Atoma and the Blockchain

by G.M. O'Neill

With very problem comes a solution, and with every solution there's a problem. Enter Atoma. A girl outcast looking to survive in a very strange world.

Before my accident, the biggest gripe I had was with the way adults handled my ADHD. On the eve of my 16th birthday and my Citizen's Celebration Day ritual everything changed forever.

The school air-shuttle crashed... Oh, they were able to rebuild me, and everything should have been fine. If only the artificial intelligence that controlled the robotic surgeon had not discovered the secret my mother managed to hide for 15 years. Even from me! I woke up to discover I was no longer a citizen. I was not even legally human. I had no rights at all.

They gave me a choice. I could live a short harsh life in a gulag on the tundra. Or I could agree to be trained inside a mysterious facility for a high-risk expedition. In other words, a suicide mission. It wasn't difficult to decide which to choose, because I knew one thing they didn't... The big flaw in their plan. Me.


Atoma and the Blockchain is Book I in the science fiction action-adventure Atoma series. Book II will be released very soon.

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2019

About the author

G.M. O’Neill was born and raised in New Zealand. He now lives across the great ditch in Sydney, Australia. Which may explain the odd sense of dislocation that drives him to write science fiction thrillers.

Also found here: https://www.facebook.com/GMONeillAuthor

Reviews

[Sean Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I was overly impressed. I know a lot of Ya books try and get the parents out of the way quickly, but this was done rather extremely. The chapters were incredibly short and in at least two places whole sentences were literally repeated verbatim. Quite a few plot issues, not to mention a rather strange writing style (perhaps an attempt at teen-styling?) and I came away feeling that the book had been rushed to little benefit.

[A. Yukutake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book told a story of a 15 year old girl who finds out that she no longer has any human rights or is considered human. I really enjoyed this read as it implied a possible, dark and realistic future, warning society. I liked the humour used in the novel even though it falls under the category of science fiction and distopia. This is a YA, however, the parents are likeable, which is a little different for the genre, and are not killed off right away. The main group of girls in the story play a significant role, and their personalities feel real and relatable. The main character, Atoma, has a strong and determined mind, and makes the readers root for her the whole time. These aspects bring out what a YA book really needs to me.

[Lynn Hallbrooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

You never know what life will throw your way.

Things to know up-front: This is the first book in an on-going series. This Young Adult Science Fiction book contains some violence as well as adult language.

Atoma loves school especially math and science, her career path was practically laid out in front of her. That is, until, an accident revealed the secrets of her origin - one that she didn't even know. Now in a society where certain things are not tolerated, she has a decision to make.

Most of the book is seen from Atoma's point of view. I really liked this. As a reader, it gave me the opportunity to feel and experience her emotions as events unfolded. This made her become a real person in my mind.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book. I voluntarily read it and above are my honest thoughts.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great story with a medium reading pace. It is about a girl named Atoma who, as a genetic outcast, is promised instatement into society by a secret organization in return for participation in a non-disclosed assignment that requires intense physical training and direct mind infused learning. Unfortunately for Atoma, the assignment, an alternative to a lifetime of hard labor, is not what she expected.

The true nature of Atoma’s assignment does not become evident until the end of this first book in the Atoma trilogy. No reading satisfaction is possible in this book, however, as the rest of the story is in the two sequels, neither of which are available. Cutting off the story the way the author did in this first book left me feeling a little betrayed. My preference is for books in a series to stand on their own thus providing the reader with a sense of completion.

[Goldilocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atoma was a delightful surprise. (Spoilers ahead) The main character is a teenage girl, who finds out that her life has no value on Earth. She and others like her, called Zeros, are recruited for a mission they know nothing about. So much training, so much to endure, to succeed in a mission they don't understand. They are thrust into a world so unfamiliar to them, and must stay alive for a year, still not knowing what their purpose is. There are some fun characters in Atoma, and the plot was quite unique. I loved the group dynamics and how these teenage girls had to band together for a mission no one will tell them anything about. I look forward to Book 2, and finding out where this story is going.

[Maaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atoma and the Blockchain Game is an exceptional book for young readers like me, ticking off all my boxes. Starting with the lonely themes when she discovers she is not human, Atoma is accepted by a research centre into a group of girls preparing for an expedition to an unknown place. The fact that the main character is a young teenage girl, realistically living in the dark near future, made it very fun and easy to connect with. The characters in this novel had personalities and feelings that made it realistic and real. I recommend this to all dystopian, science fiction and adventure lovers. Cannot wait for book 2!

[Kerri Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I have just finished reading this book. I found it fascinating enough to want to read the next one desperately. I only found two errors: one was a spelling error- borders instead of boarders. The second was incorrect punctuation-- a question mark where a period should have been. Everything else was pretty great. It is easy to figure out what the girls were being used for, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of this book. I recommend for anyone with a liking for YA and science fiction novels. I will be watching for book two with impatient anticipation

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good ya story that at times got lost in proofreading issues.

[Andy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but a lot of duplication (words/sentences were duplicated in a lot of places). Was also quite short.