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fateandme's review
4.0
یه کتاب جنایی خیلیییی خشن که ممکنه باب سلیقه خیلیا نباشه...
ولی به نظر من نویسنده خیلی خوب تونسته بود شخصیت لولا رو به قلم بیاره و ترغیب شدم کتاب دوم رو هم بخونم ...با اوایلش مشکل داشتم ولی حدود صفحه صد به بعد کشش داستان برای من زیاد شد و باعث شد سه روزه تمومش کنم
ولی به نظر من نویسنده خیلی خوب تونسته بود شخصیت لولا رو به قلم بیاره و ترغیب شدم کتاب دوم رو هم بخونم ...با اوایلش مشکل داشتم ولی حدود صفحه صد به بعد کشش داستان برای من زیاد شد و باعث شد سه روزه تمومش کنم
shanecar's review
2.0
An overwritten book with an unsatisfying conclusion. The author spends more time trying to sell the reader on how brilliant the main character is than anything else, while all the while she does inexplicably stupid things. The ending is unsatisfying as everything just seems to fall into place based on either wild coincidence or the stupidity of other characters. Phrases like "his arms were straight, like two stalks of raw asparagus" would be funny if they weren't delivered so self-seriously.
amberrae's review
3.0
I'd give this a 3.5. I wasn't "hooked" at the beginning, but I did enjoy the story line. It's about a gang and it's fearless female leader, coming out from the shadows of what others think is led by a man. The challenges she faces and responsibilities she takes on carry you through the book. I enjoy crime shows and murder mysteries, and the author has experience writing for shows like NCIS. But this story was from Lola's point of view, not the investigators.
nkemp04's review
2.0
Over the top violent. The author was trying to be over the top with violence, child sex slaves, crooked cops, cartels, gangs, & drug use. It seemed like stereotyping and the author was not speaking from a place of authenticity. It was woman power, but all wrong.
memoriesfrombooks's review
3.0
The idea of a story about a female gang leader in a world still completely male dominated is intriguing. Lola's story is set in the world of the LA gangs and drug cartels. Ultimately, this is book about a strong woman in extreme circumstances who manages not just to survive but thrive and carve a life out for herself in a man's world. Considering this is Melissa Love's debut novel, I look forward to her next character. Lola certainly leaves an impression!
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/04/lola.html.
Reviewed for the Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/04/lola.html.
Reviewed for the Penguin First to Read program.
reading_withree's review
4.0
Lola x Melissa Scrivner Love
Pages: 324
Genre: Crime Fiction
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5
TW: Gang activity, child abuse, torture, abuse, toxic masculinity, murder
•••••
A crime thriller that delves into the dark underbelly of South Central Los Angeles. The Crenshaw Six is a small up and coming gang who appear to be led by a man named Garcia, but behind the scenes are actually lead by his girlfriend Lola. She is much smarter, tougher and more ruthless than any of the men. When sucked into a world of high-stakes, violence and betrayal, Lola becomes their only hope of survival. The only question is will she allow the demons she battles with and the weight of her responsibilities affect how powerful her force is in the community.
•••••
The author did really well with the detail and a deep understanding of the world she is portraying. The characters are well-developed and nuanced, with motivations that are both relatable and understandable. The plot was perfectly paced, with a narrative that is both tense and suspenseful. Themes visited were criminal justice system, race relations, and the role of women in society. If you are a fan of crime thrillers, you will like this book.
Pages: 324
Genre: Crime Fiction
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5
TW: Gang activity, child abuse, torture, abuse, toxic masculinity, murder
•••••
A crime thriller that delves into the dark underbelly of South Central Los Angeles. The Crenshaw Six is a small up and coming gang who appear to be led by a man named Garcia, but behind the scenes are actually lead by his girlfriend Lola. She is much smarter, tougher and more ruthless than any of the men. When sucked into a world of high-stakes, violence and betrayal, Lola becomes their only hope of survival. The only question is will she allow the demons she battles with and the weight of her responsibilities affect how powerful her force is in the community.
•••••
The author did really well with the detail and a deep understanding of the world she is portraying. The characters are well-developed and nuanced, with motivations that are both relatable and understandable. The plot was perfectly paced, with a narrative that is both tense and suspenseful. Themes visited were criminal justice system, race relations, and the role of women in society. If you are a fan of crime thrillers, you will like this book.
thesaint08d's review
1.0
I usually have no specific concerns over what I learned from a book and its author but golly gee whiz this book was just so educational how could I not share my gained knowledge.
First I learned that the Barrio is poor and the people there live hard lives...Ok fair enough the background for the book should show some world building but it was a little to ...Beat me over the head with it...whatever not its biggest sin.
Second I learned that a drug dealer and a drug gang can be made heroes, the "Good Guys" mostly by not actually ever showing them selling any drugs.
Third I learned that men are complete and absolute idiots who cant do anything right, cant follow orders are just background jokes led to do dumb things because they are too emotional.
Fourth I learned that woman are the bestest most awesomest people in the whoollleee world. They can lead drug, gangs while cooking and cleaning and become the perfect mother to a stray child in just one day, always doing the right thing based on calm collected thought without emotion for most of a book (then suddenly become a caring emotional creature for a complete stranger who is an enemies mother just because)...and just let me stop.
This book is not women power this book is ANTI-MAN, especially the dumb white man. With lines like ...."Because women can do more than men" God if that isnt the truth Lola thinks.... through the entire book Id swear it was written by a pretty hard core man hater.
