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btwnprintedpgs's Reviews (1.3k)
Okay, it’s list time. [Please note, this is an honest review, don't hate me world.]
This book was a book of firsts:
It was my first ARC (thank you Razorbill Canada)(though after this they may think twice about sending me anything...)
It was my first book by Elizabeth George
And it was my first mystery novel in a while (in all honesty, the last mystery book I read that I can actually recall would probably be Nancy Drew and the mystery of something or another)
Things I disliked about the book… (this list is pretty hefty)
1. The ‘Whispers’. ‘Kay, it’s not like some chick’s hearing voices in her head, it’s like Edward Cullen meets a bad radio reception. I found that this did absolutely nothing for the plot. She couldn’t get anything useful, instead it was just irritating, likely to both Becca and to readers. Reading “Sponsor… wrong… what sort of fourth” (pg. 396) a number of times is just makes me sit here and think ARE THERE REASONS TO THESE WORDS. It was as if Ms. Elizabeth George thought ‘teenagers!’ therefore ‘MUST BE PARANORMAL IN SOME WAY SHAPE OR FORM’ -sticks in whispers- I guess the initial issue that brought Becca to the island was due to this paranormal trait, but it could’ve been brought on by something normal just as easily, but it wasn’t. It was brought on by these irritating half thoughts that just seemed like words typed out to fill the page.
2. The dialogue. My goodness. I see the reviews for all her other books and I’m here just like I DON’T SEE WHAT’S SO GREAT… ?! Like she makes Seth’s grandfather say “… favourite male grandson.” (pg. 391) [All my quotes are coming from the end 'cause I didn't think to bring sticky notes with me everywhere I read this book]. That bugged me and it was all to set up for a joke or a point that vaguely made me smile. It just wasn’t worth it. Maybe this is how her family speaks? I’m not one to judge, but it made the sentences all the more awkward and ill fitting.
3. The characters. None of the characters had depth to them. They were simply shallow, cliché type teenagers that you’d see in those overacted soaps or dramas on tv. There was the pain-in-the-ass bitch who kept saying ‘gutter/foul words’ that are too harsh for the eyes of a typical YA reader, the popular nice guy, the misunderstood sidekick, the dumbass girl who just DOESN’T GET IT, and the MC who, honestly I wanted to kick.
George WANTED to put some depth into the characters by adding in like hard background stories, where there were kids from Uganda, or the girl who lived in the nowhere part of town who didn’t have the greatest family, or the girl who’s father was slowly deteriorating but no one wanted to face the facts. Like I get that, but she just skimmed over it, as if just putting it there was enough. Half of the ‘rough-and-tough/this is life, you’d better face it/some people just have a shit hand dealt to them’ stuff wasn’t detail and I just didn’t catch on right away. I don’t know if I’m slow, or it just wasn’t written well (this is the ARC version? So maybe), but it just didn’t work for me.
4. The writing. Okay part of the above paragraph is part of the writing, but there were three thing that really irritated me.
-Her description of Derric. “The boy was black, deeply black, and the pure midnight of his skin made the policeman with him look white beyond white.” (pg. 24). Just that description alone is just wrong. Honestly, you can’t swear in the book but you can just spew on and on about how dark this kid’s skin is? When I write, I worry about putting stuff about Chinese superstitions in the book just ’cause I’m afraid I’ll offend someone AND I’M CHINESE. This description thoroughly irritated me. I wasn’t offended per se, but I just didn’t think it was the most apt way of describing someone.
