The Love Collective is everywhere. It sees everything. Be not afraid.
Apprentice Flick remembers everything, except the first five years of her life. And for as long as she can remember, Flick has wanted to enter the Elite Academy – home to the best, brightest, and most loyal members of the Love Collective government.
Flick’s uncanny memory might get her there, too … even if it is the very thing that marks her as a freak. But frightening hallucinations start intruding into her days and threaten to bring down all she has worked so hard to accomplish. Why is she being hijacked by a stranger’s nightmare over and over again?
Moving to the Elite Academy could give Flick the future she’s always wanted. But her search for truth may lead to a danger she cannot escape. (from Goodreads)
My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m still a little bit in shock that I finished this book. For a couple days afterward, it lived so rent free in my mind, that I kept wanting to continue reading and being disappointed all over again that it was over. 😅 Fortunately it is a series, so next time I feel like I can swing that much for an ebook, I am absolutely diving back in. 😎
This book drew me in immediately (from the Amazon sample because #cautious), and kept me all the way through. I was really fascinated with Flick’s memory and how it affected her life for good and bad. I can relate to that just a little bit, and it was really interesting to see her backstory slowly revealed, both in memories she’d filed away perfectly and ones she didn’t recognize. I especially found her emotional responses extremely accurate and compelling.
Side characters were one of the biggest pros and cons for me about this book. On the one hand, there were so many names that were so similar, I had trouble keeping them straight until I mentally pared them down to who was most important. Hodge, Chu, and Cam are my favorites, and I’m very invested in Sif’s storyline. (I refuse to believe it’s over.) Dorm Leader Akela is goals.
The tech just absolutely blew my mind. I know it wasn’t anything exceedingly original, but it was so seamless, fascinating, and easy to immerse myself in. My favorite scene was when they were running the Engine Room. 🤩
The unique terminology was a little much at first, but I got used to everything except “Haterman”. That just seemed to pull me out of the story whenever it was used. 🥲 A very small complaint though in an otherwise highly enjoyable story.
CW: Descriptions of child abuse, medical procedures, and violent gladiatorial games. Implied off-screen executions. Claustrophobia. Themes of medical kidnapping and education as indoctrination.
Best quote: “Why are you doing this?” I say to my body. “Why can’t you just behave like a normal person?”
Altogether, I highly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the rest of the series. 👏👏
Perfect for fans of Anomaly by Krista McGee.