Insignia #1
by SJ Kincaid
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (June 4, 2013)
Language: English
Buy the book: Amazon
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The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S.J. Kincaid’s fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy. The planet’s natural resources are almost gone, and the war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning.
The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn’t seem like a hero. He’s a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.
As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom’s life completely changes. Suddenly, he’s someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there’s a price to pay...
At a Glance:
I feel like Insignia is the Ender’s Game
of this decade, but as I don’t read too much Sci-Fi maybe I am not the
best judge of that. Still, if you like Sci Fi and/or dystopian, this
book should probably be on your ‘I want to read’ list. It was
surprisingly good.
Action:
This
book has plenty of action. There are a lot of short fight scenes and
even more rivalry. This story never had a dull moment. When it wasn’t
tactile action, it was software wars and mental battles between sponsors
or students.
Romance:
There
was a bit of romance, but not much. I thought there were some possible
other romances brewing in Insignia, so when Tom actually starts falling
for someone, as only a boy can do, I wasn’t expecting that he would like
whom he would. This was anything but a chick-flick, but at least Tom
doesn’t have a heart of stone.
Hero:
Our
hero, Tom, is a skilled and arrogant teenager. I’ve always liked shy
guys except for a single crush I had in elementary school. He was cocky,
bad boy, class-clown who also happens to be named Tom. I cried for him
twice- once in embarrassment when my girlfriend told the other kids on
the playground I liked Tom. And the other time was in horror that the
men I loved in my life might kill each other when my dad, a teacher, was
asked to remove Tom kicking and screaming out of the classroom to the
Principle of Hapgood Elementary.
Tom, my third grade crush, was the Tom of Insignia.
I
thought Tom’s character was well written and well developed. Your heart
broke for this bad-boy as you understood his family and past. You know
he is skilled, but he gets under your skin with his arrogance,
bloodthirst and no-so-thorough ability to judge consequences.
But,
you can’t help but become endeared to him because he is just so not
perfect, but he still has a good heart. And he is smart. And he does
have a sense of justice that is admirable. And he really does have some
mad gaming skills.
Favorite Supporting Character:
Wyatt,
and Tom’s group of friends were all great. And I really, really liked
Blackburn. Even though Blackburn and Tom don’t always mesh like I hoped
they would.
Something I loved:
The
world somewhat reminded me of the Colonies in Prodigy’s world. I mean,
with all the GMO fussing over food, patents, capitalism, and the
technological ways we can interact with each other, this book wasn’t so
much sci-fi as it could be reality in a good 30 or 40 years.
I also loved the friendships and community that developed within the Spire.
Something I hated:
The
only thing that bothered me was the closure with some of the
characters. I don’t think I forgave Tom for when he acted like a jerk to
one girl. And I really feel like he could have really had another
Father-figure friend in Blackburn if he tried.
Would I recommend it?
Yes!
It was actually really good! I’m pretty sure a lot more guys would like
it than girls. I mean, I love Harry Potter (who is indeed a guy) but
this main character was such a man’s man. Or teen boy’s boy. But I am
going to stop going gender stereotypical on you all and say that anyone
who likes sci-fi just might like this. I was really surprised with how
engaged I was in this whole story.
Content:
Light sexual, light language.
Rating:
4.
“Inspiring the average American to change the world to end poverty and injustice.”
I really liked the book and I am a girl! :D I can't wait for the second volume! I wasn't sure about the book before I got it but I am glad I decided to try to read it.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I have been getting more into sci-fi lately and I like dystopians so this sound really good. I think I would really like it!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this book before, but it sounds interesting so I'll check it out! Thanks for your review!
ReplyDeleteI love this book, and I totally agree with all of your comments. I adore Wyatt too. I think she actually has a novella out there about her troubles before entering the academy. Also, it reminds me a lot of Ender's Game too. Actually, it's kind of like Harry Potter meets Ender's Game (minus the wands).
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that description! Harry Potter meets Ender's Games!
DeleteI loved this book! I can't wait for #2 to come out!
ReplyDeleteI just checked this one out of the library and I can't wait to get to it. I'm glad it has some great action and solid characters!
ReplyDeleteOhhh, I haven't read the Enders Game so I haven't got anything to compare for INSIGNIA.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted to know more about INSIGNIA and SJ Kincaid, you can check here
http://bibliophilekid.blogspot.com/2013/08/inside-their-literary-thoughts.html
New follower. :D