Doomed - Tracy Deebs

Doomed by Tracy Deebs
Genre: YA Techno-Thriller/Mystery

Blurb (on back of book): How long will it take for society to unravel in the dark?
Pandora's seventeenth birthday starts with betrayal. When her long-lost father sends her a birthday greeting with a link to twelve childhood photographs, Pandora unwittingly unleashes a computer virus that shuts down the global power grid.
No Internet. No cell phones. No lights, traffic signals, 911, or first responders. Only Pandora's Box, a virtual-reality game created by Pandora's father, remains up and running. Together with her neighbors, gorgeous stepbrothers Eli and Theo, Pandora must find a key to cracking her father's computer code to save the world from complete annihilation.

MY OPINION: *****

I think that this is a good book for someone who likes a ton of action and adventure.

I loved this book! I mean, it wasn't the best book in the whole world, but it had a good plot, and well-drawn characters that were really interesting to read about and very realistic.

OK, character rants first.

I hated Theo at first. He seemed so dark and mysterious, and gothic. I don't know. I don't have anything against gothic people, but Theo just seemed plain mean. Like he an evil gene in him.

As I got farther into the book, I started to like Theo a little bit more. Just a little bit. Not too much. He is definitely not my favorite character. Theo changed a ton though. He really developed as a character and he opened up more, and we learned a lot more about his life and his personality that we didn't know in the beginning.

I'm sorry, I started with Theo instead of the main character, Pandora. But now I have to talk about Eli because it's only fair.

Eli was so cool! I really liked Eli. He wasn't my favorite character, I don't think, but he was such a different character. He may seem mean and like a daredevil, but Eli was someone I could really relate to. I could understand his anger, feel his sadness, and definitely understand his hurt at not ending up with Pandora. Sorry, that was a spoiler. Had to cross it out. Anyways, Eli was fun to read about. I mean, he was definitely not the nicest person, especially to Theo, his own stepbrother, but Eli was someone who I just liked to read about, make inferences, and really go deeper and understand his character and personality. Unlike Theo, Eli really brightened up the book.

Now, on to Pandora.

I didn't like Pandora. Not that she wasn't well-drawn, but her personality really annoyed me. She was always so annoying. I felt as if all I could understand about her was all the hate she felt for her dad. That was actually something that made sense. But the rest of her character seemed muddled and confused. Not that she wasn't well-written, but her character was not someone I could relate to. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her either. Especially when she was mean to Eli. And when she was nice to Theo. But I can understand how caring and kind she is deep down.

The fact that she is scared of the dark really got on me. I understand that some people are afraid. But she is seventeen, and she has got to face her fears. Especially if it's just the dark.

OK, don't get me wrong. I loved this book and its characters. It's just that some of the personalities didn't click with me. That's not the author's fault. It's mine. I take full responsibility.

Pandora's father. I think I actually understood his character a lot more than Pandora herself.

SPOILER ALERT

Pandora's father just wanted a new earth, a new life. He was a supporter of all things to help the environment, and I think he thought that he was really helping the world by basically destroying it. Starting fresh. Creating a new beginning. I also understand why he did what he did.

I didn't hate him. At some points, he really shocked me with his actions, but they were actually understandable. Can you believe that?

WHO AGREES WITH ME?

The game itself (Pandora's Box) sounded really strange. I mean, if it wasn't a life-and-death situation, I would probably be playing that game and having fun! It sounded pretty interesting. But I disliked the role it played in the story. They shouldn't have to play a game with CGI graphics to save the world. Literally. It made me feel as if this whole thing was just a game.

How did she not die in the game?

How did she not die in real life?

So many things happened in this book! I really enjoyed all of the action. The motorcycle chase scene definitely put me on the edge of my seat, literally. I loved all of the bravery shown in this book, and I definitely liked all of the romance.

When Eli understood that Pandora didn't want him, I literally wanted to cry. Saddest scene ever. I was definitely Peli. Or whatever their ship name would be. Not Team Theo. Never.

So I know this is a relatively short review from me, but I think I'm going to end it here. I know that this review seemed negative, but lately I've been offering feedback to people on multiple pieces, and now I'm just stuck in that criticizing mode. So if you are the author, please don't take it personally. I loved this book, I loved its characters, plot, etc. I just like to list my dislikes most when I review a book because they are the easiest to write out in a coherent way for my readers (like you).

Thanks so much for reading. I would recommend this book to YA lovers, and some mature MG readers, but not anyone who doesn't like a lot of gore and romance. I think that I would level this book for someone more on the older side of reading, for multiple reasons that I shall not list. READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT

Main Character: Pandora
Sidekick(s): Eli, Theo, Emily, etc
Villain(s): FBI, Homeland Security, motorcycles, the dad, the world, people getting scared, etc
Techno-Thriller/Mystery Elements: This book was a very technological book, but it was very thrilling and kept you on the edge of your seat. It also had multiple scenes of suspense.