Review of Forever Young
Posted: 03 Mar 2024, 00:10
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Forever Young" by Karma Wiederrick.]
"Forever Young" by Karma Wiederrick is a riveting sci-fi novel that transports readers into the future. Lauren Paige, the protagonist, is from the year 2071. She is a college student at Johns Hopkins University, where she works in cryoprotectant development. Lauren gets abducted by an angry, jealous colleague who alters her DNA and cryogenically freezes her after repeatedly abusing her. When she wakes, she is in the year 2167—96 years in the future.
Mitchell Rosenthal, grieving the deaths of his parents, spends a lot of money to hire himself a companion. When Lauren arrives and wakes up, he realizes she didn’t consent to this job. He is incredibly grateful to have her company, while he understands she feels trapped with him. Lauren realizes how kind Mitchell is to her, while she is simultaneously grappling with the reality that her parents and fiancé are dead, major cities like New York and Baltimore are submerged under water, and flying cars have replaced conventional transportation.
I enjoyed reading this book. The author did a wonderful job of building a world in the future where life as we know it is totally different. In 2167, humans avoided interacting with each other because they didn't want to contract a deadly virus called DAVID. Experiences in virtual reality and augmented virtual reality stand-ins (essentially avatars) have replaced “real life.” Everything is ordered online, and robots handle deliveries. Against this backdrop, themes of resilience and the ethical implications of technology are explored.
While the author did an admirable job of world-building and creating the narrative, the book fell a bit flat in the arc of the narrative. As the reader, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen to Lauren. While there were a few unexpected twists and turns, the story was largely resolved without any real conflict. The story would have been more interesting if the author had built in a bit more intrigue.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The author wrote an interesting book that was fun to read. It wasn't hard to imagine life on earth (and in space) in 2167. I took one star away because the book felt as if it had been cut a bit short. The author could have spent more time on the latter part of the story, building intrigue. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy sci-fi and romance novels. This story was interesting to read, and it offered a unique perspective on what life in the future might look like.
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Forever Young
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"Forever Young" by Karma Wiederrick is a riveting sci-fi novel that transports readers into the future. Lauren Paige, the protagonist, is from the year 2071. She is a college student at Johns Hopkins University, where she works in cryoprotectant development. Lauren gets abducted by an angry, jealous colleague who alters her DNA and cryogenically freezes her after repeatedly abusing her. When she wakes, she is in the year 2167—96 years in the future.
Mitchell Rosenthal, grieving the deaths of his parents, spends a lot of money to hire himself a companion. When Lauren arrives and wakes up, he realizes she didn’t consent to this job. He is incredibly grateful to have her company, while he understands she feels trapped with him. Lauren realizes how kind Mitchell is to her, while she is simultaneously grappling with the reality that her parents and fiancé are dead, major cities like New York and Baltimore are submerged under water, and flying cars have replaced conventional transportation.
I enjoyed reading this book. The author did a wonderful job of building a world in the future where life as we know it is totally different. In 2167, humans avoided interacting with each other because they didn't want to contract a deadly virus called DAVID. Experiences in virtual reality and augmented virtual reality stand-ins (essentially avatars) have replaced “real life.” Everything is ordered online, and robots handle deliveries. Against this backdrop, themes of resilience and the ethical implications of technology are explored.
While the author did an admirable job of world-building and creating the narrative, the book fell a bit flat in the arc of the narrative. As the reader, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen to Lauren. While there were a few unexpected twists and turns, the story was largely resolved without any real conflict. The story would have been more interesting if the author had built in a bit more intrigue.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The author wrote an interesting book that was fun to read. It wasn't hard to imagine life on earth (and in space) in 2167. I took one star away because the book felt as if it had been cut a bit short. The author could have spent more time on the latter part of the story, building intrigue. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy sci-fi and romance novels. This story was interesting to read, and it offered a unique perspective on what life in the future might look like.
******
Forever Young
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon