story on many levels, crossed with a philosophical treatise on what it takes to live harmoniously, combined with a classic sci-fi exploration of the ethics of using advanced technology. The world-building allowed for a full exploration of each of these components within a richly imagined environment–down to the vaguely salty after-taste of water reclaimed through desalination for use in a manufactured desert oasis.
I’ve already started passing out the title and Amazon links to my friends and colleagues, because this book deserves discussion and sharing, whether or not your normal tastes run to sci-fi or even romance. I’d never heard of this author prior to reading this book, and from her ŷ profile, it appears this might be her first novel, but based on the excellence of its execution, her next book will be an automatic purchase for me.
May 15, 2021
Reset is a truly thought-provoking book. Filled with romance, danger, and insightful questioning of doing things the way they are always done. I typically read young adult fantasy, and would have loved for this book to have been written as such theme-wise. I feel a lot of opportunities to discuss issues in society were skipped.
In relation to writing style, I adored how this author chose to relay details. One major theme of the book is living in the present vs. the past, and it only feels fitting that everything is written in the present tense. At times the descriptive language felt lacking, but for the most part it seemed to follow the characters emotions, which was cool to see. When things were happening in a fast, confusing blur, the descriptions were lacking and incomprehensible, just like real life. When the characters were calm and at ease, an in depth description of surroundings was given.
As for plot, Reset is incredibly creative. It is highly focused on romance, which I like to an extent. While I usually prefer romantic subplots with a main focus on magic or adventure, I have to say I highly enjoyed the main plot being Romance based. I do feel there were more sex scenes than needed, and many didn’t add much to the story. The treatment of the content, and the idea of everyone being erased and starting a new life every four years, was a happy marriage between Sci fi and the lost love trope.
All in all, a great read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance with a little action and sci fi.
In relation to writing style, I adored how this author chose to relay details. One major theme of the book is living in the present vs. the past, and it only feels fitting that everything is written in the present tense. At times the descriptive language felt lacking, but for the most part it seemed to follow the characters emotions, which was cool to see. When things were happening in a fast, confusing blur, the descriptions were lacking and incomprehensible, just like real life. When the characters were calm and at ease, an in depth description of surroundings was given.
As for plot, Reset is incredibly creative. It is highly focused on romance, which I like to an extent. While I usually prefer romantic subplots with a main focus on magic or adventure, I have to say I highly enjoyed the main plot being Romance based. I do feel there were more sex scenes than needed, and many didn’t add much to the story. The treatment of the content, and the idea of everyone being erased and starting a new life every four years, was a happy marriage between Sci fi and the lost love trope.
All in all, a great read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance with a little action and sci fi.
August 6, 2021
Before I write a review, I read other reviews particularly the negative ones, and particularly if I quite like the book as I did this one. In the case of this book I did see the flaws. However, for me the strengths simply overwhelmed them. I particularly, unlike some did, liked the ending. I ask myself how did those who disliked it want it to end. In my case I started guessing endings after about 80% of the book. None that I thought of were very satisfying. The real ending was.
I thought of "Me and Bobbi McGee" only written as: peace is nothing else to lose. I have gone for coffee at Starbucks in Calgary ever since The Second Cup shut down OVER FOUR years go. We are the same people going to it except for a couple who have moved on one way or another. We have great memories of those times. They bind us. My ex-wife, who is my best friend now, and I were nothing like any kind of friends for OVER FOUR years after our separation. The book challenged my fabric of life. In some way it was a horror story, but it challenged in a meaningful way that was great. Would I want a lobotomy every four years? Read it and think.
I thought of "Me and Bobbi McGee" only written as: peace is nothing else to lose. I have gone for coffee at Starbucks in Calgary ever since The Second Cup shut down OVER FOUR years go. We are the same people going to it except for a couple who have moved on one way or another. We have great memories of those times. They bind us. My ex-wife, who is my best friend now, and I were nothing like any kind of friends for OVER FOUR years after our separation. The book challenged my fabric of life. In some way it was a horror story, but it challenged in a meaningful way that was great. Would I want a lobotomy every four years? Read it and think.
August 13, 2021
This book makes me think of the future, a possible future that I won't be around to see; however, my great-grandchildren and so forth could.
