Book Review- Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Title: Level 2

 Author: Lenore Appelhans

Series:  The Memory Chronicles #1

Published: 15 January 2013 by Usborne

Length: 330 pages

Source: Bought

Summary : Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost-family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian-a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life-comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind

Review: Felica Ward died and did not go to heaven. Instead, she is in a blindingly white afterlife known as Level 2. There, she replays memories over and over again- memories of Neil, a boy who she knew when she was alive and really wants to see more of. Then, someone else in Level 2 dies. Then, she learns about a rebellion, and has to decide what she's going to do about it.

 I liked the idea of being able to rewatch your memories  and the concept's originality  made me really excited to read Level 2.

It was fun when we started seeing the memories, with the whole set up seeming a bit like fantastical  Youtube. I also liked this way of seeing characters' backstory.

The romance, while being set up as a love triangle by the publishers,  isn’t really one, but I liked the way that it was slowly built and we get to see two sides of Felicia.

Felicia,  she doesn't accept answers without questioning them, which I liked about her. I also liked wondering about what happened while she was a live, and finding it out. I didn't really connect or care for any of the other characters. Julian is pretty much the opposite of Neil, one being badboylike and the other one being sweet and kind. 

I like the mix of computer/scifi elements, and the religion and mythology of the angels and the general world that Lenore has built up. The angels aren't the ones you often see in YA, mysterious romantic things, but they’re very good new interpretations. I would have liked to know a little more about them.

The plot, I got a little lost at points, but the ending was good.   The little ending there was. The whole rebels vs Morati thing is finished off very quickly, possibly a bit too much so.

Overall:  Strength 3 tea to a book where I was hoping for more. I’d still like to read Level 3, though.

Links: Amazon |  Goodreads | Author website |