-Her constant obsession with Becca’s weight. This isn’t weight watchers or Jenny Craig. Teenagers these days are so obsessed with their weight, they don’t need a book like this to tell them over and over again that being overweight is bad ’cause it isn’t. George pointed out at the beginning that Becca wasn’t the thinnest girl on the planet. She noted this through Becca’s mother saying things like “in through the lips and onto the hips” (pg 13). And then having guys in the book describe Beccas as “chubbette” with “thunder thighs” (pg 373). It’s horrible to hear and it’s horrible to read. By the end, when Becca loses weight, everyone looks at her differently. Sending this kind of message is wrong on so many levels. Maybe she thought putting something like that in would add some connection with the audience, but Becca only feels insecure and just lets people bully her without really standing up for herself or anything. Between this and Derric’s description, George did not win any points with me.
-Her use of italics. They’re everywhere. You don’t have a page without them (I’m exaggerating, but really). In one conversation between Becca and Seth she used them for every other sentence (now I’m not kidding). Like “Seth…” -two lines later- “come on…” then, “the sandels again” and “that’s it?” leading to, “I didn’t even know why anyone cared about them.” Is all of this really necessary. If anyone really spoke like this, they’d have some really irritating conversations.
5. The length of the book. It was dragged out. People say Eona/Eon by Alison Goodman was dragged out, but this is really pulled and stretched to an infinite limit. Likely, by the end of this trilogy (at least everyone believes it’s a trilogy), everyone would probably deduce that the entire book could’ve fit into one book alone. This is filled with useless walking around and teenage idiocy that isn’t even that realistic (that was another issue, it just wasn’t realistic – people’s reactions to things, and their actions, it just didn’t work right). It’s interesting the first 50 pages, where the main plot is set up, then this mini plot is set up, dragged on for 200 pages, and then the next 100 is a vague resolution that isn’t that satisfying to be honest, and it just drove me INSANE. At this point, I’ve had to make a million assumptions, which isn’t too good seeing as this is a 400 some-odd page book. One shouldn’t have to resort to assumptions.
Now, what I liked:
As odd as it is, I only liked three characters:
-Seth ’cause he actually had a lot of description to his character, you could actually feel something from him, and he was a good character.
-Seth’s grandfather, Ralph, just ’cause he made sense and was like the voice of reason where half of what he said made no sense, but the fact that he was supposed to be like the overseer of everything in the book added to his character which I kind of found helpful, oddly.
-Seth’s dog, just ’cause there wasn’t really anyone else to love.
Something about the writing. It kept me reading and hooked. Maybe ’cause I really wanted to know who did it, but I kept soldiering on through the book. Or maybe I just did that ’cause it was an ARC sent to me specifically and I felt some kind of obligation to finish it…
The end. And yet I hated it too. Something finally happens with the main plot… and then the book ends. It was as if George didn’t think we could handle any real action or anything really heavy.
So no, this was not a success in my eyes. This was George’s first YA novel, and it shows. She obviously doesn’t know her audience if she thinks that these characters and their flimsy stories would satisfy us. I’ve read other reviews, I’m not the only one disappointed by this novel. I expected something like Kelley Armstrong’s “Darkness Rising” series, where there’s just this special island with a tonne of different supernatural people on it. All I got was a vivid description of trees, hills, roads, and valleys, and a plot that seemed to have been rushed together with characters who just weren’t well thought out or well executed.
Will I read the next book? Honestly, I probably will. When I read a book like this, where I find so much wrong with it (-coughImmortalSeriescough-) I feel a need to read the rest in hopes of finding something redeemable in all this. Also, I kind of want to find out what happens with the main story line, screw everything else, and I also want Becca and Seth to end up together ’cause that would make sense, and this books needs a little ‘sense’. Maybe George will read this review and rethink a few things before she releases the next novel, though she probably won’t. Pipe dreams I tell you, but there’s always hope. (And I hope for a great sequel…)
-review by Between Printed Pages
This book was a book of firsts:
It was my first ARC (thank you Razorbill Canada)(though after this they may think twice about sending me anything...)
