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Arclight
Arclight
Arclight
Audiobook10 hours

Arclight

Written by Josin L. McQuein

Narrated by Tara Sands

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

A harrowing sci-fi thriller about a teen who's survived horrors but lost her memory, for fans of Veronica Roth, Stephen King, and Justin Cronin.

Arclight is a bold and astonishing debut about identity, unnerving connections, tortured romance, and the courage we find when we face our worst nightmares.

The Arclight is the last refuge in a post-apocalyptic world consumed by terrifying monsters called the Fade. No one crosses the wall of light that keeps the last human survivors safe. There's nothing else left and nowhere to go. Or so they thought, until Marina, a lone teenage girl, stumbles out of the Dark.

Marina doesn't remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. And the Fade want her back. When one of them infiltrates the compound and recognizes Marina, she begins to unlock secrets she didn't even know she had. Marina knows she's an outsider in the Arclight, but she'll do anything to protect those who saved her. Whether they want her help or not.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 23, 2013
ISBN9780062272836
Author

Josin L. McQuein

Josin L. McQuein was born and raised in Texas. Now she and her three dogs live in a town so small that the buffalo outnumber the people. She is the author of Arclight and Premeditated.

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Reviews for Arclight

Rating: 3.485074626865672 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

67 ratings11 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    teen fiction; yet another dystopic romance. Not bad, but after 83 pages or so, didn't stand out enough to make me want to continue.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Arclight was an enjoyable, if predictable, read, and I have to say I understand the buzz surrounding the book, though there were a couple of problem spots for me. One of the things that really drew me to Arclight was everyone saying it was creepy and had awesome twists. Unfortunately, I personally found neither of those claims to ring true with me. The first chapter indeed was creepy/horrifying, but it only lasted through that first chapter.

    The large “twist” that everyone talked about was fairly predictable, which was really my biggest issue with this book: predictability. Nothing in the plot managed to surprise me or take me off guard, and I think that created some distance between myself and the action for the majority of the book. I was invested, but just barely, and that’s how I feel about the book as a whole: I like the characters, but just barely. I liked the plot, but just barely. It’s definitely enough to tip this book onto the positive side for me, but not a book I’ll rush to read the sequels or re-read any time soon.

    While I found the plot predictable, that’s not to say it wasn’t well done. I found the story tightly crafted– I knew every word on each page meant something and was getting us closer to the ultimate reveal. The first chapter, the one that had the creepy part down, was a terrific opening.

    My impression of Marina, the main character, went back-and-forth often. At the beginning, she does some stupid things and I may or may not have been yelling at her inside my head to straighten up, but at about a quarter through I started to really click with her. Her struggle of not knowing who she is was probably my favorite thing about this novel.

    The Fade=awesome. I love the whole concept of the Fade and how McQuein painted such an awesome picture of the Fade on the pages. The world-building in this book isn’t lacking for description, and while I’m pretty happy with leaving this story where it was without NEEDING the sequel, the Fade might be what convinces me to pick it up if I do so.

