Definitely a step up from the first book, we are thankfully out of the high school setting in this book. Ariane and Zane are on the run, with their fiDefinitely a step up from the first book, we are thankfully out of the high school setting in this book. Ariane and Zane are on the run, with their first destination being to find his mother. But, once they find her, things get a lot more complicated because she has ties to Ariane's old life.
The thing I didn't like in this book was Ariane's bad decision making which constantly put them in danger. She and Zane should have disappeared, not stayed in enemy territory.
What is intriguing is the end of the book. I really hope it goes the right way and doesn't do what we expect from past second books. There is a good opportunity for a really interesting third installment. We'll see....more
I loved the 5th Wave. Seriously loved it. This was good...
Here's the thing, for me, I didn't like Ringer. And, if you don't like Ringer, you won't likI loved the 5th Wave. Seriously loved it. This was good...
Here's the thing, for me, I didn't like Ringer. And, if you don't like Ringer, you won't like this book so much. I don't like people who don't smile or laugh in life. I don't like people who think that their suffering makes them superior to others. I don't like mean girls who treat other girls badly. Ringer is simply a bitch. And, most of the book is in her POV, trying to get us to sympathize with her. But, I never really did. I never got her special snowflake syndrome. What did Ben/Zombie see in her? He was only attracted to her appearance, and then she became a big challenge to the boy who was used to being able to charm any girl. There was nothing of substance that attracted him to this girl. And, why did Vosch tell her everything about everything? What is the deal with evil villains always telling their crazy, evil plans to someone that they don't kill? It's like that scene in Austin Powers where Dr. Evil's son is questioning him on why they don't just shoot him. Silly.
But, I did like where the whole alien thing is going and can't wait to learn more about that. I also liked Cassie's POV, as usual. She is super funny and sarcastic and I love her as a character. ...more
The major problem with this book is how one dimensional the characters are.
Our main character is a just reacts at all times. She is called smart,Meh.
The major problem with this book is how one dimensional the characters are.
Our main character is a just reacts at all times. She is called smart, but there is not one instance in the book where she displays intelligence.
The evil twins - yes, there are evil twins - are just so darn evil, and they are plotting. Probably rubbing together the tips of their fingers, like schemey fingers, and saying muah ha ha.
The love interest is mysterious and says hardly anything to her, but informs her that he has been watching her sleep. That just makes him sexier, right ladies? Who isn't attracted to a peeping tom? Yummy!
The nerd kid is, of course, the world's greatest computer hacker. At this point in society, I really feel sorry for any nerdy looking kid, just going through their awkward phase, who isn't a computer genius. The pressure is on, nerds! The Big Bang Theory has given you guys a lot to live up to these days.
Then, there is the most popular girl in school who walks around with a hoard of guys around her, waiting on her hand and foot. She's a horrible person, of course, but these dumb boys are willing to lick the ground she walks on. Seriously? That must be what some poor deluded person imagines happens to pretty girls in high school, because, unless she is sleeping with all of them, it ain't happening. Guys aren't that dumb.
The only person who had the potential to be an interesting character was the best friend, Liz. She had some interesting quirks and was even questioning her sexuality. But, that was quickly shut down.
And, these were just the character problems! Don't get me started on the end of the world scenario! That would take more writing than I am willing to put in on this mediocre book. Maybe the book two will get better and resolve some of these problems. ...more
It just didn't make sense. I'm sorry. There is no way that a person showing up 5 years later, with no recollection of what happened to them, after DNF
It just didn't make sense. I'm sorry. There is no way that a person showing up 5 years later, with no recollection of what happened to them, after a huge investigation, would have been sent home after a few minutes in the emergency room. No way. The FBI would have been involved in a missing persons case and would have been there right away. She would have been kept under observation in the hospital with psychologists helping her to figure out what happened and to re-introduce her back in to her life. They would have waited for those blood tests to return. It was just too unbelievable. All of it.
