The Bionics

The Bionics Novels, Book 1

By: Alicia Michaels

Narrated by: Marissa Clay

All Blythe Sol ever wanted was to be a normal girl. Yet, her dreams of following in her father's footsteps by joining the military after graduation are crushed when nuclear war comes to the United States in the year 4006. Tens of thousands are killed in a series of attacks on many major cities, while thousands more are left injured from the devastation of the blasts, or terminally ill from the effects of radiation.

When the government offers the sick and injured a second chance as part of the Restoration Project, how could they refuse? Hoping to put her life back together after the blasts take both her arm and her eye, Blythe enrolls in the program filled with hope. She never expects that the bionic additions will change her life so drastically. When it is discovered that those outfitted with the robotic parts have become enhanced beyond the limits of ordinary human ability, normal can never exist for her again.

The Bionics become targets of the government, as fear of them spreads across the nation, further enflamed by media propaganda and political conspiracy. Forced to go into hiding or face execution, society's outcasts band together to form the Restoration Resistance - an underground rebellion which Blythe becomes a part of in order to survive. She could never imagine that joining them would thrust her at the forefront of an imminent revolution, or that it would put her in a confusing tug-of-war between two of her fellow soldiers; Gage Bronson, the mysterious new addition to the Resistance, and Dax Janner, her best friend. Even though Gage is rapidly capturing her heart, she is forced to face the possibility that her feelings for Dax might just go beyond friendship. However, with impending war and the threat of death hanging over her head, Blythe hardly has time to worry about anything as trivial as a love life.

©2014 Crimson Tree Publishing (P)2016 Alicia Michaels

I nteresting plot

Narration was good, but story could have been fleshed out more, dialog was not always believable.

Excellent!

A very engrossing novel about class warfare, love, betrayal and all that sort of stuff. Good enough that I have to get the next book in the series.

Great!

Great story with amazing characters. The narrative was a little tin sounding, but you get lost in the story and get accustomed to it!

YA Dystopian Fiction

What made the experience of listening to The Bionics the most enjoyable?

The narrator did a fantastic job. I enjoy listening to books wherein the narrator is able to encompass the characters to the point I forget I am listening to only one speaker. The narration was full of emotion at appropriate parts. Only critique is the pause between chapters is substantial, at least 10 seconds at times.

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed listening to a book that was not about two young white teens as the central characters. Finally an author that incorporates the multiculturalism that is prevalent in society. I especially loved how the main theme parallels current issues facing our nation though in a roundabout way. Oppression and segregation of the minority is easily heard and felt through the pages.

What about Marissa Clay’s performance did you like?

Narrator was very animated in her recitation of the book.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher

Ah-mazing, gripping, we'll narrated

OMG, this narrator is phenomenal. Accents, male voice, female voice, her intensity; just wow! Alicia Michaels story is amazing and with the narrator it truly came to life. I will definitely be picking up others from both this author and narrator.

Dystopian Romance Worth a Listen

Where does The Bionics rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is definitely one of the better audio books I've listened to lately although I confess I have a soft spot for good SF, and it is that.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I was really drawn to Gage because he was a mystery man and one of the very rare full humans in the story and a true man of mystery. I'll have to wait for the next book to see if his allure remains now that I've finished the first book and know a little bit more about the secrets he keeps.

Have you listened to any of Marissa Clay’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Although it is separate from the main plot of the book, the abortion scene at the end of the story is particularly poignant. Although we haven't gotten to know the resistance leaders well through this story, their love for each other and for humanity is clear and the decision to abort their unborn child rather than bring it into the world they live in is heart wrenching.

I just listened to a chick flick

my mistake. I just scanned the ratings and reviews and decided to take a chance. 10 minutes in and I realized it. chick flick. feel I just watched a movie with my girlfriend

Love the imagination of the author

Loved it! Narration was great, imaginative story with great background story for the characters!

Enhanced the story

If you could sum up The Bionics in three words, what would they be?

Thrilling. Emotional. Action-packed.

What did you like best about this story?

It's complex and active while incorporating elements so deep to bring out all your emotions.

What does Marissa Clay bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Smooth inflections.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Their back stories.

Any additional comments?

I loved it.

Good world building, but not happy with the ending

Any additional comments?

Here's the thing. I have a peeve. Well, I have tons of peeves about bookish stuff, and I've written about them plenty before. And this one hits upon a peeve of mine.

First, let's chat about what I did like. I liked the characters and the unique personalities. The three main characters each get to share their POV in a part of the book, and I found that to be an interesting way of doing things, and it worked well to share the various perspectives.

The world building was solid and disturbing and realistic. The Bionics are people who were injured in the horrific events and then were given special prosthetics or computerized body parts to replace their broken ones. Then, quickly, they became a "threat" to society, and anyone with enhanced features became a public enemy. The brutal treatment of the people who get captured (and have their prosthetics ripped out) by the government is very disturbing and effective to set the scene and make this dystopian world quite scary.

I also enjoyed the narrator. She did a good job with individual voices and accents. She helped make the characters realistic.

So my peeve? When a book stops. Just, stops. Yes, cliffhangers are annoying, but this isn't what I'm talking about quite here. The book does end on a secret reveal about one of our main characters during his POV section, but the book then just ends with him getting his face slapped by the girl. Done. Book over. Sorry, but that's not a conclusion or a cliffhanger. I love a good series, but I also love each book to stand on its own pages. This one did a great job setting up the story, the world, and the conflict, but it didn't satisfy upon the conclusion.

Another thing I didn't love? How each chapter started like a log entry with the names of characters involved in that chapter, and date of "entry". The rest of the narrative wasn't like a journal but just a continuation of the story from multiple POV, so that felt odd.

Has anyone read this book or this series? It sounds like there are quite a few books in the series, so I'm intrigued but unsure.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for my honest review.