    Final Impression: This book wasn’t stellar and I didn’t find it creepy/surprising like a lot of bloggers did, but I still enjoyed the read. Marina was a good main character, and McQuein’s ability to create a world was really what captured the novel for me. 3/5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be. The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?This fascinating story is futuristic and creative. It blurs the dividing line that separates a dystopian world from a regular world. Ms. McQuein has taken a uniquely novel approach to the overused concept of a dystopian world, making it something refreshingly new, and all her own.Marina was rescued from the Dark, brought into Arclight, finally safe from the Fade. Everyone either hates her or loves her, depending on who they are. Those who hate her are the ones who lost a parent during her rescue, the rest think that she's Fade-proof, and proof that there is at least one other human settlement somewhere out there. But no one, including Marina, knows where. For Marina has no memories of her life before waking up in Arclight. Not even memories of her rescue. Yet some people are still suspicious of her, for her sensitivity to light and her super sensitive hearing, which she gives away by cocking her head to listen to sounds no one else can hear. And that means she could be infected by the Fade, but everyone knows that no one survives the Fade, so it makes people uncomfortable around her.Tobin is one of Marina's school mates, and of the same age. Initially he hates her, because his father was one of the rescue party that never returned. But his feelings change as time goes by. And he shows his altered feelings for her when Arclight goes red-wall, which means they are under attack by the Fade. Since Marina has a lame leg from a gunshot wound she's unable to keep up with the rest of the class as the run for the safety of the bunker, so Tobin carries her. Once in the bunker he reverts to ignoring her, the typical confused teenaged boy's response to changing feelings for a girl.After the attack a bunch of students are standing in the hall outside the door to Tobin's home when Marina spots a Fade. The five teenagers capture the it and it is taken away to something called the White Room. The problem for Marina is that the captured Fade speaks to her in her mind. He demands help locating another Fade named Cherish, who is his mate.After that night Tobin and Marina become friends by necessity, and then in truth. Tobin shares a secret with her, taking her to a place that is still within the protective Arclight, but built so that the ambient light is virtually gone, allowing them to see the stars. While watching a meteor shower they share a kiss. One kiss that will change everything.Marina walks a fine line trying to help Rue, which is the name she's given the Fade, and trying to regain memories that Rue seems to unlock in her. Will Marina discover the truth of her missing past? Can she trust Rue or is she so desperate for memories of her past that she'll justify anything? When Rue leads her into the Dark will she die? Will she become a Fade? And what happens when she learns the truth of who, and what, she is? Can Marina locate Rue's missing mate, Cherish, when he can't seem to?So many questions to be answered, and not all of them are for Marina. Tobin makes his own startling discoveries that have the potential to change his life. In fact, everyone in Arclight will be impacted by the changes heading their way, regardless of how they feel about them. The changes the characters face challenge the reader to look at their own prejudices in a new light, and from a different point of view. Hopefully the reader will be as open to the shift in perspective as most of the characters are, and maybe even take the main lesson of the story and apply it to something in their own life, enhancing and enriching their life in the process.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Very unique Sci-Fi book with a dystopian type setting. Arclight is action packed with some cute romance, but it was also very confusing.Opening Sentence: Someone’s attention shouldn’t have physical weight, but it does.The Review:The Arclight protects us from the Dark and the Grey area. The Dark is full of the Fade, sinister creatures that want to destroy us and the way we live. The Grey area is the small barrier between the light and dark; it is a no man’s land and should only ever be entered if absolutely necessary. But that is where the humans rescue Marina, a young girl that has no idea who she is or where she came from. She is the only person to survive the Dark and she is humanity’s one hope that the Fade can possibly be beaten.Marina doesn’t remember anything about her past and she’s not really sure about her future either. She doesn’t feel like she fits in at this new home, and others resent her for the loss of all the people that didn’t make it back during her rescue. When the Fade start to attack more often than normal everyone starts to blame her for that as well, and they just might be right. The Fade want Marina and they will stop at nothing until they have her. Will remembering her past give her the answers she needs to help the people who saved her? Or will her past just bring more unanswered questions?Marina was a very interesting character but I had a hard time connecting with her. She is a girl that has lost everything in her life including all of her memories and fitting into this new world has been really difficult for her. For the most part she is strong and tries to make the best out of her situation, but at the same time she does seem to pity herself more than necessary. She is shy and hasn’t really reached out to anyone, and for the most part no one has made an effort to befriend her either. Honestly, I found her character to be slightly boring and clueless. I felt that she just sat through most of the book and did nothing