S. J. Kincaid
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Source: Purchased
More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.
Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?
Gripping and provocative, S. J. Kincaid’s futuristic thrill ride of a debut crackles with memorable characters, tremendous wit, and a vision of the future that asks startling, timely questions about the melding of humanity and technology.
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CATCHALL
Insignia was one of those books where I was forced to tell myself, Just two more chapters. Just two more chapters. And then, of course, I ended up finishing the book. Honestly, when I picked this one up, I wasn't entirely sure that I would enjoy it. I thought it might be a fun read, but nothing like what I got. This thriller was fast-paced and insane and held my interest throughout the entirety of the novel. I loved the characters, I adored the setting and the originality, and the dystopian yet realistic sci-fi U.S. it was set in was positively amazing.
THE HERO
TOM
Where do I begin? When Tom is introduced into the story, he's just your average teenage guy. Maybe a little cleverer than most at games, but pretty much ordinary. Yet just one event and he's catapulted into a completely different world. He literally becomes a computer, yet retains a lot of who he is. Suddenly he's more than who he's always been. He has attention, the thing he's been craving the most. Yet even though he sometimes get a big head, he also somehow remains down-to-earth. Recognizable. I like him a lot for that. And he's smart. He's not just street-smart, though there is that.
THE ENEMY
MEDUSA
I didn't expect to get introduced so much to Medusa, and yet we are. She's portrayed as someone who maybe hasn't chosen her fate, and yet she's been totally cast into it nonetheless. She's also a lot like Tom, in more ways than it originally seems. She's definitely a complex character, and learning some things about her shocked me although maybe they shouldn't have. She's not all she seems to be, and although she's the enemy, she's not all evil. In fact, there are some things she would do/does for Tom that stretch even beyond friendship. (I also apologize for the sucky header.)
THE FRIENDS
VIK
Vik was an awesome character. He's a great friend to Tom, and he's also totally normal. He's a bit crazy, but in a fun way. I like that when Tom goes through his, er, phase, he just has nothing to do with him and doesn't even bother. Maybe that seems kind of cold and cruel, but honestly, I totally understood it. He could see that something was wrong, but without knowing what to do to fix it, he just let it go. Also, as it turns out, he has a loyal streak that goes even beyond concern for himself when it comes to protecting his friends.
YURI
Nevermind that "Yuri" always makes me think of Dr. Zhivago, I like him. For certain reasons, it takes a long time to get a read on his personality for a really long time, but once we do I definitely liked him. He's certainly not simpleminded at all, and it'll be interesting to see where his character will go.
WYATT
Wyatt is a girl, just so I make myself clear. Basically, she's a programming genius. She's one of the first people Tom meets, and she becomes an unlikely friend. She puts on a cold front, but it's fairly clear that inside she's actually lonely. I like her in some ways. I actually really had a difficult time relating to her, but that didn't make me not like her. Still, I hope we get to learn more about her soon.
BEAMER
He's not in this book much, so there's not much to say. However, I like what he represents and what he's used as. It goes to show that not everything is perfect in their perfect world. I think we might see him again, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he becomes.
THE PLOT
I adore thrillers. I love the action, the intensity, the anticipation, the everything. I love never knowing what's going to happen next. I even love the side plots that drag out the agony. I love everything about thrillers.
Insignia did not disappoint at all. It was incredibly fast-paced, and yet not so fast-paced that I couldn't keep up. It gives us a little background info at the beginning, but from that moment on we're propelled right into the midst of the action along with Tom and never let go. I literally couldn't bring myself to put this book down. I was always wanting to know what was going to happen next and the thought that I might not be able to was terrible. This is starting to sound incredibly cliché, but whatever. If the cliché fits, use it. Or whatever.
And the side plots weren't boring at all. From the very first instant, I loved every storyline. Yeeeaaah, I did think there were a few excessive and random ones, but honestly, they were still entertaining, even if I think they could have been cut out. Sometimes it was hard to keep track. However, this did not make hit any less fun.
But seriously. It was intense. And God, this review really is sounding cliché. But again, whatever. It's all true.
I loved the plot. The level of originality is incredible. And the thing is, it's not even really far-fetched. It's almost realistic in a way. The sic-fi is an essential part of the story without being the whole story, and I like that, too.
THE ROMANCE
There's not much romance in this book. At all. But this is generally speaking my favorite section to write, and so I really don't want to skip it. I mean, and there is romance. It's certainly not a large part of the story at all, but it is there, and I'll be interested to see where the development goes. It's light so far, but also has potential.
THE WRITING
I LOVE S.J.'s writing. It's gorgeous, and it's perfectly used for the story that she wants to tell. It's science-fictiony and fun. I also just made up an adjective, which makes me happy. ANYWAY, I'm obviously having problems focusing right now. It's third person, and I love the way it's told. There's no way it would have been the same in first person. Some of the insights we get are awesome, and yet also we can get a strong read on Tom's thoughts, which is great. Oh, and I do love the dialogue. It's really fun, and while a tad simplistic, it's also really realistic and really captures what feel like genuine conversations. And the world building—spectacular. No more really needs to be said.
THE ENDING
Oh, the ending. I really loved it because it wasn't some sort of cruel cliffhanger! Of course it left me wanting more and soon, but not totally desperate. The main conflict and story was resolved, and yet the ending is also very open for more, which it's clear there will be. Completely awesome, totally amazing. Well done, and moreover, realistic. There's even some serious heartbreak and emotional play going on, which is something kind of unique, at least I thought so.
WRAPUP
I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend it! If you're reluctant to read sci-fi, this might not be for you, but if you love your action and your dystopians worlds I'd recommend it anyway. Insignia is something new in YA, and I'm excited to see more of it. A well-rounded and marvelous book.
