Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Square Fish (2016), Edition: Reprint, 448 pages
Description
Rosie Sinclair, who attends an elite arts school where students are contestants on a high stakes reality show, skips her sleeping pill one night and discovers that the school is really a cover-up for the lucrative and sinister practice of dream harvesting.
User reviews
LibraryThing member JennyJen
Well, this got marginally better as it went on, but that was a really unsatisfying and lackluster ending.
Mehrp.
Mehrp.
LibraryThing member cablesclasses
Rosie Sinclair does not follow the rules. Why should she when she is bound to be eliminated from the art school that is broadcasting live every waking moment of every high school student attending Forge Academy. She doesn't take her sleeping pills nor does she sleep for the mandated 12 hours that
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all students must sleep for. Rosie is just different. And that difference causes her to see things differently as she observes and hears conversations during the sleeping time. Mix in a casual boyfriend and some new friends and she is set to follow a different path than the rest of the complacent students and employees. This could be a stand alone book but the ending also lends itself to being continued as it is the 1st in a trilogy. Audience: intermediate to high school, science fiction fans, art students, filmmakers, strained family relationships, & born on the wrong side of the tracks. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
I was pulled into this story about an arts school - the Forge - in which students are followed on television as part of a reality show - The Forge Show. Viewers vote on their favorite students, with the highest rankings generating the most advertising revenues, of which the students get a cut. The
Rosie Sinclair, 15, was admitted to The Forge based on her talent with filmmaking. She begins a romance with Linus Pitts, 17, who is not a student, but works in the kitchen. The romance helps elevate Rosie’s rankings, since there are cameras and microphones everywhere, and viewers at home can follow the excitement of the budding relationship.
The Forge only films the students during the day. Students are required to have 12 hours sleep a night, purportedly the optimal amount of sleep for creativity. To that end, students are even given sleeping pills, which a nurse watches them swallow. Rosie feels like something is missing however, and she starts to defy the rules by hiding the pills in her mouth and spitting them out after the nurse leaves. Initially, she just wants to be able to look at the stars, but then she discovers that something else goes on at night, something that is a threat to the lives of all the students at The Forge.
Rosie is determined to save herself and her friends, even though the odds are stacked against her, and even if failure could mean death.
Discussion: The explanation for what goes on at The Forge has some plausibility holes, but the book is set in the future, and it’s a dystopia, so I’m willing to give it latitude. It works well as a thriller, and I liked the fact that nobody knew what was true or not, or who was sincere or not, since everyone was trying to manipulate their ratings. This added tension and suspense to the plot.
I didn’t realize until after finishing the book and going to the author’s website that this was the first new book of a series. It could certainly be read as a standalone, and in that way, could be seen as a brave departure from the usual endings of YA dystopias.
Evaluation: This book can be read as either a suspenseful standalone, or good beginning to a dystopia series. Either way, it has some interesting premises, some very likable protagonists, and good pacing.
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students not only have a financial incentive to increase their viewer popularity; those with lower rankings get cut from the school.Rosie Sinclair, 15, was admitted to The Forge based on her talent with filmmaking. She begins a romance with Linus Pitts, 17, who is not a student, but works in the kitchen. The romance helps elevate Rosie’s rankings, since there are cameras and microphones everywhere, and viewers at home can follow the excitement of the budding relationship.
The Forge only films the students during the day. Students are required to have 12 hours sleep a night, purportedly the optimal amount of sleep for creativity. To that end, students are even given sleeping pills, which a nurse watches them swallow. Rosie feels like something is missing however, and she starts to defy the rules by hiding the pills in her mouth and spitting them out after the nurse leaves. Initially, she just wants to be able to look at the stars, but then she discovers that something else goes on at night, something that is a threat to the lives of all the students at The Forge.
Rosie is determined to save herself and her friends, even though the odds are stacked against her, and even if failure could mean death.
Discussion: The explanation for what goes on at The Forge has some plausibility holes, but the book is set in the future, and it’s a dystopia, so I’m willing to give it latitude. It works well as a thriller, and I liked the fact that nobody knew what was true or not, or who was sincere or not, since everyone was trying to manipulate their ratings. This added tension and suspense to the plot.
I didn’t realize until after finishing the book and going to the author’s website that this was the first new book of a series. It could certainly be read as a standalone, and in that way, could be seen as a brave departure from the usual endings of YA dystopias.
