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3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm still not 100% sure about my rating, but I'm going with my instincts.
This definitely wasn't perfect, but I think a lot of people are missing that this is supposed to be trope-y with one dimensional characters. The entire book is looking at YA tropes and playing with them and over exaggerating them. That's the whole point of the book.
I was super invested in this and the relationship between Caden and Dyl. There was a part that even made me cry, haha.
There is a moment in this book towards the end where it seems as though there's been queerbaiting. This is resolved, but I know some people were hurt by it. So just keep that in mind going into it!
I might try and write a fuller review soon.
This definitely wasn't perfect, but I think a lot of people are missing that this is supposed to be trope-y with one dimensional characters. The entire book is looking at YA tropes and playing with them and over exaggerating them. That's the whole point of the book.
I was super invested in this and the relationship between Caden and Dyl. There was a part that even made me cry, haha.
There is a moment in this book towards the end where it seems as though there's been queerbaiting. This is resolved, but I know some people were hurt by it. So just keep that in mind going into it!
I might try and write a fuller review soon.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I kind of just wanted more of everything: more spying, more gadgets (why do these spies not have gadgets?!), more developed falling in like, etc. Part 3 was kind of a mess for me. I like what it accomplished, but not how we got there.
- "A particularly important young woman has shown signs that she’s ready to select a partner, so two of you have to be sent in right away. We’re looking for a boy-next-door Nice and a mysterious, tortured-soul Bad.”
- "Aren’t they always?"
♠ Se scrivete su Google “occasione sprecata” vi uscirà la cover di questo libro. Non c’è granchè da dire. Dietrich ha avuto l’occasione di scrivere un gran libro con un plot twist degno delle migliori fanfiction ed è riuscito a sprecarla. Che classe.
♠ Nel libro manca tutto ciò che avrebbe dovuto rendere epica la sua lettura. Dov’è l’angst? Dov’è il sospetto? Dov’è il vorrei ma non possiamo? Dove sono gli incontri in segreto e le limonate contro i muri che poi arriva qualcuno e devi staccarti e far finta di niente? Dove????
Non ci sono perché i due non hanno mai bisogno di dare sotterfugi. Questi sono due spie, appartengono ad un organizzazione super potente che potrebbe ucciderli al minimo sgarro e fanno quel cazzo che gli pare! Esatto. I due si incontrano tutte le notti, fanno i giri in macchina da soli per ore, limonano in una cabina abbandonata nei boschi perché le due donne che dovrebbero controllarli e guidarli sono misteriosamente irreperibili ogni qual volta che i due si incontrano. Tra l’altro, io capisco che i due magari si piacciano davvero ma siete comunque due rivali come prima cosa, Caden non si pone mai il dubbio che Dylan lo stia ingannando, i suoi sospetti si fermano a: è un mio nemico e mi sta dicendo bugie sula sua strategia perché vuole vedermi fallire. Esatto, Caden. Quindi perchè gli credi subito quando lui ti dice che gli piaci?? Perché almeno non provi a tentennare? Perché non angsti?
Che poi io lo capisco pure quello che Dietrich cerca di fare con questo libro e a tratti ci riesce anche ma la resa fa schifo.
♠ Ah, e ovviamente, poteva forse piacermi Juliet che è esattamente la copia carbone di qualsiasi protagonista di YA? Non poteva semplicemente rifiutarli entrambi e innamorarsi di qualcun’altro?? Quello sarebbe stato un bel plot twist, oppure poteva semplicemente decidere che non voleva stare con nessuno, no deve decidere di stare con uno stereotipo che cammina, facendo esattamente quello che fanno tutte le altre protagoniste. Quindi dov’è la novità? Dov’è il Plot twist??
- "Aren’t they always?"
♠ Se scrivete su Google “occasione sprecata” vi uscirà la cover di questo libro. Non c’è granchè da dire. Dietrich ha avuto l’occasione di scrivere un gran libro con un plot twist degno delle migliori fanfiction ed è riuscito a sprecarla. Che classe.
