Dualed (Dualed #1)
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2 reviews with 2 stars
6 reviews
Overall rating
3.7
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Dualed had the potential to blow me away: an interesting concept where in a futuristic world where it’s killed or be killed by your genetic twin, a badass heroine trained in knives and guns and lethal with both, and the tension of a would-be romance. Unfortunately the concept was underdeveloped, the badass heroine became a victim of her self-doubt and the would-be romance turned into a frustrating game of hurt and denial.
Dualed’s blurb promises “thought-provoking philosophy” which immediately grabbed my attention. I was excited to see how Chapman had her protagonist, West, question the Board and it’s methods and how she used questions of ethics or morals to call their practices in to doubt in an attempt to bring down the system! Of course, since I’m obviously disappointed with Dualed, this didn’t happen. Sure, West questions how the Board runs the city, but other than a few fleeting thoughts, nothing is really commented on in a way that suggests that West envisions a different type of world, a world where ten year olds aren’t asked to kill. I had plenty of questions, however, many of which weren’t answered.
With the level of genetic manipulation that the Board has at their fingertips, why not implement a system where each child has been genetically modified to be a super soldier? Why not raise an entire race of killers, funnelling all resources into training and educating them on the art of war, instead of wasting resources on an Alt that’s eventually going to be killed? The Board claims their entire system is designed so they have a city of killers, of people worthy of living in their city, ready in the event their city is attacked or brought into the ongoing wars outside the city limits – but if that’s the case, why are you allowed to stop your training once you have killed your Alt? A man who completed at age 10, and is now in his 50s, isn’t going to be much help on the front lines if he hasn’t been keeping up with his fitness and weaponry.
In an effort to keep the focus on Dualed’s action, the subjects that are touched on are touched on so briefly, and in passing, that they might as well have not bothered. For example, West mentions how the Board rules “with an Iron fist” and that they have strict laws against vengeance kills – where a family member seeks out an Alt after completion in order to seek vengeance for their lost loved one. The Board is strict on this, since it thwarts the system and removes the sense of safety one gains after completion. But other than showing up to activate her, we see nothing of the Board. During the entire plot, not a single authority figure is seen or heard of. West mentions them periodically, and the fear they have instilled over following the rules, but we don’t see them. Ever. And I couldn’t understand how a vengeance kill was any different than hiring a Striker to kill your Alt for you? The Board seems unable to stop this from happening, and citizens of the city are willing to turn a blind eye to it. None of this made sense to me, for a governing body that claims to rule with an Iron fist, considering the existence of Strikers only undermines the entire foundation their society is built upon!
While most of my issues with Dualed lied in its numerous plot holes and shaky-at-best world-building, I also had a hard time empathizing with West. For the longest time, I could not understand why she decided it was necessary to become a Striker. Bits and pieces were revealed over the course of the plot, and I eventually learned that she was able to forget about the hurt of losing her family, and her guilt over her part in her brother’s death, if she were focused on hunting down someone to kill. She eventually admitted that it made it “almost” easy to forget that she was alone. While this admission was great as explanation, it was far too little too late. I had distanced myself from West, because I couldn’t understand her motives. My exasperation with her only grew as she became an Active – someone who had thirty days to kill her Alt – and she continued to focus on being a Striker. Having now re-read the blurb, I understand that her first mission as a Striker, which didn’t go smoothly, placed enough doubt in her for her to believe that she wasn’t the worthy Alt. But the fact that I had to read that in the blurb, that it was never made explicit during the plot, is the reason I couldn’t connect with her.
As for the romance, to be frank, it pissed me off. Not that it was included, but that West needed it in order to buck up and start hunting her Alt. It made me furious that after two hundred and fifty pages, West hadn’t developed enough self-worth to kill her Alt so she could live. The ONLY reason she decided to stop running was because she had admitted her feelings about Chord to herself, and she now had something worth living for. Intentional or not, I don’t like the message of life only being worth living if there’s someone to share it with. I would have respected West more as a character if she had seen the value of life in itself.
All that being said, Dualed did have one great thing going for it – and that was the action scenes! While I wasn’t a fan of the character development or world-building, Chapman slightly made up for it with how well she was able to write West planning out a Striker attack, the paranoia of constantly looking over ones shoulder and then the ultimate showdown between her and her Alt.
