Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

This was such an intriguing premise and I really enjoyed the story. The characters were well written and the plot moved along at a great pace which flowed seamlessly.

Ascension was left on such a cliff-hanger and this book picks up right where Ascension ended, with Leo having to come to terms with her dramatic discovery and break it to the rest of the crew. The pace doesn't slow down at all, the novel is just as breath-taking and it's searing pace makes this book almost impossible to put down. I read it in just a few hours!
I love the idea of this series, I described Ascension as Love Island in space, and although the speed-dating element has lessened slightly in this novel, it's still an important part of this novel. The author has continued the quirky plot but he has developed it, it is much more than that by book 2.
The characters are brilliant, Leo is one of the best protagonists I have read in YA in a long time, and I don't just say that as a fellow ginger!! It's impossible not to root for Leo, she's so kind and caring yet so brave and so intelligent too. She really wanted this trip to Mars to be her happily ever after, and she seems so close at times, and yet so far at others.
The whole group of characters are so well developed, both the group in space and the other characters (both the allies to the Mars team, and those working against them). Dixen allows every character time to grow and develop and builds a multi-dimensional character. They all make informed and in-character choices and I can't wait to read more about them all.
The author makes use of a split narrative to tell the story, we get the contestants' points of view, Serena's perspective and a number of other characters which I won't reveal just in case it spoils the story. Even with these split narratives, Dixen never repeats information from other POVs and this helps to keep the plot flying along so quickly.
This novel is just as good as Ascension. It's action-packed and fast-paced and just as well written. If you're looking for a good action-packed YA novel this series is a great choice.

An amazing continuation, that had me wanting the next book already.

I loved that you got to see more interactions between everyone as the boys and girls finally meet, and I can't wait to see where Victor goes with this storyline.

Okay, I really really enjoyed Ascension when I read it earlier this year. However, sadly, this book suffered second-book blues for me, I just didn’t connect with the story in the way that I did the first one. Plus somehow a lot of it felt like filler, there actually isn’t huge amounts of plot in this book. Don’t get me wrong I flew through it and it’s still enjoyable, I just didn’t connect the same way I did the first time round.

This book is a translation so in some ways it feels wrong to talk about the language in the book. But, I do think that the translation fell a bit short here. There’s an over use of exclamation marks at the end of sentences that really don’t benefit from them, and there’s so many sentences that just read wrong. They’re too emotional, or they’re just over the top. I don’t know if that’s the original writing or the translation but it just threw me out of the story every time I encountered it.

I did enjoy the book. I still like Leo as a character and this book is a really good chance to meet the boys properly and get to know them. I did find myself getting a little confused between them at times but it all got straightened out in the end. I liked the setting of New Eden and Mars, Dixen has definitely had some fun with the creation of these places and it really does come across. I’m not so sure about the rivalry that is appearing between some of the characters, it feels a bit wrong and like the story is taking a turn that actually I really don’t want it to.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and I will be picking up the third in the series. It’s just that typical second-book issue where they fall a little bit flat – hopefully this will be fixed in the next instalment though!

It was worth the wait. Man, just when I thought I’d figured the story out, I had the rug pulled from under me.
Victor Dixon is an incredible storyteller and I cannot wait for the next installment.

Twelve.

We are twelve, gathered all together for the first time in the Visiting Room, the glass bubble that has seen us parading in, two by two, over these past five months: us, the participants in the Genesis programme, the greatest TV game show in all history – and the cruellest lie of all time.

We are twelve people thirsty for glory, who were persuaded that by setting off for Mars we would become immortal.

We are twelve people hungry for love, convinced that everything would have a fairy-tale ending – they were married, had lots of children and lived happily ever after. Isn’t that what we’re always reading at the end of a good story?

First impressions: I knew hat I had to read this after reading and loving the first book, Ascension. I went in to reading that wondering if I would like it and ended up really loving it. When the second book arrived I was immediately impressed by the heft of it, especially for the second book in a series – it’s nearly 600 pages long! I also love the covers and how they complement each other.

This story picks up exactly where the first book ends, with the twelve pioneers having to make a very important decision about the mission that could affect their chances of survival, alongside making their final ‘heart rankings’ and selecting who they will wed to start the Mars Colony.

It is difficult to review the second book in a series without giving away any spoilers, so I recommend that you read Ascension first before reading on!

This book moved slightly more slowly than the first book – despite the stakes and the tension being ratcheted up, the events in the book take place over only just a few weeks and days. For this reason, I felt a bit frustrated at times that the pioneers didn’t seem to actually be doing much to solve the problem of the seventh habitat, and some even seem to have forgotten that there is an expiry date to their stay on the red planet.

I was less invested in the development of the relationships than I had expected, mostly because I was becoming more and more interested in the science side of things, especially in hearing about their day-to-day life on Mars and the mysteries of the seventh habitat. I am also curious to see what will happen with the Harmony and Andrew storyline as it seems like the story was being set up for their actions on Earth to have an impact on Mars. The reveal of some characters’ secrets made me curious about those that other pioneers are still concealing…

This book was a great addition to the series, successfully building on the successes of the first book and adding extra layers of complexity that, along with the cliff-hanger ending, are bound to bring readers back for the next instalment!

‘They’ve sent us to our deaths,’ I say for the third time, feeling like I’ve got razor blades scraping my throat.

I’ve had weeks to nurture my suspicions, to believe the unbelievable, to name the unnameable. But them? They suspected nothing, and here I am hurling everything in their faces, all eleven of them, like a slap. They thought they were the lucky ones chosen for the greatest adventure anybody has ever experienced, and they discover they’re just victims, destined to die wretchedly.

What I liked: I became attached to the characters in the first book, so was looking forward to getting to know them better in this book. Overall, the number of characters meant that some didn’t get as much development as I had hoped, but overall, the story became much more serious with higher stakes so I am excited to se what will happen next. I have the impression of a house of cards getting higher and higher before everything comes crashing down in the next book!

Even better if: Some of the conversations didn’t sound natural, but scripted. I can imagine that being watched by millions of viewers would make you choose your words carefully, but some of the professions of eternal love and devotion felt a bit overblown. I also feel like Serena McBee gets away with too much and has too much control – wouldn’t anyone be suspicious at all? Orion Seamus seems like one to watch…

One of the ‘twists’ near the end left me a bit confused – can’t wait to see how that will be resolved in Book Three!

How you could use it in your classroom: Anyone who enjoyed the first book will love this one too, particularly as the stakes are even higher than in the first one. I wouldn’t recommend reading this in isolation as there is a lot going on. It might be interesting to have readers imagine what they would choose, if offered the choices of the pioneers (both about Mars and about their partners). I would also like to hear some more about the science, so would be interesting for pupils to research how plants and humans may be changed by the different living conditions on another planet.

I've never had such a different reaction to a sequel as the first book before, but as much as I loved Ascension, I really hated Distortion. It was a massive disappointment. Sometimes I read a book and get caught up in the action and the mystery of it all and I don't notice that actually, the writing itself isn't so great. I think that's the case with Ascension. I'm not withdrawing my recommendation. I still loved Ascension. It's worth reading for all the secrets and lies and mystery. But having a book like Distortion, where most of the mystery is already revealed and there's not the big build up of the first book? It becomes clear that the actual writing is very lacking. I don't know whether this is a translation issue or the original text, but it's really off-putting

I like the main 12 characters a lot. Their dialogue may be really stilted and formal, but their actions and their motivations shine through. I think this is what will keep me reading this series. Because even though Serena is turning into more and more of a comic book villain, even though I find the way that they've paired up nice and neatly with each six couples being madly in love completely and utterly ridiculous and unbelievable, I want to see what comes next for them. I want them to survive and win out against all the odds stacked against them.

