Revived by Cat Patrick
Published by Little Brown on May 1, 2012
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: ALA, Publisher
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It started with a bus crash.

Daisy Appleby was a little girl when it happened, and she barely remembers the accident or being brought back to life. At that moment, though, she became one of the first subjects in a covert government program that tests a drug called Revive.

Now fifteen, Daisy has died and been Revived five times. Each death means a new name, a new city, a new identity. The only constant in Daisy's life is constant change.

Then Daisy meets Matt and Audrey McKean, charismatic siblings who quickly become her first real friends. But if she's ever to have a normal life, Daisy must escape from an experiment that's much larger--and more sinister--than she ever imagined.

 

After reading Cat Patrick’s sophomore novel I can safely say that she is a new favorite author of mine. She is an amazingly talented author and she has a gift for writing twisted, thrilling, addicting stories.

Revived is a very interesting story. It could almost be a contemporary story if it wasn’t for the whole drug that brings people back to life thing. For that reason I think this book will appeal to a wide variety of readers. It reads like a contemporary with a super sweet romance, a life-altering tragedy, and some typical coming-of-age issues. It just has this slight twist that the main character is part of a secret government program that is run by a person who might not be such a life saver after all. It really was full of twists and turns that kept me guessing and kept me reading late into the night (or early into the morning.)

Cat Patrick’s characters have to be some of the best I have read. Daisy is a girl who has died five times but she worries about all the same things as normal teenage girls; boys, clothes, friends, driving, etc. She is smart, inquisitive, funny, nice, and sometimes awkward (mainly around Matt.) Her best friends, Audrey and Megan, are great. Audrey is so sweet, funny (especially when teasing Matt and Daisy), kind, and obsessed with Jake Gyllenhal. Megan is another program kid so she understands what Daisy has to go through and she is always there for her. Then there is Matt who just happens to by Audrey’s brother. He is very nice, funny, sexy, and sometimes awkward (just like Daisy!) His and Daisy’s interactions are just the cutest thing ever. Then there is Mason, Daisy’s “dad.” He is not her real dad but it is obvious how much he cares and his presence in the book is awesome. I liked seeing a parental figure who cared what their kid did and who paid attention.

My one complaint was that the ending seemed a little abrupt. I didn’t see it coming AT ALL which I loved but then everything just seemed to happen too quickly. However this is a very minor complaint.

Overall, Revived is a must-read. Full of sweet romance, awesome friendships, and surprising twists, everyone will find something to love about it!

Looking for more reviews of Revived?
Dazzling Reads’ review
The Story Queen’s review