Dualed’s blurb promises “thought-provoking philosophy” which immediately grabbed my attention. I was excited to see how Chapman had her protagonist, West, question the Board and it’s methods and how she used questions of ethics or morals to call their practices in to doubt in an attempt to bring down the system! Of course, since I’m obviously disappointed with Dualed, this didn’t happen. Sure, West questions how the Board runs the city, but other than a few fleeting thoughts, nothing is really commented on in a way that suggests that West envisions a different type of world, a world where ten year olds aren’t asked to kill. I had plenty of questions, however, many of which weren’t answered.
With the level of genetic manipulation that the Board has at their fingertips, why not implement a system where each child has been genetically modified to be a super soldier? Why not raise an entire race of killers, funnelling all resources into training and educating them on the art of war, instead of wasting resources on an Alt that’s eventually going to be killed? The Board claims their entire system is designed so they have a city of killers, of people worthy of living in their city, ready in the event their city is attacked or brought into the ongoing wars outside the city limits – but if that’s the case, why are you allowed to stop your training once you have killed your Alt? A man who completed at age 10, and is now in his 50s, isn’t going to be much help on the front lines if he hasn’t been keeping up with his fitness and weaponry.
In an effort to keep the focus on Dualed’s action, the subjects that are touched on are touched on so briefly, and in passing, that they might as well have not bothered. For example, West mentions how the Board rules “with an Iron fist” and that they have strict laws against vengeance kills – where a family member seeks out an Alt after completion in order to seek vengeance for their lost loved one. The Board is strict on this, since it thwarts the system and removes the sense of safety one gains after completion. But other than showing up to activate her, we see nothing of the Board. During the entire plot, not a single authority figure is seen or heard of. West mentions them periodically, and the fear they have instilled over following the rules, but we don’t see them. Ever. And I couldn’t understand how a vengeance kill was any different than hiring a Striker to kill your Alt for you? The Board seems unable to stop this from happening, and citizens of the city are willing to turn a blind eye to it. None of this made sense to me, for a governing body that claims to rule with an Iron fist, considering the existence of Strikers only undermines the entire foundation their society is built upon!
While most of my issues with Dualed lied in its numerous plot holes and shaky-at-best world-building, I also had a hard time empathizing with West. For the longest time, I could not understand why she decided it was necessary to become a Striker. Bits and pieces were revealed over the course of the plot, and I eventually learned that she was able to forget about the hurt of losing her family, and her guilt over her part in her brother’s death, if she were focused on hunting down someone to kill. She eventually admitted that it made it “almost” easy to forget that she was alone. While this admission was great as explanation, it was far too little too late. I had distanced myself from West, because I couldn’t understand her motives. My exasperation with her only grew as she became an Active – someone who had thirty days to kill her Alt – and she continued to focus on being a Striker. Having now re-read the blurb, I understand that her first mission as a Striker, which didn’t go smoothly, placed enough doubt in her for her to believe that she wasn’t the worthy Alt. But the fact that I had to read that in the blurb, that it was never made explicit during the plot, is the reason I couldn’t connect with her.
As for the romance, to be frank, it pissed me off. Not that it was included, but that West needed it in order to buck up and start hunting her Alt. It made me furious that after two hundred and fifty pages, West hadn’t developed enough self-worth to kill her Alt so she could live. The ONLY reason she decided to stop running was because she had admitted her feelings about Chord to herself, and she now had something worth living for. Intentional or not, I don’t like the message of life only being worth living if there’s someone to share it with. I would have respected West more as a character if she had seen the value of life in itself.
All that being said, Dualed did have one great thing going for it – and that was the action scenes! While I wasn’t a fan of the character development or world-building, Chapman slightly made up for it with how well she was able to write West planning out a Striker attack, the paranoia of constantly looking over ones shoulder and then the ultimate showdown between her and her Alt.
Did Not Live Up to my Expectations.