So this is a very mixed review. There are some really good things about the series, but it's not one that I want to shout about and push on my friends anymore.

5 Words: Friendship, survival, secrets, love, hope.

I had been eagerly awaiting Distortion since I finished Ascension, so I couldn't help but jump straight in as soon as I got it. And I was absolutely not disappointed.

Again we follow Léonor as the main protagonist, and Serena as the antagonist. I liked seeing both perspectives, how each side fought to keep secrets. Then we have Anthony and Harmony, who didn't get much page-time in the last book, adding a third viewpoint with mixed motivations.

The writing is different in style from what I'm used to, and it takes me a while to settle in, perhaps three chapters. I'm not sure if this is a result of the translation, but it doesn't impact my enjoyment of the books and I think it actually helps me to read them faster, but the style won't be to everyone's tastes.

Distortion by Victor Dixen is very much a story of hope. The ending of Distortion was quite a hopeless affair, and the cliff hanger had me turning to the author's note in outrage. Although no less of a cliffhanger, this book actually gives some an aspect of hope in the ending, which I really appreciated. I loved the further scrutiny of reality TV and human greed, control and manipulation.

This series is commonly referred to as Love Island in Space and although that is a fair and excellent comparison, I feel like it sells it short. Because the Phobos books are so much more. Yes, there are the intense relationships brought on by living in such close quarters, the coupling up, the cameras everywhere... But there is so much more to the story. There is drama and a fight to stay alive, secrets and subterfuge, a possible betrayal hovering ready to strike at any moment.

Distortion is an addictive page-turner. The events of Ascension are covered well enough that you don't necessarily have to have read the first book to enjoy it, but I would absolutely recommend it to get the wider story.

4.5 stars

Tension is the name of the game in DISTORTION. I feel like so many of my questions were answered but many more questions have been created and now I’ve ended up on the cliff edge!

DISTORTION follows these twelve pioneers and people back on earth right where it left off in Ascension and I need to be careful of spoilers; it’s best if nothing is given away. Much focus is given in this book to solidifying relationships between the twelve and I really enjoyed dwelling in this but part of me thinks they still don’t really know each other. So, there’s bound to be more to know from this aspect in the next book. Leo and Marcus remained at the fore of life in this story and I continue to love these characters and learn more about them, not all good.

One of the key aspects of devouring DISTORTION was because of the increase in planetary and ‘space stuff’, I found it all so interesting and the description painted the most brilliant pictures of life. I could imagine perfectly how the story played out.

It’s all hate and no love for Serena McBee and I’m still conflicted over Harmony, I can’t fathom her and I don’t trust her. There was a whole ball of chaotic cover-up on earth and I am dying to see the comeuppance for Atlas and Serena.

Fabulous plot from Victor Dixon, great writing, great illustrations and superb translation. I am fully invested in this series and I need book three desperately. The final instalment will be a highly anticipated read of 2019 for me.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

I was looking forward to Distortion, having quite enjoyed Ascension. Sadly, I found it a little disappointing, and somewhat seriously considered not finishing it. I did enjoy the concept still, but the characters felt all over the place emotionally. They were often quite melodramatic, and the writing wasn’t great on those parts. I did wonder however if it was perhaps the translation in places.

The story for the mars crew didn’t quite progress as much as I’d have liked, but I did like it. Still a bit heteronormative, but an interesting concept. I don’t love that it’s all a bit forced, and I think we may see that not everyone is happy with pairing off in the next book! But we’ll see I guess.

Serena is my main complaint about the book - her scenes were over the top and exaggerated. She’s a caricature of a villain in every way. And Andrew and Harmony weren’t much better in places, if less villainous.

I think I will probably not continue with the series, which is a shame, as the concept is fun and I always like an evil company doing wrong. But I’m not sure that’s enough to keep me going.

I really loved Ascension so I couldn't wait to start reading Distortion. I was desperate to know what the Martian pioneers would decide to do!

