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Variant #2
Feedback
Benson Fisher escaped from Maxfield Academy’s deadly rules and brutal gangs.
Or so he thought.
But now Benson is trapped in a different kind of prison: a town filled with hauntingly familiar faces. People from Maxfield he saw die. Friends he was afraid he had killed.
They are all pawns in the school’s twisted experiment, held captive and controlled by an unseen force. As he searches for answers, Benson discovers that Maxfield Academy’s plans are more sinister than anything he imagined—and they may be impossible to stop.
Or so he thought.
But now Benson is trapped in a different kind of prison: a town filled with hauntingly familiar faces. People from Maxfield he saw die. Friends he was afraid he had killed.
They are all pawns in the school’s twisted experiment, held captive and controlled by an unseen force. As he searches for answers, Benson discovers that Maxfield Academy’s plans are more sinister than anything he imagined—and they may be impossible to stop.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
279 people are currently reading
6009 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,096 reviews
August 9, 2013
2.5 stars.
This is hard for me. I adored Variant. I was really looking forward to the sequel. I counted the months, even.
Alas, I was thoroughly disappointed. The book was very dull. It got "exciting" halfway through but just for a fleeting moment—the good stuff was gone as soon as it came. I was hoping for anything to stop the never-ending snoozefest.
I'm so sad. Variant's ending/cliffhanger left me (us) with so many theories, and I was expecting Feedback to blow us away with the real answer. It didn't. On the contrary—it left a bad taste in my mouth. It just felt like such a silly reveal. Sigh. And the actual ending was... an odd place to finish the book, in my opinion. Very anticlimactic.
Just a big disappointment, all-around.
This is hard for me. I adored Variant. I was really looking forward to the sequel. I counted the months, even.
Alas, I was thoroughly disappointed. The book was very dull. It got "exciting" halfway through but just for a fleeting moment—the good stuff was gone as soon as it came. I was hoping for anything to stop the never-ending snoozefest.
I'm so sad. Variant's ending/cliffhanger left me (us) with so many theories, and I was expecting Feedback to blow us away with the real answer. It didn't. On the contrary—it left a bad taste in my mouth. It just felt like such a silly reveal. Sigh. And the actual ending was... an odd place to finish the book, in my opinion. Very anticlimactic.
Just a big disappointment, all-around.
February 26, 2012
Pretty fantastic.
October 22, 2012
HURRY UP
HURRY UP
HURRY UP
ETA - new review; 22nd Oct
When I read Variant #1, I thought it was one of the most amazing books I had ever read in 2011. It was my 'bug people to read it until they do' book.
So it's safe to say that I was very, very excited to start Feedback (as you can tell from my 'HURRY UP, HURRY UP' comment above)
In Variant there was tension and suspense with the added element of surprise with all the twists it had in it.
In Feedback - there's...well, nothing.
The answers you get to all the questions were, I thought, unsatisfactory and the emotional buildup felt all very fake.
I actually didnt mind the last section of the book - but that ending? I dont even know what the crap I was reading.
(who/what was that at the end? I honestly still dont know)
I feel like the author just wrote himself into a corner with this book. The original premise was just so amazing and mind blowing but there is so much lacking in this one that it just ends up to be a disappointment.
HURRY UP
HURRY UP
ETA - new review; 22nd Oct
When I read Variant #1, I thought it was one of the most amazing books I had ever read in 2011. It was my 'bug people to read it until they do' book.
So it's safe to say that I was very, very excited to start Feedback (as you can tell from my 'HURRY UP, HURRY UP' comment above)
In Variant there was tension and suspense with the added element of surprise with all the twists it had in it.
In Feedback - there's...well, nothing.
The answers you get to all the questions were, I thought, unsatisfactory and the emotional buildup felt all very fake.
I actually didnt mind the last section of the book - but that ending? I dont even know what the crap I was reading.
(who/what was that at the end? I honestly still dont know)
I feel like the author just wrote himself into a corner with this book. The original premise was just so amazing and mind blowing but there is so much lacking in this one that it just ends up to be a disappointment.
March 9, 2013
I know what you're all thinking: Rob Wells wrote another book? Beardy guy, loves a good sweater? Huh, okay. I mean, sure his first book, VARIANT, was fantastic, and there was a huge plot twist that we didn't see coming. But it's not like he could do it again.
Don't let the Cosby sweater fool you. FEEDBACK is amazing. I felt pretty confident that the second book could not possibly contain a plot twist that would come close to touching the one in VARIANT. But let me tell you something, there's a moment in FEEDBACK that is so completely crazypants that I had to put the book down a minute, go, "What the HELL did I just read?" and then pick it right back up again. (And I mean that in a good way.) Rob is good with the characters, he's good with the action and the suspense, and he's good with the crazypants story itself.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go hold a bearded, sweater-wearing guy hostage until he tells me what will happen next. . .
Don't let the Cosby sweater fool you. FEEDBACK is amazing. I felt pretty confident that the second book could not possibly contain a plot twist that would come close to touching the one in VARIANT. But let me tell you something, there's a moment in FEEDBACK that is so completely crazypants that I had to put the book down a minute, go, "What the HELL did I just read?" and then pick it right back up again. (And I mean that in a good way.) Rob is good with the characters, he's good with the action and the suspense, and he's good with the crazypants story itself.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go hold a bearded, sweater-wearing guy hostage until he tells me what will happen next. . .
January 22, 2013
2.5 stars
Pretty disappointed. The book was ok - not bad, not great. But after how much I loved Variant, it was a let down. The answers didn't feel as satisfying as I'd hoped, and all of the emotional buildup felt artificial.
With Variant, even beyond the element of surprise, you got a sense of the characters. Here, they just felt like props. And the need to escape didn't feel immediate, whereas in the first book, the tension and paranoia were killing me.
