What do you think?
Rate this book
Revision
This is an ACE for ISBN13:9780986104015 Revision
Mira is a trust fund baby playing at making it on her own as a Brooklyn barista. When Benji, her tech startup boyfriend, dumps her out of the blue, she decides a little revenge vandalism is in order. Mira updates his entry on Verity, Benji’s Wikipedia-style news aggregator, to say the two have become engaged. Hours later, he shows up at her place with an engagement ring. Chalk it up to coincidence, right?
Soon after, Benji’s long-vanished co-founder Chandra shows up asking for Mira’s help. She claims Verity can nudge unlikely events into really happening — even change someone’s mind. And Chandra insists that Verity — and Mira’s newly minted fiance — can’t be trusted.
Mira is a trust fund baby playing at making it on her own as a Brooklyn barista. When Benji, her tech startup boyfriend, dumps her out of the blue, she decides a little revenge vandalism is in order. Mira updates his entry on Verity, Benji’s Wikipedia-style news aggregator, to say the two have become engaged. Hours later, he shows up at her place with an engagement ring. Chalk it up to coincidence, right?
Soon after, Benji’s long-vanished co-founder Chandra shows up asking for Mira’s help. She claims Verity can nudge unlikely events into really happening — even change someone’s mind. And Chandra insists that Verity — and Mira’s newly minted fiance — can’t be trusted.
Paperback
First published April 21, 2015
1 person is currently reading
783 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 30, 2016
A couple of months ago I came upon a piece at Public Books – Chick Lit Meets the Avant-Garde, by Tess McNulty – that seemed to perfectly encapsulate a phenomenon I hadn't exactly noticed but had been absorbing, and enjoying, for a while. In reviewing five recently-published novels by female authors, McNulty identifies an emerging trend: fiction that combines accounts of the 'female experience' (in fact, as she puts it, 'the most insistently girly features of that experience') with aspects more commonly found in experimental postmodern novels and, less prominently, sci-fi and fantasy. Two of those reviewed,
You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine
and The Ghost Network, are among the best books I've read in the past year, and although McNulty also mentions one I tried and couldn't get along with –
The Beautiful Bureaucrat
– this naturally made me interested in the one I'd never heard of before: Andrea Phillips' Revision.
In terms of style, Revision falls much more firmly into the chick-lit bracket than do any of the other books mentioned in McNulty's essay. Mira is a breezy Fifth Avenue heiress whose first lines are sheer cliche: she unironically enthuses about how the best way to deal with a breakup is by bingeing on ice cream, watching tear-jerking movies, and burning all photographs of you and your now-ex-partner. Her vocabulary includes terms like 'carbolicious'; she uses 'crazy' as a noun far more than is necessary (which is not at all); the forced ditsiness of her voice can be very grating. But the themes veer closer to science fiction. Mira's boyfriend, Benji, is co-founder of tech startup Verity, a kind of Wikipedia for breaking news. When he abruptly ends their relationship, she spitefully alters his Verity profile to say they've just got engaged, only for him to reappear with a proposal straight out of a cheesy rom-com... and that's how she realises Verity doesn't just report on what's happening in people's lives; it's capable of altering them. Chick lit meets the avant-garde, indeed.
What follows is a mild conspiracy thriller: Mira's contacted by former Verity executive Chandra, who faked her own death to escape the company's manipulation, and the two do some amateur sleuthing to get to the bottom of Verity's true purpose. It's fun, but the stakes never feel very high. In a post on her own website, Phillips says 'the emotional arc of Revision is very much about how someone who has advantages in life has the power to ruin everything for the vulnerable people around her, while remaining personally more or less unscathed'. It's interesting to consider that, especially as it's an interpretation that didn't really occur to me – partly because I assumed the reader wasn't supposed to feel too much negativity towards Mira, and partly because I was more interested in the world-altering-tech conspiracy arc than the emotional one.
As much as Revision has some outlandish twists, it doesn't fuse its light tone with anything like the weird fiction of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine or the academic framework of The Ghost Network. This isn't to say that it should, obviously – Phillips wasn't writing it to fit into a micro-trend that hadn't been identified at the time – but I wouldn't have bought or read it if not for the McNulty essay, and the implication that it belonged to the same literary universe as those other books. It's entertaining, but doesn't break any new ground.
In terms of style, Revision falls much more firmly into the chick-lit bracket than do any of the other books mentioned in McNulty's essay. Mira is a breezy Fifth Avenue heiress whose first lines are sheer cliche: she unironically enthuses about how the best way to deal with a breakup is by bingeing on ice cream, watching tear-jerking movies, and burning all photographs of you and your now-ex-partner. Her vocabulary includes terms like 'carbolicious'; she uses 'crazy' as a noun far more than is necessary (which is not at all); the forced ditsiness of her voice can be very grating. But the themes veer closer to science fiction. Mira's boyfriend, Benji, is co-founder of tech startup Verity, a kind of Wikipedia for breaking news. When he abruptly ends their relationship, she spitefully alters his Verity profile to say they've just got engaged, only for him to reappear with a proposal straight out of a cheesy rom-com... and that's how she realises Verity doesn't just report on what's happening in people's lives; it's capable of altering them. Chick lit meets the avant-garde, indeed.