With the way our world is functioning, I really liked the opening quote in this book: "The best way to rid society of the evils of human nature is to periodically wipe each person's mind of their prejudices learned through life experiences. With the mind a blank slate, everyone has the freedom to author their own soul. Tabula Rasa. It is the future. It is what will save humanity. ~The Planner"
I thought, at first, what a great way to keep the world at peace. However; I no longer think any of this nor wish for any of this to ever happen. We have memories to keep things no longer around alive and I wouldn't want to lose that for anything. The stories we read are from the minds of memory who create their stories. How can anyone want to lose those treasures. Perfectly put on page 34; "There are words inside me trying to break out. My job as a writer is to birth them and raise them into responsible adults."
WE are/ I AM part of the dreamers..."a group of people who believe their dreams are manifestations of their past lives, and they use them as clues to lead them back", (Dahlan, pg 35). I know this to be true for I dream daily and receive glimpses of past lives still.
Anyway this is an excellent book that really gives you something to think about if you're a thinker like me. The storyline was great and yet thinking of today it had me sad. I say NO to Tabula Rasa, not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
Even memories we would like to never remember, those horrible ones, in the end they still made us warriors!
With the way our world is functioning, I really liked the opening quote in this book: "The best way to rid society of the evils of human nature is to periodically wipe each person's mind of their prejudices learned through life experiences. With the mind a blank slate, everyone has the freedom to author their own soul. Tabula Rasa. It is the future. It is what will save humanity. ~The Planner"
I thought, at first, what a great way to keep the world at peace. However; I no longer think any of this nor wish for any of this to ever happen. We have memories to keep things no longer around alive and I wouldn't want to lose that for anything. The stories we read are from the minds of memory who create their stories. How can anyone want to lose those treasures. Perfectly put on page 34; "There are words inside me trying to break out. My job as a writer is to birth them and raise them into responsible adults."
WE are/ I AM part of the dreamers..."a group of people who believe their dreams are manifestations of their past lives, and they use them as clues to lead them back", (Dahlan, pg 35). I know this to be true for I dream daily and receive glimpses of past lives still.
Anyway this is an excellent book that really gives you something to think about if you're a thinker like me. The storyline was great and yet thinking of today it had me sad. I say NO to Tabula Rasa, not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
Even memories we would like to never remember, those horrible ones, in the end they still made us warriors!
June 6, 2021
Reset by Sarina Dahlan is the best book I've read this year. It's beautifully written and has some interesting insight.
It started off slow for me, but when it got around 30% I couldn't put it down.
The characters were complex. I especially loved Benja.
The parts about music were interesting and thought provoking.
The whole concept of Reset made me wonder if I don't value my time. If I had only 4 years, would I make the same choices? Would I find the same people?
A part of me loved the ending, but I wish there was more of it. I want to know what happens after. Yet, sequels could end up wrecking the book's ending.
I can't wait to see what other stories the author has to tell.
It started off slow for me, but when it got around 30% I couldn't put it down.
The characters were complex. I especially loved Benja.
The parts about music were interesting and thought provoking.
The whole concept of Reset made me wonder if I don't value my time. If I had only 4 years, would I make the same choices? Would I find the same people?
A part of me loved the ending, but I wish there was more of it. I want to know what happens after. Yet, sequels could end up wrecking the book's ending.
I can't wait to see what other stories the author has to tell.
June 14, 2024
Couldn't get past the heteronormativity, the focus on monogamy and "soul mates" and the gaslighting almost made me DNF it at 80%.
I wonder if authors know that when they're creating a futuristic or "utopian" society, they can make it queer norm?
I wonder if authors know that when they're creating a futuristic or "utopian" society, they can make it queer norm?
December 18, 2022
I’ll never think of my dreams the same way again. 🖤🌟
“Can you love someone you don’t remember?� - #RESET
Between reading that line on the cover and finishing the last chapter, I became hooked. Haunted..? Yes. Haunted. This book has captured my imagination for the last month. And it refuses to let go.
Thought-provoking. Beautiful. And poignant. I HIGHLY recommend adding this captivating debut #Scifi book to your summer must-read list!!
“Can you love someone you don’t remember?� - #RESET
Between reading that line on the cover and finishing the last chapter, I became hooked. Haunted..? Yes. Haunted. This book has captured my imagination for the last month. And it refuses to let go.
Thought-provoking. Beautiful. And poignant. I HIGHLY recommend adding this captivating debut #Scifi book to your summer must-read list!!
August 12, 2021
Wow wow wow wow wow…when I picked up the book around 4pm today I was on page 83�229 pages later and it’s 12:06am.