It was my first book by Elizabeth George
And it was my first mystery novel in a while (in all honesty, the last mystery book I read that I can actually recall would probably be Nancy Drew and the mystery of something or another)
Things I disliked about the book… (this list is pretty hefty)
1. The ‘Whispers’. ‘Kay, it’s not like some chick’s hearing voices in her head, it’s like Edward Cullen meets a bad radio reception. I found that this did absolutely nothing for the plot. She couldn’t get anything useful, instead it was just irritating, likely to both Becca and to readers. Reading “Sponsor… wrong… what sort of fourth” (pg. 396) a number of times is just makes me sit here and think ARE THERE REASONS TO THESE WORDS. It was as if Ms. Elizabeth George thought ‘teenagers!’ therefore ‘MUST BE PARANORMAL IN SOME WAY SHAPE OR FORM’ -sticks in whispers- I guess the initial issue that brought Becca to the island was due to this paranormal trait, but it could’ve been brought on by something normal just as easily, but it wasn’t. It was brought on by these irritating half thoughts that just seemed like words typed out to fill the page.
2. The dialogue. My goodness. I see the reviews for all her other books and I’m here just like I DON’T SEE WHAT’S SO GREAT… ?! Like she makes Seth’s grandfather say “… favourite male grandson.” (pg. 391) [All my quotes are coming from the end 'cause I didn't think to bring sticky notes with me everywhere I read this book]. That bugged me and it was all to set up for a joke or a point that vaguely made me smile. It just wasn’t worth it. Maybe this is how her family speaks? I’m not one to judge, but it made the sentences all the more awkward and ill fitting.
3. The characters. None of the characters had depth to them. They were simply shallow, cliché type teenagers that you’d see in those overacted soaps or dramas on tv. There was the pain-in-the-ass bitch who kept saying ‘gutter/foul words’ that are too harsh for the eyes of a typical YA reader, the popular nice guy, the misunderstood sidekick, the dumbass girl who just DOESN’T GET IT, and the MC who, honestly I wanted to kick.
George WANTED to put some depth into the characters by adding in like hard background stories, where there were kids from Uganda, or the girl who lived in the nowhere part of town who didn’t have the greatest family, or the girl who’s father was slowly deteriorating but no one wanted to face the facts. Like I get that, but she just skimmed over it, as if just putting it there was enough. Half of the ‘rough-and-tough/this is life, you’d better face it/some people just have a shit hand dealt to them’ stuff wasn’t detail and I just didn’t catch on right away. I don’t know if I’m slow, or it just wasn’t written well (this is the ARC version? So maybe), but it just didn’t work for me.
4. The writing. Okay part of the above paragraph is part of the writing, but there were three thing that really irritated me.
-Her description of Derric. “The boy was black, deeply black, and the pure midnight of his skin made the policeman with him look white beyond white.” (pg. 24). Just that description alone is just wrong. Honestly, you can’t swear in the book but you can just spew on and on about how dark this kid’s skin is? When I write, I worry about putting stuff about Chinese superstitions in the book just ’cause I’m afraid I’ll offend someone AND I’M CHINESE. This description thoroughly irritated me. I wasn’t offended per se, but I just didn’t think it was the most apt way of describing someone.
-Her constant obsession with Becca’s weight. This isn’t weight watchers or Jenny Craig. Teenagers these days are so obsessed with their weight, they don’t need a book like this to tell them over and over again that being overweight is bad ’cause it isn’t. George pointed out at the beginning that Becca wasn’t the thinnest girl on the planet. She noted this through Becca’s mother saying things like “in through the lips and onto the hips” (pg 13). And then having guys in the book describe Beccas as “chubbette” with “thunder thighs” (pg 373). It’s horrible to hear and it’s horrible to read. By the end, when Becca loses weight, everyone looks at her differently. Sending this kind of message is wrong on so many levels. Maybe she thought putting something like that in would add some connection with the audience, but Becca only feels insecure and just lets people bully her without really standing up for herself or anything. Between this and Derric’s description, George did not win any points with me.
