The Gathering
Bernadette Giacomazzo
(The Uprising, #1)
Publication date: March 31st 2018
Genres: Adult, Dystopian

The Uprising Series tells the story of three freedom fighters and their friends in high — and low — places that come together to overthrow a vainglorious Emperor and his militaristic Cabal to restore the city, and the way of life, they once knew and loved.

In The Gathering, Jamie Ryan has defected from the Cabal and has joined his former brothers-in-arms — Basile Perrinault and Kanoa Shinomura — to form a collective known as The Uprising. When an explosion leads to him crossing paths with Evanora Cunningham — a product of Jamie’s past — he discovers that The Uprising is bigger, and more important, than he thought.

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 Dark and Terrifyingly Enthralling Dystopian Tale 

I don’t know where to begin with this review. The Gathering by Bernadette Giacomazzo was a fantastic read, but I went through a love/hate feeling with the story. There were some hit on the spot moments that I enjoyed and I think the overall message is important, but I just felt so distressed.

The beginning was kind of a mess and I didn’t really know what was going on. I actually had to go back and read the synopsis and then reread the first two chapters… but it does progressively get better. The vulgar language, sex, and violence also made me feel incredibly uncomfortable, but at the same time, I was so intrigued by the world building and storyline that I kept turning the pages. The plot was satisfyingly well paced and there was never a single dull moment. So many things happened in every single chapter that at times it was extremely difficult to digest. The characters were complex and very fascinating, but it took some time for me to like them. I wouldn’t immediately say that they’re my kind of heroes, but bit by bit, they earned their way into my heart. The story ended with plenty of unanswered questions, but with a promising set up for the rest of the series.

Romance wise… I’m not so sure. I think I’m still undecided on that part of the book. Although it’s always much more interesting for me to read books with romance, I honestly don’t know how it’ll be with this series. There was a past love story and that was quite interesting to read, but I think there’s going to be another one later on. There was this one weirdly unnerving scene that was sort of hinting at a possible romance between two of the MCs. I really can’t say too much without spoilers, but it just didn’t feel right. I don’t know how that relationship will develop in the later book(s), but yeah, that was a big nope for me. It was a little distasteful and well… just creepy.

I thought this book was powerful and captivating, but I do not think I will be picking up the next book. I liked that Giacomazzo weaved a dark, unique, thrilling, and terrifyingly enthralling story that reflects what’s currently happening in the real world and makes it even more bleak. It’s a wonderful conversation starter and it really makes you think about how scary the world is at the moment. But, that’s precisely why I’m personally going to hold off reading the other books. I read for fun and this made me feel so uneasy. I don’t regret requesting for this book though. It was very intriguing and I was very much into the story. It’s just that after going through the whole book, I just don’t want to feel so angry, disheartened and just down…There’s nothing fun about that. I do still want to see how the story ends, so maybe when all the books are out and I’m in the mood, I’ll binge the series.

With uncomfortable scenes, abuse, graphic language, and violence, this book is not for everyone. Lots of triggers for sure, but if you love dark gritty dystopian and science fiction stories, and don’t mind everything I just mentioned, then this book might just be perfect for you. It is a very compelling read.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and Xpresso Book Tours. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book so all thought and opinions are my own.

With an impressive list of credentials earned over the course of two decades, Bernadette R. Giacomazzo is a multi-hyphenate in the truest sense of the word: an editor, writer, photographer, publicist, and digital marketing specialist who has demonstrated an uncanny ability to thrive in each industry with equal aplomb. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and many, many more. She served as the news editor of Go! NYC Magazine for nearly a decade, the executive editor of LatinTRENDS Magazine for five years, the eye candy editor of XXL Magazine for two years, and the editor-at-large at iOne/Zona de Sabor for two years. As a publicist, she has worked with the likes of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G-Unit record label, rapper Kool G. Rap, and various photographers, artists, and models. As a digital marketing specialist, Bernadette is Google Adwords certified, has an advanced knowledge of SEO, PPC, link-building, and other digital marketing techniques, and has worked for a variety of clients in the legal, medical, and real estate industries.

Based in New York City, Bernadette is the co-author of Swimming with Sharks: A Real World, How-To Guide to Success (and Failure) in the Business of Music (for the 21st Century), and the author of the forthcoming dystopian fiction series, The Uprising. She also contributed a story to the upcoming Beyonce Knowles tribute anthology, The King Bey Bible, which will be available in bookstores nationwide in the summer of 2018.

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