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3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this book! I grabbed it because I needed anything to read and it sounded pretty good, and it was better than I expected! The sci-fi/dystopian aspects of the book really grabbed me as I needed a change of pace from the kind of books I usually read. It's an inspiring book that leaves you feeling happy and proud of the protagonist.
So, I heard about this book a while back and was incredibly interested in reading it, so when I saw it was part of the Book of the Month box for May, I was psyched. I bought my first box and picked it.
I'm definitely not sorry for picking this book! It reminds me of the movie D.E.B.S. because spies+gayness=HELL YEAH. It's a silly concept with a good mixture of fluff and some good ole creepfactor. I found myself smiling most of the time, because it was just so fun.
However, I honestly think it might be BETTER as a movie, like D.E.B.S (not sure if a book version would be as funny/awesome), because it might fix the only problem I met with this book: the characters feel a little flat. I know the whole point is that they are acting and playing a certain role to get the Chosen to pick them over their rival, who is doing the same thing, but I still felt like they could have been fleshed out a bit more. And not just the Love Interests, the Chosen and all the other characters as well.
On a huge positive note, I am so glad that the fact that Caden and Dyl fell for each other was the main draw and in the tagline instead of being used as a twist or plot device for shock value.
Overall, I blazed through reading it and wouldn't be opposed to other installments in this universe with different Love Interests.
I'm definitely not sorry for picking this book! It reminds me of the movie D.E.B.S. because spies+gayness=HELL YEAH. It's a silly concept with a good mixture of fluff and some good ole creepfactor. I found myself smiling most of the time, because it was just so fun.
However, I honestly think it might be BETTER as a movie, like D.E.B.S (not sure if a book version would be as funny/awesome), because it might fix the only problem I met with this book: the characters feel a little flat. I know the whole point is that they are acting and playing a certain role to get the Chosen to pick them over their rival, who is doing the same thing, but I still felt like they could have been fleshed out a bit more. And not just the Love Interests, the Chosen and all the other characters as well.
On a huge positive note, I am so glad that the fact that Caden and Dyl fell for each other was the main draw and in the tagline instead of being used as a twist or plot device for shock value.
Overall, I blazed through reading it and wouldn't be opposed to other installments in this universe with different Love Interests.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay, so I went into this knowing that there were very mixed reviews, and the one thing that stood out was the somewhat absurdity of the premise and therefore the need to suspend disbelief. Another thing worth noting is I had just watched Spy X Family before reading this, so maybe I was already living in the land of no disbelief anyway... But, I actually genuinely enjoyed this more than I thought I would. To the credit of the book, it had a very interesting premise, there were high stakes to the story, and the main character Caden did have nuance and was interesting. I enjoyed learning about aspects of this world, and honestly it wasn't entirely absurd either. I also really enjoyed the main rival, Dylan. He could have been my favourite character, based on what we learned about him, but I feel like we didn't really get enough time with him for those feelings to solidify. I also thought Caden and Dylan were really cute together, and while I did enjoy their ending, I very much would have liked to have a bit more either at the end of the story or in the epilogue. I understand that it would require a bit of difficulty explaining more of the events straight after the ending, but at least some conversation between the two: a reconciliation (a proper one if the interaction we got just before was meant to be that) and Dylan being honest with Caden, maybe a little montage over the year of them making a life together, and bring up some of the issues they face which was very very briefly touched upon in the epilogue. I think that alone would have made me rate the book higher, as I really enjoyed their dynamic but just wanted more.
There were a couple of points where the story or the writing dragged a bit, and it was typically just overdescribing something which didn't need it, or stating things that just weren't interesting (like every step of getting ready for a normal day, as opposed to something special). This only happened 2 or 3 times throughout the whole book, but it was a little strange to encounter. Also, there were a few underlying toxic masculinity tropes that were a little uncomfortable to read about; things like unrealistic body images and behaviours, as well as strange 'being a real man' attitudes. It wasn't too bad, but it was there at times. Also, even though it wasn't so bad to suspend disbelief, it was a little hard to believe that this organisation was so easily taken down in the manner that it was. I do understand that they may have been blinded by brash confidence because of their technology, and this is addressed in the book, but it did feel kind of quick, and given the stakes of the rest of the book, it did seem to resolve rather quickly and seamlessly. Further to this point, given that it was stated earlier that countries all over the world had companies and programmes like the LIC, I would've liked either an explanation or at least an address to how the destruction of the LIC somehow freed Love Interests from around the world, or alternatively, maybe show how other countries found ways to block out this information coming from America, or whether they had protocols for what to do should a nation lose their secrecy. Does the LIC co-ordinate with other countries? Do they have contingency plans for this thing? How does it work with international relations? These would have been very fascinating things to explore, potentially in a sequel, where we also explore life for Caden and Dylan after their emancipation. I can't help but feel like this was a missed opportunity.
