Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Revived ~ Cat Patrick review

Revived
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
May 1, 2012
336 pages
add to Goodreads/buy from Book Depository/or Amazon

Just over a decade ago, a little girl, Daisy, was one of those killed in a school bush crash.

Only, Daisy didn't stay dead. Now, almost fifteen Daisy Appleby has been revived five times - including that first one - and lives without a fear of death. If she dies, they'll just bring her back, revive her.

A government agency, unknown to almost everyone, has developed and is currently testing a drug called Revive, a drug that can bring people back from the dead.

It allows Daisy to start her life over every time she's not careful and an accident or freak occurrence ends her life. Something that's never really bothered her before - she's always looked at the end of her old lives and starts of the new ones with a kind of scientific detachment.

Daisy's latest move, to a nowhere seeming town, might just bring those attachments she's looking for, though . . . and change the course of her life forever.



Cat Patrick's debut book Forgotten came out last summer and I'm still rather hopelessly in love with it - and London and Luke. (From my review: "The concept of Forgotten is appealing enough to draw readers in – but it is its actual execution that will cause word of its brilliance to spread like wildfire.") If you've read, Forgotten or even heard about it then you have some idea of just how well Cat Patrick can take an idea that - while startlingly original - seems simple and twist it so that you're left staring in awe.

Forgotten had me at the synopsis because it sounded ever so slightly like the movie Memento; Revived had me at the first half of the synopsis because, hey, school bus crashes, secret government agency with a drug that can bring people back from the dead . . . and then later the cover!

Revived does what Forgotten did it takes your every expectation of and just blows it clear out of the water.

Cat Patrick has a true talent for writing brilliant, connectable, realistic characters. Even if her plots are just on the other side of believable when you first read about them, once you add in the characters, it somehow becomes this incredible, contemporary fiction book, even with the reviving. (Obviously characters in paranormal/supernatural books can be great and relatable as well, I'm not knocking them, this is just about this book.)


Without giving away what does happen later on in the book, I just have to say, well, it's left me rather speechless. Patrick wrote about a very painful situation - and its aftermath, especially - beautifully.  Based on my personal experience with a rather similar situation and an only slightly similar situation I thank her for having it ring so true - even if it was a bit hard to read.

On a much lighter note, Cat Patrick has a gift for some crush-worthy boys in her books. I still have one on Luke Henry from Forgotten and now I have one on Matt as well. (That and maybe some of the decorating done in this book. Stephanie Perkins/Lola and Cat Patrick/her Revived characters are now my interior designers!)

Revived is so much deeper than I expected picking it up but I wouldn't trade that for anything. This is a book that I'm going to be pushing everyone to read because I find it just that amazing.

Rating 10+/10

(and Forgotten on Goodreads & Book Depo - links in my review, too)

My Spring Break Blog interview with Cat Patrick is here if you want to read it :)


Superbly giant thank you to Faye & LBYR for my copy of this to review!!

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