to change her predicament which really frustrated me. Towards the end of the story I started to like her better, but it came a little too late for me to really connect with her. I am hoping that I will like her better in the next book.Tobin was the love interest in the book and to be honest I think he was probably my favorite part about the story. His father was one of the human’s lost during Marina’s rescue, but Tobin doesn’t think that he is dead. He knows that the Fade are after Marina and he feels that it is his duty to protect her. Also, she is the only person that might be able to give him answers about what really happened to his father. At first the relationship between Marina and Tobin is slightly hostile but once they get to know each other better it is actually pretty cute. I thought that Tobin was a very sweet guy and I look forward to seeing more of him in the next book.Arclight was a very unique book with an intriguing plot and great action. But it was also one of the most confusing books I have ever read. From the first page I felt like I was completely lost and until about the last 50 pages of the book it stayed that way. Surprisingly, I actually was interested enough in the story to finish reading it and I am glad I did because it did end up making sense at the conclusion of the book. I think the main problem was that the world building was puzzling and felt incomplete. It took most of the book for you to be able to grasp and understand the world you were in, so that made me feel really lost. Couple that with the fact that the main character really had no idea what was going on because of her memory lose, it ended up making this a very confusing read. Now with all that being said I did still find that I enjoyed this book and I am actually really looking forward to the sequel. I don’t think that the sequel will have any of the problems that this one had because most of the confusing questions were answered by the time the book was finished. While this obliviously had some problems I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced thriller about love, life, and finding yourself.Notable Scene:It turns its attention down, meeting my eyes with silver ones. A connection sparks, raising ile in my throat.This is familiar.I’ve felt this…thought thus…before.Somewhere.The headache I’ve been trying to suppress pokes at the back of my brain. The air charges again, and the Fade drops to a squat in front of me, with its hands rested on its knees, weight forward on its toes.FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Arclight. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Title: ArclightAuthor: Josin L. McQueinRelease Date: April 23rd, 2013Publisher: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins)Source: Advance Reader CopyGenre(s): YA Dystopian Fiction, YA Science FictionRating: ★★★☆☆Review Spoilers: MildFrom the moment you pick up Arclight you are thrown into Marina’s world.It is a world where people live in fear of the night and sleep during the day when they can be safe. They fear the Fade – a race of ghostly figures that move through solid objects and fear only bright light. Generations ago they consumed the world and now all that remains of humanity are tiny pockets like this community protected by the Arclight. For so long they thought they were alone.And then Marina came running into the Arclight.But the hope that came with this stranger quickly shifted to uncertainty, suspicion, and fear. Attacks from the Fade have increased since she arrived and for the first time in a very long time the Fade is beginning to find ways to breach the Arclight and come into the compound.What I liked the most about this book was being thrown right into things from the beginning without knowing what was going on. In the very beginning scene the compound is under attack and Marina and all the other kids are forced into underground shelters where no one knows what’s going on. All they know is that the Fade have breached the Arclight and you get this real sense of fear that gives the book almost a horror feel to it.For the most part the characters were likable and realistic. I thought at times that Marina was a bit iffy (amnesia is so overdone – but I concede that it was absolutely necessary in this book’s case so it gets a pass) and her best friend was sort of stereotypical as the do-gooder, bubbly sort of individual. Plus Marina falling for Tobin the pseudo-bad boy? I know it sells in the YA genre but after a while you read so many books like that… to be fair, though, Tobin was a pretty great character. I think I liked him most out of all of them. He had wasn’t entirely broken; he was just having a hard time dealing with the loss of his parents and a lot of other big changes that were thrown his way.Plot-wise, the big twist with Marina and her past was pretty sweet though I picked up on it pretty early on.But the world building was nice. I think it could have been explained a lot better and I didn’t fully understand the Fade. What exactly are they? What is their general composition. I know the author explains it but I didn’t really take it to heart much because a lot of it was just sort of loosely explained. There were just a lot of things that I think went unanswered. Which is poetnially because there is set to be at least one more book in this series.Considering I thought that Arclight was a fantastic stand-alone, I’m a little disappointed that it will have a sequel. I feel like we need to embrace standalone novels again.