{Review} Strangelets by Michelle Gagon

Number of Pgs.: 288

Publication date: April 9, 2013

Publisher: Soho Teen
Genre: Science Fiction, YA, Mystery

How I got the copy: From publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks Soho Teen!)

Rating: 4 Stars

From Goodreads:

17-year-old Sophie lies on her deathbed in California, awaiting the inevitable loss of her battle with cancer…
17-year-old Declan stares down two armed thugs in a back alley in Galway, Ireland…
17-year-old Anat attempts to traverse a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt…

All three strangers should have died at the exact same moment, thousands of miles apart. Instead, they awaken together in an abandoned hospital—only to discover that they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places on the globe are trapped with them. Somebody or something seems to be pulling the strings. With their individual clocks ticking, they must band together if they’re to have any hope of surviving.

Soon they discover that they've been trapped in a future that isn't of their making: a deadly, desolate world at once entirely familiar and utterly strange. Each teen harbors a secret, but only one holds the key that could get them home. As the truth comes to light Sophie, Declan, Anat, and the rest must decide what to do with a second chance at life—if they can survive to claim it.

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 4/10

Setting: 6/10

Pacing: 8/10

Style: 6/10

Cover: The cover caught my attention right away. I love the dark figures and how they're positioned. It's creepy and mysterious.

32+50=82 (4 Stars)

I was looking for something different than the predictable dystopian/paranormal books I had been reading lately. Strangelets broke that streak for me. I was entertained the whole time because I couldn't figure out how the characters would make it out alive. And to my surprise some of them didn't! It was so fast paced that it was like being on that roller coaster, Kingda Ka. It shoots up on one high speed and then ends abruptly. Right from the first page the adventure begins immediately which I loved, but the ending wrapped up a little to quickly for my liking. I was really excited that this was a standalone because those are few and far between these days, but I thought that it should have had a more satisfying ending. I wanted to know more, but maybe the author is planning a companion novel or something.
Since this was definitely a more plot driven book, the characters kind of fell flat for me. The only character I cared about was Declan because he had the most personality and Sophie a little bit too because she was sick. Since we get the perspective from three characters it was kind of hard to connect with them. But I absolutely loved that one of the characters turns out to not be who you think they are. I didn't see that coming at all.
The style of writing reminded me of City of Bones in that ever chapter ended in a cliffhanger and then switched perspective. It made it impossible to put down because I just had to know what happened to the characters from two chapters previous. I also loved the Science in this book. I hadn't read any YA that had wormholes/portals that weren't fantasy or paranormal. I liked that the characters came from all over the world too so I got a look into other cultures and settings. Despite my struggles to connect emotionally with the characters, I was glad that they were realistic. It wasn't like those scary movies where I'm screaming at the tv because the character does something stupid.