Freak of Nature: Ifics #1

by Julia Crane

• ISBN10: 162411041X
• ISBN13: 9781624110412
• Publish Date: 2 February 2013 (first published 1 February 2013)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Valknut Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 282
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I know exactly why I downloaded Freak of Nature by Julia Crane from Amazon.com in 2014. I was looking for something to feed my obsession with Cinder by Marissa Meyer. While I read “Freak” rather quickly, it was a disappointing read.

Freak of Nature is a formulaic read. There is nothing surprising in the plot. It progresses exactly the way you guess it will. The characters are two-dimensional (Romeo & Juliet + Juliet’s best friend) and never grow beyond their base emotional wants (I want to be loved. I want to belong.). At times the characters came across as whiny or dim because they vocalize their wants and discomforts on a regular basis. You don’t have tell me in every chapter that it’s hard being a cyborg or it’s hard being a cyborg’s best friend or it’s hard being in love with the cyborg you helped create. After the first time, I get it.

freak of nature chapter break image

The most annoying thing, and this is probably somewhat trivial, but the image used at the end of each chapter seemed to cheapen the story. It’s a cute little robot. The main character, Kaitlyn, is a cyborg. In my mind, those are two different things. I questioned why the decision was made to use this image at the end of each chapter. It was distracting and seemed inappropriate considering the issues that the author seemed to be trying to tackle during the course of the story.

Fans of romance may enjoy this novel (although the one sex scene is a bit creepy and awkward). It might be a good way to introduce someone to science fiction, but for a reader, like myself, who likes a little more meat and controversy with their science fiction and a little less gushy stuff, Freak of Nature just wasn’t for me.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.I saw a review for this book  on another blog way back in January and it sounded fantastic. Exactly like my sort of book. So I was ecstatic when I was approved for it on Netgalley. Unfortunately I have been too busy to read it until now.

I loved Kaitlyn. She is clever and very intriguing. She is a lab rat who is hiding her feelings. After everything they did to her they assumed that she no longer had any emotions. Kaitlyn was petrified that if she did tell them they would take away what little she had left. It was quite moving to see her struggle.

Lucas oh Lucas. He is hot and steamy. He is extremely clever, finishing top of his class. He feels guilty because without him they wouldn't have had the code to make Kaitlyn and a part of him thinks that what they have done just isn't right.

Quess is a really great friend to Kaitlyn she is a nice, sweet girl.

I absolutely loved this book. I cannot wait for the rest of the series. It is going to be very interesting.

[Kim Deister]

I am a big fan of Julia Crane's writing. There is a lovely flow to it and the characters are wonderful. I read her Keeghan's Chronicles series last summer and was mesmerized by her style of writing. The world of the IFICS series is very different from that of Keeghan's Chronicles, but no less engaging. Where the other series brought the mystical magic and mythology of Ireland into the contemporary world, this series is full of futuristic technology hidden from the rest of the world. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Not only is it very different from much of Julia's other work, I had also read very little "cyborg" fiction. There has just never been much appeal to me with this subject. Honestly, it was the striking cover that brought me to it, along with the fact that I have enjoyed her writing immensely.

Half human, half robot... that is who, and what, Kaitlyn is now. When she donated her body to science, she could never have anticipated what that would mean for her. Part of the reason "cyborg" fiction has never appealed to me was the fact that I couldn't see how a story could sustain itself without the emotion that is a part of humanity. But Kaitlyn has more of her humanity intact that her handlers at the lab know about. This makes for a fascinating character, as she struggles to find her place... human or machine. She has been created to be a black ops weapon, something that terrifies her. Lucas is one of the scientists that helped to create her and is the man who brings her to her humanity. Although they are older than typical "first love" romantic heroes, there is something innocent about their love, mostly due to Kaitlyn's lack of memories. But there is no small amount of steamy attraction, too. Quess, the granddaughter of one of the scientists, is Kaitlyn's best friend. Many times, although younger, she seems to act as Kaitlyn's teacher and guardian.

Even aside from the romance, it is the intrigue and the intensity of the implications of the science that make this book so fascinating. Even though Kaitlyn feels emotions, her understanding of what those feelings mean is gone. She has to relearn all of those things that most of us take for granted. The idea that the advancement of technology can, and sometimes does, take a place of higher value than does humanity. This is a scary thought and one that is all too easy to imagine. There is a darkness to this book that makes you think about some things, to question them. I love that!

Things to love about Freak of Nature...

--Kaitlyn. She was so interesting, somehow both innocent and completely badass.
--Quess. She was absolutely hilarious at times and brave to fly in the face of the lab and the scientists.
--Lucas. He was able to look past the robotic appearance and personality of Kaitlyn and see the beauty within.

Some quotastic goodness...

