Cut Off by Adrianne Findlay—This book is a trip, a topsy-turvy ride! Cut-Off is a new reality TV show much like Survivor, but with teenagers dropped off on a island and no “challenges” except to survive. What makes this show stand out? The virtual reality aspect of it. Audience members can purchase super enhanced virtual reality goggles that let them experience the show through the characters eyes. The whole world goes nuts for this show and the ability to experience surviving the wild. Survivalist River, mad-at-the-world Cam, spoiled techie Trip, and cute but bossy Lexi have all hung on for several weeks when suddenly their paths cross. After comparing notes, they realize they haven’t seen a soul for weeks. They try to communicate with the outside world, but soon realize there is no one in the outside world left. Everyone has just vanished and to make it worse, whatever got the population now seems to be coming for them. Great read combining mystery, thrills, science fiction, and adventure. Publish date: August 11, 2020 #netgalley #CutOff #AdrianneFinlay

Stars: 2.5
I was obsessed with the Lost series back when it was airing, so when this book was described as “Warcross meets Lost…” I knew I simply must read it. Unfortunately for me, it was just…meh. There were a couple scenes that creeped me out in the beginning, but overall it was not particularly exciting. The one thing it did have in common with Lost was that the final reveal was truly disappointing. I knew there was going to be a science fiction element to the story, but it was a bit more sci-fi-y than I was expecting. I also wanted to see more character complexity and development. The characters felt very formulaic to me: the brainiac, the deceiver, the loner, and the closed off beauty. Nobody really surprised me or made me question what I knew about them. I wasn’t really feeling the romantic angle either. In a story like this, I feel the romance should add more depth to the plot or characters, but it didn’t really serve to do so as much as I wanted. It was not a terrible read, but also not one I enjoyed enough to give a higher rating.

I was fascinated by the premise of Cut Off – a bunch of teens are on a reality show where they are put in the wilderness with only basic supplies and drones following their every move. The last one left wins. It sounded Hunger Games-esque with a virtual reality spin. Viewers can virtually immerse themselves in the experience and see, smell, feel everything attached to one of the contestants.

One day, the last four contestants realize that they have lost all contact with the outside world. They are completely cut off from outside civilization, and no one is coming to help. Is it part of the show, or has something gone terribly wrong? This is what River, Cam, Liza, and Trip must figure out for the first half of the story. However, after several frightening experiences, the foursome realizes that something much more dangerous and unusual is going on.

This is an interesting read that went in a totally different direction than I expected. I found that refreshing. What started as a wilderness survival show used to exploit the vulnerabilities of teenagers for the sake of entertainment became an examination of different realities.

The well-developed and dynamic characters show tremendous growth throughout the novel. Each comes into the story with emotional baggage and fears that contribute to the plot. River suffered tremendous loss, which affected his life dramatically. He is thoughtful, solitary and fair, constantly trying to take care of and save others. Cam experienced terrible instances of domestic violence, which has shattered her trust in others. She is independent, strong, and determined. Trip feels rejected by those he loves most. He is smart, edgy, and craves attention. Liza has secrets that she doesn’t want the other to know. She is dodgy and brave. As the foursome get to know and help each other, they realize that they are not so different than they initially thought.

Though I said at the beginning of the review that the story initially reminded me of The Hunger Games, by the end it reminded me more of The Matrix or Inception. There are so many twists and turns, that it is sometimes hard to follow, but the concept behind their dire situation is fascinating.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I liked:
This is such a cool story idea! It is Hunger Games vs. History Channel's Alone.
The characters are easy to relate to as we see their humanity and weaknesses play out in the game.
The VR element and the drones filming make it current and up-to-date--if also a bit sci-fi.

What I disliked:
Some parts kept my attention more than others. I enjoyed the wilderness scenes more than other locations.
There seems to be some background information that the reader isn't privy to that might help us understand certain dilemmas better and create more empathy for the characters.
I would have enjoyed more time in the different realities--and getting to experience how that particular character reacted and changed with the adjustments.

Overall: 3 --I liked it and will recommend it.

#CutOff #NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-arc copy of Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay.

Cut Off is an action-packed book from start to finish. I knew from the description this one was definitely something I would like and I was right. With likable characters and a story, you can't put down what isn't there to like. This book is great for teens and adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I went back and forth on my rating as I read through this book. Parts of it I really enjoyed and parts I only liked, so I'm settling for a middle-of-the-road rating. I don't want to complain too much about the formatting and editing problems this book still has, since it is uncorrected and likely will have these problems fixed by the time it's published. Still, stuff like the interviews were very distracting with how they were formatted. I don't know if it was done that way on purpose, but a bunch of red text was sometimes in the middle of regular text. There needed to be more space or distinction between those parts and the main story, and there was also a part where two people texted each other and I had to guess on which line went with which person.

The story itself was good. It made me think of a lot of different media as I read it, but I don't want to say what and spoil anything. I requested this book because it sounded like it would dip into psychological horror, and I think it did that pretty well. As a reader, I was always a bit skeptical of what was going on because i was always aware of the virtual reality element. I bet this could be a pretty good book club pick because of that, and some other stuff introduced in this story.

The characters were pretty good, but I wish that Trip was given more focus. Most of the story seemed to center on River and Cam. They were both interesting characters, but I still would've liked to know Trip more. It also bugged me when Cam started being treated as if she was special in some way, and I kept thinking "Why her? Why is she the only one who can do this plot-specific thing?" It came out of nowhere, too. She was just suddenly important and able to do this thing.

I do like how their circumstance changed because of their thoughts and fears. That's why psychological horror is my favorite: it's all in the mind. The book did a good job of making me always questioning if what was happening was real or just a part of virtual reality simulation. I don't even completely mind the strange turn the plot took. I do wish the psychological horror element was made a lot stronger, though, and played more with the reader as well as the characters. But on the whole I still liked it.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group for an advanced reader copy in return for my honest review.

Cut Off starts as a type of teen Survivor-type reality show and morphs into a lot of cool futuristic technology ideas. Some of the ideas felt rushed and not developed enough.

I know I read an ARC but here were about half a dozen places where sentences were out of order and didn’t make sense. It was very confusing and hard to follow where that happened.

Contestants on a YA reality show compete to win the cash prize and fight to stay alive. Overcoming their fears will be one of the hardest challenges.

Action abounds in this sci-fi thriller. This book was Survivor meets The Hunger Games. Really fast paced and a good read