The Hunger Games meets V Meets …

I don’t read a lot of Christian speculative fiction, because a lot of it is fantasy, a genre I don’t enjoy. I do enjoy science fiction, and I especially enjoy a good dystopian thriller. I picked up The Evaporation of Sofi Snow believing it was Christian dystopian, which was half right. It was dystopian, but it also had an element of science fiction.

What it didn’t have was any Christian content—almost the opposite, in that there was a lot of almost-swearing that I was surprised to see in a book from a major Christian publisher (e.g. gad knows, pissed, heck, WTF, mentions of sex and alcohol). Having said that, it’s obvious from the content, the comparisons, and the notable authors who’ve endorsed Sofi Snow that it’s not aimed at the Christian market. If you’re looking for a Christian dystopian novel, Sofi Snow is not the novel you’re looking for.

But if you’re looking for a fast-paced young adult dystopian thriller, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow may be perfect for you.

It’s set in near-future Earth, eleven years after the Delonese arrive and sort out the problems of the Fourth World War. They also set up the games, a curious mix of the Hunger Games and the Triwizard Tournament, where teams of real-life gamers work through a maze created by their online gaming teammates.

The trouble begins when there is a terrorist attack at the games, leaving Sofi and her brother both declared dead. But Sofi is very much still alive … and she’s convinced Shilo is as well. So begins the race to save herself, find help, and locate and save Shilo.

The story is told in third person from two points of view—Sofi, and Miguel, the youngest of the thirty human ambassadors to Delon. I don’t know how a teenager got appointed to such an important role, but Miguel is more convincing than, say, Princess Amidala in the first Start Wars movie. Anyway, Miguel is a useful ally because he knows all the right humans and Delonese—even if Sofi is convinced he loathes her.

There were a couple of things which bugged me.

I’m from New Zealand, so I didn’t understand many of Miguel’s lapses into Spanish (bobo, pierdete, cuate). Yes, I’ve heard of Google Translate. But that takes me out of the story. I didn’t like the cliffhanger ending, but I’d been warned it was coming, so I was annoyed at the suddenness and lack of resolution rather than being vitriolic at the feeling of having been cheated. And there was a “plot twist” towards the end that the characters seemed surprised by, but which had seemed obvious to me from page one. Maybe that’s because I’d read the book description and the characters hadn’t. Or maybe it’s because I watch a lot of TV sci fi.

Forewarned is forearmed. If you speak even a little Spanish and don’t mind cliffhanger endings, this won’t bother you. It’s the start of a series (it better be, with that cliffhanger ending!), and parts of the story are a little rough at the beginning as we are introduced to a future earth with an entirely new system of government.

Overall, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is a fast-paced story with a lot happening all the time.

Although I didn’t find it as compelling as The Hunger Games or the first two Divergent novels (let’s not mention the end of that trilogy), I’m sure it will find an audience with YA readers.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

What would you do if the most important person in your life was snatched away? Sofi Snow finds out in Mary Weber's thrilling new Sci-Fi novel, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow.

Coming on the heels of her powerful trilogy (Storm Siren, Siren's Fury, Siren's Song) I wasn't sure what to expect. I could tell that it was science fiction--something I was hugely excited about--and that was about it. I dove headfirst into Sofi's gaming and hacking world and promptly found myself lost in the thrill of what would happen.

Sofi, much like Nym from the Storm Siren trilogy is a strong yet broken character. That's probably one of my favorite things about her. She's passionate and real, a beautiful yet broken heroine who shows us what it's like to fight for those you love. Don't we all wish we could be like that? I find that it's too easy to read a book about someone (especially a female protagonist) who is strong or finds herself in impossible situations and thrust into leadership and then knows exactly what to do. I felt as if Sofi's environment and reactions were accurate to who she was as a character, successes and fumbles. She's not perfect and has made mistakes in the past, but that's part of who she is (and what I assume she'll need to heal from in the future).

