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    Tabula Rasa
    Tabula Rasa
    Tabula Rasa
    Audiobook7 hours

    Tabula Rasa

    Written by Kristen Lippert-Martin

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this action-packed debut thriller with a Katniss-esque heroine fighting to regain her memories and stay alive, set against a dystopian hospital background.

    Sarah starts a crazy battle for her life within the walls of her hospital-turned-prison when a procedure to eliminate her memory goes awry and she starts to remember snatches of her past. Was she an urban terrorist or vigilante? Has the procedure been her salvation or her destruction?

    The answers lie trapped within her mind. To access them, she'll need the help of the teen computer hacker who's trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, and a pill that's blocked by an army of mercenary soldiers poised to eliminate her for good. If only she knew why…

    "This is a snap-the-whip story, dark and fast. The sparks of humor in the voice won me over. Bottom line: I think the cocktail of suspense and believable smart-assery adds up to an addictive dose of reader appeal." —Blythe Woolston, author of the William C. Morris Award winner The Freak Observer

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 23, 2014
    ISBN9781480530171
    Author

    Kristen Lippert-Martin

    As a kid, Kristen Lippert-Martin would (mentally) rewrite the endings to TV shows and books when she didn’t like how they came out. In time, writing went from being a way to daydream to being a secret passion. It wasn’t until she became an adult that it transformed into a necessity. She likes to write stories about people who are secretly awesome and just need to find the right circumstances—often difficult—to discover themselves. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her obviously awesome family. Tabula Rasa is her first novel. Visit her at www.kristenlippertmartin.com or on Twitter @KLipMart.

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    Reviews for Tabula Rasa

    3.5/5

    67 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I came across this while looking for an audiobook with a similar name. I debated whether or not to listen to this audiobook because of a couple of rather negative reviews I read but I’m glad I did.

      I thought the narrator was great and I enjoyed the story. The author kept the interest going and I admired her skill at ending chapters. The romance sub plot felt natural to me and I liked the main protagonist Angel and the teenager hacker.

      My only comment would be it was described as dystopian but it didn’t seem that way to me, more of a thriller or set in the very near future.
    • 4/5
      This was a fast-paced science fiction story that was also a thriller. The story begins with our heroine being strapped into a chair for another medical procedure that is supposed to be cutting memories from her brain. Next thing she knows someone has slipped her some pills and hidden clothing under her bed so that she can try to escape when the facility is overrun by mercenaries—mercenaries who want her dead.She is in an unknown, isolated location and there is a blizzard outside. While trying to escape from what she thought was a hospital, she runs into a teenage hacker named Thomas who has come to the location to steal the medical research that has been done on Sarah and the other patients. The two are on the run and Sarah's memories are starting to come back in bits and pieces. She recognizes the woman who is coordinating the raid on the facility but has no idea why the woman wants her dead. She and Thomas go through all sorts of horrible situations while trying to stay away from the mercenary teams. They have to deal with others who have had the same procedure as Sarah but with much less successful outcomes.Sarah needs to get one more pill from somewhere in the facility or she will end up just as damaged as the other patients. The woman who wants her dead and her hired mercenaries aren't going to make it easy.
    • 3/5
      I love the front cover of this book and while I enjoyed the story, there was nothing new about it. Even though it was full of action with a strong female protagonist, which was great, the majority of the book seemed to go nowhere. However, I did like Thomas. Not only was he a highly intelligent geek, he also had a sense of humour which made me smile, but the romance between he and Sarah didn't work. They acted more like friends than 'lovers'. As for the ending, that was anticlimactic as the "baddie" spent pages revealing all the secrets. While not a favourite, "Tabula Rasa" was a solid debut.
    • 5/5
      When Sarah is undergoing a process to destroy her memory, the power goes off and someone shoves three pills into her hand along with a cryptic note to take the pills exactly 24 hours apart. Unable to remember who she is, or why she is here, she takes one of the pills. Hours later, the hospital complex is overrun with mercenaries who are looking for her. Escaping into the snow, she meets up with a computer hacker, one who is working to steal the hospitals secrets.Overall, this was an interesting concept and the characters were fascinating. I particularly enjoyed learning about the facility as the story unraveled. I think teenagers will highly enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more from this author.
    • 4/5
      Excellent YA book. I really think the adventure and suspense of this character "Angel" will keep teens turning pages. I also think the kissing and emotional views of the main protagonists is perfect for that age group. Nothing inappropriate and excellent plot and storyline. I love how her memories are addressed in this novel. Adults are going to find some unbelievability, where some things were out of check with reality in order to keep the suspense going. For example, when Thomas gets a deep cut, he gets a fever and becomes septic within hours, not days. Overall librarians, I would buy this book.
    • 1/5
      Another book where I was really excited to read it. It was promoted as being the Bourne Identity meets Divergent. Which got my attention. The book started out ok. Yet it was not OMG like action. I was hoping for this and even when I put the book down after about 3 chapters, I was still hoping for this. I gave the book a second chance but was not feeling the characters and there was not a lot of action happening after the first big scene. I then tried to speed the story along some by skimming it for a bit but finally gave up. You can't promote a book like this unless you are going to live up to the standards. Plus, after reading another readers thoughts on the book, I am glad I did not read any further.
    • 4/5
      would like to thank NetGalley & Edmont USA for granting me a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.Goodreads Blurb:"The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this heart-pounding debut.Sixteen-year-old Sarah has a rare chance at a new life. Or so the doctors tell her. She’s been undergoing a cutting-edge procedure that will render her a tabula rasa—a blank slate. Memory by memory her troubled past is being taken away.But when her final surgery is interrupted and a team of elite soldiers invades the isolated hospital under cover of a massive blizzard, her fresh start could be her end. Navigating familiar halls that have become a dangerous maze with the help of a teen computer hacker who's trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, Sarah starts to piece together who she is and why someone would want her erased. And she won't be silenced again. A high-stakes thriller featuring a non-stop race for survival and a smart heroine who will risk everything, Tabula Rasa is, in short, unforgettable."This story has as many twists and turns as a corkscrew roller coaster, all needing to be navigated to a plucky heroine, and a computer hacker hiding a heart of gold underneath his gruff exterior. From the very beginning Sarah doesn't know why she's having this procedure done, she only knows what they've told her - that she has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She doesn't even know who she is. She must have at one point, but she doesn't recall anything now; she simply assumes that the prior treatments have caused this loss of herself.Sarah is drifting in a sea of nothingness when the book opens, and as she ever so slowly begins to eke her way back to something, maybe it's reality, or maybe just a hallucination brought on by the medications or surgeries. But as she prepares for the final surgery, the one that will