{REVIEW} ADAPTATION (ADAPTATION #1) by Malinda Lo

Series: Adaptation #1
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: Sept 18, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 400
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Reese can’t remember anything from the time between the accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: She’s different now.

Across North America, flocks of birds hurl themselves into airplanes, causing at least a dozen to crash. Thousands of people die. Fearing terrorism, the United States government grounds all flights, and millions of travelers are stranded.

Reese and her debate team partner and longtime crush David are in Arizona when it happens. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On their drive home to San Francisco, along a stretch of empty highway at night in the middle of Nevada, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won’t tell them what happened, where they are—or how they’ve been miraculously healed.

Things become even stranger when Reese returns home. San Francisco feels like a different place with police enforcing curfew, hazmat teams collecting dead birds, and a strange presence that seems to be following her. When Reese unexpectedly collides with the beautiful Amber Gray, her search for the truth is forced in an entirely new direction—and threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has worked for decades to keep secret.

Why I Chose to Read Adaptation ~ I'm not always a big fan of SciFi, but I keep trying to find books to change my mind about that. Also, I've heard a lot of good things about Lo's writing.

I really enjoyed Adaptation, maybe for the very same reasons a lot of people might not feel as if it's a strong Science Fiction story. The reason is, the story focused more on the characters than the SciFi element. Adaptation is a story of what happens to Reese after she is treated at a secret government facility, the physical and mental changes she undergoes and how they affect her life, rather than being built around a world into which a character is inserted.

What I didn't expect when I read Adaptation was the "sub-plot" involving Reese and a burgeoning relationship with Amber. Maybe I'm getting off point in regards to the intention of the story, but I found myself focused and really invested in this relationship. Reese always considered herself, without direct thought, as heterosexual, and has feelings for her friend David. But when she meets and is attracted to Amber, Reese must acknowledge that her sexuality isn't as concrete as she thought. Through her characters, Lo gives some great insights in regards to sexuality.

Adaptation wasn't heavy with the science fiction element, but I did like where it went once that part started rolling. I can't say I was totally surprised by the revelations as to what happened to David and Reese, but I did enjoy it and the plot made sense.

Adaptation didn't blow me away, but I truly enjoyed it. For much of the story, I simply didn't want to put it down.  I did feel as if the middle portion of the story did drag a bit as I was anxious for the characters to find out what was happening to them and get on with it. As for the ending? I liked it, but come on. The last paragraph felt as if it cut off mid scene. It's not that there was an epic cliffhanger. It felt incomplete. Having said that, I will definitely read book two.

If you enjoy young adult science fiction, light on the science fiction, Adaptation may be the book for you.



Favorite Quote:

"For the first time Reese had noticed, Amber looked self-conscious. She took a deep breath. 'I've never felt the this way about someone before. The way I feel about you. It's like-this is going to sound weird, but it's like we're in a movie, and every time I'm with you, the camera zooms in for a close up and we're the only two people in the frame. Do you know what I mean? You're my close up.'" (pg. 178)


"But she knew this: She was falling for this girl, this beautiful, beautiful girl, and she wanted to fall. She wanted to leap right now, arms spread wide, gravity pulling her down, the wind tearing at her hair. She didn't care if she crashed, as long as Amber crashed with her." (pg 188)


You can purchase Adaptation at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository