by Dan Rix
Genre: YA sci-fi
Published: July 28, 2013 by Burning Ember Press
Format Acquired: ebook (thanks Dianne of Oops I Read Again Tours and Dan Rix!)
Purchase: Amazon
Eleven months after the father of sixteen-year-old Blaire Adams vanished without a trace, he's found wandering outside The Scripps Research Institute vomiting blood and speaking gibberish, his sole possession a worn leather diary filled with an unrecognizable language. He has a message for her.As he dies in her arms, he claims he never vanished. She vanished.In a nearby military quarantine zone, scientists are being called in from around the world to sequence a previously unknown strain of DNA. Scientists…and soldiers.When her father’s autopsy reveals a rare chromosomal disorder—a disorder, it turns out, she inherited—Blaire begins to suspect her father’s last words weren’t induced by amnesia. Like her dad, she has an additional set of instructions in her genes—instructions for what, doctors can’t say. Only one thing is certain: it’s what killed him…and it will kill her too.But now she’s haunted by prophetic nightmares of the Yellowjacket—a young murderer, eyes the black of charcoal, who lures his victims to suicide without ever paying them a visit. The only clue she has to his handiwork is a lingering feeling of déjà vu. That, and the nagging suspicion that all she knows is a mirage. She is certain of two things—though it may mean confiding in the wrong side of good and evil, he has the answers she needs.And he is recruiting her.
Oh the many things I want to say about Broken Symmetry but can't because I might end up spoiling the entire thing for you. So forgive me if my review's a bit vague. I just don't want to spoil too much.
I'm not going to lie, a lot of the parts confused me at first but when everything started to make sense I was mind blown! It's a lot like Inception for me except the concept behind it was harder to grasp (hence the confusion). Since it's not on film, my imagination was working double time. I bet if this was a movie I would've understood everything early on. But since this is a book it took a while for me to get a hang of all the techie science terms. Even if that's the case, I can honestly say I highly enjoyed Broken Symmetry.
Right from the first chapter, I was hooked! I liked the element of mystery thrown in the very beginning told with just the right amount of suspense. As the story progressed, an entirely new world is introduced and you momentarily forget about all the hullabaloo in the beginning. I didn't quite know where the story was going at first because it was like there's two stories in one book. Towards the end though, everything will tie together nicely and will surprisingly make sense. As Blaire learned the ropes, she figured out the truth behind her father's disappearance and about her identity. It was a whole lot of crazy, let's just leave it at that. The plot was confusing at first but I'd like to believe it's meant to confuse you so by the time finish reading, you'll backtrack and when it finally makes sense - BAM! - you'll appreciate the story way more. But hey! That's just me. I'm a sucker for stories like this. The really frustrating ones that turn out to be one heck of a satisfying reading experience once the answer to the mystery is revealed. Come on, the writer can't drop huge hints just like that, right? There has to be some suspense.
I just love how imaginative this is! The concept behind "breaking symmetry," the world building, the techie stuff - everything! I also like Rix's writing style. I thought he had the descriptions and storytelling right. (side note: I even like parts where painful things where described in detail. Nothing better than a vivid gory scene) Blaire's a character I came to love. She was very reckless in the beginning, thinking she could easily get answers doing the silliest things. That became annoying at some point. Little by little though, she's able to think clearer and act wiser. Protagonists have flaws too, right? Blaire definitely had flaws and I like how she worked through them. She actually became a likable character in the end. I think that shows a lot about Rix's ability to develop a story as a whole.
I still have a couple of questions about the book but none that are detrimental to my reading enjoyment. Overall, I think my basic questions were answered. This book was intense but still a whole lot of fun to read. Broken Symmetry will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat, eager to know what happens next.
About the author
Dan Rix
Dan Rix lives in Santa Barbara, California with his fiancée, paranormal romance author Laura Thalassa. He started writing his first novel in college while procrastinating his architecture studio work.
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GIVEAWAY
I agree! Very descriptive. Quite twisted. Amber is both infuriating and endearing at the same time. The race to the root of the mirrors is about as freaky and scary as it can be. I was up until dawn reading through that part. And what satisfaction in the end when they get there.
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