Eruption

I have had a great couple of days wrapped up in this book. I am excited to share my review!  And even more excited for my friend Adrienne Quintana who wrote it.

Eruption by Adrienne Quintana

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: “Jace Vega has finally landed her dream job—working for Omnibus, an up-and-coming tech firm. But a mysterious message from her future self sets Jace and her old friend Corey racing to piece together clues before Omnibus destroys their future—and their past. This fast-paced thriller will keep you guessing till the very last page.”

My Review

I have waited eagerly for almost a year to get the published copy of this book into my hands. It was completely worth the wait. If only I didn’t have to wait for the next book now!

Eruption is unique in many ways; I love that Jace Vega is not an annoying teenager still trying to figure out how to not care what the cheerleaders will think of her. She is a young professional with smarts and drive and confidence. Of course there are some deep-rooted issues that she is trying to figure out, otherwise where would we find a plot? But rather than bumbling around whining about all her problems she has coping strategies that allow her to still function and contribute to the world. The coping strategies don’t solve it all; she does have to face her problems and deal with them, but it was so refreshing to have a capable adult’s perspective rather than a teenager’s while also enjoying all of the excitement, drama, suspense, and romance that we have come to love from the current popular young adult fiction.

You won’t find a storyline and plot like Eruption anywhere else. It is an intricate science fiction techno thriller with a large dose of psychological insight and just good clean romance. From page one it draws you in and the pacing and plot revelations are perfectly timed. As each mystery is introduced the suspense builds gradually. Pieces of the puzzle are presented at just the right moment to keep your interest. Then there is the action peak and it’s full speed ahead. You won’t want to put it down until all has been revealed.

The smarts in coming up with this plot and arranging it to make sense and keep the suspense is admirable. Reminds me of the workout my brain had after watching the movie “Inception.” Eruption will keep your mind busy for days after as you think and rethink about how it all fits together. The implications of this unique take on time travel will give you plenty of food for thought as well. I enjoyed the use of social media in the plot and character development. Problems and benefits of social media are presented in a completely “non-preachy” way. Instead readers can simply evaluate and draw their own conclusions about what’s good and bad and how it all fits into their own relationships.

The writing style is enjoyable too. Interesting and consistent characters with a great mix of dialogue, description, 1st person narrative, and action sequence allow you to get caught up in the story and lose all track of time. It is an easily entertaining read, but with substance. It sticks with you and gives you the opportunity to ponder more than just who will end up with you; though rooting for your favorite suitor has its pleasures too.

View all my reviews

Age Recommendation: The writing is not difficult to read, but the time travel concepts may not be understood by younger or immature readers so I would recommend it for 14 and older.

Appropriateness: Clean and suspenseful. No immorality or profanity or anything else  offensive in my book, but plenty of excitement including a scene in which my needle phobia kicked into high gear. Anyone else ever almost faint from reading about cuts and stitches?

Book Recommendations: If you like Eruption you may also enjoy Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville, The Giver by Lois Lowry, City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, or A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle