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booksarethenewblack
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
This might be one of the best series ending that I have ever read. I was not expecting this book to take the route it did but I loved it. This was by far, the best book of the series!
I did miss the games that were such a big part of the first two books. Although, this was a lot more serious because they are trying to save themselves and the world from the Fates. It was so intriguing and I never got bored. There are a lot of small twists and turns but nothing major, like the first two books.
I loved to see how all of these characters have grown and developed throughout the series. Especially, Tella! She’s definitely still her crazy and rash self but she’s learned a lot and knows what she wants/deserves. I really love Legend. I wasn’t really surprised about his ending but I did enjoy the ride to get there.
I did like the dual point of view between Scarlett and Tella. Although, I feel like we get way more of Tella’s side than we do Scarlett. I kept thinking this was a book about Tella and her love triangle. I did not really care for that because I hate love triangles. I was really not happy when we were starting out with two different love triangles. What is that even? Ugh!
I really, really enjoyed the Fates and all the different characters. I kept finding myself wanting to know more about them and not wanting this book to end. I would totally be okay with a spinoff about some of them, for sure!
This might be one of the best series ending that I have ever read. I was not expecting this book to take the route it did but I loved it. This was by far, the best book of the series!
I did miss the games that were such a big part of the first two books. Although, this was a lot more serious because they are trying to save themselves and the world from the Fates. It was so intriguing and I never got bored. There are a lot of small twists and turns but nothing major, like the first two books.
I loved to see how all of these characters have grown and developed throughout the series. Especially, Tella! She’s definitely still her crazy and rash self but she’s learned a lot and knows what she wants/deserves. I really love Legend. I wasn’t really surprised about his ending but I did enjoy the ride to get there.
I did like the dual point of view between Scarlett and Tella. Although, I feel like we get way more of Tella’s side than we do Scarlett. I kept thinking this was a book about Tella and her love triangle. I did not really care for that because I hate love triangles. I was really not happy when we were starting out with two different love triangles. What is that even? Ugh!
I really, really enjoyed the Fates and all the different characters. I kept finding myself wanting to know more about them and not wanting this book to end. I would totally be okay with a spinoff about some of them, for sure!
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Birdie and Daniel. Bennett does talk about some dark subjects but she handles it well. I really loved how their characters had a lot of depth.
This was definitely a fast paced book and I was never bored or anything. The problem was that it was so so predictable. I really saw everything coming and I didn’t even have to try hard. There’s a mystery they are trying to solve throughout the book but it really wasn’t much of a mystery to me. There wasn’t a thing that I didn’t see coming. I think that’s why this book was just fine for me. I was expecting a lot more from it and I didn’t get that.
I’m not saying this was a bad read because it wasn’t. It just wasn’t something that blew me away. I do own two of her other books and I want to read those. I have seen people rave about those too. Maybe this one just wasn’t for me.
3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Birdie and Daniel. Bennett does talk about some dark subjects but she handles it well. I really loved how their characters had a lot of depth.
This was definitely a fast paced book and I was never bored or anything. The problem was that it was so so predictable. I really saw everything coming and I didn’t even have to try hard. There’s a mystery they are trying to solve throughout the book but it really wasn’t much of a mystery to me. There wasn’t a thing that I didn’t see coming. I think that’s why this book was just fine for me. I was expecting a lot more from it and I didn’t get that.
I’m not saying this was a bad read because it wasn’t. It just wasn’t something that blew me away. I do own two of her other books and I want to read those. I have seen people rave about those too. Maybe this one just wasn’t for me.
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I have had this on my “currently reading” Goodreads shelf for almost a year. I received an e-ARC from the publisher (Albert Whitman & Company) and Netgalley. Thank you! I am so sorry that it took so long to read and review this book. As many know, it was due to a crazy pregnancy.
Anyways, this book had so much promise and potential but it just didn’t do it for me. I felt like I needed more from the world building. There are so many things that I would have loved more information and background on. Things were just skimmed or skipped. This was one of the biggest issues for me.
I do think that the author did a great job with the characters and supporting characters. Anyone else wanting to read more about her parents? That would be an awesome book, I think! I really was craving so much more about them. I did have some issues with Hesina because she was just frustrating at times. She was a Queen and she did not act like it. She acted on the side lines and she really needed to assert her power. I think one of my favorite characters was Akira. I wish he would have been a little bit more present. He was a lot of fun.