Overall rating
2.3
Plot
N/A
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Originally Posted on Confessions of an Opinionated Book Geek
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Good Points
West is literally running for her life for most of this book. She has gone active and has the constant knowledge that her ALT is after her. With all of this, “Dualed” lacks tension. It’s annoyingly repetitive and West is just too stoic a narrator. The story starts off strong; West has just buried another sibling who was killed by their alternate. She is still in her funeral blacks when Cord, a boy she has known all of her life, goes active. (Going “Active” means that you have a month to hunt down and kill your alternate) West refuses to lose another person and pushes Cord to go after his alt immediately. This sets off a chain of action packed and heartbreaking events.
At this point, I am hungrily flipping through the pages (well, sliding across the screen of my nook). I’m thinking that this book is going to be great, but it isn’t. The issue is that the book doesn’t so much decline as it goes static. West runs around Kersh, trying to avoid her Alt and Cord, while killing strangers and innocents. In the first 10% of this book West becomes a Striker. A striker is an assassin who kills alts for those who can afford to pay. This ruined the book for me. One, because “Dualed” isn’t being advertised as a book about an assassin and I felt completely blindsided. It happens so early in the book, that it blows my mind that it is not mentioned in the synopsis, the trailer or any other promotional media I have seen. Second, in a world filled with Katniss Everdeens and Rose Hathaways it is very difficult to like a heroine who kills for no reason.
The author tries to give us this spiel about how Striker’s fight against the system. No. Robin Hood fights against the system. Bruce Wayne fights against the system, Striker’s kill for the highest bidder. Sure, this is not what the Kersh government wants and I guess it is a form of rebellion, but that is not a good enough excuse. West does not sign up to help the little man or to smuggle people out of the city limits. No, she signs up to kill innocent people. At least the government gives them a 50% chance of survival. West and her people take that away. Since the government is so corrupt and rules absolutely, it’s not like the people who can pay to eliminate their alternates have worked hard for their money or anything. These are people who have the option of not getting their hands dirty. It is cheating. There is a way of life in Kersh and instead of trying to improve that life, West is just helping cowards beat the system.
There is all this talk about how West should become a Striker as a mode of training. I expected to read awesome training sequences, where West learns to become a warrior. There is none. So, we just follow along as West bungles through the murders of innocent people. This storyline was just no good for me. Seeing as there is no real training, besides West getting the feel for killing another person, it just seemed villainous. A fifteen-year-old girl killing people does not entertain me. Especially, when she is killing for reasons other then survival. Scenes where she just walks up to an unsuspecting person and offs them really made me cringe inside. Why are we rooting for this cold-blooded killer?
The one good thing about this book is Cord. Cord is loyal, trustworthy and steadfast. He comes through for West even when she turns her back on him, demands he leave her alone and abandons him. He protects her despite herself and is always there to lend a hand. He is a strong young man who understands why she is pushing him away. Instead of getting pissy, Cord becomes even more determined. He is not going to leave her to face death alone. I loved that about him. It got to the point where I wanted Cord to just forget about West and find a girl who respected his strength. West becomes obsessed with protecting Cord, with good reason, but after awhile it just seemed shallow. The person she is really protecting is herself.
My last thought is about the government of Kersh itself. Their governing style makes absolutely no sense to me. Kersh is afraid of an attack from the outside world. This fear pushes them to create a warrior society. If you are not the strongest ALT, you do not deserve to live. I’ll ignore the lack of common sense in this idea…just because you can kill someone first doesn’t make you a better warrior, but I wont start a philosophical discussion about that. My issue is what happens after you complete. You have won, you are worthy and you can now go off and live a normal life! Except, you could be walking down the street and get shot by an eleven year old trying to get to their Alt. Literally. So, the government spends all this time and money getting young people prepared to fight for their life, these young people kill someone with their face (which must be traumatizing) and now they have to worry about being collateral damage?! Why is there not a warzone or battlefield specifically for alts? We’re talking about people from the age of 10 to 20. Even with all their training, they are children! Of course there will be causalities. They are frightened and too immature to deal with the stress of it all. Why are they allowed to kill each other in the middle of the street? It just makes absolutely no sense to me.
Recommended for fans of Dystopian stories. If you like dystopian worlds, where people have to kill to survive, cool technologies and alternate universes you should check out this book.
ND
Naomi Davis
Top 500 Reviewer
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