I didn’t know what a ride I was going on. I was hooked within the first few pages but addicted after the first 50! Now that I’m done, I find myself needing more. Maybe a prequel?
I didn’t know what a ride I was going on. I was hooked within the first few pages but addicted after the first 50! Now that I’m done, I find myself needing more. Maybe a prequel?
October 17, 2022
DNF 10%
Интересная задумка и красивый меланхоличный стиль.
К сожалению, стиль напрочь душит и без того примитивный сюжет, героиня никакая, а романтизация романтической любви уже завязла в зубах.
Интересная задумка и красивый меланхоличный стиль.
К сожалению, стиль напрочь душит и без того примитивный сюжет, героиня никакая, а романтизация романтической любви уже завязла в зубах.
May 26, 2021
The whole concept behindReset is so thought provoking and unique! In the book, the powers that be wipe the minds of the citizens every four years, and they quite literally have to start over. Can you imagine? I had such a hard time wrapping my head around the actual horror of knowing that your life would end every four years. That everything youdo during those four years is meaningless. Because not only doyou lose your memories, everyone else loses their memories of you. So in a way, it's a worse fate than death, since absolutely nothing you do will live beyond those years.
And it was, as such, the kind of book where you simply cannot help but wonder how you'd react. I decided that I would absolutely alternate between sobbing in the corner and drinking myself silly for four years straight. Luckily, this is not what our main characters choose to do. Aris believes strongly in the work that tabula rasa does, until she meets some people who wantmore. Her friend Benja is the first to really open her eyes to the possibly of more, but it's Metis, her lover from a past life, who seals the deal for her.
And now that these folks have had their eyes opened to what lifecould be, it's quite impossible to go back to going along with the mind wiping. In their search for answers, they begin to uncover so many secrets, and glaring downsides, to the entire project. As they soldier on for more information, the book shifts from thought provoking and relationship focused to an exciting mystery and survival tale, while still keeping it's emotive character focus.
Bottom Line: Fascinating and full of moral questions, I was quite engrossed inReset!
September 24, 2021
I read this book as part of the monthly book club over in the Book Lover's Club Discord group. The premise was interesting to start, but the first few chapters had me rolling my eyes so hard I thought they'd roll away. The last half of the book was a GREAT improvement on the first half, like...enough to pull it to 2.5/3 stars from just barely 2. The worldbuilding was haphazard and the writing itself was quite mediocre, but the characters ended up being decent and consistent in a way that the first part of the book did not set me up to expect. I was....fine with the way it ended. The book seemed to want to contemplate free will and the cost of freedom in society but it was very shallow and that could have been the book's saving grace. I guess it was YA, but it's still disappointing that it didn't dig deeper.
June 15, 2021
This story was sent to me to as a beta reader. I loved it. I felt that it really captured what the American society was going through with the change in presidency and the societal rifts that were coming to the forefront. I loved this different take on science fiction with the underlying romance. The descriptions were tasteful and the characters were believable and relatable. I would love to read this book again and will probably do so.
August 1, 2021
I don’t read many utopian stories; at times, this felt like The Giver for adults, which I liked. Memories & dreams - where do they end/begin? Who decides what’s worth keeping? Lots to think about.
*I purchased this book through Once Upon a Book Club () & enjoyed the thoughtful, beautiful gifts that went along with the story.
*I purchased this book through Once Upon a Book Club () & enjoyed the thoughtful, beautiful gifts that went along with the story.
January 11, 2021
This is such a great book! I loved the futuristic setting and main character Aris. I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out more about Aris, her job, her life and her unfolding memories. I can’t wait for the official book release so we can read it in our next book.
January 1, 2022
Characters: 2.75/5
Relationships: 2.5/5
Plot: 2.5/5
Execution: 2.5/5
Impact: 1/5
Reset by Sarina Dahlan might be your book, but it certainly wasn't mine. For half of the book, it was interesting, and I enjoyed reading the book. I liked reading about Benja, and Aris, and Metis, however, the moment the book hit the second half, everything fell flat for me. It felt as though the plot didn't quite connect to what the first half was about, and too many things were introduced, and the entire ending simply felt rushed.
The book also felt like a watered-down dystopian world. Then physical villains that Aris and Metis had gone against felt bland and 2D. They were basic, with nothing compelling about them. No background, really no character either, except for Thane who was kind of interesting. As well as that, there were far too many ideas raised and then not answered, leaving me feeling dissatisfied with the ending. Too many. I would have also liked more on the Planner and Crone. Would have definitely loved to read a background story on them if there is one. Their relationship seems interesting, and I do enjoy a good lovers to enemies.
