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jooke's review
3.0
3.5*
WTF!!! what a twisted end! I can't really seem to get my mind wrapped around it.
For the most part of the book you're wondering: "How can someone set up an online platform that basically shares random peoples personal information a second time and still don't realize the risks and consequences?" and "What drama happened before Graham moved next door to Ally and Sydney". Once that part was revealed everything happend so fast I struggled to keep up. The end just blew up in my face and I felt like I was screwed the entire time... Still don't understand how this end was possible...
WTF!!! what a twisted end! I can't really seem to get my mind wrapped around it.
For the most part of the book you're wondering: "How can someone set up an online platform that basically shares random peoples personal information a second time and still don't realize the risks and consequences?" and "What drama happened before Graham moved next door to Ally and Sydney". Once that part was revealed everything happend so fast I struggled to keep up. The end just blew up in my face and I felt like I was screwed the entire time... Still don't understand how this end was possible...
islandgeekgirl's review
2.0
When Graham's family moves next door to Alyson's, she feels an instant connection to the shy, awkward boy. To her, he's a sweet boy and she's falling in love with him. To Alyson's sister Sydney, Graham's weird, creepy, and something about him scream 'danger'. Sydney is determined to save her sister from him. But part of Sydney is drawn to Graham too. And the more Sydney gets to know him, the more she finds out how right, and how wrong, she is about everything.
Twisted Fate was told from multiple POVs, most of them being the three main characters of Sydney, Alyson, and Graham. The other POVs were random, Sydney's best friend or Graham's step-mother, a police officer, all character the reader never spent much time with so it felt like they were more of an insert POV to show or tell us something seemingly important. With the book being on the shorter side, all the extra POVs took time away from fleshing out the main characters of Syd, Ally, and Graham so they felt a little shallow.
There seemed to be a lot of telling in the book instead of letting the reader feel or discover things for themselves. Sydney was supposedly a genius but we never got to see that. Instead we were told all the time that she got great grades and that she was so smart because she read books and knew big words. She was supposedly a trouble-maker which we saw by her skipping school and smoking pot but that was it. There was very little details mentioned about the character's passions: skateboarding, computer hacking, making and editing film, baking. There would occasionally be a mention thrown in like 'coding' or 'Tony Hawk' but it ended up coming across more like something the characters did in their spare time than something they loved to do.
What did work for me was Graham and his whole creepy film guy plot. He definitely did creep me out. Maybe I watch too many Criminal Minds-type shows, maybe I scare too easily, but the idea of Graham and his films was more than unsettling. His mysterious past and his whole storyline kept me reading. I wanted to know how things would turn out for him, even if I did suspect.
There was a lot of foreshadowing in the book(or I just read way too much into meaningless things because of above-mentioned Criminal Minds addiction) so I was able to determined the twists fairly early into the book. They still kept me reading because I wanted to know if I was right but it was a little disappointing things did turn out pretty much as I expected. The concept was what drew me to the book and I still think it was a great idea.
Overall, I feel I would have enjoyed the book if there had been less foreshadowing(so I would have been surprised by the twists) and more character depth.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Twisted Fate was told from multiple POVs, most of them being the three main characters of Sydney, Alyson, and Graham. The other POVs were random, Sydney's best friend or Graham's step-mother, a police officer, all character the reader never spent much time with so it felt like they were more of an insert POV to show or tell us something seemingly important. With the book being on the shorter side, all the extra POVs took time away from fleshing out the main characters of Syd, Ally, and Graham so they felt a little shallow.
There seemed to be a lot of telling in the book instead of letting the reader feel or discover things for themselves. Sydney was supposedly a genius but we never got to see that. Instead we were told all the time that she got great grades and that she was so smart because she read books and knew big words. She was supposedly a trouble-maker which we saw by her skipping school and smoking pot but that was it. There was very little details mentioned about the character's passions: skateboarding, computer hacking, making and editing film, baking. There would occasionally be a mention thrown in like 'coding' or 'Tony Hawk' but it ended up coming across more like something the characters did in their spare time than something they loved to do.
What did work for me was Graham and his whole creepy film guy plot. He definitely did creep me out. Maybe I watch too many Criminal Minds-type shows, maybe I scare too easily, but the idea of Graham and his films was more than unsettling. His mysterious past and his whole storyline kept me reading. I wanted to know how things would turn out for him, even if I did suspect.
There was a lot of foreshadowing in the book(or I just read way too much into meaningless things because of above-mentioned Criminal Minds addiction) so I was able to determined the twists fairly early into the book. They still kept me reading because I wanted to know if I was right but it was a little disappointing things did turn out pretty much as I expected. The concept was what drew me to the book and I still think it was a great idea.
Overall, I feel I would have enjoyed the book if there had been less foreshadowing(so I would have been surprised by the twists) and more character depth.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
intoastory's review
3.0
2-3 Stars
So...the ARC copy I received seemed to need a LOT more revisions. Some of the POV's felt wrong, and I don't mean in the way they were meant to feel wrong. (There is an entire chapter that is supposed to be from one woman's POV in first person, & then it switches over to the girl's POV in third person! WTF?)