give her a brand new start, we learn what little there is to know about Sarah from her directly. Unfortunately she doesn't know very much at all, not even her own last name. On the verge of beginning the last operation things begin strangely, and then get downright crazy, fast. Not longer after the operation is interrupted to the point of everyone basically abandoning Sarah in the procedure room, we meet the fabled hacker. And from that point on the action is almost non-stop. The soldiers, the 'hospital staff,' and everyone else in the area are all after Sarah, the hacker, or both.The emotional tension and intentional confusion contained in this book make for very entertaining reading. Almost all the major players provide a wide array of emotional issues and varying maturity levels. Some are natural and normal, others a product of the tender mercies of the hospital, yet they all blend together to create an original story that puts some interesting ideas out there. Some of these ideas aren't necessarily new, but I've certainly never seen these particular concepts combined like this, which is what makes for such an enjoyable read. It doesn't hurt that ideas like those we encounter in this book are easy to imagine happening in the near future, if not now. This concepts within book don't require much suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader, demonstrating Ms. Lippert-Martin's wonderful touch of subtlety. With entertaining characters and well kept pacing throughout the entire story makes this book one enjoyable read, from cover to cover.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Intense story full of action and an intriguing plot. The writing felt a little choppy at times which made me feel a slight disconnect with the story, but overall it was a good read.Opening Sentence: She points to the chair.The Review:Sarah is getting a new shot at life. She has been a part of an experimental procedure where all of her memories are wiped clean. Once the procedure is complete she will no longer remember anything from her troubled past. Sarah has already been through multiple surgeries and there is just one left for her to be deemed a tabula rasa, or a blank slate. But right before her final procedure a group of elite soldiers invade the hospital, and they are looking for her. Instead of starting over like she planned, she is running for her life in a deserted hospital that is in the middle of nowhere.Sarah quickly realizes that there was a reason her memories were being erased and if she doesn’t gain back what she lost she may not survive for much longer. With the help of a very cute but infuriating computer hacker, Sarah fights to stay alive and figure out what was so important that she had to forget everything about her past life!Sarah was a great heroine, but I had a hard time making a good initial connection with her. The way the story was written, Sarah has very few memories of her past. As the story progressed you got to see glimpses into who she use to be. While I really liked this style of writing it made it difficult to connect with Sarah at times. By the end of the story, I actually loved her, but for the first half of the book I didn’t really understand her which made it hard for me to establish a great connection with Sarah. She is a strong character that had many wonderful qualities that I really liked. She is smart, resourceful, witty, and has a great sense of humor. While I didn’t love everything about her, I did end up really liking her.Thinking about Thomas just makes me smile. He is a super smart good looking guy, but he was also really awkward at times which just made me love him more. When I first met him, I wasn’t quite sure what to think about him but as his story unfolds you start to see how amazing he is. He hasn’t always made the best decisions in his life, but overall he is a good person. The romance between him and Sarah was adorable and I thought they made a very cute couple.Tabula Rasa is a very interesting story filled with adventure, suspense, and romance. At times I did get a little confused, especially at the beginning of the story, but everything made sense by the end. Also, the pacing wasn’t perfect, there were times it really dragged and other times it seemed rushed. I also felt like the writing was a little choppy. I don’t know if this is just due to lack of poor editing or if it was meant to feel more like that. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of it because it distracted me from the story at times. With that all being said, this was still a very good read. I really liked the characters and the plot was very intriguing. I just think it could have been revised more and it would have been a lot better. While I didn’t love everything about this book, I would still recommend this to anyone that is looking for an action-packed story with lots of suspense!Notable Scene:And look at that! A sleek black helicopter is landing outside. The rotors come to a quick stop and fold up like some kind of mechanical insect. The windows shake once again as the helicopter that was hovering over the roof descends. It moves slowly, following the contour of the building like it’s prowling for something, looking into all the windows.The next image that comes up on the monitor is startling and eerie: a small group of people rushing somewhere, frantically falling over each other as they run. That’s when I notice the familiar pattern of marble titles on the floor: It’s a mosaic of the rising sun. That’s the main lobby.I go to the window and look through the blinds. The helicopter is now twenty yards away, a couple floors up. It begins to move off, and I think it’s leaving, but then the nose turns toward the building. Seconds later, there are three quick blasts of fire, followed by a whistling sound.I’m able to think the word rockets just as they hit. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.FTC Advisory: EgmontUSA provided me with a copy of Tabula Rasa. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 2/5
      Actual Rating: 1.5/5 stars

