Review: Revived by Cat Patrick

Title: Revived

Author: Cat Patrick

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Released: 2012

Source: Library

Summary: Daisy first died at the age of 4 in a bus crash. Now, at 15 years of age, she's dying for the fourth time. Daisy is part of a secret government experiment centered around a drug called Revive, that brings the dead back to life. Daisy lives with two agents and scientists involved in the program, Cassie and Mason, and with them she lives a very nomadic life. Each time Daisy dies and is brought back, she must change her name and move to a new city and state. After Daisy's most recent death, she is relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, where she meets Audrey and her brother Max. Through the McKean siblings, Daisy finally gets to experience life, and decides she wants to quit the program and stay in Omaha, but the scientist in charge of Revive has other, more sinister plans for her. No one can quit the program and survive.

An interesting science fiction tale that focuses on what makes life worth living.

My Thoughts: What I really enjoyed about this book was the cool, science fiction concept of it, and the overall set up of Daisy's life. Just imagining a drug that could bring people back from the dead was really interesting. Daisy's life and family situation was interesting to read about too. Being placed with agents and having to move to a new place every time her cover is compromised, made it seem like one of those cool spy movies, with Daisy always having to keep secrets and never be able to tell who or what she really was. This book just had a great concept and escapist feeling to it.

Other pluses for this book have to be the beautiful cover design. I love the colors of it, and that filmy veil with the girl peeking through. This cover is great for cover whores, who will be drawn in by the image and stay for the story.

Another major plus to the story is, in a world riddled with sequels, trilogies, and endless series of books, it's nice to get lost in a stand-alone. There's just something nice about reading a story and not be committed to reading a whole series. This book lets you enter Daisy's world and then allows you to leave without any cliff-hangers, plot twists, love triangles, or anything else. It's just a nice book to fit between all the endless series.

There were a few issues with the story. I didn't like how Daisy viewed Mason as just another agent and didn't consider him as the father he really was to her. I don't think Daisy gave Mason enough credit. Together, Daisy and Mason were a family, and I wish she would have realized that sooner.

Also, some explanations should have come earlier in the story. At the beginning, I assumed all the other bus kids had been placed with agents too, only to realize later that all the rest of them lived with their parents. That part just should have been made more clear. And then, Daisy's past just seemed kind of crazy and impossible. What was an orphan girl raised by nuns doing going to a fancy private school to begin with and how did she become an orphan? All of that definitely needed some further explanation.

Lastly, I didn't really like how they called the creator of Revive God. I understood why, but it just seemed in poor taste, like taking God's name in vain. Why couldn't he had been a lower case g god? Or he could have been named Frankenstein for bringing the dead back to life. Would have been more fitting and less blasphemy in my opinion.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The concept was just really intriguing. Although it did turn into a story that was more focused on death than life. Just a really interesting novel that I recommend to all readers who need a break from their sequels, series, and sagas.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Dying 5 Times!? Daisy must be really unlucky.