Review Detail

Young Adult Indie 137
All In the Mind... Or Is It Really?
Overall rating
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
N/A
Plot
 
N/A
Characters
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
THE BODY ELECTRIC makes a lot of references to Beth Revis' trilogy (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), and I absolutely love all those easter eggs. It brings back great memories and tempts me into reading those books all over again.

Ella Shepherd is desperate to hold onto her dying mother. Her mother, dying from a (thankfully fictional) disease called Hebb's, is barely surviving. (Note: I get nightmares and shivers from the way Revis describes the disease.) Ella is a seemingly normal girl whose parents are well-known among the science community. But one day, she jumps into her mother's tech-induced dream and changes everything in her life. Suddenly, Ella is thrown into a war she'd never heard of. What I love the most about Ella is how much she is tested and how well she manages to rise above it. No matter how far she is crushed, she strikes back.

Every character has its own agenda. The leader of the corrupt government is searching to crush the rebel group. Ella is searching for answers (about Jack and about the dangerous mystery). The leader of the rebels is focused on Ella, and I love how every character has its own purpose, their own (gloomy or bright) personality. Even their own dialect. It makes every character unique in their special way.

The plot unravels slowly, almost lazily. Ella undergoes a normal day, and readers are given a chance to see Ella's attempt at normalcy. Suddenly, a spark flies and everything changes. Ella discovers "old" friends, and she finds more questions than answers. I'm absolutely emotionally invested in Ella's search for the truth. I'm swept away into Ella Shepherd's world and her vast number of problems, and I ignore everything in my world.

The romance between Jack and Ella is very entertaining. Ella, after being mind-wiped by a mysterious and unknown person, meets Jack at her deceased father's tree. Thinking Ella still remembers him, Jack says and does the wrong things and scares Ella. Good amounts of drama ensues, and I love the way Ella slowly falls in love with Jack (again).

Overall, THE BODY ELECTRIC is an electrifying Science Fiction story that is perfect for fans of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and LEGEND (by Marie Lu). With dark descriptions and many strong characters, THE BODY ELECTRIC, to be short, is simply amazing.

Rating: Four out of Five
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