Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Review: Unite (Project Integrate #1) by Jamie Campbell

Title: United (Project Integrate #1)
Author: Jamie Campbell
Source: Contest Win
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Science Fiction
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

United They Stand.

Seventeen years ago an entire generation of aliens were sent to Earth in order to save their home planet and integrate into the human population. Now, those aliens are being hunted.

Amery Jones is your typical teenager, except for the fact she is an alien and a member of the government’s secret Project Integrate.

When Amery’s best friend Lola is kidnapped in order to get to her, there is only one person that can help – the exceedingly annoying and charming Lochie Mercury.

Together, Amery and Lochie must put aside their differences and attraction in order to rescue Lola before it’s too late.



This contemporary science fiction was very subtle at first.  We know that Amery is part of a special program, but we aren't entirely sure what it is at first.  Her life and history are revealed in pieces as we need to know them.  She seems to be quite the average teenage girl - boy troubles, school troubles, parent troubles, but to top it all off she's not actually human.  

I loved that the book didn't dwell to much on her accepting the fact that she was different.  She had already done that and moved on.  This was a unique look at prejudice and how it can make people over-react.  The Organization is dead set on having an aliens make their home on earth - especially when it's so hard to tell them apart from the humans.  They want Amery dead, and are willing to do anything to make it happen.

My biggest problem with the book was Lochie - for several reasons both big and small.  One, I had no idea how to pronounce his name and no matter how I tried it out it sounded silly to me - petty, but that can make a difference on a very small scale.  He also seemed to just happen to be places, know something, or have some tool on hand to make things way easier a few too many times.  He seemed to just be Amery's "get out of jail free card".  Anytime a situation came up they couldn't get out of, he magically pulled a tool out that would solve everything!  He was also a bit one dimensional and overly trusting.  If I had rescued some girl over and over and she didn't tell me why people were after her I would be mad, I don't care if I loved her, I would be mad.

The story overall was very interesting and had just enough action to make it very well balanced.  I do want to know what will happen next.  While we have a fairly good resolution at the end, there is much left undone and unsaid to encourage you to read the sequel.  I know I'll be getting it soon, I really enjoyed this version of alien life on earth.


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