Publication: May 8th, 2012 (Hardback)
Pages: 336
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Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
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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.
A fun contemporary read with sci-fi elements, Revived is about the perspective that humans will take towards death when they no longer need to fear dying and what will happen when a girl who doesn’t fear death must finally face the consequences of death and the potential loss of those she cares about.
I was disappointed by the lack of action as compared to what the synopsis suggests. When I heard that Daisy takes extraordinary risks, I thought that she deliberately places her life in danger/ is a daredevil of sorts. Rather, the greatest mortal risk she appears to have taken is leaving her EpiPen at home when she has a deadly allergy to bees. We never learn much about the Revive program, and the “threat” doesn’t feel as sinister as the synopsis makes it out to be. It is a threat, but the suspense isn’t built throughout the book. Mainly, the story seems to be about Daisy mingling with the real world for the first time.
The characters bring this book to life. Daisy is a sweet girl with a relatable, engaging voice. Being one of fourteen children in a program testing the drug Revive, she has never allowed herself to grow close to her peers for fear that they will find out about the program. Because Daisy has never feared death herself, she doesn’t know what to do when faced with true death, one where someone she cares about cannot come back. It is then that she must question the moral rightness of the Revive project for the first time. What good is a world where only certain people can be brought back? Who should Revive be shared with? How will people react when they learn that their loved ones can’t be brought back?
Daisy’s first friends are the McKean siblings. Both siblings are gorgeous and charismatic. Daisy has conflicts over her yearning for Matt, as he happens to be the older brother of her new best girlfriend Audrey, her only girl friend. Their relationship is very real and sweet. They don’t know what to do with each other at first because of Audrey, and when they do grow closer, it is bittersweet–filled with tears, frustration, and mutual empathy. My one problem with their relationship is how quickly Daisy shares her secret with Matt. While she does second-guess sharing with him, it takes one moment with him for her to throw her fears away and tell–all after years of never growing close to anyone for fear they will find out.
Revived is a an entertaining and emotionally charged read that I finished in one sitting. I would recommend this to those who would enjoy a contemporary read with sci-fi elements. This may not be your kind of read if you’re looking for heavy action.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. No payment was received in return for a review. The receipt of the book had no influence on the opinions expressed in my review.
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
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