I wanted to say that Shusterman is the king of (incredibly realistic) dystopian stories, but then I realised there are two of them now, so I'll just let them reign over the fandom the way they like. After all, I'm only here to rave about this story, another gem I was delighted to read.
Dry is what Unwind was quite some years back - a glimpse in the metaphorical mirror of humanity. And one might never like what shows up there, on that shiny surface that reflects back (towards the reader) all the horrors and the darkness people hide behind "civilisation", but that's what makes his (in this case, their) stories even better. Because people are not born monsters, they become... And it hurt, again it hurt so much to read a book so raw and real and powerful.
The story starts at the very beginning of the tap-out and it follows the characters through the nightmare that is to come. There are four characters (Alyssa, Kelton, Jacqui, Henry) narrating the story consistently, but we get reports or points of view from other side characters through the book, adding authenticity and realism to the story. Slowly we get to meet them (including Garrett, Alyssa’s brother) and figure the dynamics between them, right before they are thrown in what’s to be the adventure of their lives or right in the middle of it all.
I liked how distinct the characters were and their voices, how different their approach to facing the drought was. Their journey is sometimes far-stretched (I did not mind it, it’s fiction after all), but it’s rich in suspense and it offers the opportunity to see people without masks, people acting instinctively, people desperate to their core, people making terrible mistakes, people turning against each other, people killing or letting others be killed.
The progression is slow, you have time to get a taste of the life before, you get to feel the tide turn slowly – second by second, page by page and still when the moment comes you can feel the power of destruction deep in your bones.
All in one, DRY was an incredible experience and I loved each moment of it.
This one has been recommended by Neal Shusterman. Maybe I am naive, but if he writes something as great as the Unwind Dystology, his recommendations sThis one has been recommended by Neal Shusterman. Maybe I am naive, but if he writes something as great as the Unwind Dystology, his recommendations should definitely count for something :D...more
I am unwinding in the inside. My thoughts are in a divided state and I can't make myself rewind them.
This story is too powerful for words.
I just know that I LOVE this series. I know that I love... I... I know that... I... I... ... ...
Full review:
There are very few books so powerful that can follow you into your dreams. That leave an imprint on your soul. That are so dreadful and horrifying, but in the same time so beautiful and completely mesmerising.
And this time around it was true, it was not a wish of sorts, not a simple thought that just comes and goes. After reading it (this whole series), I had the more horrifying night ever – dreaming of unwinds and AWOLs, leaping back into consciousness only to be swept away into another desperate dream, where someone would be divided to pieces and I would endlessly run for my life.
It’s no wonder actually, as I’ve been spending around 4-5 days with the series, so my mind was pretty much overfilled with this story, but still.. I confirm that (indeed) this book has the power to haunt you even in your sleep.
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It’s hard to get to the end of a series when you love it as much as I loved this one. It pains me to be over with it.
But truth being told, it was exhausting, emotionally draining! My heart wouldn’t have been able to take any more pain or suspense, and I think that the characters felt just the same.
Everything came into place. Everything made complete sense. All their small fights had an impact on the world around, but the way it resonated – well, that seemed to be a lot greater than the sum of its parts. They probably never dreamed of achieving this much. They just wanted a chance to… be.
If the first book was created as a standalone, the last 3 books come hand in hand. You can’t have one without the others, you can’t see the big picture without reading them all. It started as the story of Risa, Lev and Connor. It ended as the story of so many more.
All those people who didn’t believe in unwinding (/anymore), all those people who needed and wanted things to change, all those people who were guilty in a way or another, all those people that had a handful of letters written in blood, even the world itself was there to watch them take the last steps in this journey – and it was marvellous.
Without any of them, the story wouldn’t have been the same, the ending wouldn’t have been as great. Their individual fights, their sacrifices, their strength and hope for a better world was what drove them on this path.
There are not enough words in this world to express the immensity and the beauty of it all.
I will miss these characters dearly, I feel like knowing them better than I know my own friends and I cared for them so much through this story. They are part of my life now and I refuse to say goodbye.