On another note, I love how Mary weaves in themes that she is passionate about. Read her note at the beginning of the reviews on Goodreads to see what I mean. I know Mary and I know that she is genuine in her passion for the things she talks about in this note and I can see those themes brought to life in this book!

I also enjoyed the world building. Hovercrafts, transports, and tech. Ahhh, things that send shivers up my spine in delight of futuristic worlds. Enter: The Delonese. I loved the addition of this humanoid type race that happens to be light years ahead in regards to technology. And yet there's something off about them (per the story and plot, of course) and I like that intrigue.

By the end of this book I was gripping my kindle and wondering how it was all going to work out. I won't say cliffhanger...but I will say you're going to want the second book ASAP.

I recommend this to those who enjoy science fiction and YA books, but also to those who like a good story about a genuine heroine. If you enjoyed the Storm Siren trilogy you'll find this is different, but that's okay. It's still Mary's writing, just in a different setting ;-)

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

I feel as if I’ve been tricked….no that’s not right. Manipulated? No….Deceived? That’s not right either. I honestly am not sure if there is a word for how I feel about The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber. I was expecting dystopia mixed with a heavy dose of science fiction. I got that, but I also got a gaming type environment which I wasn’t expecting, like at all.

The book begins right in the middle of the action and as the reader you are dropped in without any explanation as to what is happening. I was completely lost. I thought maybe I had missed a prologue or something. It’s fast-paced too so there wasn’t a whole lot of time to catch up to what was happening to the characters. I felt lost for at least the first third of the book which doesn’t happen to me often. I like to know what’s going on and a little world-building in the beginning goes a long way…just saying.

And then there’s Sofi. Sofi is a 17 year old, rebellious, gamer chick. Seriously I pictured some goth going on with multiple piercings and a total detachment from real life because the game was more important, right?! This is the vibe I get from her right from the start, yet she does it all to protect her brother (more on that in a moment). I had a hard time connecting and empathizing with her when she could be an abrasive character and naive all at the same time.

In addition to Sofi’s POV, we get Miguel’s. Miguel is a human ambassador to the Delon colony. He also happens to only be 19. I get that this is a dystopian world and the rules are way different but 19 is awfully young to be entrusted with keeping the peace with the aliens hovering over your planet, don’t you think? Miguel is the more interesting of the two characters though. Obviously Sofi and he have a shared past but not much is alluded to until much later in the story. Miguel however is the consummate playboy in front of the cameras and someone entirely different off them.

So the whole plot revolves around what happens in the first few chapters and is stated in the blurb so I feel I can discuss it without any major spoilers….the FanFight (short for Fantasy Fight). The FanFight is an annual gaming competition that combines virtual reality with actual reality. Think Hunger Games style arenas with live audience there to watch and a whole team behind the player helping them through. In the final match, a bomb explodes taking out half the arena and killing most of the players and teams. Sofi is told that Shilo is killed but she saw him whisked away by a Delon medic. Why would an alien have him? So begins the adventure as Sofi talks Miguel into taking her to the planet to find her brother.

I actually liked the FanFight aspect even if it felt too much like The Hunger Games in my opinion. It was a cool addition to the story and could have been played up more. I also like what is known about the dystopian world. Corporations rule instead of governments and each Corp is responsible for certain aspects of society. For example Corp 30 where Sofi is from is in charge of medical advances and health care. It was an interesting twist on society, but not entirely unique. Continuum anyone?

Overall, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was just ok for me. The lack of world-building on the front end left me lost and disconnected from the characters. Sofi herself is a hard pill to swallow and I didn’t buy into her and Miguel’s fledgling romance (if you can call it that). If you enjoy dystopia and don’t mind a sci-fi twist. this book may be for you. It wasn’t my cup of tea though. However, I have to give the author props for that ending. It wasn’t very original AND it was predictable, but it has me intrigued enough that I’ll be watching for the sequel.

I found the premise of this book very interesting (dystopian, fighting games, all at first very Hunger Games-esque, yay!). Ultimately, however, I found the plot convoluted and hard to follow. I wasn't sure what was going on, because the descriptions were often vague. I very much wanted to like this book, but even re-reading whole chapters didn't help me understand what was happening.