Also seen in reviews, I don't think that Juliet, being the genius who decided to stay at school to have a normal childhood (aka, develop people skills), was portrayed in a strange way. I think that the storyline the LIC made for Caden, and therefore how she reacted to him, was very reasonable. I also think that the Dylan storyline was attention grabbing and then attention holding, like it was supposed to be, and it definitely felt like Juliet would react that way. I also really liked the revelation that Natalie was a Love Interest too. I guess that might be on me for not expecting something like that to occur, but it was still interesting. I did feel like Trevor's death didn't quite have the gravity to it that was intended, and I don't think it's because he wasn't a character we didn't care about so much as it wasn't really addressed that much (like everything else) after the conclusion.
All in all, I did enjoy this read, but there are a few things I wish we could've had, some aspects I would've been fine without, and definitely some thoughts about things I wish were addressed and could definitely be good material for more story in the future. I really did enjoy the moments between Caden and Dylan, I just wanted more, both of the emotional side with conversations and little moments, and also the physical side with maybe a bit more than just kissing.
There were a couple of points where the story or the writing dragged a bit, and it was typically just overdescribing something which didn't need it, or stating things that just weren't interesting (like every step of getting ready for a normal day, as opposed to something special). This only happened 2 or 3 times throughout the whole book, but it was a little strange to encounter. Also, there were a few underlying toxic masculinity tropes that were a little uncomfortable to read about; things like unrealistic body images and behaviours, as well as strange 'being a real man' attitudes. It wasn't too bad, but it was there at times. Also, even though it wasn't so bad to suspend disbelief, it was a little hard to believe that this organisation was so easily taken down in the manner that it was. I do understand that they may have been blinded by brash confidence because of their technology, and this is addressed in the book, but it did feel kind of quick, and given the stakes of the rest of the book, it did seem to resolve rather quickly and seamlessly. Further to this point, given that it was stated earlier that countries all over the world had companies and programmes like the LIC, I would've liked either an explanation or at least an address to how the destruction of the LIC somehow freed Love Interests from around the world, or alternatively, maybe show how other countries found ways to block out this information coming from America, or whether they had protocols for what to do should a nation lose their secrecy. Does the LIC co-ordinate with other countries? Do they have contingency plans for this thing? How does it work with international relations? These would have been very fascinating things to explore, potentially in a sequel, where we also explore life for Caden and Dylan after their emancipation. I can't help but feel like this was a missed opportunity.
Also seen in reviews, I don't think that Juliet, being the genius who decided to stay at school to have a normal childhood (aka, develop people skills), was portrayed in a strange way. I think that the storyline the LIC made for Caden, and therefore how she reacted to him, was very reasonable. I also think that the Dylan storyline was attention grabbing and then attention holding, like it was supposed to be, and it definitely felt like Juliet would react that way. I also really liked the revelation that Natalie was a Love Interest too. I guess that might be on me for not expecting something like that to occur, but it was still interesting. I did feel like Trevor's death didn't quite have the gravity to it that was intended, and I don't think it's because he wasn't a character we didn't care about so much as it wasn't really addressed that much (like everything else) after the conclusion.
All in all, I did enjoy this read, but there are a few things I wish we could've had, some aspects I would've been fine without, and definitely some thoughts about things I wish were addressed and could definitely be good material for more story in the future. I really did enjoy the moments between Caden and Dylan, I just wanted more, both of the emotional side with conversations and little moments, and also the physical side with maybe a bit more than just kissing.
THIS BOOK WAS SO SO BRILLIANT. I honestly enjoyed this book so much, I mean just look at that synopsis? *happy dances* ahhh can't wait for people to read it, such fun! *Review to come*