Benson didn't seem as smart or heroic, but I didn't really feel the guilt he supposedly had either.
Worse - the end? What was that?
Maybe my expectations were too high. It's rare for me to give a book 5 stars and Variant squarely deserved it. But even if it couldn't live up to that, I expected something of higher quality. This didn't feel like he was telling a story, it felt like a sequel for a sequels sake.
Pretty disappointed. The book was ok - not bad, not great. But after how much I loved Variant, it was a let down. The answers didn't feel as satisfying as I'd hoped, and all of the emotional buildup felt artificial.
With Variant, even beyond the element of surprise, you got a sense of the characters. Here, they just felt like props. And the need to escape didn't feel immediate, whereas in the first book, the tension and paranoia were killing me.
Benson didn't seem as smart or heroic, but I didn't really feel the guilt he supposedly had either.
Worse - the end? What was that?
Maybe my expectations were too high. It's rare for me to give a book 5 stars and Variant squarely deserved it. But even if it couldn't live up to that, I expected something of higher quality. This didn't feel like he was telling a story, it felt like a sequel for a sequels sake.
August 2, 2013
I had high expectations for this sequel to fill in the missing links Variant left the reader. At first it seemed like things were getting there, albeit slowly, with an extra helping of a few more gaps along the way.
Benson's behavior seemed a bit erratic at times, but then again who's to say how a normal teenager would act if put in the same position. The action was pretty slow most of the way to where it felt like the climax was a little too drawn out. The climax itself was just random, and left a bigger plot hole in the wake of all the smaller ones. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel at the end and felt a bit let down that that was it. It seemed like a cheap way to finish things off with such a big, unexpected cliffhanger.
To be honest, I felt like the ending made Feedback a pointless sequel overall, and it would have been better to just to have let Variant stand alone rather than end with a rushed sequel that only opened more questions than it answered. I'd probably give it one more star if there was a third book in the works to help tie up all the major loose ends, but apparently this is all we get.
Benson's behavior seemed a bit erratic at times, but then again who's to say how a normal teenager would act if put in the same position. The action was pretty slow most of the way to where it felt like the climax was a little too drawn out. The climax itself was just random, and left a bigger plot hole in the wake of all the smaller ones. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel at the end and felt a bit let down that that was it. It seemed like a cheap way to finish things off with such a big, unexpected cliffhanger.
To be honest, I felt like the ending made Feedback a pointless sequel overall, and it would have been better to just to have let Variant stand alone rather than end with a rushed sequel that only opened more questions than it answered. I'd probably give it one more star if there was a third book in the works to help tie up all the major loose ends, but apparently this is all we get.
December 7, 2020
I never thought I will read a book worse than The Death Cure by James Dashner, but Feedback by Robison Wells didn't want to be left behind.
Feedback came up worse as much as The Death Cure in terms of plot, resolution and characters. Yeah, it was fast-paced but it is the only good thing this book can offer. The whole point of the story stayed as a mystery; vague. We get more questions than concrete answers.
We get more lame characters than well-developed ones. The main character is annoying and sexist and the antagonists are robot, literally and figuratively.
Seriously, it was a disaster. The author wants to give an impression that his book is an unforgettable one; that readers will talk about its ending. They probably will because it's basically nonsense, trashy and a burden.
It's a shame that this book turns into a shipwreck when its prequel is a great starter.
Feedback came up worse as much as The Death Cure in terms of plot, resolution and characters. Yeah, it was fast-paced but it is the only good thing this book can offer. The whole point of the story stayed as a mystery; vague. We get more questions than concrete answers.
We get more lame characters than well-developed ones. The main character is annoying and sexist and the antagonists are robot, literally and figuratively.
Seriously, it was a disaster. The author wants to give an impression that his book is an unforgettable one; that readers will talk about its ending. They probably will because it's basically nonsense, trashy and a burden.
It's a shame that this book turns into a shipwreck when its prequel is a great starter.
April 25, 2013
I described Variant as vivid but bland, and I would describe Feedback as stagnant and frustrating. It's a book where a lot seems to be happening, but nothing much happens at all. One of the issues I think is Benson as a character. He's impulsive, irrational and difficult to connect to. In Variant this was frustrating, but there was enough outside factors to explain some of Benson's stupid decisions (kind of), and keep me interested beyond the MC. The cause of tension in Feedback isn't nearly as good, and Benson's actions are non-sensical at points.
I got "white room" syndrome a lot in Feedback, despite them not being in rooms at all. :P Perhaps it is my failing to understand the wooded areas of New Mexico, but I had difficulty picturing the layout of the camp, and thus in the big action sequences, not much made sense. In general, Wells' writing is convoluted/not clear in a lot of places. There was one bit action scene/turning point, and I had no clue what was happening or why, through the entire thing.
Speaking of, just like Variant had Insta Love, Feedback also has Totally Not Developed New Love. I actually preferred Becky in Variant (to Jane, that is), but we still never get any REAL scenes of romantic connection between Becky and Benson, so when it's all of a sudden like I LOVE YOU, I'm like "nope."
Mostly, I was bored and frustrated by Feedback. I got to the halfway point and simply didn't want to read anymore. But I'm not the sort to not finish books (no DNF for me!), and I wanted to know what the heck everything in Variant & Feedback was about, ie: what the Maxwell Institute was, etc. So I forced myself to finish.
Well, I got to the end, and can I just say: Not. Okay. You can scarcely call it an ending. Feedback spends SO MUCH TIME on stuff happening at the camp that is boring and goes nowhere, then we finally get back to the exciting part -- the bloody school -- and there's just one hella confusing scene in a control room and we're done? NO.
Thoroughly unsatisfying book series, despite having a promising concept.
I got "white room" syndrome a lot in Feedback, despite them not being in rooms at all. :P Perhaps it is my failing to understand the wooded areas of New Mexico, but I had difficulty picturing the layout of the camp, and thus in the big action sequences, not much made sense. In general, Wells' writing is convoluted/not clear in a lot of places. There was one bit action scene/turning point, and I had no clue what was happening or why, through the entire thing.
Speaking of, just like Variant had Insta Love, Feedback also has Totally Not Developed New Love. I actually preferred Becky in Variant (to Jane, that is), but we still never get any REAL scenes of romantic connection between Becky and Benson, so when it's all of a sudden like I LOVE YOU, I'm like "nope."
Mostly, I was bored and frustrated by Feedback. I got to the halfway point and simply didn't want to read anymore. But I'm not the sort to not finish books (no DNF for me!), and I wanted to know what the heck everything in Variant & Feedback was about, ie: what the Maxwell Institute was, etc. So I forced myself to finish.
Well, I got to the end, and can I just say: Not. Okay. You can scarcely call it an ending. Feedback spends SO MUCH TIME on stuff happening at the camp that is boring and goes nowhere, then we finally get back to the exciting part -- the bloody school -- and there's just one hella confusing scene in a control room and we're done? NO.
Thoroughly unsatisfying book series, despite having a promising concept.
January 7, 2013
Oh, what a disappointment. Variant? AMAZING. Lots of action, surprises, great characters, horrifying sci-fi stuff. Then, this. Really? I did a happy dance when I saw that this book was coming out, a real, bona fide happy dance. I rescind that dance, and dance upon it's crushed remains with a dance of disgust.
Over halfway through, I realized that nothing had happened. Seriously, nothing. I can't even really summarize the first three quarters of the book because there is nothing to summarize. I'm not even sure exactly what was supposed to be going on: it was a lot of "we need to escape" "let's escape" "this is how we should escape" "oh no, some random thing foiled our escape" "we should still escape" "here's a new way how to escape" "oh no, foiled again". I kid you not.
Then we get to the ending, which was possibly one of the most rushed and WTF endings I've ever read. I couldn't tell you how the book actually ended, or what happened in the last 3-4 chapters, and I just finished the book a minute ago. It was like reading a sentence the author didn't bother to finish. Or sentence the reading is order a that not right in. I don't know what Wells was attempting to do with this ending, but it probably could have been the entire plot of the book, spread out so it wasn't 75% snore and 25% confusion.
And honestly, Becky had an arm wound. An ARM wound. Why does this prevent running? Why does this take weeks to mend? And how does a mostly-healed injury, reopened, automatically return her to the weakened state from the beginning? Yes, reopened wounds can get re-infected, but it's not instantaneous.
This book also suffered from too-many-characters syndrome, as well as stupid-character-names syndrome, which led to a lot of "Birdman told Walnut and Jelly to do this, while Mouse did this with Harvard. Then Iceman came to attack them." Is there something wrong with human names? And limiting your characters to those that are actually vital to the plot? And they all have anger issues that are often completely unexplained (in both books combined)--how do you go from talking calmly to someone to wanting to shank them in a paragraph when nothing has actually occurred to trigger such a reaction? I found myself skimming past names because it was all so dreadfully dull and disconnected.
I'm being courteous with a 2-star because Benson is still a pretty cool character. Otherwise, this book is one for the turd-pile, another sad victim of middle-book syndrome.
Over halfway through, I realized that nothing had happened. Seriously, nothing. I can't even really summarize the first three quarters of the book because there is nothing to summarize. I'm not even sure exactly what was supposed to be going on: it was a lot of "we need to escape" "let's escape" "this is how we should escape" "oh no, some random thing foiled our escape" "we should still escape" "here's a new way how to escape" "oh no, foiled again". I kid you not.
Then we get to the ending, which was possibly one of the most rushed and WTF endings I've ever read. I couldn't tell you how the book actually ended, or what happened in the last 3-4 chapters, and I just finished the book a minute ago. It was like reading a sentence the author didn't bother to finish. Or sentence the reading is order a that not right in. I don't know what Wells was attempting to do with this ending, but it probably could have been the entire plot of the book, spread out so it wasn't 75% snore and 25% confusion.
And honestly, Becky had an arm wound. An ARM wound. Why does this prevent running? Why does this take weeks to mend? And how does a mostly-healed injury, reopened, automatically return her to the weakened state from the beginning? Yes, reopened wounds can get re-infected, but it's not instantaneous.
This book also suffered from too-many-characters syndrome, as well as stupid-character-names syndrome, which led to a lot of "Birdman told Walnut and Jelly to do this, while Mouse did this with Harvard. Then Iceman came to attack them." Is there something wrong with human names? And limiting your characters to those that are actually vital to the plot? And they all have anger issues that are often completely unexplained (in both books combined)--how do you go from talking calmly to someone to wanting to shank them in a paragraph when nothing has actually occurred to trigger such a reaction? I found myself skimming past names because it was all so dreadfully dull and disconnected.
I'm being courteous with a 2-star because Benson is still a pretty cool character. Otherwise, this book is one for the turd-pile, another sad victim of middle-book syndrome.
Read
December 14, 2014There's no summary! So, being me, I went on the author's website (www.robinsonwells.com, if you want to check it out) and got the summary off there. It sounds pretty good!
Feedback
Coming October 2012!
Benson Fisher escaped from Maxfield Academy’s deadly rules and brutal gangs.
Or so he thought.
But now Benson is trapped in a different kind of prison: a town filled with hauntingly familiar faces. People from Maxfield he saw die. Friends he was afraid he had killed.
They are all pawns in the school’s twisted experiment, held captive and controlled by an unseen force. As he searches for answers, Benson discovers that Maxfield Academy’s plans are more sinister than anything he imagined—and they may be impossible to stop.
Variant blew readers away with its breakneck pacing, flawless plotting, and impossibly high stakes. It earned starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and VOYA, which described it as “an exciting, edge-of-your-seat read that combines psychological themes from works like Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and Ender’s Game in a truly unique way.”
In Feedback, Robison Wells delivers all the answers you’ve been craving—with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very last page.
I can't wait!
Feedback
Coming October 2012!
Benson Fisher escaped from Maxfield Academy’s deadly rules and brutal gangs.
Or so he thought.
But now Benson is trapped in a different kind of prison: a town filled with hauntingly familiar faces. People from Maxfield he saw die. Friends he was afraid he had killed.
They are all pawns in the school’s twisted experiment, held captive and controlled by an unseen force. As he searches for answers, Benson discovers that Maxfield Academy’s plans are more sinister than anything he imagined—and they may be impossible to stop.
Variant blew readers away with its breakneck pacing, flawless plotting, and impossibly high stakes. It earned starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and VOYA, which described it as “an exciting, edge-of-your-seat read that combines psychological themes from works like Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and Ender’s Game in a truly unique way.”
In Feedback, Robison Wells delivers all the answers you’ve been craving—with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very last page.
I can't wait!
December 3, 2014
Oh, second books. Why do you never live up to expectations? Part of the problem is that we need to have relationships established in order to feel tension as events unfold and in first books we get both the relationships and the events. Second books sometimes assume you still feel all those tensions from the first book and keep going with the events without making sure you still care about the characters. That's what happened for me here. Another issue with this series is there are so many characters to keep track of. When a character walks in and Benson informs us he wants to bash them in the face, I struggled to remember why. And I certainly didn't share his rage. There were lots of names that were just names to me and then lots of running and hiding and fighting and a doozy of a reveal at the end that once again left us hanging. I'm going to go watch The Two Towers in an effort to restore my belief that there are good middle entries in series out there...
January 7, 2013
When a friend recommended Variant by Robison Wells, I was skeptical. Typically, I don’t do science fiction and I don’t do YA (except for the Twilight series, which I do so enjoy disliking that I can’t seem to stop reading. Seriously, I accidentally happened upon The Short Life of Bree Tanner the other day at the library, and almost picked it up. Even though there are probably at least a billion other books I would rather read. Still, sometimes hating something is more fun than loving it).
But I trusted this friend, so I borrowed her copy, and I read Variant. And I LOVED it! I could not put it down. It was fun and exciting. It reminded me of growing up and first falling in love with reading and it was everything I think YA should be, especially YA for guys (which is a sadly neglected demographic, in my opinion. It’s almost like writers think boys would rather be playing video games or sports or just generally screwing around. Oh wait…)
Variant was fast-paced and full of suspense and the surprise twist was one of the most awesome and unexpected I have encountered, probably ever. I loved the whole thing and was eager for more. I was so excited that I pre-ordered the sequel, Feedback, before it was even released. I literally could not wait to get my hands on it.
And then it came. And I was NOT disappointed.
Feedback picks up exactly where Variant left off, answers some questions created in the first book, and asks some new ones. It explains some of what is going on and why. But there is still suspense and you are still left guessing and in the end Feedback leaves things wide open for more. Which I sincerely hope there is.
I thought the “feedback” concept was awesome. I thought “dupes” were a nice creative touch. I thought there was a good amount of conflict and the romantic elements I thought were subtle, but nice, and well-balanced with the story overall.
I read Feedback almost as quickly as Variant. It was good. As I said, I was not disappointed.
Then I read some reviews, mostly good, a few negative, and all I have to say to the haters is, look, this book was great, at least as well-written as the first, and it gave us the more we were looking for. I think second books are hard, especially second books following an awesome twist like there was in Variant. But you can’t unknow what you know, you can’t un-look behind the curtain. And you can’t have a monumental surprise in every book in a series. Of course there is some letdown, just like there is following any surprise twist. That’s why the end of every horror movie is always anticlimactic. Because what makes you love it is the suspense and the fear of the unknown. But once you know, there is nothing left to be scared of, and the reality of whatever it was is always cheesy and unfrightening by the light of day.
This was better than that feeling, including the ending, which I won’t spoil for anyone, but come on, people. There are only a small handful of "plausible" explanations for a scenario like this, and he went with the one he thought was best. Few things frustrate me more than non-constructive criticism from non-writers like “it was okay, I guess, but I didn’t like the ending” or “the ending should have been different, this book was so lame after the first one.” Whatever, bro. I thought he did a great job, and I look forward to more, which is apparently coming, so that is really exciting!
Keep up the good work, Robison! Thanks for a great series. I hope they make a movie (or series of movies) out of these. I would love to see it. It would be like Hunger Games meets Red Dawn meets The Faculty. And you can’t step to that!
For more book reviews, check out my blog: http://dunceacademy.com/
But I trusted this friend, so I borrowed her copy, and I read Variant. And I LOVED it! I could not put it down. It was fun and exciting. It reminded me of growing up and first falling in love with reading and it was everything I think YA should be, especially YA for guys (which is a sadly neglected demographic, in my opinion. It’s almost like writers think boys would rather be playing video games or sports or just generally screwing around. Oh wait…)
Variant was fast-paced and full of suspense and the surprise twist was one of the most awesome and unexpected I have encountered, probably ever. I loved the whole thing and was eager for more. I was so excited that I pre-ordered the sequel, Feedback, before it was even released. I literally could not wait to get my hands on it.
And then it came. And I was NOT disappointed.
Feedback picks up exactly where Variant left off, answers some questions created in the first book, and asks some new ones. It explains some of what is going on and why. But there is still suspense and you are still left guessing and in the end Feedback leaves things wide open for more. Which I sincerely hope there is.
