May 28, 2013

Review: Pulse by: Patrick Carman

Pulse by: Patrick Carman (2013) 
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (Harper)
371 pages
Genre: YA/Dystopian
Source: Library
Goodreads Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Patrick Carman, a teen fantasy-adventure of epic proportions. In 2051, some teens have a “pulse,” the power to move objects with their minds. Compulsively readable, with thrilling action scenes and a tender love story.

The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too.

In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both.

Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy is a stunning, action-filled triumph about the power of the mind—and the power of love


My Review


A strong start to an interesting trilogy, Pulse will have you curious from the beginning but won’t pull you in completely until the last half of the book, where it will take its hold and never let go. 

I just want to say that it is becoming harder and harder to find a dystopian novel that I really really love, I'm starting to think that maybe there are just too many of them now, making them less unique. Anyway...

This may not be my favorite dystopian novel and it may not be the best, but it was a fun read that left me wanting more. It took me a week to read this book when in all honesty I could have read it in four hours, but it just wasn’t captivating me, that is until I hit a little bit past the midway point, then I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting. So if you start reading this book, just hang in there, it gets better. I mean it gets so good that in the end I had to give this book four stars.


What I Liked:


Teenagers with a Pulse, the ability to move objects with their minds, is an awesome concept. It wasn't executed quite as well as I had hoped but it was still interesting and a great idea that involved some pretty cool scenes. (I'm pretty sure I have a Pulse. (okay maybe I'm just wishing) I just haven't discovered it yet.)

I really loved Faith's friend Hawk, the nerdy young kid who is super smart. At times he was kind of creepy, but overall he is just too much fun for that to bother me. Dylan is also a great addition to Pulse and is my favorite character. The love story between Dylan and Faith works well. It is actually the only instance of love that works in this book. There are some other "love" relationships that make no sense and are kind of pointless. 

We finally got to have a lot of action toward the end of the book, and the waiting was totally worth it. So, let’s talk action, omg moments, and death. There is a fantastic vividly described fight scene with flying vans and other various objects that I could almost see first hand. There were also several moments that had me in shock, like serious eyes popping out of my head omg moments people. And yes my friends, there were even some prominent deaths in the first book of this trilogy. 

What I Didn't Like

The third person writing style threw me off a little at first,and although it grew on me, there was just something about it that bothered me.

There is a small plot hole with one of the characters. I can't go into detail because that would cause major spoilers.

The book took a while to really pick up. I hate to admit it but I was kind of bored throughout the first half of the book.

There was a moment that reminded me too much of Twilight. Once again, you must read the book to find out what I'm talking about. Don't worry, you can't miss it.

The Cover

If you think the cover is awesome now, just wait until you read the book. I can't wait to see what the second book's cover will look like!

In The End

If you are looking for a dystopian novel that features teenagers with the ability to move objects with their minds then this is for you. It reminded me very slightly of the television show Heroes. This was a good dystopian novel and an overall enjoyable read. It just didn't quite hit epic status.



7 comments:

  1. I also feel that it is becoming harder to find Dystopian novels that I love. However, I think I will add this to my to-read pile!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This one as a good one. I have read a few duds. It makes me sad that there are not as many unique stories out there for Dystopian novels because of how big it is now.

      Delete
  2. I've kinda felt the same way about dystopias lately and I don't know if it's because the genre has seen a surge of popularity of late or if it's just my feelings about the YA genre in general. Either way, it makes me kinda sad because I used to ADORE dystopias.

    It's really hard for me to DNF a book and this is exactly the reason why! I've read a few books that have really managed to turn it around in the end and though it sucks while you're trudging through, eventually you get to that OMG jaw-dropping moment that you were waiting for all along. I'm glad Pulse got there for you. Based on your descriptions, this sound like it would make a much better movie than book and you can count me 100% in if it ever goes to the big screen!

    Also, is it just me or does the cover sort of remind you of Divergent?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now that you mention it, the cover does kind of remind me of Divergent!

      This is precisely why it is also hard for me to DNF a book. This one turned out to be really good, I just had to make it through the first half.

      I just read The Testing and will have the review up here next week, but let me tell you, it is a great dystopian!!

      Delete
  3. I don't know what to do about this book and my indecisiveness is frustrating me. The synopsis sounds AMAZING and since you loved the ending I want to get to that point too but I don't know if I want to sit through a boring first half. And I'm afraid that I will share many of your dislikes, and if they get to me too much, I'm not sure the ending will be able to pull me back no matter how good... I might sit on this a little while longer. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, it is so hard when it takes so long for a book to get good to keep with it. I would say put it on the back burner and read it some time when you get a chance.

      Delete
  4. I totally agree with you about there being a hell of a lot of dystopians around just now. Everytime I pick up a book and read the back, it always seems to be a dystopian!
    I've been debating about this one for a while, but after reading your review I think I'll definitely pick it up sometime soon. I'm really curious about it because the idea just sounds amazing!
    Great review :)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Copyright © 2015 It's a Book Life All Rights Reserved · All Logos & Trademark Belongs To Their Respective Owners | Template by These Paper Hearts
Back to Top