Review: Insignia (Insignia #1) by S.J. Kincaid

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: July 10, 2012

Pages: 444

Source: For Review from HarperCollins and Edelweiss (Thank you!)

Rating: 4 Stars

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.
Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?

In short: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid is a seriously funny, seriously cool read with a fun cast of characters that you will fall in love with.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be able to think and learn like a computer? Such is the opportunity that acne-faced and regular kid, Tom Raines, receives when he is approached by the Pentagon to fight an intrasolar World War III. S.J. Kincaid gets major props for coming up with such a mega awesome concept in Insignia. Controlling robot spaceships in space using your computer-brain to fight the enemy? So cool.

That awkward moment when you burst out laughing on a bus packed with strangers? That was me while reading Insignia. Holy heck was Insignia funny. And I think it's often hard to get humour right in books, without it falling flat or coming across as cheesy. So it's really a testament to S.J. Kincaid's talent and her priceless sense of humour that Insignia was such a success in ensuring laughter throughout the entire book.

There were a few instances when I think the writing could have been a bit smoother though. At times, Insignia was bogged down by technological jargon that made the reading a bit rough. I was tempted many times just to skim over any extensive technological passages. Also, lengthy exposition scenes detailing the history of the Insignia world often read like a textbook, conspicuously placed in the text rather than smoothly integrated into the story. There were also a few noticeable plot holes that could've been ironed out.

Still, some bits of slow pacing are not enough to stop me from loving Insignia. I adored spending time with likeable Tom and the entire ensemble of Insignia's side characters. I am amazed, looking back, at just how many characters there are in Insignia and how each of them were so well developed and unique. I would especially love to be apart of Tom's group of misfit friends who, while they were constantly teasing each other, were ultimately a strong and supportive group.

Overall, Insignia was a hilarious read with a cool concept and an excellent cast of characters. Insignia is S.J. Kincaid's debut novel and I can't wait to read the sequels as well as any other books she eventually writes as she has proven herself to be a serious talent. Insignia will be published July 10, 2012. I definitely recommend it.

Other Reviews:
Eleusinian Mysteries
Icey Books
Poetry to Prose

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