FINE.
Insignia was one of those books where I was forced to tell myself, Just two more chapters. Just two more chapters. And then, of course, I ended up finishing the book. Honestly, when I picked this one up, I wasn't entirely sure that I would enjoy it. I thought it might be a fun read, but nothing like what I got. This thriller was fast-paced and insane and held my interest throughout the entirety of the novel. I loved the characters, I adored the setting and the originality, and the dystopian yet realistic sci-fi U.S. it was set in was positively amazing.
THE HERO
TOM
Where do I begin? When Tom is introduced into the story, he's just your average teenage guy. Maybe a little cleverer than most at games, but pretty much ordinary. Yet just one event and he's catapulted into a completely different world. He literally becomes a computer, yet retains a lot of who he is. Suddenly he's more than who he's always been. He has attention, the thing he's been craving the most. Yet even though he sometimes get a big head, he also somehow remains down-to-earth. Recognizable. I like him a lot for that. And he's smart. He's not just street-smart, though there is that.
THE ENEMY
MEDUSA
I didn't expect to get introduced so much to Medusa, and yet we are. She's portrayed as someone who maybe hasn't chosen her fate, and yet she's been totally cast into it nonetheless. She's also a lot like Tom, in more ways than it originally seems. She's definitely a complex character, and learning some things about her shocked me although maybe they shouldn't have. She's not all she seems to be, and although she's the enemy, she's not all evil. In fact, there are some things she would do/does for Tom that stretch even beyond friendship. (I also apologize for the sucky header.)
THE FRIENDS
VIK
Vik was an awesome character. He's a great friend to Tom, and he's also totally normal. He's a bit crazy, but in a fun way. I like that when Tom goes through his, er, phase, he just has nothing to do with him and doesn't even bother. Maybe that seems kind of cold and cruel, but honestly, I totally understood it. He could see that something was wrong, but without knowing what to do to fix it, he just let it go. Also, as it turns out, he has a loyal streak that goes even beyond concern for himself when it comes to protecting his friends.
YURI
Nevermind that "Yuri" always makes me think of Dr. Zhivago, I like him. For certain reasons, it takes a long time to get a read on his personality for a really long time, but once we do I definitely liked him. He's certainly not simpleminded at all, and it'll be interesting to see where his character will go.
WYATT
Wyatt is a girl, just so I make myself clear. Basically, she's a programming genius. She's one of the first people Tom meets, and she becomes an unlikely friend. She puts on a cold front, but it's fairly clear that inside she's actually lonely. I like her in some ways. I actually really had a difficult time relating to her, but that didn't make me not like her. Still, I hope we get to learn more about her soon.
BEAMER
He's not in this book much, so there's not much to say. However, I like what he represents and what he's used as. It goes to show that not everything is perfect in their perfect world. I think we might see him again, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he becomes.
THE PLOT
I adore thrillers. I love the action, the intensity, the anticipation, the everything. I love never knowing what's going to happen next. I even love the side plots that drag out the agony. I love everything about thrillers.
Insignia did not disappoint at all. It was incredibly fast-paced, and yet not so fast-paced that I couldn't keep up. It gives us a little background info at the beginning, but from that moment on we're propelled right into the midst of the action along with Tom and never let go. I literally couldn't bring myself to put this book down. I was always wanting to know what was going to happen next and the thought that I might not be able to was terrible. This is starting to sound incredibly cliché, but whatever. If the cliché fits, use it. Or whatever.
And the side plots weren't boring at all. From the very first instant, I loved every storyline. Yeeeaaah, I did think there were a few excessive and random ones, but honestly, they were still entertaining, even if I think they could have been cut out. Sometimes it was hard to keep track. However, this did not make hit any less fun.
But seriously. It was intense. And God, this review really is sounding cliché. But again, whatever. It's all true.
I loved the plot. The level of originality is incredible. And the thing is, it's not even really far-fetched. It's almost realistic in a way. The sic-fi is an essential part of the story without being the whole story, and I like that, too.
THE ROMANCE
There's not much romance in this book. At all. But this is generally speaking my favorite section to write, and so I really don't want to skip it. I mean, and there is romance. It's certainly not a large part of the story at all, but it is there, and I'll be interested to see where the development goes. It's light so far, but also has potential.
THE WRITING
I LOVE S.J.'s writing. It's gorgeous, and it's perfectly used for the story that she wants to tell. It's science-fictiony and fun. I also just made up an adjective, which makes me happy. ANYWAY, I'm obviously having problems focusing right now. It's third person, and I love the way it's told. There's no way it would have been the same in first person. Some of the insights we get are awesome, and yet also we can get a strong read on Tom's thoughts, which is great. Oh, and I do love the dialogue. It's really fun, and while a tad simplistic, it's also really realistic and really captures what feel like genuine conversations. And the world building—spectacular. No more really needs to be said.
THE ENDING
Oh, the ending. I really loved it because it wasn't some sort of cruel cliffhanger! Of course it left me wanting more and soon, but not totally desperate. The main conflict and story was resolved, and yet the ending is also very open for more, which it's clear there will be. Completely awesome, totally amazing. Well done, and moreover, realistic. There's even some serious heartbreak and emotional play going on, which is something kind of unique, at least I thought so.
WRAPUP
I absolutely loved this book! I highly recommend it! If you're reluctant to read sci-fi, this might not be for you, but if you love your action and your dystopians worlds I'd recommend it anyway. Insignia is something new in YA, and I'm excited to see more of it. A well-rounded and marvelous book.
FINE.
*****FINAL RATING: 4.60 RED ROSES*****
