Rating Overview
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★ 1/2
Characters: ★★★★★
Cover: ★★★ 1/2
Overall: ★★★★★ (4.5)
This book was given to me as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Nina Soden starts off on a brand new series and I think, out of the gate, it’s brilliant. I was asked to help look over her final rough draft and offer a review. In spirited fashion, I will hit all the usual points I make when rating an ARC, minus the grammar Nazi in me pointing anything critical out.
Sector C is a futuristic, supernatural take on what the world might be like if there were societies where you were brought up, trained and tested to fall into the category of vampire, lycanthrope, breeder, donor or castaway. The story follows the lead Heroine, A (because they are assigned alpha-numerics as names until they are worthy to choose their own name). She is resourceful, smart and strong, while somehow at the same time being slightly awkward and unsure of herself. Throughout the novel, you get a better sense of her as a character with each page and before long, Nina has you in the compound feeling like another student and wondering what will come next.
The Critical Points:
Writing:
I’ve reviewed all of Nina’s books and since I helped with the final edits, I can’t really judge it on final product, but I can say that it flowed as good if not better than her previous works. It provided detail and ease of reading and made it fun to move along with her characters.
Story:
It seems to pull from a lot of unique but also comforting angles. The society idea is reminiscent of Divergent with the different groups, emotionless feel and the coming of age choice, and the combative / competitive nature, being teenagers and isolated from society feels a little Hunger Games. Putting supernatural elements into the mix puts it in a different class altogether and makes it it’s own.
Characters:
Loved getting to know each character with the personalities I could pair with people I’ve known in life. Getting used to the alpha-numeric names took a chapter or so to get used to, but before long it was common nature.
Appearance:
The only really non stellar grade I could give would be on the cover. Part of it draws me in and another part of it doesn’t speak to me the same way the book does. If anything I like the cover to exceed the writing or story and in this case, Nina’s world in Sector C makes the cover not do it justice. I blame Nina’s awesome writing on this one.
Final Thoughts
I powered through this read for two reasons: 1) Nina needed it back quickly 2) It was a great story and kept me engaged the entire way, wanting to know what was in store for A and the rest of her classmates. Nina is one of those authors I expect to look at and go, I knew her before she got the movie deal.
Links
Find Nina’s books through her links below and I’ll simply direct you to her WordPress site for now and she provides the rest. Sector C: The Chosen will release on or before the 31st of March. Be on the look out and go to Goodreads and put it in your “To-Read” shelf.
BEGINNINGS: A BLOOD ANGEL NOVEL
Jonas Lee 