Children of Paranoia

Thanks for the advance copy, Goodreads, but I really didn't like this book. Found it a bit boring and blandly written. although the fight scenes were great and really WELL written.

Head over to Raging Biblioholism for the full review!

Excellent read. This is a trilogy and I can't wait for Paranoia II. This story will stay with you for a long time.

Interesting premise and very fast paced. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one!

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.“Children of Paranoia” tells the story of Joe, a front line soldier in the secret War. The world in which Trevor Shane has created: the Wr, the people, the rules…it’s fascinating. He accomplished the impossible; he made me give a damn about a killer.It took me a few chapters to fully enjoy the story, but once I did it was hard to put down. Joe is a well written character. You can feel his conflict, his pain, his happiness. All of it. When he first meets Maria, you’re rooting for things to work out for him, but you know that it probably won’t. The War that’s occurring through out the book is a war between good and evil. Although you can never really be sure who is good and who is evil. Certain children, picked for various reasons, are taught about the War near their sixteenth birthdays. The children then prepare over the next two years, as once they turn eighteen: they become a part of the War. It’s a kill or be killed world, so they must be ready to kill. There are two rules: no killing innocent bystanders, and no killing anyone under the age of eighteen. Joe’s been fighting on the ‘good’ side since he was younger, having decided when he was sixteen that he wanted to be a soldier. Killing is his job, is what he does, it’s who he is, but it isn’t all he wants. He begins questioning what they do and why they do it. After falling for Maria, a girl he meets while on a hit, everything changes.I expected what happened to Joe, but I didn’t expect the ending with Maria. After that letter to Chris, I’m eager to see where the story goes next (as this is the first book in a trilogy). I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. It’s wonderfully written with a main character that you can’t help but feel for, and it has a plot that will keep you guessing. I would recommend this, definitely.A random quote from “Children of Paranoia”: As I stared at the picture, Dan’s voice echoed in my head, reminding me, “Too much hate will ruin you.” “But not enough and the world falls into chaos,” I whispered to myself. I sat down at my desk, opened up the envelope, and began to study the man whose life I was supposed to end.Taken from page 158

I thought this book would be fantastic and original - unfortunately I was wrong. Had the book been written in a different tense, from a different perspective, it cold have been more exciting instead of dull. I found I did not really care for the characters or what happened to them, and there is no real explanation provided for anything, ever.

Children of Paranoia is a book that made me think thriller more than dystopian. The world is basically the same as it is now for the “civilians” clueless about the secret war going on around them. If you are involved in the war you spend your time either assassinating the enemy, gathering Intel on the enemy, or hiding from the enemy. It will have readers biting their nails and reaching for an antacid. This is one of those high-strung reads that barely leaves you a moment to breathe. The first night reading I actually said I must put this book down or I'll have nightmares. The next night I decided screw the nightmares and kept reading until I was done. Talk about stressful! Trevor Shane has created a world that will leave readers emotionally spent, but begging for more. As I mentioned the pace of this novel moves quite quickly. The world building was pretty darn amazing and will have you obsessing about why this crazy war is happening in the first place. Character development was also really well done. Joseph and Maria are the characters we get to know best. Their romance happens quickly. I know not everyone is a fan of characters that seem to fall in love at first sight, but for Joseph and Maria it worked. Unfortunately their romance comes with serious consequences. I don’t want to give away too much, but the plot twists that surround the two really threw me for a loop. I never saw it coming. This is a novel that is anything, but predictable.The ending is completely unexpected and 100% heart wrenching. Oh my goodness I get teary just thinking about it! I'm sending you my therapy bill, Mr. Shane. It also sets us up for the next book in the trilogy perfectly. Not a cliffhanger really, but it has left me pining for what is to come next.Children of Paranoia does contain some pretty brutal scenes, but with a book starring assassins I’d consider that a given. I’m pretty squeamish when it comes to violence and came through my reading experience mostly unscathed ;) Children of Paranoia is a book that took me outside of my normal reading “comfort zone” and entertained me more than I thought possible. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys books with lots of action.