What follows is a mild conspiracy thriller: Mira's contacted by former Verity executive Chandra, who faked her own death to escape the company's manipulation, and the two do some amateur sleuthing to get to the bottom of Verity's true purpose. It's fun, but the stakes never feel very high. In a post on her own website, Phillips says 'the emotional arc of Revision is very much about how someone who has advantages in life has the power to ruin everything for the vulnerable people around her, while remaining personally more or less unscathed'. It's interesting to consider that, especially as it's an interpretation that didn't really occur to me – partly because I assumed the reader wasn't supposed to feel too much negativity towards Mira, and partly because I was more interested in the world-altering-tech conspiracy arc than the emotional one.
As much as Revision has some outlandish twists, it doesn't fuse its light tone with anything like the weird fiction of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine or the academic framework of The Ghost Network. This isn't to say that it should, obviously – Phillips wasn't writing it to fit into a micro-trend that hadn't been identified at the time – but I wouldn't have bought or read it if not for the McNulty essay, and the implication that it belonged to the same literary universe as those other books. It's entertaining, but doesn't break any new ground.
February 13, 2015
This was an interesting story, great premise, well written. My usual scifi stories are generally heavily plot driven, frequently action oriented. This book sits on the other end of this scale and is an excellent example of a character-driven novel. There is action, but rather than being the focus it serves to advance the drama, and to affect the protagonist Mira and her relationships. The emphasis here is on Mira’s emotions and her connections and interactions with others, and it is done very well.
Revision is imaginative, well written and fun.
Full review here: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/...
Revision is imaginative, well written and fun.
Full review here: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/...
Read
January 21, 2016REVISION starts out as a fun SF comedy, with hints of New Adult Women's Fiction and then, as the plot and concept unfold, it gets WAY COOLER. Highly recommended.
May 1, 2015
Many times while reading REVISION by Andrea Phillips, I was reminded of the Arthur C. Clarke quote "Magic's just science we don't understand yet."
Quick and dirty review: I had fun reading it. Quick, easy to get into. Given the technical aspect of the power at hand, it falls into the sci fi realm. However, this also had the feel of an urban fantasy, so I'm calling it Urban Sci Fi Fantasy. This isn't romance heavy at all, even with the fiance bit. The main character has a lot of growing to do, and she did irritate me at times, but by the end I was rooting for her.
A little more info: When I first started reading the book, I thought that Mira was trying to make it on her own, but as I got to know her better, it became apparent that she's just been playing at being a grown up. I get wanting to have a low stress job and not fitting into your parents' expectations. Mira, though, felt like she hadn't moved past rebellious teen. She said she didn't want her trust fund, but she also called up the family lawyer if she couldn't make rent.
Then she discovers that her boyfriend's Wikipedia-like site can actually alter reality. At first it just seems crazy. There's no way that typing a sentence on a website can make a guy go from dumping you to proposing, right? Then she uses it to save a friend, but it doesn't take long to see darker implications. She also meets a mysterious person who warns her about Verity, tries to get Mira to help, but is so distrusting that she herself isn't trustworthy.
It's a jumbled mess for our lead, who along the way starts realizing that she has been wasting her potential and has not been a remarkably good friend.
The tech was interesting but not overwhelmingly heavy or complex. It all seems quite magical. I'm good with magical.
Mira isn't the typical kick-ass heroine. It takes her awhile to figure things out. Once she does though, and has a very important meeting, things clicked into place in rapid succession.
I'll be on the lookout for more from Phillips.
[received review copy]
Quick and dirty review: I had fun reading it. Quick, easy to get into. Given the technical aspect of the power at hand, it falls into the sci fi realm. However, this also had the feel of an urban fantasy, so I'm calling it Urban Sci Fi Fantasy. This isn't romance heavy at all, even with the fiance bit. The main character has a lot of growing to do, and she did irritate me at times, but by the end I was rooting for her.
A little more info: When I first started reading the book, I thought that Mira was trying to make it on her own, but as I got to know her better, it became apparent that she's just been playing at being a grown up. I get wanting to have a low stress job and not fitting into your parents' expectations. Mira, though, felt like she hadn't moved past rebellious teen. She said she didn't want her trust fund, but she also called up the family lawyer if she couldn't make rent.
Then she discovers that her boyfriend's Wikipedia-like site can actually alter reality. At first it just seems crazy. There's no way that typing a sentence on a website can make a guy go from dumping you to proposing, right? Then she uses it to save a friend, but it doesn't take long to see darker implications. She also meets a mysterious person who warns her about Verity, tries to get Mira to help, but is so distrusting that she herself isn't trustworthy.
It's a jumbled mess for our lead, who along the way starts realizing that she has been wasting her potential and has not been a remarkably good friend.
The tech was interesting but not overwhelmingly heavy or complex. It all seems quite magical. I'm good with magical.
Mira isn't the typical kick-ass heroine. It takes her awhile to figure things out. Once she does though, and has a very important meeting, things clicked into place in rapid succession.
I'll be on the lookout for more from Phillips.
[received review copy]
July 20, 2015
Revision is a tight, tense read with a light science fiction premise and a relatable heroine. The tale is told through Mira's point of view, which makes the trickiness of her character all the more well done: she's a rich girl who has convinced herself that she's independent, but not really. She works as a barista and fancies herself as rebellious. I could have really disliked her as a character type, but her character was nuanced and sympathetic. When her high tech boyfriend spontaneously dumps her, in her shock and grief she uses his log-in to his Wikipedia-like site to say they became engaged instead... and is shocked when, hours later, it becomes true.
The science-fantasy plot is extremely tense. I read the whole book in one day. To me, the whole thing felt like a really good, classic Twilight Zone episode. It turns out that her new fiance's site has discovered the deep power of suggestion. The right change, at just the right moment, because true. As Mira falls deeper into the truth, her life completely falls to shambles, and it's clear that no one is safe. The conclusion is a tad predictable but very right and satisfying.
