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Rebel #1
The Rebel Within
FEDERAL UNION HUNTS BOYS … REBELLIOUS GIRL FOLLOWS CONSCIENCE … SHE’S DRAFTED TO OBEY ORDERS.
“A stimulating, worthwhile story of a dystopian future.” – Kirkus Reviews
Annabelle Scott tries to keep her rebellious thoughts to herself, avoid the draft, and protect her younger sister. The Federal Union forces her to be a police intern. She gets into trouble and is offered an impossible choice.
Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner. The Rebel Within is the first book in a science fiction thriller series in which a young woman is drafted into the police and then into the elite military to enforce laws she believes are wrong.
A second American Civil War ended in a shaky stalemate dividing the country into the “civilized” Federal Union and the warlord-controlled mountainous Outland. Annabelle lost her biological parents to the conflict when she was little and was adopted by a member of the Union’s political opposition. The loss of her parents and her adoptive mother’s opposition lead Annabelle to be rebellious in a society that promotes conformity and punishes disobedience.
Annabelle has never met a boy. The only time she sees them is at a prison across from her school while she’s in detention or when she escapes to the roof. A redhead has caught her attention, but boys are forbidden.
When the redheaded Morgan escapes prison, Annabelle feels compelled to help him and almost gets caught. Frustrated, she fights an amazon bully to protect her sister and is arrested. To avoid prison, which would take her from her family, Annabelle joins the dreaded Mechanized Warriors, tasked with capturing escaped boys.
If she fails the arduous military requirements, Annabelle risks death, imprisonment or being sent to the Outland as a slave. She also endangers her beloved sister and adoptive mom. Can Annabelle survive rigorous training under a tough commander, stay true to her conscience, and help Morgan without destroying herself and her family?
“A stimulating, worthwhile story of a dystopian future.” – Kirkus Reviews
Annabelle Scott tries to keep her rebellious thoughts to herself, avoid the draft, and protect her younger sister. The Federal Union forces her to be a police intern. She gets into trouble and is offered an impossible choice.
Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner. The Rebel Within is the first book in a science fiction thriller series in which a young woman is drafted into the police and then into the elite military to enforce laws she believes are wrong.
A second American Civil War ended in a shaky stalemate dividing the country into the “civilized” Federal Union and the warlord-controlled mountainous Outland. Annabelle lost her biological parents to the conflict when she was little and was adopted by a member of the Union’s political opposition. The loss of her parents and her adoptive mother’s opposition lead Annabelle to be rebellious in a society that promotes conformity and punishes disobedience.
Annabelle has never met a boy. The only time she sees them is at a prison across from her school while she’s in detention or when she escapes to the roof. A redhead has caught her attention, but boys are forbidden.
When the redheaded Morgan escapes prison, Annabelle feels compelled to help him and almost gets caught. Frustrated, she fights an amazon bully to protect her sister and is arrested. To avoid prison, which would take her from her family, Annabelle joins the dreaded Mechanized Warriors, tasked with capturing escaped boys.
If she fails the arduous military requirements, Annabelle risks death, imprisonment or being sent to the Outland as a slave. She also endangers her beloved sister and adoptive mom. Can Annabelle survive rigorous training under a tough commander, stay true to her conscience, and help Morgan without destroying herself and her family?
- GenresDystopiaYoung Adult
270 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2013
2 people are currently reading
509 people want to read
About the author
Lance Erlick
21 books266 followersLance Erlick writes science fiction thrillers for adult and young adult readers. In 2018, he launched his Android Chronicles novels with Reborn and continued it with Unbound and Emergent. This series follows the challenges of Synthia Cross, wrestling with the download of a human mind and emergent behavior while confronted by humans who seek to control her. In the Rebel series, Annabelle Scott faces a crisis of conscience after she’s drafted into the military to enforce laws she believes are wrong. The Regina Shen series takes place after abrupt climate change leads to Collapse and a new World Federation. As an outcast, Regina must fight to stay alive and help her family while she avoids being captured. Xenogeneic: First Contact is about aerospace engineer Elena Pyetrov’s struggles with alien pilgrims determined to take over Earth.
To learn more, visit him online at www.LanceErlick.com.
To learn more, visit him online at www.LanceErlick.com.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 19, 2013
I'm not going to recount the story, but instead, I'd like to comment on Lance Erlick's story itself, and some of the techniques he's used.
In general, I think this is well-suited to the young adult level, with plenty of hard-hitting action, clear plot structure and well-defined emotional development. His themes of a need for freedom and space, plus the importance of courage and focus, to achieve your goals, will appeal to most young readers. He avoids the extreme angst that some authors bring to their characters, while giving Annabelle enough uncertainty about her own motives, to keep the reader involved.
Erlick does a good job of developing characters, giving even small roles a solid personality, allowing us to like or dislike them, as needed. The most complex character, Commander Sam, keeps us wondering after every contact she and our heroine have.
As well, his description of physical reactions (pain soaks me like the thunderstorm) ("I'm like a balloon ready to explode" .... "My lungs beg for air") makes the story come more alive.
However, I find that his physical description could be deeper, giving more texture, more depth, more timbre. As well, some phrases could have used longer words, such as "delicious", instead of 'yummy' (83). And I would have liked a bit more description of the city and landscape, since this is the future.
All in all, though, I quite enjoyed this book, and will recommend it to my literacy students in the fall. I'm also going to start the second one tonight. Thank you, Lance, for a good job, well done, and for the chance to tell everyone what I felt about your book.
Art
In general, I think this is well-suited to the young adult level, with plenty of hard-hitting action, clear plot structure and well-defined emotional development. His themes of a need for freedom and space, plus the importance of courage and focus, to achieve your goals, will appeal to most young readers. He avoids the extreme angst that some authors bring to their characters, while giving Annabelle enough uncertainty about her own motives, to keep the reader involved.
Erlick does a good job of developing characters, giving even small roles a solid personality, allowing us to like or dislike them, as needed. The most complex character, Commander Sam, keeps us wondering after every contact she and our heroine have.
As well, his description of physical reactions (pain soaks me like the thunderstorm) ("I'm like a balloon ready to explode" .... "My lungs beg for air") makes the story come more alive.
However, I find that his physical description could be deeper, giving more texture, more depth, more timbre. As well, some phrases could have used longer words, such as "delicious", instead of 'yummy' (83). And I would have liked a bit more description of the city and landscape, since this is the future.
All in all, though, I quite enjoyed this book, and will recommend it to my literacy students in the fall. I'm also going to start the second one tonight. Thank you, Lance, for a good job, well done, and for the chance to tell everyone what I felt about your book.
Art
August 3, 2013
Ahhh…another one of my favorite type of books. A mash-up. Part dystopian, part romance, part thriller, part scifi and part YA. I absolutely loved this series.
My daughter is named Annabelle (but it is spelled differently), so it was a little disconcerting to read “Annabelle” so often and not think of my munchkin.
But other than the adoption thing and living in a female dominated society, my child has a lot in common with her fictional counterpart. Her rebellious nature for one, her looks for another.
Getting past that, I truly loved the character. She is strong, intelligent. She has a heart. She knows that her society isn’t the utopia it is portrayed to be. She has an unquenched thirst for justice and determination to match.
I loved learning about this “utopia”. I live in the South, and I occasionally run into the misinformed ideals of macho males who think I should be in my kitchen barefoot and pregnant. So reading about an all-female society was very interesting.
Reading about how this “utopia” came about was even more intruiging: in the early decades of the 21st century, right-wing extremists tried to turn back the clock. When they failed, the seceded, bringing the Second American Civil War.
Well, that seems plausible. Especially from my seat down here in Texas. A state that regulates a woman’s body to “protect life” but promotes gun ownership and kills 300 people per year by lethal injection.
But as good as “the Union” seems, all “utopia” type societies always have a nasty underbelly. This one treats males as third class citizens. Any males that they do encounter are jailed (including children that are sent to “schools” that are fenced in like a prison) and are forced to wear a shock collar.
Annabelle starts helping boys escape. And then a turn of events forces her into the military.
The gadgets and tactics used for training were fascinating. I loved the idea of the simulators. However, like “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, reading about the training and about young teenage girls nearly killing each other was disturbing.
Even more “Hunger Games”-esque was the final test for those intending to serve in the mech forces: a fight to the death in an arena against a male who is hopped up on steroids. It is televised, along with a tournament among the mech recruit classes, and gambling is permitted on the participants.