I love Mary Weber's new series! This first book in the series is so fast-paced, it grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. The end is a cliffhanger, which is somewhat of a bummer, but being that this is the opening book of a new series, I sort-of figured that this would be the case. I loved the characters - they are deeply written - flawed, but loveable. And best of all, the book is full of twists, turns and betrayals that you won't expect!

Sofi and her brother, Shilo, are part of the Earth's UW gaming circuit. The worldwide games were started after the Fourth War to help unite the world under the Corporations that now rule. However, during the most recent game, a bomb explodes and Shilo is presumed dead in the aftermath. Sofi is certain her brother isn't dead. And she's determined to go after him ... even if that mean facing down the aliens on the planet that has appeared near the moon.

If you were to combine The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Host you would be looking at The Evaporation of Sofi Snow. So much going on it will easily leave you wanting more.

It has been eleven years since the alien race, Delonese, and their ice-planet arrived in Earth’s atmosphere. Since that time, Sofi Snow has had vivid dreams of the aliens. Earth is now ruled by corporations instead of governments and Sofi and her brother have been forced by these corporations to participate in fantasy fighting. Sofi is the gamer while her brother, Shilo, is in the arena. During one of the games a bomb explodes in the arena killing many, including Shilo, or at least that is what everyone but Sofi believe. She has dreams he is alive and is certain he has been taken by the Delonese. She must get to the planet and find her brother; the only problem is the only ones allowed are the ambassadors. Sofi convinces, Miguel, the youngest ambassador who she was close to once, to take her with him to the planet. Miguel has found himself in trouble as he is being blackmailed to make sure a certain corporation is blamed for the attack. Together Sofi and Miguel find more trouble, deceit, and unthinkable things than they could have imagined.

Patience. That is the word that comes to mind when describing this book. If you are not patient with what is happening and willing to give it time, at least more than what you would an average book, you are not going to enjoy it. I really thought I might not finish this one but am very glad I did. The beginning was slow to get going, very confusing with the set up, and the world the characters found themselves in. I am not a gamer, which is probably a good target audience for this one, and I think that slowed me down at the beginning. Once I was about halfway through, it didn’t matter that I am not into video games because the story took off in a direction that didn’t have very much to do with the games. At this point, I was very happy I decided to stick with the book. The story was engaging and the characters kept me guessing as to what was about to happen with them. The ending left it wide open for a sequel, which I am anxiously looking forward to. It is refreshing to see a YA sci-fi thriller out there that kids can really enjoy. There were several points that I give the author credit for surprising me with the twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I recommend this book to YA readers that are looking for a thrill ride in the gaming world and so, so much more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

My first instinct after finishing this book is to declare a plague upon your house, Mary Weber for that cliffhanger ending! But then if it came true, you wouldn't be able to write and none of us would get the second book and really, who does that benefit? Plus, there's the whole, cursing someone isn't cool, thing. ;)

Anyway.

I'll say this instead...I enjoyed that! I'm not a gamer, but I had no trouble understanding what was going on. (I was envisioning THG.) Fast paced, action packed with a focus on relationships of all kinds: parent, sibling, friend, and romantic. Sofi and her supporting cast of characters--even the ones I wanted to throttle--and the story pulled me in and refused to let me go. And you know, after having read the Storm Siren Trilogy--which I looooved and you should read ASAP if you haven't already done so--I should have been prepared for that ending. Should have.

But I wasn't.

However, I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2!

Twisty YA novel that I think a lot of teens will get into. Follows many familiar YA tropes.

Wow. The Evaporation of Sofi Snow was a mixture of The Hunger Games trilogy, the movie Runaway Man featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and some high tech movie I can't think of as of yet. All to say: wow!

