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wordsofclover
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine a world full of men and no women. That’s what the future looks like when no female babies are born for over 50 years until Eve. Sixteen years later, Eve has grown up in a paradise created just for her, and she’s ready to embark on her mission to save the species. But how much of what she has been told is a lie, and is she really with the people who want what’s best for her?
I think I need to formally apologise to Tom and Giovanna Fletcher because this book was so much better than I thought it was going to be. I found the idea intriguing but I just assumed this would end up being a weird mish-mash of all the other dystopian books that have come before and be just an ‘alright’ read. But it was actually really good.
Eve of Man definitely stood up on its own for me, and I was instantly captivated by Eve’s character, as well as Bram’s and their different but equally sheltered worlds. The age of technology in this novel is also fascinating but it does make you wonder if they can do so much stuff with holograms, and conscious AIs, why can’t they create baby girls? Obviously a lot of this gets explained over the course of the book but I liked being able to ponder about it by myself for a while.
There is not a whole lot of world building in this book, at least for the first there quarters anyway as both Eve and Bram are in a very sheltered building away from the real world that is basically just gone to hell (because that’s what happens when things are left to men, duh).
One of the things that did bother me slightly was the lack of queer representation in this book. Surely, in a world full of men there would be A LOT of gay/bi/queer characters??? There was one brief mention of men kissing and that was it. I feel like there was the potential there to have some fantastic openly queer and proud characters and the Fletchers just didn’t take it up. Hopefully in the sequel!
On a side note - there was mention that the make-up industry was practically dead because of the lack of women. Umm men wear make-up too? The drag community alone would probably keep that industry going!
Imagine a world full of men and no women. That’s what the future looks like when no female babies are born for over 50 years until Eve. Sixteen years later, Eve has grown up in a paradise created just for her, and she’s ready to embark on her mission to save the species. But how much of what she has been told is a lie, and is she really with the people who want what’s best for her?
I think I need to formally apologise to Tom and Giovanna Fletcher because this book was so much better than I thought it was going to be. I found the idea intriguing but I just assumed this would end up being a weird mish-mash of all the other dystopian books that have come before and be just an ‘alright’ read. But it was actually really good.
Eve of Man definitely stood up on its own for me, and I was instantly captivated by Eve’s character, as well as Bram’s and their different but equally sheltered worlds. The age of technology in this novel is also fascinating but it does make you wonder if they can do so much stuff with holograms, and conscious AIs, why can’t they create baby girls? Obviously a lot of this gets explained over the course of the book but I liked being able to ponder about it by myself for a while.
There is not a whole lot of world building in this book, at least for the first there quarters anyway as both Eve and Bram are in a very sheltered building away from the real world that is basically just gone to hell (because that’s what happens when things are left to men, duh).
One of the things that did bother me slightly was the lack of queer representation in this book. Surely, in a world full of men there would be A LOT of gay/bi/queer characters??? There was one brief mention of men kissing and that was it. I feel like there was the potential there to have some fantastic openly queer and proud characters and the Fletchers just didn’t take it up. Hopefully in the sequel!
On a side note - there was mention that the make-up industry was practically dead because of the lack of women. Umm men wear make-up too? The drag community alone would probably keep that industry going!
I received this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Two Steps Forward follows two different middle-aged people, Zoe and Martin, as they embark upon the historic pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago. Both characters have a lot to think about, and they end up meeting each other, and other people along the way to help them on their journey, as well as gaining experiences that could never be replaced.
I actually ended up feeling a bit disappointed and overwhelmed by this book which I'm so surprised by because having completed a week of the Camino myself, I thought there would be so much in this that would resonate me and bring me back to that week.
First of, I have to say that I found there to be a weird sense of snobbery about the Camino in this book from many of the characters, both about which way people decide to do (mostly French versus Spanish) and how people do it (the whole thing versus a week or two). While yes, there are people who are able to put aside several months to walk the entire thing, that's just not feasible for many people who want to experience it so why put people down for only walking a week or two weeks, and deciding to walk a more 'tourist-heavy way.' Everyone does the Camino for different reasons whether it's religious, spiritual. health etc and even though our characters were super preachy about their reasons, I felt like the overall message got a tiny bit lost halfway through when the Camino snobbery became apparent.