I admire Annabelle’s hard work and grit in doing what she feels is right for her family, despite being totally against the organization she is training for.
I loved reading about her relationship with her adopted sister and mother. The urge for Annabelle to protect Janine is palpable.
Overall, this is a wonderful book with strong characters, strong statements on politics and life in the United States, with twists of love, empathy and compassion.
My daughter is named Annabelle (but it is spelled differently), so it was a little disconcerting to read “Annabelle” so often and not think of my munchkin.
But other than the adoption thing and living in a female dominated society, my child has a lot in common with her fictional counterpart. Her rebellious nature for one, her looks for another.
Getting past that, I truly loved the character. She is strong, intelligent. She has a heart. She knows that her society isn’t the utopia it is portrayed to be. She has an unquenched thirst for justice and determination to match.
I loved learning about this “utopia”. I live in the South, and I occasionally run into the misinformed ideals of macho males who think I should be in my kitchen barefoot and pregnant. So reading about an all-female society was very interesting.
Reading about how this “utopia” came about was even more intruiging: in the early decades of the 21st century, right-wing extremists tried to turn back the clock. When they failed, the seceded, bringing the Second American Civil War.
Well, that seems plausible. Especially from my seat down here in Texas. A state that regulates a woman’s body to “protect life” but promotes gun ownership and kills 300 people per year by lethal injection.
But as good as “the Union” seems, all “utopia” type societies always have a nasty underbelly. This one treats males as third class citizens. Any males that they do encounter are jailed (including children that are sent to “schools” that are fenced in like a prison) and are forced to wear a shock collar.
Annabelle starts helping boys escape. And then a turn of events forces her into the military.
The gadgets and tactics used for training were fascinating. I loved the idea of the simulators. However, like “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, reading about the training and about young teenage girls nearly killing each other was disturbing.
Even more “Hunger Games”-esque was the final test for those intending to serve in the mech forces: a fight to the death in an arena against a male who is hopped up on steroids. It is televised, along with a tournament among the mech recruit classes, and gambling is permitted on the participants.
I admire Annabelle’s hard work and grit in doing what she feels is right for her family, despite being totally against the organization she is training for.
I loved reading about her relationship with her adopted sister and mother. The urge for Annabelle to protect Janine is palpable.
Overall, this is a wonderful book with strong characters, strong statements on politics and life in the United States, with twists of love, empathy and compassion.
November 30, 2015
In Annabelle’s world, men are exiled, quarantined or forced to fight to the death in the annual games which serve as final training for Mech operatives. When a group of boys escape from an enclosed school, Mechs and cops alike are called to the hunt. Annabelle can’t suppress her curiosity about men. Her feelings about them are so different than her feelings for women, and she wonders if this is strange. When she is faced with an escapee, Annabelle knows she should turn him in and follow the rules. The only problem: she is anything but a rule-following girl. Helping the boy escape will endanger everyone she loves and rocket Annabelle to a place of impossible life and death decisions.
This novel definitely has some feminist themes, but at its core, it's a story reminding us that both sexes are to be valued. Erlick keeps the girl-on-girl action pretty low-key, leaving your imagination to do the work, and spins cultural feelings about relationships into a paradox: girl/girl relationships in this female-dominated story-world are the norm, and it's the apparently straight girl who finds herself wondering if something is wrong with her.
The story offers more than explorations of relationships, however, and features some intense action scenes as Annabelle struggles to survive fierce military training. Over all, it was really enjoyable, and a thought-provoking read.
This novel definitely has some feminist themes, but at its core, it's a story reminding us that both sexes are to be valued. Erlick keeps the girl-on-girl action pretty low-key, leaving your imagination to do the work, and spins cultural feelings about relationships into a paradox: girl/girl relationships in this female-dominated story-world are the norm, and it's the apparently straight girl who finds herself wondering if something is wrong with her.
The story offers more than explorations of relationships, however, and features some intense action scenes as Annabelle struggles to survive fierce military training. Over all, it was really enjoyable, and a thought-provoking read.
September 13, 2013
This is the book that asks: What would happen if women ran the world? Peace? Harmony? Universal love? With the recent statistics pointing to women increasingly becoming breadwinners while men choose to forgo college education, the question is less academic (or sci-fi) today than it would have been even a decade ago. The book's answer is less than encouraging. In the fictional Federal Union, formed after the Second Civil War, men are not just second class citizens, but virtual prisoners, to be held and disposed of like so much meat. And women, of course, are still prone to human failings: jealousy, violence, desire to control.
The story is told by Annabelle Scott, a 15-year old with a traumatic past whose family was taken away from her at an early age. When she is recruited for the "mechs," an elite and fierce group of warriors, she will be torn between her desire to be successful at the training school and the need to subvert the society that has destroyed her family.
I loved the characterization in this book. There are many character to juggle, and each one is memorable. The protagonist shows just the right balance of vulnerability, strength and very recognizable teen rebellion super-charged by the untenable circumstances. There are many (maybe a bit TOO many) training and action scenes. If I had to compare the tone of most of this book to something, I would probably choose Ender's Game- brutal school rivalries, a manipulative adult in charge, relentless preparation for combat. Except, of course, the expected combat would be with fellow human beings, and the conflict taking place inside Annabelle's mind makes all the difference.
NOTE: Even though there is fair amount of violence in the book, it should be acceptable reading for teens, and is sure to result in a good discussion in school or library environment.
The story is told by Annabelle Scott, a 15-year old with a traumatic past whose family was taken away from her at an early age. When she is recruited for the "mechs," an elite and fierce group of warriors, she will be torn between her desire to be successful at the training school and the need to subvert the society that has destroyed her family.
I loved the characterization in this book. There are many character to juggle, and each one is memorable. The protagonist shows just the right balance of vulnerability, strength and very recognizable teen rebellion super-charged by the untenable circumstances. There are many (maybe a bit TOO many) training and action scenes. If I had to compare the tone of most of this book to something, I would probably choose Ender's Game- brutal school rivalries, a manipulative adult in charge, relentless preparation for combat. Except, of course, the expected combat would be with fellow human beings, and the conflict taking place inside Annabelle's mind makes all the difference.
NOTE: Even though there is fair amount of violence in the book, it should be acceptable reading for teens, and is sure to result in a good discussion in school or library environment.
November 3, 2014
The Rebel Within has a different feel to it. It’s not your ‘typical’ young adult dystopian. While it fits the dystopian category, it has a more science fiction feel to it. It’s about a society that is run by women and men are turned out or imprisoned.
I loved that Annabelle questions things and pushes to find out more about things. At the same time she works to be cautious so that she doesn’t put her family in danger. She’s cautious, but doesn’t let people walk all over her. In this book she’s discovering a lot of truth but finding she can’t take much action on her own. She’s a strong and bold character and I really enjoyed reading about her.
The world was pretty easy to picture, though maybe not so easy to imagine. Not that it’s far out there, but it’s hard to imagine that men would ever be pushed that far and no longer be part of society at all. But it really makes you think a lot about how things aren’t black and white. I know I often think of the villains as being male, but it’s not always the case. In this book there are lots of females that aren’t good people, but there are some that are.
It’s been awhile since I read the book so it’s hard to get specific about things, but the thing that stood out to me the most was how much it really made me think about things and assess what the future could hold. Maybe it’s not as drastic as in this book, at least not in my lifetime, but it’s not exactly headed in the right direction either. Or maybe it is, and we’re focusing on the wrong aspects. Either way, to me this book is definitely worth reading, just to see some things from a totally different angle.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
I loved that Annabelle questions things and pushes to find out more about things. At the same time she works to be cautious so that she doesn’t put her family in danger. She’s cautious, but doesn’t let people walk all over her. In this book she’s discovering a lot of truth but finding she can’t take much action on her own. She’s a strong and bold character and I really enjoyed reading about her.
The world was pretty easy to picture, though maybe not so easy to imagine. Not that it’s far out there, but it’s hard to imagine that men would ever be pushed that far and no longer be part of society at all. But it really makes you think a lot about how things aren’t black and white. I know I often think of the villains as being male, but it’s not always the case. In this book there are lots of females that aren’t good people, but there are some that are.