On a more technical note, this is the first novel I have read from Fireside Press, and I really liked that they included content notes on potential triggers for readers. I hope more publishers start including that kind of data.
The science-fantasy plot is extremely tense. I read the whole book in one day. To me, the whole thing felt like a really good, classic Twilight Zone episode. It turns out that her new fiance's site has discovered the deep power of suggestion. The right change, at just the right moment, because true. As Mira falls deeper into the truth, her life completely falls to shambles, and it's clear that no one is safe. The conclusion is a tad predictable but very right and satisfying.
On a more technical note, this is the first novel I have read from Fireside Press, and I really liked that they included content notes on potential triggers for readers. I hope more publishers start including that kind of data.
April 1, 2024
Have you heard of wikiality? It's a Stephen Colbert concept, about changing reality--as long as there's a large enough public consensus--by editing Wikipedia.
Imagine if you didn't need a consensus, and less than half a dozen people knew about it.
And then imagine that the number increases by one, when a trust-fund baby playing at being a Brooklyn barista revenge-edits her way into a proposal.
Fast-paced, lightly funny, and building a cleanly plausible plot from its premise, the story follows Mira trying to figure out what's going on. She's an interesting protagonist--a little too smart to be as accepting of events as she'd probably like to be, who's spent a long time running away from both expectations and responsibilities.
The combination of an unabashedly reality-changing technology and an uncertain protagonist makes Revision a kind of lovely combination of old-school bright-idea SF and more modern approachable characters; it reminded me a little of Charlie Stross's Merchant Princes series, except that Mira is understandably, a bit annoyingly, but entertainingly not quite so together.
Definitely worth picking up, and worth looking to future work from the author as well.
Imagine if you didn't need a consensus, and less than half a dozen people knew about it.
And then imagine that the number increases by one, when a trust-fund baby playing at being a Brooklyn barista revenge-edits her way into a proposal.
Fast-paced, lightly funny, and building a cleanly plausible plot from its premise, the story follows Mira trying to figure out what's going on. She's an interesting protagonist--a little too smart to be as accepting of events as she'd probably like to be, who's spent a long time running away from both expectations and responsibilities.
The combination of an unabashedly reality-changing technology and an uncertain protagonist makes Revision a kind of lovely combination of old-school bright-idea SF and more modern approachable characters; it reminded me a little of Charlie Stross's Merchant Princes series, except that Mira is understandably, a bit annoyingly, but entertainingly not quite so together.
Definitely worth picking up, and worth looking to future work from the author as well.
June 21, 2015
The style of writing in Revision was one that worked, for me. Sharp, clever, and amusing. Which meant I was entirely baffled at the stupid technology bits. Like a person who knows nothing about computers (and is a bit of a scatterbrain) figuring out how to hack into a system by just being told what commands she needed. As someone who has done years of tech support (involving even smart customers doing the opposite of the commands you tell them, even if you spell them out), I can tell you, this was ridiculous. Also, the ease in which covert secret locations were accessed, systems breached, and yet the breached systems are owned by a company so technologically advanced they're changing reality with their "wiki like" website? What? How were there no moments when Chandra wanted to give up out of sheer frustration? No, "oh crap, I'm running (operating system) so this command won't work"? No, "where do I put these commands?" Mind you, it wouldn't have helped, but the sheer ease of it all was annoying in its unbelievability.
But hey, if you can manage to not trip on the silly, it was, like I said, entertaining writing. I just wish she'd left the tech stuff out.
But hey, if you can manage to not trip on the silly, it was, like I said, entertaining writing. I just wish she'd left the tech stuff out.
April 21, 2015
Loved.
December 23, 2020
A decent addition to the genre of tech-related thrillers along the lines of Daemon, Spiral, and probably many others that I haven't read. With the "startup" atmosphere, it reminded me most of After On, although thankfully it didn't meander for nearly as many pages as that one did. The concept is interesting, though the execution comes across as a bit superficial, and anyway most of the focus is on the interpersonal relationships of the characters. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for me, these characters are a bit uneven.
The protagonists are fairly interesting, including Mira and Chandra in particular, and some of the supporting cast is not bad either - the two Joes, for example. But others, including Mira's parents, and especially the antagonists, are a bit cardboard. It seems to me that Ben(ji) should have been one of the most important characters in the book, but instead he's barely present in the scenes that he's in, and since we never get a feeling of what he's really like, it's hard to make sense of Mira's mixed feelings toward him. I'd like to chalk that up to the effects of the technology at play here, but if that were the case I'd expect to see it spelled out at some point.
Anyway, the writing is solid, although Mira's voice is a bit too jokingly self-deprecating for me at times, and the ending is a bit rushed and not as satisfying as it could have been for me. While the story didn't blow me away, it's enough to hold the reader's interest.
The protagonists are fairly interesting, including Mira and Chandra in particular, and some of the supporting cast is not bad either - the two Joes, for example. But others, including Mira's parents, and especially the antagonists, are a bit cardboard. It seems to me that Ben(ji) should have been one of the most important characters in the book, but instead he's barely present in the scenes that he's in, and since we never get a feeling of what he's really like, it's hard to make sense of Mira's mixed feelings toward him. I'd like to chalk that up to the effects of the technology at play here, but if that were the case I'd expect to see it spelled out at some point.