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed Josin L. McQuein's Arclight, but it took some time before it really grabbed me and there were many times throughout the novel when I just wanted answers instead of so much confusion!Arclight is a dystopian novel with strong hints of horror. Set in a future where, as far the reader knows, the remaining small population of humans live together in an enclosed settlement, which is appropriately named Arclight, as it is surrounded at all times by strong lights which create a protective arc meant to keep the darkness - and the monsters within it - at bay. These monsters, referred to collectively and individually as "the Fade" are said to be impossible to survive an encounter with... with one exception. The novel's main character, Marina, was rescued from outside the settlement and, therefore, survived the Fade. This feat, which may seem impressive in its singularity, is met, for the most part, with fear, distrust, and anger regarding those lost during her rescue mission. Marina, who has no memory of her past, is left unsure of just where she fits in within the settlement and within the world as a whole.Overall, I liked the mysterious quality of Arclight. I was never quite sure what would happen next and the novel's pace had a consistent ebb and flow. Things would be quite calm within the novel, then, without warning, everything would start happening at once. Alarms would sound, characters would panic, and the creepy Fade would attempt to breach Arclight. Things really started getting interesting when the Fade transitioned from strictly monsters to actual characters. This, however, is where the novel fell flat for me. It almost took too long for the Fade to become characters and, when they finally did, I wanted to know MORE about them. They stay a mystery throughout most of the novel and even the answers readers are finally given are very quick and without depth. I'm hoping McQuein has plans for a second novel that will answer some of my many questions!I do recommend Arclight - it has a unique enemy and protagonist - but I feel it requires a patient reader. The plot is slow to unfold and readers must be able to stick with the plot during the ebb between action scenes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Book Info: Genre: Sci-Fi/ThrillerReading Level: Young AdultRecommended for: Anyone!Trigger Warnings: violence, tortureMy Thoughts: I had just read about this very interesting-sounding book on John Scalzi's Big Idea blog post when I found it in my Amazon Vine newsletter, so I was very excited to have the chance to read this one so quickly (even though there were others I should have read first).Scalzi did not steer me wrong. This book was just awesome! You're thrown right into the situation with no understanding of what's going on. What are the Fade? What is the Dark? The Grey? Explanations are sparse; you simply have to keep up. The beginning is wonderful. “Someone's attention shouldn't have a physical weight, but it does. Hate's a heavy burden; hope is worse.” Wow, huh? I love a great beginning, and this one jumps right in and keeps you running.In the end, this book is very much about obsession, how people use fear to keep control, and how fear often leads to much worse consequences than understanding. It's fast-paced, excellently plotted, and the characters are wonderful. I can highly recommend this book to anyone to whom it appeals.There is a sequel planned for this book. Honestly I'm not sure where it will go, because this book wrapped up just perfectly, but I really did enjoy this world, so I'm sure I'll be following along to see what's next. Meridian is the title of book 2, but no release date has been set.Disclosure: I received a paperback ARC/Galley from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.Synopsis: No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Fade wait in the Dark, just outside the barren wasteland known as the Grey, afraid of the Arclight. No one lives in the Dark. The Fade will take you and make you one of them. It’s impossible to survive out there, or at least that’s what the people living inside the Arclight believe. When people risk their lives to bring in Marina, a girl found cowering beneath a bridge in the Grey, a new sense of hope erupts within the people of the Arclight. Maybe there is life out there. Several people sacrifice their lives to bring her into the Arclight safely, and because of that, some of the residents don’t trust her. Who is she? Where did she come from? And why are the Fade trying so hard to breach the walls of the Arclight to get her back?I REALLY liked this book, and one of the reasons was because of the strength of Marina, the MC and narrator of this story. When we first meet Marina, she’s been living in the Arclight for several weeks. She has no idea where she came from, or what the world is like out there. She has one friend, Anne-Marie, who trusts her and wants to protect her from some of the other kids who pick on her. Marina is timid in the sense that she doesn’t want to cause any trouble. She knows people died trying to rescue her, and she knows people resent her for it. At the same time, she will stand up for herself if she needs to and she’s determined to find out where she came from.I also really liked Tobin. His father died rescuing Marina, and he becomes an unlikely ally. Tobin is certain his father is alive somewhere in the Grey. Tobin’s a bit of a hot-head, but he’s loyal and sympathetic. I really liked him and really wanted him and Marina to get together.The rest of the cast is just as strong, and I didn’t feel that there were any throwaway characters in the story. Honoria, the leader of the people of the Arclight is tough as nails and mysterious. I vacillated between loving and hating her. She was very intriguing. Probably the most interesting character (or characters) were the Fade. When I first picked this one up, I thought they were maybe going to be zombies (they’re not), and then I thought maybe they were psycho ghosts (they’re not). I won’t say what they are exactly, but I loved the concept.I loved the way Ms. McQuein’s story unraveled. It was structured so that when the book begins, we have no idea what’s going on. She places us in the middle of a Fade attack on the compound. The first chapter is intense, and I loved every second of it. I had several questions, and was a little confused about the world and who/what the Fade are, but it’s all revealed eventually. The questions and confusion were more my impatience, than anything — the answers came exactly when they needed to. The tension was high and the mystery solid. The world-building is very strong and I didn’t feel like I had read this before. This book is part dystopian, part sci-fi, part thriller and it’s done without being overly familiar. Some have said it had a feeling of Justin Cronin’s The Twelve and I can see why. There are a few similarities, but not enough to call it a copycat.Lots of action, a unique world, solid characters and great writing made this a book I would highly recommend. If you want something fresh, fast-paced and engaging, check out this book. I couldn’t read it fast enough, and I want the next installment now.