However, the character relationships in this book were well done, though some aspects of Metis and Aris I wasn't fond of.
Also, too much about the Planner felt rushed and random, and just... eh.
However, the writing style was done really well in this book. Still, the plot and execution are not excusable.
So, all in all, pointless.
Relationships: 2.5/5
Plot: 2.5/5
Execution: 2.5/5
Impact: 1/5
Reset by Sarina Dahlan might be your book, but it certainly wasn't mine. For half of the book, it was interesting, and I enjoyed reading the book. I liked reading about Benja, and Aris, and Metis, however, the moment the book hit the second half, everything fell flat for me. It felt as though the plot didn't quite connect to what the first half was about, and too many things were introduced, and the entire ending simply felt rushed.
The book also felt like a watered-down dystopian world. Then physical villains that Aris and Metis had gone against felt bland and 2D. They were basic, with nothing compelling about them. No background, really no character either, except for Thane who was kind of interesting. As well as that, there were far too many ideas raised and then not answered, leaving me feeling dissatisfied with the ending. Too many. I would have also liked more on the Planner and Crone. Would have definitely loved to read a background story on them if there is one. Their relationship seems interesting, and I do enjoy a good lovers to enemies.
However, the character relationships in this book were well done, though some aspects of Metis and Aris I wasn't fond of.
Also, too much about the Planner felt rushed and random, and just... eh.
However, the writing style was done really well in this book. Still, the plot and execution are not excusable.
So, all in all, pointless.
June 6, 2021
"Reset" is a novel I nearly missed. Much like the ancestors of the characters, my personal bias nearly cost me. I generally avoid the sci-fi/fantasy genre but I was intrigued by the premise of wiping people's memories to avoid self destructive prejudices. What I found was not a sci-fi story, but a story of love set in a world after an extinction level war. The technology exists only to support the lives of the survivors and is relatable even to the technology of today.
What the book is is as pure a lost love story as I've ever read. We can all relate to the regret one feels for losing a love once in their grasp. But what Dahlan has done is take that pain and remove it from the individual's control.
Where most books of the dystopian genre remove choice from humanity, Dahlan has done something wholly unique. She has removed memory and with it the meritocracy dependent on perpetual knowledge. What we discover is that some things are so important to the human condition that they find a way to shine through all efforts to contain them.
This is a love story that happens to be set in a future idyllic society. The indomitability of love is at the center of our very being and being the most natural of forces, is always at odds with man's desire to control himself. The characters undergo the torture and euphoria of true love--some lost, some found, but all willing to give their lives to it. Dahlan has found a fresh take on a timeless theme...what is the absolute power of love? and made it stretch so far across genres that it simply cannot occupy any one shelf in a shop. Readers of all interests, just by virtue of being human, will relate to this story.
What the book is is as pure a lost love story as I've ever read. We can all relate to the regret one feels for losing a love once in their grasp. But what Dahlan has done is take that pain and remove it from the individual's control.
Where most books of the dystopian genre remove choice from humanity, Dahlan has done something wholly unique. She has removed memory and with it the meritocracy dependent on perpetual knowledge. What we discover is that some things are so important to the human condition that they find a way to shine through all efforts to contain them.
This is a love story that happens to be set in a future idyllic society. The indomitability of love is at the center of our very being and being the most natural of forces, is always at odds with man's desire to control himself. The characters undergo the torture and euphoria of true love--some lost, some found, but all willing to give their lives to it. Dahlan has found a fresh take on a timeless theme...what is the absolute power of love? and made it stretch so far across genres that it simply cannot occupy any one shelf in a shop. Readers of all interests, just by virtue of being human, will relate to this story.
December 13, 2022
A gorgeous, trenchant love story with deep philosophical underpinnings. Genre-blurring and wonderful!
Sarina Dahlan has woven quite a lovely spell in this bittersweet novel that I devoured in two days. The characters have stayed with me, as have the descriptions, emotions, and conversations. I appreciated complex characterization and a female protagonist with flaws who transforms throughout the novel; although I didn't always agree with her, I understood and empathized with her, and I rooted for her.
Benja may have been my favorite. He will stick with me. Oh, my heart. I especially felt for him as a writer and all his creative zealous, angst, passion, and chaotic emotions.
Such a powerful premise, and I will find myself repeating passages from the novel, especially the idea that cycles are inevitable, whether four years or a hundred.