♠ Nel libro manca tutto ciò che avrebbe dovuto rendere epica la sua lettura. Dov’è l’angst? Dov’è il sospetto? Dov’è il vorrei ma non possiamo? Dove sono gli incontri in segreto e le limonate contro i muri che poi arriva qualcuno e devi staccarti e far finta di niente? Dove????
Non ci sono perché i due non hanno mai bisogno di dare sotterfugi. Questi sono due spie, appartengono ad un organizzazione super potente che potrebbe ucciderli al minimo sgarro e fanno quel cazzo che gli pare! Esatto. I due si incontrano tutte le notti, fanno i giri in macchina da soli per ore, limonano in una cabina abbandonata nei boschi perché le due donne che dovrebbero controllarli e guidarli sono misteriosamente irreperibili ogni qual volta che i due si incontrano. Tra l’altro, io capisco che i due magari si piacciano davvero ma siete comunque due rivali come prima cosa, Caden non si pone mai il dubbio che Dylan lo stia ingannando, i suoi sospetti si fermano a: è un mio nemico e mi sta dicendo bugie sula sua strategia perché vuole vedermi fallire. Esatto, Caden. Quindi perchè gli credi subito quando lui ti dice che gli piaci?? Perché almeno non provi a tentennare? Perché non angsti?
Che poi io lo capisco pure quello che Dietrich cerca di fare con questo libro e a tratti ci riesce anche ma la resa fa schifo.
♠ Ah, e ovviamente, poteva forse piacermi Juliet che è esattamente la copia carbone di qualsiasi protagonista di YA? Non poteva semplicemente rifiutarli entrambi e innamorarsi di qualcun’altro?? Quello sarebbe stato un bel plot twist, oppure poteva semplicemente decidere che non voleva stare con nessuno, no deve decidere di stare con uno stereotipo che cammina, facendo esattamente quello che fanno tutte le altre protagoniste. Quindi dov’è la novità? Dov’è il Plot twist??
This had the potential to subvert the love triangle trope and really make it interesting, but it never quite lived up to the hype. Check out my full review over at Forever Young Adult.
Even though I read review after review about the disappointment that is The Love Interest, I still thought that I would be that one person who would love it. Oh how wrong I was. Lesson learnt: have no expectations. Ever.
Usually when I don't like a book, I list the things I like first. But I don't have any whoops so here are the things that made this book a waste of time:
1. It was like the author was having a competition with himself to make every next dialogue sound faker than the last. "For realsies?" Are you fucking joking they're 18 not 2.
2. Loose ends, plot holes, discontinuity, the whole show:
3. I liked a total of 0 characters.
4. Not one relationship seemed real.
5. The characters were so painfully stupid sometimes oh lord.
6. I know it was supposed to be a sort of satire of what YA portrays 'good' and 'bad' but dude this was just too fucking extra.
7. For a spy organization the LIC was pretty damn stupid.
8. You can't set something up to be scary and all-powerful only to turn it into a limp af opposition that can be defeated by a bunch of teenagers just because it's convenient
9. Misplaced sympathy: a boy who spent the whole book trying to convince everyone that he's badass tm and can kill whoever the fuck just to get his way is now feeling bad for killing the person who ruined his life and wanted to kill him as well :))))) how fun.
10. Look I'm all for big dramatic one liners that define 50% of a character's personality but "I'm the protagonist, fucker!" Is where I draw the line, fucker.
11. HOW DO YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH MINIMUM CONTACT AND FAKE/SCRIPTED INTERACTION
This story had so much potential but ended up being probably the biggest book disappointment I've had so far this year.
Usually when I don't like a book, I list the things I like first. But I don't have any whoops so here are the things that made this book a waste of time:
1. It was like the author was having a competition with himself to make every next dialogue sound faker than the last. "For realsies?" Are you fucking joking they're 18 not 2.
2. Loose ends, plot holes, discontinuity, the whole show:
3. I liked a total of 0 characters.
4. Not one relationship seemed real.
5. The characters were so painfully stupid sometimes oh lord.
6. I know it was supposed to be a sort of satire of what YA portrays 'good' and 'bad' but dude this was just too fucking extra.
