Book Review: Archetype by M.D. Waters

Title: Archetype (Archetype #1)
Author: M.D. Waters
Release Date: February 6, 2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
No. of Pages: 384
Source: ARC E-book from Publisher
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction

     

Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself.

Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters.

In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . .

The first novel in a two-part series, Archetype heralds the arrival of a truly memorable character—and the talented author who created her.

Not gonna lie, the cover to Archetype is what caught my attention. Then, I read the synopsis, and was impressed. So, when I got the email from Penguin's "First To Read" saying I was approved for the ARC I couldn't have been happier. I stopped what I was doing, and plunged straight into the story.

Archetype starts off with Emma not remembering anything. Nothing at all. Not even her husband. She's at a facility getting rehabilitated due to a terrible accident. Or so they say. While at this facility, Emma's husband and doctor do everything they can to make it so she's as good as new. Then, the dreams happen. Emma starts having "nightmares" about another life; a life where she's in love with another man whose not her husband. Those nightmares push her to seek answers on her own about the accident, and the other guy. What will she do once she finds out not everything is as it seems? 

I adore the main character, Emma. Her determination was unstoppable. When she set her mind to something, she didn't give up or give in to the temptation of not knowing. Yes, Emma starts out like a newborn, (thank you, memory loss) so, she has to re-learn everything that Waters set up and it's kind of frustrating but I kept cheering for her every time she solved a puzzle piece to her life. I really connected with Emma. I felt her frustration, joy, sadness, and every single emotion you can think of.

I loved that all my expectations for the plot were blown out the water, and exceeded. Archetype had me guessing the entire time. I thought I had something figured out and it turned out I was totally wrong. I got to enjoy the ride just as Emma did, or maybe she didn't enjoy it but y'all know what I mean. Not many books get the upper hand on me. Well played M.D Waters. 

So if you're looking for something that will blow your mind, as it did for me, Archetype is the book for you.