Evaluation: This book can be read as either a suspenseful standalone, or good beginning to a dystopia series. Either way, it has some interesting premises, some very likable protagonists, and good pacing.
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LibraryThing member ethel55
In what is probably the late 21st Century, O'Brien introduces us to Rosie Sinclair, one of the new members of an arts school called the Forge School. The school doubles as a reality program, following the daytime hours and activities of the students while they spend 12 hours every night asleep, in
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order to increase their creativity. Rosie is a filmmaker, and as such, seems much more curious about the workings of the world in and out of the school leads her to question certain practices. Rosie really grew on me as I read deeper into the story, although I did wish for a little bit more time with some of the interesting secondary characters. Great ending, can't tell for sure if it's a series, although past experience with YA would have me believe it probably is. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bduke
I'm pretty torn about this book. There were some aspects I loved, some that confused me, and some I just didn't like. The part I loved was the Forge School/reality TV show. Being a little bit of a reality TV lover myself, I was intrigued by the idea of a reality show in a boarding school for the
Areas of concern:
15 year old girl keeps sneaking out at night.
A handful of bad language.
Some teenage kissing.
An abusive stepfather at the very beginning.
Drug use on teenagers so they will sleep.
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arts. Very cool concept!. The thought of always being filmed, during every waking moment, is a little daunting, but our main character signs up to do it so she can have a better life. It is fascinating to see her character go through all the peaks and valleys of life constantly on the screen, and being ranked at the same time by viewers. This book could have been amazing if the author had just stayed on that track. Unfortunately, it veers off into a weird territory - a combination of science fiction and paranormal - that kind of lost me. And I have NO idea what was happening at the end. However, it was a fun book to read and it will be interesting to see what happens from here. Areas of concern:
15 year old girl keeps sneaking out at night.
A handful of bad language.
Some teenage kissing.
An abusive stepfather at the very beginning.
Drug use on teenagers so they will sleep.
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LibraryThing member JanaRose1
Set up as a reality show, Forge is the most prestigious art school in the country. Gracie has managed to survive the initial cuts and is studying film. However, she senses that something is wrong. Skipping her sleeping pills, she breaks the rules by leaving her bed and exploring the campus.
I
I
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thought this was a very interesting book with a fascinating premise. Gracie felt real and had layers and dimensions to her personality. I did feel that the book ended abruptly, setting itself up for a sequel. I would love to read more! Show Less
LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: I felt that The Vault of Dreamers was an easy read, but not an exceptional one.
Opening Sentence: I missed night.
The Review:
Rosie has gained entrance into the Forge, an academy for the arts with high prestige and competition. The Forge is more than
The reality show element of The Vault of Dreamers was one that was a refreshing twist. I enjoyed it. There was a lot of drama that centered around the show, obviously, it being a reality show. Some relationships were faked. Others were real. Watching Rosie navigate the precarious friendships was fun and soemtimes amusing. There was this whole idea of blip ratings, right? The more people were watching your feed, then the more money the show was making off advertisements on yor page, and therefore the higher your rankings. Rosie starts off in a not-so-great ranking right before final cuts are made, and she experiments a lot with what people like to watch and how to raise it. She wasn’t vain, she didn’t raise it for the glory or power. She simply enjoyed studying what made some people’s higher than others, because she has a curious mind, which she definitely uses quite a bit in this novel.
Speaking of Rosie, she was the main character and point of view in The Vault of Dreamers. For the most part, I liked her. I liked her honesty and courage, and her relentless spirit. I liked her motivations and understood her feelings. I found it hard watching her get into all of these tough situations. One thing, however, I was not a fan of: her romances. She didn’t handle her relationship with Linus nearly as gracefully as she could have, though she certainly tried her best. Also, her friendships were sometimes strained, because of things she said or didn’t say. She also could hold grudges for a bit before giving in, at least in the case of a certain character I’m thinking of. Altogether, I found Rosie to be a brave and centered POV that was for the most part relatable.
