Friday, August 29, 2014

Review: Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin

Goodreads Summary:

The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this heart-pounding debut.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah has a rare chance at a new life. Or so the doctors tell her. She’s been undergoing a cutting-edge procedure that will render her a tabula rasa—a blank slate. Memory by memory her troubled past is being taken away.

But when her final surgery is interrupted and a team of elite soldiers invades the isolated hospital under cover of a massive blizzard, her fresh start could be her end.

Navigating familiar halls that have become a dangerous maze with the help of a teen computer hacker who's trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, Sarah starts to piece together who she is and why someone would want her erased. And she won’t be silenced again.

A high-stakes thriller featuring a non-stop race for survival and a smart heroine who will risk everything, Tabula Rasa is, in short, unforgettable.

Publication Date: September 23, 2014


Tabula Rasa was the type of book that as I kept reading, I imagined what an incredible movie the novel could be made into. I liked all of the elements of the story: the suspense made the book a nail-biter, the romance was sweet and the conclusion tied everything together perfectly. It’s been a while since I’ve read such a gripping YA book.

The author wrote in a way where I could easily picture the unique setting. I loved that the action took place in the middle of a snowstorm at a secluded compound set in the mountainside. The storm felt like another adversary Angel had to face in her quest to have her memories restored.

Angel was a strong female character and I loved everything about her. I admired her toughness and the way she kept fighting in spite of the awful things done to her and her family. I actually thought I had Angel’s family secrets figured out, but I was shocked by several of the reveals. I love authors who keep readers guessing.

Thomas was the perfect ally for Angel. He was smart, funny and he won me over because of how loyal he was after only knowing her for a short period of time. The book isn’t heavy on the romance, but there was just enough to satisfy my need for a love story. The secondary characters were also characterized well and my heart broke for the other patients inside the facility.

The pace was superb and I enjoyed the action-heavy plot. The book isn’t short, but I read it quickly because of how badly I wanted to find out if Angel would make it out of the mountains alive.

The ending was fantastic and I appreciated reading a book that didn’t leave readers with a ton of unanswered questions. For a debut book, Tabula Rasa was well-written with an amazing heroine and an exciting plot.

5/5 Stars

3 comments:

  1. The unique setting and the character of Thomas appeals to me and glad you enjoyed

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  2. I love action heavy plots and authors that keep me guessing! This one sounds pretty darn good. I will have to add it to my TBR pile! :)

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  3. YAY! You've finally hit another 5 star book :) Going to snag a sample. Hopefully, I'll be able to get to it after I whittle away my HUGE TBR pile lol. Wonderful review, Heather. Thanks for sharing. WRITE ON!

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