I've
been putting off writing this review. *sigh*
Dualed was one of those books I
was sure I'd love based on the concept.
I was completely taken in; it sounded like another great
sci-fi/dystopian to add to my bookshelf.
Alternate versions of people? A
society where one must die and only one can live? Sounded awesome! It's also a part of my DAC Challenge, hence
the review.
But
I have to say: This book just wasn't for
me L.
Unfortunately,
I couldn't get into the story. One of
the characters I really liked died within the first few pages, and the way it
happened left a bad taste in my mouth. I
hadn't grown attached to anyone, not even West, the MC, and all of a sudden
BAM! Brutal death scene--which I'm sure
was meant to show how awful the society and its ways are--but I felt like that
character could've been the heart of the book.
For me, this death didn't serve its purpose.
Then
there's the readability factor. In this
type of book (in any book really), I like the story to be fast-paced with a
good flow. But I found myself having to
go back and read passages again, more than a few times. It could've been the
sentence structure, or I could've just been having an off day. It happens.
But when I had to stop and re-read, it really messed up the flow for me.
As
far as the main characters go, West and Chord were okay. Their romance was one of the things I liked
best about the book. I liked how Chord
cared so much about West and tried to help her even when she refused his
help. I also liked Baer--a hardened,
straight-talking teacher who gets very little page-time, but who I'm sure will
play a role in future books.
My
other main problem was with West. Once
she got her assignment (a virtual map to her alt's location), she
didn't immediately seek her out. This
would've been fine. I'm one of those
people who believes that heroes don't kill people unless they're cornered and absolutely
forced to do so. And even then, they don't usually kill people. So what happened next
baffled me. West was unwilling to kill
her alt, like I said, but she goes out and becomes a striker??? Strikers kill
their clients' alts for money. So,
basically, West becomes an assassin and yes, she does kill people. Several people. She does this with no remorse, and doesn't
look at them as human beings but as a job--even though she's unwilling to kill her
own alt and secure her survival. I
didn't get it. And if it was about not
being able to face yourself or kill your other self, I didn't buy it.
I
had such high expectations, and this one fell flat for me. Good attempt, just not for me. Dualed was book 1 in a series, and I'm sorry
to say I won't be getting book 2.
Happy
reading,
Ninja
Girl