Distortion opens straight back in the thick of the action that Ascension finished on, which I loved. All too often sequels finish on a really juicy story line and pick up miles in the future when everything has been resolved. In Distortion, we get to experience the pioneers making the decision whether to land on Mars or turn the Cupido around. The suspense was really well built and up until the decision was made I was unsure which they would choose to go with.

I found the story line with Andrew and Harmony a bit of a disruption to the flow of the book. I don't massively care about their characters because they went from being secondary to a main story line in this book and really when I'm reading about them I just want to be back on Mars! However, I feel like they do play an important part in the ongoing plot and I'm interested to see what happens in the next book.

I really loved all of the action on Mars, in particular the storm and the revelation that the robots can talk really peaked my interest and made the book impossible to put down. I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait to continue it and see whether they continue to live on Mars, return to Earth or suffer from the depressurisation of the habitats.

Now this is more like it! When I read the first in the series, it fell too awkwardly between dystopian dating show (which was one of the main reasons I wanted to read it) and thriller for me to properly get into it. Sure, I still can't really buy into some of the relationships and the characters feel a bit too one note stock tropes at times, but I would be lying if I said I didn't end up enjoying "Distortion" a lot. The constant threat that Atlas was going to turn on the contestants felt very present and there were some brilliant twists in the narrative. Leo's an engaging heroine and I love her dynamics with the rest of the crew, even if I'm not so enamoured with all her crewmates *cough* Alexei, the misogynistic jerk. The snippets of life on Mars and technology are very much my kind of thing as well. Although, ending on another cliffhanger?! Really hope they translate the next installment soon, because I need to know what happens.

When I finished the spectacular Ascension, I was so keen for the sequel I started reading it in the untranslated French! Turns out, there are a lot of spaceship words I don’t know, so I was thrilled to be approved for the translated Distortion on NetGalley.

Distortion starts exactly where Ascension left off, so I don’t recommend reading any further into this review without having read the first book, as it’s hard to talk about it while avoiding all spoilers! The villains have been revealed, and the contestants must quickly come to terms with this knowledge and work out a way to ensure their survival. If they make it to Mars, they’ll need to work together to stay alive, given that there’s no guarantee that their habitats are safe…

I loved getting to know all the characters better – the boys and girls finally get to meet! There’s a lot of internal tension in the group, as you’d expect from 12 people thrown together in a highly stressful situation, but it’s really interesting to see how the group dynamics have changed from the beginning of the journey. I like that the group looks to Léonor to make decisions – she makes a good leader and is arguably the most street-smart (space-smart?), for all the others’ academic qualifications. One thing that grated on me slightly was the change in Kris’ character once she was united with Alexei. She went from being Léo’s best friend to being pretty vapid and unhelpful, completely under the thumb of her Prince Charming, who turned out to be more like Prince Abusive. I hope there will be more explanation in the third book about the toxicity of the ‘Krisalex’ relationship, because otherwise it’s a bit uncomfortable.

The concept is still stellar, and deeply relevant in the current obsession with reality shows. Serena is a terrifying villain, particularly in the light of recent politics – the fact that she stands for Vice President on the back of her reality TV career, hiding her murderous nature, is ironic and horrifying. I liked that we got to see more of her actively working to elevate herself, as it gave a little more depth to her character. However, for me, having the contestants all be aware of Serena’s plot meant that there was less of the creepy thriller tension that suffused the first book. Once what Léonor has discovered is out in the open, the driving force becomes less solving the mystery and more a straightforward survival story. This isn’t to say that there isn’t plenty of tension, but the main conflict has become the 12 contestants versus Serena, rather than Léonor versus the system. I was really rooting for the contestants as they (mostly Léo) manipulated Serena right back! I was less of a fan of the road-trip fugitive narrative of Andrew and Harmony, for two reasons: for the most part, I just wanted to be back in space with the contestants, and for a very weeny tiny minor part, the combination of names made me imagine them as their Buffy namesakes, which was a tad bit weird.