What I liked:
High tech toys! Seriously, what's not to love. Sofi Snow lives in a world where most illnesses have been eradicated thanks to cures. FanFight games (think Hunger Games without the death) run by tech geniuses. And another planet just chilling outside of Earth's atmosphere. It was almost like reading a movie script.

The characters! Sofi and Miguel each intrigued me. Not to mention the sparks and thinly disguised disgust on Sofi's part. Think woman scorned plus the old adage, "a thin line between love and hate." Sofi's had a hard life, but she's determined not to let it get her down. And Miguel, well he's searching for redemption. Of course, there's a host of secondary characters that keeps the story moving and engaging as you play the game: whodunnit.

Underlying themes! Mary Weber is famous for this. She always touches upon a real life issue and uses fiction to unearth the root cause and show hope. This book's theme: trafficking. It's horrifying to imagine, but Ms. Weber does it in away that you won't pass out reading it, but understand the underlying emotion and thought that this does go on in real life.

This book … this book. I don’t know what to say. Let me give you a quick rundown of things that happen in the first quarter of the book:
Sofi Snow is a competitor in these half-video game half-gladiatorial competitions set up by the totally humanoid aliens who kind-of-but-not-really invaded Earth during WWIV and saved humanity from totally wiping itself out. Their ice planet is hanging out in orbit and everyone is pretending that humanity is still totally self-governing. Sure. Anyway, Sofi and her brother Shilo compete in the games on the behalf of her mother’s corporation. When an attack happens at the games,
Shilo disappears and Sofi has to get him back with the help of her ex-love Miguel, whose inner dialogue is mostly him saying ¿Qué? because diversity! Literally no one figures out that the aliens might not have good intentions until the end of the book, because evidently WWIII wiped out every story about aliens we’ve ever committed to celluloid. This was excessively tedious.

Whilst the world was interesting enough, it was a slow start that was incredible difficult to get in to. Maybe something to come back but for now, did not finish.

The gaming made this book a must read for me, especially since Ive been loving scifi lately. It did take me a bit to get into since we were kind of just thrown into the story, but once I got a feel for the world and the characters the mystery behind the kidnapping and the blackmailing was thrilling. I had a bunch of theories that I couldn't wait to find out if they were true. The concept was fascinating but the world building was a little vague at times. I felt like I didnt get a decent grasp on the world until about a 25% into the book.

The fast pace plot kept things exciting but I wasnt completely invested in the characters. I liked the main characters but I didnt connect with them as much as I would have liked. Maybe once I read the sequel and spend more time with them Ill feel differently. Sofis love for her brother was really sweet but we dont really get to know him or their mother. I loved Sofis punk gamer vibe and Miguels heart of gold hidden behind the bad boy image. I didnt trust some of the characters but that made the story even more entertaining. I want to know more about the Aliens and where they come from.

I was frustrated when they would mention the blackmail photos but not tell us what they were. If the character gets to see them than so should we. This book ends on a major cliffhanger that made the book feel incomplete to me. They were in the middle of doing something important and all of sudden its over. Although it does make me want to pick up the sequel to see what happens next and get some questions answered. So far most of my theories were right which is disapointing because I love being surprised so hopefully the sequel has a few twists and turns I dont see coming.

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing. I had read the summary before requesting the ARC and was interested at the time but never reread it before picking up the book. The book started off right in the action with Sofi and her brother, Shilo battling against other kids in a tournament involving survival as well as virtual reality and coding. At the beginning I was getting huge Hunger Games vibes which I really did not enjoy. But luckily the tournament portion of the book was brief.

We then are left with Sofi on this journey to save Shilo. But to save him she must first find him. This book was nonstop action and adventure which I really enjoyed. Mary Weber is an excellent action scene writer and I always felt like I was in the thick of everything as Sofi searches for clues.

The big issue I had with this book was the worldbuilding. We are thrown right into the action with little background on the tournament or these characters and what they have gone through. We do get some information in roundabout ways about the characters and their situations but it was not at all enough for me. I even felt like the aliens were poorly explained and developed. I know they were humanoid but larger but that tells me nothing about them as a species. The book also mentioned things and technology the aliens gave to help Earth but with little explanation or understanding of what the true relationship between the two species is.

