BLOG TOUR {Review #66 & Giveaway}: Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

Title: Strangelets
Author: Michelle Gagnon
Publisher: Soho Teen
Release Date: April 9th 2013
Source: EBook from the Publisher for an honest Review

Summary from Goodreads:
17-year-old Sophie lies on her deathbed in California, awaiting the inevitable loss of her battle with cancer…
17-year-old Declan stares down two armed thugs in a back alley in Galway, Ireland…
17-year-old Anat attempts to traverse a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt…

All three strangers should have died at the exact same moment, thousands of miles apart. Instead, they awaken together in an abandoned hospital—only to discover that they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places on the globe are trapped with them. Somebody or something seems to be pulling the strings. With their individual clocks ticking, they must band together if they’re to have any hope of surviving.

Soon they discover that they've been trapped in a future that isn't of their making: a deadly, desolate world at once entirely familiar and utterly strange. Each teen harbors a secret, but only one holds the key that could get them home. As the truth comes to light through the eyes of Sophie, Declan, and Anat, the reader is taken on a dark and unforgettable journey into the hearts of teens who must decide what to do with a second chance at life.

"There's a process called spaghettification, where the gravity at your feet is much greater than at your head.  So theoretically, if you were drawn into a mini black hole, you'd be stretched as if on a rack, until you finally splintered into atoms."

This book is quite tricky to summarize without giving away too much of the story line. But the rough summary, SPOILER FREE: A group of teenagers, all near death wake up in a deserted hospital with no idea of why they are there, how they got there, and where there actually is. When the group manages to leave the hospital they are faced with a new world, a world that seems desolated; they can’t seem to find other people but they are able to run into unknown creatures who want to eat them. Sofia, Yosh, Declan, Niko, and Anat must figure out how to survive this new environment and how to get back to a world they know.

I had two big issues with the book. The first was that the beginning was slow and confusing with no indication of where the story was going to go. The second was the narration, the narration switches from character to character but without any clear indication, forcing me to reread paragraphs sometimes because they change was so subtle. My final small “issue” was the science involved in the story was super science-fictiony. Some of the science presented seemed to be a bit far reaching and sometimes corny/goofy.

‘Strangelets are a kind of matter containing an almost equal number of particles: up, down, and strange quarks. Although it’s a good term for you, now’ he added with a small laugh shaking his head. ‘A bunch of strangelets.’

There was plot twist I was not expecting AT ALL. I found the plot twists refreshing and thought they helped keep the mystery up. The beginning was slow but once the characters started understanding a bit about the world they landed in, the adventure and intrigue increased.  I enjoyed the individuality of each character and how they paired off with each other. Declan had to be my favorite character, he was full of witty and sarcastic comments that kept me smiling.  While there is an underlying love story, it is well done and cute :) The ending provided a nice conclusion with all the loose ends either acknowledged or resolved. There is a nice blend of happy and sad that make the story more realistic.

Overall, I was torn how many stars to give this book because it was such roller coaster of a read. After a slow and confusing beginning the story picks up and is full if mystery, sci-fi and adventure. The plot kept me guessing the whole time, Strangelets was far from predictable!

About the Author:
Michelle Gagnon is a former modern dancer, bartender, dog walker, model, personal trainer, and
Russian supper club performer. Her bestselling adult thrillers THE TUNNELS, BONEYARD, THE GATEKEEPER, and KIDNAP & RANSOM have been published in North America, France, Denmark, Spain, Argentina, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Australia. BONEYARD was a finalist for a 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

http://www.michellegagnon.com/  | twitter.com/Michelle_Gagnon

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