Influence by David R. BernsteinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you could manipulate reality, would you?
Seventeen-year-old Kaylin has been on the run, hiding her untapped abilities for six years, but rescuing a mysterious guy risks exposing the depths of her power. The manipulative sector groups hunt her kind. Life has never been easy, but resisting is even harder. This harsh, new world will no longer allow her to remain hidden.
In a future where greed and corruption has torn American society apart; these relentless sector groups prey on powerful youths to mold the populace to expand their reach. Young people with the ability to shift the mindset of others are high-value targets. War is waging to expand and control this new world. Influencers, as they're called, hold the key to humanity's future.
Will fighting back cost Kaylin everything?
Influence is the first novel in the Influence series, a sci-fi, dystopian epic with a touch of romance, loads of fast-paced action, with a unique story concept. If you are a Maze Runner or Divergent fan than this is the book is for you!
As soon as I read the back cover copy for INFLUENCE, I just knew I had to buy it. And this book did not disappoint.
The premise is unique and original, and Bernstein's world building was great. The writing was fluid and tight, and the packing was spot on. I particularly loved that we're given some backstory, but that we're shown it (no telling!) in flashback-like episodes where it's applicable, and Bernstein leads us into these scenes very cleverly, in such a way that I knew it was a flashback. There was none of that confusion (the 'is this happening now or has it already happened?') that you sometimes get when books use flashbacks as a device to tell backstory. And I mean, the flashback near the beginning contained pretty important backstory too, explaining why Kay is now on the run and answering any questions I had at that point. So, yes, there's no heavy info-dumping, and we're given just the right amount of backstory to go by.
As a main character, Kaylin is great. I also really appreciated the relationship between Kay and her best friend, Amanda. It was refreshing to see.
As the plot builds, the tension and stakes increase. And there's a lot of action, which I absolutely love. The ending! Wow. I loved it and it fitted the whole book so well. I don't want to give any spoilers there--but let's just say it's very cleverly written. I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours.
Would definitely recommend to dystopian fans.
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