While this is more than one book and there is definitely time for further explanation, I think this book would have benefited from better worldbuilding before jumping into the action of the story. This book also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger one that did not phase me. I did not become attached to these characters so I was in no way shocked by the ending nor do I feel like the wait for the next book will be far too long. Overall, this was a good book, I just could not overlook the lack of worldbuilding and setting up the story and the characters. If you can overlook that, then I'm sure you will really enjoy this book.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book*

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is a book of layers. Mostly figuratively, but also literally in some places. What I love about this story is that each reader will be able to find something they need to hear amidst the rush of following Sofi on her quest to save her brother.

On the surface, this is a fast book set in a futuristic world ruled by corporations and filled with gamers, gadgets and aliens. The excitement and twists kept coming, and I couldn't stop reading once I started. But under the surface of this high action story are themes of loss and family bonds and identity, as well as what it means to be human, value life and have true relationships, all of which turned up the emotional intensity. I love stories that could be read on many levels and that are not just one thing, and this book is deeply both of those elements.

Three things you should know about The Evaporation of Sofi Snow before you start:

1) Eleven Years ago another planet appeared in Earth's orbit. It's people are called the Delonese, and though they mostly look human, they are not exactly.
2) The most important person in Sofi's world is her brother Shilo. She will do anything to protect him.
3) Eighteen months ago, Sofi met a charming boy who stole her heart and then broke it. She's determined not to lose her heart to anyone again.

This book begins with Sofi Snow, a brilliant gamer girl competing in the Fanfight Games - a mixture of virtual and reality competition that the whole world tunes in to watch every 6 months. Sofi is the girl behind the screens while her brother Shilo is the one in front of the cameras and on the ground of the stadium, fighting to stay ahead of the other players also sponsored by corporations. But Shilo goes missing when the arena is bombed by another competitor, and though he's officially declared dead, Sofi is certain that he is not. Stopping at nothing to find him, Sofi soon realizes her only option is to convince Miguel, the young ambassador who broke her heart eighteen months ago, to take her to the Delonese ice-planet where she's sure Shilo is being held. Although this is not her favorite plan, Sofi will not let past feelings get in the way of her brother.

I love that many things in this story are much more than they appear at first. Nothing is just what it appears on the surface, and that includes the characters. Who is Sofi under that confident armor she projects, and what losses have made her this way? Miguel projects a playboy persona, and it's true that he and Sofi share a complicated and painful past, but who is he really? In the story we get both of their POVs and slowly as the narrative unfolds, their layers are pealed back and exposed. Although the focus of this story is Sofi's quest to find her brother, and within that herself, a lot of other elements are at play, including a second chance romance. I will say that it was hard for me to read about Miguel and Sofi's past, but also rewarding to watch them begin to face that and each other as they worked together. I'm definitely looking forward to more of them in the next installment.

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow ends in the middle of a high intensity moment, and it is a cliffhanger in every sense of the word. I'm now dying for the next installment of this duet!

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: High

From the very first pages I was thrown into the book without knowing WHO, WHAT or WHY – these were the main questions that flooded my head. What is Fantasy Fight? Was it virtual or real? Are they gamers? and WHAT IS HAPPENING, PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME?? were the main questions no one troubled to explain.

Obviously (huh, wasn’t so obvious to me at first), as the story progresses further, some things start to make sense. For example, (if you are wondering) Fantasy Fight IS REAL (I think…), at least the players are in the arena on their own, not just some characters they’ve created. Is the arena real? I guess in some sense it is, but it is also a virtual reality. Can you get hurt? Yes, you can (Once again, I think… )

Each player has a back up team of tech guys guiding and aiding them through the obstacles, being able to manipulate the virtual reality to their advantage.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY COOL CONCEPT!
Maybe, slightly inspired by the Hunger Games but still very cool online gaming, virtual reality, hackers based concept. (Being honest, that was one of the main reasons why I requested this book).

