3/5 stars

This book felt almost too ambitious. There were big ideas and big things in the works, but ultimately several plot points fell a little flat.

YA thrillers are kind of my go-to genre when I need something quick to grab me and distract me for a little while. I love unraveling their mysteris and figuring out their culprits and motives. So while I hadn't heard anything about Shadow State around the blogosphere, I was still happy to read it when I found it while perusing NetGalley. It's a solid story with some exciting twists and turns, but having read so much of the genre, I didn't feel like it was at all the perfect book.


To start with, though, I really, really liked the idea. The whole premise surrounds this drug called Cortexia that the main character's mother created, a miracle cure for PTSD. There are a lot of players here, from the lab scientists, to the government, to protesters. I thought this was realy interesting and not something I had seen in YA before. Corporate and political thrillers are just very hard to come by. The main character quickly learns that underneath the shiny veneer of Cortexia and its creators, BioXin, something is amiss. Cortexia may not be the miracle cure that everyone says it is, and her mother might even be behind the cover-up that Brynn has discovered.


The plot relies a lot on Brynn's memory loss, which I found incredibly frustrating. Brynn has basically no memeory of the past summer, no recollection of her ex-boyfriend's face even, or why she and her closest, dearest friend no longer speak. And Brynn and her current boyfriend, Dex, act like this is totally normal. They are very casual about her having absolutely no idea what happened between like March and September. It was very bizarre and I thought it was ridiculous that there were no connections made regarding this point and WHY it was happening. It was so obvious to me from page like, 1, what was going on there. So watching the characters sloooowly figure out something that I already knew really took away from the reading experience.


I predicted a good amount of the plot points in this story, which isn't unusual for me, but it is disappointing. I enjoyed a good amount of the red herrings though, and thought the author did a really great job of building tension between a few of the characters. Everyone was suspicious and everyone was in danger. I found the big reveal to be a little convoluted, especially with regards to the motive, and I didn't think the Bad Guy could have really predicted Brynn would take every single step the way she did. But the very end? Like the last couple sentences? Absolutely excellent and left me with my jaw hanging in the wind.


So, I don't think this is the perfect mystery for long-time thriller readers. But it's exciting and unique enough that I would definitely recommend it to others. It's political and creepy and tense at all the right moments, even if it had some predictable plot points and a confusing Big Reveal.

Brynn spent the previous summer swamped with depression after ending a toxic relationship with her manipulative ex-boyfriend Jacob. Now she is with sweet and charming Dex and her life seems to be getting back to normal until she recovers some frightening memories from the past. She works with Dex to figure out the mystery of her missing memories that somehow relate to the drug Cortexia, an antidepressant that treats PTSD that her mom created and is about to launch.

I don't want to include any spoilers, but I knew something was up at the beginning regarding a specific character since they acted shady. I still had more questions at the end, and despite a lot of reviewers not liking it (I definitely understand why), I didn't have a problem with it since justice was going to be served. This was suspenseful until the final page and I'm glad I had the chance to read it.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

This did not work for me at all. The constant questions the author kept throwing in were meant I guess to guide the reader, but having that many questions every other paragraph never the reader think for themselves. It felt like the author didn't trust her readers to put the pieces together of her puzzle. This took me completely out of the story and I never felt myself getting back into it.

I also didn't care for Brynn. Her character was not one that I could connect with at all and I felt like she made bad choices constantly. For someone who was supposed to be one of the smartest kids ever she sure didn't act like it.

I guessed the twist really early on, but there is a major typo in the story where the author actually calls Dex Jacob and after reading that I knew I was right. I am assuming this will be fixed in the final copy, but just a warning it's in there.

I also hated the open ending. After so much it all just ends with a well sorry you don't get to save the world. It made the whole book feel pointless and like I wasted 4 hours of my life. This was just a disappointment and I will not be looking into the authors future works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of #Shadow State.
Let me first start off by saying, the synopsis was a huge selling point for me on this novel. Once, I started it the character Brynn got me invested, but the ending just p****** me off. What? I am not sure if this will be a series now or just leaves you thinking okay.. either way I'm still holding a grudge at the book. Brayden is a really solid writer and has great storytelling ability. The book is good, but that ending just leaves me reeling. I would have given it 4 stars if not for the ending. Just saying.

I voluntarily read and reviewed "Shadow State." All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First Thoughts:

The ending sucked, just an fyi. But up until the ending, the book was really good. I enjoyed the plot (mostly), I enjoyed the concept and the writing. The story had me hooked till the very end. Why oh why must the ending conclude that way?! Never read anything by this author so had no idea what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised with the attention to detail and the information that was provided to make this world possible...so with that said, let's continue...

Goodreads Summary:

What Brynn Caldwell can't remember might get her killed.

Brynn is a promising science student recovering from a bad relationship that sent her spiraling into a depression. But as she puts the pieces of her life back together, a few don't fit.

Brynn is uncovering memories of being abducted and possibly brainwashed. It's all connected to a drug that might be an ultimate weapon: a tool to control people's memories. Now, to stop a possible terrorist attack, Brynn has to find out what she's been forced to forget---and what side she's really on.

Plot:

Like I mentioned above the plot was pretty good, very fast and had some mystery. The problem I had was some of the plot was predictable and the ending was frustrating and lacked a good conclusion. I don't want to give anything away but I felt the ending left a lot of questions unanswered and the reader yearning for a better outcome. Also, the plot had a lot of information that would need to be researched and I think the author did a good job on that. Though I'm not sure if it was accurate but it seemed real all the same.It was creative in some ways too, like the science behind the mystery drug that's talked about throughout the whole book. This is a short book compared to some books nowadays, so it makes it a fast read, can be read in one or two sittings. So if you're looking for a quick read this is the book for you. I wish some of the parts weren't predictable; would've made the book more interesting to read. But maybe to some this story would come as a total surprise so I wouldn't knock it for that one aspect alone.