Anyway, the writing is solid, although Mira's voice is a bit too jokingly self-deprecating for me at times, and the ending is a bit rushed and not as satisfying as it could have been for me. While the story didn't blow me away, it's enough to hold the reader's interest.
July 3, 2018
This book have a very interesting plot line. Science Fiction really with an almost realistic premise that makes the novel even more interesting.
March 22, 2020
bad case of no likable characters
May 10, 2015
Revision is the story about Verity, an online wiki that has the power to alter the flow of events, if nudged in just the right way. There's everything you're looking for in a scifi / urban fantasy thriller. Espionage and intrigue are prominently featured, as Mira puts her new fiance and his company under scrutiny to find out: can Verity really rewrite the future? If so, will he use that power for good?
The idea of a wiki that can alter the future is a compelling notion, and Phillips explores the ramifications well. Imagine, for a moment, what would happen if all of a sudden, Amazon reviews had the power to change the nature of the products on this site. What would that mean for Three Wolves t-shirt owners, banana slicer fans, or Bic for Her ballpoint pen fans? Or even Revision itself?
While Revision is a story about Verity and it does mingle elements of science fiction in with that of a high-stakes thriller, at its core the book is a character study of the novel's protagonist, Mira as she is reluctantly dragged into adulthood. As fun as it is to read about the fantastic elements in the story, Mira's troubles managing the various relationships in her life is the most compelling narrative: her troubled relationships with bosses, family, friends, and even a potentially megalomaniacal fiance are what made me finish the book in a single night. While the focus is on Mira, the supporting characters are fleshed out enough to be engaging in their own rights. The Joes (her bosses at the coffee shop, and yes we caught that) are probably my favorite characters in the book. They are wonderful fictional people, and can do no wrong.
It was a pleasant surprise to learn that Fireside Fiction added a "Content Notes" section to the back of the book that flags intense themes for people -- effectively a literary trigger warning. It was also a nice surprise to learn that the paperback version is MatchBook eligible, allowing me to read a digital copy while waiting for the physical version to ship.
(Note: I originally posted this review to Amazon, and had way too much fun talking about what would happen if Bic for Her reviews became real. Amazon owns Goodreads, so I feel like that section still applies here.)
The idea of a wiki that can alter the future is a compelling notion, and Phillips explores the ramifications well. Imagine, for a moment, what would happen if all of a sudden, Amazon reviews had the power to change the nature of the products on this site. What would that mean for Three Wolves t-shirt owners, banana slicer fans, or Bic for Her ballpoint pen fans? Or even Revision itself?
While Revision is a story about Verity and it does mingle elements of science fiction in with that of a high-stakes thriller, at its core the book is a character study of the novel's protagonist, Mira as she is reluctantly dragged into adulthood. As fun as it is to read about the fantastic elements in the story, Mira's troubles managing the various relationships in her life is the most compelling narrative: her troubled relationships with bosses, family, friends, and even a potentially megalomaniacal fiance are what made me finish the book in a single night. While the focus is on Mira, the supporting characters are fleshed out enough to be engaging in their own rights. The Joes (her bosses at the coffee shop, and yes we caught that) are probably my favorite characters in the book. They are wonderful fictional people, and can do no wrong.
It was a pleasant surprise to learn that Fireside Fiction added a "Content Notes" section to the back of the book that flags intense themes for people -- effectively a literary trigger warning. It was also a nice surprise to learn that the paperback version is MatchBook eligible, allowing me to read a digital copy while waiting for the physical version to ship.
(Note: I originally posted this review to Amazon, and had way too much fun talking about what would happen if Bic for Her reviews became real. Amazon owns Goodreads, so I feel like that section still applies here.)
June 22, 2015
This book was an enjoyable read! Also let me just clear this up now quickly. This book is not actually about revision. The amount of questions and ties I got all these looks at college as to why I have a revision book. It is not. If you just read the blurb or synopsis people would know.
I got this book from a giveaway. But this in no way affect my opinion on the book.
This book is about a Mira and how she stumbles across this whole new world, Benji, Mira's fiancee is apart of. What if there was such technology where you could change the outcome of different events? What if you could control another thoughts? This is reality for Mira. Who does she choose to follow, Chandra, a mysterious woman throwing all these accusations about Benji's company. A company changing the future and killing those that pose a threat. Or Benji, who is part of this company only wanting to 'change the future for the best.' Both she cannot fully trust. Yet here she must make a choice. Be apart f a corporation that controls everything and everyone. Or help destroy it.
I found this book really interesting. This book stayed within my college bag so whenever possible I would read some more of it. For this reason is why it took me a while to finish this book. Since I have just finished my college course for the year and I decided to finish the book of today. I don't usually go for these types of books. Although I could easily see myself watching this if it were a film. However since it was a book it was a completely different experience for me.
I felt as though the ending was a bit rushed however this did not affect how much I liked the book.
Like I said this is a really different book and it did hook me at points. However the only reason why it did not have a higher rating was solely because of the fact it did not have me obsessing over the book making me watching to read it over and over.
This book is suitable for anyone. I would recommend for maybe a one time read. A 3/5 rating. Thanks!
I got this book from a giveaway. But this in no way affect my opinion on the book.
This book is about a Mira and how she stumbles across this whole new world, Benji, Mira's fiancee is apart of. What if there was such technology where you could change the outcome of different events? What if you could control another thoughts? This is reality for Mira. Who does she choose to follow, Chandra, a mysterious woman throwing all these accusations about Benji's company. A company changing the future and killing those that pose a threat. Or Benji, who is part of this company only wanting to 'change the future for the best.' Both she cannot fully trust. Yet here she must make a choice. Be apart f a corporation that controls everything and everyone. Or help destroy it.
