Incubation (The Incubation Trilogy Book 1)

the best book review, i think, is letting other readers know that i'm buying the next book in the series. here, that's a given.

how refreshing to read a free eBook that, not only can i finish reading it, but the solid writing and equally solid storytelling propel me on to the next book. i don't mind paying for books, but i wish more eBook writers earned their pay before publishing. granted, times are hard and money is tight, but if i stumble over several typos and grammar gaffes in as many pages, i'm a tad resentful of the uncaring writer who wants my pennies but doesn't want to learn the craft.

laura deserves praise, deserves dollars, and deserves a wide readership.

Wow
That was a great freaking read and based on the description, my mind went a whole other route than what I actually read. Which was great because this was our of this world better than I expected.
Kept me reading and engaged, the romance was really good but minimal, something I appreciated because it wasn't saturated and overdone. Beautifully written.
I recommend to everyone. You won't be disappointed.

The book pulls you in with great world building and strong characters. The main character is very believable as she is not sure that she wants to take part in what is going on, but ultimately helps her friends when she discovers that she was lied to. She may not have had the best reasons for leaving, but as the book goes on, she becomes more and more sure that what she did was right.

Laura DiSilverio has, in the past, primarily been a cozy mystery author. Incubation marks her debut in a new genre, and it is a very impressive one! This is Book One in an anticipated trilogy (Book Two, Incineration, came out in June of 2016, and Book Three can't be published soon enough for me).

Incubation centers around the life and adventures of Everly Jax, a young woman who discovers that her future lies in leaving the only life she's ever known to enter the dangerous outside world. Luckily, she is accompanied by two close friends, and the trio set out to achieve their different (but mostly complementary) goals.

All of the primary characters are very well realized, and come across as genuine and individualized. Even some of the more minor characters are portrayed with enough care and detail that the reader is curious to learn more about their backstories. The interactions between the young people ring true, and the dialog sounds very much the way I imagine the similarly-aged youth in my life would talk if they found themselves in this story.

The plot is action-packed and well paced. Everything that happens makes sense, and occurs in a logical progression. Of note, the main characters do not instantly morph into junior McGuyvers, able to perform incredible feats easily. They undergo some training, and learn some new helpful skills, but they're not portrayed as being magically able to handle everything that comes their way, and they sometimes (as teens may do) make bad decisions and mistakes. Another noteworthy bit: when the main character (Everly) has to do something she considers bad or wrong, she thinks and worries about it afterwards. I find this adds realism to the plot, as well as likability to the character. After all, how many teens who've led a fairly sheltered life would transition easily and without moral dilemma to a new life involving some level of hurting others?

The world of the story is well thought-out and makes sense. A critical element for dystopian fiction is that the brave new world of the story is clear to the reader. DiSilverio does a wonderful job of making sure that the reader understands the environment through which the characters are moving, even as the characters themselves learn more about the realities of their world. The fact that she does so without coming across as overly descriptive or boring adds to the overall enjoyment of this book.

Although it goes without saying, I really, really loved reading Incubation, and congratulate the author on succeeding so very well with her foray into this new genre.

Five out of five delectable wedges of Cherokee Rose (a fabulous creamy cheese made in Georgia, US)

Rather than let down her best friend, intelligent, yet naïve Everly Jax finds herself fleeing and fighting in the world of Amerada, outside the safety of her home dome. She is unprepared for what is awaiting her and her friends in this dystopian setting. Yet she is resourceful and wily and makes good contacts along her journey and misadventures.
George Orwell and Robert Heinlein first introduced me to dystopian novels. And then I was hooked. This novel weaves an elegant story of 17-year-old Everly who is seeking the parents who abandoned her and is ready to discover what is really going on in the outside world. She is strongly principled and relatively happy in the sheltered world of the dome and is unaware of what awaits her in the outside world. She learns her lessons well, finding strengths she did not realize she has.
As an adult reader I very much enjoyed this and will pass it on to the 13-year-old in the family who will gobble it up. The story is deep, fast paced, intricate and well told. The author included a peek into the second of this trilogy, something I always ignore. But I could not help myself and am now SO looking forward to book two which should be on its way as I write this. An excellent read!
I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Reunion Day is approaching and Everly Jax is excited about the possibility of learning who her parents are. Unfortunately, everything she hopes for is shattered that day and Everly instead escapes from her home in the Kube. Everly and her two best friends, Halla and Wyck, struggle to survive the dangers lurking in the outside world, but each one of them has a different goal in mind. Can they forge a path in a world outside the Kube?

