Banded: Volume 1

Banded Book 1 · Logan Byrne
4.1
221 reviews
Ebook
343
Pages
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

In dystopian Manhattan, society is divided into six zones, with each one representing a citizen’s benefit to society: Stalwart (strength), Astute (intelligence), Collusive (greed), Radiant (beauty), Quixotic (no life direction), and the Altruistic (willingness to help others).  On a citizen’s sixteenth birthday, a computer suggests a new zone for them based on their inherent benefit to society.  When Kalenna Slater is sorted out of her home zone Quixotic and into Altruistic, she thinks things can’t get worse.  Life looks dismal until she meets Gavin, a boy also just sorted into Altruistic who becomes the light needed on her cloudy days.

During sorting she receives a device known as ‘The Band’.  It’s a large watch-like device that never comes off, and it measures a citizen’s karma on a scale from one to one hundred.  If a citizen does good, they gain points.  If a citizen does bad, including breaking laws, they lose points.  When your number reaches zero, the band acts as judge, jury, and executioner, and you are injected with toxins that kill you within minutes.

After sorting, recruits are taken to a three month long mandatory school named HQ.  It’s at HQ she meets new friends from different zones, and finally begins to feel at ease.  Everything goes well until a rare trip home makes her discover that her father, who has been missing for a decade, may have taken part in a terrible program that stands to shake the fabric of society.

young adult science fiction, young adult dystopian, dystopian series, dystopian science fiction, teen dystopian, teen dystopian series, teen dystopian romance, dystopian romance, science fiction romance, science fiction dystopian, teen romance series, dystopian series, science fiction series, free dystopian, free young adult dystopian, free young adult science fiction, free young adult series, free teen series, free science fiction, free science fiction series, free book, free series

Ratings and reviews

4.1
221 reviews
K B
June 25, 2019
I really wanted to like this book. Many comments complained about it being a rip-off of Divergent, but for me that wasn't a deal breaker. I like the whole dystopian/segregated classes style. What I DON'T like is how the main character develops from terrified child to recklessly rebellious freedom fighter in such a short time. There was no middle ground. No growth. And friends, who seem to just fall together and magically become this ride-or-die-super spy-team, with no problems risking their lives for her...
5 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?
Joanne LaVere
January 10, 2016
I enjoy the plot and want to follow the story through the end however, I really don't like the main Character. She is supposed to be Altruistic but her personality is devoid of the caring for others trait. Her personality is also kind of boring. To be fair not every hero needs a winning personality and for all I know Kelanna is someone else's ideal hero. I did enjoy the first two books though and will finish the series.
1 person found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?
Krista
September 4, 2017
I really enjoyed this one, but my interest died with the end of the book. I don't have a desire to read the sequel, but I might give it a chance just to see. This book was like a combination between Hunger Games and Divergent (though I can't say for sure which came first), with a few other stories mixed in. It hardly felt original at all, but it was still fun to read for a fan of those two stories. It did have enough uniqueness to hold my interest.
Did you find this helpful?

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.