I do wish that the “trial” actually lasted a lot longer. I really enjoyed Akira finding the faults in the witnesses stories. It was amusing and I would have loved a lot more of it! It really could have helped this book because the plot is so slow. It takes forever to get things going and it gets a bit boring. It’s not particularly a hard read but just a really slow build.
I did like some of the plot twists! I did know what a couple of them were ahead of time, it was quite obvious. I think what really threw me was Lilian. Ahhh! That’s all I’ll say about that because .. no spoilers!
Overall, this wasn’t a terrible book but I wanted a lot more from it. If I remember correctly, it was pretty hyped before it came out last year. I’m not sure what happened after that, since I kind of dropped off the face of the earth. Regardless, there are definitely some enjoyable moments but it’s filled with some issues.
I have had this on my “currently reading” Goodreads shelf for almost a year. I received an e-ARC from the publisher (Albert Whitman & Company) and Netgalley. Thank you! I am so sorry that it took so long to read and review this book. As many know, it was due to a crazy pregnancy.
Anyways, this book had so much promise and potential but it just didn’t do it for me. I felt like I needed more from the world building. There are so many things that I would have loved more information and background on. Things were just skimmed or skipped. This was one of the biggest issues for me.
I do think that the author did a great job with the characters and supporting characters. Anyone else wanting to read more about her parents? That would be an awesome book, I think! I really was craving so much more about them. I did have some issues with Hesina because she was just frustrating at times. She was a Queen and she did not act like it. She acted on the side lines and she really needed to assert her power. I think one of my favorite characters was Akira. I wish he would have been a little bit more present. He was a lot of fun.
I do wish that the “trial” actually lasted a lot longer. I really enjoyed Akira finding the faults in the witnesses stories. It was amusing and I would have loved a lot more of it! It really could have helped this book because the plot is so slow. It takes forever to get things going and it gets a bit boring. It’s not particularly a hard read but just a really slow build.
I did like some of the plot twists! I did know what a couple of them were ahead of time, it was quite obvious. I think what really threw me was Lilian. Ahhh! That’s all I’ll say about that because .. no spoilers!
Overall, this wasn’t a terrible book but I wanted a lot more from it. If I remember correctly, it was pretty hyped before it came out last year. I’m not sure what happened after that, since I kind of dropped off the face of the earth. Regardless, there are definitely some enjoyable moments but it’s filled with some issues.
I had access to this, last spring through the Publisher, on Netgalley. I was approved at the same time that things went terribly wrong with my pregnancy. I didn’t even remember it until months later. By then, it was too late and it was archived on Netgalley. I did purchase this a couple weeks ago. Backman is always an author I buy the books, even if I get an ARC. His books are just amazing.
This book was hilarious! I’m kind of glad I didn’t read it then and waited until now. I have my own son and have some of the experiences he has had. It was quite hilarious! There’s a lot that reminded me of my husband too. Especially, when I would go to bed at 7pm in early pregnancy, and he would stay up late playing video games next to me. He loved that. haha.
I don’t know if it’s exhaustion (I get slap happy) but I was dying laughing so many times. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed! I really enjoyed it. For this reason, I definitely was going to give it 5 stars. I enjoyed it so much.
Like all his books, his writing is just so good. He knows how to talk about the most mundane things and turn it into a life lesson. Some of them are pretty big lessons too. At times, I would wonder where he was going with something and BAM, it would hit you. Pretty great stuff.
I did make my husband read some of the things and he would laugh too. I think this is good for all fathers and mothers. Pretty much, parenting is a crazy ride and hard as all get out, but completely and utterly worth it.
“The realization that you will, from that moment on, draw all your breaths through someone else’s lungs hits you harder when you aren’t prepared”
YES, 100%!!
This is a shorter book and so fast paced. I devoured it! I would say, without all the breaks I had to take, it took me less than two hours to read this one. If you want a really fun and light read, this is for you. If you have kids and want a laugh, read this one!
This book was hilarious! I’m kind of glad I didn’t read it then and waited until now. I have my own son and have some of the experiences he has had. It was quite hilarious! There’s a lot that reminded me of my husband too. Especially, when I would go to bed at 7pm in early pregnancy, and he would stay up late playing video games next to me. He loved that. haha.
I don’t know if it’s exhaustion (I get slap happy) but I was dying laughing so many times. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed! I really enjoyed it. For this reason, I definitely was going to give it 5 stars. I enjoyed it so much.