Romance:

There was romance in this book but not one I particularly care for. It seemed odd and forced so I was not a fan. I think this book would've been better without the romance but in the end I knew why it was needed, it did add to the plot. Without the romance things in this book would not have been possible. But I didn't like it, so if you're a romance reader this is not a book for you.

Characters:

Brynn was an okay character. She was fun to get to know and understand. Her memories were tampered with so it was hard to get to know her that well. But the parts where she was lucid she had a lot of deep emotions and thoughts. Some of the decisions she made I would have done differently but that's what makes her unique and real. She had her own thought processes and personality. Her mother was stiff and cold and I would hate to have her as my own mother. Dex was really the main mystery in this book. He was just as mysterious as the drug itself. I couldn't always get a good grasp on him so I didn't always know what to expect from him. All the other characters were good and were needed to add to the story-line so they were worth it. But like I mentioned earlier I wish I could've gotten a better grasp on Brynn (main protagonist). But maybe she was meant to appear that way; maybe that was the authors's intention all along.

Transformation of the Character:

This is a tricky part of the book to tackle. Yes in a way the Brynn did transform but some areas she didn't. It was the whole memories being contaminated that made this a tricky area to discuss. And I cant' really discuss much more without giving the story away so you'll just have to read it yourself.

Description:

This was one area of the book that I really enjoyed. The description of Brynn's world and her thoughts and feelings really added some mystery to the story. Though the beginning chapter I think had too much description. I think it could've been cut down some and still get the point across. But as the story progressed it did get better. Brynn's emotions and thoughts were well described and allowed the reader to get more attached to her when she was expressing them. The description of the scenery and world was good also. We got to really picture what was happening and see the foreshadowing in some places.

Style:

This was written in one POV and in third person. Being written in only Brynn's point of view only allowed the reader to see the world in one perspective. It left most of what was going on a mystery (well to some readers). I will admit there were some surprises and twists I didn't guess or see coming. So yes it's not completely predictable. Being written in third person allowed the reader to be a little detached from Brynn and see a little more of the world just not as much as if it were in more than one point of view. The author's writing was excellent, I would totally read more by this author, just in hopes the ending to her next book would be more fulfilling and satisfying.

Quote of the Book:

Can't do a direct quotation because this book isn't out yet and the publisher asked the reader to not to put any quotation from the book. But just know the writing is excellent and fun to read.

Last Thoughts:

Though I didn't always enjoy all parts of this book; it was excellent writing. It enticed the readers and allowed them to explore a world not of their own. Don't know if I would recommend anyone to read this because of the ending; but I would recommend keeping an eye on this author. Read whatever else she writes; perhaps the ending will be much better. But if you're looking for good writing this book has that. I leave it up to you as a reader to make the decision to read this. Best of luck to you, fellow reader! Let me know what you think!!

What do you get when you cross a drug that has the power to wipe memories meant to help soldiers suffering from PTSD and politicians who point to the greater good that drug could do in protecting humanity? I received an eArc via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. What if that politician is not as altruistic as he seems? Bring in teenagers who stumble upon a potentially catastrophic event and the reader gets an action-packed YA thriller with a doozy of a twist at the end. I pride myself on usually being able to see where a story is going but, Shadow State threw me a curveball and I did not see that one coming.

Brynn is a teenager with the sweetest boyfriend in the world who she has a lot in common with and he treats her very well. But, Brynn has had a tough year prior to meeting Dex. She suffered from depression and had to receive professional help and with the help of medication which she has just been weaned from she is starting to see what appear to be hallucinations. Along with the hallucinations she had a hole in her memory from the previous year. Her parents are worried about her but they seem to be working through it. Her mom has finally, after years of hard work, been able to bring the drug she and her business partner created to help PTSD victims to the market. It has been approved by the FDA and the government has shown great interest in the drug's progress and how it can help the military. There also is the problem with Brynn's best friend who won't speak to her and Brynn does not know why. Brynn reaches out and Lexi won't respond. What's worse is that Brynn does not understand why they are no longer friends. I am not sure how I feel about the ending. It was unexpected, but, it was good. I will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author. Review can also be seen at Lady Techie's Book Musings http://LadyTechiesbookmusings.blogspot.com.

First, the story takes place over 12 days. Brynn has a history of anxiety and depression. First in her class, great boyfriend. So, what is wrong? Her mother is a celebrated PhD, her father in the symphony orchestra.
Out of the blue, Brynn receives a text message, "Are you ready? It's almost time." "Eleven more days". This piqued my interest! A grey Toyota continues to show up in Brynn's life (at school, when visiting, etc.) Brynn continues getting the texts: "What do you remember?", "Blue flash drive in your drawer". Her boyfriend, Dex, seems to be unhappy with where this may be leading to. After all, Brynn gave a bomb lecture in class and her ex-boyfriend, Jacob< was a controlling sort who may be a terrorist. Brynn's mom, has developed Cortexia, a cure for PTSD. Is this connected? Brynn and Dex decide to check at mom's (Celeste) work for any clues. While there, Dr. Lowell (Celeste's research partner) points to the research . Dex and Brynn steal it and, of course, it is highjacked off them. Brynn has suspicions, so she decides to confront her mother. Is her mother a terrorist?
Her mother does not sort it out for Brynn. Brynn "remembers" a memory loss, a grey Toyota and her best friend, Lexi, in time. Puzzling conclusions with too many spoilers to list here. Crosses and double crosses. Identity revelations. All too confusing for me. Great premise but does not deliver.