Review: Hardwired by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie

Review: Hardwired by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie Hardwired by Trisha Leaver, Lindsay Currie
Published by Flux/ Llewellyn on November 8th 2015
Pages: 240
Format:eARC

Genetically flawed. Perfectly human.

When seventeen-year-old Lucas Marshall tests positive for the M0A1 gene—a genetic abnormality believed to predispose humans toward violence—he is shipped off to an impregnable government facility to undergo a battery of psychological tests aimed at making him crack. Now, having survived their tests and proven his mental stability, Lucas is labeled safe to return home.

But any hope Lucas has of returning to a normal life is shattered when the van transporting him to the reintegration facility is forced off the road by a group of radicals intent on accessing the facility and exposing it's dehumanizing practices. And Lucas is their ticket through the front door.

Spurred by rumors that the facility is secretly holding one of his old friends captive, Lucas and his bunk mate, Chris, agree to infiltrate the testing facility’s inner sanctum. But once inside, Lucas’s carefully laid plans begin to unravel, and he's forced to seek help from a group of kids he neither knows nor trusts. And when every genetic test claims your only allies are hardwired to become the next Charles Manson, it’s impossible to know who has your back.

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I have enjoyed all the books I have read by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie. I was thoroughly creeped out by Creed, had tons of feels from The Secrets We Keep, and freaking loved Sweet MadnessPlease keep those in mind, because those are great.

Hardwired and I… well, I don’t think we connected. Maybe we didn’t have a lot in common, maybe I just wasn’t stimulated by its dinner conversation. We didn’t have chemistry, and while I didn’t hate it or anything, but we won’t be going on a second date.

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In fairness, it may make someone else very happy.

The concept is really quite intriguing. The thought that there was a way to predict violent and aggressive behavior is definitely an issue that would be polarizing, and I loved that I was able to really think about my thoughts on it. I enjoyed the main character Lucas and his roommate/friend Chris. I loved that in spite of this awful situation, they were able to really be there for each other. It was a solid male friendship in a genre that is sorely lacking solid male friendships. And, even though none of the characters were physically with their families (as you’d expect being locked away in a “treatment” facility), they still thought about their loved ones and the families became sort of “off-screen” characters, if you will.

The book is definitely fast-paced, with a lot of action throughout. The end was particularly exciting, and I was unsure of how it all would end, so that was a plus. And the action was a good amount, never overwhelming. I was interested, but not lost.

So this is all good, right? What was my problem? This is the hard part. A lot of why it didn’t work for me was simply that it didn’t, which I know is an awful reason, and I am sorry I can’t explain it  better.

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But I can explain some of the things. First, the whole accident scene (not a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis) seemed so unlikely and convenient. The synopsis is also a bit misleading in one part: Where it says “forced off the road by a group of radicals intent on accessing the facility and exposing it’s dehumanizing practices”, what it really means is “one random girl and a ragtag bunch of people she kind of knows are going to try to get her brother out”. Which may not seem like a huge difference, but when I think a “group of radicals”, I am thinking that they are trying to overthrow the entire process, maybe with some social commentary and poignant reasons why none of this is okay. But nope. Just that one dude. I’m not saying they thought it was okay, far from it, but they were certainly not making that their mission.

And when Carly and company entered the picture… well, frankly, I didn’t care about her. I empathized for her situation, but her character did nothing for me. On the rare moments I wasn’t completely apathetic about her, I was irked by her. I wanted more Lucas and Chris, and less Lucas and Carly. Carly was also young (younger than Lucas and Chris, at least) and her “plans” were rudimentary at best, yet all these people (including some actual adult people) were willing to just blindly follow her? And Lucas and Chris, who’d finally escaped the horrors of that place, barely hesitated in jumping right back in. Obviously, because that one random guy they never met? I mean, I guess it shows that they are good people and not the monsters that this genetic test makes them out to be. But, after that kind of experience, it would take some pretty selfless people to voluntarily throw themselves back in.