I want to read a book with a strong female hero/protagonist not this rhetoric.
One of the first fantasy books I ever read was The Swordswomen by Jessica Amanda Salmonson back in 1982 and Have searched for great female leads since but this is just not that,
Most of this book is just blah blah... men are stupid... blah blah... woman are superhuman... blah blah...BTW we are a drug gang who never really do anything wrong through the whole book and are just a victim of circumstance.
And Just let me say some of the events of the resolution and climax are so damn stupid and unbelievable that any positives you might have gained go right out the damn window...Im going to include some spoilers below so be warned I will give you some space though...
Spoilers....
So Lola kills a Very large, big, fat all of the above, drug lord with a piece of glass that she stepped on, and pulls from her foot, by stabbing him in the neck with it and he dies instantly instead of bleeding out over a period of time while two of his hired muscle just stand and watch... and to make matters worse these two hired muscle show up on her doorstep later with their heads low in respect to ask if they could PLEASE work for her. There more but I thought this should suffice.
P.S. I had to come back because I forgot about the kid...Lucy, who during the climax becomes some kind of super Genius knowing what and where the drugs are and what Lola is thinking, and that Lola needs to start the place on fire and is ok holding a burning cigarette in her palms without pain or fear... The end of this is just Nic Cage level stupid and unrealistic.
...END SPOILERS...
I cant help it this book just made me feel...dumb, bored, hated, patronized. Read it if you want im sure there's some women who will praise it, whatever, enjoy I just prefer my crime novels to have a little realism... Good Luck
First I learned that the Barrio is poor and the people there live hard lives...Ok fair enough the background for the book should show some world building but it was a little to ...Beat me over the head with it...whatever not its biggest sin.
Second I learned that a drug dealer and a drug gang can be made heroes, the "Good Guys" mostly by not actually ever showing them selling any drugs.
Third I learned that men are complete and absolute idiots who cant do anything right, cant follow orders are just background jokes led to do dumb things because they are too emotional.
Fourth I learned that woman are the bestest most awesomest people in the whoollleee world. They can lead drug, gangs while cooking and cleaning and become the perfect mother to a stray child in just one day, always doing the right thing based on calm collected thought without emotion for most of a book (then suddenly become a caring emotional creature for a complete stranger who is an enemies mother just because)...and just let me stop.
This book is not women power this book is ANTI-MAN, especially the dumb white man. With lines like ...."Because women can do more than men" God if that isnt the truth Lola thinks.... through the entire book Id swear it was written by a pretty hard core man hater.
I want to read a book with a strong female hero/protagonist not this rhetoric.
One of the first fantasy books I ever read was The Swordswomen by Jessica Amanda Salmonson back in 1982 and Have searched for great female leads since but this is just not that,
Most of this book is just blah blah... men are stupid... blah blah... woman are superhuman... blah blah...BTW we are a drug gang who never really do anything wrong through the whole book and are just a victim of circumstance.
And Just let me say some of the events of the resolution and climax are so damn stupid and unbelievable that any positives you might have gained go right out the damn window...Im going to include some spoilers below so be warned I will give you some space though...
Spoilers....
So Lola kills a Very large, big, fat all of the above, drug lord with a piece of glass that she stepped on, and pulls from her foot, by stabbing him in the neck with it and he dies instantly instead of bleeding out over a period of time while two of his hired muscle just stand and watch... and to make matters worse these two hired muscle show up on her doorstep later with their heads low in respect to ask if they could PLEASE work for her. There more but I thought this should suffice.
P.S. I had to come back because I forgot about the kid...Lucy, who during the climax becomes some kind of super Genius knowing what and where the drugs are and what Lola is thinking, and that Lola needs to start the place on fire and is ok holding a burning cigarette in her palms without pain or fear... The end of this is just Nic Cage level stupid and unrealistic.
...END SPOILERS...
I cant help it this book just made me feel...dumb, bored, hated, patronized. Read it if you want im sure there's some women who will praise it, whatever, enjoy I just prefer my crime novels to have a little realism... Good Luck
son_of_simon's review
4.0
I received this from a Goodreads Giveaway.
Lola is a competently written, carefully plotted, fast-paced crime thriller.
Melissa Scrivner Love's writing style gives away her background in television. That's not a bad thing. The plot and pacing are what you would expect from a T.V. crime drama, and it works very well for this book. Unfortunately, she occasionally uses T.V. shortcuts that seem out of place in a novel. Fortunately, she doesn't stick to only doing what you can show on television.
I don't usually read this kind of book, but this was an interesting crime story and an even more interesting character study. Lola is a complex, strong, cunning, interesting character... not a perfect person and maybe not necessarily a good one but all that combined made for a fascinating read.
Lola is a competently written, carefully plotted, fast-paced crime thriller.
Melissa Scrivner Love's writing style gives away her background in television. That's not a bad thing. The plot and pacing are what you would expect from a T.V. crime drama, and it works very well for this book. Unfortunately, she occasionally uses T.V. shortcuts that seem out of place in a novel. Fortunately, she doesn't stick to only doing what you can show on television.
I don't usually read this kind of book, but this was an interesting crime story and an even more interesting character study. Lola is a complex, strong, cunning, interesting character... not a perfect person and maybe not necessarily a good one but all that combined made for a fascinating read.