Conclusion:
I wish I could unwind time so I could experience this book from every possible angle, not passing through the moment, but living it. [adapted from a book quote from Connor]
Happy midnight reading!
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* Read the full review here.
I am at a loss for words because this book really took my breath away.
And I need to tell you more... I need to tell you how beautifully written it is, how amazingly vivid the world is, how incredible and fleshed out the characters are, how mind-blowing and breathtaking the plot is, how unreliable but relatable Ella is, how deeply she feels the loss of her father and how much she tries to keep her mother in her life for as long as she can. Not to mention just how nice Jack is and how I wanted to know more of their story.
Obviously, I can’t tell you much about the story itself, but rest assured that it blew my mind so badly that I can hardly think straight. I loved Across the Universe series, but this one might be even better. Or maybe just as much, I don’t know for sure… The fact is I really love this author and I can’t wait to read more from her.
I dived into this book without knowing much about it. And that was a good thing because I was surprised with each step I took, with each page, and nothing makes me happier than enjoying a good book.
THE BODY ELECTRIC is probably the most vivid dystopian story I’ve ever read. Those dreams were so awesome (!) I have no words to express my excitement. They alone would make for a great movie. Also, the turnarounds were absolutely crazy. And just how amazing the idea of reliving great memories is, huh? Not to mention the influence Ella had on them, without even knowing. Fantastic, I tell you, this story is fantastic! And yes, this means that I really loved everything about this book and it exceeded all my expectations – which were considerably high to begin with.
CONCLUSION:
I wish more books were like this one – with an unpredictable plot, strong characters and unique world building. Yes, it is still a dystopian world and the characters want to change the system, but the beauty sits in the nuances, in the details, in the beautiful images created through words, and Beth manages that magically.
I loved this book and I can’t wait for another one! Happy midnight reading
Isn’t it refreshing to read something that doesn’t resemble anything (or ‘everything’) you’ve read before? To meet characters that seem new in many ways, but as close to you as your best friends; to witness action that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time; to savour sweet moments that melt you into a puddle of ‘awww’?
The first time I saw this cover I fell in love. Madly in love, I knew I had to have this book (and I still need a paperback like breathing). Then the description was so alluring and I loved that it didn’t tell me too much about the story, but enough to make me want to pick it up in a hurry.
And then I finally started reading it (when else if not after midnight, when I could barely keep my eyes open?) and continued on Valentine’s day.. Yes, your first thought is right, I probably should have spent more time with my husband and less time with this story, but I simply couldn’t stop until I reached the final page… and it’s good that the next one was nowhere close to me, as I would have ruined romance forever, reading all day long.
This being said.. did I like this book? Hell yes. I loved it!
The world is intriguing with the Day/Night separation, with a history so different compared to ours (I would call this dystopia, only it is more like present day in some sort of a parallel reality if you wish). At first it didn’t make sense – how in the world and why did they start that kind of division – but then it got explained and I did buy it, it actually made sense the trajectory it took.
On the other side, Sol’s mission was heartwarming and full of adventure. I liked the reasons she had to do all the things she did, her commitment (despite all the pain and the amount of trouble she had to go through) and the way she tried to keep others out of her mess.. when possible.
I am usually scared when it comes to dystopian books (even though I eat up this genre for breakfast), as some times I am left confused or mistrusting. But in “Plus One” everything worked fine. So yes, this is a new recommendation from me. Keep an eye on it when it comes out in April.
* Find this and more at: ReadingAfterMidnight.com ** ARC received from the publisher for review. Thank you! ____________________________________________
Can this story be not over? I really don't want to say goodbye..
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I loved everything about it - the characters, the action, the humour, the tCan this story be not over? I really don't want to say goodbye..
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I loved everything about it - the characters, the action, the humour, the turnarounds.. SO good!
REVIEW:
Such a wonderful ending to an amazing series! Such a rush, such a tremendously touching carousel of emotions. This story has.. everything: edge gripping action, mind-blowing turnarounds, laughing out-loud humour and a bit of a heartbreak every now and then. What more can one expect from a book, huh?