I thought the “feedback” concept was awesome. I thought “dupes” were a nice creative touch. I thought there was a good amount of conflict and the romantic elements I thought were subtle, but nice, and well-balanced with the story overall.
I read Feedback almost as quickly as Variant. It was good. As I said, I was not disappointed.
Then I read some reviews, mostly good, a few negative, and all I have to say to the haters is, look, this book was great, at least as well-written as the first, and it gave us the more we were looking for. I think second books are hard, especially second books following an awesome twist like there was in Variant. But you can’t unknow what you know, you can’t un-look behind the curtain. And you can’t have a monumental surprise in every book in a series. Of course there is some letdown, just like there is following any surprise twist. That’s why the end of every horror movie is always anticlimactic. Because what makes you love it is the suspense and the fear of the unknown. But once you know, there is nothing left to be scared of, and the reality of whatever it was is always cheesy and unfrightening by the light of day.
This was better than that feeling, including the ending, which I won’t spoil for anyone, but come on, people. There are only a small handful of "plausible" explanations for a scenario like this, and he went with the one he thought was best. Few things frustrate me more than non-constructive criticism from non-writers like “it was okay, I guess, but I didn’t like the ending” or “the ending should have been different, this book was so lame after the first one.” Whatever, bro. I thought he did a great job, and I look forward to more, which is apparently coming, so that is really exciting!
Keep up the good work, Robison! Thanks for a great series. I hope they make a movie (or series of movies) out of these. I would love to see it. It would be like Hunger Games meets Red Dawn meets The Faculty. And you can’t step to that!
For more book reviews, check out my blog: http://dunceacademy.com/
February 25, 2014
Well that was pretty..bad and confusing. It started out very promising but when the escape attempts started happening, it just went downhill from there again just like the first book. The ending was what really irked me. That was the most abrupt, poorly written, poorly thought out and confusing ending ever. I didn't even know what the hell happened.
Actually, that is my general opinion about this whole book. I don't even know what the hell is going on in most parts of the book. Most felt very very fragmented like it doesn't sit well with the preceeding paragraph. One moment he's talking about this the next he's already moved on to the next topic.
Apart from that, Benson has got to be the most annoying protagonist that I have ever read about. He is a cocky, self-centered, impulsive and annoying little bitch. One moment he's head over heels with Jane. Next after he found out she was fake, he immediately got over her and then moved on to Becky. And in the middle of the book he kissed Jane and then totally regrets it, telling himself he was actually in love with Becky. I mean, WTF? That love thing did not sit right with me. I couldn't take most of what he says seriously anymore.
Anyway, that's it for me. I had such high expectations going into this series. Very disappointed.
Actually, that is my general opinion about this whole book. I don't even know what the hell is going on in most parts of the book. Most felt very very fragmented like it doesn't sit well with the preceeding paragraph. One moment he's talking about this the next he's already moved on to the next topic.
Apart from that, Benson has got to be the most annoying protagonist that I have ever read about. He is a cocky, self-centered, impulsive and annoying little bitch. One moment he's head over heels with Jane. Next after he found out she was fake, he immediately got over her and then moved on to Becky. And in the middle of the book he kissed Jane and then totally regrets it, telling himself he was actually in love with Becky. I mean, WTF? That love thing did not sit right with me. I couldn't take most of what he says seriously anymore.
Anyway, that's it for me. I had such high expectations going into this series. Very disappointed.
May 10, 2020
Notes:
I enjoyed not knowing more than getting the answers. This series is probably great for middle school to high school but the overall format did not leave me super eager to find out what's going on and how it will happen. It's a thriller story for kids. For adults? Other stories handle it better. Good adventure story for kids, a bit blase for me.
I enjoyed not knowing more than getting the answers. This series is probably great for middle school to high school but the overall format did not leave me super eager to find out what's going on and how it will happen. It's a thriller story for kids. For adults? Other stories handle it better. Good adventure story for kids, a bit blase for me.
November 2, 2024
I reeeeally enjoyed the first book, maybe that set this one up for disappointment. It felt very rushed, especially towards the end and left much to be desired. Still enjoyed the story overall, just wasn’t what I expected in the last bit.
September 24, 2012
You have no idea how excited I was to get my hands on this book. I loved Variant, and the cliffhanger ending killed me. It was one of my favorite reads of 2011. It really surprised me how much I enjoyed it. I’m happy to say that I enjoyed Feedback just as much. Lately, it seems that the sequels to some of my favorite books last year have really fallen flat. This one did not fall into that trap.
Warning: This review contains a few spoilers from the first book, so if you plan to read it, I wouldn’t read further.
Benson and Becky have escaped the evil Maxfield Academy, but they are no more safe than they were within the walls of the robot-run school. At the end of Variant, Bens found himself in a small village, face to face with a girl he thought was a robot — a robot who was killed at the school. Bens knows he and Becky need to run, but Becky is injured and suffering from a life-threatening infection. He has no choice but to bring her to the village until she is well enough to move on. What Bens discovers at the village is even more disturbing than what he found at the school. The village is filled with real teens, all of whom had a robot counterpart that attended the academy. They are connected to their robots through a chip, and have been placed in the village for a reason. While Becky heals, Bens tries to blend in with the rest of the teens, narrowly avoiding discovery whenever the murderous robots from the academy drop in. Ever the rebel, Bens is determined to find a way to escape, and free the other teens in the village. What he doesn’t expect is that in order to pull this off, he may have to return to the school in order to set them all free.
Feedback was just as exciting a read as Variant. The chapters are short and action-packed, and Mr. Wells has created a world that is both fascinating and terrifying. I loved meeting the “real” students and how Benson interacted with them. I also found the connection between the robots and the teens very well thought out. While the stakes were high in Variant, they were even more so in this installment. The sense of urgency and the need to escape crawled across my skin the entire time I was reading. I tore through this one in less than a day. I really enjoy this world and the characters. None of them are perfect, especially Benson. He has a serious hero complex, but not in an annoying way. It’s both maddening and endearing.
The only thing that fell short with me was the ending when the big reveal took place. Bens discovers (kind of) who (what) is running the school, but it wasn’t really clear to me. I had to go back and read the passage again and I still wasn’t sure what it was. It definitely left me feeling very confused. I’m not sure if there’s another book planned or not. I can see where there is room for one. I kind of hope there is, because I’m still not sure who, or what, the mastermind is.
If you are looking for a high-octane, original thriller, I highly recommend reading this series. Girls and boys alike will enjoy it as it has enough romance to appease the girls and plenty of action and a male lead that will appeal to boys.
Warning: This review contains a few spoilers from the first book, so if you plan to read it, I wouldn’t read further.
Benson and Becky have escaped the evil Maxfield Academy, but they are no more safe than they were within the walls of the robot-run school. At the end of Variant, Bens found himself in a small village, face to face with a girl he thought was a robot — a robot who was killed at the school. Bens knows he and Becky need to run, but Becky is injured and suffering from a life-threatening infection. He has no choice but to bring her to the village until she is well enough to move on. What Bens discovers at the village is even more disturbing than what he found at the school. The village is filled with real teens, all of whom had a robot counterpart that attended the academy. They are connected to their robots through a chip, and have been placed in the village for a reason. While Becky heals, Bens tries to blend in with the rest of the teens, narrowly avoiding discovery whenever the murderous robots from the academy drop in. Ever the rebel, Bens is determined to find a way to escape, and free the other teens in the village. What he doesn’t expect is that in order to pull this off, he may have to return to the school in order to set them all free.
Feedback was just as exciting a read as Variant. The chapters are short and action-packed, and Mr. Wells has created a world that is both fascinating and terrifying. I loved meeting the “real” students and how Benson interacted with them. I also found the connection between the robots and the teens very well thought out. While the stakes were high in Variant, they were even more so in this installment. The sense of urgency and the need to escape crawled across my skin the entire time I was reading. I tore through this one in less than a day. I really enjoy this world and the characters. None of them are perfect, especially Benson. He has a serious hero complex, but not in an annoying way. It’s both maddening and endearing.
The only thing that fell short with me was the ending when the big reveal took place. Bens discovers (kind of) who (what) is running the school, but it wasn’t really clear to me. I had to go back and read the passage again and I still wasn’t sure what it was. It definitely left me feeling very confused. I’m not sure if there’s another book planned or not. I can see where there is room for one. I kind of hope there is, because I’m still not sure who, or what, the mastermind is.
If you are looking for a high-octane, original thriller, I highly recommend reading this series. Girls and boys alike will enjoy it as it has enough romance to appease the girls and plenty of action and a male lead that will appeal to boys.
July 16, 2013
Halfway through this book, I threw it down, looked up at the ceiling, and shouted: "Robison Wells, you are a GOD!!"
...and then quickly picked it back up so I could keep reading.
I don't understand the complaints that this book is slow and has nothing in it, I really, really don't. I felt like the entire book was exciting (of course, I did read it in a single sitting.)
The thing about this book is it was so intriguing. All the way through, I was thinking about moral implications and possible causes and who I could trust and what I would do in this situation. My brain never stopped the entire time I was reading. Finishing the book was emotionally traumatizing, but at the same time highly fulfilling. I felt different than I had been when I started. Maybe even a little better.
This book is an amazing analyses of what we'll do to each other when things are worse than bad. I loved every moment of it -- even the ones that made me cringe and shudder and cry (maybe especially those moments.) I loved the love triangle, as frustrating as it was. I loved Benson's struggle with himself.
And oh my freaking goodness, I loved the plot twist. Well, there are several plot twists. But the one that happened mere seconds before the book ended.... I kept checking to be sure there really were only 12, 6, 3... pages left, because I just couldn't believe he could wrap up the story in so few words. And, to be fair, he didn't -- a lot of people don't like the fact that the book didn't *really* end. But I love that aspect of it. An intelligent person can see where it's going and can imagine what is going to happen. There's really only one path the story can take from here. And I like that Robison Wells had the faith in his readers to assume we know what is coming.
This book is glorious. I cannot express my love of it eloquently enough.
...and then quickly picked it back up so I could keep reading.
I don't understand the complaints that this book is slow and has nothing in it, I really, really don't. I felt like the entire book was exciting (of course, I did read it in a single sitting.)
The thing about this book is it was so intriguing. All the way through, I was thinking about moral implications and possible causes and who I could trust and what I would do in this situation. My brain never stopped the entire time I was reading. Finishing the book was emotionally traumatizing, but at the same time highly fulfilling. I felt different than I had been when I started. Maybe even a little better.
This book is an amazing analyses of what we'll do to each other when things are worse than bad. I loved every moment of it -- even the ones that made me cringe and shudder and cry (maybe especially those moments.) I loved the love triangle, as frustrating as it was. I loved Benson's struggle with himself.
And oh my freaking goodness, I loved the plot twist. Well, there are several plot twists. But the one that happened mere seconds before the book ended.... I kept checking to be sure there really were only 12, 6, 3... pages left, because I just couldn't believe he could wrap up the story in so few words. And, to be fair, he didn't -- a lot of people don't like the fact that the book didn't *really* end. But I love that aspect of it. An intelligent person can see where it's going and can imagine what is going to happen. There's really only one path the story can take from here. And I like that Robison Wells had the faith in his readers to assume we know what is coming.
