BZRK

the book is a bit hard to get into in the beginning with all of the different characters perspectives but is real gripping one you grt ingto the meat of the book, towards the end of the book there is some very important parts which i think could definetley be elaborated or amplified as when bzrk takes down afcg the twins dying is so quick, like only a page or two but thts really the only problems i have with the book. 10/10

This has to be the oddest book I've read in a long while.In the not so distant future, a pair of grossly freaky conjoined twins wants to take over the world in order for happiness to reign supreme by literally rewiring people's brains on the cellular level. This war is not fought solely with arms, however, but with nano technology, specifically, nano bots, as well. The evil/gross twins employ a whole host of "twitchers," mainly teens, whose sole job is to remotely control the bots through the cerebellums of unsuspecting victims. And who better to control than world leaders in order to ensue this nightmarish utopian vision plays out? Of course, the evil twitchers are opposed by "good" twitchers out to protect the right to free emotions and attempt to halt the nano takeover of the various world leaders, including our President.The descriptions of the bots racing through veritable Dr. Seussian-like landscapes in and on our bodies is both creepy and fascinating. However, due to many graphic scenes of violence, as well as some disturbing sexual allusions, I would recommend this only to those in high school or older.I will be reading the rest of the trilogy, mainly because I am simply unable to walk away from this disturbing descriptive narrative.

There are two worlds: the macro and the micro. Wars are fought on the macro between men. Wars are fought on the micro between nanobots and biots... inside men. Both are destructive, both have the ability to wield great power, but only the bots can rewire a person. In Michael Grant's BZRK, the risks are always worth the trouble.Plath watched her father's plane taken down with both her father and brother aboard. Coincidentally (although there never are coincidences), the plane crashed into the very stadium where she was enjoying a game. But Plath wasn't killed, despite a very obvious intent. Instead, as the last surviving McLure, she was recruited into BZRK, the secret group of "agents" (kids and gamers who now control biots) who try to prevent the Armstrong twins and their company, Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation, from world domination. The conjoined twins and their company might seem innocuous enough, but anyone who has spent time on the micro level know the damage their nanobots can wreak.Now there is a plan to quite literally take over the world. AFGC wants to sink nanobots into every world leader on the planet and control them from the inside out. BZRK will take every step to stop them, but the stakes are much higher for the BZRKs. Their biots are created using their own DNA and are therefore connected to their controller on a level that would leave the BZRK crazy if even one was to die. The AFGC twitchers control the nanobots, which are simply machines. When you face an enemy who can't feel pain and will stop at nothing, you find yourself up against an insurmountable foe. But the BZRKs fight for something that is worth the risk: their freedom.This book started with a bang as the McLure plane crashed into the stadium, but then it quickly hit an air pocket: a place where the lingo and technical specifics are so confusing and obscure you lose sight of the purpose of the book altogether. In fact, there is no proper explanation of the difference between biots and nanobots (and the difference is significant to the story) until about 70 pages in. Luckily, there is a key for all important characters (which is good because they all have real names and handles, and I found myself mixing them up right to the end) and the companies and technology. This helped me to better understand the book, but it left me wondering why that information, if so important, wasn't shared earlier in the story.As the story progressed, though, I did find it fascinating even though really techie science fiction isn't usually my schtick. Some of the lingo was hokey, and quite frankly, the "bad guys" (or guy- they are conjoined twins) is more laughable than terrifying. Sure, they seem diabolical, but all that talk about their conjoined body, etc. left me without much fear even though I knew they were essentially taking over the world. I think a real villain, not one that is gross and laughable, would have really made this book better, more serious, and less hokey in the long run, but still it was a pretty good book. I would not give this to any kid unless I knew they could get through the technical jargon and had the patience to figure everything out, because there is a lot to the back story that requires understanding for the current story to continue. But if I knew a gamer or science fiction fan, I would surely pass this story on.

