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Archetype M D Waters Books

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Archetype M D Waters Books

I could comment on the plot, or tell you what it reminded me of, but I won't. The surprise in the denouement is too good to risk spoiling.

I will say this book kept me up all night. I couldn't put it down, and felt driven to read to the end. The language is beautiful, thoughtful, and almost poetry in some places. Most importantly, I felt like this book presented a unique world that was not derivative of another story. It presents science fiction from a truly feminist perspective, which is neither often nor well done.

I disagree with Amazon's categorization of this book as romance. To call it such misconstrues the characters' motivations, and implies that any book with a relationship from a feminist perspective is a romance novel. Certainly, it is dystopic, speculative, and science fiction, but the relationship and love aspects served to further a deeper plot. Romance was not the plot; rather, seeking identity is what drove the main character.

Finally, while some reviewers mentioned that this ended on a cliff-hanger, I felt a sense of closure to the book. Yes, the epilogue sets up the next book in the series, but I can't say that I felt like this was just a teaser for the next one. The ending was discrete and satisfying.


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Archetype M D Waters Books Reviews

My desire to convince everyone to read this book is currently locked in an epic battle with my hesitation to tell you much about the plot in form of a summary. I don’t tend to read back copy before I choose a book to read, which is probably weird; I get recommendations, I read a page or two, and I decide whether or not I want to buy the book based on the writing. This approach served me well when it came to Archetype, not because the book doesn’t sound good when you read the hook (it does!) but because it’s so thrilling to experience the story along with the narrator, Emma.

So. This will be a bit of an odd review, I guess. But part of my reasoning behind writing these recommendations is to pick out books I feel strongly about, and I spent days thinking about Archetype after I finished reading it. We need more books like this, books that stretch the boundaries of genre and leave readers with both emotional resonance and deep explorations of important themes.

What I can tell you is that Archetype is part futuristic dystopia, part thriller, and part romance. When Emma wakes up knowing nothing about her past, the tight narrative structure allows the reader to experience Emma’s confusion with her while also hinting that there’s more going on than meets the eye. While first-person, present-tense narration is prevalent in dystopian literature these days, it’s clear that M.D. Waters chose it for a reason. Another option would have produced an entirely different effect, and it’s used to its absolute best advantage here.

In the first half of the novel we learn about the world in which the story takes place along with Emma. There’s a beautiful rhythm to the prose that weaves a sense of trust and security, even as questions and curiosities continually bubble to the surface. Trust in Emma, trust in her ability to eventually piece together the truth, and trust that we’re in good hands with this author.

As Emma begins to suspect there’s more to her past than her doctor and her husband are telling her, the stakes rise. From the midpoint on, the story rockets forward–by which I mean I basically didn’t speak to my own husband for an entire evening because I was too wrapped up in the book to do anything other than read.

When done well, dystopian literature asks crucial questions about humanity that can be otherwise hard to face. Archetype asks about the true meaning of identity, and about who (or what) we as individuals have the potential to become in the face of disaster. Emma faces these choices, along with every other character in the novel (there are those who, I suppose, have already made theirs). Waters doesn’t treat her themes lightly; she gives them the weight they deserve while also weaving a truly engaging story. Not an easy feat, by any stretch.

The only other thing I’ll add (because I like to be prepared) is that Archetype does end on a cliffhanger. But never fear! The sequel, Prototype, will be out July 24.

(Review originally posted on my blog)
Forget everything you've known
Archetype introduces us to Emma and her situation is just that, she knows almost nothing about where she is, who she is, and what events brought her to this place. Basically, all she does know is what's told and taught to her by the people in the hospital she woke up in. A man named Declan claims to be her husband and that she has had a terrible accident. One that has taken all of her memories and practically set her knowledge of life and mundane things back considerably. She is having to learn the simplest things that we might take for granted every day. Because of this we get a unique perspective on how she thinks and feels while going through such an odd situation. This immediately enabled me as a reader to connect and sympathize with Emma. Given the weak state she was in, she was by no means a weakling. You can tell right away Emma has a fighter's spirit.

Sleeping with the enemy
Due to the environment Emma is in for the first portion of the book, the pace is slower while we learn things with her and are introduced to the state of the world. Declan and the Doctor are really overly protective about telling her anything or letting her experience new things. So information at times seems to take its sweet darn time being revealed. I for one still ate up the first half of the book and was well rewarded for my patience with an action packed second half. Emma doesn't know who to trust let alone believe. And on top of her dreams and the voice in her head, she has Declan, her husband and a strangely familiar man Noah, telling her absolutely different things confusing her even further. All she does know is that she is drawn to both of them, and only one of them is the true enemy.

Lock up your daughters
This is a futuristic Earth in which medical technology has literally allowed humanity to dig a grave for itself. Women are a tiny minority and most of them are infertile. Those few that can conceive children can only do so for a handful of years. So how does society react to this? Why, lock up all the women and sell them to the highest bidder of course. Cynical, I know, but I could totally envision this happening. History teaches us a harsh lesson about the depths of cruelty we as a species are capable of, thus it is not far fetched to picture this future as being a possible reality instead of just science fiction. These women are definitely not treated well, growing up in training centers and sold as wives to men. If they are fertile, at the age of 18 they are sold off and become that man's property having no real life of their own. Not too rosy sounding is it?

I'll be back
With an emotionally charged ending such as the one Archetype delivers, there is no way I can imagine someone reading this book and not feeling compelled to pick up the next. There was a specific aspect of the end I saw coming but I think will only add to Emma's struggles to come. I will gladly gobble down any further of her misery because everything I have seen her go through thus far has only made her a stronger and more sympathetic character. Bring it Waters.
I could comment on the plot, or tell you what it reminded me of, but I won't. The surprise in the denouement is too good to risk spoiling.

I will say this book kept me up all night. I couldn't put it down, and felt driven to read to the end. The language is beautiful, thoughtful, and almost poetry in some places. Most importantly, I felt like this book presented a unique world that was not derivative of another story. It presents science fiction from a truly feminist perspective, which is neither often nor well done.

I disagree with 's categorization of this book as romance. To call it such misconstrues the characters' motivations, and implies that any book with a relationship from a feminist perspective is a romance novel. Certainly, it is dystopic, speculative, and science fiction, but the relationship and love aspects served to further a deeper plot. Romance was not the plot; rather, seeking identity is what drove the main character.

Finally, while some reviewers mentioned that this ended on a cliff-hanger, I felt a sense of closure to the book. Yes, the epilogue sets up the next book in the series, but I can't say that I felt like this was just a teaser for the next one. The ending was discrete and satisfying.