Qualify cover art

Qualify

Atlantis Grail Series, Book 1

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Qualify

By: Vera Nazarian
Narrated by: Sofia Willingham
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About this listen

You have two options. You die, or you Qualify.

Sixteen-year-old Gwenevere Lark is determined not only to Qualify but to rescue her entire family.

If you are good enough to Qualify, you are eligible to compete in the brutal games of the Atlantis Grail, which grants all winners the laurels, high-tech luxuries, and full privileges of Atlantis citizenship. And if you are in the Top 10, then all your wildest wishes are granted...such as curing your mother's cancer.

There is only one problem. Gwen Lark is known as a klutz and a nerd. While she's a hotshot in classics, history, science, and languages, the closest she's come to sports is a backyard pool and a skateboard.

This time she is in over her head, and in for a fight of her life, against impossible odds and world-class competition - including Logan Sangre, the most amazing guy in her school, the one she's been crushing on, and who doesn't seem to know she exists.

Because every other teen on earth has the same idea.

You Qualify, or you die.

©2014 Vera Nazarian (P)2019 Tantor Dystopian Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy
All stars
Most relevant  
The characters retained compassion despite overwhelming odds. An interesting read. I would recommend this book

Atlantis Revisited

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I found it very hard to go to bed at night wanting to never stop listening need I say more

love it

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I absolutely love this book it's like a cross between Stargate Atlantis and the hunger games.

Loved it

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kind of reminded me of hunger games but a little different
it's got me hooked and wanting to read (listen) to the next book

reminder

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On the whole, I enjoyed this YA book. The set up was interesting and kept me reading. I liked the variety of characters, although there were so many, some didn't really get a lot of attention. I thought the narrator did a pretty good job of all the voices (except the Australian one was off -although that might be book 2, I'm not sure...).

One area the story could have improved is that despite such very limited odds, amazingly almost all her friends and family seem to pass each elimination stage, despite not being amazingly gifted. I think a few more should have been eliminated or even killed to really emphasise the gravity of the situation. Also, I know Gwen is supposed to be smart, creative and good at problem solving, but surely so are some of the others, and they could come up with some of the crazy ideas... Also, I know Logan is supposed to be the big love interest, but ever since he told her to be quiet about the shuttle explosion, I didn't really like him. I've just started book 2, so I am guessing we find out more soon enough but now I just don't feel that connection.

So, I enjoyed it and am keen to get on with reading the next book now.

enjoyable story

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Absolutely brilliant. I could not put down the hunger games books but this was next level good! You will be hooked on the entire series and they even get better as they go on.

Just yes!

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It’s like The Hunger Games in a way. A very enjoyable read/listen, A fantastic book.

Qualify

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I could not continue. The writing style felt juvenile and the protagonist was extremely difficult to like and root for. I’m sorry. I love the concept. I found myself wanting the asteroid to come quickly and end everything.
(The endless talk of hashtag as if it were a novelty was painful in 2023 for a story set well in the future.)

Difficult to endure

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When the line ‘if that kid in a wheelchair could do it, so can you’ was uttered, I turned the book off. The eugenicist attitude shown in the whole premise of this book was getting too much but that statement (and the scene it’s from) were the final straws for me. Gross. The narrator is ok, there’s not a lot of difference in ‘voices’ used for the various characters, but the material she is working with puts her at a big disadvantage.

Ableism at its worst. I couldn’t finish it.

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I love YA and SciFi genre books. This was agonising with brief intervals of promise.

I found it be too drawn out. The writer taking a whole chunk to painstakingly dictate the point they’re trying to make, whilst not allowing the reader to immerse themselves into story and run away with the theme.

It also felt that the first person focus was too much in the win column. All of her kin selected for the qualification though many were rejected, dying, etc. the semis had potential but once it was apparent that no one in that locale managed to figure anything out without her.

Mehs. Was at this point that the story seemed to adopt three heads, with all key players falling under her spell. The forced application of POC coupled with token disabled inputs, just fell flat. Lots of avenues hinted but came up short. It truly feels as if the writer was deeming the reader incapable of drawing simple conclusions.

The narration wasn’t bad, well done on the whole. Yet when the story begins to grate at your nerves, tis the one in the thoroughfare that finds one’s ire.

Couldn’t finished. Tried and from other reviews, a common thread became evident. Great idea, poor execution, needing a good editor to polish it and it may be quite the novel.

As is. Not something I can recommend.

DNF! Love the story line. Everything else soured.

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