I can't WAIT for Sarina's prequel to come out next May 2023--PRESET!
Read this book--you won't regret it.
Sarina Dahlan has woven quite a lovely spell in this bittersweet novel that I devoured in two days. The characters have stayed with me, as have the descriptions, emotions, and conversations. I appreciated complex characterization and a female protagonist with flaws who transforms throughout the novel; although I didn't always agree with her, I understood and empathized with her, and I rooted for her.
Benja may have been my favorite. He will stick with me. Oh, my heart. I especially felt for him as a writer and all his creative zealous, angst, passion, and chaotic emotions.
Such a powerful premise, and I will find myself repeating passages from the novel, especially the idea that cycles are inevitable, whether four years or a hundred.
I can't WAIT for Sarina's prequel to come out next May 2023--PRESET!
Read this book--you won't regret it.
April 15, 2021
Reset feels, in many ways, like one of the Cycles it describes: hitting the ground running with no explanation, blossoming into understanding, and ending (appropriately) somewhat abruptly. It’s a beautiful tragic romance built on the back of other tragic romances, leaving a handful of tantalizing threads hanging in the air and hinting at an even greater story. The ending is, in its own way, a hopeful one, even if it may take a breather after finishing to come to that conclusion.
(Received an A rating in Sci-Fi Magazine Summer 2021 issue)
(Received an A rating in Sci-Fi Magazine Summer 2021 issue)
October 9, 2021
An absolutely gorgeous novel that achieves a perfect balance of beautiful storytelling, depth of characterization, and makes-you-think page-turning questions. It seems impossible that this is Dahlan's first novel, and I can't wait to read whatever she gifts next to the world.
May 20, 2022
Unfortunately I just wasn't invested in the relationship which is at the center of this book and takes up most of the story. The whole idea of tabula rasa and erasing everyone's memories every four years was intriguing, but I wanted more science and less of a love story.
June 3, 2021
A pleasant twist to the utopian dream. And a nice rainy day read.
March 25, 2022
This book was next in my pile of books from Once Upon a Book Club. I actually groaned when I realized what the book was about because I sometimes feel our world is headed down a frightening path; similar to these dystopian post-apocalyptic novels.
With all that being said I am, for the most part, happy I read this book. For the most part…More on that later.
The “Character� Lucy�(Siri/Alexa’s competition) reminds me of TV’s: The Good Place � Janet. Anybody else? It’s totally her voice I heard in my head whenever Lucy speaks.
I’m fancying all the Beatles references. Huge fan here! So much so that my first cats were named Lennon and McCartney. We named the girl McCartney and the boy Lennon…ya know…Paul would have made a prettier girl.
It only took me until page 40 before I was thinking that the majority of the characters are puppets/sheep/brainwashed people. “For the good of society�??? Grrr. (This is by no means a rip on the book - I liked it as I said above) it’s just a jab on society as a whole.
This book is full of quote-worthy quotes. My book quote book was loving all my entries. Most were thought provoking. But there was a funny one. “He was as interesting as a sidewalk�. I can see me using that one!
I really have a love hate relationship with the book. It was well written in the sense it was easy to read and never boring. Great first book in that regard. It’s just the content. It’s tough to read. I also felt there were some holes. Some repetition. And the protagonist was a floozy. Quite frankly I was tired of reading about her bedroom escapades. There was also the introduction of a character or two that never amounted to anything. I don’t know if the author forgot about them or what?
Also, most importantly, I’m not 100% on board with the ending. But I felt, for a dystopian novel, it was an acceptable ending and I should not complain. I saw another reviewer and she wished for the same ending I wished for.
you may say I’m a dreamer�..
With all that being said I am, for the most part, happy I read this book. For the most part…More on that later.
The “Character� Lucy�(Siri/Alexa’s competition) reminds me of TV’s: The Good Place � Janet. Anybody else? It’s totally her voice I heard in my head whenever Lucy speaks.
I’m fancying all the Beatles references. Huge fan here! So much so that my first cats were named Lennon and McCartney. We named the girl McCartney and the boy Lennon…ya know…Paul would have made a prettier girl.
It only took me until page 40 before I was thinking that the majority of the characters are puppets/sheep/brainwashed people. “For the good of society�??? Grrr. (This is by no means a rip on the book - I liked it as I said above) it’s just a jab on society as a whole.
