2.5 stars
I thought it was an interesting premisse and had some good ideas, but the execution lacked. I`m sorry to say, neither the writing style nor the characters were my cup of tea.

I ended up DNF it at ca 18%.
This was just not my type of book, i really wanteded to. But it was just a little...bland..

I loved every page and found the concept of merging minds fascinating! The creepy vibe was cool. I also loved the vivid degeneration of the character's minds. When reading Lake's passages with her memory loss and her bizarre new personality, I felt like I had Alzheimer's or was going crazy myself just reading it! It's awesome that the writing was still coherent and messy at the same time. In addition, this cover is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen! I also loved the mystery element. The ending was very bittersweet and satisfying.

Nah, not for me at all. To much teen drama and that kind of stuff. The premise felt really good, but it just didn't sui me. DNF.

I loved this very much! The characters, the actions and even the plot itself! Very inspiring for my own book too!

This novel explored the really interesting concept of inserting someone's consciousness into a healthy, younger body, but neither the writing itself nor the characters really moved me in any way. It fell a little short for me, especially with that "gotcha" ending that makes everything that happened kind of worthless.

So, this was an interesting concept. Between sounding different from my normal genres and being a YA book, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be for me. In the end though, I really enjoyed the story. I liked learning about each character and following them around this new world. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Interesting read!

I always love diving into sci-fi books that have a more unique twist to things. Although this is YA it doesn't read super young. The plot does move a little slower than I prefer, but the mystery and whole world was intriguing enough not to annoy me too much.

I recommend this for those that love YA sci-fi.

3.5/5

This book has a fascinating idea. What happens when you put the mind of a dying genius into a smart sixteen-year-old? I loved how the Nobel prizes were used in this book as subjects; I've never seen another book use them before.

The setting reminded me of The Maze Runner -- teens put into a scientific experiment that might not be what it seemed. It was obvious that the main characters were oblivious and that something was going wrong, but I liked how the book slowly dropped hints rather than reveal it all at once. It kept me guessing.

I felt like there could have been more backstory to the whole Nobel program. Orfyn has a bit, but Lake is just kind of thrown in there. I assume the Nobel program isn't well-known so like, how is it pitched to regular families? Is there a pamphlet explaining the scientific procedure?

The pacing was a bit slow at times, and I did have to take a few breaks to get back into the mindset of reading. The rotating Lake/Orfyn POVs were a bit annoying at first since I could basically always read between the lines of what they were experiencing while they themselves didn't know. Example: As soon as Lake started having memory lapses, I knew she was getting Alzheimer's. HOWEVER, as the mental state of the characters changed, the first person POVs became much more interesting. It was really well-done; there was a clear difference to how the characters were perceiving their situation. Lake especially. The first-person really brought out how Sophie was merging into her.

Although I liked all the characters, Stryker was my favorite. He's a noble leader who knows how to get things done. I'm glad he got a few POVs because he seems like a genuinely ingenious dude. However, we still don't know his real name. Not an important detail but it would've been nice.

Honestly, the ending alone made me bump this from a 3-star to a 3.5-star. I loved how our main characters' situation was handled. I really like how their meeting was left up to our imagination. Just enough clues were left to piece together how it might go. I didn't really understand the epilogue significance though.

Overall, an interesting stand-alone read. Definitely underrated too; I look forward to future Kroepfl work!

Merged explores the ethical conundrums of transplanting human consciousness. Teenagers are selected to merge with brilliant, RICH minds after those minds have reached a near end to their natural lives. Their conscious is then merged with the teenager's conscious. It raises the question of how far science can go, and how far science should go. It also raises the concern about the influence of wealth and power. Should the wealthy be able to buy their immortality at the expense of others?

I loved this book and really enjoyed the realistic application of science. It can be a dense read if you don't have a working knowledge of various scientists and artists, but it's an enlightening look into how far science can go.

I enjoyed parts of this, but at times I was really confused as to what was going on. Also, I feel like the ending was too abrupt. I really enjoyed Lake as a character though.
The plot was also interesting, but like I said before a little confusing at times.

I honestly had my doubts when I picked this up but I surprisingly enjoyed it... a lot.

I must admit, the blurb did confuse me with words such as "Nobels" and "Mentors" and "Merging" but I went in, read the story and came out feeling:

1. Very happy because I genuinely enjoyed the story
2. Sad that the book ended
3. Sad because there's no sequel
4. Genuinely concerned for where humanity (and technology and mad scientists) is going

...and I mean seriously concerned. I would HATE it if the science in this book was our reality today. Just imagine if someone else's consciousness was uploaded into your brain so you can "progress" society. Yikes. In the novel, these people are called Nobels. They are young and talented at a certain skill e.g., chemistry, art, peace, physiology etc. They have been chosen by a group of scientists "The Darwinians" to "merge" with a professional in their area of talent (a Mentor). This unsurprisingly has serious repercussions to all those involved.