However, after about 30% the games are OVER! And we don’t see any more of them for the rest of the book! Which made me very sad as an online game addict (yes, we all have our secrets and now you know mine. For the Horde!).

The other side of dystopian / sci fi story is no less interesting. There are aliens and different corporations. There is a huge gap between classes. So much room for political drama that I also LOVE!

But the truth be told, for almost 60% of the book I found myself wondering and rereading pages and pages of the book just to find out what I missed, because nothing was clear. Nothing!

That is why I had so much trouble rating this book. The concept is AMAZING. Something I would love to read more about. This new dystopian world is beyond imaginable. With aliens and politics, there is so much potential.

What this book lacked is execution. Even the best of concepts result in losing ideas when told poorly. And when the book does not give readers enough information, background AND description about WHAT IS GOING ON it can never be a good book.

I am actually very disappointed! Arrgh.. The concept is there, the writing is not bad, but there were too many informational gaps to be filled and that is on the editors as much as on the author.

I was going to give it three stars but it’s not quite there. And I always try to avoid half stars as much as possible. If you would like to give it a try, I’d say DO IT! But only if you are really interested in the concept.

A book about virtual reality gaming, human trafficking, aliens, politics, family, plus much more. A one-of-a-kind story that will make you wonder if there really is life beyond our own planet.


Blog Post up on 6/3, 12:00 PM EST

I normally am not one that is huge on sci fi, in any sub genre, but when I saw that Weber had a new book out, sci fi or not, I knew I had to read it.

I'm so very glad that I did because once again Weber shows us that the woman can write. She can create worlds whether, fantasy or science fiction, and make them completely believable. With characters that are lovable every bit as they are determined, single minded and fierce in doing what needs to be done, darn the consequences.

This was a fun read and one that I didn't struggle with at all, which was a relief because once I got into the story, it wasn't hard at all to want to shut out the outside world and read until I was done.

Set in a futuristic, almost game like feel to it, this was so easy to get into. With scientific jargon that wasn't complicated or hard to understand, instead you flowed easily right into the heart of the story which, like most of Weber's book, was full of secrets and lies and riddled with hidden agendas and mystery.

All in all a wonderful story that will stuck you in and leave you wanting the next one.

This is a bleak insight into the possible future of our world. Ravaged by war, Earth needed the help of an alien species to unite its people. Now human life is lived under the shadow of their saviours.

The population is split into thirty corporations and members of each are given a chance at fame and freedom in their entry of the annual Fantasy Fighting games. The competitors of Corporation 30, for this part-online, part-reality game, are siblings Sofi and Shilo. Their chance of success is high, until a bomb is detonated inside the arena, killing audience and contestants alike.

While being transported to the emergency room, Sofi awakens to see Shilo carried away by someone not of the emergency team. Determined to find him and discover who would want to see them dead, Sofi sets out on a mission to fight their invisible enemy and reunite with her brother. But with aliens, old flames, and her own Corporation mixed up in this plot on their lives, that may be simpler said than done.

From about a quarter of the way into the book, I realised this was going to be a very different read from what I had imagined. I was expecting the initial portion of the plot, involving the games, to form much of the story-line but it played a woefully small part. This, I believe, would have made for a thrilling read and I wasn't too eager to move in from it.

From there, the plot descended into total chaos and I had trouble understanding exactly what was occurring. I felt like a lack of foundations were set, to inform the reader about the world, and I struggled with knowing my who from my what from my why, due to that.

Once I had gathered my bearings, I wasn't totally enthused about what I discovered. I wasn't sold on the romance and it felt like both an unnatural and awkward coupling. I was also still unsure about many of the characters' objectives and reasons for their action, which made much of what they did feel unbelievable.

This wasn't a wholly bad book, as many high ratings will attest to, but I had early problems with the story-line that impacted any future enjoyment I might have had with this book. It's unfortunate, as the this had such a strong beginning but the rest, it transpired, wasn't the story for me.