Book: Flash Point by Nancy Kress
Pages: 400
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Source: library
Short Synopsis: Amy is a guardian to her ailing grandmother, and fifteen year old sister. She is desperate for money, and auditions for a TV show which she has no clue what it's about. She gets a great surprise and an adventure she never expected.
My Thoughts: I was very disappointed with this and couldn't help but compare it to the Hunger Games.
Reality TV meets a chillingly realistic version of America—and the fame game is on!
Amy had dreams of going to college, until the Collapse destroyed the economy and her future. Now she is desperate for any job that will help support her terminally ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. When she finds herself in the running for a slot on a new reality TV show, she signs on the dotted line, despite her misgivings. And she’s right to have them. TLN’s Who Knows People, Baby—You? has an irresistible premise: correctly predict what the teenage cast will do in a crisis and win millions. But the network has pulled strings to make it work, using everything from 24/7 hidden cameras to life-threatening technology to flat-out rigging. Worse, every time the ratings slip, TLN ups the ante. Soon Amy is fighting for her life—on and off camera.
-- From Goodreads
This novel did have some potential, but overall, it felt like a let down to me. With a disappointing ending that could be easily predicted, and a contradictory main character and not really believable scenarios, I was hoping for something a bit different after reading 400 pages.
In this novel, Amy is desperate for an income to provide for her family. She overhears a conversation from some girls about an audition and decides to check it out. She is elated to discover that she's one of the lucky few to be selected with a high pay and medical benefits for the family.
As she and a select few enter the show, the scenarios that the TV show comes up with are manipulative at first, and conniving, and Amy wants to quit. The show tells her that she is free to do so, but she must give up her winnings and return the money that was given, and no medical treatment for her family.
So Amy is forced to stay on the show and as the scenarios get even more dangerous, it becomes a game of fighting for her life.
Okay, first off, Amy bugged me a lot. I understand that she was doing what she thought was best for her family, but then she says, "I quit" twice. But then, when things get even worse, she somehow manages to get her act together? And don't get me started on Amy's sister, Kaylie. I found Kaylie to be selfish, insensitive, and annoying at times.
There is a love triangle involved, with Amy liking Cai, and Rafe liking Amy. I was annoyed with the fact that Amy never once said anything about her liking Cai, but Rafe made it perfectly clear that he had feelings for her, and she brushed them aside, until the end.
I wasn't as impressed with the science fiction scenes, as it was mostly chalked up to "advance technology." And when the show actually decided to use footage of the fire and rallies as part of their game, it just didn't seem very believable. Overall, the book did have some potential, but I was expecting it to be a bit better.
Would I recommend this book: Eh
Rating: I give this book a 2.5/5.
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