Edge of Tomorrow
by Hiroshi Sakurazaka
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0
When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally--the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?
First time on CD! The original novel that inspired the sci-fi blockbuster film starring Tom Cruise!
by Hiroshi Sakurazaka
- Read by Mike Martindale
- Series: All You Need Is Kill
- Audio CD
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (April 29, 2014)
- ISBN-13: 978-1442367876
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0
When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally--the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?
First time on CD! The original novel that inspired the sci-fi blockbuster film starring Tom Cruise!
Review:
The world is under attack by an alien army known as Mimics. Their numbers are overwhelming and, in addition to destruction in battle, they poison the waters and earth causing complete devastation to wipe out earth’s inhabitants and prepare the land for Mimic settlement.
Keiji is just a teenager with no real future when he decides to join the battle. He is one of many raw recruits who are used more as fodder while the leaders try to figure out how to slow, much less stop the invasion. Keiji thinks he is prepared for battle but something goes wrong on the unit’s very first engagement. Although they are told the battle will be peripheral it turns out they meet the enemy head on. As Keiji realizes others around him are dying he forges into the fray to strike out at the foe. Keiji kills an enemy warrior but is mortally wounded. As he is struggling with his own death, he sees the beautiful female soldier, Rita, known as the Full Metal Bitch. She has had unprecedented success in battle and is revered as a killing machine. She tries to sooth Keiji as he is dying.
The next morning Keiji awakens in his bunk and thinks that he has dreamed the previous battle and encounters. He soon learns that he has been caught in a time loop living the day before and the day of battle over and over. At first he despairs but then he decides to use the days to train himself more fully in hopes that he can ultimately save his team, if not the base and maybe the world.
I enjoyed the fast paced action and of course the “Goundhog Day” irony of learning to live through repeating days. Through the repeated days the reader/listener learns of Keiji's friendships within his unit as well as his respect for his trainers and command leaders. The views of his squadron add interest. I especially liked the repeated two day meeting and development of friendship with Rita. There is a twist that is hinted at and revealed at the end.
There is graphic killing that is not suitable for everyone. As the back cover of the CD says: Live, Die, Repeat. The only drawback for me was the harsh, repeated foul words. When used it is repeated in succession. Fortunately it is not throughout the book so you can get to the story beyond the bad language.
Audio Notes: It was a little strange that the narrator was not a younger voice and did not attempt to use a Japanese accent to match the hero. None the less, Mike Martindale does a good job conveying the action and intensity of the story. Listening probably made it easier to get beyond the foul words and definitely made it read faster than a print copy.
I think my husband will like the movie. He doesn't read but says he will "wait for the movie."
I received this Audio Book from Simon & Schuster Audio through AudioBook Jukebox.