The most insta-loves of all insta-loves ever written. The alien girl has never even spoken to the boy before he is completely in love, and after a sevThe most insta-loves of all insta-loves ever written. The alien girl has never even spoken to the boy before he is completely in love, and after a several word conversation, she is willing to die for him. ...more
A strange illness strikes children at puberty, either killing them or giving them superpowers. So, the government puts the survivors in internment camA strange illness strikes children at puberty, either killing them or giving them superpowers. So, the government puts the survivors in internment camps and treats them horribly. Not ground-breaking, but an enjoyable enough read. There isn't much that isn't according to your basic "how to write a dystopia" formula, but it is a fun enough journey. The one good thing I like is that there really is no "good guys" in the book - just varying degrees of bad, really bad, and evil. That's fun!...more
I gave the last three books I read 5 stars, so I guess my luck was bound to run out. Or, maybe the good writing gave me high expectations that could nI gave the last three books I read 5 stars, so I guess my luck was bound to run out. Or, maybe the good writing gave me high expectations that could not possibly be met by normal books. Maybe my standards just became impossibly high. Let's see if I'm wrong here, shall we?
First of all, we have our main character, Riven.
Her name was supposed to be Raven, but they recorded it wrong so she was stuck with this name. Even though her family was extremely wealthy and powerful in her world, her best friend was a prince, and she was a prodigy - nope, clerical error - you will forever have the name that someone accidentally gave you.
She became a general in the army at the age of 14 and was "feared by men". And yet, Riven is the biggest damsel-in-distress I have ever met. She has fainted and blacked out in this books more times than a 19th century socialite with the vapors. But, luckily, her "target", the guy she is kidnapping, has a crush on her and keeps rescuing her. He revives her several times, nurses her back to health when she is sick, and saves her life when her "superior fighting skills" get her ass kicked. She is an "agent of death in a girl's body"... yeah right. They could dress up my dog in a general's costume and it would be more believable.... hey, I like that idea. Note to self: buy general's costume for dog on amazon later... that would be so cute! But, I digress.
She's gullible and stupid. To be a general, wouldn't she need the ability to see through people's obvious lies and manipulations? This girl gets manipulated more than playdough. She is an easy mark. She doesn't even see through the obvious people who are helping Caden. I saw through them within the first couple of sentences of their characters being introduced. No wonder it has taken her three years to find him. And, oh yeah, she didn't find him. He found her - rescued her. Nice work, General Genius.
Next comes Caden, the leading male. He is a real great guy. He has a girlfriend that he calls a bitch. She is your typical catty bitch-girl that is written in too many books as the slut-shamed bad girl who deserves to lose her man. So, why did this great and awesome guy go out with her for the last year? "Because it was easy". Nice. But, he sees the error of his ways now. He tells Riven that she is "not like any of the girls he knows". Oh, you mean, like, "you understand me, baby, you're not like my wife, she's a bitch and doesn't treat me right..." I see a bright future for Caden and Riven - until he meets a girl who is not like her a year later.
As for the story - it's a freaking mess. Parallel worlds with zombie armies. But, wait, there are Guardians who are supposed to be watching out for problems who suck at their jobs, and there is a group over them called the Faction that is supposed to be ruling over all of the parallel worlds who suck at their job. (Why else would their be so many inconsistencies?) So, let's put the fate of two worlds on the back of a 17 yr old girl who may or may not be a very poor excuse for an "agent of death". Great idea. If this is the best that the world of Neospes has to offer, I would say that we, the people of Earth, are pretty safe from those morons. ...more
What kid didn't have those dreams of having a twin that you could switch places with occasionally to trick teachers and parents? In this book, Lizzie What kid didn't have those dreams of having a twin that you could switch places with occasionally to trick teachers and parents? In this book, Lizzie has two clone sisters that share her life. They live as one girl, splitting each day in to three parts that they take shifts living. So, since Lizzie sucks at math, her sister has to take the math classes while she gets to take creative writing, which she loves. Sounds pretty fun, huh?
Until two different sisters meet two different boys. And they can only date one of them. And their mother picked the guy that Lizzie hates! Now, this time-share life ain't so sweet.
Added in to this story of these girls' struggle for individuality and freedom is a mystery about their mother and the original girl they were cloned from. But, that part of the story was mild and didn't ever become a great storyline. I think that the book is better if it is read for the relationship between the sisters and the search for identity, which had more interest than the whole mystery thing (for me). ...more
This was a tough story to get in to. I almost DNF, but I have never not finished before... even if I hated it, and it got much better in Pretty cover.
This was a tough story to get in to. I almost DNF, but I have never not finished before... even if I hated it, and it got much better in the second half. I think the main problem was that the main character wasn't that likable, nor did she seem particularly smart. She was too quick to betray her best friend. She just made so many bad decisions.
