Review: Alive by Scott Sigler
I dare you to read the first few pages of this book and not want to continue.
A young girl wakes up in a coffin, something stinging her neck. Fueled by fear, she manages to free herself. She has only vague memories of her parents and her life. She doesn’t even know her name. All she does know is that it’s her birthday and she’s 12-years-old… but her body looks 18.
There are other coffins in the room, and soon she finds herself with allies (or enemies) who are just as confused. Armed with just the first initials and last names on their coffins, the group of young people explore the strange building they’re in, hoping for answers, and they’ve chosen Em (M. Savage was on her coffin) to lead them.
At times, the story had elements of books like The Hunger Games, but the underlying mystery and the way Sigler draws out the tension gives Alive the edge. Em can be a bit frustrating, and I found myself wishing she’d stop doubting herself so much, but it’s understandable considering her circumstances and the fact that she’s mentally 12. The other characters fill the necessary tropes: abrasive macho guy, sensitive guy, brainy girl, whiny girl, etc., but, again, the mystery keeps it from being stale: Who are they really?
It’s hard to talk too much about Alive as so much of what made it enjoyable is tied to the answers, and you definitely want that spoiled for you. You will think you’ve figured it out several times, and when all is revealed you may recognize them from other books or movies, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen any of it done in quite this way.
Alive is the first book in the Generations Trilogy, and considering I was up until 2:45am because I couldn’t bear to put it down until I was done once I hit the 55% mark, I’m certain I’ll be picking up book two.
