This isn't a genre I generally read, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. This is the first in a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic YA series.

After her mom dies, Ava is put into a foster home then runs away. She does what she can to survive on the streets but ends up in juvenile detention...until Russ from the International Sensory Assassin Network comes and offers her a new life with a purpose. Ava will go to school, be fed, and trained in assassin skills. She has nothing to lose, so she takes him up on the offer. But is it the right decision?

Ava is a well-developed character and she's a powerful leader. The rest of her team can't seem to get along with each other, so it's up to her to keep the peace. They always get the job done, though. With the injections of HelixB77, they have heightened senses for their missions, whether its an assassination or just bringing someone in. They're the best team ISAN has, and on a rare night out, something happens that changes everything. Can Ava figure out what's going on and keep a secret at the same time? She wants to tell her friends about what happened, but if she does, will that put them in harm's way?

All in all, a well-written YA novel. Ava is a strong female who just wants a normal, happy life instead of having her life scheduled for her with no outside life. ( )

After her mother's death, Ava ended up in foster care, and then juvenile detention. Her life might have continued on a downward spiral if it weren't for Russ's arrival. He selected her to join ISAN (International Sensory Assassin Network), a secretive organization that supposedly helps the world by quietly assassinating particular people. Not that Ava knows much about the reasons behind her assignments. She does as she's told because she doesn't really have any other choices - ISAN is her only home now, and she can't leave except for brief recreational outings in which she and the others on her team are always closely watched.

Ava and her team complete regular "mental missions," virtual reality practice missions in which the girls accustom themselves to fighting and killing, achieving particular goals within time limits, and, most importantly, learning how to use their HelixB77 serum-enhanced senses and abilities. The serum makes them stronger, faster, and more fearless. It also gives certain girls, Ava included, special abilities - Ava can see a map of her surroundings in her head and, occasionally, dots that tell her where certain things and people are located.

Ava's world is thrown into disarray when she's somehow contacted by a guy who calls himself Sniper. She's intrigued by him (honestly, she's intrigued by anyone male who either is or might potentially be attractive) but also wary, because no one from the outside world is supposed to be able to contact anyone in ISAN or vice versa. When she finally meets Sniper, she's left with more questions than answers. He claims that they used to know each other, but if that's true, why doesn't she remember him?

This was one of my Book Bonanza 2019 purchases. It was unfortunately an excruciating read.

I was expecting a fast-paced action/adventure story about competent young assassins. Instead, I got a bunch of teenage girls who trained constantly but didn't actually seem to be improving much. Assassination assignments didn't seem to be given on the basis of successful mental mission completion, and despite all the mental missions, every real-world assignment came across like the girls were only a few steps away from just winging it, with their primary advantage being their serum-enhanced senses and abilities.

I wasn't expecting the ISAN girls to be so catty. On Ava's team, Justine was the worst - she acted like she'd never done anything as part of a team in her whole life, and instead of scrapping her and moving on to the next potential recruit, for some reason ISAN just put up with her. And wow were the girls horny. They were guaranteed to pant over any reasonably attractive guy in their vicinity, and of course two of the adults in charge just happened to fit the bill. Ava was no exception, which made a later scene with Sniper/Rhett, in which she wondered about her immediate reaction to him, laughable - her reaction to Sniper/Rhett didn't seem any different, and certainly no more special, than her reaction to Russ or Mitch.

The world-building wasn't done well at all. I didn't bother to reread the back of the book before starting it, so for much of the beginning of the book I assumed ISAN was a secret organization in a contemporary setting. There really wasn't much to indicate otherwise - Ava used something called a TAB that sounded like a tablet, and there were mentions of the girls using Tasers (although they seemed to operate differently than I'd have expected). It wasn't until well into the book that it was mentioned that meteors had devastated the planet at some point in the past.

It was a relief when I finally managed to finish this. Although it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and a bunch of unanswered questions, I have no intention of reading the next book.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

Reminding a bit of Nakita, action and intrigue hit high-speed to great an exciting read.

After Ava's mother died, she entered the world of foster care but soon ran away and landed on the streets. ISAN found her there, and discovering that she had a rare yet valuable gene mutation, pulled her into their secret society and trained her to be an assassin. Here, she knows she can fulfill her mother's wishes and change the world for the better. But when a strange text pops up on her screen with a person claiming to be from her past, her world is about to be swung around on its head.

