Scan barcode
hnagle15's review against another edition
2.0
I own and have read every one of Ellen Hopkins' books. She is without a doubt my favourite author. But this book? HUGE disappointment. I enjoyed her previous adult fiction books (Collateral and Triangles) but this one was just awful.
I had zero connection to the characters and kept waiting for something to happen the entire time I was reading it. But sadly, nothing ever happened and I finished the book feeling disappointed and like I wasted my time.
I typically read Hopkins' books in a day because I am so captivated. This one took me a week. I really would suggest passing by this one in the bookstore.
I had zero connection to the characters and kept waiting for something to happen the entire time I was reading it. But sadly, nothing ever happened and I finished the book feeling disappointed and like I wasted my time.
I typically read Hopkins' books in a day because I am so captivated. This one took me a week. I really would suggest passing by this one in the bookstore.
chrissymcbooknerd's review against another edition
1.0
"That's right ladies. He and I are doing the filthy, and you're right to be jealous."
And so begins the woeful tale of LOVE LIES BENEATH, a story that I am --from this point forward-- pretending did not actually come from the fabulous mind of Ellen Hopkins.
How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.
Let's just start with the characters. They're horrible -- especially our rich bitch, Tara, a self-proclaimed expert on throwing around money, raising other people's kids, and screwing whatever man stops in her path.
"Have I never told you about my superpower? Able to discern the size of a penis across a crowded room."
She's had one string of husbands after another, which is how she's fallen into her millions -- something she never lets anyone forget.
"What are you doing? Five hundred dollars a spin? You're down six grand! You have to play big to win big."
She criticizes everyone around her, but she knows that every male on earth wants nothing more than to ravish her. Even her sister's husband.
And here was the biggest WTF moment of them all -- she's strangely bitter and hostile towards her sister's husband, which just seems weird and uncomfortable after so many years. Eventually, she tells us why....
"What Mel will never know is that when they first started dating, Ol' Graham tried to put the moves on me. I told him if I ever found out he'd cheated on my sister, I'd kick his spindly ass."
Okay, that makes sense enough..... right?!
NO! Did we NOT just read, in the little short story/novella/prequel to this mess that after first meeting Graham, he and Tara "fuck for hours, until there's nothing left to fuck away".... ??!
I just CAN'T with this mess, Ellen Hopkins!!
The story line, apart from the characters, just never really gets better than that either. Tara goes skiing, injures herself, hooks up with a doctor, gets a threatening note, gripes at her sister, throws around money, maybe falls in love, etc., etc., etc.
I'm just SO accustomed to the emotional intricacy, honesty, and beauty conveyed through the author's usual lyrical style --- so this array into trashy adult prose was just incredibly unremarkable and disappointing and dull.
If I'm going to relate to the story, I need to have at least SOME trait or quirk or tendency of a character that I can grab onto and understand and FEEL for myself. And if I can't have that, at least give me a story that moves me.... or makes me think... or at least keeps me entertained!
There was just nothing here.... beyond a big mess.
But hey, if nothing else, at least let me leave you with a parting quote...
"But, as my late, great first husband once told me, 'A sweet pussy invites the tongue to tango...'"
And so begins the woeful tale of LOVE LIES BENEATH, a story that I am --from this point forward-- pretending did not actually come from the fabulous mind of Ellen Hopkins.
How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.
Let's just start with the characters. They're horrible -- especially our rich bitch, Tara, a self-proclaimed expert on throwing around money, raising other people's kids, and screwing whatever man stops in her path.
"Have I never told you about my superpower? Able to discern the size of a penis across a crowded room."
She's had one string of husbands after another, which is how she's fallen into her millions -- something she never lets anyone forget.
"What are you doing? Five hundred dollars a spin? You're down six grand! You have to play big to win big."
She criticizes everyone around her, but she knows that every male on earth wants nothing more than to ravish her. Even her sister's husband.
And here was the biggest WTF moment of them all -- she's strangely bitter and hostile towards her sister's husband, which just seems weird and uncomfortable after so many years. Eventually, she tells us why....
"What Mel will never know is that when they first started dating, Ol' Graham tried to put the moves on me. I told him if I ever found out he'd cheated on my sister, I'd kick his spindly ass."
Okay, that makes sense enough..... right?!
NO! Did we NOT just read, in the little short story/novella/prequel to this mess that after first meeting Graham, he and Tara "fuck for hours, until there's nothing left to fuck away".... ??!
I just CAN'T with this mess, Ellen Hopkins!!
The story line, apart from the characters, just never really gets better than that either. Tara goes skiing, injures herself, hooks up with a doctor, gets a threatening note, gripes at her sister, throws around money, maybe falls in love, etc., etc., etc.
I'm just SO accustomed to the emotional intricacy, honesty, and beauty conveyed through the author's usual lyrical style --- so this array into trashy adult prose was just incredibly unremarkable and disappointing and dull.
If I'm going to relate to the story, I need to have at least SOME trait or quirk or tendency of a character that I can grab onto and understand and FEEL for myself. And if I can't have that, at least give me a story that moves me.... or makes me think... or at least keeps me entertained!
There was just nothing here.... beyond a big mess.
But hey, if nothing else, at least let me leave you with a parting quote...
"But, as my late, great first husband once told me, 'A sweet pussy invites the tongue to tango...'"
alex_reads_avidly's review against another edition
4.0
Just one chapter...
The last chapter of this book brought the review from a 3 to a 4 for me. I knew Tara herself was “too good to be true.” This is not Ellen Hopkins at her best or even in “her style” but it’s still worth the read. The characters were multi-dimensional enough that I’ll read the sequel. The story was pretty good, although I do feel it could’ve been pushed more to the extreme. All the secrets were given away at the very end of the book and while that makes for a pleasant ending, it made for a pretty large slump right in the middle of the book as well. Hopkins is a rather fulfilling author so I hope the sequel is a 5 for me :).
The last chapter of this book brought the review from a 3 to a 4 for me. I knew Tara herself was “too good to be true.” This is not Ellen Hopkins at her best or even in “her style” but it’s still worth the read. The characters were multi-dimensional enough that I’ll read the sequel. The story was pretty good, although I do feel it could’ve been pushed more to the extreme. All the secrets were given away at the very end of the book and while that makes for a pleasant ending, it made for a pretty large slump right in the middle of the book as well. Hopkins is a rather fulfilling author so I hope the sequel is a 5 for me :).
lshuks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a good read overall, I've enjoyed Ellen Hopkins for years. This wasn't her best novel but she did create some great drama that was an overall good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
luckydayyy's review against another edition
2.0
This adult title by the Teen Poetry Queen, Ellen Hopkins, is a trashy, sexy, guilty pleasure version of a Mary Higgins Clark novel. The comparison of a female-driven thriller don't hold up much though since Clark's plots make more sense and have less (frustratingly) extraneous plot points (Example: [SPOILER] the oft-cited mango allergy plays out so disappointingly! Like you keep mentioning it and it gets the reader excited it'll play out dramatically, but NOPE). I would suggest these story deviations had been a red herring for some awesome ending, but nothing excited is revealed. The book awkwardly paces towards a mystery of sorts only to fizzle out in literally one page of (lame)explanation. Also, this book is gratuitously sexual at times. Which, let me tell you, I enjoy, but dang, it needs to be consistent; don't have Harlequin type scenes peppered into a thriller like this. It'd be the same as having a random, violent, bloody shoot-out scene in a book about small crime. I get it is supporting the character profile; she is sexual, liberated, experimental, but it read as so detailed just in those scenes, it felt cheap and jarring. That being said, I was interested in this book! Hopkins isn't a writing slouch, she will keep you hooked, even though unfortunately this one falls flat for me. Read her teen books, those are guilty, fun and totally worth it.
kellytopia1013's review against another edition
3.0
I love Ellen Hopkins work.
This book however felt more like just the first half of a book. I enjoyed reading it, I was just dissatisfied with the ending. I hope book 2 will fix this.
I love that Tara's character didn't change and she ended up being exactly who I thought she'd be.
I would love an entire book from Eli's point of view!
Cavin was kind of boring to me and it's hard for me to believe Tara is "in love" with him.
The end was a nice confirmation of what I'd been waiting for all along.
This book however felt more like just the first half of a book. I enjoyed reading it, I was just dissatisfied with the ending. I hope book 2 will fix this.
I love that Tara's character didn't change and she ended up being exactly who I thought she'd be.
I would love an entire book from Eli's point of view!
Cavin was kind of boring to me and it's hard for me to believe Tara is "in love" with him.
The end was a nice confirmation of what I'd been waiting for all along.
landscapesofink's review against another edition
3.0
The starting I didn't like that much. All in all, nothing much happened. The ending totally sucked. Got no clue what even went on. It was so different to her other books, I definitely did not like it as much.
*Edit* Damn didn't realise it was a series. Ugh that's annoying. Now I'll feel compelled to read the rest and I didn't even like the book.
*Edit* Damn didn't realise it was a series. Ugh that's annoying. Now I'll feel compelled to read the rest and I didn't even like the book.
rainafyre's review against another edition
1.0
Wtf was this shit?! That was a whole lot of blahhhh for absolutely nothing! Ellen Hopkins always throws in a twist at the end, but this one was terrible. The book was monotone throughout and when you're expecting an arc before the twist, it didn't happen. One of the most anti-climatic books I've ever read. The execution was terrible! What was the plot? What was the point of certain characters? I don't get it! It felt so rushed and unsatisfying in the end.
This one could've been an incredible book if more time was taken revising it so that all the dots lined up - instead it feels like you were given pointless information for nothing. I'm so disappointed as a fan!
This one could've been an incredible book if more time was taken revising it so that all the dots lined up - instead it feels like you were given pointless information for nothing. I'm so disappointed as a fan!
emldavis0314's review against another edition
1.0
I have loved every book of Ellen Hopkins that I have read so when I found out about this one I thought it would be the same way. I was wrong. I have read almost all of her books (teen & adult) and I was very pleased with them. (Expect People Kill People. That was worse than bad) This one was a disappointment. The scenes were to descriptive and raunchy for my taste. There were more details than there needed to be. The only reason I didn't stop reading is because I felt like I had a duty to complete this book. I'm going to read the second one of this series and I can only hope I'm not going to be as disappointed by that one as I am this one. I guess we will find out.
stupidnephilim's review against another edition
5.0
What can i say. It's Ellen Hopkins. All of her books are great.