Revived by Cat Patrick Review

Monday, May 14, 2012

Title: Revived
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: May 8, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.
Daisy is used to dying. Actually, she’s died five times. Each time, her life is uprooted, she has to change schools, towns, lives and identities and, frankly, she’s not entirely sure it’s worth it anymore. Nothing is familiar. Nothing is sacred. Everything is temporary, and she wants something a little more solid. Revived has been her saviour each time she’s passed, but Daisy is beginning to see that the silver lining of invincibility isn’t quite as glamourous as it seems. It’s tiring, and nothing is real anymore. Plus, Revived is carefully controlled and God, who controls Revived, his subjects and his agents, is a little more meddlesome than she’d anticipated, and life’s great adventure is a frantic search for normalcy now.

So, colour me crazy, kids, but Revived has one heck of a premise. Death isn’t the end anymore. There’s a world beyond death and this drug is the key to it all. Veteran author, Cat Patrick, has crafted one heck of a plot filled with twists and turns, sending you on whirlwind adventure that’s sinister, realistic and incredibly mysterious. The fast-paced plot speeds you along as you grasp at straws to discover the hidden meaning and capture this character that we so desperately want to help and travel along with. Revived takes reality, turns it on its head, and thrusts an illustrious and unpredictable storyline upon the reader.

Cheating death; now that’s one heck of a crux for a story, eh? Honestly, I love that it makes you think. I’m a religious person. I believe that there is a reason for everything, and I believe that death, while inevitable, isn’t the end. However, Revived presents a reality where death, literally, doesn’t have to be the end…because you can live past it. It’s like a catch-22 though. You can live, but your life changes each time, and that presents questions. Would you still want to live if your life is going to be ripped away? What’s the point of coming back if you can’t come back to the life you love? Those questions run like a fuming undercurrent throughout the story. Revived also lends a touch of contemporary complexity to the story. While the premise is overtly supernatural and paranormal, the story itself, takes a very human approach. The intense characterization helps you become involved in and enmeshed in the journey, and you watch as Daisy carefully cultivates relationships through family, friendships and even first loves. This decidedly human approach makes Revived an interesting blend of contemporary and paranormal – though perhaps clouds it, as well. Finally, I have to remark on that cover. Holy beautiful. Someone buy me an art print, please and thank you!

All in all, I found Revived to be an immensely enjoyable read. I think that, although it was a bit too hasty and speedy at times, it was a solid read overall. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal and contemporary elements.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

12 comments:

  1. OoOo I'm listening to this audiobook at the moment and I really liked it!!! It's sad but very human and I was actually prepared for the "supernatural" aspect to be very small. I read her previous novel Forgotten wich was similar and I loved just as much! 
    Glad you liked it! and YES I do want this cover print myself, so freaking awesome! 

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  2. I LOVE, love Cat Patrick. Just bought this last week. Cannot wait to read it! So glad you enjoyed it. I'm pumped to read it now. :)

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  3. Cheating death is always a Catch-22. That's one of the main things I remembered from reading Tuck Everlasting in 4th grade. How what seems perfect is far more complicated.

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  4. I think you'll really like it! It's different than what I expected in the best possible way :)

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  5. It is way different than what I'd expected, but I actually really like her writing style. It's very emote! :)

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  6. Great reviw as always. :) I have Revive on my shelf and now I can't wait to read it!

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  7. The blurb drew me in right away but your review hooked me. I so want this book now.

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  8. I'm totally looking forward to reading this one.  The concept is really cool and I think it will ask interesting questions.

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  9. Sounds good. I haven't read any reviews of Revived yet so I had not made any TBR decisions yet, but I think I'm sold on the "What's the point of coming back if you can't come back to the life you love?" 

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  10. The idea of cheating death seems incredible but at the price of basically restarting your life--makes it a little more complicated. Sounds fascinating! 

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  11. Great review. I enjoyed the fact that this one explored so many challenging themes--and I think the idea of whether you'd live differently if you didn't have to die is certainly one that invites a lot of exploration.

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  12. The premise of this book is exactly what caught my eye. It sounds fantastic, based on everyone's reviews (including yours), so I definitely have to get a copy.

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