This has a twist ending that I guessed after some confusing chapters. There are LOTS of hints. While reading, I thought...no this can't be, and flipped back through the pages checking. But yes, I was right.
The writing wasn't great, far far from it, and the characters felt flat. Much of the book felt rather unrealistic. Very little detail. And there was too much foreshadowing. It kind of felt like the whole book was like "if only i had known then..."
But I still didn't think it was AS bad as all the one star reviews it's getting. I read it very quickly because I wanted to know what happened. It entertained me. I thought all the different points of view were annoying, but somewhat necessary. Sure, maybe it didn't need ALL of them, from every character in the book! Ha.
I think the author had a good idea, it just wasn't executed well. It kind of felt like a rough, first draft to me. I've studied psychology and I wouldn't say this is very accurate.
But I'd take a psychological thriller, even a mediocre one, over some of the garbage that's out there now...any day.
So...the ARC copy I received seemed to need a LOT more revisions. Some of the POV's felt wrong, and I don't mean in the way they were meant to feel wrong. (There is an entire chapter that is supposed to be from one woman's POV in first person, & then it switches over to the girl's POV in third person! WTF?)
This has a twist ending that I guessed after some confusing chapters. There are LOTS of hints. While reading, I thought...no this can't be, and flipped back through the pages checking. But yes, I was right.
The writing wasn't great, far far from it, and the characters felt flat. Much of the book felt rather unrealistic. Very little detail. And there was too much foreshadowing. It kind of felt like the whole book was like "if only i had known then..."
But I still didn't think it was AS bad as all the one star reviews it's getting. I read it very quickly because I wanted to know what happened. It entertained me. I thought all the different points of view were annoying, but somewhat necessary. Sure, maybe it didn't need ALL of them, from every character in the book! Ha.
I think the author had a good idea, it just wasn't executed well. It kind of felt like a rough, first draft to me. I've studied psychology and I wouldn't say this is very accurate.
But I'd take a psychological thriller, even a mediocre one, over some of the garbage that's out there now...any day.
amyjoy's review
2.0
ETA: I'm changing my mind about this book after reading a couple of reviews that reminded me of some complaints that I also had. The characters were sort of boring and their motivations were not clear at all. I liked Syd and Declan, but everyone else was kind of blah. I liked the end, but I thought the choice of
Spoiler
having Syd/Allyson narrate from beyond the grave was ... interesting.tlefler's review
4.0
Well...that was not the ending I expected. I did totally call the "sisters" thing. Does not pack quite the same punch as The We Were Liars did but I can see how those who enjoyed that book would like this one. Recommended for high schoolers who like their twisty endings.
laurenl5876's review
3.0
Well, this was...... twisted to be exact. Throughout the whole book I was really bored, until that brilliant ending. I am very angry but also I applaud Norah Olsen on created that terrifying and haunting ending. I don't understand what the heck I read.
________________
CHARACTERS
I couldn't connect to the characters very well. Sydney was a very irresponsible and immature teen. That's one of the reasons I felt like she was so hard to connect with. She had good and bad traits. I enjoyed how protective and very sarcastic was but on the other hand I wasn't a fan of how she was on drugs. I'm not really into that.
Allyson
Ally was pretty cool. I didn't like her though. She was very dumb and innocent, oblivious to want could possibly be a link to danger. She was very annoying and extremely likeable but unlikable at the same time. It's pretty dang weird if you ask me.
Graham
Graham is absolute brilliance. I can't say why but just know you will be so intrigued by him when you've read the end. I hate him, but it's a good kind of hate when the author makes you hate him. That's when you Know that the author is very good at their craft.
PLOT
The plot was very boring and very cookie cutter for the first two hundred pages. ( Thus being the reason I rated this three stars) I personally thought the author did great on the end though, which is really the only outstanding and insane part of the book I liked.
THE WRITING
The writing was not the best. Olson needs to improve on characterization and development. I think that with more books though, she will be an author that will be producing great books instead of okay ones like this book.
OVERALL
I gave this book three stars because overall, I was entertained. The characters and writing though need improvement.
________________
CHARACTERS
I couldn't connect to the characters very well. Sydney was a very irresponsible and immature teen. That's one of the reasons I felt like she was so hard to connect with. She had good and bad traits. I enjoyed how protective and very sarcastic was but on the other hand I wasn't a fan of how she was on drugs. I'm not really into that.
Allyson
Ally was pretty cool. I didn't like her though. She was very dumb and innocent, oblivious to want could possibly be a link to danger. She was very annoying and extremely likeable but unlikable at the same time. It's pretty dang weird if you ask me.
Graham
Graham is absolute brilliance. I can't say why but just know you will be so intrigued by him when you've read the end. I hate him, but it's a good kind of hate when the author makes you hate him. That's when you Know that the author is very good at their craft.
