Feedback (Variant) Paperback – Bargain Price, August 27, 2013

Second book takes the creepy scary factor up a few notches from the first. SO GOOD I love these books. It’s adventure and sci-fi and action, with a touch of innocent romance. The end was kinda weird though, it would be interesting to see where a third book would take it. I liked the writing and everything of these books so much I looked up more books by the author and started the Blackout series, which is also good but a bit different from these books.

Robison Wells's Variant was among the more memorable young adult novels I've read in recent memory. While it certainly adhered to the ongoing dystopia craze that I feel is starting to become stale and predictable, Variant introduced just enough new concepts along with a familiar yet chilling setting to create its own identity in what has become one of the most overcrowded genres in today's literary scene. It's fortunate that Wells hasn't stumbled into the downhill sequel trend that many authors unfortunately fall victim to. Feedback maintains just about everything that made Variant unique and enjoyable while offering something new to keep things fresh.Feedback maintains the essential aspects of Variant by maintaining what made its atmosphere so haunting yet utterly captivating. As much as I loved the cramped hallways and constant surveillance from Variant, if Feedback recycled the same concept than I doubt it would have been successful. A sense of new yet familiar is something I'm always looking forward to in sequels, thankfully Feedback was able to scratch this itch perfectly. Despite taking place in a larger open environment in comparison to its prequel, Feedback maintains the claustrophobic atmosphere of the original while implementing a theme of survival into the mix. This time Benson isn't being monitored by the school, he's being hunted by them. It adds a great deal of tension and anxiety to the table while further complimenting the already present dystopian vibe. It's a tough balance that Feedback nails with flying colors.However, Variant's few yet still noticeable flaws have snuck their way into Feedback in the form of uneven characterization among the vast cast of characters. The protagonist Benson is just as relatable as he was the first time around; due largely to Wells knack for illustrating a lead who feels genuinely human. He's a character that exhibits all the flaws a believable human character should possess. He stumbles, makes mistakes, and can often act irrationally under duress, yet his desire to defy the odds and help those in need at the cost of his personal freedom are excellent character traits that make Benson a strong multi-faceted character whom the reader can easily connect with and root for. The problem arises with many of the supporting characters. Many of these lesser personas come off feeling completely underdeveloped and two-dimensional; often blending together due to a lack of any real identity within the story. While I could easily recall Curtis, Jane, and Becky, many of the other supporting characters leave such a minimal lasting impression that it's difficult to identify some characters from others. That's not to say you won't care if trouble finds them, but the emotional investment the author was intending isn't nearly as strong as it should be in regards to some of the characters. I feel the fault lies in the length of the book, it's simply trying to be too ambitious for its own good. If the book is too short than it should utilize a smaller cast of characters; focusing on a larger group within such a small length only leads to weaker characterization.Of course every young adult novel needs to feature some form of romance. This was an area that Variant succeeded in to my surprise; given novels of this genre mostly showcase romances that feel forced and completely unbelievable. Wells is one of the rare few young adult authors who can illustrate a romance which can resonate with the reader as genuine love rather than just another case of teenage hormones. I will admit to having some skepticism regarding Benson's spontaneous attraction to Becky, yet Wells is able to illustrate their relationship in such an endearing manner that it was easy to nod my head and accept it for what it was. You really do get a sense that if Benson escaped without Becky then he'd be leaving a part of himself back within those walls. It's very endearing and as a man I can respect him.Variant certainly wasn't a stranger to violence; after all it was a book featuring three enemy gangs locked in a political deadlock after an extremely bloody conflict. To my astonishment, Feedback is not only more violent than Variant, but it may be the most violent young adult novel I've ever read. Variant obviously drew inspiration from Lord of the Flies; a fact the author took great liberty to admitting. Whereas Variant scratched the surface of the concept, Feedback feels even closer to the classic source material with less rules and more anarchical aggression driving the bulk of the characters' violent actions. With the omniscient gaze of the school lessened, the children are free to take out their pent up hatred and punish those who have caused them past transgressions; one scene in particular is perhaps one of the darkest scenes I've ever seen depicted in fiction. These twin themes of guilt and retribution are predominant throughout the novel, both of which adds considerable believability to the heroic and savage actions of the characters.The final chapters of this book are an absolute adrenaline rush that will keep you glued to the pages. I couldn't pull myself away as the answers we'd been teased with from the first book and the shared fates of the characters I'd grown to care about were dangling by a thread. The book fortunately does provide the answers fans of the first book were left wanting, a criticism I had for Variant since it sadistically raised more questions than answers. However, I will admit to originally being conflicted about the twist ending. It felt overly cheesy upon my initial reading, yet I've grown to accept it so I won't be docking any points. Yet I will express some distain towards the abrupt nature of the ending. The most essential questions regarding the school's purpose and the imprisonment of the children are answered, yet as for what happens next once the truth is exposed and where the characters go from there is completely left to one's imagination.Feedback is a great example on how to make a proper sequel. It maintained everything about the first book that worked while adding a few interesting additions to keep the storyline from getting stale. Now if only Wells would stop torturing me with abrupt endings.

