the lost code

Title: The Lost Code
Author: Kevin Emerson  

Release date: May 22, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 435

Source: SBB ARC Tour

Goodreads: {via}

Summary:

WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND.

The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. But global climate change is not something new in the Earth’s history.

No one will know this better than less-than-ordinary Owen Parker, who is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race—a race that took their technology too far and almost destroyed the Earth in the process.

Now it is Owen’s turn to make right in his world what went wrong thousands of years ago. If Owen can unlock the lost code in his very genes, he may rediscover the forgotten knowledge of his ancestry…and that less-than-ordinary can evolve into extraordinary.

Review:

What an ambitious novel. 

I can honestly say that The Lost Code is unlike any novel that I've read before. Sure, it has glimpses of past favorites, but it really is unique. 

How can I best describe it? It's a mixture of a dystopia, with echoes of the world as we once knew it, as well as a coming-of-age, summer camp novel. Throw in mysteries from past societies, as well as a little romance, and a heap of sci-fi, and you have The Lost Code.

Kevin Emerson has created this entirely new world. It is interesting, because he said in the acknowledgments that he based Camp Eden off the summer camp that he went to. The summer camp in the book was full of life and vitality, and you could tell that Emerson really enjoyed writing about those memories. 

Beyond the camp, Emerson created a dying, diseased world, where three quarters of all humans have died. There are "safe" zones, that are actually domes that have been built up over the last few years. The technology that he created was really intense, and very detailed. Hopefully we'll never come to a point where we have to live in domes, with SafeSun lamps, MoonGlow lights and SimClouds, while outside panels protect us from the real sun and polluted air.

I enjoyed Emerson's characters, even if they were hard to get to know in the beginning. Owen, the main character, grew tremendously throughout the book, both physically and mentally. He started out as a little child going to summer camp, and by the end, he was a true leader. Lilly, his CIT cohort, was a different story, though. I never really, truly connected with her, and always felt that something was a little off. The romance between the two was cute, but I needed more. I hope that Emerson proves me wrong in future books, and that Lilly can come in and save the day, so to speak. Owen needs someone stable in his life, and maybe Lilly is that person. 

In short, I liked the book. I think the series has potential to grow and adjust, so I'm looking forward to the next installment. 

I received a copy of this ARC courtesy of Southern Book Bloggers ARC Tour and the publisher. This in no way impacted my review of this book.