Just Finished Reading .... Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Revolution 19
by Gregg Rosenblum
To be published by HarperTeen
on January 8, 2013

Source: e-ARC via Edelweiss




Summary (adapted from Goodreads blurb): Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.
Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

My take: One of the happiest parts of the holiday season is that my home is filled with family. Relatives that include YA-aged readers on vacation. Kids who can, in return, actually help me write up some reviews. Here's what happened when I gave Revolution 19 to a fifteen year old who was loitering in my house for days on end.

Me: Haven't you played enough video games? Here, try this book. It's about robots. Extends Kindle.

15 year old boy: Skeptical look. Deep sigh. Fine.

Me: You liked the last book I gave you. The zombie one?

Boy 15: Yeah. That was pretty good. Takes Kindle and disappears for several hours. Returns holding out Kindle. Where's the rest of it?

Me: Takes Kindle and looks at it. Oh. Right. That's a cliffhanger ending. It's this new thing in young adult books. Like in the Hunger Games?

Boy 15:  At least those books had some kind of ending. It's like this one got chopped off in the middle.

Me: What did you think?

Boy 15: Uh, it could have been better.

Me: Can you be more specific? Could you write something up for me? Just a few paragraphs about what you thought?

Boy 15: Look of disbelief. I'm on vacation.

Me: Fine. Just tell me what you thought and I'll write it down.

Boy 15: It seemed like it was meant for someone younger than me. I mean, the main plot is that the adults get kidnapped by robots and the kids go off looking for them.

Me: You wouldn't come find me if I got abducted by a robot?

Boy 15:  Would you want me to?

Me: Fine. What else?

Boy 15: Shrugs. Then one of the kids gets sent to a re-education camp. There's a poop joke. He escapes. That's about it.

Me: Okay, so what could have been better?

Boy 15: The dialogue wasn't great.

Me: Can you give me an example?

Boy 15: I'm doing all your work for you?

Me: Clicks around a little on Kindle. Reads: "You idiot. You may have just gotten us all killed." So that's a robot talking? Silence. Oh.

Boy 15: But there were some interesting ideas that could have been developed, like there was the chance to talk about whether it's better to live in danger and have freedom or be content and subservient. And it was pretty cool that the robots were trying to make the humans more like robots.

Me: Scribbles furiously in reviewing notebook. Interesting.

Boy 15: And the book mentions that the robots banned art, you know? Like when the Nazis banned art for being deviant? But whenever an interesting idea came up, it got dropped.

Me: Any other parts you liked?

Boy 15: Uh .... one of the kids gets a robo-eye.

Me: Keeps scribbling. Cool. So the futuristic technology stuff was good?

Boy 15:  Nah. People travel around on scooters. The robots disable humans with flashes of light. It's all pretty vague.

Me:  No laser beams? I have one simple request: sharks with frickin' lasers attached to their heads. Pause. Dr. Evil? Uncomfortable silence.

Boy 15: And there's a lot of deus ex machina.

Me: You only know the phrase Deus Ex because it's a video game.

Boy 15:  Funny. In the book, they need access to the mainframe computer that runs the whole entire city.  Shakes head.  And they just happen to be hanging out with the daughter of the guy who works with the mainframe. Or this random girl they meet in a coffee shop just happens to know a guy who can help them. Deus ex machina.

Me: I'm so glad you're paying attention in school.

Boy 15:  Actually, I learned that from video games. Can I go back to my vacation now?

Me: Okay. Thanks. Hey, can we do this again? Maybe over February break? Sound of door slamming. Hello?

Comments

  1. That's funny! Great way to get an idea about what a real teenager thinks about a young adult book! At least he read the hunger games though, my brother started book 1 last february and has so far managed to read about 1/3 of it. Suffice to say he did not achieve his goodreads goal of 3 books read in 2012.

    I saw this one on edelweiss but couldn't decide whether I wanted to read it or not. I chose to wait in the end, and I'm glad I did. If a 15 year old says it's immature and has no ending, then I'm definitely not reading it.

    Thanks for a really interesting post Jen!

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    1. Yeah, I thought the Hunger Games was too violent for me, so I bought it for him and then I eventually gave in and read it. And of course I loved it!

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  2. Hahaha, this was so much fun! It's always great to see how teenagers think about certain things. I'm so disappointed by this book though. The only thing I've heard so far were negative things and I was so excited for this book..

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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    1. Teenagers are TOUGH. They don't sugarcoat things, that's for sure.