-Her use of italics. They’re everywhere. You don’t have a page without them (I’m exaggerating, but really). In one conversation between Becca and Seth she used them for every other sentence (now I’m not kidding). Like “Seth…” -two lines later- “come on…” then, “the sandels again” and “that’s it?” leading to, “I didn’t even know why anyone cared about them.” Is all of this really necessary. If anyone really spoke like this, they’d have some really irritating conversations.
5. The length of the book. It was dragged out. People say Eona/Eon by Alison Goodman was dragged out, but this is really pulled and stretched to an infinite limit. Likely, by the end of this trilogy (at least everyone believes it’s a trilogy), everyone would probably deduce that the entire book could’ve fit into one book alone. This is filled with useless walking around and teenage idiocy that isn’t even that realistic (that was another issue, it just wasn’t realistic – people’s reactions to things, and their actions, it just didn’t work right). It’s interesting the first 50 pages, where the main plot is set up, then this mini plot is set up, dragged on for 200 pages, and then the next 100 is a vague resolution that isn’t that satisfying to be honest, and it just drove me INSANE. At this point, I’ve had to make a million assumptions, which isn’t too good seeing as this is a 400 some-odd page book. One shouldn’t have to resort to assumptions.
Now, what I liked:
As odd as it is, I only liked three characters:
-Seth ’cause he actually had a lot of description to his character, you could actually feel something from him, and he was a good character.
-Seth’s grandfather, Ralph, just ’cause he made sense and was like the voice of reason where half of what he said made no sense, but the fact that he was supposed to be like the overseer of everything in the book added to his character which I kind of found helpful, oddly.
-Seth’s dog, just ’cause there wasn’t really anyone else to love.
Something about the writing. It kept me reading and hooked. Maybe ’cause I really wanted to know who did it, but I kept soldiering on through the book. Or maybe I just did that ’cause it was an ARC sent to me specifically and I felt some kind of obligation to finish it…
The end. And yet I hated it too. Something finally happens with the main plot… and then the book ends. It was as if George didn’t think we could handle any real action or anything really heavy.
So no, this was not a success in my eyes. This was George’s first YA novel, and it shows. She obviously doesn’t know her audience if she thinks that these characters and their flimsy stories would satisfy us. I’ve read other reviews, I’m not the only one disappointed by this novel. I expected something like Kelley Armstrong’s “Darkness Rising” series, where there’s just this special island with a tonne of different supernatural people on it. All I got was a vivid description of trees, hills, roads, and valleys, and a plot that seemed to have been rushed together with characters who just weren’t well thought out or well executed.
Will I read the next book? Honestly, I probably will. When I read a book like this, where I find so much wrong with it (-coughImmortalSeriescough-) I feel a need to read the rest in hopes of finding something redeemable in all this. Also, I kind of want to find out what happens with the main story line, screw everything else, and I also want Becca and Seth to end up together ’cause that would make sense, and this books needs a little ‘sense’. Maybe George will read this review and rethink a few things before she releases the next novel, though she probably won’t. Pipe dreams I tell you, but there’s always hope. (And I hope for a great sequel…)
-review by Between Printed Pages
I really enjoyed this book. But not for the reasons I usually do. If there is one thing that Beth Revis absolutely excels at, it’s world building. Her creations always manage to pop out of the page and rise up around you, tossing you straight into her dystopian, tech-filled lands (or ships, in the case of Across the Universe). This book especially, everything was meticulously thought out. How the lifts work, where the impoverished live versus the rich, how the government works, what the world’s story is prior to the birth of New Venice, etc. There were so many little things that led to something bigger than originally thought and the graphic images the writing creates captivates you and pulls you. I think my favourite part of New Venice was Central Gardens, where they actually planted people’s ashes and created new life from it in the form of a forest of sorts, instead of using land for tombstones. But then they still had catacombs, for the poor, which really contrasted with the whole futuristic bubble New Venice sat in. Further, the whole cuffLINKs concept, the nanobots, and the reveries were fascinating. It was an interesting, if not terrifying, place to be.