The translation is, again, incredibly fluid and brings across the tone of the original perfectly. As I mentioned in my review of Ascension, I think the main thing to bear in mind is that there is a difference in styles and trends between US/UK and French writing. If you didn’t like the use of exclamation points in the previous book, be warned, there are even more here. But the writing is extremely pacey, and with the twists and shocks you’ll find yourself racing to the end, then desperate for the next book! Like last time, I’ve downloaded the next book in French so I can get a headstart – word from Victor is that he is currently approving the translation of Book 3, so hopefully not too long to wait!

I think that this one gets four and a half stars from me, so I’m rounding up to five – I liked Ascension more, but this is an incredibly strong follow-up, and I think that the last book in the trilogy will bring it all together as a five star series as a whole! If you loved the first book, you definitely need to continue with the story, and it will not disappoint! Distortion is out on the 18th October, so make sure you keep up with what’s happening on Mars!

One of my favourite kinds of stories to read are those of characters having to find a way to survive in a hostile alien environment, and that was the box that this book ticked for me. It tipped it from being a silly romance novel to having more elements of thriller and other science fiction stories in there. It makes the whole story more high stakes (not that the stakes weren't high to begin with), the story felt better paced, the action more interesting and the characters more impactful than the first book. I always want a sequel to build on the first book, to exceed the standards set, and this did achieve this.

Not that the romance (silliness is probably subjective  - I think it's silly in a nice way) is gone, it's still one of the grounding aspects of this story. At times it is hugely annoying, at times I found myself wondering how on earth these characters who were living on Mars had the time or mental energy to put thought into these relationship problems, but perhaps that's just me. I think you have to embrace the fact that the premise of these books is romance-centric and then get on with enjoying the read.

One of the cleverest things about this book is the way that Victor Dixen exploits the delay in communications between Earth and Mars. At any given moment there is at least (if I recall correctly) a six-minute delay between something being said on Mars and hearing it on Earth. This could have been something that started out as an interesting or realistic detail but soon became a tiresome obstacle to plot development. Instead, it is used to help the plot, as well as helping the reader to visualise just how far away the two strands of this story happen to be. The fact that these characters on Mars are still largely controlled by the actions of a woman so far away is a powerful mental image.

As I predicted, this was a strong sequel, the actual plot (aside from the romances) gets so much more interesting, and the characters, whether heroes or villains, start to grow far more three dimensional. I was left wanting to read more, which is the greatest thing a sequel can do - at least in my opinion.

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Picking up where Ascension left off, the 12 have to decide what to do, take the deal and stay on Mars trying to fix the habitats without the viewers knowing, where Serena can kill them at any moment, or try to return to Earth with a ship that doesn't have the provisions to sustain them the whole trip.

Having to stay on Mars seemed obvious to me, even though the voting takes up a big part of the beginning of the book (with Earth intervals of course, some as interesting as Mars). I love how they turn the tables on Serena in their decision and how everyone is 'brought' together.

Serena of course continues to be a ruthless adversary, making jaw-dropping decisions. The constant change between POVs at this point of the story does not take away, but adds to the suspense. It makes the book more cinematic.

Also the Mars perspective being in 1st person (the others are 3rd) makes us feel as if we are on Mars and the rest is happening around us. We finally get to see the Mars events we've been expecting since book 1.

The story deals with the power of the media, and consumerism. The twisting of events to fit any mold. The undeniable truth to the success of the reality show/game, an imitation of life, that helps us escape from our own.

Being on Mars is a new normal, and with all the secrets that have been revealed, the dynamic of the group has changed. Alexei's jealousy is a little grating on the nerves. We also have the extra weight of the race for survival. And let us not forget the mystery of who is Serena's programmed plant, adding to the sense of impending doom.

Thrilling, nail-biting, touching and full of revelations for the different characters, we are gifted with an unbelievable ending. Leaving us with questions to address in the next installment, this is a great addition to the captivating series.