This book is glorious. I cannot express my love of it eloquently enough.
Read
May 1, 2012After the killer cliffhanger at the end of Robison Well’s VARIANT, I’ve been super anxious for the sequel, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to get my hands on an ARC. FEEDBACK doesn’t come out until later this year though (October, I think), so this review is going to be pretty vague.
FEEDBACK starts off exactly where VARIANT left off. Benson may have escaped Maxfield Academy, but he’s just beginning to uncover the secrets of the school. Still highly sought after by school officials, he’s forced to lay low in the small town he stumbles into at the end of book one. We learn a lot more about Jane, the history of the school itself, and the full scope of what is happening to those that enter the school (and even worse, end up in detention). Like I said, this is vague because I don’t want to ruin things. But rest assured that questions are answered, friendships are tested, and the tagline from the first book remains as true as ever: Trust no one.
Originally reviewed here.
NOTE: This review based on an ARC.
FEEDBACK starts off exactly where VARIANT left off. Benson may have escaped Maxfield Academy, but he’s just beginning to uncover the secrets of the school. Still highly sought after by school officials, he’s forced to lay low in the small town he stumbles into at the end of book one. We learn a lot more about Jane, the history of the school itself, and the full scope of what is happening to those that enter the school (and even worse, end up in detention). Like I said, this is vague because I don’t want to ruin things. But rest assured that questions are answered, friendships are tested, and the tagline from the first book remains as true as ever: Trust no one.
Originally reviewed here.
NOTE: This review based on an ARC.
September 9, 2016
The ending makes you want to crave for more yet you know this is the last book. A lot of questions still running in my mind yet I don't get what all the fuss is about. People saying how "bad" and "rushed" the book was. People giving less than 3 stars just because they feel like it was rushed and the ending was not what they were expecting. You can't have happy endings all the time, Robinson Wells just showed us what reality is. I rated 5 stars because it was impossible to put down even after I've read past the acknowledgements, even then I was hoping for more.
March 7, 2022
Disappointing, but not horrible.
For the first half of the book, I didn't understand why this had a lower average rating than Variant. It was interesting and the story was moving along at a good pace. There was even a little more depth to some of the characters. (Only a LITTLE.) The plot looked like it was shaping up to be something, but then it just kind of...fizzled?
Stuff did happen. The problem is that none of it felt like it fit together. It wasn't building toward anything besides the obvious. Also, the bad guys made a lot of choices that seemed illogical.
The ending was unsatisfying, but still interesting. I think if there had been another book after it, I might've actually liked the ending. But it looks like some of my questions are doomed to remain unanswered.
Oh, well. I didn't go in with high expectations, so I'm really not that disappointed.
For the first half of the book, I didn't understand why this had a lower average rating than Variant. It was interesting and the story was moving along at a good pace. There was even a little more depth to some of the characters. (Only a LITTLE.) The plot looked like it was shaping up to be something, but then it just kind of...fizzled?
Stuff did happen. The problem is that none of it felt like it fit together. It wasn't building toward anything besides the obvious. Also, the bad guys made a lot of choices that seemed illogical.
The ending was unsatisfying, but still interesting. I think if there had been another book after it, I might've actually liked the ending. But it looks like some of my questions are doomed to remain unanswered.
Oh, well. I didn't go in with high expectations, so I'm really not that disappointed.
April 15, 2019
Major OOF in this book. I was really confused the entire book it really did not make sense to me
February 19, 2022
Ugh. What happened? How did this lose its path so badly? Why did we throw in a ridiculously painful love triangle? It was so forced and cringeworthy. Just stop after the first book.
December 4, 2014
The mystery of Maxfield continues... Okay, so I LOVED Variant (the first book). And I fully expected to love the sequel. In fact, when I finished Variant, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. So much that I immediately bought Feedback on my kindle and read the first two chapters. It didn't give me all the answers, but it did satisfy my immediate curiosity and peak my interest. However, I read Variant with my son and he wasn't quite ready to read the sequel yet. He had his eyes on a humor-centered book in a series he loves (Wimpy Kid). So, I told him I would wait for him and we could read Feedback together.
Flash forward a month... we have since read the new Wimpy Kid book and the new Origami Yoda book. Both of which he loved and I enjoyed too. And I have read several books myself. I was looking at the books on my kindle and trying to decide what to read next when I saw Feedback. Well, I just couldn't wait any longer. So I went ahead and read without my son. (Oh and when he found out, he didn't even mind. He just asked me what happened. I really don't get that; I had to read it and find out for myself. I wouldn't just want someone to tell me.)
The book was good, but not as surprising or suspenseful as Variant. I had an inkling about who might be in charge of the school and the town. As the story progressed, I was more sure. So when the truth was revealed, I wasn't especially surprised. Not like with Variant, where the twist practically knocked me off my feet.
Besides that part, the story itself was enjoyable. The interactions between the characters and Benson & Becky's relationship were interesting. I was more interested in seeing Benson find his way and figure out how to help the kids in the town, then finding out who the ultimate bad guys were.
Recommended to:
Anyone who liked Variant and wants to find out what is next for Benson & Becky. Also, for kids in 5th thru 8th grade. There is one 5th grade girl in my school who absolutely loved these two books. She has been asking me at least once or twice a week if I finished Feedback yet. I am happy that this week I will finally be able to tell her yes. :)
Flash forward a month... we have since read the new Wimpy Kid book and the new Origami Yoda book. Both of which he loved and I enjoyed too. And I have read several books myself. I was looking at the books on my kindle and trying to decide what to read next when I saw Feedback. Well, I just couldn't wait any longer. So I went ahead and read without my son. (Oh and when he found out, he didn't even mind. He just asked me what happened. I really don't get that; I had to read it and find out for myself. I wouldn't just want someone to tell me.)