There was — gag — a love triangle in this book. Ok, every once in awhile I enjoy a good love triangle, but I got burned out of them recently after that huge love circle trend that started when Twilight got big. Surly Linus is a kitchen aide, certainly not glamorous, but she enjoys how he makes her feel. The relationship moves pretty fast, but in Rosie’s defense, she kind of needed the spike in her ratings and the kiss helped her do that. Burnham is the innovative, intelligent guy with a very high blip rating, but her feelings around him are muddled. She had trouble dealing with this and basically made both of the men feel jealous, sad, angry, and not good enough, because she didn’t handle it as well as she should have. Oh the horror! Two men are in love with me, how awful!
Anyway, The Vault of Dreamers was a nice start to a new series with quite a cliffhanger that seemed to point towards many new adventures. I found the sciencey stuff odd. It didn’t seem realistic or believable, to tell you the truth, but hey, it’s a young adult novel. The author can take artistic liberties in her work. I didn’t love it, but I definitely enjoyed it, even with my troubles with the love interest. Sometimes I felt bored or disconnected with the story, which knocked the book down a star in my eyes, unfortunately. The next book will be interesting and I’m excited for the author to ramp it up a lot, considering the end of book one. I can’t see myself going out to buy this book or a sequel, but I don’t regret reading it!
Notable Scene:
“If you want to report it, I’ll back you up. I saw what he did. He shouldn’t have hit you like that.
“That’s cute,” he said.
“I mean it. Is it always like that?”
“I don’t need you to make a report,” he said. Fortunately, no one gives a crap about what goes on in the kitchens.”
“What did you do, anyway?”
He shifted the ice pack and opened his good eye. “Spilled his precious eggs. Pulled a knife on him. It was instinct. Stupid.” He gave mea little wave. “Okay, enough. You can go now. You got your spike.”
“My spike?”
“You know. For this compassionate little outreach of yours.” He did a double jerk of his thumb, indicating the cameras.
FTC Advisory: Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Vault of Dreamers. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: I felt that The Vault of Dreamers was an easy read, but not an exceptional one.
Opening Sentence: I missed night.
The Review:
Rosie has gained entrance into the Forge, an academy for the arts with high prestige and competition. The Forge is more than
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a school, however: it’s a reality show. All day anyone can tune in to check their favorite student’s feeds. The students with the most popularity have the highest blip rankings, and the show cuts fifty students that have the lowest blip scores. Rosie isn’t very popular, and she is willing to fight for this chance of a lifetime. However, the Forge is more than what it seems. In the night, the students are given pills that engage them in strange, creative dreams meant to inspire them or, at least, that’s what they’re said to do. There seems to be more to it…The reality show element of The Vault of Dreamers was one that was a refreshing twist. I enjoyed it. There was a lot of drama that centered around the show, obviously, it being a reality show. Some relationships were faked. Others were real. Watching Rosie navigate the precarious friendships was fun and soemtimes amusing. There was this whole idea of blip ratings, right? The more people were watching your feed, then the more money the show was making off advertisements on yor page, and therefore the higher your rankings. Rosie starts off in a not-so-great ranking right before final cuts are made, and she experiments a lot with what people like to watch and how to raise it. She wasn’t vain, she didn’t raise it for the glory or power. She simply enjoyed studying what made some people’s higher than others, because she has a curious mind, which she definitely uses quite a bit in this novel.
Speaking of Rosie, she was the main character and point of view in The Vault of Dreamers. For the most part, I liked her. I liked her honesty and courage, and her relentless spirit. I liked her motivations and understood her feelings. I found it hard watching her get into all of these tough situations. One thing, however, I was not a fan of: her romances. She didn’t handle her relationship with Linus nearly as gracefully as she could have, though she certainly tried her best. Also, her friendships were sometimes strained, because of things she said or didn’t say. She also could hold grudges for a bit before giving in, at least in the case of a certain character I’m thinking of. Altogether, I found Rosie to be a brave and centered POV that was for the most part relatable.
There was — gag — a love triangle in this book. Ok, every once in awhile I enjoy a good love triangle, but I got burned out of them recently after that huge love circle trend that started when Twilight got big. Surly Linus is a kitchen aide, certainly not glamorous, but she enjoys how he makes her feel. The relationship moves pretty fast, but in Rosie’s defense, she kind of needed the spike in her ratings and the kiss helped her do that. Burnham is the innovative, intelligent guy with a very high blip rating, but her feelings around him are muddled. She had trouble dealing with this and basically made both of the men feel jealous, sad, angry, and not good enough, because she didn’t handle it as well as she should have. Oh the horror! Two men are in love with me, how awful!
