Revived by Cat Patrick Review

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.