 |
| TITLE: Shutdown (Glitch #3) AUTHOR: Heather Anastasiu PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin PUB DATE: Jul 2 2013 |
Summary from Goodreads:
"The battle is all but over, and hope seems to be lost. Zoe and her fellow Resistance fighters are on the run, having lost their home, their protection, and their leader. They are outnumbered and outmatched by the powerful corporation that controls the world, and the cruel Chancellor is inches away from completing a scheme that would kill most of humanity. Zoe's only remaining option is to chase the impossible dream of upending the Link system, freeing the world from the hardware that controls their thoughts and emotions, and hope it will trigger a revolution.
The plot requires a nearly impossible mission to infiltrate the dangerous Community, and it is a task that Zoe must unfortunately complete alone. With challenges and surprises at every turn, nothing goes according to plan. Adrien's visions of the future now show two possible outcomes: one in which they succeed, and one in which humanity falls. It all lies in Zoe's hands.
Full of romance, high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Shutdown is a heart-pounding conclusion to an exciting sci-fi adventure trilogy for young adults.
The thrilling conclusion to an action-packed sci-fi trilogy"
The plot requires a nearly impossible mission to infiltrate the dangerous Community, and it is a task that Zoe must unfortunately complete alone. With challenges and surprises at every turn, nothing goes according to plan. Adrien's visions of the future now show two possible outcomes: one in which they succeed, and one in which humanity falls. It all lies in Zoe's hands.
Full of romance, high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Shutdown is a heart-pounding conclusion to an exciting sci-fi adventure trilogy for young adults.
The thrilling conclusion to an action-packed sci-fi trilogy"
Rating:
Warning: If you have not read Glitch and Override, this review might contain spoilers from these books.
The Glitch Trilogy is a series of books that I haven’t given much thought of when I read them. I didn’t have any expectations about them. That’s probably a good thing, considering that it let me keep an open mind about whatever was in store for me.
Shutdown, the third and final instalment to the Glitch trilogy, gave off a very promising introduction during its first few chapters. Although I knew that Zoe’s world is on a brink of war, I did not expect the mayhem that went about in between all the planning and preparing to overthrow the Chancellor. While some wars and campaigns during the medieval times were done with honor and proper decorum (although still brutal), this war between the Resistance and the Chancellor is ruthless and vicious, and without show of mercy and sparing of the innocents.
I thought of Zoe to be nothing but a simple protag during Glitch, then I came to respect her in Override, and now I just adore her in Shutdown. I’ve always thought that the weight of being seen as beacon of revolution and the one to lead all to freedom was a really tough image to carry. It’s not only pressuring but also hovers the feeling of guilt and fear that she might lead them only to fail.
I feel sorry for her for not only does she bear such a big burden, she has Adrien to worry about. I understand her inclination to wanting the Adrien she knew before to finally be back. And yet I cannot deny I feel sorry even more for Adrien. I see it’s not easy for him to try and be the person everyone expects him to be when he doesn’t even know who he once was. I understand his need to be known for who he is now than to be expected to go back to whom they once knew. Did I make sense? LOL. Let’s just say, it’s just a topsy-turvy situation.
If I had begun to understand the essence of the love triangle between Adrien, Zoe and Max in book two, I came to appreciate Max’s role in all of this even more in book three. Just like Zoe, it was hard for me to trust Max, but if he was really trying to change, I couldn’t begrudge the guy for his efforts. I’m happy that after all he’s been through; he at least got to redeem himself.
I do wonder though, that the final act of retribution that Zoe has performed seemed to have an easy side. I know she’s powerful, but as I recall, there was a glitcher who can block any sort of power the other glitchers have, but that person didn’t seem to appear on the part where she would’ve been quite useful to the Chancellor in preventing Zoe from infiltrating her hideout.
Nevertheless, I love that I got to see so many changes occur within each significant character in this trilogy. Although some of them may not have been as awesome as Zoe’s progression, I see the vitality of them in relevance to the entirety of the story. Shutdown gave off a very appealing conclusion, and although it is not all a happily ever after (not the typical way, that is), it was a fitting ending to a wonderful story.
*Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the copy of Shutdown.