Like all his books, his writing is just so good. He knows how to talk about the most mundane things and turn it into a life lesson. Some of them are pretty big lessons too. At times, I would wonder where he was going with something and BAM, it would hit you. Pretty great stuff.
I did make my husband read some of the things and he would laugh too. I think this is good for all fathers and mothers. Pretty much, parenting is a crazy ride and hard as all get out, but completely and utterly worth it.
“The realization that you will, from that moment on, draw all your breaths through someone else’s lungs hits you harder when you aren’t prepared”
YES, 100%!!
This is a shorter book and so fast paced. I devoured it! I would say, without all the breaks I had to take, it took me less than two hours to read this one. If you want a really fun and light read, this is for you. If you have kids and want a laugh, read this one!
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I did it! I finally finished this book. This one was a lot harder to get through than the previous two. I really felt like this story just went a completely different direction than I was expecting. It wasn’t necessarily a bad read but not great.
The writing and world building in this book is very good. I will not deny that. I completely understand why so many people love this series and this author. He did a really fabulous job writing. BUT this book was way too long. I was finding myself becoming really bored with the abundance of information that was really not needed.
There are a lot of new characters introduced in this book, which I was surprised by. He did such a great job weaving their stories together but there were so many. Some of the characters I liked and some I didn’t.
I did really like Jeri! She was a bit refreshing and I loved her relationship with Citra. I don’t know that I could ever see her ending up how she did but oh well.
I was right, Greyson would have a much bigger part in this book. I still didn’t find myself really connecting or caring about his character that much. I’m not sure why but I just didn’t. I’m a bit confused on why the last two books spent so much time on him and he’s literally not in the first book, which so many people loved. Coincidence or not? hmm..
One of the main reasons I loved the first book so much was because I loved Citra and Rowan. We get pretty much none of that in this book and I think it’s a HUGE misstep on Shusterman’s part. It is partly why I feel like this book is kind of a shift from the initial series. I have seen many people stress this same point as to a negative aspect of this book. I mean, I really could have used a lot more of Rowan’s sarcastic banter!
One character that I did find myself liking was Rand. I was a bit surprised by this but I think she came kind of a long way. I know that she let a lot of terrible things happen but in the end, she kind of comes through. It might have been for selfish reasons but she did it.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending either. It was all a bit too out there for me. I’m so sad because I really loved the first book so much! To me, it just felt like a completely separate book from the series at times. I think, if I would have read this as a standalone, I would have liked it more.
I did it! I finally finished this book. This one was a lot harder to get through than the previous two. I really felt like this story just went a completely different direction than I was expecting. It wasn’t necessarily a bad read but not great.
The writing and world building in this book is very good. I will not deny that. I completely understand why so many people love this series and this author. He did a really fabulous job writing. BUT this book was way too long. I was finding myself becoming really bored with the abundance of information that was really not needed.
There are a lot of new characters introduced in this book, which I was surprised by. He did such a great job weaving their stories together but there were so many. Some of the characters I liked and some I didn’t.
I did really like Jeri! She was a bit refreshing and I loved her relationship with Citra. I don’t know that I could ever see her ending up how she did but oh well.
I was right, Greyson would have a much bigger part in this book. I still didn’t find myself really connecting or caring about his character that much. I’m not sure why but I just didn’t. I’m a bit confused on why the last two books spent so much time on him and he’s literally not in the first book, which so many people loved. Coincidence or not? hmm..
One of the main reasons I loved the first book so much was because I loved Citra and Rowan. We get pretty much none of that in this book and I think it’s a HUGE misstep on Shusterman’s part. It is partly why I feel like this book is kind of a shift from the initial series. I have seen many people stress this same point as to a negative aspect of this book. I mean, I really could have used a lot more of Rowan’s sarcastic banter!
One character that I did find myself liking was Rand. I was a bit surprised by this but I think she came kind of a long way. I know that she let a lot of terrible things happen but in the end, she kind of comes through. It might have been for selfish reasons but she did it.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending either. It was all a bit too out there for me. I’m so sad because I really loved the first book so much! To me, it just felt like a completely separate book from the series at times. I think, if I would have read this as a standalone, I would have liked it more.
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I don’t think I was expecting this book to go where it did. I’m not saying that in a bad way but I was surprised at the direction. I’m not quite sure how I feel about what has happened! I can see why this series is recommended so much!