But, the world-building was good and the technology was cool. And, eventually, the story got very interesting.
I feel like this whole book was a slow way to build the ground work for a second book which has the potential for a great story - considering where it left off. The end of the book is where things got good, and now we wait......more
I should have known better than to read this book because I did not like Another Little Piece by the same author. Pretty much for the same reasons, toI should have known better than to read this book because I did not like Another Little Piece by the same author. Pretty much for the same reasons, too. The book was weird and revealed things very slowly, so you weren't really sure about a lot of things that were going on. Most of the time, I was trying to figure out if she had a sister at all, and the rest of the time, I was bored. Because that was the main problem I had with both books - the pacing. The story was slow, repetitive and boring. I seriously couldn't wait for the book to be over. The chapters alternated from the main character, Skylar, narrating the present-day story, to her taping a message for her sister, Piper. The messages are about memories of times they had, and they were not chronological at all. It was irritating and just served to make the story more confusing and muddled than it already was, which is saying a LOT! So, here is what I mean, as the chapters go, with a modern day chapter in between each flashback chapter: 4 years ago 10 " 4 " 9 " 5 " 4 " 8 " 6 " 7 " 12 " 4 " 7 " 8 " 4 " 8 " 4 " 4 " 4 " (lol, that took longer than I expected!) But, the point is!! Come on! Put them in order! The whole book was confusing as hell! Throw us a freaking bone!...more
Awesome book! Whenever I read a book about aliens landing, or watch a movie about it, I get held up by the problem with how they look. If you make theAwesome book! Whenever I read a book about aliens landing, or watch a movie about it, I get held up by the problem with how they look. If you make them scary looking, it becomes a horror movie, if they aren't scary looking, then they have to look like us, and why would they? Then, there are a host of problems with creating the alien race and making them believable. They need a background planet, why they came, what they want, etc... It's a lot for the writer to convey in a convincing manner, just to get to the story. By the time they have gotten to the story, I might be hung up on the alien looking stupid, or the spaceship seeming silly, or the fact that their home planet had a weird sounding name. That is what makes this book so brilliant. Just like we have all these weird expectations that an alien spaceship will land on the White House lawn to speak with the president or will contact us in some friendly way to let us know who they are and what their plans are, so do we expect books and movies to provide all of these things too - even though those very things mess up the story most of the time! If real aliens show up here, there is no explanation owed to us. We are nothing to a civilization that is so advanced that they have mastered inter-stellar travel.And that is what happens in the book: They showed up, there was no communication, and they started to clear the land for colonization. Humanity is merely an unwanted, unnecessary insect to be exterminated. Unfortunately, for them, they sent in sleeper cells to gather intel on humans years earlier, and those agents are being affected by living in their human hosts.
The main character, Cassie, is a great main character. She has survived, but not because she is some great warrior or anything. She mostly got lucky, and then got smarter as she survived. She is smart, strong, and funny.
The only thing I didn't care for was when it was written in Sammy's POV because I am a sucker for kids. Ouch!...more
I liked the main character, she was complex and interesting. Deeply loyal to those she cared about, and broken enough to be neurotic - which I like. AI liked the main character, she was complex and interesting. Deeply loyal to those she cared about, and broken enough to be neurotic - which I like. And, of course she is an alien half-breed trying to fit-in in high school.
Here's the thing about these kind of books where the teen is still in high school, though. I went to four different high schools. FOUR!! And, in not one of them did we ever have a mean girls click that would do the kinds of things that all of these kinds of books talk about. Never! And, one of my high schools was one of the biggest high schools in Los Angeles county with all of the "Valley Girls". That doesn't mean nobody was ever catty, but basically, every clique kept to themselves. None of this kind of stuff happened. The popular, cool crowd didn't mess around with the less popular - trying to destroy them. They didn't care. They just hung out with each other. I think that there is some weird exaggeration going on about what high school is like. And, nobody would get away with vandalizing lockers or putting a dog collar on someone after bringing dog doo into the lunchroom. It just wouldn't happen. So, I guess the high school part of the book was kind of lame in my eyes.