Saying goodbye to these characters feels so wrong, it actually pains me. I love them all and I know that they’ve been through hell and back multiple times, but I would want to spend more moments with them.
Just a few.. Just one more.. Pretty please? Ooooh, I know I am being silly, but why put these feeling into my heart if you don’t want them to take root, to expand, to grow wildly and devour me?
*sigh*
I am still recovering here, there was so much happening in this book, I could barely wrap my head around one random, gruesome scene and some more action’s been thrown at me. There was a lot of suspense, the characters got through various dangerous situations and I never really knew if they could make it unscathed, or -well- if they might make it out of it at all. My heart broke so many times, there are still pieces of me scattered all over the floor. The turnarounds made my head spin out of control. Some of them I did see coming, but from there things evolved in ways that surprised me.
Seriously, this story is nothing if not full of twists. Some felt like a horse ride (my heart ran at full gallop – and I don’t even know how to ride, for crying out loud!), some left me in a state of dream (because well, my heart is also mushy like that), and some others felt like twisting the knife deep into my heart. Twist after twist.. after twist. And then more twists.
Looking back to the beginning, I can’t believe what a wonderful journey these wonderful characters have taken and how much it got to change them all. Not only did the characters get stronger, better skilled, but they really connected on an emotional level, they felt like family one to another, and you can only fear for each and all of them, because you want them all safe.
Don’t get me wrong – I am still not into vampires (only this story), this book didn’t change my perception on the genre, but I am so, so, sooo glad that I read this story, because I loved it to pieces, I cherish it and I will probably read it again (the full ‘Blood of Eden‘ series).
And that’s because of the characters: how fleshed-out, 3 dimensional, complex and wonderful they are. It’s not only Allie, but the sarcastic and funny Jackal, the grave, serious & mysterious Kanin, not to mention the other unmentionable character. There is so much love I hold in my heart for this story, I can only hope that you will all feel the same while reading it.
*Find the full review at: ReadingAfterMidnight.com ** ARC received from the publisher for review. Thank you!
- Pre-reading thoughts: One more month to wait, just one. :D And don't you start with the other 10 days. I'll pretend it's one big month and only one. Damn, I can't wait for that day!
I hate myself for not writing down the reviews right after I finish reading the book.
This was a good story. I liked better the first half of it (for oI hate myself for not writing down the reviews right after I finish reading the book.
This was a good story. I liked better the first half of it (for once the female main character is the strong one and needs to protect, not just be protected - that's the spirit!). It also helped that there was plenty of action. The second half is a bit more romance than anything else, that's not quite a big problem but the story felt a bit unbalanced this way.
Still a recommended book, I loved it and I intend to read the next one too. Review might follow at some point....more
This is one of the best conclusions to a series! The very best.
Seriously! And it felt so ..right, you know? Not all butterflies and cheers and happiness, but right and real and beautiful and raw. The action, the suspense, the dramatic romance, the bittersweet ending… every moment and every page, every single word in this book.. EVERYTHING was perfect. I couldn’t have imagined a better ending for this series, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Without emotion, what’s the point of being human?
June and Day’s journey has been filled with so much heartbreak over these 3 books and I sobbed a bit near the ending for all that they’ve been trough, for the injustice of life, for how much they have lost (especially Day because -as I’ve said a million times already- June has had it so much easier than him). But I have hope, there’s a bittersweet taste in their new beginning and I loved those last few pages for giving me some sort of peace of mind, for leaving my heart feeling this light. I also loved the ending for the lack of selfishness, for taking its time such that those souls could heal, for filling me with so many emotions.
I am definitely giving away more than I want to, but for once I don’t care because I’ve been holding my breath the whole time waiting for Day and June to meet again, hoping for them to find a way back together, crying inside for all the things that have put a world of a wall between them, dropping my eyes into my mouth at some mind-blowing turnarounds and crying like a baby when things went terribly wrong. What more do you want from me? How much a heart can take without breaking?
So this is me, falling in love again with a breathtaking series. This is me saying again my goodbyes (and oh, my poor heart! This year will be full of book-goodbyes, I should get used to the heartbreak). This is me telling you once more: Go read this book and then come back to talk about it ;)
Happy midnight reading!