Anyway, The Vault of Dreamers was a nice start to a new series with quite a cliffhanger that seemed to point towards many new adventures. I found the sciencey stuff odd. It didn’t seem realistic or believable, to tell you the truth, but hey, it’s a young adult novel. The author can take artistic liberties in her work. I didn’t love it, but I definitely enjoyed it, even with my troubles with the love interest. Sometimes I felt bored or disconnected with the story, which knocked the book down a star in my eyes, unfortunately. The next book will be interesting and I’m excited for the author to ramp it up a lot, considering the end of book one. I can’t see myself going out to buy this book or a sequel, but I don’t regret reading it!
Notable Scene:
“If you want to report it, I’ll back you up. I saw what he did. He shouldn’t have hit you like that.
“That’s cute,” he said.
“I mean it. Is it always like that?”
“I don’t need you to make a report,” he said. Fortunately, no one gives a crap about what goes on in the kitchens.”
“What did you do, anyway?”
He shifted the ice pack and opened his good eye. “Spilled his precious eggs. Pulled a knife on him. It was instinct. Stupid.” He gave mea little wave. “Okay, enough. You can go now. You got your spike.”
“My spike?”
“You know. For this compassionate little outreach of yours.” He did a double jerk of his thumb, indicating the cameras.
FTC Advisory: Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan provided me with a copy of The Vault of Dreamers. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Read for Fun /Listened for Review (Won/Tantor)
Overall Rating 2.50
Story Rating 2.00
Character Rating 3.00
Audio Rating 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished:I wouldn't say The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh OBrien was a bad read but the end kind of fell flat for me. More
Overall Thoughts:I am such an ender--meaning that the end of a book can cloud the whole thing for me. Unfortunately the end of this book didn't work for me on any level. That means I was left with that in my mind. Otherwise this was a pretty good listen. The story was well paced. The characters were unique. The world was identifiable but different.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Emily Woo Zeller / Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
Emily really nailed the narration. Her pacing was spot on and she brought life to the characters. I really enjoyed the audiobook!
Overall Rating 2.50
Story Rating 2.00
Character Rating 3.00
Audio Rating 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished:I wouldn't say The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh OBrien was a bad read but the end kind of fell flat for me. More
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importantly it changed the whole story and not in a good way (for me).Overall Thoughts:I am such an ender--meaning that the end of a book can cloud the whole thing for me. Unfortunately the end of this book didn't work for me on any level. That means I was left with that in my mind. Otherwise this was a pretty good listen. The story was well paced. The characters were unique. The world was identifiable but different.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Emily Woo Zeller / Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
Emily really nailed the narration. Her pacing was spot on and she brought life to the characters. I really enjoyed the audiobook!
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LibraryThing member anyaejo
The premise is cool and held to very well. I liked the combination of spooky scifi and art school plus the questions raised. However there is a huge cliffhanger and really no answers plus a potential love triangle.
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
The first thing that will strike readers is that Rosie is not quite like her fellow students. She is highly innocent about the ways of the Forge School and what it takes to gain popularity but at the same time is extremely jaded about life in general. She is independent but still succumbs to peer
The fact that The Vault of Dreamers is the first book in a series only partially redeems the ending of the story. There is not adequate explanation of the science behind the insidious actions of the dean of students.The pacing towards the end is extremely rushed too. Because so much happens in a few short pages, the reader gets the impression that it is not a series but a stand-alone story. This serves to make the last scene incredibly frustrating and highly disappointing. Even with the respite of the promise of future adventures, the ending is a bit of a conundrum. It leaves no apparent room for the future of Rosie’s story and leaves readers impotent with rage at the unusual-for-her actions and attitudes.
The Vault of Dreamers occurs in the undetermined future. Technology appears only slightly more enhanced than it is today, but there is an even greater divide between the haves and the have-nots. The reasons behind this division remain nebulous and are among the myriad of unanswered questions left when the story ends. Readers do not get a clear impression of the world outside the Forge School, the politics, the economics, and society in general. Given what Rosie discovers about the school, this lack of clarity of the world at large is puzzling and adds to a reader’s general confusion.