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  3. What a funny review! This wasn't really on my radar and I think it will stay that way since there are too many other promising books out there.

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    1. Knowing your taste, I think this one is probably not for you.

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  4. Hilarious! My son would have been like yeah I don't think so lol. He's 15. Too bad this wasn't a better book :( I love the cover of it!

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    1. The cover is super-cool. At least I, the uncool adult, think so.

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  5. OMG that cracked me up! Does he not know Dr. Evil?!?!?! It's that THAT old, is it?? I loved that you did this. :)

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    1. I'm pretty sure he knows Dr. Evil. He just has a policy not to laugh at my jokes.

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  6. This is frickin' hilarious! And honestly, I've heard a lot of the same complaints from reviewers our age, so I haven't picked up my galley yet. I wish I had a teenager around to field books for me! Er, I mean, review them for me. :P

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    1. Thanks for appreciating my Dr. Evil reference. And yeah, child labor! I'm all for it.

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  7. This was awesome!! I am really glad I passed on this one. I haven't heard any good reviews for it I don't think. I love this review format. Hopefully he will oblige to do it again in Feb. :)

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    1. I'm going to tell him he has fans and let's hope so. Some bribery may be necessary :)

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  8. Best guest review EVER. Also, best insight into what my son will be like in a couple years. Brilliant. I will not be reading this book. Thank you.

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    1. Aw thanks. Yeah, you've got to love teenagers!

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  9. I think they should revise genre's. Ppl think that just cause it's intended for teenagers they can get away with silly things. They aren't stupid, just lazy xD

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    1. Kids are WAY more smart and observant than I am. My brain is filled with so much useless information.

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  10. I LOVE this review. Wow what an insightful 15 year old. And I've also heard mixed things about this one, that it could have been developed better and ends abruptly. I'm starting to be careful about what series I start, and this is one that I want to see what happens next before I pick it up. GREAT REVIEW.

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    1. I'm getting used to the abrupt endings. Thanks -- I will tell him that his (minimal) effort was much appreciated :)

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  11. LOL too much... at least he reads still at 15. Loved his take on the book.

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    1. Yes, and he'd be even smarter if he read more!

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    1. Thanks :) Hope you enjoyed those video game references.

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  13. I LOVE THIS LOL!! I think it's really interesting because in my review I talk about how this book felt so much like a cartoon because the poor, helpless adults get captured and it's up to the kids to save them and SAVE THE WORLD!!! I thought maybe it would be better for younger audiences. But then this teenager comes along and says it was even too "kids save the world because adults can't" for him!

    This is awesome. :P

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    1. Yeah, I'm posting about that next week -- I think that is really more of a middle grade trope.

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  14. That is some seriously funny material there, Jen! I'm guessing that is what I have to look forward to in five years w/ my ten year old? :)

    In all seriousness, I think, having read Revolution 19, that it is actually a really comprehensive review, so well done mom and 15 yr old Boy! And I am mightily impressed that he uses phrases like Deus ex machina--even if he did learn it in a video game (at least they're learning something, right?)

    I hope you'll be able to rope him into more of these in the future!

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  15. First, I'm impressed that you not only got a 15yr old boy to read on vacation, but that he went and read it in one sitting and then came straight to you! Also, this is fantastic.

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  16. This is so cool! Love this unique "review". That 15 year old boy must be so proud of all the comments his review is getting! ;) I actually had high hopes for this one- I mean, the plot sounded so cool and all. But if an actual teenage boy didn't like it, maybe I should lower my expectations. But still- it's awesome how you got a 15 year old guy to read and review this while he was on vacation! :)

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  17. Hehe! This is possibly the best review I've ever read. Doesn't exactly leave me dying to read the book, but does leave me wanting more of these reviews! :)

    Jesse @ Pretty In Fiction

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  18. Exactly! My review is scheduled for next week, but definitely agree with The Boy. :) I have a 15 year old and couldn't see him getting into this, maybe when he was 13. Loved this review/dialogue.

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  19. This conversation made me laugh so much. I want to do this sort of thing with my brother. :)

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  20. I thought this book is great! Nice review :)

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  21. This was not the book for me. I really had high expectations. But in the end, the touted as Killer Robots turned out to be Disney Robots for me.

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  22. I was excited for this because I thought it would be terminator like but all the reviews say it's lame, tame, and cheesy. I'm disappointed.

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  23. I freaking love this. haha. Laughed so hard. (:

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