I also really, really didn't like the main characters Zoe and Martin. I found both of them super stiff, and really anal about well, everything. It would have actually made for a nicer dynamic if one of them had been a little bit more free-wheeling but whatever it was with them, I just hated them both. There was also a lot of drama between them both, though mostly on Zoe's part that, at times, was definitely not needed. It made reading them a little bit exhausting. Yes, some of Zoe's freak-outs and feelings were realistic given her situation but the amount of times they ran off on one another, come on. Also I felt ZERO chemistry between the characters anyway and it just felt like the authors mashed them together just because they could.
So with all the bad things said, I will say that the camaraderie between the walkers on the Camino was portrayed very well. No matter how little or how much you talk to the people walking the trail with you, you're all doing the same thing and feeling those same aches and it definitely creates a bond, even if you never see each other again.
Two Steps Forward follows two different middle-aged people, Zoe and Martin, as they embark upon the historic pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago. Both characters have a lot to think about, and they end up meeting each other, and other people along the way to help them on their journey, as well as gaining experiences that could never be replaced.
I actually ended up feeling a bit disappointed and overwhelmed by this book which I'm so surprised by because having completed a week of the Camino myself, I thought there would be so much in this that would resonate me and bring me back to that week.
First of, I have to say that I found there to be a weird sense of snobbery about the Camino in this book from many of the characters, both about which way people decide to do (mostly French versus Spanish) and how people do it (the whole thing versus a week or two). While yes, there are people who are able to put aside several months to walk the entire thing, that's just not feasible for many people who want to experience it so why put people down for only walking a week or two weeks, and deciding to walk a more 'tourist-heavy way.' Everyone does the Camino for different reasons whether it's religious, spiritual. health etc and even though our characters were super preachy about their reasons, I felt like the overall message got a tiny bit lost halfway through when the Camino snobbery became apparent.
I also really, really didn't like the main characters Zoe and Martin. I found both of them super stiff, and really anal about well, everything. It would have actually made for a nicer dynamic if one of them had been a little bit more free-wheeling but whatever it was with them, I just hated them both. There was also a lot of drama between them both, though mostly on Zoe's part that, at times, was definitely not needed. It made reading them a little bit exhausting. Yes, some of Zoe's freak-outs and feelings were realistic given her situation but the amount of times they ran off on one another, come on. Also I felt ZERO chemistry between the characters anyway and it just felt like the authors mashed them together just because they could.
So with all the bad things said, I will say that the camaraderie between the walkers on the Camino was portrayed very well. No matter how little or how much you talk to the people walking the trail with you, you're all doing the same thing and feeling those same aches and it definitely creates a bond, even if you never see each other again.
Okay, after months of reading this I'm finally DNF-ing it at 50%. I just can't. I hate the characters so much.
Wowza, what DRAMA!
The One is slightly more fast-paced than The Selection and The Elite, which is good. After having two books with America dill-dallying over whether she loved Aspen or Maxon, and then not knowing whether she really wanted the Princess role along with the husband, it was a relief to read a book where for the first time, the reader knew exactly where her heart lay. But of course, America might be strong in some things but when it came to telling her object of affection her true feelings, she was too scared to put it out there first. I felt like grabbing her at some points and shaking her by the shoulders.
I was really happy to see how a character should as Celeste, who was despised for the first two books by readers (in my opinion) because of her actions, do a complete turn around. For the first time, we were able to see the shining, beautiful girl she was rather than the spiteful creature she had pretended to be. The One brings out such a closeness between the girls, and for the first time, I really felt that unity and it was nice to read something beyond a competition to win a boy.
I have read a lot of books, that contain a lot of deaths of beloved characters. Everytime a character dies, I feel a little piece of my heart breaking off but the scene with Celeste, those two lines were so brutal to me, that I gave a little gasp and I felt my heart shudder with the violence of her death. I think it shows some real credit to Cass's writing that I and I'm sure others could feel that way about a character who was so hated before. Celeste didn't deserve that kind of death.
I saw Aspen and Lucy coming from the first book though I was surprised at the strength of Aspen's feelings for Lucy. It was lovely though and how lovely was it, that Aspen was the one to give America away. I loved that. In the absence of her dad, I think he was the next best thing. And I just hope that Kota wasn't even invited.
I really can't WAIT for the fourth book, bring it on!!!!!
The One is slightly more fast-paced than The Selection and The Elite, which is good. After having two books with America dill-dallying over whether she loved Aspen or Maxon, and then not knowing whether she really wanted the Princess role along with the husband, it was a relief to read a book where for the first time, the reader knew exactly where her heart lay. But of course, America might be strong in some things but when it came to telling her object of affection her true feelings, she was too scared to put it out there first. I felt like grabbing her at some points and shaking her by the shoulders.
I was really happy to see how a character should as Celeste, who was despised for the first two books by readers (in my opinion) because of her actions, do a complete turn around. For the first time, we were able to see the shining, beautiful girl she was rather than the spiteful creature she had pretended to be. The One brings out such a closeness between the girls, and for the first time, I really felt that unity and it was nice to read something beyond a competition to win a boy.
I really can't WAIT for the fourth book, bring it on!!!!!
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I received a free e-copy of this book via NetGalley from the author/publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Thirteen is a crime thriller unlike any I have read before and I was genuinely hooked from the very first line to the last. I couldn't put it down.
Thirteen is the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn crime thriller series BUT you don;t have to read the others to read this one, as I haven't and I got absolutely fine with it. In this story, we meet Joshua Kane, a cold-blooded serial killer who is extremely clever and has been getting away with his crimes for years. He's arranging a place for himself on the jury of a high profile murder case so he can make sure an innocent man goes down for his crime. But defense attorney Eddie Flynn is called up last minute to work on the case, and he may be onto Kane.
Wow, oh wow. I loved this book! Not only was it thrilling, and bloody at times but it was also highly clever and suspenseful with the amount of court room drama as well as the actual physical altercations that happened throughout the novel. I felt scared for every character in this book because Kane was a killer like I've never read about before. He literally thinks of everything (almost) in order to get away with his crimes.
Every part of this book was written really, really well from Kane's POV and his terrifying way of thinking, to how Eddie Flynn worked out the different ways to prove that Bobby was innocent of the murder charges laid against him. Flynn has a confidence but not too much of a swagger that makes him instantly likable and someone who is easy to root for.
I don't want to write too much about this book because it is a thriller and you shouldn't know too much about all the goings on but trust me, read this book! It's fantastic!
Thirteen is a crime thriller unlike any I have read before and I was genuinely hooked from the very first line to the last. I couldn't put it down.
Thirteen is the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn crime thriller series BUT you don;t have to read the others to read this one, as I haven't and I got absolutely fine with it. In this story, we meet Joshua Kane, a cold-blooded serial killer who is extremely clever and has been getting away with his crimes for years. He's arranging a place for himself on the jury of a high profile murder case so he can make sure an innocent man goes down for his crime. But defense attorney Eddie Flynn is called up last minute to work on the case, and he may be onto Kane.
Wow, oh wow. I loved this book! Not only was it thrilling, and bloody at times but it was also highly clever and suspenseful with the amount of court room drama as well as the actual physical altercations that happened throughout the novel. I felt scared for every character in this book because Kane was a killer like I've never read about before. He literally thinks of everything (almost) in order to get away with his crimes.
Every part of this book was written really, really well from Kane's POV and his terrifying way of thinking, to how Eddie Flynn worked out the different ways to prove that Bobby was innocent of the murder charges laid against him. Flynn has a confidence but not too much of a swagger that makes him instantly likable and someone who is easy to root for.
I don't want to write too much about this book because it is a thriller and you shouldn't know too much about all the goings on but trust me, read this book! It's fantastic!