Terrifying? Why terrifying? I think this feeling was mostly elicited from the whole android idea. Robots floating around, robots blowing up, robots acting in places of actual people. I don’t know, the whole concept was eerie. That being said, it was also what kept me glued to the pages. Especially regarding Ella and her parents. There were so many hallucinations and dreamscapes and it was disorienting as much as it was fascinating. For much of the story, it was often hard to decipher between dream and reality, and by the end it was a fantastical mess, and yet absolutely brilliant. There were so many unexpected resolutions. However, in a sense, some of them seemed like quick fixes. There was a lot of foreshadowing in the symbols, but I thought it was pretty put together, overall.
Unfortunately, the only things that I couldn’t be happy about were the characters. I just couldn’t connect to them. There was little investment in the romance, and little invest in the lives of any of the characters. Yes, it was kind of shocking when a few things happened, but I couldn’t mourn for them.
Aside from characters, I thought that the book was great, overall. Yes, there was some distance with the characters, but at the same time, it was hard to notice while reading, as the world of New Venice swept me off my feet. All the twists and turns of the story and the mystery of it all definitely made this book an interesting read.
Plot:4/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building:5/5
Writing:4.5/5
Cover:5/5
Overall:4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.87/5
eARC received via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Terrifying? Why terrifying? I think this feeling was mostly elicited from the whole android idea. Robots floating around, robots blowing up, robots acting in places of actual people. I don’t know, the whole concept was eerie. That being said, it was also what kept me glued to the pages. Especially regarding Ella and her parents. There were so many hallucinations and dreamscapes and it was disorienting as much as it was fascinating. For much of the story, it was often hard to decipher between dream and reality, and by the end it was a fantastical mess, and yet absolutely brilliant. There were so many unexpected resolutions. However, in a sense, some of them seemed like quick fixes. There was a lot of foreshadowing in the symbols, but I thought it was pretty put together, overall.
Unfortunately, the only things that I couldn’t be happy about were the characters. I just couldn’t connect to them. There was little investment in the romance, and little invest in the lives of any of the characters. Yes, it was kind of shocking when a few things happened, but I couldn’t mourn for them.
Aside from characters, I thought that the book was great, overall. Yes, there was some distance with the characters, but at the same time, it was hard to notice while reading, as the world of New Venice swept me off my feet. All the twists and turns of the story and the mystery of it all definitely made this book an interesting read.
Plot:4/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building:5/5
Writing:4.5/5
Cover:5/5
Overall:4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.87/5
eARC received via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I fell in love with the Study series back in 2010 or 2011, and when I found out that there would be a new adventure for Yelena, Valek, Ari, and Janco, I fangirled for a good few weeks (and then I noticed the release date and cried, but that's besides the point). I loved Poison Study, but the next two books disappointed me [Magic Study] [Fire Study]. Not that they weren't interesting, but the characters kind of let me down. This book, unfortunately followed that pattern.
I loved that this book finally gave a peak into Valek's past. This was probably the most captivating part of the novel. Valek's past has always been hidden in the shadows, more so than him, and his story was probably what kept me constantly reading the book. Every time his part popped up, I'd sit up straighter and give the book my full attention, because oh my goodness, it was amazing. Gah, reading about him training and his life in general is the best thing ever. And how he met the Commander! AH. It was awesome. I'd actually recommend the book for old and new fans, JUST for Valek's story. You have to admit, you're curious too.
Then there was Yelena. I love her. Don't get me wrong. But I hate that since she got her magic she's become a very dependent character. It's like all of her kickass training and stuff got tossed out the window the minute she found out that she has magical powers. I hate it. And I hated it especially in this book. As stated in the synopsis, her magic is blocked, and she becomes this weak girl. She's mopey, and sad, and "vulnerable". Yet, in the first book she was kickass and amazing. She doesn't even try now. No more warm-ups and training for her. It's annoying. that's what it is. Reading about her worrying over her powers drive me insane. I know that she's worried about some things, like fire world stuff, and getting like barraged with magic mojo, but when it comes to a physical fight, she just can't and that bothers me beyond reason. She was probably the let down for me in this book, and that sucks.
