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0rdinaryreader's review against another edition
3.0
This book was hard to get into. It had some pacing issues, but it had a great message and some really great quotes. I very much enjoyed the ending.
ellensbookishcollection's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
santonss's review
3.0
Added to this disconnect, is the poorly eluded plot twist that can save or kill them in the end. It felt like things should be coming to a head, but weren't. Finally when it was it was very awkward. if the devils been unmasked, for the few who were in the dark, why let it go on? It seemed like a great idea. but not that great of a story.
not_a_violin's review against another edition
1.0
I really, really hate giving books one star. I also have a rule in my head about not giving up on a book until page 100. With this one, i made it to 75 before i found my focus slipping too much to go on. I couldn't stand any of the main characters, for one thing. They drove me crazy. It was just...I don't know how to out it. Unappetizing? I don't know. I thought it had an interesting concept that could've been really cool, but I need to actually like the characters when I read about them - or at least like on of the main characters. Around page 40, I started to feel iffy about whether or not to continue. I was avoiding looking at other reviews so they wouldn't taint my ideas, but I needed to know whether I should go on or not. Maybe it would get better? A couple of the reviews had some promising parts to them, but most of them were saying what I was already thinking.
There really isn't much else to say besides that it wasn't the writing that was bad, which made me cringe that much more when I clicked on the one star. I just couldn't do it. Sorry.
ettegoom's review against another edition
1.0
I disagree... the characters were barely believable, and it was terribly difficult to feel anything for most of the characters - I won't be reading another book from this series...
nekoinpajamas's review against another edition
2.0
snowbenton's review against another edition
3.0
lazygal's review against another edition
2.0
The fifth, twin Bice, isn't like the others. Her talent is hiding, learning, studying (which she does by freezing time). Belle, her twin, is beautiful (but with an awful stench that can only be hidden by bathing in emotions); Val is a poet and seducer who can go back in time, perfecting conversations and events; Christian is an athlete, bathing in some weird serum and sleeping in a coffin; and Victoria is trying to be the most powerful, successful of them all.
Clearly, all these gifts come with a price other than that black, only-seen-when-wet beauty mark. Madame Villeroy, their governess, continually plays one against the other, making deals and promises with no real method to her other than madness. At times, when talking to Belle, she sounded like Miss Havisham, but at others she just sounded stereotypically schemey.
The five children manage to make enemies of almost everyone at Marlowe, with Belle the exception (thanks to her baths and her determination to get Thomas). That didn't feel at all real to me: why make their evil so obvious to all? And the ending, with Bice, Belle and Christian escaping, was overblown and moralistic. In between there were moments that were interesting, but the entire book didn't really hold together as a read.
I also wondered about the chapter introductions. At first, I thought they were supposed to represent others that had sold their souls to Faust but Jacob and Laura? No idea who they were. If you're going to hit people over the head, make it with an obvious hammer.
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
3.0
frootjoos's review against another edition
5.0
listening to sample...
PROS
+Katherine Kellgren
+Katherine Kellgren
CONS
-heard lukewarm reviews
(Katherine Kellgren WINS)
Final verdict: I *loved* it. http://bit.ly/rnslfaustaudio <--my review!