I read Variant when it first came out and only recently went back to re-read it before coming along to Feedback. I. Love. It! This book wasn't like every other YA sci-fi out there. Benson is relatable, frustrating and admirable - more likeable because he is flawed. Wells doesn't pull any punches and yet I never felt hopeless. I guess there was just too much fight in the characters for me to despair. In a story like this, with so much fighting against the characters, it's easy to doubt the authors ability to pull it all off but Rob Wells did it beautifully.

Feedback begins with the towering promise left by Variant. How well it lives up to that promise and answers the numerous questions from the first book is largely up to how succinctly you like your stories wrapped up. I loved it. And I'd love to see more in this world, particularly as the fallout from this book spreads.It's a very different book than it's predecessor, but it features the same characters (and some new ones) with higher stakes. The mystery isn't quite as fun here given the reveal from Variant but it's enough to carry the novel.Recommended.

I really, really, really wanted to love this book. I adored Variant, and was waiting on tenterhooks all summer for the sequel to come out. And then it did, and my Kindle and I cozied up and read all night.One of the reasons Variant is such a powerful book is because of the pacing, but one of the reasons Feedback isn't as powerful is because of the exact same pacing. Feedback fell into the trap of The Death Cure--it moved too fast and didn't show results of what happened. When characters died, Benson kind of just had a shrug fest: "Oh, he's dead. Too bad. Let's go attack robots now." Oh, yes, he felt guilt, but it wasn't convincing, and it didn't last long enough.The ending came too fast. I suppose you could call it a happy ending, but everything was unresolved. And Maxfield's grand mystery? We're 97% in before we discover what it is, and then we barely get to stop it. Feedback needs a sequel, and we're not gonna get it. (Wells says so on his website)At the same time, there were parts of the book that were really powerful. Wells chipped away at some difficult themes--like mob justice and the pros of cons of controlling people with fear--that added a whole new dimension to the book. But it wasn't a grit-my-teeth-all-the-way-through kind of ride; no, it was more like a Ferris Wheel.

Feedback was a great sequel to Variant, and all I want is more.This book was less suspenseful than Variant, and didn't have any major plot twists. The ending could've been less vague, but maybe the vagueness was a good thing. Feedback had some odd, almost unbelievable parts in it about technology, but overall, this book is definitely something I'd recommend. (I'm somewhat ashamed to say this, but I finished the book in 2 sittings, it was that good)

Was a good read

Llego en Perfecto estado!

I loved the premise of the book the characters were ok but it was very slow paced and it only got exciting at the end and then left off at a weird place without any epilogue.Good writing, good plot just a bit of an average book.