The Vault of Dreamers has all of the trappings of a fantastic new series. The story is exciting and unusual. Rosie is an intriguing heroine, determined to uncover the truth and not afraid to question the unquestionable. There are dark secrets within the school and later an apparent conspiracy. However, the ending unravels all of the magic Ms. O’Brien creates on the previous pages. The entire story becomes a frustrating experience as readers are left to question just what possibly could happen next and to decide whether it is worth attempting future stories in the series.
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pressure. These contradictions remain front and center as Rosie attempts to balance life as a contracted student and as a free-thinker determined to get answers to her questions. In some ways, her inconstancy is appropriate for her age. In others, it is rather distracting. The wisdom gained from her rough childhood among the poorest of the poor disappears too frequently for comfort in spite of her youth. The addition of a love story to the proceedings do nothing to improve some of these inconstancies as it tends to reinforce the innocence and lack of worldly ways the defines life at Forge but does not necessarily define Rosie herself.The fact that The Vault of Dreamers is the first book in a series only partially redeems the ending of the story. There is not adequate explanation of the science behind the insidious actions of the dean of students.The pacing towards the end is extremely rushed too. Because so much happens in a few short pages, the reader gets the impression that it is not a series but a stand-alone story. This serves to make the last scene incredibly frustrating and highly disappointing. Even with the respite of the promise of future adventures, the ending is a bit of a conundrum. It leaves no apparent room for the future of Rosie’s story and leaves readers impotent with rage at the unusual-for-her actions and attitudes.
The Vault of Dreamers occurs in the undetermined future. Technology appears only slightly more enhanced than it is today, but there is an even greater divide between the haves and the have-nots. The reasons behind this division remain nebulous and are among the myriad of unanswered questions left when the story ends. Readers do not get a clear impression of the world outside the Forge School, the politics, the economics, and society in general. Given what Rosie discovers about the school, this lack of clarity of the world at large is puzzling and adds to a reader’s general confusion.
The Vault of Dreamers has all of the trappings of a fantastic new series. The story is exciting and unusual. Rosie is an intriguing heroine, determined to uncover the truth and not afraid to question the unquestionable. There are dark secrets within the school and later an apparent conspiracy. However, the ending unravels all of the magic Ms. O’Brien creates on the previous pages. The entire story becomes a frustrating experience as readers are left to question just what possibly could happen next and to decide whether it is worth attempting future stories in the series.
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LibraryThing member JBarringer
Um. Ok. This was a bit like a roller coaster ride where the car you're riding in falls off the track on the last loop. I enjoyed the experience, but I may have to read a book with a happy ending next to balance out this one. I liked how this story incorporates cell phones, the internet, and other
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modern technology into a rather creepy near-future dystopia that leaves very few happy endings as even possible. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book, for sure. Show Less
LibraryThing member irishred5
Really like the story but didn't like the ending.
LibraryThing member cecilywolfe
WOW
so glad the next book in this series is available - I don't even know what to say about that ending.
and . . .
the relationship between Otis and Linus - ICK. beyond ICK.
so glad the next book in this series is available - I don't even know what to say about that ending.
and . . .
the relationship between Otis and Linus - ICK. beyond ICK.
LibraryThing member roses7184
Argh. This book. Where do I even start with how I feel about this book? I suppose I'll start with the fact that The Vault of Dreamers has a very original setting. Rosie Sinclair and the other Forge School students aren't just part of an extremely prestigious school for the Arts, they're also part
Had the story only been about Rosie and her school, I'm not sure I would have finished. As it happens, there's another plot line running underneath this unique school set up. There's a secret hidden by Forge School. One that requires its inhabitants to be put into a drugged sleep every night, only to wake with IV marks in the morning. I was intrigued by this at first. What could possibly be going on that they wouldn't want their students to know about? As Rosie dove deeper into the mystery, I felt more immersed in the story. This, above all else, was what made me want to keep reading on.
The problem was, that soon even this plot line plateaued. A good majority of the middle of this book just felt like it wasn't moving anything forward. There was a bit of a romance for Rosie, that felt a bit forced but was cute enough. There was also a few occurrences that attempted to build more tension for what was coming at the end. Sadly, they didn't really push me to want to read faster. Then the climax finally came and it was just so lackluster in feeling that I was devastated. I wanted more excitement. More intrigue and danger.