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Later edit (Dec 2018): It’s been a while, but the tears in my eyes tell me that this is still the best ending to a series. Of course, we now know that this is not the actual ending, that soon a 4th book will come out, but it doesn’t make it less emotional or perfect. (And please, please, please, let the next book be just as good as the previous ones!)
Champion is my favourite book in the series, hands down, and I trully wish to see what comes next. My heart is broken, but through those cracks there is so much hope spilling. I’ve loved this series because of Day, but in the end there’s this chance for June to shine just as brightly. Her ache was my ache, her longing was mine... Oh Day, aren’t you one of the best fictional crush ever? Let’s hope for some long summer days now, shall we?
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Read this and more at: ReadingAfterMidnight.com * Also, the images sources can be found on the blog. ___________________________________________
They would tell you that pages can radiate emotions, that words can create feelings, that beauty can hurt. If tears could talk.. they would tell you how they dropped on this book drowning smiles in emotions, drowning sadness and turning it into in happiness, making me heart melt slowly and leaving me with a sweet taste of hope.
"You're an angel among mortals. Echos are asked to sacrifice everything to make another family, other people, happy. To give them hope. You are hope."
Sometimes I read sad books that make me happy... How ironic, huh? But it's true.. I love reading stories about humans, about the human nature in fact, about their essence, about their deep, raw feelings. Figuratively, I love the sound of my heart breaking with every word, with every new nuance discovered.. There's a beauty that can't be put into words, it hurts but it also makes me feel complete, because books like this one are everything I want and then a whole lot more.
I am at a loss for words, you know, and this only happens when I truly love a story. When it touches my heart, when it turns my life upside down, when it hurts to turn the last page and let go of a world so cruel but so beautiful, of these characters so perfect in their flaws. I loved every bit of it and I can't get tired of telling you how amazingly beautiful this book really was for me.
It's like a part of me on paper, as someone said: if I were to write a book, this would be it. If I were to be a character, I would be named after a stubborn elephant in a zoo, I would feel trapped in a crazy world but I would grow wings and make myself fly. I would love with all my heart and I would always hope to find my way back home. I would fight, I would survive, I would believe in myself even when no one else will. I would play nice but I would never forget who I am, I would never stop trying to find my way to freedom.
“But maybe that's what the dead do. They stay. They linger. Benign and sweet and painful. They don't need us. They echo all by themselves.”
The story: I've always asked myself: what are we without our choices, without the will to live our own lives by our rules and desires, without the will to be ourselves? When you look in a mirror, what do you see? What are you without that part that can't be seen: the inner you, the real you.. Can you be someone else, can you leave your own self behind and be that mirror? Can you bury your feelings, fake your thoughts, be a puppet in a world that doesn't want you but uses you for what you represent, for the image you mirror? ...And here goes question after question and the truth is that this is just a tiny piece of what this story might be about.
The Love: I loved the relationship between Eva and Shaun - their friendship was strong, their love was so sweet and innocent. They matched like no others, perfect in every way. I loved how he saw her as a real human, I loved that he believed in her without any doubt, that he was there for her when she needed him the most, that he loved her and he never thought that she was just a reflection in a mirror, but a girl that deserves to be loved, to be cherished, to be given a second chance. Their romance was sweet, their connection strong, their chemistry palpable.. you could feel it in their little conversations, in their little fights, in their desires, their hopes for the other's safety and freedom. They melted my heart like no other couple, and if there is another book to follow (like a second book in a series) I hope to see more of them, together.
“You,” he says, before the door closes all the way. “I often dream of you.”
The Family: I loved the connection between Eva and the 'familiars'. How the supposed brother saw her as herself not a copy and he wanted to protect her, and how the little sister Amarra left behind was so sweet and innocent. How the mother wanted to see her daughter still in Eva and how the father never got over his grief and couldn't make himself believe in a fantasy. Also, I liked the guardians that represented Eva's real family - or the only one she ever had. How they loved her and wanted to keep her safe in their way. How they treated her like a person and wanted her to acknowledge that as well.