I bought this because I love the 'Gone' series and wanted another Michael Grant to read while waiting for 'Light' to come out!The concept of this book is fantastic. There's a human war waged in the microscopic world, on and inside people who have no idea it's happening, a race to prevent the takeover of the human brain by a ragtag team of heroes. The bad guys want to create a blissfully happy, unburdened society at the ultimate cost - free will.Only one character had much impact on me - the Twins, they are definitely very scary and with a gruesome body and mind to rival the disfigured Mason Verger from the book 'Hannibal'. Certainly the most spooky bad guy I've ever read! Otherwise, I didn't care much about anyone else. The BZRK members had promising backstories - Vincent is unable to experience pleasure, Wilkes punky and different, Nijinsky with his fabulous wardrobe. But these characteristics didn't go far.I loved the descriptions of the microscopic world - particularly the flea! I felt a bit sorry for that little guy actually. He was just doing what fleas do. Hair shafts like tree trunks, massive eyelashes gooped in mascara, gigantic eardrums. It was fascinating.I had a hard time trying to figure out some of the terminology, I have a feeling the meanings of 'nanobot' and 'biot' were probably mentioned somewhere in passing and I didn't pay enough attention.Overall, it's well worth reading as you will not find another story like it.

This book is nothing short of amazing. It raises a very serious question - is it ethical to allow humans to be unhappy when the technology exists to correct that? It is thoroughly well researched. The characters are crazy in very unique ways. It is high octane enjoyment.

Having enjoyed Michael Grant's 'Gone' series up to now (I've read the first three books at this point), I was intrigued at the prospect of a new book from him. And it certainly is a fresh story and approach. Unlike some authors, who reuse basic ideas and plots, Grant really has gone for something entirely different with this book.The premise is relatively simple. In the background of everyday life, two organisations fight a vicious unseen battle using advanced technology to control and influence people. The AFGC use nanobots, minuscule robots that are controlled much like a computer game. BZRK use biots, actual tiny living creatures that are controlled by a person's consciousness. Nanobots and biots are capable of infiltrating a person's body and altering their mind, as indeed they are capable of fighting each other, and the book follows the two organisations as they battle each other in an unseen war.It's unusual to label the premise of a book as truly original, but whilst nanotechnology has been the subject of many books and plots in the past, I have never seen it done quite like this. The fact that the book follows both the individuals from these organisations and the movements of their nanobots/biots makes for an original and interesting narrative. The book maintains a decent pace throughout, and Grant also manages to maintain a good mix of action and plot development.The ending of Bzrk, which makes it quite clear that the story is not finished and the book is the first in a series (something that I wasn't aware of beforehand), does seem somewhat abrupt, even in the contest of the first book in the series. There are a lot of questions to be answered, which is no bad thing, but I did feel that the ending of Bzrk was a bit too sudden. That said, Grant has shown with his previous series that he is more than capable of spinning a decent tale over the course of a series, so I now look forward to the second book with some anticipation. Overall this was thoroughly enjoyable, and whilst it is a bit more 'techie' than the Gone series, which may not be to absolutely everyone's tastes, it is certainly worth checking out for fans of his previous books and sci-fi fans generally.

Worst book he ever wrote cannot get into the book so confusing will not be buying the others in the sequel

I pick this book up after just finishing the Michael Grant's GONE series and found it to at least 3 times as dark and fore bounding. The story show us how the horrors of war will find ways to chip off pieces of your soul until the next time you look in a mirror you will wander who exactly is staring back at you. These horrors spare no one and they apply to all wars; "big and small". Another thing that really got me were the biots, though the mental bond in-between biots and their respective twitcher gives them an edge over their nanobot counterparts, the risk of insanity just seems to completely out weighs this. In every nano battle I almost couldn't help but feel like it was constantly losing fight. Michael Grant sure stacked the deck against his protagonists in this book. Once you start this book you will not put it down because you will too busy biting your nails and praying that the protagonists don't die or worse; go BZRK.

I love this series. Bzrk was so fascinating, if a bit barbaric. I didn't expect the twist in the last book and sometimes find the introduction of new characters confusing but this seems to be a thing that Grant does - after reading the Gone series. I would definitely recommend this book and I ended up thinking about the whole nano-world and what's going on down there 'in the meat'!

A story that I found a bit daunting because of the technology described and integral to the story. I enjoy Grant's other books so decided to read on and I am glad that I did. This is quite frightening in its ideas and some of the concepts are adult in their description. Well suited for older teens and worth discussion with your kids. The story stops dead and you do have to wait for the next instalment of the series. Quick pace throughout and hooks you early on.