Bottom Line: I think if you like a fast paced book with exciting action sequences, this could really work for you. But I was hoping for more of the morality piece, world building, and character connections, which I didn’t quite get. I will say that these authors are still going to remain auto buys for me, this book just wasn’t for me. lunch-alone-6

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Could you ever get on board with a genetic test for violent tendencies? Why or why not?

(I could not. Nature versus nurture, I don’t know the answer.)

Posted December 2, 2015 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Review / 16 Comments

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16 responses to “Review: Hardwired by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie

  1. Eggh, I don’t think this would be my cup o’ tea either. I like books with really deep CHARACTERS. Excellent plots are grand too, of course, but I need to be afdjkaslfd over the characters to really enjoy a book. XD

  2. I mean sometimes you just don’t feel a book and that’s ok. This doesn’t sound like something I would run to but will check out the other books you mentioned. Also, I am fully onboard with an Happy Endings gifs (at least I think it is Happy Endings since that is the chick but mabe not???)

  3. Hmm, I’m on the fence about trying this one. On one hand, I like the idea and it does sound exciting, but on the other I really need to connect with the characters to enjoy a book.

  4. Hmm, I’d say no to the test because there’s no way to know for sure. Like you said, nature vs nurture.

    I hadn’t heard of this one before and I’m not sure it’s one for me. Even just the synopsis doesn’t grip me and I’m kind of irritated that the line about the radicals is a lie! I hate when descriptions lie. I do like the premise, though I am put off by the fact that everything sounds kind of like it happens just so because PLOT. And everyone following the girl just because??? I mean, is everyone really THAT selfless, I don’t think i would be.

    Great review, Shannon! Sorry you didn’t enjoy this one as much as you wanted too. =)

    • Exactly! Which plays more of a part? Just because there could be a genetic component doesn’t mean anything. Humans will always have choices.

      And yes! I agree with you- the reason I was so excited for it was because I assumed that it would be this morality thing, and this group of people fighting the system would come in and fight because it was so wrong. But that isn’t what happened at all. Also, I am with you. The girl would have been alone 😉

  5. I am sorry this didn’t work out for you, Shannon 🙁 I feel like the overall reaction to this book has been similar though. A lot of people who have Lindsay and Trisha’s previous books weren’t as impressed by this one. Also, genetic test for violent tendencies reminds me of Uninvited by Sophie Jordan! I really liked that book but didn’t read the sequel because reasons.

    Lovely review, Shannon <3 (AND I HOPE YOU WEREN'T UP TILL 4:30 last night!)

    • I am up until at LEAST 4:30 most nights 😉

      And yeah, I agree, I think people have been underwhelmed by it, which is a shame, because these ladies are just fabulous, but maybe this action-y type of book just isn’t for me? Who knows. I should read Uninvited though! I probably own it. Ah yes, Goodreads tells me that I DO in fact own this, as an ebook. Good to know!

  6. Man it definitely sounds like this one was quite the disappointment Shannon! Another case of where the blurb oversells the book and it kind of makes you a bit sour about the whole experience. It kind of sounds lacklustre, thanks for the review!

  7. I haven’t read any of their other books, but this one sounds so good! I like the whole are they predisposed to evil thing!

    I completely understand! Sometimes I don’t know exactly what I didn’t like about a book and that is always so annoying. Sounds like they should have written a book that was more like the synopsis. Characters need a reason to do things not just it’s in the plot! Okay, I think I’ll find another book that’s more like this one should have been.

  8. I think this book might have been TOO fast paced honestly. It seemed pretty rushed to me, and while I enjoyed it (I also freaking love these two authors!), it was lacking…something. Maybe the character depth…because I found myself not really caring all that much for most of them. The whole idea behind this book was great…I just didn’t like how it was executed.

    As far as a genetic test for violence? It definitely isn’t something would be on board with, either!

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