Janco and Ari are awesome as always, and I really love the new badass touch the new characters add to the story. At least someone can hold their own in a fight. They're story provides another hint of mystery and intrigue to the story, as well as general confusion and fascination. I love the final twist within their story. It really makes you question loyalties and who's trustworthy and it's perfect.
As per usual, her world building was wonderful. While I would've liked a little more of it, just to refresh my memory after all these years, it was a perfect amount if you were to read the series consecutively, without pause. I've missed the lands of Ixia and Sitia, and I know I'll miss them just as much as I wait for the next book to come out...
All and all, not my favourite of the series, but not a bad start to the new segment of it. Valek's story honestly makes the book, and if you don't want to read it for any other reason, read it for Valek, and you won't regret it.
Plot: 4.5/5 Characters: 4/5 World Building: 4.5/5 Writing: 5/5 Cover: 5/5 Overall: 4.5/5 GoodReads Rating: 4.23/5
eARC obtained via Mira via Harlequin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
I loved that this book finally gave a peak into Valek's past. This was probably the most captivating part of the novel. Valek's past has always been hidden in the shadows, more so than him, and his story was probably what kept me constantly reading the book. Every time his part popped up, I'd sit up straighter and give the book my full attention, because oh my goodness, it was amazing. Gah, reading about him training and his life in general is the best thing ever. And how he met the Commander! AH. It was awesome. I'd actually recommend the book for old and new fans, JUST for Valek's story. You have to admit, you're curious too.
Then there was Yelena. I love her. Don't get me wrong. But I hate that since she got her magic she's become a very dependent character. It's like all of her kickass training and stuff got tossed out the window the minute she found out that she has magical powers. I hate it. And I hated it especially in this book. As stated in the synopsis, her magic is blocked, and she becomes this weak girl. She's mopey, and sad, and "vulnerable". Yet, in the first book she was kickass and amazing. She doesn't even try now. No more warm-ups and training for her. It's annoying. that's what it is. Reading about her worrying over her powers drive me insane. I know that she's worried about some things, like fire world stuff, and getting like barraged with magic mojo, but when it comes to a physical fight, she just can't and that bothers me beyond reason. She was probably the let down for me in this book, and that sucks.
Janco and Ari are awesome as always, and I really love the new badass touch the new characters add to the story. At least someone can hold their own in a fight. They're story provides another hint of mystery and intrigue to the story, as well as general confusion and fascination. I love the final twist within their story. It really makes you question loyalties and who's trustworthy and it's perfect.
As per usual, her world building was wonderful. While I would've liked a little more of it, just to refresh my memory after all these years, it was a perfect amount if you were to read the series consecutively, without pause. I've missed the lands of Ixia and Sitia, and I know I'll miss them just as much as I wait for the next book to come out...
All and all, not my favourite of the series, but not a bad start to the new segment of it. Valek's story honestly makes the book, and if you don't want to read it for any other reason, read it for Valek, and you won't regret it.
Plot: 4.5/5 Characters: 4/5 World Building: 4.5/5 Writing: 5/5 Cover: 5/5 Overall: 4.5/5 GoodReads Rating: 4.23/5
eARC obtained via Mira via Harlequin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
HOLY MOTHER OF TEARS. That hurt. Like good hurt. For the most part.
The prologue tore my heart to pieces ’cause it was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. However, the book couldn’t make me love it.