--Half-human, half-machine. She didn’t quite fit into either world. I’m an abomination, she thought, her shoulders slumping (Loc. 18).

--“How could you possibly think I’m beautiful? I’m repulsive—a freak of nature (Loc. 847).”

--"Facebook. It’s like a peek into someone’s private world (Loc 914).”

--"I don’t want to be just a weapon,” Kaitlyn said firmly. “I want to be a solution (Loc. 2218).”

My recommendation: A fantastic read with a lot of depth and intensity!

[kimbacaffeinate]

Freak of Nature by Julia Crane drew me in with its gorgeous cover and gripping synopsis. The idea of cyborgs and robotic limb replacement fascinates me. As the first book in the IFICS series, Freak of Nature, offered an engaging beginning but left me wishing for more depth. Mini review: a light science fiction read wrapped in a good romance.

Seventeen year old, Kaitlyn checked the box on her driver’s license donating her body to science in the event of her death. She awakens to find herself changed into a human cyborg and spends her days in a sterile clinic undergoing testing and training under the care of Dr. Matthew Harrington, Professor Adams and boy genius Lucas Andrews. They treat her like a machine, believing they have erased her memories and cut off human emotion…but they are wrong. Kaitlyn confides in Lucas and together they must find a solution before she is sold as a military weapon. The tale that unfolds is a fast paced, entertaining read.

Told in alternating POV’s we get inside the heads of Kaitlyn and Lucas. Kaitlyn is strong, accurate and unstoppable as a cyborg. The perfect weapon, but unbeknownst to her creators she experiences emotions, dreams and is physically attracted to Lucas. I adored Kaitlin, who comes off as naïve since her previous memories, have been cut off. She struggles with clichés and slang but is clever enough to realize she needs to keep this part of herself a secret. She handles her circumstances logically, and without complaining which was refreshing. Lucas is a very young, totally cute geek and he struggles with his attraction to Kaitlyn. He is having doubts about the ethical aspects of the project and suspects Kaitlyn is holding back. The romance was sweet, and while they have known each other since the project began, it does go from zero to sixty after the first kiss. Quess is perhaps my favorite character. She is the fourteen year old granddaughter of the professor. Witty, smart, and perhaps a rule breaker she speaks her mind. The professor and Dr. added mild suspense and added to the tale.

Freak of Nature and the IFICS is such an interesting concept, and while this is light on science fiction jargon Crane intrigued me with Kaitlyn and her skill set. I enjoyed getting both Lucas and Kaitlyn’s perspectives as we gained insight into their emotions. The romance is sweet, and Lucas takes risks to protect her. Despite developing fast, the romance was sweet, and I certainly rooted for them. The tale is surprisingly low on angst and conflict especially considering all that happens. Crane’s writing just flows from the pages, and she kept me engaged from the very first page. A new character is introduced towards the end and is shrouded in mystery that can be perceived as a threat. After a lackluster resolution, this event has me excited to continue. It is my hope we will see more depth to in this promising series.

Copy received in exchange for unbiased review​. ​Review​ originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer​

[limabean74]

Freak of Nature by Julia Crane is a Sci-Fi story about a girl who is on the verge of dying and they use her as an experiment to create a cyborg. The only problem is they thought they erased her memories and emotions but she can still feel and she has flashes of her past life that she can't remember. She is trying so hard to hid but the handsome scientist is causing the feelings and emotions and she is having a hard time controlling. Now they are moving her from the safety of the compound she has been in since the change and she need to find a way to stop it and find out who she was.

Freak of Nature has very strong characters. Kaitlyn is a great main character, I adore her and I feel so bad for what she is going through. I can't imagine not know who you are and having all this happen. Even though most of her mind is robotic you can really feel how sad she is. I really liked both Lucus her love interest and Quess her BFF or at least the only friend she has had since moving into the compound. They are all such great characters to read about but the story just wasn't doing it for me.

The story was really confusing and at times a little slow. I understand she has feelings but it was getting very confusing between her robotic self and her feelings self. The love story was weird, she had no emotions and as far as he knew she was a robot but he was in love with her? I can see it happening after finding out she had emotions but not before that. I don’t know why I just found this to be so weird. I did like the romance between them when it did happen just thought it was a strange build up and then it seems to happen so quickly. Even at it got closer to the end everything just seemed to work out so well for Kaitlyn it was rushed or just not as exciting as I was hoping it would be. It had no risk to it you never really feared for her safety or was concerned for her when she left the compound. It really fell rather flat. :(

I gave Freak of Nature by Julia Crane 3/5 Stars it had very strong characters but the story fell a little flat and was very slow. I do however recommend this book, this is my opinion and it might be something you found more interesting than me or maybe I just didn't get it. I will be reading the second one in the series since I really did like and feel for the characters. (I have my finger crossed it's better than this one)

Because reading is better than real life