      This doesn't make any sense, sorry. At first, I was like waiting for something to happen but it dragged way too long. As I read further, my mind just got more confused than ever. And when things got slightly interesting, emphasis on slightly, I found out that I didn't care anymore.

      "I love you." Wait what? Where did that come from? The romance is way too hurried. It didn't work out for me.

      I don't know if I want to recommend this. This will probably appeal to some people. This review is not complete yet. More to come ^_^

      **ARC received from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
    • 3/5
      Sarah, an inmate in a secure hospital, has no past that she can remember. Doctors have been working with her to extract her memories, so she truly doesn't know why she's here or what she's done. When soldiers attack on a stormy night, apparently after her, she escapes with some help from an unknown friend, who leaves her pills to take every 24 hours that start returning her memories.The book starts out interesting, but unfortunately doesn't hold up to its potential. The idea of a dystopia with a character who has no memory was intriguing to me; however, its plot is thin and cliche-ridden. As a reader, I was at the mercy of Sarah's memories returning at just the right moment or Pierce - the hacker she meets and befriends - finding information about the hospital/compound, again at just the right moment. I did like the fact that the boy (and, of course, potential love interest) was a hacker and cute. Otherwise, it didn't really stand out in the crowd of all the YA dystopias available now.
    • 3/5
      Tabula Rasa is one of those books where you stay up late reading because you just have to know what happens next. This book was a solid four star read up until (SPOILERS) the scene where the main villain summarized the plot so far and explains why she's the villain and how she's going to win right before the heroes rescue them in a move that would make Greek playwrights roll their eyes. It was so cliche and painful it makes me write run on rambling sentences. Everything that the story had been building to was absolutely destroyed in that scene.I think Tabula Rasa will be good for middle-school aged students who may need the scene I described above, but high schoolers and older will be left disappointed.
    • 3/5
      I would consider this novel to be science fiction. Tabula rasa means “blank slate.”Sarah is having her memories taken away. She has metal places on her head where needles can go into her brain and remove selected memories in order to become a blank slate, a new person with new opportunities. Strapped into the chair where the procedure is performed, the lights go out. Someone slips inside and puts something in her hand. Upon returning to her room, she finds a note and pills in her possession. The note says to take a pill and be still. The pill brings back her memories. In the midst of this memory renewal, mercenaries attack the hospital. They are looking to kill someone, and it happens to be Sarah.Sarah follows her instincts and tries to leave this lock-down facility. She checks on her fellow patients and then attempts to leave. She finds a boy who has broken in and they team up. He takes her off-premises to his yurt. He figures out that Sarah is famous; she’s known an Angel. He also figures out that she has to get more pills, so they’ll have to break back in. The rest of the novel is the attempt to get past the people who want her dead, avoid a psycho patient, and not die while trying to regain her identity.I have a great imagination, and I have to admit that suspending disbelief on this was difficult because the plot had problems. There are several outrageous characters placed in the book to make the weird plot happen and then they get killed off. Also, the idea that she has to break in for a pill pushes the limits as well. I liked Thomas’s character, but his skills with reading people were just thrown in there. Then, who is who and what’s really going on made me roll my eyes. It’s somewhat entertaining, but the whole time I was reading, I was thinking, “Seriously?”
    • 3/5
      I received a copy of this book via Egmont USA and NetGalleyThis book had a great concept, wiping memories of criminals in order to give them a second chance? Sounds awesome. It was a great idea, and I would say the first 25% of this book was orchestrated well. I didn't find myself getting emotionally attached to the characters, which is always a let down. I didn't find the romance very believable.I found the end of the book incredibly obnoxious. Have you ever seen Scooby Doo? At the end of every episode they tell you why the bad guy is the bad guy and his motives, they explain it all to you. That's how this went, just a giant explanation. Which is super freaking obnoxious. LET ME REVEAL MY MASTER PLAN TO YOU. MWAHAHAHAH. Lame, show me something instead of telling me everything.This book started great, but fell short.
    • 5/5
      tabula rasa... 5 starsI loved this book and ripped through it as fast as my little hands could swipe the kindle pages. Tabula Rasa means a mind not yet affected by experiences, which is exactly what someone is trying to do to Sarah, wipe her mind clean.This was non stop action and suspense, you never knew what was coming round the corner. I loved the main characters, Sarah or Angel as she was before "The Hospital" and Thomas These two made me keep on reading well into the night. They talked just like teenages might and there was no sex, which I like, just some teenage sexual tension. I found this to be wonderfully readable. My favorite charcter just might be "Oh No" what a perfect name, he made me laugh outloud, loved his craziness! Sarah wakes up one day ready for an operation she is told will help her, from what she is not quite sure. She is bald and has metal spikes poking out of her head. She thinks she is in a hospital. She has no memory of her life before, who or what she was. Right away the action builds and things start to explode and go bang, she finds drugs and clothes under her bed and she runs! She hooks up with Pierce who later becomes Thomas and they escape outside in a raging blizzaed, with solders inside and outside of the building that is quickly being blown up and destroyed. Who is this Angel or Sarah or even more impotant who really is Thomas.... friend or enemy? How did Sarah come to be in this Hospital, if that is really what it is? What are these drugs she needs to take or else? Memories come flooding back to her of the girl she used to be but, where is her family and how did she end up here? Who is the mysterious man with the green eyes just like hers? You must read this book to find out!