This book is full of quote-worthy quotes. My book quote book was loving all my entries. Most were thought provoking. But there was a funny one. “He was as interesting as a sidewalk�. I can see me using that one!
I really have a love hate relationship with the book. It was well written in the sense it was easy to read and never boring. Great first book in that regard. It’s just the content. It’s tough to read. I also felt there were some holes. Some repetition. And the protagonist was a floozy. Quite frankly I was tired of reading about her bedroom escapades. There was also the introduction of a character or two that never amounted to anything. I don’t know if the author forgot about them or what?
Also, most importantly, I’m not 100% on board with the ending. But I felt, for a dystopian novel, it was an acceptable ending and I should not complain. I saw another reviewer and she wished for the same ending I wished for.
you may say I’m a dreamer�..
August 27, 2021
Rating: 2.5/5⭐️
Have you ever wanted a fresh start in life? To have all your wrongdoings and mistakes erased? To forget who you are and just completely start over and become a blank slate? However, if you were to forget those, you’d also forget all your loved ones and cherished memories. Add in that you would start over every four years, and you have the premise of Reset by Sarina Dahlan.
Like most dystopian novels, Reset takes place in a post-apocalyptic world with a utopia created by someone who survived what had destroyed most of the world. This place is known as the Four Cities and was created by someone known as the “Planner�. It is, supposedly, the only place where humanity still exists following the destruction of the Last War. The citizens of the Four Cities all live in peace with their every need carefully provided to them. The price of this peace is their memories. To prevent mankind from destroying each other again, the process of Tabula Rasa was created to wipe the minds of all those who dwell in the Four Cities to remove any learned prejudices: thus, creating a blank slate. Every cycle, they begin again with new names, homes, jobs, and lives. This book follows the lives of a few characters as their lives intertwine during the final months before the next Tabula Rasa. Aris is a scientist who works at the Natural History Museum. She finds relationships to be pointless as it will all be erased anyways and embraces Tabula Rasa and the intrigue of the unknown future it will provide. However, she is plagued by a recurring dream that occurs more frequently and vividly as time passes. Metis is the leader of a small group known as the Dreamers; people who are in search of the past even though it is forbidden. Since the beginning of this cycle, he has been haunted by his dreams of a woman from a previous cycle and has searched for her. When he finally sees her at one of his concerts, he gives up his role as the leader of the Dreamers to be with her. With barely any time left before the next Tabula Rasa, they begin a bittersweet romance in a world where they are doomed to forget one another in the end.
To be honest, I don’t have too much good to say about this book. When I first read the hint for this book on the Once Upon a Book Club site, I was extremely intrigued. Sadly, it just didn’t hold up to what I was expecting. It took me forever to get somewhat interested in the book and that slightly had to do with the fact that there were multiple POV’s within the book. While I usually love multiple POV’s, I found myself getting confused at whose POV was currently being told and would have to go back to the beginning of the switch to figure it out. Even the dialogue seemed to be extremely awkward and unnatural at times. The moments where it should have been romantic, I found myself cringing.
I also found there to be so much repetitiveness, especially when it came to Tabula Rasa. I found that it was just constantly being explained almost every time it was mentioned in the story (which is a lot). Even at the end of the book when there were only a few chapters left it was reexplained. If a reader doesn’t understand the concept by then, there’s a problem. The constant explaining of Tabula Rasa could have been removed and given more writing time to other questions that rose from the book. I felt like I was left with so many questions with barely any answers. Like, who created the clones? What was the importance of Apollina’s job and how did she come to do it? What is the significance of the rings and the flower? I think that if you’re going to introduce so many questions within a book, there should be more answers. It felt like there were some parts that were kind of rushed through and others that were very well planned and organized. To be honest, it seemed like a bit of a mess.
The characters were also hard to root for. If anything, I found myself being extremely detached from what was happening. Part of this may have been due to the awkward dialogue that occurred, making them seem less real. They had certain qualities that made them relatable, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to truly care about them.
There was no satisfaction from that ending. At all. Usually when you finish a book you take away something, but they literally just ended up back at square one with even less answers than before. I kind of feel like I wasted several hours of my life reading this. I think this book had great potential but a poor execution. It just simply was not my cup of tea.
Have you ever wanted a fresh start in life? To have all your wrongdoings and mistakes erased? To forget who you are and just completely start over and become a blank slate? However, if you were to forget those, you’d also forget all your loved ones and cherished memories. Add in that you would start over every four years, and you have the premise of Reset by Sarina Dahlan.