I love that Laura DiSilverio takes time to build up her characters as we begin to get a sense for just how much they have endured in this harsh, dystopian world. Everly is, of course, my favorite. She’s a spunky heroine, loyal to her friends even when that loyalty hurts. Halla and Wyck are interesting as well, but it is Saben and Fiere who intrigue me the most. I hope we see more of them in the second book as I’m fascinated by their stories so far.

INCUBATION is the first book in The Incubation Trilogy, and wow, what a way to kick the series off! I’ve read some of Laura DiSilverio’s cozy mysteries before but I think I love her writing style all the more in this genre. I can’t wait to start on the second book, particularly considering the major cliffhanger that ends INCUBATION. Easily recommended!

*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

What an fast paced adventure!!!
The book was written for YA. As an adult, I found it an
interesting and intriguing read.
The main character is Everly Jax. She was different from
the other children as she was dropped at the Kube. She
was an infant without a name and no DNA in the data
base could determine her parents. She is a smart, feisty
young girl who decides seek out her parents.
Her best friend, Halla needs to leave the dome as she
is pregnant. The government will take her baby if she
stays.
Wyck, one who Everly hold dear, is schedule to become
a soldier. He wishes to leave the dome before he is sent
to train.
So off the three teens go into the world that has been
destroyed by disease and war. Their goal is to get to
Amerada.
Will they be successful in escaping the government run
dome?
Will they survive against the wild dogs, locust swarms,
bandits, swamp threats, bounty hunters and other dangers?
The story contains vivid detail. It is well written. The
reader feels like you are right in the midst of the three
teens with the drama occurring around the reader.
Thank you to the author via Cozy Mystery Review Crew
for the book. My opinion is my own.

Bird flu has decimated the world’s population and there are no longer any birds. Everly Jax is a repo kid raised in InKubator 9 where she becomes a bio-chemistry whiz. Ev, her friend Halla and other friend Wyck escape the Kube dome to run from the Pragmatists Government. They intend to travel to an outpost out of the reach of the government, but as none of them have any experience of life outside the dome, they find obstacles in their way that they had never dreamed of.

I started to read this book because I liked the cover but it soon had me under its spell. It’s an extremely well written book with one main plot, which leads to other problems and dilemmas. The three friends have to travel through swamps and ghost towns. At the same time they have to evade the guards who are chasing them and outlaws who want to sell the two women to the breeding labs.

The story is complex but at the same time easy to follow. It was one of those books I started to read and couldn’t put down. By the end of the book I was wondering if the world could actually end up in this situation if a pandemic took place. Highly recommended!

originally posted at long and short reviews

I'm a big fan of YA novels, particularly dystopian ones, and this novel is one of my new favorites. Everly, Halla and Wyck are a great trio of main characters. They each have very different personalities and very different reasons for breaking with the controlling society.

Thanks to locusts, pandemics, criminals, and the military, the three of them are constantly in danger as they travel. They also have to be very careful about who they choose to believe and trust along their journey.

There is a sneak preview of book two at the end of this one, and I can hardly wait to read it. I have already passed my copy on to my daughter-in-law, who also is a big fan of dystopia, and I look forward to hearing what she thinks when she finishes it.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

INCUBATION is the first in DiSilverio's new YA collection, and by any stretch of the imagination, this dystopian series should be a winner. You've got a likable, bright, and tirelessly resourceful heroine in 16-year old Everly Jax, and she interacts with a band of friends and companions, some of whom have motives of a questionable nature. Everly starts out believing in the Prag society in which she's been raised, a government-controlled environment which touts their logical ways to end the series of apocalyptic events over the past few decades, from a flu pandemic, to war, to hordes of food-devouring locusts. However, her reality is tested when she begins to pull at the loose threads of the fabric surrounding her sterile Kube 9. Forced to choose between her friends and the society that took her in as a small child, Everly reluctantly chooses her friends. That imperfect decision launches her into the outland of survivors, criminals, and open rebellion against the government she's always trusted. An extended metaphor for idealists who struggle against the status quo, INCUBATION builds slowly from the opening scene on a deserted beach until a critical climax of action that rushes you headlong into the too quick conclusion of the first book. While sometimes the language can be anachronistic (no teen would ever use terms like "kerfuffle," "brigand," or "gobsmacked"), the emotional core is undeniable and centers the book. We root for Everly every step of her journey to truth. I'll be impatiently waiting for the next volume to come out. Mark this trilogy for your "to read" list--you'll be glad you did.