I found this book really interesting. This book stayed within my college bag so whenever possible I would read some more of it. For this reason is why it took me a while to finish this book. Since I have just finished my college course for the year and I decided to finish the book of today. I don't usually go for these types of books. Although I could easily see myself watching this if it were a film. However since it was a book it was a completely different experience for me.
I felt as though the ending was a bit rushed however this did not affect how much I liked the book.
Like I said this is a really different book and it did hook me at points. However the only reason why it did not have a higher rating was solely because of the fact it did not have me obsessing over the book making me watching to read it over and over.
This book is suitable for anyone. I would recommend for maybe a one time read. A 3/5 rating. Thanks!
June 8, 2015
This was an interesting read for me. I love the concept of this book, and I love the rules and world building around it.
This book is very character driven rather than plot driven. We follow Mira through all of her decisions, and the writing behind those was quite clever (you'll understand if you read the book-- I don't want to spoil anything for you.) I enjoyed the plot quite a lot, but I had a hard time really liking Mira. Even so, I cared about her. Her age is never discussed (that I remember, it might be in the intro somewhere) but I imagine her somewhere around 22 and if that's the case she acts very much "her age". She feels like she is in that oh so wonderful stage of being utterly at a loss as to what you want your life. She's the kind of character this story needed, though. Only Mira would have made the choices that led to the amazing ending, and they were absolutely believable. I'm not sure a character I would have liked more on a personal level would have made the decisions she did. Of all the characters, I think I resonated with Joey the most which probably says a lot about how old I'm getting.
For me this was a short, light, fun and interesting book. It didn't get deep into my heart, but it definitely made me think. I'm sure I will spend the next few nights dreaming about the world that this is set in, and the consequences and nudges that could befall me. There were parts of the book where I hung on every line just waiting for something insane to happen. I really enjoyed it, and I felt like it was really well written. I never felt like it was the author telling me the story, and I enjoyed the narrative of Mira talking to me.
I also enjoyed that all of the characters were complex and thought out. I cared about all of the side characters, and I like that even the minor ones played a role in Mira's life enough for me to care. I would definitely suggest this book for a fun, intriguing, extremely interesting book.
This book is very character driven rather than plot driven. We follow Mira through all of her decisions, and the writing behind those was quite clever (you'll understand if you read the book-- I don't want to spoil anything for you.) I enjoyed the plot quite a lot, but I had a hard time really liking Mira. Even so, I cared about her. Her age is never discussed (that I remember, it might be in the intro somewhere) but I imagine her somewhere around 22 and if that's the case she acts very much "her age". She feels like she is in that oh so wonderful stage of being utterly at a loss as to what you want your life. She's the kind of character this story needed, though. Only Mira would have made the choices that led to the amazing ending, and they were absolutely believable. I'm not sure a character I would have liked more on a personal level would have made the decisions she did. Of all the characters, I think I resonated with Joey the most which probably says a lot about how old I'm getting.
For me this was a short, light, fun and interesting book. It didn't get deep into my heart, but it definitely made me think. I'm sure I will spend the next few nights dreaming about the world that this is set in, and the consequences and nudges that could befall me. There were parts of the book where I hung on every line just waiting for something insane to happen. I really enjoyed it, and I felt like it was really well written. I never felt like it was the author telling me the story, and I enjoyed the narrative of Mira talking to me.
I also enjoyed that all of the characters were complex and thought out. I cared about all of the side characters, and I like that even the minor ones played a role in Mira's life enough for me to care. I would definitely suggest this book for a fun, intriguing, extremely interesting book.
June 27, 2015
Revision has an intereting premise that hooked me in- a Wikipedia-style website that can change reality when edited. When Mira's boyfriend Benji breaks up with her, she accesses his news website Verity and alters the information, writing that they were getting married. And then Benji proposes to her... Changing information in Verity has real world effects and Mira is in danger.
I should have really enjoyed this novel, the plot was interesting and the snarky first person narration was fun. However, there were three main problems that stand out to me. I really struggled to like and care about Mira. She is a trust-fund baby who cares about herself above all else. Her relationship with Benji is shallow and even though they have only been dating for five months, she happily accepts her engineered proposal. She wrecks havoc on the lives of those she claims to love and friends are only resources to be used when she needs them. She was emotionally immature to the point of frustration. There was also what I saw as a weird plothole or inconsistency- Benji realises that his proposal to Mira was prompted by her altering Verity but he doesn't seem to care at all. Shouldn't he have felt something, considering he was now engaged to marry Mira simply because she had typed it into Verity on a whim?
The main issue, though, with Revision for me was the handling of a sexual assault. Mira was assaulted by a character and later makes excuses for his behaviour and even attempts to apologise and make peace with the man. I found it really troubling the way that the assault was looked back on as just one more douche-y move from a crappy guy, and hey, he'd lost his job and was getting a divorce, so it was understandable that he had assaulted the narrator.
I found it really disappointing and it interfered with my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.
I should have really enjoyed this novel, the plot was interesting and the snarky first person narration was fun. However, there were three main problems that stand out to me. I really struggled to like and care about Mira. She is a trust-fund baby who cares about herself above all else. Her relationship with Benji is shallow and even though they have only been dating for five months, she happily accepts her engineered proposal. She wrecks havoc on the lives of those she claims to love and friends are only resources to be used when she needs them. She was emotionally immature to the point of frustration. There was also what I saw as a weird plothole or inconsistency- Benji realises that his proposal to Mira was prompted by her altering Verity but he doesn't seem to care at all. Shouldn't he have felt something, considering he was now engaged to marry Mira simply because she had typed it into Verity on a whim?
