Level 2 - Book Review

Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1)
by Lenore Appelhans

What is it about:
'I pause to look around the hive - all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories ... I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.'

Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend ... and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.

Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves.

What did I think of it:
This was a nice enough read, but I couldn't help thinking that it could have been a lot better.

So there's these two sides: the bad guys and the rebellion. Felicia gets recruited by the rebellion and has to decide if she's OK with that.

In a case like that I want to see what the bad guys are like. What they're doing that's so horrible...

Yeah, not so much!

Only near the end of the book to we get a glimpse of the bad guys. For most part of the book it's the rebellion telling Felicia that the other side is wrong and Felicia taking their word for granted even though the rebellion isn't that fantastic with their actions itself either.

To top it all off: the book is written in present tense. I will confess I almost put the book down halfway through, but I was curious if the so called bad guys would finally show themselves, so I kept reading.

Apart from all that I also wondered about Felicia's priorities. In my opinion she isn't doing what I think she should be doing and isn't asking the questions she should be asking. Overall I didn't really like her I must confess. And then I'm not even talking about how much I disliked her bland boyfriend Neil, who she keeps pining over throughout the story.

All in all this is a fairly nice story if you don't look at it too closely and don't mind present tense too much. I don't think I'll be reading the sequel though.

Why should you read it:
It's a nice paranormal YA read.