Imagine a world where you have never seen a bird, or felt grass under your feet. It seems unlikely to those of us who are use to both; but what if the world as we know it was transformed for the generations to follow us?
"Incubation" explores this premise as the author explores the possibilities humankind could be faced with should we be dealt a health epidemic.
The trio of main characters bravely leave the sheltered life they have been living under control of others in search of individual answers.
Will they survive? Will they find the answers they need?
This fascinating novel is a must read for fans of the YA dystopian theme. Well written, fast paced, and exciting!

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. As a middle school librarian I'm constantly reading to find great books for our library that the students will enjoy. I think this is one that will definitely grab their attention. I liked that there wasn't a lot of things that made me cringe and wonder if I should put it in the library. Readable, clean literature has been a big issue for our parents this school year and quite a hot topic. While it's definitely not my job to decide what is appropriate for other people's children I wouldn't want anything in the library that would be wildly inappropriate. No worries here. It's got a great heroine that makes mistakes, friends that support each other and forgive each other and lots of action to move the plot along. Can't wait to share this one with the students. I would definitely recommend this one who's younger students liked The Hunger Games but is having a hard time finding something else for their child to read due to age inappropriate content. Thanks for writing such a great book Ms. DiSilverio. Can't wait for the next installment.

The book was well written, the story clear. I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I’m not sure if it was the author or the voice actor, but most of the characters felt generic, little detail given. The only emotional moment that I really felt was toward the end, when one main character dis-owned another. Beyond that, it hearkened to The Handmaid’s Tale in story, while feeling like any typical YA dystopia. More of an adventurous journey, there were no story elements or twists I did not see coming, few sci-fi/future elements that felt new or fresh.  

Wow -- just wow. This book was amazing, and I could not put it down. It is categorized as YA and Dystopian, and although I am not a young adult and have not read many dystopian stories, I was mesmerized by this book. Laura DiSilverio tells an amazing and believable tale of the future, and having read her other books in different genres, I am beyond impressed at how well she nailed this genre as well. It is the first book in a trilogy, and ended in a cliffhanger, but thankfully had an excerpt from Book 2 at the end, so I wasn't left hanging as much. I eagerly await the next book in the Incubation series and, as you can tell, highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve enjoyed the many books that Laura DiSilverio has written. Incubation is her first Young Adult trilogy, and it is one of her best. In a dystopian world where kids do not know who their parents are, Jax is desperate to find out who her parents are. She escapes from the colony where she is imprisoned with two of her friends, each with their own reasons for leaving. After a harrowing journey, the trio arrives at Bulrush and joins an underground group fighting the establishment that controls the world. The stakes get higher and higher as Jax becomes entrenched in the new movement.
Incubation is as good as The Hunger Games and Divergent series. DiSilverio will soon become known as one of the great YA writers. Maybe the trilogy will be made into movies. Who knows?

I read this fast paced, futuristic book in one sitting. The female lead character, Jax, DiSilverio so wonderfully weaves us into her adventures by constantly keeping me wondering what is going to happen! The futuristic, fast paced story is well written with very descriptive phrases, such as, "steel wool sky" and "her voice is crisp as a radish". I really appreciated this science fiction story in which this could very well happen to us, today. And, DiSilverio brings the reader to question some choices, or belief's as she does with Jax and a few other characters. What price do we decide to stop paying if the government goes too far? And, to each of us, what is too far? I actually had to think through a few of my middle age belief's, also. Again, this author uses endearing props that are timeless, such as Little House on the Prairie to new concocted words such as bathroom to 'hyvac'. I really want to find out what happens to these characters in book two! Keep them coming, Ms. DiSilverio...

Fast-paced, intriguing, and unputdownable! I was immediately swept up in this action-packed dystopian tale, and loved the awesome, relatable main character, Everly. I appreciated the fantastic world-building and meaningful relationships. I definitely recommend this fascinating and original YA novel, reminiscent of chilling classics like The Handmaid's Tale.