The main issue, though, with Revision for me was the handling of a sexual assault. Mira was assaulted by a character and later makes excuses for his behaviour and even attempts to apologise and make peace with the man. I found it really troubling the way that the assault was looked back on as just one more douche-y move from a crappy guy, and hey, he'd lost his job and was getting a divorce, so it was understandable that he had assaulted the narrator.
I found it really disappointing and it interfered with my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.
May 10, 2015
While I have some minor quibbles with some things, this book was a solid first effort from the author, and she has definitely been placed in the "would read again" column.
The main character is trying to live her own life as a 20-somethign slacker, while occasionally relying on her trust fund to keep her lights on. She doesn't get along with her parents, and hates the life that they and the rest of her family lives. I can relate to that character, which is one of the strengths of the book. Sometimes I just wanted to shake her, but I could always understand why she made the choices she did. Including the petty vandalizing of her boyfriend's Verite (quantum Wikipedia) which causes him to go from breaking up with her to proposing to her. And just like that we're off to the races. The common thread throughout the story is that the protag doesn't know what the hell she's doing. And Andrea manages to pull that off in a way that I can continue to care for and relate to the character.
My quibbles are minor, as I said.
1) I thought that Verite wasn't fleshed out enough. I wanted a lot more background on it and how it worked, and what could be done with it. Of course my favorite parts of Reamde by Stepenson were the wrapper parts where he talks about the MMO that the character built. That's what I wanted to see here and we didn't quite get it. But obviously the author is writing her story and not the one I see in my head.
2) There's not much in the way of description of characters/places/etc. I It works well in that it keeps the prose lean and the story moving, but I would've liked descriptions as visual shorthand for the characters.
Even with that, I really enjoyed this book. I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed SJ Kincaid's Insignia, Delilah Dawson's HIt, and Chuck Wendig's Atlanta Burns.
The main character is trying to live her own life as a 20-somethign slacker, while occasionally relying on her trust fund to keep her lights on. She doesn't get along with her parents, and hates the life that they and the rest of her family lives. I can relate to that character, which is one of the strengths of the book. Sometimes I just wanted to shake her, but I could always understand why she made the choices she did. Including the petty vandalizing of her boyfriend's Verite (quantum Wikipedia) which causes him to go from breaking up with her to proposing to her. And just like that we're off to the races. The common thread throughout the story is that the protag doesn't know what the hell she's doing. And Andrea manages to pull that off in a way that I can continue to care for and relate to the character.
My quibbles are minor, as I said.
1) I thought that Verite wasn't fleshed out enough. I wanted a lot more background on it and how it worked, and what could be done with it. Of course my favorite parts of Reamde by Stepenson were the wrapper parts where he talks about the MMO that the character built. That's what I wanted to see here and we didn't quite get it. But obviously the author is writing her story and not the one I see in my head.
2) There's not much in the way of description of characters/places/etc. I It works well in that it keeps the prose lean and the story moving, but I would've liked descriptions as visual shorthand for the characters.
Even with that, I really enjoyed this book. I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed SJ Kincaid's Insignia, Delilah Dawson's HIt, and Chuck Wendig's Atlanta Burns.
May 20, 2015
Mira is living an ordinary life in New York City. She works at a coffee place, she avoids her family, and she has a pretty good boyfriend, Benji, who is the founder of a new news website, Verity. When he suddenly breaks up with her, she decides, as a little bit of petty revenge, to declare herself Benji's fiance on his Verity page. When he comes back a few hours later and proposes she starts to suspect that Verity might be more than it seems and, if so, it could be the best or worst thing to ever happen to the world.
I enjoyed the book. Mira seems so real. She has complicated feelings about things and is indecisive without being paralyzed by it. I could identify with feeling like things weren't right and moving forward anyway, sometimes out of hope, even when that hope is already revealed as foolish, and sometimes out of a need to just keep going forward because to stall out would be to fail. She doesn't know who to trust, she doesn't know if the bad guys are bad or misguided or manipulated, and, while the ultimate villain was a little two dimensional, the conflict was nuanced.
On top of that, Phillips managed to walk the line of setting the book in the present without beating that point to death. One of my pet peeves is when a book drops brand-names to constantly remind the reader that they are in the present instead of using them only when absolutely necessary. I think it will age well, so that in 10 years readers will have enough big touchpoints to know it was set in the 2010s but won't be overwhlemed with outdated (and inevitably obscure) references that don't serve the story.
Recommended if you're looking for an approachable science fiction book about a normal girl dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
I enjoyed the book. Mira seems so real. She has complicated feelings about things and is indecisive without being paralyzed by it. I could identify with feeling like things weren't right and moving forward anyway, sometimes out of hope, even when that hope is already revealed as foolish, and sometimes out of a need to just keep going forward because to stall out would be to fail. She doesn't know who to trust, she doesn't know if the bad guys are bad or misguided or manipulated, and, while the ultimate villain was a little two dimensional, the conflict was nuanced.
On top of that, Phillips managed to walk the line of setting the book in the present without beating that point to death. One of my pet peeves is when a book drops brand-names to constantly remind the reader that they are in the present instead of using them only when absolutely necessary. I think it will age well, so that in 10 years readers will have enough big touchpoints to know it was set in the 2010s but won't be overwhlemed with outdated (and inevitably obscure) references that don't serve the story.