The Friendship: I could understand Amarra's friends, how they wanted her back, how they felt betrayed, how they all loved her, but I was happy to see Eva make new friends, create her own path. She tried a lot to be the best version of Amarra, but at the end she felt the need to be herself again, to take a break from that all, to just.. be.
"She was right. I am the thief. I've taken everything that belongs to her. She's had to give it all up. What must that be like, to know that every single thing you wear, every last thing you know, is being copied, mimicked, duplicated halfway across the world
I feel the need to talk a bit about Ray too (the boy Eva never did study what was like to kiss, as the synopsis says). I didn't understand how he got away with the accident, but I did care about him. I felt his pain, his hope, his struggle when things didn't add up. It saddened me to see how much he wished for Eva to really be Amarra. ...But there were times when I wanted to punch him right in the face too.
The Pain and grief: Here goes the family next to Ray. They were all so different and they saw her in such a different light. I felt their love for Amarra, I saw them caring more and more for Eva, I felt their inner struggle, the fight between what is right and what is wrong, between their desire and their reasoning.. it was really heartbreaking.
Tiny, tiny little bug: The IT girl in me kept screaming: a few hundreds years later (I can only assume) and they still use CDs (aka. the disks)? Come on, we barely use them anymore, if they can "stitch" life they must do better than that o_O
CONCLUSION: What an awesome, awesome read! It cut my heart right open and I loved it from the first page to the last one, and its echo still lingers here..
Happy midnight reading!
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* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com ____________________________________________
Later edit - I hate it when I don't get to review a book right after I read it. Now I will need to read itI could hardly put it down.. Review to come.
Later edit - I hate it when I don't get to review a book right after I read it. Now I will need to read it again (at least partly) as time passed and my memory is not helping me that much ;)) i remember liking it though, and judging by the rating I think it was pretty good :))...more
Back to the point.. Angelfall has been one of my very favorite books in 2012 – the beautiful writing, the awesome characters and the engaging action made me ‘breathe in’ every word in the story and I couldn‘t put it down (not even for one second) until I reached the last page.
The ending was dark and –now that I think about it- it fits perfectly the feeling from “World After”. There were many questions raised in those few last pages and most of the answers will be found between the pages of this very awesome book. Reading “World After” felt like being served dessert after a week of not eating at all – I could taste every word on my lips, and no matter how many pages I would read, they were never quite enough to stop my hunger.
If I had to describe it in a few words I’d say that it is dark and beautiful. - I loved the creepy feeling these angels can give you; the horrific situations the characters went through; the way they tried to cope with everything that happened in the previous book – all the lose, the pain, the uncertainty. - The writing is just as beautiful as before, as alluring and it makes you turn page after page like there’s no tomorrow.
There was this great mix between explaining things from the first book (making you see them in a different light, from a different perspective) and still making the story move along flawlessly. The presence of Raffe was brought to us in various different forms and I will be honest here – I was like a kid on Christmas Eve every time I got to read something about him. Still, this story is more about Penryn and the growth she goes through as a character, because her strength will be tested more then once and she will need to make decisions that might change everything.
Talking about Penryn, I love her not only for her strength but also for her determination. Because sometimes she is weak, sometimes she doesn’t know what to do, whom to save (first), but she never forgets who she really is, and she fights for the things she believes in. There is also a very soft side of her, when she’s around Raffe – then she shows that underneath her tough mask there is a little girl that needs to be loved too.
Now, there were only 2 things that I wasn’t quite sure I liked: 1. The fact that Penryn had it easy in some ways; 2. I wanted more Raffe.
All in one, I loved this story. All the action, the turnarounds, the near-death experiences left me breathless and I am sure that many people will enjoy this story just as much.
Full review to come soon. Still, these are the things that I loved: - Penryn (go girl!) - Paige (poor baby) - Raffe (need more!) - Pooky Bear - best inanimate character ever! (you still owe me a kiss, btw)
Yep, you are right.. not much has changed in terms of my love for this story since Angelfall. I'd say more about it, but then I'd just have to kill you ;)...more
...Yes, we are saying our farewells to our beloved characters, but for them this is just a door opening towards freedom.
