Merged by Jim and Stephanie Kroepfl

Merged

by Jim Kroepfl and Stephanie Kroepfl

Seven of our country’s most gifted teens will become Nobels, hosts for the implantation of brilliant Mentor minds, in an effort to accelerate human progress.

But as the line between what’s possible and what’s right, draws ever blurrier, the teens discover everything has a cost.

Scientists have created an evolved form of living known as Merged Consciousness, and sixteen-year-old Lake finds herself unable to merge with her Mentor.

Lake, the Nobel for Chemistry and Orfyn, the Nobel for Art, are two from among the inaugural class of Nobels, and with the best intent and motivation. But when Stryker, the Nobel for Peace, makes them question the motivation of the scientists behind the program, their world begins to unravel.

As the Nobels work to uncover the dark secrets of the program’s origins, everyone's a suspect and no one can be trusted, not even the other Nobels.

As the Mentors begin to take over the bodies and minds of the Nobels, Lake and Orfyn must find a way to regain control before they lose all semblance or memory of their former selves.

My Thoughts:

The Cover: 

What a beautiful cover!! Very spacey and lovely colors. Based on the synopsis, I really thought those two characters were merged, but the story is so much better than that. Either way, this color caught my attention and I would have read Merged based solely on that.

The Plot: 

Wow!! What a story line!! I love the authors’ imagination in this. I find the brain so fascinating and who knows the extent of what it can do. But the idea of having someone brilliant in your head to help you change the world?? Simply amazing. I was so excited by the concept. The story was terrific; I could not stop reading. Towards the end, I was a little disappointed because I felt there was so much build-up and then the story veered off in a completely different direction. But I think the authors did a very good job with the way they went. Merged was a very satisfying and exciting read.

The Characters: 

The authors did an awesome job creating characters that were interesting, likable and believable. The dynamics between each of the characters helped the story make the story flow and kept everything captivating. Our protagonist, Lake, was lighthearted and sweet and you couldn’t help but like her enthusiasm (and her love) for her work. I loved her mentor, how uptight and serious she seemed to be, completely opposite our protagonist.And octopuses, I mean, octopie,maybe??  While I found Stryker's backstory interesting, Orfyn was my favorite character, painting everything in beautiful colors, sharing his art to enhance everyone’s days.

Was It Worth Reading?: 

YES!!! Without a doubt!! Merged was the sci-fi that I didn’t know I was looking for. I even love that there is a glossary in the back of the book, so that if any of the paintings were unfamiliar or the science terms were unknown, the reader would not be lost. I love me some science stuff, but some of the chemicals that Lake was talking about were definitely new to me. I was glued to Merged from the moment I began reading it and hope that there will be a sequel coming. I give Merged 5 out of 5 crossbows and recommend it to readers of YA sci-fi, romance and drama.