Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Review: PODs by Michelle Pickett

Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul. 

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters. 

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.


Review
I had a hard time deciding the rating for this book and I'll explain why.

The plot of the book was simple and 1 dimensional. There weren't layers of intricate plotting. Michelle didn't tried to break your heart with feels or connections. You know how sometimes stories linked together and pieces of the book fitted when the story began to conclude? Yeah, those were what I called connections. This book didn't offer me that but that doesn't mean it was a total negative thing. By having a 1 dimensional plot, the story moved fast which kept my attention. Imagine if it was a simple plot that was draggy? Phew, this book wasn't, in fact I loved how the book was such a breezy read. What the book lacked in intricacy, it gained in pace. And having said how the plot was simple, it wasn't a bad plot. The plot of the book was a great one! Because of the fast pace, the events didn't dwell and not did it got dull. It was like turning over new leaves in a short period of time, it had excitement in it.

But not only did the plot lacked connectivity, the characters did as well. I also didn't form any emotional attachments to them as well. It felt as if they were cardboards and if one person died, I wouldn't care and either would the other charactersYou would think that a group of teens stuck in a POD for a long time equalled character development, but nope. The conversations were........eek! It felt amateur as if horrible actors were delivering the lines. And adding romance into the pot didn't made this any better. Sure Eva and David were in love but they didn't felt like it. There were a lot of "I love you" and lots of kissing but I didn't feel their love for each other. I just dislike apocalyptic romance. Sorry just don't care. Every single book I read disappointed me, this book was no better. The romance was so forced and cliche. Boo!

"David"

"Yeah?"
"Stay" (pg 82)

"...smells as good and looks as yummy as David...." (66) <---Ewwww -____-
COMMENCE PUKE!

 
The writing style when Eva was in the POD was almost like a diary. There were short sections (which made for easy reading) that broke within a chapter. While in the Compound, it was brief. Is this what it feels like to not have roots? To move around so often that your surroundings don't even link to you?
 
Overall, the writing for this book was sub-par. You know how sometimes a book can make you feel like you've been absorbed by it? This one didn't do that. It just like a slab of concrete on my face. It was, a fast, simple read but really nothing more. It felt liked a 5 year old telling me a story: cute but lacks maturity and substance. The plot of the book was good but there's definitely room to grow. I saw potential, a little better execution would make this book feel more satisfying.
 
If I had to right one pro and one con....
Pro:
Fast pace (which translated to a decent plot).

Con:
Lacked intricacy, connections and character developments.

In two sentences, this book was good enough that I didn't dislike it but I also didn't like it. It didn't draw out any particular emotion in me.

Notes I written during my reading & stuff that I am too lazy to write in paragraph form for:
  •  Jai Li not being able to speak English...I call bullshit (58)
  • · "I watched in awe as her stomach rippled with the baby's movements" (60) REALLY??? O____O
  • · Katie, I liked her instantly: sassy, bitchy, fiery little kid. She was in 8th grade, the "I think I'm better than all of you" stage.
  • · WHAT IS TIFF PAINTING WITH??!! Pregnant and paint fume, NO! (69)
  • · When the mail came I'm like "TYRA MAILLLLL!!" :P (73-74)
  • · Eva was very in control to deliver the baby, very impressive.
  • · What's with Eva and smelling??? Why does she keep on describing what David smelled like.
  • · I imagined the Compound to look like Terra Nova, with the houses and fences etc
  • · "The firelight revealed more men like the one who'd barged into my tent. Tall and broad - easily twice the size of a normal man - they chased the people of the camp, scattering supplies and tearing down the shelters." (205) T-T-TITAN???




6 comments:

  1. Thank you for taking the time to read and review PODs. I know reading, writing reviews and keeping up a blog takes a great deal of time and I appreciate that you spent some of that time with PODs, although it wasn't quite your taste.

    Michelle :)

    Author,
    PODs available June 4th


    Milayna
    (Milayna #1) available March 11, 2014


    Milayna’s
    Angel (Milayna #2), September 2014

    The Infected,
    a PODs novel available November 2014

    The Innocent
    (Milayna #3), April 2015

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hm, thank you for the book review! One dimensional stories aren't really my thing (or anyone's, really), and some of those quotes... o__o are strange. Thanks!~
    Junniku.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aha, it is my pleasure to review books ^__^ I was quite bummed at how the story went.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for writing the book Michelle. Really, I was conflicted about the book. I wasn't sure whether to pass or fail it. I definitely see potential and I hope the best to you. :)

    ReplyDelete

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