Like most dystopian novels, Reset takes place in a post-apocalyptic world with a utopia created by someone who survived what had destroyed most of the world. This place is known as the Four Cities and was created by someone known as the “Planner�. It is, supposedly, the only place where humanity still exists following the destruction of the Last War. The citizens of the Four Cities all live in peace with their every need carefully provided to them. The price of this peace is their memories. To prevent mankind from destroying each other again, the process of Tabula Rasa was created to wipe the minds of all those who dwell in the Four Cities to remove any learned prejudices: thus, creating a blank slate. Every cycle, they begin again with new names, homes, jobs, and lives. This book follows the lives of a few characters as their lives intertwine during the final months before the next Tabula Rasa. Aris is a scientist who works at the Natural History Museum. She finds relationships to be pointless as it will all be erased anyways and embraces Tabula Rasa and the intrigue of the unknown future it will provide. However, she is plagued by a recurring dream that occurs more frequently and vividly as time passes. Metis is the leader of a small group known as the Dreamers; people who are in search of the past even though it is forbidden. Since the beginning of this cycle, he has been haunted by his dreams of a woman from a previous cycle and has searched for her. When he finally sees her at one of his concerts, he gives up his role as the leader of the Dreamers to be with her. With barely any time left before the next Tabula Rasa, they begin a bittersweet romance in a world where they are doomed to forget one another in the end.
To be honest, I don’t have too much good to say about this book. When I first read the hint for this book on the Once Upon a Book Club site, I was extremely intrigued. Sadly, it just didn’t hold up to what I was expecting. It took me forever to get somewhat interested in the book and that slightly had to do with the fact that there were multiple POV’s within the book. While I usually love multiple POV’s, I found myself getting confused at whose POV was currently being told and would have to go back to the beginning of the switch to figure it out. Even the dialogue seemed to be extremely awkward and unnatural at times. The moments where it should have been romantic, I found myself cringing.
I also found there to be so much repetitiveness, especially when it came to Tabula Rasa. I found that it was just constantly being explained almost every time it was mentioned in the story (which is a lot). Even at the end of the book when there were only a few chapters left it was reexplained. If a reader doesn’t understand the concept by then, there’s a problem. The constant explaining of Tabula Rasa could have been removed and given more writing time to other questions that rose from the book. I felt like I was left with so many questions with barely any answers. Like, who created the clones? What was the importance of Apollina’s job and how did she come to do it? What is the significance of the rings and the flower? I think that if you’re going to introduce so many questions within a book, there should be more answers. It felt like there were some parts that were kind of rushed through and others that were very well planned and organized. To be honest, it seemed like a bit of a mess.
The characters were also hard to root for. If anything, I found myself being extremely detached from what was happening. Part of this may have been due to the awkward dialogue that occurred, making them seem less real. They had certain qualities that made them relatable, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to truly care about them.
There was no satisfaction from that ending. At all. Usually when you finish a book you take away something, but they literally just ended up back at square one with even less answers than before. I kind of feel like I wasted several hours of my life reading this. I think this book had great potential but a poor execution. It just simply was not my cup of tea.
February 18, 2021
An ARC of this book was given to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What if society was reset every four years? That is the question Reset asks itself. Every fourth year, humans undergo “Tabula Rasa� in which their memories are wiped and they start a new cycle with a new name, job, home, friends. This helps in keeping the peace.
But what happens when people become interested in recovering their memories?
Story
I think the story is pretty interesting! I never really need a lot of detail on technicalities or specifics when it comes to sci-fi stuff, so I can’t really judge on that, but I found it pretty complete! We get the origins of it, the consequences of it, and possibly the future of it.
The story flows very well. Not a lot of dull moments or chapters you really have to push through to get to "the good stuff". There are no wasted scenes here.
Writing style
The first thing I noticed when I started is that it’s in present tense! People sometimes feel iffy about that, but I felt it was a very deliberate choice, as the entire story is about making the most out of the present.
It reads very easy overall. It’s very dialogue heavy, but not in a way that you get confused over who’s talking. Exposition and info are given to you in a subtle manner.
Characters
There’s quite a few characters, but they all feel very distinct from one another. Aris, Metis, Benja, Thane� They have their own quirks and personalities and their own voice. I can’t say I got really attached to anyone in particular. That is something that is very hard to achieve though when it comes to action-packed stories.