“Feedback” ist der zweite Band von Robison Wells’ “Variant”-Dilogie und setzt genau da an, wo der Vorgänger mit seinem Cliffhanger endete – nämlich exakt einen Satz später. Man ist also wieder sofort mitten im Geschehen und erhält auch schon wenig später direkt die ersten langersehnten Antworten auf einige drängende Fragen. Allerdings trägt dies nur bedingt zur Aufklärung bei und sorgt eigentlich eher dafür, dass die Verwirrung beim Leser noch ein wenig größer wird. Denn auch wenn man langsam erfährt, mit welchen Methoden die Maxfield Academy arbeitet, so wird dennoch nicht klar, welche Ziele damit überhaupt verfolgt werden sollen und warum die Jugendlichen dort unter diesen erschütternden Umständen gefangengehalten werden.Auch wenn sich der Schauplatz der Geschichte nun von der Schule selbst zu einem Gebiet hinter den Grenzen der eigentlichen Academy verlagert hat, so ist Bensons Situation nach der vermeintlich erfolgreichen Flucht jedoch mehr oder weniger die gleiche wie schon in “Variant”. Er und seine Mitstreiter stehen zwar nicht mehr ständig unter Überwachung, allerdings werden sie auch weiterhin von Wachen in Schach gehalten und mit der Androhung harter Strafen von der Planund eines Aufstandes abgehalten. Wie schon im Internat hat sich unter den Jugendlichen eine eigene soziale Ordnung geformt, die nicht allzu weit vom Gang-System der Schule entfernt ist – woraus sich für Benson das gleiche Problem ergibt. Er befindet sich ständig zwischen den einzelnen Fraktionen, was es ihm sehr schwer macht, Verbündete für seine Rebellion zu finden. Denn nach wie vor gilt: Traue niemandem. Zudem muss sich Benson auch der Frage stellen, ob es das wirklich wert ist, für seine Freiheit zu kämpfen, wenn dieser Kampf zahlreiche Opfer fordert und nur eine kleine Minderheit eine Chance aufs Überleben hat.Insgesamt ist “Feedback” meiner Meinung nach eine würdige Fortsetzung. Die Geschichte ist packend geschrieben, die vielen kurzen Kapitel motivieren immer wieder zum Weiterlesen und auch wenn es im zweiten Band vielleicht nicht die ganz großen Schockeffekte gibt wie im Vorgänger, so sorgen doch viele kleine Wendungen für durchgängige Spannung. Allerdings ist auch dieses Buch nicht ohne Schwächen, und während in “Variant” nach dem famosen Plottwist kurzzeitig ein wenig die Luft raus war, so ist bei diesem Teil das Problem der Story die integrierte Romanze, die mit dem unausweichlichen Liebesdreieck ein wenig klischeehaft und auch nicht immer glaubwürdig daherkommt. Glücklicherweise nimmt diese jedoch auch nicht allzu viel Raum der Handlung ein, sodass dieser Kritikpunkt nicht ganz so schwer ins Gewicht fällt. Gemischte Reaktionen dürfte aber auf jeden Fall das Ende hervorrufen, das manche sicherlich als sehr unbefriedigend empfinden werden. Ich persönlich mag es eigentlich ganz gerne, wenn Autoren ihren Lesern noch ein wenig Interpretationsspielraum überlassen, jedoch hätte auch ich mir durchaus noch die ein oder andere Antwort auf drängende Fragen erhofft. Meiner Meinung nach wäre gut und gerne noch genug Stoff für einen dritten Band übrig geblieben, allerdings sind die Bücher offenbar klar als Dilogie angelegt. Aber vielleicht gibt es irgendwann ja noch ein kleines Sequel in Form einer eBook-Novelle – ich würde es jedenfalls gerne lesen…

Variant was one of my favourite last year readings and despite the criticism I expected a lot from Feedback. I was wrong. The first 200 pages repeat the same dialogues one time after another and the situation in the village isn't credible at all. The explanation to the mystery was just OK and highly predictable.