I notice that I am once more writing my review backwards, but that’s OK, as this is what I liked the most about this last book – the hope it gives for a better future, for our characters to find their way to a happy ending.
HANNA
I’ve seen so many people complaining about having Hanna’s point of view in this book, but for me it worked perfectly. I wanted to see what it was like to be in her shoes and I had many reasons for that. And I did enjoy her struggle, I did enjoy see her come in terms with her pain, with her remorses, because it was not easy for her either, and her story with Lena didn’t end with her mistake.
I must confess that I didn’t read her novella, but I had a feeling about what happened since the ending of Delirium. I am not sure if I need to understand her reasons, but I did understand her side in this story.. it was needed, and as much as I liked Alex, I don’t agree with so many of you – I wouldn’t have wanted to have his POV in this book, there was enough grief in Lena’s voice, I didn’t need more of that.
LENA
I liked her more in the 2nd book. In this one she was again more insecure. She realised that freedom and happiness are 2 different things and when you sacrifice everything for freedom you are more likely to become empty inside and to move through life without purpose.
In Pandemonium she had a reason to fight, she wanted to avenge Alex, but given the fact that she has now to deal now with the aftermath of her actions, she just needs a minute or more to think and see what is more important to her, what is she left to fight for? What can she choose? And there is no need to tell you that she never gets those minutes of thinking, so her pain keeps flooding her words, her insecurities keep hurting the people she loves the most.
THE LOVE TRIANGLE
Oh, isn’t it hard to choose between the people you love? Julian or Alex, Alex or Julian.. and what if (view spoiler)[ another person comes in the middle of this madness to make us even more crazy that we already are? Don’t you love love-squares? *oh, the irony* (hide spoiler)]
To be honest this was my least favorite part of the story. The resolution was quite simple (even though I am not sure if it will satisfy the readers) and maybe even a bit elegant. You get a glimpse of where the things might be headed to, but you can still use your own imagination.
THE SYSTEM
I have so many questions about the world, about what this tiny revolution might have changed.. it feels like an unfinished story and I wouldn’t be surprised if the author would decide at some point to write a bit more about it, even though I am not sure if i want that. We just got to untangle all these treads (as complicated as they were), so why would I want to start over again?
CONCLUSION:
All in one, even though my favorite book in the series is still Pandemonium, I did enjoy this book quite a lot. Yes, there was a bit too much angst and teenage behaviour, but there was also quite a lot of action that kept me entertained and eager to know how things might end. The fans of the series will love this book, even though they might scream as loud as they can about how they need to read at least one more chapter.. Just saying..
This book was probably definitely intended to a younger audience so there is no surprise that I found it to be a bit juvenile at parts. Bas
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This book was probably definitely intended to a younger audience so there is no surprise that I found it to be a bit juvenile at parts. Based on this I really had a hard time rating it, as there were things that I really liked, but there were some things I simply needed to skip.
If you are in your teen years and you haven’t come across too many dystopian books then you probably will love this book, so just pick it up and surprise yourself by enjoying it.
As for me, I am not a teen and I’ve been reading quite a lot of dystopian books, so I need a book with a dystopian world well developed, with fleshed out characters and believable scenes and dialogue lines. This one surprised me in many ways, but the ones I’ve mentioned not so much.
Even though there were some things that bothered me, I liked the idea of the story and I felt the need to get to the last page and see where this all was going.
On the good side, I found the concept to be really interesting. I wish there were more insights on the way the world got to be the way it was portraited in the book, but still it got to grab my attention. Imagine an underground world where people are half humans and half machines (not because they have robotic parts, because they don’t, not really, but their memories are stored on external/removable devices and they have no feelings, working and living day by day without knowing the beauty of life). Isn’t this extremely interesting? Add to this the fact that some of them gain the ability to feel and think and, while they are at it, they get to have some paranormal powers as well and you will have an amazing setup for the story.
But even though we get to know a few things about this interesting world, the focus remained on the main character and how she starts to ‘wake up’, to really see the world around her, to wish for more and to rebel against the system. And what would be the use of having feelings if you don’t start feeling in the presence of a boy… or two.
Even though the romance was a bit underdeveloped, and the insta-love made me roll my eyes too many times to count, I liked both Zoe (the main character) and Adrien (our knight in shiny armor – figuratively speaking off course)
Zoe is a girl you can easily understand for the most part of the story, she doesn’t know what to believe and whom to trust and the struggle is obvious, but I wish there was a better delimitation between the before and the after ‘glitching’ (which is the process of having back your own conscience I guess, which makes you think and feel for your own). I found some inconsistencies here and there (some things she shouldn’t have known, names for unknown actions or feelings or smells, or whatever), but if you are not as obsessed as I found myself to be while noticing these things, then you might be safe.
Another thing that I really loved was the way Adrien explained to Zoe the concept of feelings – how love, hate, anger (etc.) felt, and what those feelings could make you do. There were some cute moments involving those explanations… and quite some amount of blush on Adrien's face; and I pretty much enjoyed all those scenes.
Now the character that I didn’t like at all was Max. He was quite obsessed with Zoe and the fact that she acted like a dumb little girl when being around him made me want to scream. Also I don’t like love-triangles, so I would have been more than happy if he didn’t have so much ‘paper’ time. When all the love trouble started to take over the action and mystery of the story, it kind of became tiresome and juvenile.
As you can see I didn’t tell much about the story because I don’t want to spoil it, but if/when you read it I hope you will like it better.
Happy midnight reading!
Book Source: ARC provided kindly by the publisher via Netgalley. Thanks a lot!
The concept: I won’t tell you how unique the idea is, because you see, I’ve read The Host a while ago and 2 souls in one body, one n
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THE GOOD
The concept: I won’t tell you how unique the idea is, because you see, I’ve read The Host a while ago and 2 souls in one body, one not fading away is not really something new for me. But a story doesn’t need 100% originality to be a good story. It needs to to have an interesting plot that makes you turn page after page, it needs a pack of great characters to make you wish to know more about them, it needs an intrigue to keep you up all night reading and it needs a great ending that might make you want to read the next book (because yeah, this is a series).
But what I liked the most was the emotional writing. I loved how close Abbie and Eva were. You could always tell them apart because deep inside they were as different as twins can be, as siblings can be, as people can be. I loved how I could relate with both of them, how I wished for them to find a way to be happy sharing the same body, I loved how both made an impression on me – they were like 2 different sides of the same coin. You wouldn’t want one without the other. You couldn’t choose whom to stay, whom to fade away. They were both right even when they wanted different things (incompatible even) and it broke my heart to see how one’s happiness brought unhappiness for the other.
I understood Addie, yes she was a bit selfish at times, but all she wanted was a normal life. She also cared for Eva and when she gave her the one thing that made her happy (a tiny bit of control) they got into trouble – didn’t she have the right to be angry? Also the relationship between Ryan and Eva was a struggle for her, she didn’t want to have anything to do with Devon/Ryan and Hally/Lissa, but she quite had no choice and I can understand her side in this.
The cover: Oh, it is so beautiful. I should have started with it as it grabbed my attention from the first moment I saw it, and it has so much to do with the storyline. Wonderful indeed!
THE NOT-SO-GOOD
To put it simple: the second half of the book.
As emotional as the first half was for me, the second one left me in a state of indifference. I don’t like it when things are made simple for the main characters and they don’t do much hard work to stay out of trouble or to manage to get out of a tough situation (the “escaping” was poorly managed and it left me with a bit of a biter taste).
Even the love story seemed forced, it happened too quick and without much background. The two characters involved didn’t spend enough time together to really know each other before everything started to fall appart so I couldn’t relate with their emotions at all. Add to this the fact that we have 2 souls in both bodies and it will make for a quite awkward situation.
Still, I did enjoy this book and I might even get to read the next one when it comes out. There were some predictible moments, but they didn’t take away the pleasure of reading this story. There are still many questions to be answered, but I guess we’ll find more in the sequel.
Hope you’ll enjoy it too. Happy midnight reading!
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* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com ____________________________________________
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