Dualed sounds interesting but I'm mostly trying to avoid young adult books with female protagonist, they overuse star-crossed lovers theme :/
I knooow, right? It can be a little annoying, trying to find a book where a girl, as the main character,
doesn't get/really like a guy by the end.
Panic, a book I mentioned earlier, does use this them a little bit, but it's more about the character involved leaving an abusive boyfriend and accepting the love she deserves than it is about finding a guy. I actually really liked that book.
There're very controversial reviews for this book, it's difficult to judge if it's any good. So please share your opinion after you finish!
Alright, here's my review for
Dualed! Finished the book yesterday, thanks to a long car trip. Please note: I happen to have an advanced reader's copy, which means it hasn't been looked at by an editor. As a result, my copy might be slightly different from a copy you buy from a bookstore or borrow from the library.
Warning: will contain mild spoilers(i.e events that occur in the first couple chapters). Major spoilers will be marked.
As I said before, the main problem with this book is that it tried to juggle 3 subplots at once:
1.The protag(West Grayer) taking a new job as an assassin.
2.West suddenly starting to like a childhood friend, Chord.
3.West being assigned to kill her Alt- a twin that's trying to kill West, as well.
More on subplot 3: between the ages of 10 and 20, a person is told to kill their Alt, which is like a twin. The reason for this is like "survival of the fittest"- whichever person lives is seen as the one worthy of going on to marry, have kids, etc. The big problem with this is that EVERYONE living in the city over 20 years old has killed their mirror image. This could have some interesting psychological affects, because killing your twin can be a bit like killing yourself, but none of that is ever explored. Everything is chalked up to "kill or be killed", which seems to be why no one feels guilty about murdering their Alt.
Now, while these subplots could be an interesting mix, they're not juggled very well, and some aren't given enough time to be believable. For example, subplot 1(West=assassin), is only vaguely brought up after subplot 3 comes into the spotlight. Also, the reason West takes a job as an assassin in the first place is because of the excellent weapons training she'll get, which she views as something that will help her kill her Alt. However, none of this training is EVER seen or brought up. The only "training" brought up at all is a flashback of West practicing throwing knives with her brothers. Not to mention the person who gave her the tip on who to go to about becoming an assassin is a
weapons teacher. If West wanted the training so badly, why couldn't she have just asked him to give her some private, after school training?
Also, it's hinted that West quits her assassin job at the end, due to this line: "No more life or death...at least not for me. I've got a different job now." So, if she quits her job, then what was the point of having it in the first place?! It's barely brought up after West is told to kill her Alt! So whyyyy?!
Also, subplot 2(West=in love) isn't brought up enough to be believable. There's a couple of reasons for this: first, they've been friends for years, and they're suddenly falling in love
now? Granted, West's life is on the line, but still...Second, Chord's Alt
kills West's brother right at the beginning of the book. So, West's childhood friend--well, his exact double--kills her last living family member. Wouldn't this halt any feelings she potentially had for him? Furthermore, this death is only brought up a grand total of once after the brother's funeral scene. It seems to have only occurred so (1) West could have (very brief) angst and (2) West can get her brother's gun, which she uses a lot throughout the story. And, honestly, West liking Chord seems to only be in the story because romance sells; their "love" feels so forced and unbelievable.
Any one of these subplots could've been taken out, and the story would've been better for it(although the book would need some parts rewritten). Here's what you get is you take out subplot...
1. This would leave liking Chord and having to kill her Alt. So, the story would be something like this: West Grayer is a girl with many troubles: her entire family is dead, and she's dreadfully awaiting for the day she'll be forced to kill, a day she knows may soon come. Thankfully, she still has her childhood friend Chord--someone she both draws close to and pushes away, thanks to the fact his Alt took away the last family member she had left. But when it comes time to kill her own Alt, will she be able to do it? Or will Chord have to step in and give her the courage she lacks?
2. My personal favorite, this would leave being an assassin and killing the Alt. So, the story could be something like this: As a recently recruited assassin, West Grayer faces death every time she's hired. Sure, it's tough, but the money--and the weapons training--the job gives her is invaluable. However, when West is assigned to kill her Alt--an exact lookalike--will everything she's learned as an assassin be enough? Or will West be unable to kill her double? (Note: this would work better if West has been an assassin since before the beginning of the story--it would make her have killed more people, become numbed by all the deaths, but still be vulnerable to not being able to kill someone who looks exactly like her.)
3. This would leave being an assassin and liking Chord. Obviously, since killing the Alt is the main part of the story this would require a
major rewrite. In the end, though, I think the story would sound something like this: Being an assassin isn't the easiest job in the world, but, day by day, West Grayer has gotten used to it. She loves the amazing weapons training the job gives her, and the money she gets is more than any other job she's ever had. However, her childhood friend, Chord, thinks the job hurts her more than the people she murders. He's seen the way she enjoys the kills, the excited gleam in her eye she gets after a job. Will he be able to convince her to stop doing this? Or will she become a monster, someone not even he can get to anymore?
Another complaint I have is that the
reason for Alts, and the "survival of the fittest" motif, is never really explained. I would have appreciated at least some hints throughout the story, but I haven't seen any. My guess is that the book takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, but I don't know that for sure.
Also, everyone has weird names for what seems to be no reason. I mean, West? Chord? Ehm?
Glade? Honestly, the most normal name in the book is "Luc", and I have no idea is it's pronounced like "Luke" or "Luck"(probably the former).
Furthermore, there's some very annoying flash forwards near the beginning of the book. There's an unspecified amount of time between the end of Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Instead of flashing forward, the author could have placed a chapter here where West gets some assassin training or something, which, as I mentioned before, is said but never shown. There's about
twenty days between the end of Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. This flash forward is completely unnecessary, and it seems to only be there to give West less time to kill her Alt.
And the time pressure doesn't even feel like time pressure, since West kills her Alt with FOUR DAYS TO SPARE, if I'm not mistaken.
So, overall, I can't give a positive recommendation to this book. It doesn't do a good job with its 3 subplots, and the main guy in the book isn't given enough attention to be believable, among other things. If the subplots had been given more attention, the book might have been better, but the author did the exact opposite by giving 2 out of 3 subplots not
enough attention.
Apparently, there's a sequel coming out soon call
Divided. Maybe I'll given it a look, just to see if it does a better job.
I think, books have quite a lot in common with visual novels. Maybe even more than manga and anime?
)
Good stories usually make you cry.
because I don't remember the last time I read an actual book that wasn't a text book for school.