The romance, first of all, was too easy. It was too instant, and too much all at once. When I finished, I thought about it and realized that the two only actually knew each other for about a week, max. Sure, it was a week that got split up across a longer timeline, but essentially it was a week. We actually saw more of the antagonist than the protagonist’s love interest and that annoyed me, especially since they were basically declaring their eternal love for each other by the end of the novel. Like please. No.
That being said, I LOVED the concept behind Owen’s studio. It breaks my heart that every single confession in this book is real and was submitted by actual people, who actually experienced these things, or are still experiencing these things. Yes, some of them were beautiful, lovely, and cute, but others were heartbreaking and awful to read, but at the same time, gave the book something real to hold onto. And the art was fantastic. I love Hoover’s need to put a unique spin on all her books – the was spoken word poetry, a deaf artist, journal entries of the past, etc., and now art. This concept was amazing, and I think it was awesome of Hoover to have her fans participate in this.
Auburn was a fine character. She was quite whiny at times, but overall, my feelings towards her a neutral. She didn’t bore me to tears, but at the same time, my heart didn’t fall to pieces when she told her story. Same with Owen. I couldn’t make myself care about his character, especially since much of the novel could have been solved if he had told Auburn the truth, or the police the truth. Either or would have worked really.
That being said, I really hated the antagonists in this novel. They were annoying to read, and I even wanted to punch them a couple of times based on what they said. Even then, however, Auburn never made a huge comeback for me. She was tossed to the ground so often that I wanted to kick those who tortured her, but at the same time, she was so passive about it all that she made me almost not care about the situation, thus dampening the impact of the story on me. She never fought back until the very end, and even then it was only half-way to what I had wanted.
Overall, a fantastic concept, but the overall execution left something to be desired.
The prologue tore my heart to pieces ’cause it was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. However, the book couldn’t make me love it.
The romance, first of all, was too easy. It was too instant, and too much all at once. When I finished, I thought about it and realized that the two only actually knew each other for about a week, max. Sure, it was a week that got split up across a longer timeline, but essentially it was a week. We actually saw more of the antagonist than the protagonist’s love interest and that annoyed me, especially since they were basically declaring their eternal love for each other by the end of the novel. Like please. No.
That being said, I LOVED the concept behind Owen’s studio. It breaks my heart that every single confession in this book is real and was submitted by actual people, who actually experienced these things, or are still experiencing these things. Yes, some of them were beautiful, lovely, and cute, but others were heartbreaking and awful to read, but at the same time, gave the book something real to hold onto. And the art was fantastic. I love Hoover’s need to put a unique spin on all her books – the was spoken word poetry, a deaf artist, journal entries of the past, etc., and now art. This concept was amazing, and I think it was awesome of Hoover to have her fans participate in this.
Auburn was a fine character. She was quite whiny at times, but overall, my feelings towards her a neutral. She didn’t bore me to tears, but at the same time, my heart didn’t fall to pieces when she told her story. Same with Owen. I couldn’t make myself care about his character, especially since much of the novel could have been solved if he had told Auburn the truth, or the police the truth. Either or would have worked really.
That being said, I really hated the antagonists in this novel. They were annoying to read, and I even wanted to punch them a couple of times based on what they said. Even then, however, Auburn never made a huge comeback for me. She was tossed to the ground so often that I wanted to kick those who tortured her, but at the same time, she was so passive about it all that she made me almost not care about the situation, thus dampening the impact of the story on me. She never fought back until the very end, and even then it was only half-way to what I had wanted.
Overall, a fantastic concept, but the overall execution left something to be desired.
Every. Single. Time. The amount of tissues I just used crying over this book is enough for me to wonder if Colleen has something against tissues. Or a share in the tissue making industry. 'Cause this book will make you love and hate the world as you know it so much that you won't know what to do with yourself except crawl into a ball and sob.
If you didn't get any of my thoughts from that, just know that this book was amazing and if I could read it for the first time again and again I would.
If you didn't get any of my thoughts from that, just know that this book was amazing and if I could read it for the first time again and again I would.