I'm a fan of several of this author's books, and ISAN ranks as one of my favorites from her. It starts with a bang and jumps right into the action. This beginning did leave some questions...I like a little more background to get a better grip on the characters...but by the third chapter, the story pulled in and kept me reading until the last page. There are no lulls as the action rolls and secrets unfold. Ava's got her hands full at ISAN with a group of colleagues, who hold as many secrets and sharp edges as those who control her strings. Everybody wears a mask, and everyone has one goal—survive and succeed.

While the writing did feel a bit loose at times, the plot and Ava's character caught me up and created an enjoyable read. It was hard to guess what would happen next...or who to trust. Even when it came to the more romantic direction, which offered all sorts of sharp stumbles along the way. Friendship is even harsher, but that's exactly what this world of intrigue needs. I'm looking forward to seeing where all of this goes next. ( )

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS.
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Release Date-1/5/18

ISAN (International Sensory Assassin Network) was a read I enjoyed very much.
I have been reading quite a few YA novels at the moment and this was one that intrigued me massively.
So this was my first book by this particular author and "ISAN" overall was a clean YA read.
The blurb initially piqued my attention in a good way and this was one I was really looking forward to getting stuck into.
so if I had to split this down into parts I would say the second half of this book is of a much faster pace than the first.
I would also have myself liked for the beginning of"ISAN" to be of a faster pace with maybe more in-depth world-building.
For me, this would have pushed this from a four-star up into a five.
But when this eventually did get going it was fast paced with plenty of action and definitely kept me on my toes throughout.
With a vast array of diverse individuals "ISAN" delivers on all fronts.
I am still finding my feet in regards to what is occurring and the hidden agendas buried within the narrative here, but I am also very much looking forward and ahead to where this may go in the future.
The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to see where they lead.
So all-though there is a romantic element here in "Isan" this very much takes a back seat in the overall storyline plot.
This has more of a post-apocalyptic dystopian vibe than a romantic one and the setting hooked me right from the beginning.
"ISAN" is told from Ava's POV I myself would have definitely preferred a more well-rounded perspective from multiple characters, but that's just me.
I Also should mention that this is also quite a lengthy read of at least five hours and it also ended on a giant cliffhanger.
I'm almost positive from this there is going to be a twist coming, there just has to be, It cant be left like that.
So I found this to be a great dystopian read that also had an extremely imaginative narrative.
It was a fabulous start to what I am sure will be a great new series.
Eagerly awaiting the next instalment now.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of "ISAN - International Sensory Assassin Network " of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS.
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Release Date-1/5/18

ISAN (International Sensory Assassin Network) was a read I enjoyed very much.
I have been reading quite a few YA novels at the moment and this was one that intrigued me massively.
So this was my first book by this particular author and "ISAN" overall was a clean YA read.
The blurb initially piqued my attention in a good way and this was one I was really looking forward to getting stuck into.
so if I had to split this down into parts I would say the second half of this book is of a much faster pace than the first.
I would also have myself liked for the beginning of"ISAN" to be of a faster pace with maybe more in-depth world-building.
For me, this would have pushed this from a four-star up into a five.
But when this eventually did get going it was fast paced with plenty of action and definitely kept me on my toes throughout.
With a vast array of diverse individuals "ISAN" delivers on all fronts.
I am still finding my feet in regards to what is occurring and the hidden agendas buried within the narrative here, but I am also very much looking forward and ahead to where this may go in the future.
The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to see where they lead.
So all-though there is a romantic element here in "Isan" this very much takes a back seat in the overall storyline plot.
This has more of a post-apocalyptic dystopian vibe than a romantic one and the setting hooked me right from the beginning.
"ISAN" is told from Ava's POV I myself would have definitely preferred a more well-rounded perspective from multiple characters, but that's just me.
I Also should mention that this is also quite a lengthy read of at least five hours and it also ended on a giant cliffhanger.
I'm almost positive from this there is going to be a twist coming, there just has to be, It cant be left like that.
So I found this to be a great dystopian read that also had an extremely imaginative narrative.
It was a fabulous start to what I am sure will be a great new series.
Eagerly awaiting the next instalment now.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of "ISAN - International Sensory Assassin Network " of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )