Insignia

I am an adult that was greatly entertained by this futuristic YA novel. There are some very interesting concepts within the story, and it had me hooked right from the first minute. The friendship interaction is great and held quite a few humorous moments that had me laughing out loud.

What you should know:
-This IS a YA novel and the complexity of the tale reflects that fact, but it IS a great story, and the young adult within myself enjoyed every minute of it!
-Well Worth the Credit, and I will be listening to this book again.

While i enjoyed this book it was unexpected, most writers would have followed the formula for a youth action adventure...not here, oh there were some parallels to the formula, but not in the way you'd expect.
I would even have written it differently, but i enjoyed it as it was.
This was more cerebral, psychological, moral, than i was looking for. I was shopping for a good shoot em' up sci-fi thriller. Again, i was both disappointed to not get was i was looking for, and surprised that i liked it anyway.
It was worth the credit.

If you liked Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card this book will appeal. Fast moving, mind tweaking and great character relationships that keep readers feeling attached. Dialogue is kid-realistic and suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat. Great read, fun ride!

Not that I know of.

Yes - but I did not manage it... walked around plugged into my phone while doing the dishes, though :-)

I really wanted to like this story. I have read Enders's Gamer by Orson Scott Card three times and still consider it one of the best young adult level scifi books of all time. Much of Insignia started out very much like Enders. It had new classmates, bullies, class work, training simulations and dialog that is common with teenagers. The Harry Potter connection is in the friendships made, mischief and rule breaking, special powers, and how they protect each other from harm. There are also mean spirited instructors and rival classmates who will stop at nothing to make Harry, I mean Tom's life as miserable as possible.

I expected all of the lead up, character development and "getting to know you" segments to last maybe a 1/3 of the book. But no, nearly 75% of the book passed before some real action and intrigue started. I wanted more space battles and a chance for Tom to be extraordinary more often - to prove his critics wrong, to fry Carl with his "gift." Instead he spends most of the story defying authority and being subjected to humiliation' bullying and even torture by both students and teachers alike. It gets frustrating. I just wanted Tom to start taking swings at people. With that much ridicule I would have.

SPOILER: there's a happy ending and Tom saves the day but its an unsatisfactory conclusion and wrapped up quickly. The final battle sequence, righting the wrongs, revenge, and bringing some relationships to closure all happen in about 40 minutes of a 9 hour book.

Perhaps it has been setup as a sequel, and if it has I recommend the authors give Tom a chance to really act the part of superhero. Let his powers develop further and give him a chance to save the universe. Oh, and a hookup with Wyatt should be included.

I don't typically listen to audiobooks more than once, but I would consider it.

When Tom realizes the nature of the "incursion," what his capabilities are, and just who he is about to meet there for the first time.

Vik.

Why is it that lately, it seems the best sci-fi stories are showing up in the YA category? Maybe I'm just a kid at heart, and something about the struggle to find your place in the world and prove yourself still appeals to me more than reading about characters who already have it all figured out.

Insignia is a smart, funny, imaginative read. It takes place in a quasi-believable future, but I mean that in the best possible sense. Though the technology and the theory of war that drive the story seems far-fetched, suspension of disbelief is easy to reach, and from there on out the story is compelling in the universe where it exists.

As with all of the most enjoyable books, it is the fact that Kincaid takes the time to flesh out her characters and make them real, relatable, and interesting that really rivet you to the narrative. The cast of principle characters is fantastic, including some of the villains. I look forward to seeing how they all grow and develop over the coming books.

This year I've been reading a lot of debut novelists, and based on the quality of work I'm seeing, I couldn't be more excited about the future of science fiction. It's a great time to be a fan.

I would listen again.

Tiny spicy vicrum

The nerrator does such a good job with the accents and added humor I actually laughed out loud in parts. I could easily visualize the scene and the interaction between characters.