Tankborn
By Karen Sandler (2011)
Kayla is a GEN – a genetically engineered non-human born into a life of servitude. But when she’s assigned to work for Zul Manel, she discovers that there’s more than meets the eye in the carefully constructed social hierarchy on the world of Loka. Things get extra complicated when she finds herself falling for Zul’s handsome great-grandson Devak, a crush she could be condemned to death for.
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3 thoughts on “Tankborn”
Tankborn is a well written and very descriptive novel set in a well-planned futuristic society following the thrilling adventure of 2 genetically modified human beings as they rebel against the high born government. Now, as much as I would love to write about how much I enjoyed this book, I have to admit that it was something I had to force myself into finishing. Although I have no regrets reading this book, I personally think that it’s something that you can defiantly get away with not reading. The new terminology that Sandler created can be hard to catch and is very confusing at times and I found myself reading to finish and not to necessarily enjoy. I have read many books with a futuristic setting and found Tankborn to be very predictable and it doesn’t really stand out from anything else. It was a bit too long, dragged out and seemed like the pages were never ending. With that said, there were indeed a few exhilarating moments and quite a shocking twist at the end. However, I do recommend this to readers whom like to read about confusing concepts and are up for a challenge. Like many other futuristic novels, this one does have a romantic aspect and do if you enjoyed books such as Uglies or Matched, this book is something that you should consider picking up. This novel also focused on religion which is something I didn’t expect but did add something to the plot. The end of the book leaves you hanging and there are many questions left unanswered which leaves a lot of room for contemplating and allows you to use your imagination.
Its interesting to read why you weren’t a big fan of this book. You mentioned a couple of others that you thought were similar (Uglies, Matched). Are there books you’d really recommend for people who might be interested in this genre?
I tried to like this book, I really did. It sounded like a good concept in the summary, but in reality it just didn’t work for me. I suppose the main reason is because I just don’t like this genre. While I enjoy dystopias, I’m tired of worlds made flawed by genetic modification and technology. Those things don’t have to be pure evil; they can save lives if used properly.
That being said, the small portion of the book that I actually read was also at fault. One aspect of dystopian books that I dislike is the overwhelming sensation of slipping into a new world. My brain was screaming at me to find out why Earth had been ruined, why GENs were treated so poorly, what was with all the new holidays and phrases, etc, etc. Despite my desperation, Tankborn was simply not providing me with a backstory or enough clues to guess. I suppose readers loyal enough to stick it out until the end would find out, but I decided I simply could not. I understand how authors don’t want to reveal the answers to their mysteries right at the beginning of their work, yet if they wait too long they lose impatient readers. If Tankborn had provided more of a backstory earlier, I might have stayed.
I also dislike all of the characters. I know I’m being unfair as I only read three chapters, but they struck me as boring and flat. They simply lacked personality. I suppose living in a dystopia has that effect, but just look at Katniss Everdeen (the Hunger Games), John the Savage (Brave New World), Sophie (the Chrysalids), and all the others. And that’s only the classics.
For those interested in dystopias I would recommend reading: Brave New World (I know it’s a book you’re likely to be forced to read at school, but its soooooo good), The Maze Runner trilogy, Bumped, Blood Red Road, Across the Universe, and Birthmarked.
For those interested in genetic modification and technology I would recommend reading Legend and watching Gattaca.