Compete - Vera Nazarian

Compete

By Vera Nazarian

  • Release Date: 2015-08-15
  • Genre: Science Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 571 Ratings

Description

It’s one thing to Qualify…

But do you have what it takes to Compete?

With Earth about to be destroyed by an extinction level asteroid, teenage nerd, geek, and awkward smart girl Gwen Lark, and a few of her friends and loved ones, barely Qualified for rescue onboard one of the thousands of ark-ships headed to the ancient colony planet Atlantis.

Now faced with a year-long journey in space, life in a wondrously alien environment, and many tough life choices, Gwen must decide who or what she will become. Fleet Cadet or Civilian? Friend or lover? Average or extraordinary?

Can she make new friends? Can she trust the old ones, such as Logan Sangre, her sexy high school crush and an Earth special operative?

Time and time again, Gwen’s uncanny ability to come up with the best answer in a crisis saves her life and others. And now, her unique Logos voice makes her an extremely valuable commodity to the Atlanteans—so much so that her enigmatic commanding officer Aeson Kassiopei, who is also the Imperial Prince of Atlantis, has taken an increasingly personal interest in her.

Before the end of the journey, Gwen must convince him that she has what it takes to compete in the deadly Games of the Atlantis Grail.

It’s becoming apparent—the life of her family and all of Earth depends on it.

COMPETE is the second book in The Atlantis Grail series.

Reviews

  • Not a good read for POC

    2
    By Pr3ppyem0
    I remember reading through this series as it was being written, way back to the WattPad days, and really enjoying it! I am very much into dystopian/apocalyptic genre books and enjoyed the general premise of this series. Now that the main Atlantic Grail series is completed, I wanted to read through it again starting from the beginning. Now that I’m older I’m realizing a lot of things that bother me or just make me straight up uncomfortable. One of my biggest qualms is how little Gwen seems to be bother by the amount of death that surrounds her in the books. In the first book, she reflects on the death of her fellow peers in the Finals very briefly, only addressed once more after the fact in a nightmare and then ever mentioned again. The same thing happens in this book (I don’t want to give away too many spoilers) but when something violent and deadly happens around Gwen she is perturbed in the moment and then after the clean up is done she never mentions it again??? There’s not enough lingering trauma for her or any of the characters which is so WEIRD, especially because these are literal children that were talking about. Meanwhile, I’m books like The Hunger Games, the characters that have died in the presence of Katniss Everdeen are honored and brought up throughout the entire series. And I would say that TAG is more graphic/deadly than THG so I’m so confused how the author can spend pages explaining the science and complexities of the technology in the book but doesn’t even discuss all of the trauma that these 12 - 19 year olds have witnessed over the course of like 2 years. Another big qualm I have with this book is how a lot of the people of color are described by the author. You can tell the author is trying to introduce and maintain a very diverse cast of characters but the way she describes them physically and writes their dialogue is so hurtful. I’m a black female and I HATE seeing Laronda be perpetuated as the “sassy black best friend/side kick”. I hate that Dawn is the “super stoic and political Indigenous girl”. I hate that the people of Atlantis are supposed to based on Egyptian culture but a lot of the important figureheads that represent them are white?? I also feel like the characters that get described intricately for their beauty, grace, etc. are never the characters of color. It’s like “oh, I was standing in a room with a black girl as well as a beautifully toned, golden-locked, effortlessly confident Atlantean with a face so striking in beauty that all of the other teens with me couldn’t help but stare and drool”. And it’s like…oh, okay. Also, why is “large and bulky” the only two words that seem to be used to describe Chiyoko anytime she happens to be in the room. The author is very eloquent in her writing and it is very obvious she has done a lot of research to move forward an amazing world and storyline that she has created. But it’s evident that she never thought to research something as simple as what it would look like for someone with relaxed hair to endure this kind of journey. Black women with relaxers need it touched up every 3 months or so to maintain the “straightness” and even then, it needs to be blow dried and straightened for it to actually be straight, otherwise it’s still very kinky in texture. So how is it that after months of training and a year of traveling in space Laronda still has a “short and straight/relaxed bob”? It’s just weird for the author to have done SO much research in one department and yet so little in other things that a very simple, like hair. Even though I adored this series as a young girl, now that I’m an adult I just see way too many problematic things that make it difficult for somebody that isn’t white to be immersed in, despite the author trying to be inclusive.
  • Wow

    5
    By LcStines
    I love the series thus far and can’t wait for the movie/tv show. The flow and rhythm of the book makes it impossible to put down. Thank you for sharing your talents!
  • Haven’t Read It!!!!

    5
    By PuppyAli
    I haven’t read it but I know for a FACT that this book is going to be epic!!!!! I STAN AESON!!!!!
  • Simply wonderful

    5
    By Cooperlhill
    I fell in love with this series after reading Qualify and I finished Compete in 2 days. I’d say that these books (dare I say it?) even surpass The Hunger Games. I can’t wait to sink into Win, but I have to wait until I have a stretch of time, since I know I won’t set it down til I finish. Bravo
  • Wow #2 !

    5
    By aylasrad
    As I said on book #1’s review, this story is so good. The characters all have their own depth. The love story that the reader can see happening but the characters can’t realize. I’ve cried, I’ve laughed out loud, and I’ve held my breath with stress hoping Gwen finds another solution to whatever problem she has deal with next. I can’t wait to see what happens is book #3
  • AMAZING!

    5
    By Hannah Elizaeth
    This is one of the best series i have ever read!
  • Definitely Read IT!!!!

    5
    By Lex_H21
    By far one of the best books I have ever read. It sends you on a wild ride. Definitely a page turner. I read the first book in 2 days and the second in a day and half.
  • Weak Characters

    1
    By wooooooooooooooooooosh
    Romance is an important part of many book series, and this one is no different. But most books are able to incorporate it somewhat seamlessly, or just focus entirely on it. But when you take a sequel to a book with a strong protagonist and turn them into a pathetic one that swaps between performing incredible feats of ingenuity and some one that drools over half the male characters in the book in some sick love pentagon it doesn’t make any sense. Inconsistent characters, mediocre story, and way too much time describing conspicuous bulges, it was really a let down from the incredible start of the series.
  • Speechless....

    5
    By Heather amaunet
    What can I say other than that I absolutely loved this book!
  • Win

    5
    By bookerT1
    I was hooked hooked hooked! Can’t wait to read the next book! The author does a great job of going into detail about the main character, Gwen, emotions’ and how she handles tough situations she is put through. I like that we are constantly looking forward to the next big event to happen and informed about what is happening each step of the way. Super cool futuristic ideas that make Atlantis so very unique. A must read!!!

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