In the city of Monopolis where happily ever after is just a scientific formula away, Valentine Morland has been waiting nine years for her day to come. Now it’s here, and she will marry the man of her dreams, a stranger to her, before being swept off to life of carefree luxury and bliss, courtesy of the Jigsaw Project. However, all is not as Valentine imagined as her new husband is quickly … discovered as not the man of her dreams, but one who claims he isn’t capable of love at all. Harbouring an intense paranoia for the system, which upholds the very idealist fantasy that Valentine holds so dear, Clark threatens to throw her into a world, not of bliss, but of scary consequence where her every emotion is under scrutiny. Can it be that the scientific formula with a 99% success rate got it all wrong, or is everything in the world of Bliss Inc. more sinister than it seems?
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Bewildering and awesome. I loved it! =)
I read carefully through it the first time, and will hopefully go more quickly next tme. Definitely a book that can be read several times–complex, surprising, and compelling. The characters are so real; I know them, or at least people like them, and relate to each whether I want to or not.
This story was artistic and imaginative, and I would expect nothing less from Ms. Nicolle. Her novels paint a story so vivid, you can almost reach out and touch each tiny detail. Every time I read something new from her, I am again astounded by how painstakingly precise she is with every element that goes into her writing and how striking and colorful her characters are.
I’ve read and cherished each word she’s published, but I have to say that this novel supersedes everything she’s given us to date. Writing a dystopian tale is difficult in itself, because the author must take us to an assumed place in time, after a worldwide occurrence that has left the world devastated and in need of structure. What this author has done has taken us on an adventure that is so realistic, it wreaked havoc on my emotions. This one, in particular, held moments that made me angry, frightened, anxious and tearful. It had all the feels.
Whenever we think about the traumatic issues that come with a dystopian event, the first thing that comes to mind is an omniscient but corrupt power that assumes control of the people and societies remaining. And that is where this author has taken us. The science fiction aspects along with the romance angle were completely unique. The danger, intrigue and subterfuge written into this storyline puts a whole new twist on the dystopian romance.
One of the things I love most about Kristy Nicolle is how strong her heroines become. They seem to start out as timid, quiet, clueless girls who blossom into these headstrong, courageous women who would do anything to not only save their own relationships but rescue and preserve the lives of those around them. Valentine is just such a woman, and the impossible situations that she and Clark have to push themselves to overcome made the story that much more engaging.
Each time Kristy Nicolle puts pen to paper, she gives us something special and extraordinary. I, for one, feel fortunate to have a front row seat to the creative and ingenious adventures that originate from her brilliant mind. And I find myself looking forward to whatever she has in store for us next.
I received an ARC for an honest review. Well, I need to get the paperback of this baby!
Wow! Just wow! Really there are no words to describe…. I honestly thought it was going to be plain romance and nothing more. Boy was I wrong. Kristy describes a almost to familiar world we live today that destroyed the world. So, someone had to step up and put laws and rules. The rules had to be followed with no buts and ifs. Would you live in a world that made the decisions for you? Who to marry? Well, Valentine and Clark are arranged to be married. Any girls dream is to meet the one and loose their virginity to the one they love. Well, in this case Valentine’s marrying to a complete stranger because she has to; because Clark is her matchmate. Life changes as soon she sees him and finds out more of Bliss Inc… Will she be able to make a difference or continue being a nieve girl and enjoy being married? Kristy goes on in details in how everything is being controlled and how they live. They live devided such as women cities, male cities, and couples complexes with no interaction with the other species and as well with the couples. The technology sounds awesome but i wouldn’t want that kind of life style. It is c-r-a-z-y! Makes me realize that we should appreciate that we have our freedom. Anyways, back to the book. The world they live if they are chosen and not a labourer get housing and live with the other chosen. And receive everything they need. It must be nice to have everything just so that you may prepare for marriage and have children. But like I said things happen and with a uexpected twists and turns of events turn their life around. Very enjoyable and not disappointing. I highly recommend this book. Oh, by the way its not short and very detailed . Happy reading.