The book was good, but not as surprising or suspenseful as Variant. I had an inkling about who might be in charge of the school and the town. As the story progressed, I was more sure. So when the truth was revealed, I wasn't especially surprised. Not like with Variant, where the twist practically knocked me off my feet.
Besides that part, the story itself was enjoyable. The interactions between the characters and Benson & Becky's relationship were interesting. I was more interested in seeing Benson find his way and figure out how to help the kids in the town, then finding out who the ultimate bad guys were.
Recommended to:
Anyone who liked Variant and wants to find out what is next for Benson & Becky. Also, for kids in 5th thru 8th grade. There is one 5th grade girl in my school who absolutely loved these two books. She has been asking me at least once or twice a week if I finished Feedback yet. I am happy that this week I will finally be able to tell her yes. :)
November 3, 2012
So dissapointed. Variant, the first book was a fun read...I was so excited to read Feedback, thinking there's going to be a really good explanation about the why and history of Maxfield Academy and everyone will get out and get back to the real world. But towards the end when they finally confront the person/thing (who knows what it was) to me it didn't even make sense when the guy was explaining things to Benson. It was a let down and I felt the end didn't make sense. Benson knew what he needed to do to escape...so escape already! Don't just hang around the fort area all day. Do something! When he finally does, the story just all went downhill and flopped. Yay for everyone who gave this 3 or 4 starts but everyone has their opinions and this is mine. Another thing that came to my mind was a bit of The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
October 30, 2012
Señor Robison Wells, no la vallas a cagar igual como la cagaron con el final de la serie de "The Maze Runner". Espero un gran final con esta novela.
Having said that, I cant wait to get me some Feedback.
Great Story. Great action. Damn Dupes kept coming back. Hopefully some day Mr. Wells writes a third book or a prequel to the story. I want to know more about them alien looking creatures. The President's daughters wouldn't have been introduced if a third book wasn't intended. I'd like to see Benson return those two girls to their father along with Becky and Lilly and the rest of the gang.
Having said that, I cant wait to get me some Feedback.
Great Story. Great action. Damn Dupes kept coming back. Hopefully some day Mr. Wells writes a third book or a prequel to the story. I want to know more about them alien looking creatures. The President's daughters wouldn't have been introduced if a third book wasn't intended. I'd like to see Benson return those two girls to their father along with Becky and Lilly and the rest of the gang.
October 7, 2012
While not as strong as Variant, I think this was a decent end to the story.
Picking up literally right where Variant ended, Feedback gives us more details about about the story of Maxfield (perhaps too many details?) & things do get a little bogged down sometimes in this book, even though it is a quickly paced book.
Perhaps the most confusing thing about this book is that many of the characters we previously "knew" are a bit different in this outing- which is explained, but takes some getting used to. There were also some laughable coincidences- most notably the ending.
Over all it was enjoyable, but definitely not as good, or as suspenseful as Variant.
Picking up literally right where Variant ended, Feedback gives us more details about about the story of Maxfield (perhaps too many details?) & things do get a little bogged down sometimes in this book, even though it is a quickly paced book.
Perhaps the most confusing thing about this book is that many of the characters we previously "knew" are a bit different in this outing- which is explained, but takes some getting used to. There were also some laughable coincidences- most notably the ending.
Over all it was enjoyable, but definitely not as good, or as suspenseful as Variant.
November 10, 2014
3.5
When you read a sequel, you expect it to be better than the previous book, but Feedback failed at it.
It isn't bad, but I feel it lacks something. The fist few chapters were amazing, but then it got kinda dull. What happened to the tension of Variant?
Also, I almost don't feel anything for the secondary characters and that really bothers me. I think the author should've written a little more about them, instead of focusing on the romance (which I didn't like).
And that ending was...disappointing. That's not a way to hype readers for the next book. There's gonna be another one, right? Because despite everything, I'm still interested in whatever's gonna happen next.
When you read a sequel, you expect it to be better than the previous book, but Feedback failed at it.
It isn't bad, but I feel it lacks something. The fist few chapters were amazing, but then it got kinda dull. What happened to the tension of Variant?
Also, I almost don't feel anything for the secondary characters and that really bothers me. I think the author should've written a little more about them, instead of focusing on the romance (which I didn't like).
And that ending was...disappointing. That's not a way to hype readers for the next book. There's gonna be another one, right? Because despite everything, I'm still interested in whatever's gonna happen next.
February 4, 2017
Compared to the first book, Feedback was awful. The plot was boring and the "exciting parts" barely lasted. I barely abandon books, but I was tempted to with this one. It was so boring and I mentally groaned every time I forced myself to read. The characters didn't seem the same and the plot strayed so far away from the original story.
Overall, I'm really bummed out. I heard bad reviews about this book, but I still decided to give it a try. Variant was so incredible, and I wish I could say the same for this one.
Overall, I'm really bummed out. I heard bad reviews about this book, but I still decided to give it a try. Variant was so incredible, and I wish I could say the same for this one.
September 10, 2015
**4 STARS**
This was such a thrilling read! I ended up liking this one more than the first book. Action from the very beginning right to the last page; I was nervous the entire time! I would've liked to have seen a different ending to the series though... Maybe more of a shocking finale...? But overall, the concept of this series was so bizarre and abnormal that it made the entire story so captivating and I really enjoyed it.
This was such a thrilling read! I ended up liking this one more than the first book. Action from the very beginning right to the last page; I was nervous the entire time! I would've liked to have seen a different ending to the series though... Maybe more of a shocking finale...? But overall, the concept of this series was so bizarre and abnormal that it made the entire story so captivating and I really enjoyed it.
December 14, 2014
Very action packed. However very enjoyable, the story was not as developed as I would have liked.
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