Crashed

Crashed
Author: Robin Wasserman
Series: Gripping Trilogy (Skinned)
Publisher: Simon Pulse/S&S
How Received: public library

When I was alive, I dreamed of flying.
Or maybe I should say: When I was alive, I dreamed.

When Auden died, Lia wasn't quite sure if she would recover. Now that she lives with Jude and his groupies - apologies, Jude and the other Mechs - she thinks that life may be good. She has credit; she lives in Quinn's huge mansion; she has the newest upgrades.

Lia doesn't trust Jude, but when he sends her in his place to pick up some of the "new" technology with Riley, she grudgingly accepts the position. But the unthinkable happens - and Lia, Riley, and the Mechs are left to deal with the consequences.

On one hand, I love this book. I didn't feel a need to put it down -- I wanted to see what happen in this world that Wasserman has created; to the characters I grew attached to in the first book of the series.

However, there are aspects of the book that annoyed me. I understand doubting your motives and the motives of those around you, and I get that it was a huge part of the plot. However, Lia seems to spend every waking moment contemplating this - and, the second her "life" gets depressing, she zones out for a month.

Stephenie Meyer-style time skip, anybody? Oh look, characters okay. Omigod, drastic event! Zone out in order to get the plot to where it needs to go. Continue writing as normal.

Also, if Lia was such an independent character the first novel, what happened to that this time 'round? Sure, she's accepted that she's a mech. It doesn't mean that she has to spend every waking moment not doing anything. If she knew the human/mech relationships were strained, why didn't she try to fix them? (Oh yeah - she was too busy zoning out because of the Depressing Event.)

[spoiler alert]
And her relationship with Riley? We've got a semi-slutty character here, folks. She goes through two guys in the first book, gets a sudden relationship with Riley in this book, while all the while denying that she has feelings for Jude. Playa!
[/spoiler alert]

The book does have it's perks. It's plot line and (albeit depressing and synthetic) world are engaging and interesting. Wasserman has a unique writing style, coming across at times as almost poetic and oh so quotable.

The Gripping Trilogy over Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series? Nope. While I described Skinned as the inverse of Westerfeld's Uglies, and while both share the idea of a synthesized world, Uglies wins, with it's more developed characters and less depressing world.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: I'd read it only if you really loved the first book in the series. The final rating? 7.5/10

~ N

PS: Do you like the new format? I'm trying it out.