Review: Alive by Scott Sigler

by Elisabeth Scherer


Disclaimer: Scott Sigler has asked that I give no spoilers for this book so you might enjoying the twists and turns. I will gladly do this as I think many would like to pick this book up and read it and experience what as Mr. Sigler says, “Makes fiction so special.”

With that said, I normally do a summary of the book in a few sentences so I am going to avoid that this time and jump to what I thought and why you might like this book. However this is also party of First Chapter, First Paragraph so here is a excerpt from the book that is part of the first chapter and a few paragraphs to whet your whistle:

A stabbing pain jolts me awake. It hits quick but deep, a here-then-gone stinging where my neck meets my shoulder.
Did something bite me?
No...just a dream. A nightmare, maybe.
That’s not how I should wake up on my birthday. I’m twelve. I can hardly believe it - I’m twelve, I’m not a little kid anymore. I should get to sleep in, I should get to sleep all day.
There should be cake, and my friends, and I shouldn’t have to go to school.
School.
The thought of that place chases away my excitement. I’m so tired. Feels like I’ve never slept at all. If I missed my alarm, I’ll be late for classes again. Mom will kill me. I don’t want to go. At school the tooth-girls and the stars always make fun of me. And I shouldn’t be teased on my birthday. I hate school. I hate them, I…
A tingling coolness on my neck, right where I felt that sting. Tickling, spreading…...am I bleeding?     -- from a Netgalley e-book version

What I thought:

When I first started reading, I was unsure how I was going to like the book. The main character is twelve years old, the story told from her point of view, and she seemed like a typical twelve year old. I admit to being worried that the book would lack the chops to keep me interested. Well I will gladly tell you that I was wrong about the book. I think this could be the next Hunger Games or Divergent. If you liked those books you will definitely like this one.

Scott Sigler weaves a thrilling tale that did grabbed me and dragged me along on a heart racing, emotional journey of the main character.  She is a very complex character who finds herself in a leadership position and must use that help everyone survive and find the answers to who they all are.

I didn’t know that this book is the first in a trilogy until after I finished and there may have been some jumping around and excitement to know I can come back to this story and these characters. The book also opens me to an author I haven’t read but will now go get the rest of his books because his writing style is much like some of my favorite authors.

This book has adventure, the fear of the unknown, survival situations, emotional ups and downs of being twelve years old. The book does take a bit to get things moving, it becomes a juggernaut of a story that is riveting to the very end. I have already recommended the book to family and put this on my husband's must read list. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read the second part of the tale.

Buy Alive at Amazon

Like the intro tease above? Listen to an extended excerpt from the audio book available at Audible:





Book info:

available formats: ebook, audio, print (368 pages)
published: July 2015 by Del Rey a Random House Publishing Group
ISBN13: 9780553393101
genbres: science fiction, action & adventure
target audience: young adult (with some gory moments it may not be suitable for the younger end of young adult)
source: Netgalley
read: June 2015

A free egalley was provided for this review. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Related articles

• Waiting on Wednesday #51 - Alive (unconventionalbookviews.com)