REVIEW: REVIVED

Author: Cat Patrick
Series: No, standalone
UK Publisher: Electric Monkey
UK Release date: July 2012
Genre: YA

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 sinister -- than she ever imagined

Having absolutely loved Cat Patrick's Forgotten, I couldn't wait to read Revived. Like the former, Revived was a sharp and succinct standalone book. The theme of the book revolved a lot around life and death and had serious and sad undertones at certain points. Rather than feeling overwhelming and unnecessarily heavy, this was delicately balanced with the blossoming romance between Daisy and Matt and the heartwarming friendship Daisy had with Audrey.

Daisy was such an adorable protagonist. She's the girl-next-door kind of girl, at least when she's not moving around the country, because she's down to earth and very likeable. And I really liked how much of a good friend she was to Audrey. I always think you can tell a lot about someone by the way they are with their friends. Their friendship was a surprise within the book, and what happens later on in the book was such an ironic and sad contrast to what Daisy has experienced and what she knows.
The one potential downside about Daisy, which was a purposeful characteristic based on her own experiences, was her blase attitude towards her own safety. She could be reckless and thoughtless, but not in a bad way.

The unique development that has affected and shaped Daisy's life so much is Revive, an experimental and highly secretive drug that can bring people back from the dead. The fact that it was so secretive added mystery, and hints of paranoia/suspicions to the plot, and made it feel like Daisy was part of the FBI. Although the Revive drug gives the basis for the story and is an intriguing and slightly scary concept, I have to admit that Cat Patrick's character development and writing almost surpassed this for me. The secondary characters, including Audrey, Mason and co-blogger Megan, were brilliant. I loved the idea of Daisy and Megan's blog which drew on both random and relevant points in the story.

Revived is a beautiful blend of science fiction, humanity, emotional turmoil and romance. Another stunning read from Cat Patrick.

Rating: 5*