Revived

Review Time! Revived is the second novel by YA author, Cat Patrick. Her debut novel Forgotten is getting turned into a movie! I really enjoyed Forgotten so I was very excited to read Revived. I'm not going to lie, the Australian cover is so much prettier than the US one ( which in my opinion is quite scary!) Thanks to Hardie Grant Egmont for the review copy!

(Goodreads) As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life. A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

The Short Story? - An enjoyable contemporary with a nice touch of the supernatural! Overall Revive was really good - I had some problems with the plot which I found a little lacking but the characterisation was beautiful, the romance was the sweet bloom of a first love. A nice mixture of dark and light contemporary, Patrick explores life, death, friendship and love. Beautifully written, if you loved Forgotten - I'm sure you'll love Revived as well!

The Long Story? - I'm discovering a trend in Patrick's books, all her characters die at a young age and then they're somehow brought make to life. That's slightly morbid but it somehow works out with her contemporary fiction plots. For me, Revive was enjoyable but the pace was too slow. I'm more of a butt-kicking, action-filled girl but I love the occasional YA contemporary too. I felt Revived needed more dynamics, everything kinda pitter-pattered along and worked itself out. The shockers were too mild, the twists and turns were too bland, Patrick should have gone for extremes. The only word I can think of to describe this novel is soft. Everything was soft, it worked a little too well. For me it lacked the "wow" factor, I've read other reviews on the novel and everyone seems to like it so I think it's just me. It's beautifully written, the plot is great, the romance is sweet but for me I didn't feel the instant click.

Although I found the plot a little lacking - I really loved the characterisation! Daisy is a lovely girl, she has everyone's best interests at heart. The only word I can think to describe her is nice, she's just a really carefree and open kind of protagonist, which fits with the novel. Matt is no Luke Henry but he's really sweet too. I don't think boys like him exist outside YA fiction because he's hot but a little too nice. It's like a gentlemen got stuck into a teenagers body! However, by far my favourite character was Audrey. I loved Audrey, she reminded me of myself. She was funny, out-going and very brave and accepting. What happened to Audrey was completely undeserved but it all worked out :)

Overall, Revived was a delightful read. It wasn't perfect but I enjoyed reading it and I loved the characters. Patrick is a beautiful YA writer who's narrative voice is quite amazing. I'm positive that many of you would really enjoy Revived, if you love contemporary YA fiction with a strong romance tagline but a storyline as well, than Revived would be a good book to read!

What's it Worth? - Squeeze into the Budget/ Hand Over the Paycheck


Badass Bookie xx