But, I liked the characters of Ariane and Zane, and think they have good backstories. I have even started the next book and it seems better - so far....more
This book had a very rough start for me because it had the most insta of insta-loves that I have ever seen! They were in love and had their first fighThis book had a very rough start for me because it had the most insta of insta-loves that I have ever seen! They were in love and had their first fight within 24 hours of meeting, resulting in him bringing her flowers and them having to "talk it out". Really? Add in a love triangle, which was also the instant she and the boy's best friend laid eyes on each other., and I almost gave the book to my dog who loves to chew paper. I find it hard to believe that this girl has never been kissed before because she has some sort of super-power that makes gorgeous men fall in love with her the second they meet her. That super-power , along with the ability to see dead people and time travel. Plus, she has sick karate skills and can flip men over twice her size because she's just so petite and blonde and cute.... add in her great sense of humor and the crazy....ok, that must be the winning combination to getting all the guys. It's Barney Stinson's hot:crazy ratio theory from "How I Met Your Mother" paired with a little quirkiness like Zoe, and time travel for the science geeks. She's the full package.
Getting over the irritating parts mentioned above, the story is exciting and fun. I am interested in the next book because it focuses on Kaleb, and he seemed like he had potential to be an entertaining main character....more
So, you take Warren Jeff's crazy polygamist cult onto a spaceship and this is what you get. I, for one, am all about shooting all of those misogynistiSo, you take Warren Jeff's crazy polygamist cult onto a spaceship and this is what you get. I, for one, am all about shooting all of those misogynistic a-holes out in to space, but on the condition that they don't get to bring any females with them. None. Not even female animals.
Ava is a girl who grew up in this type of environment, FLDS in space, and is about to be married off to another ship in order to improve relations between the two trading ships. The good news is that she thinks she is going to be marrying a guy that she already loves, and is her age. But, we know the pliggy's and they aren't into giving young girls to young guys. As a matter of fact, they have a problem with keeping young guys around (called the "Lost Boys" here on earth - google it), and things aren't so different in space. Things get royally screwed up and Ava goes on a journey to learn a bit about reality. It's good for her. Really good for her. But, you know she will have to face her demons again at some point.
The book is well written, but very slow. Ava's character is thoroughly examined, but you really wish the writer would have condensed some of her progress in to fewer pages. An example is when she is acclimating to Earth's gravity and is sick; the pages and pages dedicated to her recovery gets really boring. Over all, it was still a good read....more
How can you possibly write Ben's story and not include the night when Janelle was Rufied and almost raped? Come on!!!How can you possibly write Ben's story and not include the night when Janelle was Rufied and almost raped? Come on!!!...more
I really got a good laugh out of much of this book. Unfortunately, it wasn't a comedy. Talk about silly! This girl does some serious whining about howI really got a good laugh out of much of this book. Unfortunately, it wasn't a comedy. Talk about silly! This girl does some serious whining about how she has no idea what she looks like and that there is no way anyone can ever see her - EVER!! Come on!! Even from Sponge Bob (or any other cartoon), we know that invisibility is easily defeated with baby powder, paint or dirt! Make-up isn't invisible. Neither is hair dye, spray-on hair paint, nail polish, spray on tanning spray, glitter body gel, pantyhose, tattoo ink, body paint, and a bunch of other products!
Also, how funny is the thought that she was running around naked, stealing things and sneaking in to places? All I could think was the fact that she may be invisible, but people could still easily feel a naked person next to them on accident. She said that she had to run in doors right as people were closing them, very quickly. What, they don't notice a naked body pushing by them? I don't know about everyone else, but when I close a door, I don't leave a giant amount of space in between me and the door closing. I would notice a naked person pushing through. Eww!
Maybe I overthought things a bit. I admit that. But, it was just silly. Very silly.
I'm not going to mention the other problems I had with the book, such as the two paragraphs to describe what every person at the table put on their hamburger (and, no, it wasn't relative to the storyline - no hamburger-important storyline at all). There is no point getting in to all of the cliche and obvious things that happened in the actual story because I could never get over the silliness of the invisibility. It wasn't done well enough. I love super heroes, and I love x-men type of characters, but I have to believe them. This just didn't cut it for me....more
But!! This was a slow starter for me. It didn't really hold my attention for the first 100 or so pages, and then it got beLove the cover!! So pretty!
But!! This was a slow starter for me. It didn't really hold my attention for the first 100 or so pages, and then it got better. I loved The Scarlett Pimpernel when we read it, and one of the best things about it was that we didn't actually know who he was right away. I think that may have been part of the problem with this book. Also, The Scarlet Pimpernel was written in the perspective of his wife, not him, so he was much more mysterious and amazing. Here, we are seeing behind the curtain while Persis Blake, a teenager, is playing the part of the Wild Poppy.
So, there are two islands, side by side, that both had monarchy governments. One of them treated their citizens, especially the reduced (meaning mentally challenged) badly, the other treated them well. Someone comes up with a cure for this reduction thing and the evil monarch didn't want to give it to her people because they were slave labor. Eventually, she caves in, but it is too late because they are ticked off and incite something like the French Revolution against her. Instead of the guillotine, they use a drug that turns the former aristocrats into reduced themselves and make them slaves, after killing the queen. Seems fair at first, but things get out of hand and soon they are doing this to children, and then anyone who doesn't agree with their measures. It becomes just as ugly as the French Revolution and very unsafe. So, the guy who is the son of the lady who invented the cure, a scientist as well, flees to the other island for asylum. There, he meets up with Persis Blake, not knowing that she is the Wild Poppy, who has been secretly rescuing aristocrats from the tyranny of the new dictatorship. She plays the socialite airhead to make sure nobody is wise to who she really is, and they play the couple to keep him safe. Oh, how many movies have we seen where people have to pretend to be a couple for whatever reason and they end up falling in love? Yeah, yeah, yeah...
The other drawbacks in this book is that we don't get much depth of character from many of the side characters at all. The princess, Andrine - who was the Wild Poppy's partner, and her brother, are really one dimensional. And, for all of the build-up, we get very little romance. I don't want to say too much about that so I don't spoil it. But, come on - the ending?
The world-building was much better in this book than it was in the last one. I was sorely disappointed in the lack of it in the first book, but there is at least a better visual sense of the island in this book, and a very pretty image of all of the clothing and the coves....more
It took forever for me to read this book, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. Only because it is checked off my list.
The cover is so beautiful. TIt took forever for me to read this book, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. Only because it is checked off my list.
The cover is so beautiful. That is the good part of the book.
The storyline is boring and not original in any way. They are on a journey across a planet, during which time, they fall in love. (The journey is the story.duh)
The characters are ridiculous. The female, Lilac, just happens to be the daughter of the richest man in the universe and her daddy will kill any boy who dares to look at her. So, she becomes a cold-as-ice bitch who makes men crumble, but still dresses like a vamp, dies her hair bright red, and smiles seductively at strangers across crowded rooms. ( I can hardly write that without laughing at how stupid it is. ) But, once they come to talk to her, she has to say something horrible and cruel to them to scare them away - for their own good - cause she's dangerous. Yeah, dangerous. It's not like she could dress down, or not flirt and drop her gloves for the young men to pick up for her while batting her eyelashes - you know, not attract the men in the first place if she's so dangerous. Why would she do that? So, of course, her powerful beauty pulls in Tarver, the gosh-oh-golly soldier boy who's a bone-a-fide hero and all. He wouldn't have a chance against a woman like her. He's too pure and simple that way. (Simple, as in there is no dimension to this character at all whatsoever). Poor old Tarver!! He doesn't have a chance against that city-woman! She done seduced him with her lady parts. Then, there is a major Titanic ripoff and crash on a planet... yada yada yada... Lilac is nice now....more
Just your run of the mill story about a nice Jewish girl with terrible gay-dar traveling in space having dreams about some 3-fingered lover.
The best pJust your run of the mill story about a nice Jewish girl with terrible gay-dar traveling in space having dreams about some 3-fingered lover.
The best part about this book is the characters. They were well-written and realistic. The dysfunction in the families, especially Terra's family with an alcoholic father, was painfully truthful in how each member "played their part". Having a gay brother, I could also see well-researched writing in the part of the character who is struggling with denial, guilt, and the desire to fit-in, especially in a religious environment. The author captured many of the psychological aspects of some of these different dynamics and was able to give her characters so much depth through doing so. I really believed in most of the characters. Of course, that doesn't hold true for ALL of the characters in the book, but perhaps we will see them evolve in the next book.
I'm looking forward to the next book because that ending was a killer!...more
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