We follow the narratives of Lake, the Nobel of Chemistry, Orfyn the Nobel for Art and Stryker the Nobel of Peace as they navigate their merge. All of these kids are looking at ways that they can influence society. Lake is working with her mentor to reverse Alzheimers, Stryker is working with his mentor to stop gun violence and Orfyn is working on a project to make art engage more than with the sense of sight. While they are working on their projects, they discover that their merge isn't quite what it seems...

I found that all of the narratives really worked well together, they all had a different voice which made it easier to differentiate each character's narration. I think I had a special place in my heart for each of the three characters. They all were unique and so clever. I loved getting to know them and I was missing them way before I turned the last page. I would love to see where they all ended up after an ending like that as well as what plans The Darwinians have in the future.

The only issues that I really had was to do with Stryker and the future of Merging. That was kind of skimmed over especially the part where they said they couldn't do a certain procedure yet a week or so later it turned out successfully? I might've been missing something there, I was extremely puzzled at how it could've been accomplished under the circumstances however I do think there are so many threads that the authors could tie up in a sequel. Hopefully it's coming!

ACTUAL RATING: 4.3 STARS

there’s an utter lack of attention to detail, the book felt as if i was reading an outline and although consequently “things” happened very fast there was no time for me to enjoy anything.

the idea is not bad, i would even say that i haven’t seen it done before and with a lot of work it can become a solid book that i would revisit.

What drew me in to requesting Merged was the plot/premise. Having super brilliant minds combined with your own sounds cool but it also sounds... intense. It sounds cool but it could easily be a horror movie kind of thing. Merged was somewhere in the middle.
There are other books it kind of reminded me of, Alive by Scott Sigler and The Host by Stephanie Meyer, but with less aliens.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Merged.

Merged by Jim Kroepfl and Stephanie Kroepfl is such a wonderful story to read. I loved reading this story very much it has very strong characters and a wonderful story line. I can not wait to read more form this author and I highly recommend this to all.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGallery

Seven of the most talented teenagers (16-years old) will become Nobels. They each have an area they are considered extremely intelligent in, such as Chemistry, Mathematics, even art. They were given the opportunity to merge their minds with a known genius in the field, who is close to death. This consciousness is embedded in the mind of these youth, where they can continue their research within the dreamspace.

This is uncharted territory and there is the potential for many mishaps. When the mentors try to take control of the minds and bodies of the Nobels, something must be done!

What an interesting concept! Love the idea of this crazy experiment. Overall is was executed well. I feel that it was hard to get to know the characters well, as there was so much happening and a lot of drama. I would probably give it 4 stars for the concept, but 3 for execution. I will say I was glad there wasn't going to be a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A well-written YA sci-fi story that is entertaining and easy to read. I would never have known that there were two authors. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC egalley.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a decent YA about a group of teens chosen to merge their conscious with brilliant adult minds in the hopes of winning the novel prize and changing the world. Lake and Ofrin experience difficulties connecting with their mentors and this leads to many unanswered questions. A bit stagnate in some parts but overall well written and engaging.

A fun read! I didn't know what to expect when I started this one, but I liked the cover, and the blurb sounded fun. I really enjoyed it, though, and am glad I got the chance to read it! I enjoyed the characters, and the story was well written!

Merged is a new novel by the author duo, who also happen to be husband and wife, Jim and Stephanie Kroepfl. Merged is about a futuristic world where scientists have discovered how to "merge" one consciousness with another. Mostly, they want to put brilliant individuals of various disciplines into 16 year olds (Nobels) with a proclivity for their topics of expertise. The merged consciousness will be able to communicate with their Nobel in their dreams. The Nobel would then continue the work left behind by the deceased genius.

Lake and Orfyn are two Nobels, Chemistry and Art respectively. They begin to notice that not everything is as it seems with the organization that has started this experiment. When other Nobels begin to suffer negative effects from the merged consciousness, they begin to investigate and unravel the plans of adults with far more power than they have.

I really enjoyed reading Merged, and I thought the plot was well conceived and well executed. Chapters are told from 3 different Nobels points of view, and then also from the Darwinians (the organization running the experiment). It was really interesting to be able to have the insider information provided by the Darwinian chapters, especially as it coincided with what the Nobels were experiencing.

My only critique is that I want MORE. No spoilers, but that ending doesn't seem to wrap up the book well, and I desperately want to know what happens to Lake, Orfyn, and Stryker after the fact. If you are interested in science fiction, definitely go check out Merged!