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taylorbarton's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jjohnsen's review against another edition
5.0
Exactly my type of thing. A dystopian future, people opposing the fascists escaping across a futuristic blend of destroyed landscapes and futuristic cities, jerk people in charge that are about a half step from politicians in 2023. I like the characters, and even though the writing feels a little first booky at times, it didn't annoy me. It's a little bit Parable of the Sower/Hunger Games/The Giver, but a pretty great clone and combination of those stories. I'd give it 4.5 stars if that was an option, and I'm ready to read the next two in the series.
whitneybkramer's review against another edition
1.0
This was...not good, and yet I still insisted on finishing it. At least it was a quick read. I'd really like to see a YA dystopia that's not extremely derivative at this point, but I don't think that's possible anymore.
bookishtiff's review against another edition
1.0
* I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley*
At first glance this books summary sounds super interesting but then at a second glance I started to realize that this book sounds familiar. Like I've read something before like this book. Then it hit me. I have. Back in elementary I was obsessed with getting books from scholastic book catalogs through my school. I got this one series called the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Now let me tell you about the Shadow Children series. In an dystopian country who suffer food shortages due to a drought a new law is put into play by the population police who now control the government. The law states that no family shall have no more than two children. Most family have to hide away their children in fear that their children would be taken away and forced to work. In The Rule of One the government creates a law stating that no family could have more than one child. Any other children are forced to be put into work plants. Ava and Mira are twins living in this society. Ava is the child that's considered the only one to exist. Together they take turns living as one person. Living and acting like they both are Ava. Now as you can tell the books are quite similar with those points but I've heard a few other people talking about how there's a lot of other books like this one.
The characters were very annoying. Ava had a bad day at school and instead of going up for this important diner with her father and the governor she guilt trips her sister, Mira, into going up for her. Then when Mira is found out by the governor's grandson Ava blames her for it all. Honestly I hated the sisters so much. I didn't like how it was confusing with telling them apart from each other. Yes they are twins and yes they have to be the same person in order to survive but there's nothing really to set the two apart besides a scar. They didn't seem like they were different people at all and that made it boring. After they were found out you start to see pieces of who Mira is as a person but most of it is just her trying to be different from her sister any way possible. I couldn't connect with the characters nor could I be afraid for them. The book was just meh. I didn't like it and I couldn't finish it. There's no way I could keep reading it. I got around 90% on the e-book and stopped. I didn't feel the need to read it any further. The characters and plot was just not for me. The writing style wasn't something I was particular fond of either. Each chapter switches point of views unnecessarily. It gives us no more information or details to move along the story or deepen the plot. Characters are introduced and taken out so easily through out the novel that it makes you wonder why where they even there in the first place. Overall I thought this book was lacking in everything. But that's just my honest option of this book and you may like this book. I really hope that this book is better in it's published form.
At first glance this books summary sounds super interesting but then at a second glance I started to realize that this book sounds familiar. Like I've read something before like this book. Then it hit me. I have. Back in elementary I was obsessed with getting books from scholastic book catalogs through my school. I got this one series called the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Now let me tell you about the Shadow Children series. In an dystopian country who suffer food shortages due to a drought a new law is put into play by the population police who now control the government. The law states that no family shall have no more than two children. Most family have to hide away their children in fear that their children would be taken away and forced to work. In The Rule of One the government creates a law stating that no family could have more than one child. Any other children are forced to be put into work plants. Ava and Mira are twins living in this society. Ava is the child that's considered the only one to exist. Together they take turns living as one person. Living and acting like they both are Ava. Now as you can tell the books are quite similar with those points but I've heard a few other people talking about how there's a lot of other books like this one.
The characters were very annoying. Ava had a bad day at school and instead of going up for this important diner with her father and the governor she guilt trips her sister, Mira, into going up for her. Then when Mira is found out by the governor's grandson Ava blames her for it all. Honestly I hated the sisters so much. I didn't like how it was confusing with telling them apart from each other. Yes they are twins and yes they have to be the same person in order to survive but there's nothing really to set the two apart besides a scar. They didn't seem like they were different people at all and that made it boring. After they were found out you start to see pieces of who Mira is as a person but most of it is just her trying to be different from her sister any way possible. I couldn't connect with the characters nor could I be afraid for them. The book was just meh. I didn't like it and I couldn't finish it. There's no way I could keep reading it. I got around 90% on the e-book and stopped. I didn't feel the need to read it any further. The characters and plot was just not for me. The writing style wasn't something I was particular fond of either. Each chapter switches point of views unnecessarily. It gives us no more information or details to move along the story or deepen the plot. Characters are introduced and taken out so easily through out the novel that it makes you wonder why where they even there in the first place. Overall I thought this book was lacking in everything. But that's just my honest option of this book and you may like this book. I really hope that this book is better in it's published form.
marianne789's review against another edition
2.0
Could have been better
I felt like I didn’t really get to know the main characters. This book had great potential, but in the end it had no real depth.
I felt like I didn’t really get to know the main characters. This book had great potential, but in the end it had no real depth.
winnie_miranda's review against another edition
4.0
Teenage girls being rebels and defying their father but later on regretting it. Twins kept running into obstacles which made the story suspenseful throughout.
rikkir77's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
squeebacon's review against another edition
4.0
This book was hard to put down! I really enjoyed the future tech and the rebellion. I could feel the hope/fear of the two main characters and I hope that there is a sequel eventually!
christinawegner's review against another edition
2.0
The concept of this book sounded.. maybe interesting? Unfortunately there is literally nothing unique about this book. The twins’ alternating chapters are indistinguishable from eachother. The “big twist” that other reviewers mention just sets up the sequel and increases the similarity to all the other dystopian YA.
The pacing was good, I’ll give it that.
The pacing was good, I’ll give it that.