[ARC] Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1) by Lenore Appelhans

Publication Date: January 15, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Genre(s): YA, Dystopia, Paranormal
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In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.



Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.



Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

Wow. I’m still trying to organize my thoughts for this review. Right when I thought dystopias were starting to get cliché, Level 2 brings in a fresh and intriguing new world, and I loved it! And along with awesome world building, Appelhans doesn’t mind developing characters that’ll pull at your heartstrings. Level 2 was one hell of an adventure and I enjoyed every second of it.

The concept of re-living your memories in a sort of afterlife called ‘Level 2’ was something totally unique and definitely piqued my interest. But there’s not only that, but something more to this world, and that’s part of the whole underlying mystery to this book. Level 2’s world turned out to be so complex and enthralling and I just wanted to know more and more about it.

Felicia is our MC and, while I wasn’t too sure what to think of her at first, I ended up really liking her. She was such an admirable character because she was determined to save the people she loved no matter what. And she sure did have a temper. There were times where I really thought she’d kill someone. :D But I could understand why. She ended up in a situation where she, and I along with her truly had no idea who to trust, and thrust into a world she barley knows anything about.

Now let’s talk about boys. There’s Neil and Julian, but Neil’s the one that’s truly in Felecia’s heart. Julian was just a total mystery to me. He and Felicia had a rocky relationship before she died, and you could just never know what his intentions were. He was entertaining and charming, but I think he was the main one who was hard to trust. And then there’s Neil. Neil isn’t really in this book physically, but we do get to know him through Felicia’s memories. And he’s probably one of the sweetest, generous and just the nicest person you’ll ever ‘meet.’ Their relationship was so cute and you could just feel their love pouring out of them whenever they were together. I’m definitely looking forward to more Neil and Julian in book two.

Overall, Level 2 will capture you from page one, and won’t let you go until the last page. You’ll be craving to know what will happen to Felicia and these characters that you just won’t be able to tear your eyes from the page. Felicia re-visiting her memories made this story so realistic for me, and I really enjoyed getting to know Felicia, Neil and Julian through them. Although I do still have a few questions, Level 2 wrapped up beautifully and I’m really looking forward to book two.

5/5 stars

An ARC was provided by ATW Tours

More reviews of Level 2:

Christina @A Reader of Fictions
Kayla @Dark Faerie Tales