I received an advance copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
ISAN is a Young Adult Dystopian
Science Fiction novel set in the distant future. It is told through the eyes of
its principal character, Ava. There is a lot of action and suspense set in a
world ravaged by meteor strikes and tsunami. Governments, as we know them, no
longer exist.
At the outset, I'll say that
this book was not for me. Not that the book isn't good. As a matter of fact, it
is a finely crafted, well written, and exciting story following the exploits of
a young woman who seems destined to achieve beyond her knowledge. However, I
say the book is not for me because I am not the target audience for ISAN. This
book is aimed directly at young women in high school to around early to
mid-twenties. While there was much I enjoyed in this tale, and while I
understand what the characters were relating to as far as their sensuality is
concerned. It's just not my thing to read the thoughts of young women toward
boys. So, again I say, splendid story, but not for me.
I read the entire story and
still rated it highly because I think the author did a fine job, and it isn't
her fault I'm just an old man.
In the eastern part of what was
once the United States, a young woman of seventeen is discovered to have
special talents by an agency known as ISAN. They are the International Sensory
Assassin Network who take in young women and train them to use their talents
for good or evil, depending on one's point of view.
Ava is one such girl; an orphan
who was being raised in a place she calls "juvie." When ISAN
identifies her as special, they take her in, and with the help of training, and
a drug called Helix, she becomes a master assassin. She is without fear and can
perform at a high level of efficiency. The life she has entered offers very few
freedoms. She knows little of the world outside of the ISAN facility she lives
in and it seems there is little hope of her experiencing life as others do.
Everything she does is monitored and measured.
One day while using her allowed
fifteen minutes of free time surfing the net, she receives a text message from
a mysterious stranger named Sniper. The stranger claims to know Ava and that
they have a relationship. Ava is nervous because Sniper seem to know things he
shouldn't, and on top of that, if ISAN learns she is communicating with someone
outside the organization, it could spell major trouble for her.
Ava is a strong female
character who is a victim of circumstances. Before the start of the story, she
was mind-wiped and had a lot of her memories taken away so she could function
effectively for ISAN. The memories she keeps are of her mother and starting out
life as a normal little girl. She has no memories of her father, be he played
an important role in her life. Ava has a few friends, two girls on her team at
ASIN. While the agency provides everything she needs, she wants more out of
life than simply to be sent out on missions.
My favorite plot point in ISAN is how Ava functions under pressure. She is always cool under fire and is
always thinking ahead.
ISAN is a great story and anyone
in the target audience will really enjoy reading the exploits of Ava and her
friends. While there is some graphic violence, it isn't presented in a way that
is crude.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Becoming an author happened by
chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother and
inspired by a dream she had in high school. After realizing she wanted to
become a full-time author, Mary retired from teaching after twenty years. She
also had the privilege of touring with the Magic Johnson Foundation to promote
literacy and her children's chapter book: No Bullies Allowed.
Mary resides in Southern
California with her husband, two children, and two little dogs, Mochi and
Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Being a huge Twilight fan,
Mary was inspired to make book-themed jewelry and occasionally give it away as
prizes to her fans.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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