It’s been awhile since I read the book so it’s hard to get specific about things, but the thing that stood out to me the most was how much it really made me think about things and assess what the future could hold. Maybe it’s not as drastic as in this book, at least not in my lifetime, but it’s not exactly headed in the right direction either. Or maybe it is, and we’re focusing on the wrong aspects. Either way, to me this book is definitely worth reading, just to see some things from a totally different angle.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
September 22, 2014
I received a copy of The Rebel Within by Lance Erlick in return for an honest review. I recommend the story, particularly for YA readers the action takes place in a dystopian world in which the protagonist Annabelle struggles to come to terms with a regime that actively discriminates against men to the extent that boys are kept under strict lock and key at home or imprisoned, and trained to fight to their deaths.
Annabelle dreams of escape but most importantly she is driven to protect her younger sister within the regime. Annabelle has an empathy for the males who live in her world and the story evolves as she tries to defy authority and to help some to escape. The Rebel Within refers to Annabelle's drive to follow her own moral code (much like her parents who suffered for their actions, so that now she lives with a polyamorous adoptive family). The plot is action-packed centred around Annabelle's training to become a "mech" warrior which she doubts she will survive. The angst that Annabelle experiences in learning to be true to herself and her heart is a compelling coming of age drama.
The book is written in the first person which I tend to dislike however the twisting plot was part adventure, part love story, part suspense and Annabelle's experiences and dilemmas were interesting enough so that her narration was only a mild irritation in an otherwise enjoyable and thought provoking dystopian tale.
Annabelle dreams of escape but most importantly she is driven to protect her younger sister within the regime. Annabelle has an empathy for the males who live in her world and the story evolves as she tries to defy authority and to help some to escape. The Rebel Within refers to Annabelle's drive to follow her own moral code (much like her parents who suffered for their actions, so that now she lives with a polyamorous adoptive family). The plot is action-packed centred around Annabelle's training to become a "mech" warrior which she doubts she will survive. The angst that Annabelle experiences in learning to be true to herself and her heart is a compelling coming of age drama.
The book is written in the first person which I tend to dislike however the twisting plot was part adventure, part love story, part suspense and Annabelle's experiences and dilemmas were interesting enough so that her narration was only a mild irritation in an otherwise enjoyable and thought provoking dystopian tale.
June 30, 2016
After a second American Civil War, women rule while men are killed or banished to the Outlands. This new world is far from feminized and pastoral. Women assume the attributes of the men they despise: militarism, violence, brutality and bigotry. Conformity and obedience govern every aspect of life from attitude to food. The few remaining boys are treated like criminals and destined for arena death matches against heavily armed women.
Sixteen-year-old Belle doesn’t fit the new world. Given her choice, she’d be an artist or restauranteur. Not given her choice, she’s assigned to police work, then forced into a mechanized combat unit. Intelligent and athletic, Belle shares a home with eight other females, only two of whom she trusts: her adoptive mother and sister. She defies her society’s rules many times to learn the fate of her birth mother, imprisoned during the war. By chance, she meets and helps Morgan, a boy trying to flee to the Outlands.
How each of these persons figures in her life will determine her future. The Rebel Within begins Belle’s original and exciting journey. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
Sixteen-year-old Belle doesn’t fit the new world. Given her choice, she’d be an artist or restauranteur. Not given her choice, she’s assigned to police work, then forced into a mechanized combat unit. Intelligent and athletic, Belle shares a home with eight other females, only two of whom she trusts: her adoptive mother and sister. She defies her society’s rules many times to learn the fate of her birth mother, imprisoned during the war. By chance, she meets and helps Morgan, a boy trying to flee to the Outlands.
How each of these persons figures in her life will determine her future. The Rebel Within begins Belle’s original and exciting journey. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
September 10, 2016
1st... I received this book in return for my honest opinion.... Honestly I don't know why so many people love this book.... The characters were good, not too many.... The setting was believable, I always love dystopian plots, but this book just seemed to drag out a scenario... Wish it pushed along a little faster and gave u a better ending.
August 25, 2014
The Rebel Within has an interesting premise that I enjoyed. The dystopian world was well built and the novel has great elements of action and suspense. Erlick created a "Hunger Games"-esque story that keeps his audience entertained from start to finish. I look forward to reading the second book.
May 7, 2013
Rebel Within: Lance Erlick
Without structure many fail but too much rigidity can cause more problems. What about living in a world with just young girls and being forced to become a security cog and then encouraged to enter training more stringent than most would encounter going to a regular military school. Annabelle is the main character and it is her voice, thoughts and feelings that readers hear. Living in a society that has rigid rules, bans boys from their school, their presence and keeps them locked behind barbed wired fences, Annabelle has the urge and need to break out but something is holding her back. A group called the mechs is the ones trained to take down anyone that causes dissent. Although in security, trained in police procedures, she hesitates each time she is called on to report a boy that escapes, one that is sighted in the wrong place and hopes to find a way to help them escape. Seeing a young man with red hair, claiming to report him but to the authorities not fast enough, Annabelle winds up with a four week suspension from basketball, a stern reprimand and anything else those in charge can think of. But, she is not discouraged, her primary focus is to protect her young sister, and hopefully her adoptive mother will have enough clout to overturn some of what she is enduring. But, the mayor’s daughter seems to rate privileges, Annabelle has many who dislike her, and yet she seems tough, smart and determined to find a way out.
Living in a world where everything is regimented, decided for you and your input is limited makes it difficult for young girls to thrive on their own. Devoid of any male friendship, torn between two separate worlds Annabelle needs decide whether she wants the life of a security cog and work for the people that took her real parents from her or be ripped apart once again and lose the family she now has.
Things spiral out of control and her choices become limited as Annabelle decides to take up the offer of becoming a mech, finds herself in difficult situations, confides in her adoptive mother, wants to learn more about her son and hopes to protect her younger sister, Janine from the same fate she is about to undertake. Training quite unique, tests that require immediate answers and results, physical training quite rigid and the end result could mean her life. With others trying to protect her family Belle manages to bring too much attention to herself. The rigorous training and her competitive attitude often keep her in check with her superiors. One girl named Dara seems to have it in for Belle and the rivalry soars, their competitiveness and their desire to be number one just might take them both into the final arena but the winner might lose you more than you think. Added in we learn more about Belle’s birth mother, what happened to her and her father, plus her relationship with her adoptive mothers. One that would criticize her and the other that would do anything to protect her and her sister even risking her own life.
The training continues. The war begins within herself and the end result remains to be seen as loyalties, trusts and family ties are tested. Annabelle is our narrator who takes us through each situation, discusses her training and her fears for her sister and her hopes to meet her adoptive brother George and have a relationship with boys. Balance, training, pushing herself to the limits, dealing with a commander named Sam and hoping to become a mech, what else will Annabelle do in order to save her family and not be sent away? Chemicals that enhance her abilities, creams to heal her injuries and many questions that remain unanswered. Simulator fights, virtual reality reviews, and simulator martial arts training are part of the program created by author Lance Erlick for these powerful girls. With Janine, her sister trying emulate all that she does and wants to be like her, with Dara her prime rival each warrior as they are called hopes to return to mech gear training and make a difference. But, who will win out and who will remain? Who will wash out? But, fear encompasses Belle when the issue of the escaped boys comes up and some implications are made that she might know who is helping them escape and if she had a hand in it. Just where is her mom and what has she got to do with these boys? Is there really an Underground Railroad similar to the one Harriet Tubman ran? Is there someone that is actually helping boys find a better place to be? Living in a town called Harmony in order creates balance and peace you might say. Defining Harmony it means . Agreement in feeling or opinion; according to free dictionary .com and according to the Macmillan Dictionary: a situation in which people live and work well with other people, or in a way that does not damage things around them. Somehow these two definitions do not seem to blend in with what we see, hear and learn about this place and the way the Harmony staff or administrators treat their population. They even monitor their drink lists and have GPS tracking devices within each girl and many other ways to make sure they always know where they are. Some even have to wear awful collars. Her sister trains with the cop program and Belle with Renee and her recruits each with their own goals and mission. Belle with her fears about Mama Grace and hoping to someday reconnect with her real mother. The tournament is near, the training is almost over and the end result might cost more than one life. What happens is quite starling as Dara faces off with several men and so does Belle. The outcomes you won’t believe and the end result will make you wonder just why anyone has not stopped this town from their brutal ways and why no one has fought back. An ending so explosive and surprising you won’t see it coming. The final outcome of the tournament will change the complexion of Belle’s life forever. Will she become a mech or will she wash out? What about Belle? What secrets are revealed at the end and what is in store for them next as I can tell from reading this novel that this is just the beginning for Belle, Janine and the rest. What about the boys? What is the final outcome? Read Rebel Within and find out what happens? A rebel is defined as: a person who rises in armed resistance against an established government or ruler or even 16 year old girl who likes to live by her own rules. Two sisters different yet alike. One mother willing to risk it all. What would you do to protect the ones you love? The author raises this question along with many others.
The training is intense and you can feel the emotional strain as each girl fights to the finish hoping to become warriors. Although some might feel that the training should be similar to that of army boot camp, it is not. The feats are quite different, the hand-to-hand combat seems like there are not holds barred and the end result is quite different as many are hurt, some might lose their lives and others come out victors. Fast paced, action packed and definitely filled with energy and characters that will keep you wondering what is going to happen next as Annabelle leads the way and Janine well there is more to follow.
Fran Lewis: reviewer
Without structure many fail but too much rigidity can cause more problems. What about living in a world with just young girls and being forced to become a security cog and then encouraged to enter training more stringent than most would encounter going to a regular military school. Annabelle is the main character and it is her voice, thoughts and feelings that readers hear. Living in a society that has rigid rules, bans boys from their school, their presence and keeps them locked behind barbed wired fences, Annabelle has the urge and need to break out but something is holding her back. A group called the mechs is the ones trained to take down anyone that causes dissent. Although in security, trained in police procedures, she hesitates each time she is called on to report a boy that escapes, one that is sighted in the wrong place and hopes to find a way to help them escape. Seeing a young man with red hair, claiming to report him but to the authorities not fast enough, Annabelle winds up with a four week suspension from basketball, a stern reprimand and anything else those in charge can think of. But, she is not discouraged, her primary focus is to protect her young sister, and hopefully her adoptive mother will have enough clout to overturn some of what she is enduring. But, the mayor’s daughter seems to rate privileges, Annabelle has many who dislike her, and yet she seems tough, smart and determined to find a way out.
Living in a world where everything is regimented, decided for you and your input is limited makes it difficult for young girls to thrive on their own. Devoid of any male friendship, torn between two separate worlds Annabelle needs decide whether she wants the life of a security cog and work for the people that took her real parents from her or be ripped apart once again and lose the family she now has.
Things spiral out of control and her choices become limited as Annabelle decides to take up the offer of becoming a mech, finds herself in difficult situations, confides in her adoptive mother, wants to learn more about her son and hopes to protect her younger sister, Janine from the same fate she is about to undertake. Training quite unique, tests that require immediate answers and results, physical training quite rigid and the end result could mean her life. With others trying to protect her family Belle manages to bring too much attention to herself. The rigorous training and her competitive attitude often keep her in check with her superiors. One girl named Dara seems to have it in for Belle and the rivalry soars, their competitiveness and their desire to be number one just might take them both into the final arena but the winner might lose you more than you think. Added in we learn more about Belle’s birth mother, what happened to her and her father, plus her relationship with her adoptive mothers. One that would criticize her and the other that would do anything to protect her and her sister even risking her own life.
The training continues. The war begins within herself and the end result remains to be seen as loyalties, trusts and family ties are tested. Annabelle is our narrator who takes us through each situation, discusses her training and her fears for her sister and her hopes to meet her adoptive brother George and have a relationship with boys. Balance, training, pushing herself to the limits, dealing with a commander named Sam and hoping to become a mech, what else will Annabelle do in order to save her family and not be sent away? Chemicals that enhance her abilities, creams to heal her injuries and many questions that remain unanswered. Simulator fights, virtual reality reviews, and simulator martial arts training are part of the program created by author Lance Erlick for these powerful girls. With Janine, her sister trying emulate all that she does and wants to be like her, with Dara her prime rival each warrior as they are called hopes to return to mech gear training and make a difference. But, who will win out and who will remain? Who will wash out? But, fear encompasses Belle when the issue of the escaped boys comes up and some implications are made that she might know who is helping them escape and if she had a hand in it. Just where is her mom and what has she got to do with these boys? Is there really an Underground Railroad similar to the one Harriet Tubman ran? Is there someone that is actually helping boys find a better place to be? Living in a town called Harmony in order creates balance and peace you might say. Defining Harmony it means . Agreement in feeling or opinion; according to free dictionary .com and according to the Macmillan Dictionary: a situation in which people live and work well with other people, or in a way that does not damage things around them. Somehow these two definitions do not seem to blend in with what we see, hear and learn about this place and the way the Harmony staff or administrators treat their population. They even monitor their drink lists and have GPS tracking devices within each girl and many other ways to make sure they always know where they are. Some even have to wear awful collars. Her sister trains with the cop program and Belle with Renee and her recruits each with their own goals and mission. Belle with her fears about Mama Grace and hoping to someday reconnect with her real mother. The tournament is near, the training is almost over and the end result might cost more than one life. What happens is quite starling as Dara faces off with several men and so does Belle. The outcomes you won’t believe and the end result will make you wonder just why anyone has not stopped this town from their brutal ways and why no one has fought back. An ending so explosive and surprising you won’t see it coming. The final outcome of the tournament will change the complexion of Belle’s life forever. Will she become a mech or will she wash out? What about Belle? What secrets are revealed at the end and what is in store for them next as I can tell from reading this novel that this is just the beginning for Belle, Janine and the rest. What about the boys? What is the final outcome? Read Rebel Within and find out what happens? A rebel is defined as: a person who rises in armed resistance against an established government or ruler or even 16 year old girl who likes to live by her own rules. Two sisters different yet alike. One mother willing to risk it all. What would you do to protect the ones you love? The author raises this question along with many others.
The training is intense and you can feel the emotional strain as each girl fights to the finish hoping to become warriors. Although some might feel that the training should be similar to that of army boot camp, it is not. The feats are quite different, the hand-to-hand combat seems like there are not holds barred and the end result is quite different as many are hurt, some might lose their lives and others come out victors. Fast paced, action packed and definitely filled with energy and characters that will keep you wondering what is going to happen next as Annabelle leads the way and Janine well there is more to follow.
Fran Lewis: reviewer
May 4, 2018
This is definitely a young YA book, 12-14 years old.
I’d like to say it’s a captivating read, but it isn’t.
The story takes place in not too far away dystopian universe where men have been banished to the Outlands. Women are running the world. The heroine, Annabelle Scott is the personification of a rebel to the point, it becomes a moot issue. She’s trying to be a cop, which isn’t working. She rebels against everything the state implements when it comes to food, entertainment and interaction with boys. She rebels against her mother, even though she has a suspicion her mother is part of the resistance who helps boys escape to the outlands.
All of her rebellion winds up with disciplinary acts: she can either join the mech forces or go to a reeducation facility. She chooses the mech’s praying that her little sister Janine won’t follow her. You guessed it, she does, all through the story to the point it becomes monotonous.
The training scenes weren’t bad, but they kept going on and on and on and on. The same can be said when Anabelle is going through her final test where the cadets have to fight each other to see who gets to fight the men in the arena. Less is more would have worked out much better.
Pre and early teens will enjoy the story. Those of us a little long in the tooth, not so much.
Three stars
I’d like to say it’s a captivating read, but it isn’t.
The story takes place in not too far away dystopian universe where men have been banished to the Outlands. Women are running the world. The heroine, Annabelle Scott is the personification of a rebel to the point, it becomes a moot issue. She’s trying to be a cop, which isn’t working. She rebels against everything the state implements when it comes to food, entertainment and interaction with boys. She rebels against her mother, even though she has a suspicion her mother is part of the resistance who helps boys escape to the outlands.
All of her rebellion winds up with disciplinary acts: she can either join the mech forces or go to a reeducation facility. She chooses the mech’s praying that her little sister Janine won’t follow her. You guessed it, she does, all through the story to the point it becomes monotonous.
The training scenes weren’t bad, but they kept going on and on and on and on. The same can be said when Anabelle is going through her final test where the cadets have to fight each other to see who gets to fight the men in the arena. Less is more would have worked out much better.
Pre and early teens will enjoy the story. Those of us a little long in the tooth, not so much.
Three stars
April 14, 2014
Lance Erlick’s THE REBEL WITHIN is an exciting set-up for a potentially interesting dystopian YA series, but there’s not much real story here. As with most YA series, the first book has the task of setting the scene for a story that must span several volumes. In this case, Erlick must explain his dystopian world, a society that developed in less than seventeen years. In this rather dismal future, men and boys have been outlawed – they are kept isolated from the rest of the population and forced to fight as gladiators against female “Mech Warriors” in souped-up armor. A “Second American Civil War” has split the nation, with the new “Federal Union” fighting to contain rebels living in the “Outlands.” In Knoxville Tenn-tucky, sixteen-year-old Annabelle Scott (Belle) has been “tracked” for security, meaning her future has been pre-ordained – she is destined to serve the Union in the police force, the Mechs, or the decontamination squad. What she really wants is to be free to choose her own path, to find out what happened to her mother (who was arrested and imprisoned by the Union when Belle was three), and to meet a boy (she has never seen one without handcuffs). When she witnesses a red-headed boy escaping from a Boy’s School, she becomes instantly obsessed with him. She helps him get past the cops, finds out his name is Morgan, and then she can’t seem to think about anything else but “When will I see him again?”
The plot in REBEL WITHIN, such as it is, revolves around Belle’s training with the Mechs, and then a long drawn-out competition to see which of the new recruits is the best at dominating her opponents. We get to see Belle working out, doing conditioning, learning to use her Mech suit, reviewing the films of her opponents in their fights, practice fighting, and finally competing for the championship. Through it all, her arch rival is a huge and powerful girl named Dora (she’s called “Dora the Amazon”), and it’s clear from the start that whatever happens during training, the climax will involve a Belle vs. Dora showdown. So much of the novel is about training and fighting that whatever plot it might have had is saved for future volumes. We get a few glimpses of Morgan as he continues to elude capture and a suggestion of an “Underground Railroad” set up by a resistance group to help boys escape the Union, but none of it is developed during this book. Basically, it’s Belle getting recruited for the Mechs, Belle training for the Mechs, and Belle fighting for the Mechs. And Belle wishing she could see Morgan again.
Belle herself is an interesting enough protagonist – she has a snarky, sarcastic wit that colors her narration, and it’s clear that she’s no fan of the world that has developed since her birth. She wants to be part of the resistance, she wants to help boys escape, and she doesn’t want to be a Mech – it was the Mechs that killed her father and captured her mother. But if being a Mech will allow her to protect her beloved younger sister Janine, she’s willing to make the sacrifice. I liked Belle – she’s a strong female character with a good heart; she doesn’t want to become a killer, but in her world her options are limited. What didn’t work for me was her rather silly fixation on a boy she barely knows. From the moment she sees Morgan, she can’t seem to stop thinking about him, wondering about him, wishing she could see him, imagining being with him, etc. etc. etc. “I only want to be with Morgan,” she says just a few hours after first seeing him. Really?
There’s nothing new about a dystopian society that ostracizes males – both Sheri Tepper’s THE GATE TO WOMEN’S COUNTRY and Pamela Sargent’s THE SHORE OF WOMEN created similar worlds. As Erlick explains it, the Union concluded that men were to blame for all the evils of the world (they’re violent, anti-social, and they can’t be taught) – even the churches preach a “male-free world,” since “Liberated women don’t need men.” What makes THE REBEL WITHIN different is how short-lived this new society has been. Seventeen years is a very brief time for an entire society to become so radically different (THE GATE TO WOMEN’S COUNTRY takes place centuries after men have been driven from the civilized world). In Erlick’s novel, all males have been contained, forced to wear tracking collars, and used at the whim of the female rulers. Women routinely marry each other, and “EggFusion Fertilization” (using two female eggs and no sperm) enables female couples to have children without the need of men. The Union’s goal is “Harmony,” which means eliminating differences (including males) and controlling the population. And this has all happened in less than two decades!
Bottom line, I see potential in this world Erlick has created, but THE REBEL WITHIN is more a long set-up for a story yet to be told. Whatever Belle ends up doing with her life – Does she see Morgan again? Does she find her mother? Does she avenge her father? Does she protect her sister? Does she become part of the Underground Railroad? – will have to wait until future installments. If you like dystopian YA novels and don’t mind the lack of any real plot, THE REBEL WITHIN is a good introduction to Belle’s world. It just isn’t much of a story on its own.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this book for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
The plot in REBEL WITHIN, such as it is, revolves around Belle’s training with the Mechs, and then a long drawn-out competition to see which of the new recruits is the best at dominating her opponents. We get to see Belle working out, doing conditioning, learning to use her Mech suit, reviewing the films of her opponents in their fights, practice fighting, and finally competing for the championship. Through it all, her arch rival is a huge and powerful girl named Dora (she’s called “Dora the Amazon”), and it’s clear from the start that whatever happens during training, the climax will involve a Belle vs. Dora showdown. So much of the novel is about training and fighting that whatever plot it might have had is saved for future volumes. We get a few glimpses of Morgan as he continues to elude capture and a suggestion of an “Underground Railroad” set up by a resistance group to help boys escape the Union, but none of it is developed during this book. Basically, it’s Belle getting recruited for the Mechs, Belle training for the Mechs, and Belle fighting for the Mechs. And Belle wishing she could see Morgan again.
Belle herself is an interesting enough protagonist – she has a snarky, sarcastic wit that colors her narration, and it’s clear that she’s no fan of the world that has developed since her birth. She wants to be part of the resistance, she wants to help boys escape, and she doesn’t want to be a Mech – it was the Mechs that killed her father and captured her mother. But if being a Mech will allow her to protect her beloved younger sister Janine, she’s willing to make the sacrifice. I liked Belle – she’s a strong female character with a good heart; she doesn’t want to become a killer, but in her world her options are limited. What didn’t work for me was her rather silly fixation on a boy she barely knows. From the moment she sees Morgan, she can’t seem to stop thinking about him, wondering about him, wishing she could see him, imagining being with him, etc. etc. etc. “I only want to be with Morgan,” she says just a few hours after first seeing him. Really?
There’s nothing new about a dystopian society that ostracizes males – both Sheri Tepper’s THE GATE TO WOMEN’S COUNTRY and Pamela Sargent’s THE SHORE OF WOMEN created similar worlds. As Erlick explains it, the Union concluded that men were to blame for all the evils of the world (they’re violent, anti-social, and they can’t be taught) – even the churches preach a “male-free world,” since “Liberated women don’t need men.” What makes THE REBEL WITHIN different is how short-lived this new society has been. Seventeen years is a very brief time for an entire society to become so radically different (THE GATE TO WOMEN’S COUNTRY takes place centuries after men have been driven from the civilized world). In Erlick’s novel, all males have been contained, forced to wear tracking collars, and used at the whim of the female rulers. Women routinely marry each other, and “EggFusion Fertilization” (using two female eggs and no sperm) enables female couples to have children without the need of men. The Union’s goal is “Harmony,” which means eliminating differences (including males) and controlling the population. And this has all happened in less than two decades!
Bottom line, I see potential in this world Erlick has created, but THE REBEL WITHIN is more a long set-up for a story yet to be told. Whatever Belle ends up doing with her life – Does she see Morgan again? Does she find her mother? Does she avenge her father? Does she protect her sister? Does she become part of the Underground Railroad? – will have to wait until future installments. If you like dystopian YA novels and don’t mind the lack of any real plot, THE REBEL WITHIN is a good introduction to Belle’s world. It just isn’t much of a story on its own.
[Please note: I was provided a copy of this book for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
February 28, 2014
Annabelle is a strong young woman, not at all deceived by the utopia that political officials paint. She works as a cop intern, and sees the daily grind of what the reality of her all-female society is really like. Of course, it doesn’t help that her mother holds an opposing view to that of governing officials and is a state senator.
"Mom says women stopped having boys because of high rates of autism, violence and social disruption, and they didn’t read. That made it hard for them to adjust to our knowledge-based economy. After the war, most of the males fled. Then the city zoned our neighborhood and school to exclude them. Harmony Director Surroc and Captain Voss say liberated women don’t need men. Governor Battani says the only way to make females safe is to eliminate the source, men."
And that’s just what they do. Boys, even as a young child, are strictly forbidden from being outside of their “zone,” with rezoning happening constantly, and consequently catching usurpers of the law. The women of Annabelle’s society fear boys and men, and the lucky boys are regulated to all-boys boarding schools that are highly regulated by the government and surveillance industries.
Annabelle’s society, the Federal Union, was created after “21st century right-wing extremists tried to turn back the clock.” Obviously, they failed and thus seceded, causing the Second American Civil War. The result was the split between the Federal Union and the Outlands (Appalachia and TexSoCal), where men take off to hide and escape persecution.
During this process, Sam Hernandez came to have a powerful position by mechanizing female warriors – literally making them almost indestructible and amped up on illegal performance-enhancing drugs of a new generation. Given how much Annabelle’s society has regressed, it is surprising, as well as some of the technology that is mentioned throughout the book. This new all-women society has even come up with a solution to reproduction without using males: EggFusion Fertilization, where one woman’s egg fertilizes another. Sam has continued this program, Mechanized Female Warriors, in the state of Tenn-tucky. Just as in Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games, mech tournaments (which include a variety of mech vs. man and mech vs. mech fights that also include fights to the death) are televised every six months.
This all-female society is surprising in the fact that women are allowed to take multiple wives. Annabelle has two other mothers, each with three children. She has two younger sisters that are her mother’s children – but she’s adopted. Her younger sister Janine, who seems heavily dependent on Annabelle, wouldn’t understand that she’s adopted. Truly, Annabelle and Janine’s mother fights for a cause – the very reason which landed Annabelle with her, and the reason behind her losing her own husband and son. Annabelle hasn’t forgotten what the Federal Union has done to her family, and neither has her mother. They are bent on gaining more information, helping boys escape, and seeking justice.
On top of everything else, the government regulates everything, right down to the “harmony” of one’s clothing, one’s ambiance in a place of business, and the food choices and food content of restaurants. No sugar, no caffeine, no MSGs – in other words, the bland cardboard that is now being pushed in public schools today. Annabelle hopes of opening a restaurant to avoid the unpleasantness of her society, and it’s a lot of work. Governor Battani makes sure that Annabelle’s dreams of her future are shut down. The book also mentions that some things that are a normal part of our lives today are banned in this future society, like the King James Bible and The Diary of Anne Frank. I would be interested to know what else is restricted in their society.
Annabelle really gets in a scrape when she stands up for her sister at a school basketball game, and is embroiled in a fight with the other team. She has two choices: go the the Resocialization Facility in Nashville…or join the Mechanized Female Warriors. Annabelle is in a hard spot: be put far away where she won’t have access to information she needs to seek justice or her family, or join the group responsible for her family’s downfall?
Annabelle has to make some very difficult choices, and put aside her own opinions of her world in order to further herself, gain trust of others, and hopefully get what she’s wanted all along. Despite joining an organization that discriminates against men and the weak and going through weeks of tear-down and build-up exercises, Annabelle retains all of her heart, spirit and opposition of her society. She supports her sister warriors, roots for them, and ultimately shows the compassion her society is sorely lacking.
"Mom says women stopped having boys because of high rates of autism, violence and social disruption, and they didn’t read. That made it hard for them to adjust to our knowledge-based economy. After the war, most of the males fled. Then the city zoned our neighborhood and school to exclude them. Harmony Director Surroc and Captain Voss say liberated women don’t need men. Governor Battani says the only way to make females safe is to eliminate the source, men."
And that’s just what they do. Boys, even as a young child, are strictly forbidden from being outside of their “zone,” with rezoning happening constantly, and consequently catching usurpers of the law. The women of Annabelle’s society fear boys and men, and the lucky boys are regulated to all-boys boarding schools that are highly regulated by the government and surveillance industries.
Annabelle’s society, the Federal Union, was created after “21st century right-wing extremists tried to turn back the clock.” Obviously, they failed and thus seceded, causing the Second American Civil War. The result was the split between the Federal Union and the Outlands (Appalachia and TexSoCal), where men take off to hide and escape persecution.
During this process, Sam Hernandez came to have a powerful position by mechanizing female warriors – literally making them almost indestructible and amped up on illegal performance-enhancing drugs of a new generation. Given how much Annabelle’s society has regressed, it is surprising, as well as some of the technology that is mentioned throughout the book. This new all-women society has even come up with a solution to reproduction without using males: EggFusion Fertilization, where one woman’s egg fertilizes another. Sam has continued this program, Mechanized Female Warriors, in the state of Tenn-tucky. Just as in Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games, mech tournaments (which include a variety of mech vs. man and mech vs. mech fights that also include fights to the death) are televised every six months.
This all-female society is surprising in the fact that women are allowed to take multiple wives. Annabelle has two other mothers, each with three children. She has two younger sisters that are her mother’s children – but she’s adopted. Her younger sister Janine, who seems heavily dependent on Annabelle, wouldn’t understand that she’s adopted. Truly, Annabelle and Janine’s mother fights for a cause – the very reason which landed Annabelle with her, and the reason behind her losing her own husband and son. Annabelle hasn’t forgotten what the Federal Union has done to her family, and neither has her mother. They are bent on gaining more information, helping boys escape, and seeking justice.
On top of everything else, the government regulates everything, right down to the “harmony” of one’s clothing, one’s ambiance in a place of business, and the food choices and food content of restaurants. No sugar, no caffeine, no MSGs – in other words, the bland cardboard that is now being pushed in public schools today. Annabelle hopes of opening a restaurant to avoid the unpleasantness of her society, and it’s a lot of work. Governor Battani makes sure that Annabelle’s dreams of her future are shut down. The book also mentions that some things that are a normal part of our lives today are banned in this future society, like the King James Bible and The Diary of Anne Frank. I would be interested to know what else is restricted in their society.
Annabelle really gets in a scrape when she stands up for her sister at a school basketball game, and is embroiled in a fight with the other team. She has two choices: go the the Resocialization Facility in Nashville…or join the Mechanized Female Warriors. Annabelle is in a hard spot: be put far away where she won’t have access to information she needs to seek justice or her family, or join the group responsible for her family’s downfall?
Annabelle has to make some very difficult choices, and put aside her own opinions of her world in order to further herself, gain trust of others, and hopefully get what she’s wanted all along. Despite joining an organization that discriminates against men and the weak and going through weeks of tear-down and build-up exercises, Annabelle retains all of her heart, spirit and opposition of her society. She supports her sister warriors, roots for them, and ultimately shows the compassion her society is sorely lacking.
December 27, 2014
What I Liked: Annabelle is a character who shows character growth over the novel and while at times she’s forced into positions that make her uncomfortable, she learns to embrace who she’s becoming in her own way. The dystopian aspects to the novel are also highly plausible in their own way, and that was something that caught my attention as the details about the world Annabelle lives in fell into place. The dystopian aspect to the story is more hidden in this than in some, overshadowed by the utopian her life is supposed to be. We even have some sci-fi thrown in, quite a bit of new gear is introduced like the mech suits and the electric cycles, it gave a bit of its own interesting twist. The writing popped at some places as well, it has wording that describes the imagery of the story. I think the way the government presented itself as promoting harmony and equality for their women was something I never expected, the utopian cover to the society was incredibly well done if I do say so myself. I think it really interesting hearing about how this society came about as well, and how everything happened, especially when you learn how little by little Annabelle’s city has rezoned neighborhoods to include just women and girls, while boys and men are given various jobs that the women don’t yet do and the way they are treated seemed plausible for this society.
What I Didn’t Like: Sometimes when reading I noticed inconsistencies with what we were told about Annabelle, such as how she doesn’t seem to be liked and is a loner she made a small (and admittedly very uninspiring and unenergetic) speech to her basketball team and they all responded like it was the best thing they had ever heard! Plus the amount of trouble that Annabelle seems to be getting in by breaking out of school and not following orders at her job means she should get in some sort of trouble. But instead she’s just given warnings? Then, one small and really inconsequential fight because she got mad gets her collared as a criminal and threatened with being sent off to a reharmonization facility in a different town or choosing to join the mechs? I don’t see the priorities if she’s repeatedly breaking rules and only given warnings. And sometimes the writing is jumpy and loses its flare and becomes bland and boring.
Overall Review: The Rebel Within is a good start to what looks like will be a very interesting series. Annabelle is a very interesting protagonist to follow and she has struggles and self doubts even while she trains to become stronger and become a mech despite them standing for everything Annabelle believes, that they have to capture and kill boys for crossing to the Outlands to where boys and men have a better future than they do inside the Federal Union. The concepts are well thought out, and the technology is advanced to a very interesting point. Seventeen years after a civil war to create the society that we know from Annabelle is not much time to build a society to the degree we see it, but there’s no doubt that it was in the making as the civil war happened. The advancements for medicine and treatments are sort of boggling to the mind when you read them, in an interesting way that makes you wonder what they are. Even the main antagonist to the story is interesting and complex in her own way, Dara proves to be someone who you can never tell if she’s serious about the way she treats Annabelle outside of fighting, she has this little dance where she switches from rude and mean to friendly and kind depending on the situation at hand. It makes her interesting. Janine is another interesting character who we see a lot in the story, she’s Annabelle’s younger sister. Janine shows growth of her own but to be fair she seemed a bit whiny and clingy as well. I did like her usually, Annabelle’s faith and protectiveness of her was endearing and spoke a lot about the bond she has with Janine. The book also ends with a big bang, I’m so excited to see how it plays out in the second book!
Recommend?: I do, this book has a very interesting premise to the world that Erlick has set up, and I’m curious to find out more about it!
What I Didn’t Like: Sometimes when reading I noticed inconsistencies with what we were told about Annabelle, such as how she doesn’t seem to be liked and is a loner she made a small (and admittedly very uninspiring and unenergetic) speech to her basketball team and they all responded like it was the best thing they had ever heard! Plus the amount of trouble that Annabelle seems to be getting in by breaking out of school and not following orders at her job means she should get in some sort of trouble. But instead she’s just given warnings? Then, one small and really inconsequential fight because she got mad gets her collared as a criminal and threatened with being sent off to a reharmonization facility in a different town or choosing to join the mechs? I don’t see the priorities if she’s repeatedly breaking rules and only given warnings. And sometimes the writing is jumpy and loses its flare and becomes bland and boring.
Overall Review: The Rebel Within is a good start to what looks like will be a very interesting series. Annabelle is a very interesting protagonist to follow and she has struggles and self doubts even while she trains to become stronger and become a mech despite them standing for everything Annabelle believes, that they have to capture and kill boys for crossing to the Outlands to where boys and men have a better future than they do inside the Federal Union. The concepts are well thought out, and the technology is advanced to a very interesting point. Seventeen years after a civil war to create the society that we know from Annabelle is not much time to build a society to the degree we see it, but there’s no doubt that it was in the making as the civil war happened. The advancements for medicine and treatments are sort of boggling to the mind when you read them, in an interesting way that makes you wonder what they are. Even the main antagonist to the story is interesting and complex in her own way, Dara proves to be someone who you can never tell if she’s serious about the way she treats Annabelle outside of fighting, she has this little dance where she switches from rude and mean to friendly and kind depending on the situation at hand. It makes her interesting. Janine is another interesting character who we see a lot in the story, she’s Annabelle’s younger sister. Janine shows growth of her own but to be fair she seemed a bit whiny and clingy as well. I did like her usually, Annabelle’s faith and protectiveness of her was endearing and spoke a lot about the bond she has with Janine. The book also ends with a big bang, I’m so excited to see how it plays out in the second book!
Recommend?: I do, this book has a very interesting premise to the world that Erlick has set up, and I’m curious to find out more about it!
October 17, 2014
I cant say too much about the plot without spoiling it so Im just going to go with what I thought! The Rebel Within was a really unique and somewhat fascinating read. I don't think I've ever read a book where the females rule and the males are on the run!! I'm all for girl power and this takes it a step forward.
Annabelle was an awesome character. She is strong, tough, smart but also kind and compassionate. In a world where women think men as nothing more than things to be hated, Annabelle finds herself questioning everything. She hates the thought of hurting any boy or man but how can she do anything else? She has been drafted into the Mechs, an elite group of women who patrol and police the Outlands. Mechs are meant to capture men, they are meant to release them into the Outlands and make sure non enter their lands, but Annabelle doesn't want to be one of those! She longs to meet a boy and find out exactly what they are. I loved her inner strength and her need to be the best.
There are quite a few characters in the book but each adds something to the overall feel of The Rebel Within. Sam is the epitome of a strong independent woman. She trains the Mechs and pushes them all to be the best. Dara is the main competitor for Annabelle in the Mech competition. She is a huge aggressive girl and I found it hard to like her. Yet she pushes Annabelle to always be and do more. Then we have Annabelles sister, Janine. Annabelle will do anything to protect her from harm. She doesnt want Janine joining the Mechs because its not a place for a softhearted girl. I really liked their relationship and the trust Janine has in Annabelle.
I liked the idea of the Rebel Within, an all female society where women are trained to become the strongest, toughest cops out there. Men are all forced to wear collars and are used for what the women need. You may think it would be everything any women needs, but not so. They are ruled with an iron fist. There is no joy in the world as such, the Union doesn't allow any loud music, any additives like salt or sugar is banned and its all Union regulations for everything. This is why Annabelle longs for more and I could totally relate to her in that.
I did have a few things about the book that stopped me from enjoying it more. They were only minor though, like Annabelles' fascination with Morgan. She only sees him 2 or 3 times yet she thinks about him constantly. I know she has never met a boy but I do think it was a little overboard! I also wanted to know more about the Underground movement and what Annabelles mum had to do with them. We could of done with a little more of the boys perspective in this as well. We see glimpses of them fleeing but we never get to meet one or see what they were doing. As I said only minor things and they didnt detract from the story that much.
So overall, I really enjoyed the Rebel Within. Its an action packed and tense read and a solid start to the series. The training of the Mechs was really well described and very scary stuff. The poor girls go through an awful lot to become Mechs. The characters as well were well developed and for the most part likable. There are a lot of unanswered questions and I'm hoping we get the answers in future books. Im looking forward to seeing what happens next for Annabelle and hope to see more of the Outlands.
Annabelle was an awesome character. She is strong, tough, smart but also kind and compassionate. In a world where women think men as nothing more than things to be hated, Annabelle finds herself questioning everything. She hates the thought of hurting any boy or man but how can she do anything else? She has been drafted into the Mechs, an elite group of women who patrol and police the Outlands. Mechs are meant to capture men, they are meant to release them into the Outlands and make sure non enter their lands, but Annabelle doesn't want to be one of those! She longs to meet a boy and find out exactly what they are. I loved her inner strength and her need to be the best.
There are quite a few characters in the book but each adds something to the overall feel of The Rebel Within. Sam is the epitome of a strong independent woman. She trains the Mechs and pushes them all to be the best. Dara is the main competitor for Annabelle in the Mech competition. She is a huge aggressive girl and I found it hard to like her. Yet she pushes Annabelle to always be and do more. Then we have Annabelles sister, Janine. Annabelle will do anything to protect her from harm. She doesnt want Janine joining the Mechs because its not a place for a softhearted girl. I really liked their relationship and the trust Janine has in Annabelle.
I liked the idea of the Rebel Within, an all female society where women are trained to become the strongest, toughest cops out there. Men are all forced to wear collars and are used for what the women need. You may think it would be everything any women needs, but not so. They are ruled with an iron fist. There is no joy in the world as such, the Union doesn't allow any loud music, any additives like salt or sugar is banned and its all Union regulations for everything. This is why Annabelle longs for more and I could totally relate to her in that.
I did have a few things about the book that stopped me from enjoying it more. They were only minor though, like Annabelles' fascination with Morgan. She only sees him 2 or 3 times yet she thinks about him constantly. I know she has never met a boy but I do think it was a little overboard! I also wanted to know more about the Underground movement and what Annabelles mum had to do with them. We could of done with a little more of the boys perspective in this as well. We see glimpses of them fleeing but we never get to meet one or see what they were doing. As I said only minor things and they didnt detract from the story that much.
So overall, I really enjoyed the Rebel Within. Its an action packed and tense read and a solid start to the series. The training of the Mechs was really well described and very scary stuff. The poor girls go through an awful lot to become Mechs. The characters as well were well developed and for the most part likable. There are a lot of unanswered questions and I'm hoping we get the answers in future books. Im looking forward to seeing what happens next for Annabelle and hope to see more of the Outlands.
March 20, 2016
The Rebel Series by Lance Erlick is a curious examination of society after the Second World War which divides men and women into separate communities. Each with their own government, religion, morals and values.
What I Liked Most About the Series
The grey area. There are some obvious plus sides to a society made up of a single sex. And there are some obvious down sides. Erlick, through the characters, presents many of these views, but doesn’t push the reader in either direction.
Annabelle. She fits right up there with Katniss and Tris, but Erlick takes her a bit further than Collins took Katniss and Roth took Tris. There’s a complexity to Annabelle as she discovers the dark side of an all female society and starts to actively fight against it. She’s stronger, in my opinion, physically and mentally. The obstacles that break her down do not paralyze her or scare her. You can feel her fighting every inch of the way.
What I Liked Least About the Series
The order of the books. If you read them in publication order, I am almost certain you will be confused because I certainly was! Annabelle is given a mission at the end of book one which is not mentioned in Rebels Divided. The Rebel Trap explores that mission. Now that all three books have been released, I hope that GoodReads will change the series order.
The many voices in The Rebel Trap. While there was good formatting to show you the different voices speaking to Annabelle, it got frustrating to follow what was going on. With so any competing voices—both internal and external—I wasn’t sure which side I should be rooting for.
Overall, I would give The Rebel series by Lance Erlick a thumbs up. The unique single sex societies along with a strong female lead drove the story forward. If the books are read in chronological order (The Rebel Within, The Rebel Trap and Rebels Divided) I believe the reader will find the series reaches a satisfying conclusion.
What I Liked Most About the Series
The grey area. There are some obvious plus sides to a society made up of a single sex. And there are some obvious down sides. Erlick, through the characters, presents many of these views, but doesn’t push the reader in either direction.
Annabelle. She fits right up there with Katniss and Tris, but Erlick takes her a bit further than Collins took Katniss and Roth took Tris. There’s a complexity to Annabelle as she discovers the dark side of an all female society and starts to actively fight against it. She’s stronger, in my opinion, physically and mentally. The obstacles that break her down do not paralyze her or scare her. You can feel her fighting every inch of the way.
What I Liked Least About the Series
The order of the books. If you read them in publication order, I am almost certain you will be confused because I certainly was! Annabelle is given a mission at the end of book one which is not mentioned in Rebels Divided. The Rebel Trap explores that mission. Now that all three books have been released, I hope that GoodReads will change the series order.
The many voices in The Rebel Trap. While there was good formatting to show you the different voices speaking to Annabelle, it got frustrating to follow what was going on. With so any competing voices—both internal and external—I wasn’t sure which side I should be rooting for.
Overall, I would give The Rebel series by Lance Erlick a thumbs up. The unique single sex societies along with a strong female lead drove the story forward. If the books are read in chronological order (The Rebel Within, The Rebel Trap and Rebels Divided) I believe the reader will find the series reaches a satisfying conclusion.
July 6, 2014
I received a copy of The Rebel Within by Lance Erlick, from the Goodreads group called Shut Up and Read, in return for an honest review.
I have only read one other dystopian series, and it was The Hunger Games, so I don't really have much else to compare this book to, so having said that, I thought this was a fairly good book. The dystopian world is a woman-dominated world where men are not allowed. They are either killed, imprisoned, or trained to fight to their deaths.
Since the world is dominated by women, there are several subtle hints of lesbianism, well some maybe not so subtle. It isn't "in your face" with it, but it is there. The main character Annabelle, however, is very interested in boys, even though she's never been around them up close. In this world, that is an oddity since you are trained and brought up to fear and hate men. In other words, women marrying each other and having kids via "egg fertilization" (can't remember the exact term that was used) is the normal way to live.
It is very action-packed since the entire book is centered around Annabelle becoming a "mech" warrior, and it also involves around another recruit named Dara, who turns out to be Annabelle's fiercest competitor. It is kind of predictable that the two end up fighting each other at the end, but overall it was an entertaining read.
Since there is a book 2, I will probably pick it up at some point to see what happens next.
I have only read one other dystopian series, and it was The Hunger Games, so I don't really have much else to compare this book to, so having said that, I thought this was a fairly good book. The dystopian world is a woman-dominated world where men are not allowed. They are either killed, imprisoned, or trained to fight to their deaths.
Since the world is dominated by women, there are several subtle hints of lesbianism, well some maybe not so subtle. It isn't "in your face" with it, but it is there. The main character Annabelle, however, is very interested in boys, even though she's never been around them up close. In this world, that is an oddity since you are trained and brought up to fear and hate men. In other words, women marrying each other and having kids via "egg fertilization" (can't remember the exact term that was used) is the normal way to live.
It is very action-packed since the entire book is centered around Annabelle becoming a "mech" warrior, and it also involves around another recruit named Dara, who turns out to be Annabelle's fiercest competitor. It is kind of predictable that the two end up fighting each other at the end, but overall it was an entertaining read.
Since there is a book 2, I will probably pick it up at some point to see what happens next.
July 14, 2014
I received a free copy of this book via the goodreads group Shut up and Read, in exchange for an honest review.
I really struggled with this book. I found it slow and really dragged. I really did not like the characters and I found some of the relationships a little disturbing. I really did not like Dara, from the first meeting she annoyed me. I actually almost stopped reading because of her. I did struggle to carry on. I felt like I was wading through mud rather than flowing down a stream. There was no point I actually cared what happened to the characters, if it had not been a review book I would not have finished.
There was terms that was never explained and some of the rules were very unbelievable. The only bit I really liked was hearing about Morgan and other males. It gave me something to hang onto. There was something lacking in this book for me, I cannot put my finger on what it is. The premise and idea of book was great, it did not follow through in execution.
I will not be continuing with the series.
2 out of 5 stars
I really struggled with this book. I found it slow and really dragged. I really did not like the characters and I found some of the relationships a little disturbing. I really did not like Dara, from the first meeting she annoyed me. I actually almost stopped reading because of her. I did struggle to carry on. I felt like I was wading through mud rather than flowing down a stream. There was no point I actually cared what happened to the characters, if it had not been a review book I would not have finished.
There was terms that was never explained and some of the rules were very unbelievable. The only bit I really liked was hearing about Morgan and other males. It gave me something to hang onto. There was something lacking in this book for me, I cannot put my finger on what it is. The premise and idea of book was great, it did not follow through in execution.
I will not be continuing with the series.
2 out of 5 stars
October 1, 2015
This is a dystopian near-future novel and the start of a series with at least one sequel. It's told in present tense, which isn't my favorite.
Sometime in the early 21st century, either right-wingers tried to turn back the clock, or hard-core feminists staged a coup. Either way, the Second American Civil War resulted and was won by the hard-core with the help of mech warriors. These are like Heinlein's Starship Troopers, but all women. Space and the rest of Earth seem not to exist.
Seventeen years later, men and boys have been forced from power, and from most areas by zoning commissions. They aren't wanted, but are hunted down and killed or imprisoned if they try to escape. Most of the United States is the Federal Union, though traditional society, more or less, holds out in the Outlands (Appalachia, the southwest border, possibly elsewhere).
Read more at SFReader.com The Rebel Within, by Lance Erlick
Sometime in the early 21st century, either right-wingers tried to turn back the clock, or hard-core feminists staged a coup. Either way, the Second American Civil War resulted and was won by the hard-core with the help of mech warriors. These are like Heinlein's Starship Troopers, but all women. Space and the rest of Earth seem not to exist.
Seventeen years later, men and boys have been forced from power, and from most areas by zoning commissions. They aren't wanted, but are hunted down and killed or imprisoned if they try to escape. Most of the United States is the Federal Union, though traditional society, more or less, holds out in the Outlands (Appalachia, the southwest border, possibly elsewhere).
Read more at SFReader.com The Rebel Within, by Lance Erlick
July 15, 2014
I was given this book for Review by the Autor :)
I will not give spoilers, I will however give a brief review of my thoughs, feelings. and so on about the book!
I think this is well-suited to the young adult level, with plenty of fast action, an Intertaining Read! The autors description of physical reactions has this story screaming reality. belivable
The story is told by Annabelle Scott, a 15-year old with a traumatic past whose family was taken away from her at an early age. When she is recruited for the "mechs," an elite and fierce group of warriors, she will be torn between her desire to be successful at the training school and the need to subvert the society that has destroyed her family.
I loved the characterization in this book. There are many character and yet each is very memorable and relatable.
All in all, though, I quite enjoyed this book, I will continue to read the remainder books.
I will not give spoilers, I will however give a brief review of my thoughs, feelings. and so on about the book!
I think this is well-suited to the young adult level, with plenty of fast action, an Intertaining Read! The autors description of physical reactions has this story screaming reality. belivable
The story is told by Annabelle Scott, a 15-year old with a traumatic past whose family was taken away from her at an early age. When she is recruited for the "mechs," an elite and fierce group of warriors, she will be torn between her desire to be successful at the training school and the need to subvert the society that has destroyed her family.
I loved the characterization in this book. There are many character and yet each is very memorable and relatable.
All in all, though, I quite enjoyed this book, I will continue to read the remainder books.
January 9, 2014
The plot was based on an interesting premise. This was an exciting, very well-written read which kept my attention right to the end.
However, I didn't enjoy her constant inner monologue about her sexual confusion. I found her attraction to her adopted sister particularly distasteful.
However, I didn't enjoy her constant inner monologue about her sexual confusion. I found her attraction to her adopted sister particularly distasteful.
July 12, 2015
3.5 stars while I put together my thoughts about this book.
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