Title: Remote
Author: Lisa Acerbo
Genre: YA Dystopian/Romance/Sci-Fi
Book Blurb:
When technology fulfills every dream, reality becomes a nightmare.
Below the streets of New State, the undergrounders fight to remain free of the technological control of the world above. Every night, Yara risks her life fighting New State’s deadliest weapons, the drones. Half human and half machine, their living half tortured until everything human is gone, the drones have only one objective. Kill. And they do it with exacting precision.
Yara is good at her job and committed to her raids on New State. Until one of those raids brings her face-to-face with Joshua, a New State citizen who doesn’t quite fit her preconceived expectations. After a couple of awkward encounters, he shows her the meaning of hooking up—a computer simulation that allows people to live out their fantasies—without the complication of emotional entanglements or physical reality. But what Yara feels for Joshua is very real. And it’s punishable by law.
As she and Joshua grow closer, she convinces him to leave New State for her underground cause. But as the unrest between New State and the underground escalates, and the drones move in to destroy her world, nothing goes as planned. Families are arrested, loyalties are strained, and Yara’s forced to choose between her people and her feelings. The wrong choice could mean the end of her people, and reality could slip away—forever...
Review:
I love the world Lisa Acerbo has created in Remote. Two characters live two very different lives. Josh is used to living a virtual reality, heeding the New State's laws; Yara spends her life underground or raiding the New State city during night. The author really draws some interesting perspectives into the novel, such as how taking technology too far can inhibit social skills--something that seems terrifyingly possible in the near future.
I love the world Lisa Acerbo has created in Remote. Two characters live two very different lives. Josh is used to living a virtual reality, heeding the New State's laws; Yara spends her life underground or raiding the New State city during night. The author really draws some interesting perspectives into the novel, such as how taking technology too far can inhibit social skills--something that seems terrifyingly possible in the near future.
The pacing of the novel was very fast, and yes, this does include the relationship between Josh and Yara. Normally I don't like insta-love situations, but it worked in this case. None of their relationship felt forced.
Yara is quite the character...I seem to have mixed feelings about her. Although she wants to be treated like an adult, I can't help but feel some of her choices were rather immature. Also, it seems as if she couldn't keep a single secret...On one hand, I admire her courage and her loyalty to the Underground (the name of the rebel group in which she grew up in.) However, on the other I felt like she didn't appreciate the sacrifices her parents have made for her.
Josh was a unique character, breaking many male character stereotypes in the YA sci-fi/romance genre. First of all, he's a "tech head." Much of his life depended on the CHIP embedded within his head. He's not fit, he's not strong (physically) and he has an open innocence that Yara had lost a long time ago.
Overall, I thought the plot and premise of Remote was excellent. The only quips I had with the book was that I couldn't really seem to connect with Yara. Also, I felt like at times the story moved along so fast that much of the plot development was glazed over. It would've been nice if there had been more showing rather than telling. Nevertheless, Remote is worth a read if you're looking for a quick sci-fi/romance.
Rating:
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AUTHOR BIO:
Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and holds an EdD in Educational Leadership. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, daughters, three cats, and horse. She is the author of Apocalipstick and has contributed to local newspapers, news and travel blogs including The Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter.
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