Laura DiSilverio's first young adult book is wildly entertaining with lots of action, mystery and a bit of romance. Everly Jax has grown up in what is called a Kube (think contained, controlled and raised to be assigned a "purpose"). Earth's population has been wiped out and the government intends to repopulate in a very controlled manner. Everly seems not to question her fate until an event drives her to escape the Kube to find out who her parents are and thus who she is. She escapes with 2 friends and soon realizes that there is more to the world outside of the Kube than the "powers that be" would want her to know. The futuristic world DiSilverio has created is drawn with such detail that I could clearly see the events unfold as if watching a movie. While there is certainly a lot of action in this book, I appreciate the larger topics that the author is bringing to the story (government vs. the individual, an individual's reproductive rights, self discovery, to name a few). I was also drawn to the main characters. They showed growth while searching for how and where they fit in the world, and in their quest to be in control of their own destiny and bodies. I will be watching for the next book in this trilogy!

I admire writers who can build alternate world visions, and Laura DiSilverio does this wonderfully in the start of her new trilogy, INCUBATION. In a world where procreation has come under authoritarian rule, Laura's heroine, Jax, a product of the lab, longs to know her biological parentage. As you can imagine, her quest leads to danger and dire consequences. There's a great dystopian plot here, but what I like best was Laura's writing style -- assured and clean and crisp -- and all the more riveting because of that.

I've been reading post apocalyptic fiction for years and never felt compelled to write review until reading this trilogy. The writing is top-notch with fabulous vocabulary and NO GRAMMAR issues! I hope that this series is made into a movie, it's that good. I got this on kindle unlimited but it's worth buying if you don't have the service. You will not be able to put this down.

There's a crazy rumor going around that dystopian novels have fallen out of favor with readers. That's not true for me. I love the genre, and this YA novel, the first in a new trilogy, meets all my requirements for a believable but horrible future, interesting characters, a complex plot, and lots of action.

Mesmerizing beginning of the incubation trilogy, which I believe is not just for the YA audience. The author introduces the characters and then draws the reader into their lifes and struggles to survive.

I feel pretty confident that volume two will be just as addicting.

Having read a lot of YA fiction, reading Incubation was a wonderful breath of fresh air. It's a nice deviation from the traditional YA format, and it was also really fun to have some different types of characters, like logic driven ones, along with the emotion driven ones that normally populate the YA books. I couldn't put this book down, and I still come back to it whenever I'm at a loss of what else I should read. After a slow initial start, everything is explained, and the book turns fast-paced in a heartbeat. It's a very good read, no matter your age.

Science fiction at its best and most believable. This story doesn't depend on aliens, or far-fetched story lines, but instead builds on a very plausible base- what would happen if we had to rebuild after a mass- destruction event? Likeable characters, a fast paced story- I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book after I finished!

There's a crazy rumor going around that dystopian novels have fallen out of favor with readers. That's not true for me. I love the genre, and this YA novel, the first in a new trilogy, meets all my requirements for a believable but horrible future, interesting characters, a complex plot, and lots of action.

If you love dystopians, you need to put this series on your Must Read list! Its very well written with lots of action. You won't be able to put this book down. The main character, Everly Jax, has a great amount of depth to her. Love her name too! The many twists and turns in the story will keep you glued to the book. A must read!

Mesmerizing beginning of the incubation trilogy, which I believe is not just for the YA audience. The author introduces the characters and then draws the reader into their lifes and struggles to survive.

I feel pretty confident that volume two will be just as addicting.

Having read a lot of YA fiction, reading Incubation was a wonderful breath of fresh air. It's a nice deviation from the traditional YA format, and it was also really fun to have some different types of characters, like logic driven ones, along with the emotion driven ones that normally populate the YA books. I couldn't put this book down, and I still come back to it whenever I'm at a loss of what else I should read. After a slow initial start, everything is explained, and the book turns fast-paced in a heartbeat. It's a very good read, no matter your age.

Science fiction at its best and most believable. This story doesn't depend on aliens, or far-fetched story lines, but instead builds on a very plausible base- what would happen if we had to rebuild after a mass- destruction event? Likeable characters, a fast paced story- I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book after I finished!

I've loved Laura DiSilverio's adult mystery series, but wasn't sure about reading a "young adult" distopian trilogy. Wow, I'm sure glad I did, I read them all in 2 days. Enjoyed how she flushed out the characters and created a future world.

Awesome read! The characters are well written and their plight tugs at your emotions! Couldn't put it down until I was finished! Scenes are well written for young adults with just enough information without being to graphic. I recommend book this whole heartedly! Can't wait to see what happens next!!

This book was absolutely incredible! One of the best books I have read in a long time! I read the whole thing in one sitting and couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book it is just amazing.