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A review by momwithareadingproblem
Project Pandora by Aden Polydoros
Did not finish book.
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
I really, REALLY wanted to like Project Pandora by Aden Polydoros. First off, did you see that cover?! It’s drool worthy! Plus assassins, government experiments, the whole cloak and dagger feel of the blurb….yeah I was super excited to read it. However, it just didn’t live up to my expectations, and after reading to just pass the halfway mark I set it down, unfinished. Where do I even start?
Please note that since I technically didn’t finish the book, this review is my opinion and reasons why I didn’t finish, not a reflection of the author’s writing.
What Worked
The format for Project Pandora was really interesting. In fact it was the book’s saving grace for me. As the reader, you are dropped into the middle of the story with not much background on the characters, what they are doing or even how they are doing what they are doing. It helps to build the suspense. Between the chapters though are case notes about the characters which give insight into what they’ve been trained to do. While I didn’t finished the book, I did skim through to read all the case notes. I found them more interesting than the actual story.
Hades! This kid is supposed to be the dark horse of the book, the creep. However I fell in love with him. He’s a very dark character, twisted, and the only one who seems to remember and be immune to the directives.
What Didn’t Work
The head hopping!!!! Oh my goodness, y’all I had no clue whose POV I was in half the time I was reading. The characters blurred together as their voices (aside from Hades’s) just weren’t distinct enough for me. I lost count of the times I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was narrating at the time. For me this was a big problem. There were too many characters to try to keep them straight, not to mention how each character had two separate lives (the normal teen and the assassin).
The whole two people in one body thing was weird for me. Technically they were the same person, but whenever a specific sentence was said that would trigger them to become an assassin and know things/people they didn’t know before. It was all very strange and not well explained….granted I didn’t finish the story. Maybe it’s explained later on?
The plot was nonexistent. At least I never picked up on it. AND I was pass the midway point of the book! I should have at least known what the assassins were doing at this point, right?!
Underage drinking and drugs. Look I get it, you think I’m a prude and you’re right. I know 16 and 17 year olds drink and some get their hands on marijuana, but I don’t like to see it in books geared towards the young adult crowds, ESPECIALLY when peer pressure is involved. Big turn off for me. I nearly set the book down at that point.
My Conclusion
Overall, Project Pandora isn’t a bad read. The author’s writing is decent and the characters were intriguing, even if I never really picked up on the plot. However, it just wasn’t my kind of book. I enjoy science fiction, but I lean more towards robots, aliens, and dystopia. If you enjoy thrillers and suspense with a dash of sci-fi, I recommend you give it try.
I really, REALLY wanted to like Project Pandora by Aden Polydoros. First off, did you see that cover?! It’s drool worthy! Plus assassins, government experiments, the whole cloak and dagger feel of the blurb….yeah I was super excited to read it. However, it just didn’t live up to my expectations, and after reading to just pass the halfway mark I set it down, unfinished. Where do I even start?
Please note that since I technically didn’t finish the book, this review is my opinion and reasons why I didn’t finish, not a reflection of the author’s writing.
What Worked
The format for Project Pandora was really interesting. In fact it was the book’s saving grace for me. As the reader, you are dropped into the middle of the story with not much background on the characters, what they are doing or even how they are doing what they are doing. It helps to build the suspense. Between the chapters though are case notes about the characters which give insight into what they’ve been trained to do. While I didn’t finished the book, I did skim through to read all the case notes. I found them more interesting than the actual story.
Hades! This kid is supposed to be the dark horse of the book, the creep. However I fell in love with him. He’s a very dark character, twisted, and the only one who seems to remember and be immune to the directives.
What Didn’t Work
The head hopping!!!! Oh my goodness, y’all I had no clue whose POV I was in half the time I was reading. The characters blurred together as their voices (aside from Hades’s) just weren’t distinct enough for me. I lost count of the times I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was narrating at the time. For me this was a big problem. There were too many characters to try to keep them straight, not to mention how each character had two separate lives (the normal teen and the assassin).
The whole two people in one body thing was weird for me. Technically they were the same person, but whenever a specific sentence was said that would trigger them to become an assassin and know things/people they didn’t know before. It was all very strange and not well explained….granted I didn’t finish the story. Maybe it’s explained later on?
The plot was nonexistent. At least I never picked up on it. AND I was pass the midway point of the book! I should have at least known what the assassins were doing at this point, right?!
Underage drinking and drugs. Look I get it, you think I’m a prude and you’re right. I know 16 and 17 year olds drink and some get their hands on marijuana, but I don’t like to see it in books geared towards the young adult crowds, ESPECIALLY when peer pressure is involved. Big turn off for me. I nearly set the book down at that point.
My Conclusion
Overall, Project Pandora isn’t a bad read. The author’s writing is decent and the characters were intriguing, even if I never really picked up on the plot. However, it just wasn’t my kind of book. I enjoy science fiction, but I lean more towards robots, aliens, and dystopia. If you enjoy thrillers and suspense with a dash of sci-fi, I recommend you give it try.