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    McQuein is making her debut with a vengeance in 2013, publishing both her first and second novels a couple of months apart from different imprints. Perhaps even more impressive, they're both standalones in different genres (Arclight is dystopian and Premeditated is a contemporary thriller). All of the reviews I've seen for Arclight thus far have been highly positive. Based on Arclight, we can expect good things from McQuein.Arclight has solid writing and plenty of action to keep the reader entertained. The future herein depicted is suitably creepy and the attack of the compound in the first chapter is a perfect hook to bring the reader into the story. It had a very Jurassic Park feel; that moment when the velociraptors are testing the fences.Marina is interesting, not utterly dependent or physically powerful. She has intelligence and determination on her side, but doesn't fit the heroine stereotypes which is great. What McQuein handles very well is Marina's emotional arc. I can't go into details on that, but I love her development throughout the book and her struggles to figure out her past.Though their connection seems to come on a bit fast, I did like Tobin as a character and they are cute together. What I would have liked to see more of is Marina's connection with her supposed best friend Anne-Marie, who both she and Tobin mostly seem annoyed by. The characters are likable, but lacked the depth to really make me care about them.Arclight joins the small list of books with love triangles that don't make me want to hurl things at the wall. Marina's two options both make a different kind of sense for her, and there's a real reason for deciding to be somewhat difficult. Both guys are nice, if a bit too much in the protective and obsessive vein to be my cup of joe (see what I did there?). In both cases, I would have liked to see a bit more of the development of the romances, but what's there suffices. The resolution of the love triangle I'm of two minds about. I'm glad Marina was decisive, but I don't necessarily approve of her choice.The biggest element that kept me from connecting with Arclight or from being sucked into the action was its predictability. Now, I actually watched a couple of my blogger friends tweeting today about how they had no idea what was going on, so this might just be me and the fact that I've read over a hundred dystopias. To me, the plot twist was incredibly obvious from very early on in the book, so all of that build up and tension did nothing for me, when I should have been on tenterhooks.Similarly, the world building is a variation on a theme. Science went too far and resulted in these creatures, the Fade, and now a small group of humanity is trying to survive within walls. However, the protections seem to be failing, and humanity might be doomed. The people in the Arclight don't even know if there are any other human communities left. All of this is pretty par for the course. I will say, though, that I did really like finding out what the Fade actually are.Josin L. McQuein's debut will surely be a hit with teen and adult audiences, particularly those with less of a background in dystopian fiction. There's action, romance, and thought-provoking ethical questions.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    If the ending had paid off on the promise of the beginning, it would have been four stars. Plus, some plot issues. Still really good and a fun read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is AWESOME!!! I mean really, here I was thinking I knew what I was going to read and BAM! Surprise after surprise…The plot of the book is amazing. Starting off with a punch, Marina is an outcast. I love that right off the bat she is different yet sacred. Their is something about this girl that pulls you into her shoes. You want to just slide into her mind and know her thoughts and those around her. She has it hard. Some people treating her like a leper, to only a few people actually befriending her.The plot of the move quickly and I love it. It maintained a high adrenaline rush through each secret when the author reveals little by little. Once I got to the end, it was NOTHING like I expected. It caught me off guard with all the skeletons coming out of the closet. The lies, the secrets and most of the the betrayal of someone you thought you knew. It hurt me yet it excited me with all the revelations coming to light.There is a slight love interest that quickly dissolves And you automatically tell how much this nerves me. Once the secret is out, its like she doesn’t exist anymore and my goodness that really grinded me gears. I mean, who does that???Overall, this is a fantastic book. Pulling me in from every single way, I could not resist this story. It’s intriguing and plain exhilarating! It doesn’t say that there is a sequel yet, but man their better be. There is no way that book can end like that! ARCLIGHT is an fascinating read you can’t help but devour. A rare story that is brilliant and engrossing, ARCLIGHT is awesome!