This book felt a bit slower paced than the previous. It could be that it felt a little lacking in the action. It was a lot of buildup, I think. I did really enjoy the last half of the book though. The ending was crazy! I did not see that coming.
I think it might have been a bit slower paced because I wasn’t really drawn into the new characters as much. I really didn’t care what Greyson was doing as an unsavory. I guess, it all just had to come full circle in a way. I’m sure his character will have a much bigger part in the final book.
I do think this series is really intense! The way that Shusterman describes some of the deaths is so detailed and kind of gross. It’s definitely on the darker spectrum for a read, if you are looking for something light and fluffy, this is not it!
If anyone has read the Illuminae Files, did “Thunderhead” remind you of Aiden, at all? I kept getting those vibes. I’m not entirely sure he’s a good guy here. He’s got way too much power and it might be going to his head a bit. I guess, I will see what happens in the next book.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I can’t wait to read the next one! Well… I’ve already started it.
I don’t think I was expecting this book to go where it did. I’m not saying that in a bad way but I was surprised at the direction. I’m not quite sure how I feel about what has happened! I can see why this series is recommended so much!
This book felt a bit slower paced than the previous. It could be that it felt a little lacking in the action. It was a lot of buildup, I think. I did really enjoy the last half of the book though. The ending was crazy! I did not see that coming.
I think it might have been a bit slower paced because I wasn’t really drawn into the new characters as much. I really didn’t care what Greyson was doing as an unsavory. I guess, it all just had to come full circle in a way. I’m sure his character will have a much bigger part in the final book.
I do think this series is really intense! The way that Shusterman describes some of the deaths is so detailed and kind of gross. It’s definitely on the darker spectrum for a read, if you are looking for something light and fluffy, this is not it!
If anyone has read the Illuminae Files, did “Thunderhead” remind you of Aiden, at all? I kept getting those vibes. I’m not entirely sure he’s a good guy here. He’s got way too much power and it might be going to his head a bit. I guess, I will see what happens in the next book.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I can’t wait to read the next one! Well… I’ve already started it.
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I have finally read this book!! I was waiting for the series to be completely out before starting. Although, now I’m nervous about the ending. Anyways, lets get to this book!
Wow! What a great book! If you are in a funk, pick this one up. The world building is so amazing. I mean, it’s such a refreshing and new concept. To introduce a new world like that and not make it confusing or an information overload, is impressive. It kept me on my toes and I had such a hard time putting this down. It was so fast paced and I appreciated that.
I loved the characters in this book. I love how we have two people, who are so different, kind of competing for their life. It was so interesting to see their thought process and how they dealt with it. I loved that we get each of their POV’s. I loved Rowan’s clever mind and Cythra’s sassy personality. I think for it being just the first book, they both had amazing character growth! The supporting characters are really great too.
One of my issues and it’s a small one… is that towards the end we skip A LOT. There’s a lot of crazy going on and we don’t really get any of it. It kind of skips a huge chunk of time and I would have loved to know more about each of the journeys that were happening at that time.
Overall, this was a great read. I flew through it and I really am craving more. I am so glad to finally read this book. It’s been one that has been recommended to me so many times. I get why it was so hyped! I know that a lot of people have been saying this is the best in the series but I can’t wait for book two!
I have finally read this book!! I was waiting for the series to be completely out before starting. Although, now I’m nervous about the ending. Anyways, lets get to this book!
Wow! What a great book! If you are in a funk, pick this one up. The world building is so amazing. I mean, it’s such a refreshing and new concept. To introduce a new world like that and not make it confusing or an information overload, is impressive. It kept me on my toes and I had such a hard time putting this down. It was so fast paced and I appreciated that.
I loved the characters in this book. I love how we have two people, who are so different, kind of competing for their life. It was so interesting to see their thought process and how they dealt with it. I loved that we get each of their POV’s. I loved Rowan’s clever mind and Cythra’s sassy personality. I think for it being just the first book, they both had amazing character growth! The supporting characters are really great too.
One of my issues and it’s a small one… is that towards the end we skip A LOT. There’s a lot of crazy going on and we don’t really get any of it. It kind of skips a huge chunk of time and I would have loved to know more about each of the journeys that were happening at that time.
Overall, this was a great read. I flew through it and I really am craving more. I am so glad to finally read this book. It’s been one that has been recommended to me so many times. I get why it was so hyped! I know that a lot of people have been saying this is the best in the series but I can’t wait for book two!
