Review: Revived by Cat Patrick

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life. 

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.

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With its relateable main character, interesting premise, and mysterious atmosphere, Cat Patrick's Revived was impossible to put down. I read it in one sitting and, upon finishing, immediately wanted more.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Revived... I wasn't a huge fan of Forgotten and I worried the same would be true of Patrick's sophomore novel. My main complaints regarding Forgotten were the lack of depth and the abrupt ending, and I worried that Revived would have the same bothersome issues. While I did find the ending, once again, rather abrupt, it didn't irk me near as much as with Forgotten.  In addition, I felt Revived had more depth and was genuinely interesting.

I loved the whole idea of this novel and the drug Revive. It was interesting to see how Daisy's feeling and thoughts about the drug changed as she grew up and things became harder to categorize as simple black and white. I felt for Daisy... As they say, ignorance is bliss, but, ultimately, she was better off having her beliefs challenged and gaining knowledge, however difficult it was to swallow.

Revived also features a rather adorable love story. I thought it was extremely well done and didn't detract from the main story... it actually made sense that it was there and added an edge and intensity that would have been otherwise absent. 

I highly recommend Revived... Cat Patrick has definitely won me over with this novel. I can't wait to read her next offering, The Originals!

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, May 2012, Hardcover, 304 pages