Romance
So�. I’m not a very big fan of romance generally, and unfortunately this was no exception. I kept thinking about how I would feel about Aris and I would honestly just check out if there was ever so much pressure put on me by a man I’d only met about a week prior. The book deals with that a bit, but it’s also quickly forgotten because there are more urgent things going on. I just felt it was a bit too fast. It felt more like infatuation instead of loving eachother for the person they were.
Other
I haven’t mentioned it yet but THAT COVER. It’s incredible.
This was a fun read! It’s a bit out of my comfort zone. Would definitely recommend it if you like a light dystopian sci-fi with a bit of romance on the side.
What if society was reset every four years? That is the question Reset asks itself. Every fourth year, humans undergo “Tabula Rasa� in which their memories are wiped and they start a new cycle with a new name, job, home, friends. This helps in keeping the peace.
But what happens when people become interested in recovering their memories?
Story
I think the story is pretty interesting! I never really need a lot of detail on technicalities or specifics when it comes to sci-fi stuff, so I can’t really judge on that, but I found it pretty complete! We get the origins of it, the consequences of it, and possibly the future of it.
The story flows very well. Not a lot of dull moments or chapters you really have to push through to get to "the good stuff". There are no wasted scenes here.
Writing style
The first thing I noticed when I started is that it’s in present tense! People sometimes feel iffy about that, but I felt it was a very deliberate choice, as the entire story is about making the most out of the present.
It reads very easy overall. It’s very dialogue heavy, but not in a way that you get confused over who’s talking. Exposition and info are given to you in a subtle manner.
Characters
There’s quite a few characters, but they all feel very distinct from one another. Aris, Metis, Benja, Thane� They have their own quirks and personalities and their own voice. I can’t say I got really attached to anyone in particular. That is something that is very hard to achieve though when it comes to action-packed stories.
Romance
So�. I’m not a very big fan of romance generally, and unfortunately this was no exception. I kept thinking about how I would feel about Aris and I would honestly just check out if there was ever so much pressure put on me by a man I’d only met about a week prior. The book deals with that a bit, but it’s also quickly forgotten because there are more urgent things going on. I just felt it was a bit too fast. It felt more like infatuation instead of loving eachother for the person they were.
Other
I haven’t mentioned it yet but THAT COVER. It’s incredible.
This was a fun read! It’s a bit out of my comfort zone. Would definitely recommend it if you like a light dystopian sci-fi with a bit of romance on the side.
May 2, 2021
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review....
I’ll be honest, because that’s what reviews are for... I thought this would be a 3 star book through 2/3 of my reading. I liked it but I didn’t love it, until the end. I love that this was not typical dystopian novel... like main character isn’t really a rebel again the system. She doesn’t want to fight or start a riot like in most of this genre. She is logical and accepts the system how it works. The author mentions the John Lennon song that inspired the concept a few times, and I think the world that she created does fit with the general essence of the song. However, I will say that that does leave some major plot holes. The one that bothers me the most is that kids get their memory wiped at 18 and therefore have none/minimal childhood memories. If that happened, no one would have a personality or likes and dislikes. What’s more, no one would have a conscience either?? It’s a huge loop hole that really threw me off and I would say is the main reason for the loss of a star. The other reason is the dialogue, especially in the beginning, feels somewhat forced and awkward. As I said, the ending excellent. It’s satisfying without being cliche or super predictable. This is a book meant to get you thinking about deeper concepts, such as free will, morality, and humanity. It would be a good read for everyone to then mull over the implications the author is making about humans.
I’ll be honest, because that’s what reviews are for... I thought this would be a 3 star book through 2/3 of my reading. I liked it but I didn’t love it, until the end. I love that this was not typical dystopian novel... like main character isn’t really a rebel again the system. She doesn’t want to fight or start a riot like in most of this genre. She is logical and accepts the system how it works. The author mentions the John Lennon song that inspired the concept a few times, and I think the world that she created does fit with the general essence of the song. However, I will say that that does leave some major plot holes. The one that bothers me the most is that kids get their memory wiped at 18 and therefore have none/minimal childhood memories. If that happened, no one would have a personality or likes and dislikes. What’s more, no one would have a conscience either?? It’s a huge loop hole that really threw me off and I would say is the main reason for the loss of a star. The other reason is the dialogue, especially in the beginning, feels somewhat forced and awkward. As I said, the ending excellent. It’s satisfying without being cliche or super predictable. This is a book meant to get you thinking about deeper concepts, such as free will, morality, and humanity. It would be a good read for everyone to then mull over the implications the author is making about humans.
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