Good story, great characters, well written.
When you’ve grown up in a system that is supposed to match you with your “perfect mate” but you find not everything is what it seems.
Something Blue looks to a future where the world has almost destroyed itself, indiscriminate breeding leading to overpopulation and chaos. Enter Bliss Inc, a company rebuilding society with it’s Jigsaw project. Only those passing a rigorous test are deemed suitable candidates for the programme. To be given the honour of becoming married and allowed to have children. For those not so fortunate a life in the labour district and a future of servitude awaits, however, Valentine Moreland is one of the fortunate ones. Deemed worthy of the project she waits longer than most for her “readiness tests” to confirm that she is ready for her wedding, but once the day that she has dreamed of arrives, she feels beset with nerves and questions about her future with a stranger, a situation which becomes compounded when her perfect match doesn’t live up to the match of her dreams. Bliss inc’s formula is only 99% successful, what if she is in the remaining 1%, what happens to those that the formula fails? As she struggles with these questions she finds herself being dragged into a world filled with paranoia and lies; are the appearances she has been keeping up really still just appearances? With the 100 day assessment period ticking by, she needs to try and separate the truth from the lies and the dream from reality, will she be able to make it?
When I first heard the premise for Something Blue, I was immediately struck by how different it was. For the first part, you become completely whipped up into Valentines’ world, the excitement and trepidation of preparing for the biggest day of your life, coupled with interfering family members all condensed into one week of chaotic arrangements. Your heart is left furiously beating as you finally get to live the wedding day with Valentine and her hopes and fears. Looking back, the signs are there that not everything is perfect in the utopian wedding district, but very the hints are subtle.
The growing relationship between her and Clark is beautifully done, two people questioning a system and a formula, which against all thoughts to the contrary seems to have maybe got it right after all, is wonderfully played out. They both find common ground with their disdain for a system which removes their choices and seemingly small acts of rebellion lead to so much more. Clark has a lot to prove however as his inability to fully open up to Valentine could halt their fledgling relationship in it’s tracks.
Bliss inc is an unlikely baddy to start but truth behind the new hard light holograms sets in motion a series of events from which no-one can step back from.
This is a wonderfully captivating story which I almost read in one sitting and I was so relieved to find that it was a stand alone – I have missed stand alone stories recently and being able to see these characters through without a cliffhanger was really refreshing.
When I read the description of this book I thought it would be like some of the other YA dystopian books I have read. I was wrong. Although this story has a similar theme to other stories Kristy’s spin is refreshing. She has created a whole new world and she has built and described it in such a manner that I feel as though I am there with the characters.
The characters are developed nicely and I enjoyed watching their interactions with each other and the world around them.
I think if you like dystopian stories and are a sucker for a wild ride full of emotions I think this is a story for you.
What an amazing story! A complete whirlwind!
When I first read the synopsis of this book, it wasn’t exactly something that DEMANDED my attention. It sounded interesting, but in all honesty, I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as I did. I still can’t get over the insane amount of emotions this book made me feel and that ending, man, I’m still reeling.
Imagine, if you will, a world where males and females are completely segregated from one another and where your entire life is controlled by one company. Where true love is based of a scientific equation and your ‘matchmate’ is selected for you based off several compatibility tests. That’s how life is in this book for Valentine. She has spent her entire life waiting for the moment when she and her ‘matchmate’ will finally meet (the same day they walk down the aisle and get married). However, the moment she meets Clark, she realizes he is absolutely NOTHING like she had imagined and she can’t help but wonder if somehow they had got it wrong and her happily ever after is sudden put in jeopardy.
This story has so many unexpected turns that it keeps you interested from the very first page. The writing style is incredible and you can picture absolutely everything the author is describing. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Nicolle, but it definitely won’t be my last.
I will say this though, the ending is completely bitter sweet. At least in my opinion.
Definitely 5 out of 5 stars! A MUST read!