PLOT
The plot was very boring and very cookie cutter for the first two hundred pages. ( Thus being the reason I rated this three stars) I personally thought the author did great on the end though, which is really the only outstanding and insane part of the book I liked.
THE WRITING
The writing was not the best. Olson needs to improve on characterization and development. I think that with more books though, she will be an author that will be producing great books instead of okay ones like this book.
OVERALL
I gave this book three stars because overall, I was entertained. The characters and writing though need improvement.
aprilbooksandwine's review
3.0
I am such a contrary person. I mean, I will give chances to books that have been universally panned because what if I am the black sheep and I love that one book everyone hated and it becomes my new favorite book of all time. You guys, usually this is the wrong instinct. However, it is an instinct that caused me to give Twisted Fate by Norah Olson a chance.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
puzzlethevampireslayer's review
3.0
Let me describe this book in one word.
Horrible.
The Allyson/Sydney personality concept was so obvious early on. Reading this book was like chewing on a piece of cardboard. I was about a quarter into this book when I wanted to stop, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Totally the wrong choice. Graham was so screwed up, but his actions and demise were utterly predictable from beginning to end of the story. Also, the characters were redundant from every other YA book out there. Quiet, distant, bad boy. Punk rock loving skater chick. Perky muffin baking blonde. Think about how many times you've seen those three personalities. All in all, don't waste your time reading this.
Horrible.
The Allyson/Sydney personality concept was so obvious early on. Reading this book was like chewing on a piece of cardboard. I was about a quarter into this book when I wanted to stop, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Totally the wrong choice. Graham was so screwed up, but his actions and demise were utterly predictable from beginning to end of the story. Also, the characters were redundant from every other YA book out there. Quiet, distant, bad boy. Punk rock loving skater chick. Perky muffin baking blonde. Think about how many times you've seen those three personalities. All in all, don't waste your time reading this.
beckylej's review
3.0
Allyson and Sydney couldn't be more different. In fact, the Tate sisters are almost polar opposites. So it makes sense that when Graham Copeland moves to the neighborhood, they're reactions to him would be different. Allyson is immediately drawn to him - he's a bit shy and artsy, and she quickly finds herself becoming very close to the boy. Sydney on the other hand is quickly turned off by Graham's quirkiness. For one, he seems to be on something almost all the time. For another, his habit of filming everything, while somewhat intriguing, is also a bit annoying. Plus, Sydney is sure that Graham is hiding something. She's convinced he's bad news for Allyson, but she can't put her finger on exactly why that might be. And she can't seem to get Allyson to stay away from him.
Right off the bat I should say that I didn't love Twisted Fate, but I didn't dislike it either. I'm in the middle.
I thought the author did an overall decent job of putting together such a clever read but there were parts that I felt were quite underdeveloped. For one, the book is split into multiple viewpoints, offering varying perspectives on the characters and occurrences of the story. But with this formatting I never really got a sense of exactly what was wrong with Graham and I felt like everyone around him was pretty wishy washy where he was concerned. Sydney and Allyson were particularly problematic in this area: the relationship between Allyson and Graham felt very thin and Sydney seemed to spend more time with Graham than not - in direct conflict with her comments about how much she can't stand him.
I also wanted the relationship between Allyson and Sydney to be focused on more than it was. Their interplay was the best part of the story and it could be that in featuring their particular interactions more the author may have been afraid of giving too much away too early. I don't know, I figured it all out fairly quickly so I can't say.
Overall the interactions between all of the characters really could have been beefed up in a way to provide more context and more depth without spilling the beans on Graham's secret or even Allyson and Sydney's story.
I will say this, though, what the author was trying to accomplish is tough and (as I mentioned above) she does do a pretty good job of it overall.
Right off the bat I should say that I didn't love Twisted Fate, but I didn't dislike it either. I'm in the middle.
I thought the author did an overall decent job of putting together such a clever read but there were parts that I felt were quite underdeveloped. For one, the book is split into multiple viewpoints, offering varying perspectives on the characters and occurrences of the story. But with this formatting I never really got a sense of exactly what was wrong with Graham and I felt like everyone around him was pretty wishy washy where he was concerned. Sydney and Allyson were particularly problematic in this area: the relationship between Allyson and Graham felt very thin and Sydney seemed to spend more time with Graham than not - in direct conflict with her comments about how much she can't stand him.
I also wanted the relationship between Allyson and Sydney to be focused on more than it was. Their interplay was the best part of the story and it could be that in featuring their particular interactions more the author may have been afraid of giving too much away too early. I don't know, I figured it all out fairly quickly so I can't say.
Overall the interactions between all of the characters really could have been beefed up in a way to provide more context and more depth without spilling the beans on Graham's secret or even Allyson and Sydney's story.
I will say this, though, what the author was trying to accomplish is tough and (as I mentioned above) she does do a pretty good job of it overall.