7. For a spy organization the LIC was pretty damn stupid.
8. You can't set something up to be scary and all-powerful only to turn it into a limp af opposition that can be defeated by a bunch of teenagers just because it's convenient
9. Misplaced sympathy: a boy who spent the whole book trying to convince everyone that he's badass tm and can kill whoever the fuck just to get his way is now feeling bad for killing the person who ruined his life and wanted to kill him as well :))))) how fun.
10. Look I'm all for big dramatic one liners that define 50% of a character's personality but "I'm the protagonist, fucker!" Is where I draw the line, fucker.
11. HOW DO YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH MINIMUM CONTACT AND FAKE/SCRIPTED INTERACTION
This story had so much potential but ended up being probably the biggest book disappointment I've had so far this year.
Este libro fue perfecto para mis necesidades de lectura, si buscas un libro con trama sencilla, divertido pero con ese pequeño toque de drama y sorpresa, this is your book. Como siempre sólo sabía lo básico de la trama: hay una agencia que enseña a chicos desde muy temprana edad a convertirse en cierto tipo de "interés amoroso", esto con la finalidad de que cuando una persona con un futuro brillante predicho se enamore de uno de los agentes y así, puedan mantenerla vigilada durante toda la vida. Para el caso de los chicos, tienen dos opciones: ser el chico bueno o el chico malo de la historia, Caden tiene el papel de chico bueno aunque nunca se haya sentido como uno, y cuando tiene la oportunidad de salir al mundo para luchar por el amor de Juliet, se encontrará descubriéndose a sí mismo, y dándose la oportunidad (por primera vez), de ver más allá de lo que su futuro estaba predestinado, en especial con la extraña amistad que empieza a desarrollar con quién se supone debería ser su enemigo, el chico malo de la historia, Dyl.
La trama es sencilla, cada uno debe jugar bien su papel y ser el mejor estereotipo para ganarse el corazón de Juliet, y el que no sea elegido, morirá.
La verdad es que fuera de Caden, y un poco de Dyl, los personajes son algo planos, pero no afecta mucho para disfrutarlo, es un libro bastante simple, pero eso mismo hace que te entretengas bastante debido a lo ligero que es, para mí el último tercio me pareció un poco aburrido en el aspecto de la acción, por otro lado las relaciones... fue un giro interesante.
La trama es sencilla, cada uno debe jugar bien su papel y ser el mejor estereotipo para ganarse el corazón de Juliet, y el que no sea elegido, morirá.
La verdad es que fuera de Caden, y un poco de Dyl, los personajes son algo planos, pero no afecta mucho para disfrutarlo, es un libro bastante simple, pero eso mismo hace que te entretengas bastante debido a lo ligero que es, para mí el último tercio me pareció un poco aburrido en el aspecto de la acción, por otro lado las relaciones... fue un giro interesante.
On board for:
- the premise
- the "twists" you can spot miles away
- making fun of YA love interest clichés (I had to put the book down laughing at the straight up Twilight scene.)
- a first time author
Where it lost me:
- the excution-- the writing felt at all times formulaic
- world building
- narration of the main character
I've heard a few people mention a dual narrator situation as a possible fix. Maybe? Hard to know, but I really appreciate this author's attempt.
- the premise
- the "twists" you can spot miles away
- making fun of YA love interest clichés (I had to put the book down laughing at the straight up Twilight scene.)
- a first time author
Where it lost me:
- the excution-- the writing felt at all times formulaic
- world building
- narration of the main character
I've heard a few people mention a dual narrator situation as a possible fix. Maybe? Hard to know, but I really appreciate this author's attempt.
from my calibre library:
Loved the dystopian-ish vibe. Very unsettling. Also loved the meta aspect. Loved Caden. Also Juliet. Not really sure about Dylan. I think my impression of him after he no homo'ed Cayden would've benefited from something in his POV, but it was handled okay overall.
The revolution thing felt rushed, but maybe I just wanted it longer.