Recommended if you're looking for an approachable science fiction book about a normal girl dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
May 26, 2015
there was definitely an idea behind the book and the beginning was promising. What if computers could control reality?
For me, the problems came around the middle of the book, when it turned into a cheesy science fiction story for kids, and just got worse and worse. Add to that he main character, Mira, who is, from page 1 till the end the most selfish and self centered person I've ever read about, total sociopaths put aside.
Mira lives on her parents money, playing barista when she feels like it. She despises her parents'fortune, but is not bothered to use it when needed. Her sister is a doctor, her father a lawyer, and she is proud to be a college drop-out without even a reason. The couple owning the coffee shop he works at could not be nicer to her, treating her like family, but she just uses them the way she uses anybody. She dates a guy for whom sh obviously does not have an ounce of feeling and gets engaged to him because why not? When she learns about the research his company leads, she does not wonder one minute what would be the common good, how it could be used, where it could lead. She trusts a woman he has just met rather than the man she is engaged to. Nothing makes sense when you think of it.
I enjoy the first half of he book, thinking she would mature and change -but she keeps acting like a 12 year old until the end. The last hundred pages bored me, because it turned into something hat has been written a million times and that is such a waste!
It is not badly written, just silly.
For me, the problems came around the middle of the book, when it turned into a cheesy science fiction story for kids, and just got worse and worse. Add to that he main character, Mira, who is, from page 1 till the end the most selfish and self centered person I've ever read about, total sociopaths put aside.
Mira lives on her parents money, playing barista when she feels like it. She despises her parents'fortune, but is not bothered to use it when needed. Her sister is a doctor, her father a lawyer, and she is proud to be a college drop-out without even a reason. The couple owning the coffee shop he works at could not be nicer to her, treating her like family, but she just uses them the way she uses anybody. She dates a guy for whom sh obviously does not have an ounce of feeling and gets engaged to him because why not? When she learns about the research his company leads, she does not wonder one minute what would be the common good, how it could be used, where it could lead. She trusts a woman he has just met rather than the man she is engaged to. Nothing makes sense when you think of it.
I enjoy the first half of he book, thinking she would mature and change -but she keeps acting like a 12 year old until the end. The last hundred pages bored me, because it turned into something hat has been written a million times and that is such a waste!
It is not badly written, just silly.
February 24, 2015
Another book I was lucky enough to receive an ARC to review. :)
This book was well-written, and had an intriguing premise. While I definitely can see how many readers would love the voice of the main character, it just wasn't to my particular taste. M is definitely a funny character with an interesting way of looking at the world; unfortunately I found that she grated on my nerves a bit.
Being more of a character-driven story rather than a plot-driven story, the cool premise wasn't enough to make up for a character I just couldn't connect to.
I would still recommend this book to my friends who are fond of writers like Lauren Weisberger--it had a similar feel to her stuff. Funny, snarky, take-charge woman character meets a really cool thought piece about technology and how it controls us.
This book was well-written, and had an intriguing premise. While I definitely can see how many readers would love the voice of the main character, it just wasn't to my particular taste. M is definitely a funny character with an interesting way of looking at the world; unfortunately I found that she grated on my nerves a bit.
Being more of a character-driven story rather than a plot-driven story, the cool premise wasn't enough to make up for a character I just couldn't connect to.
I would still recommend this book to my friends who are fond of writers like Lauren Weisberger--it had a similar feel to her stuff. Funny, snarky, take-charge woman character meets a really cool thought piece about technology and how it controls us.
June 13, 2015
Revision isn’t a long book (my Kobo tells me it took less than 4 hours to read) but Andrea Phillips has packed plenty into its 274 pages.
A well-crafted novel with likeable yet realistically flawed characters, Revision hooked me in immediately with its wonderful narrative and tightly woven plot. The tone is sharp and witty, even when dealing with darker moments and some tricky concepts. I was intrigued by the background and science of Verity, all of which was written well and pretty easy for my non-scientific brain to understand, yet still sufficiently mysterious.
So… What would you do if you discovered you could alter reality just by typing a change into a website at the right time? That thought has distracted me several times since I finished reading Revision.
In all, this is wonderful modern, urban sci-fi. I look forward to reading more of Andrea’s writing.
A well-crafted novel with likeable yet realistically flawed characters, Revision hooked me in immediately with its wonderful narrative and tightly woven plot. The tone is sharp and witty, even when dealing with darker moments and some tricky concepts. I was intrigued by the background and science of Verity, all of which was written well and pretty easy for my non-scientific brain to understand, yet still sufficiently mysterious.
So… What would you do if you discovered you could alter reality just by typing a change into a website at the right time? That thought has distracted me several times since I finished reading Revision.
In all, this is wonderful modern, urban sci-fi. I look forward to reading more of Andrea’s writing.
July 29, 2016
This speculative novel didn't take itself too seriously, as it looked at what might happen if people could be nudged by a computer program into certain behaviors at the moment they were unsure of their course of action. Each nudge, however, left other decisions pending, making the end result hard to control, which added suspense to the story.
Unfortunately, the author did not create characters that grabbed this reader. The protagonist seemed underdeveloped, and not very likeable. My favorite character was Chandra, a mysterious, past employee of the company that developed the program, who was supposed to be dead. My interest perked each time she appeared. My heart went out to the two Joes who owned the coffee house, but their roles were minor.
Revision was entertaining, with some tense action, even though it wasn't particularly believable.
