Review: Adaptation by Malinda Lo

Synopsis: 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. Everyone knows the world will never be the same.

As Reese drives home along a stretch of empty highway, a bird flies into her headlights, causing her to crash. When she and her friend David wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won't tell them what happened.

For Reese, this is just the start. She can't remember anything from the time of the accident to waking up in the hospital a month later. She only knows one thing: she's different now. Torn between her longtime crush David and new girl Amber, the real question is: Who can she trust?

Review: I had a like-hate relationship with this book. Note I did not say love. Half of me wanted to keep powering through to find out what happens next and to answer the question that couldn't help to get stuck in my brain- What the heck is with these birds?! The other half of me was struggling to comply with this wish because while it seemed like a lot was going on, the plot and characters were not carved out very deep.

You have barely met the protagonists when the bird fiasco begins and the following series of events do not lend to much character development. Though there appears to be a love triangle of sorts occurring (second plot line), it's hard to tell who truly feels what because the character focus is on the bird situation and less on their feelings. I will admit there was a section of pretty intense feelings from the Reese/Amber relationship however when you find out further facts about the situation, it leaves you wondering if those feelings were there in the first place.

You do find out, in a sense, what is making the birds crazy but you don't find out why. Obviously this is because the author knew this would be a series and couldn't tell us everything at the end of the first book. I may pick up the sequel just to see if more of these questions are answered.

Recommended For: Science Fiction, Young Adult fans

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Be sure to check out the sequel to this novel, Inheritance, currently released in the US, being released in the UK September 2014. 

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.