This isn't a bad story by any means. The premise is fascinating, even though I'm not a fan of the whole reality show concept. As I said, it did create a good opportunity for duality though. Rosie and her friends were decently fleshed out, and likable in their own ways. Even the romance was an okay addition. All of it just never added up into anything that made me want to commit to this book. I didn't have enough of a connection to it, and that stayed true right up until the end. I'd give this three stars, but I feel like it had the potential to be so much more.
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of a reality TV show. Everything they do, everything they create, essentially everything they are is available for public consumption. This concept plays a huge part in the story and was one of the first things that I couldn't get behind. Talk of "blip ranks" and "banner ads" was everywhere. Mentions of camera angles and shots. The only thing about this that I did like was the fact that it created a dual world. One where these characters behaved one way during the day, and another at night when the cameras were off.Had the story only been about Rosie and her school, I'm not sure I would have finished. As it happens, there's another plot line running underneath this unique school set up. There's a secret hidden by Forge School. One that requires its inhabitants to be put into a drugged sleep every night, only to wake with IV marks in the morning. I was intrigued by this at first. What could possibly be going on that they wouldn't want their students to know about? As Rosie dove deeper into the mystery, I felt more immersed in the story. This, above all else, was what made me want to keep reading on.
The problem was, that soon even this plot line plateaued. A good majority of the middle of this book just felt like it wasn't moving anything forward. There was a bit of a romance for Rosie, that felt a bit forced but was cute enough. There was also a few occurrences that attempted to build more tension for what was coming at the end. Sadly, they didn't really push me to want to read faster. Then the climax finally came and it was just so lackluster in feeling that I was devastated. I wanted more excitement. More intrigue and danger.
This isn't a bad story by any means. The premise is fascinating, even though I'm not a fan of the whole reality show concept. As I said, it did create a good opportunity for duality though. Rosie and her friends were decently fleshed out, and likable in their own ways. Even the romance was an okay addition. All of it just never added up into anything that made me want to commit to this book. I didn't have enough of a connection to it, and that stayed true right up until the end. I'd give this three stars, but I feel like it had the potential to be so much more.
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LibraryThing member tldegray
A school that doubles as a reality show, where all students are given a pill to make them sleep for 12 hours in order to enhance their creativity. Of course there's nothing creepy going on there. Rosie skips her pill and stumbles onto something terrifying, then must hide her investigations not only
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from the school administrators but from the nationwide audience, all the while keeping up her popularity so she can stay at the school. Interesting. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for book 2. (Provided by publisher) Show Less
LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
DNF @92%
Book source ~ NetGalley
Rosie Sinclair is competing with 99 other students in her grade to stay at Forge School - a prestigious school that is also a popular reality tv show. But things aren’t all that they seem and Rosie is determined to find out what evil lurks below the surface.
First
I made it to 92% of this book and then just gave up. Why? Because I was pissed at myself for even reading that far. Why did I subject myself to mediocre writing and a fucking twat as a main character? Because I’m a fucking dumbass. Not only that, all the characters are two-dimensional clichéness and the plot is so convoluted as to be indecipherable. Did I mention Rosie is a twat? Not to mention the “romance” between her and the kitchen guy (who is so memorable I can’t even think of his name) was forced and unnatural. I stopped reading and pretended Rosie died in the end. Now I’m partly satisfied.
Book source ~ NetGalley
Rosie Sinclair is competing with 99 other students in her grade to stay at Forge School - a prestigious school that is also a popular reality tv show. But things aren’t all that they seem and Rosie is determined to find out what evil lurks below the surface.
First
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off, these students are supposed to take a sleeping pill so they stay asleep for 8 hrs a night. So, we have drugging the students. Check. When Rosie fakes taking her pill and stays awake she discovers that some students are being taken from their dorm room and given an IV with who knows what in it. Experimentation? Check. The Dean is well-respected but Rosie sees something else in him. Mild-mannered evil genius? Check.I made it to 92% of this book and then just gave up. Why? Because I was pissed at myself for even reading that far. Why did I subject myself to mediocre writing and a fucking twat as a main character? Because I’m a fucking dumbass. Not only that, all the characters are two-dimensional clichéness and the plot is so convoluted as to be indecipherable. Did I mention Rosie is a twat? Not to mention the “romance” between her and the kitchen guy (who is so memorable I can’t even think of his name) was forced and unnatural. I stopped reading and pretended Rosie died in the end. Now I’m partly satisfied.
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LibraryThing member CMOBrien
I missed night.
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
I liked this book. I have had this book on my tbr for years but never got around to reading it for one reason or another. I happened to notice that the audiobook was available to borrow from my library and I decided to jump in. I actually really enjoyed the book a lot until the story drew to a
Rosie is a student at Forge School of the Arts. The prestigious school films every aspect of the students’ lives to be televised. To stay at the school you have to achieve a certain ranking and the pressure to rank higher never ends. While at the school, students are filmed for 12 hours daily and then are induced to sleep for the remaining 12 hours of the day. Rosie is suspicious of what really happens during the students’ drugged sleep and starts taking steps to find out what is really going on.
I liked the characters in this book and I was really curious about what was really happening at the school. I wanted Rosie to be successful in her quest to find the truth. It was interesting to see how the students’ dealt with being on camera at all times. The more I learned the more I wanted to know.
Emily Woo Zeller did an amazing job with the narration. I honestly doubt that I would have enjoyed the book as much as I did if I had not decided to grab the audiobook. I thought that her narration added a lot of excitement and emotion to the story and I really enjoyed the character voices that she used.
I think that a lot of readers might like this one more than I did. I found the ending to be rather weak and felt like the book fizzled out more than anything. I am sure that a lot of the questions that I still have would probably be addressed in the next two books in the trilogy but I am unsure if I will ever pick those up.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
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close. This is the first book in a trilogy but I felt like this book’s ending was more of a setup for the next installment in the series than anything else. I found this to be a quick read that was rather entertaining.Rosie is a student at Forge School of the Arts. The prestigious school films every aspect of the students’ lives to be televised. To stay at the school you have to achieve a certain ranking and the pressure to rank higher never ends. While at the school, students are filmed for 12 hours daily and then are induced to sleep for the remaining 12 hours of the day. Rosie is suspicious of what really happens during the students’ drugged sleep and starts taking steps to find out what is really going on.
I liked the characters in this book and I was really curious about what was really happening at the school. I wanted Rosie to be successful in her quest to find the truth. It was interesting to see how the students’ dealt with being on camera at all times. The more I learned the more I wanted to know.
Emily Woo Zeller did an amazing job with the narration. I honestly doubt that I would have enjoyed the book as much as I did if I had not decided to grab the audiobook. I thought that her narration added a lot of excitement and emotion to the story and I really enjoyed the character voices that she used.
I think that a lot of readers might like this one more than I did. I found the ending to be rather weak and felt like the book fizzled out more than anything. I am sure that a lot of the questions that I still have would probably be addressed in the next two books in the trilogy but I am unsure if I will ever pick those up.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
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LibraryThing member jwitt33
"The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success: every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity."
Reality TV in
What a great premise! I loved the characters, or at least the kids, but enjoyed the sinister ones, as well. The story was interesting enough to keep me engrossed, and the ending set up the next book perfectly. The pacing was quick, which made this a quick, enjoyable read.
In summary, I enjoyed this dystopian YA story very much and look forward to reading the next book in the series to find out where it goes from here.
5/5 stars.
Reality TV in
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a dystopian world, with something sinister going on during the 12 hours the students are out cold? Yes, please! Rosie Sinclair is a first year student who decides to skip her sleeping pill and go exploring after dark because she just needs a little "me" time, where the cameras aren't watching her every move. She gets embroiled in a mystery that she definitely wasn't expecting.What a great premise! I loved the characters, or at least the kids, but enjoyed the sinister ones, as well. The story was interesting enough to keep me engrossed, and the ending set up the next book perfectly. The pacing was quick, which made this a quick, enjoyable read.
In summary, I enjoyed this dystopian YA story very much and look forward to reading the next book in the series to find out where it goes from here.
5/5 stars.
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LibraryThing member JBarringer
Um. Ok. This was a bit like a roller coaster ride where the car you're riding in falls off the track on the last loop. I enjoyed the experience, but I may have to read a book with a happy ending next to balance out this one. I liked how this story incorporates cell phones, the internet, and other
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modern technology into a rather creepy near-future dystopia that leaves very few happy endings as even possible. I'm curious to see what happens in the next book, for sure. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
8.24 inches
ISBN
1250068258 / 9781250068255