Recommended. Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Unfortunately, the author did not create characters that grabbed this reader. The protagonist seemed underdeveloped, and not very likeable. My favorite character was Chandra, a mysterious, past employee of the company that developed the program, who was supposed to be dead. My interest perked each time she appeared. My heart went out to the two Joes who owned the coffee house, but their roles were minor.
Revision was entertaining, with some tense action, even though it wasn't particularly believable.
Recommended. Rating: 3.75 out of 5
October 2, 2016
The premise here is nothing new. Changing reality by changing a representation of it. That theme has been done before using the printed page or art. So the only thing new here is that the medium of change is the Internet.
Now the reason the premise has been revisited frequently is that, in the hands of the right author, it can always bring up some new and interesting aspect. Unfortunately, Ms. Phillips is not such an author.
The writing is simplistic and tedious. The heroine is boring, whiny, and not very bright. There is zero tension surrounding the key plot point of changing life events by updating an internet page. I didn't even make it through 100 pages. After about 75, I was too bored to finish. I did, however, skim a few more chapters, including the last one, just to confirm that there wasn't some hidden gem in there. There was not.
Now the reason the premise has been revisited frequently is that, in the hands of the right author, it can always bring up some new and interesting aspect. Unfortunately, Ms. Phillips is not such an author.
The writing is simplistic and tedious. The heroine is boring, whiny, and not very bright. There is zero tension surrounding the key plot point of changing life events by updating an internet page. I didn't even make it through 100 pages. After about 75, I was too bored to finish. I did, however, skim a few more chapters, including the last one, just to confirm that there wasn't some hidden gem in there. There was not.
November 21, 2015
Ill after NPR review. Rom com to sci fi, sign me up! Fact that it came all the way from Napa valley should have told me it was no good. Pacing was terrible, couldn't root for the listless main character, B-movie caliber writing, still don't get what was going on. Big waste of my time.
I inter-library loaned this after briefly reading an NPR review. A rom com that was also sci fi? Sign me up. The fact that the copy came all the way from Napa Valley should have been a sign that this book was no good. The pacing was terrible, driven by B-movie caliber writing. I couldn't root for the listless main character and still don't quite get what was going on. Felt like this was a big waste of my time.
I inter-library loaned this after briefly reading an NPR review. A rom com that was also sci fi? Sign me up. The fact that the copy came all the way from Napa Valley should have been a sign that this book was no good. The pacing was terrible, driven by B-movie caliber writing. I couldn't root for the listless main character and still don't quite get what was going on. Felt like this was a big waste of my time.
June 19, 2015
It has a really promising premise, but was not executed satisfactorily. It's not well written, the main character is unrelatable, and the things that happen to her just don't seem realistic - not because it's science fiction and you have to suspend your disbelief, but because every situation obviously exists only to move the story along. The characters have no depth at all, and it's hard to understand what motivates them. There was a lot of potential for this to be a really rich story, but it fell far short.
September 2, 2015
The concept of this book is super cool, but the MC Mira is almost unbearably unlikable. The way she treats her friends & family so poorly, by the end I almost didn't care that she was wrapped up in a crazy conspiracy. Luckily, Chandra was around to distract me from Mira. The science was silly, but this book is meant to be a lighter style of pop sci-fi & I did enjoy it for that. Quick read, but definitely YMMV.
March 30, 2016
Phillips handles 1st person narrative, the downfall of many other writers, insanely well. I also appreciate how she actually added rules and limitations to the main plot device instead of just explaining it away as magic. I was hoping for a more solid/creepy ending, but the book was still a fantastic read overall.
This was also my Best Debut Novel of 2015 for AiPT:
http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/...
This was also my Best Debut Novel of 2015 for AiPT:
http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/...
June 26, 2015
A potentially interesting story ruined by two things:
1. The technology is never explained. In fact when asked the people who invented it would claim they had no idea how any of it worked. (RLY?!?)
2. The MC was thoroughly unlikable. Most of her problems could have been resolved if she would make a decision and ACT. But instead she just drifts and things sort of happen around her...
Not bad, but not really worth buying. If you want to read it, get it at the library.
1. The technology is never explained. In fact when asked the people who invented it would claim they had no idea how any of it worked. (RLY?!?)
2. The MC was thoroughly unlikable. Most of her problems could have been resolved if she would make a decision and ACT. But instead she just drifts and things sort of happen around her...
Not bad, but not really worth buying. If you want to read it, get it at the library.
April 13, 2017
fast & suspenseful & fun narration - Mira is a great love her then hate her character - just maybe a few too many "wait, what is going on exactly?" moments. But I won't round down to 3 for those because it might have been my fault for forgetting the book at home for a few days. The whole concept was farfetched enough to be scifi but with enough reality to be spooky.
Unrelated to the story, I dig how the publisher included a trigger warning that neatly avoided spoilers, that was well done.
Unrelated to the story, I dig how the publisher included a trigger warning that neatly avoided spoilers, that was well done.
April 1, 2016
This book intrigued me with its unique story line. Technology that can nudge things to happen? What a great premise and Phillips delivers with a great story. The only part that seemed to fall short for me was the main character didn't seem to change much in the end. A rich trust fund baby who doesn't learn much, yet gets her dad to appoint her head of a company. Not totally satisfying but getting to the end was a roller coaster ride, exactly what I want to escape reality.
June 6, 2015
I really want to be able to read this book for the first time, again. The impossible made plausible in a sci-fi page turner that doesn't depend on vulgarity and shock value for laughs or body count for riveting tension; safe for a teen reader and intelligent enough to satisfy this mature reader, can't recommend this book enough as a summer 2015 must read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews