Revived by Cat Patrick

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont

Pages: 327pgs

The Story

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of something much larger - and more sinster - than she ever imagined.

The Review

A big thanks to Jennifer from Hardie Grant for sending me a review copy of this book!

Unlike most teenager girls, Daisy Appleby is used to dying. Literally. Five times - as far as she can recall - she has died by accident and each one of those dying moments she has been brought back to life by a secret government drug called Revive, and with this drug alone she must start her life off fresh which means new school, new town, and most importantly, a whole new identity for herself and for her guardians aka her so-called 'parents'. But when it comes down it . . . nothing can ever really be called her own and Daisy is tired of it. As she meets new friends and a hot guy where first love could be waiting on the horizon, Daisy is left questioning what exactly she has gotten herself into and what could her government agency be possibly hiding from her and from everyone else who have also entered the program.

I was first introduced to Cat Patrick's writing with her debut novel, Forgotten, and it was by far one of the most unique YA books I've ever come across, and it had also became one of my personal favourites from last year. But with so much love and praise for her first novel, I admit I was a little worried when it came to REVIVED as I feared it wouldn't live up to my very high expectations. While this book didn't necessarily amaze me in the way Forgotten had in the past, but in all fairness it still entertained me on a great level and the book offered something a little different compared to most YA novels out there, with a modern world with a slight dystopian twist to add into the equation. It was very cool indeed.

REVIVED's main heroine, Daisy, was a character I'd liked immediately from my first encounter with her. For someone who'd died at least five times in her short lifespan, she's been taking it pretty easily for a teenage girl (it was like her saying 'I'm dead now so get over it world') and the same goes with her feel-good attitude towards moving from town-to-town, which I guess made me like her even more because she didn't fear death and understood exactly what was expected of her when her time was up. Well, for almost a second or two before being brought back to life. But the thing about Daisy was that she acted like your typical girl-next-door and I love those types of girls because I could see myself being friends with those characters, and despite all the crazy situations that Daisy seemed to constantly find herself in, she still came to grips with her new life, embraced what she had, and eventually grew up a little which was another bonus to her character arc.

While I love the storyline and all, but the only real complaint I have with the book is the character Matt, the love interest in the story. Don't get me wrong here, I love Matt's caring nature and his compassionate side when it comes to our leading lady, Daisy, but I thought the romance and the overall relationship between him and Daisy was a little rushed for my taste. I just couldn't really warm up to Matt . . . I'm sorry to say. I liked him when I first met him and he was off to a good start because he acted like your boy-next-door or your boy-bff, but when he found out more about Daisy's life and the whole Revive ordeal, I thought he believed in things way too easily and if I were him I would really be questioning things. Like really questioning this Daisy situation instead of saying, 'Okay you died a few times . . . that's cool. Tell me more about it because I believe you for sure'. Regardless of that part, Matt was still a nice guy but much like with this book, nothing can beat my love for the characters nor the storyline of Patrick's debut novel, Forgotten, which I had more of an emotional connection towards compared to this book right here.

All in all, I found REVIVED was an interesting YA read and if you loved Patrick's first novel, then I'm pretty sure you'll love this as well! It might not be my favourite book as of yet - considering that rushed ending and I seriously hope there's a sequel somewhere in the future because I'm not completely satisfied here - but I'm still very much looking forward to more of Cat Patrick's writing because she's a blast to read!

The Rating 3 1/2 / 5 stars