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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
I won this book in a giveaway and honestly I'm glad I didn't pay for it. It wasn't a bad book but it wasn't something I'd be glad I spent money on.
The plot was interesting and I'm sure it would have been fantastic if it wasn't for a few details that bugged me. The changing perspectives would have been better suited had Carter's not been included but what can you do.
Overall, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. If you enjoy vampire books, this is a whole lot better than books about ones that sparkle.
The plot was interesting and I'm sure it would have been fantastic if it wasn't for a few details that bugged me. The changing perspectives would have been better suited had Carter's not been included but what can you do.
Overall, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. If you enjoy vampire books, this is a whole lot better than books about ones that sparkle.
Yikes, y'all.
Firstly, I'm not sure how this got on my list except that it was available from the library and I had a flight. At first, I thought it was possible that it came from an #ownvoices list but it become rapidly evident that that wasn't the case.
The story follows Mel and Lilly, twins, and their friend, Carter. The story has POV chapters for each of these characters but flop between first (Mel, Lilly) and third (Carter, limited) person. This is...obnoxious to read. Additionally, all the action scenes feel hard to follow.
These are the least of the problems with this book.
Mel's autism is, in many ways, her entire character and she is a semi-prop. I'd like to see a cool vampire novel with an autistic POV character but this isn't it. It feels stereotype-y, savior-y, etc. It's a mess of an execution.
Other than that glaring issue, Lilly also has some affection from Carter because she's "not like any other girl he'd ever met". Eyeroll. Lilly also starts off with some prejudices for women who choose to get pregnant in this universe, which could have been cool character development, but only is resolved by realizing that the girl her anger is actually directed to didn't mean to get pregnant. So, nothing about Lilly's character or philosophy changes from this.
Firstly, I'm not sure how this got on my list except that it was available from the library and I had a flight. At first, I thought it was possible that it came from an #ownvoices list but it become rapidly evident that that wasn't the case.
The story follows Mel and Lilly, twins, and their friend, Carter. The story has POV chapters for each of these characters but flop between first (Mel, Lilly) and third (Carter, limited) person. This is...obnoxious to read. Additionally, all the action scenes feel hard to follow.
These are the least of the problems with this book.
Mel's autism is, in many ways, her entire character and she is a semi-prop. I'd like to see a cool vampire novel with an autistic POV character but this isn't it. It feels stereotype-y, savior-y, etc. It's a mess of an execution.
Other than that glaring issue, Lilly also has some affection from Carter because she's "not like any other girl he'd ever met". Eyeroll. Lilly also starts off with some prejudices for women who choose to get pregnant in this universe, which could have been cool character development, but only is resolved by realizing that the girl her anger is actually directed to didn't mean to get pregnant. So, nothing about Lilly's character or philosophy changes from this.
I don't even know how I feel about this book. I liked it. I hated it. Then I liked it. So 3 stars I guess.
I really am NOT a fan of vampires. I don't find them (or almost anything paranormal for that matter) all that interesting or scary and definitely not attractive, but the concept is pretty terrifying, so I thought I'd give it a chance. Teenagers essentially raised as cattle? YIKES. Pretty scary and very creepy. I don't know that I'd describe The Farm as either of those, though. Sometimes it worked so well and sometimes not at all. This book could've been so much more and I hope the sequel makes up for all the shortcomings.
The romance was meh most of the time and awesome every once in a while. When used correctly, it really drove the story for me and left me wanting more. The rest of the time....no. It felt really forced, like the author wrote a pretty good book and someone was like NEEDS MORE ROMANCE so she threw it in there. Loved the sisters' relationship though. There were a few parts that were so confusing and didn't make sense and then suddenly an answer would be given out of nowhere. Lots of plot holes. There's not a ton of story in 400+ pages.
This is probably just me but I HATE HATE HATE pop-culture references in books 99% of the time. I'm not sure why, just some weird part of my reading personality, but this book mentions everything from Twilight, to Call of Duty to Britney Spears and John Mayer (WHY?) and it drove me crazy every single time. Whenever this shows up in books, I feel like the author is pandering to the presumed teenage audience like "Hey, look at me! I can relate. I know what you're in to." Ugh. You can nod to the "Before" without doing that. It adds nothing to the story in my opinion and seems like a cheap way to connect characters to their past.
THAT ENDING THOUGH. Definitely made me want to read the sequel. I hope the next book has a lot more character development and world building.
I really am NOT a fan of vampires. I don't find them (or almost anything paranormal for that matter) all that interesting or scary and definitely not attractive, but the concept is pretty terrifying, so I thought I'd give it a chance. Teenagers essentially raised as cattle? YIKES. Pretty scary and very creepy. I don't know that I'd describe The Farm as either of those, though. Sometimes it worked so well and sometimes not at all. This book could've been so much more and I hope the sequel makes up for all the shortcomings.
The romance was meh most of the time and awesome every once in a while. When used correctly, it really drove the story for me and left me wanting more. The rest of the time....no. It felt really forced, like the author wrote a pretty good book and someone was like NEEDS MORE ROMANCE so she threw it in there. Loved the sisters' relationship though. There were a few parts that were so confusing and didn't make sense and then suddenly an answer would be given out of nowhere. Lots of plot holes. There's not a ton of story in 400+ pages.
This is probably just me but I HATE HATE HATE pop-culture references in books 99% of the time. I'm not sure why, just some weird part of my reading personality, but this book mentions everything from Twilight, to Call of Duty to Britney Spears and John Mayer (WHY?) and it drove me crazy every single time. Whenever this shows up in books, I feel like the author is pandering to the presumed teenage audience like "Hey, look at me! I can relate. I know what you're in to." Ugh. You can nod to the "Before" without doing that. It adds nothing to the story in my opinion and seems like a cheap way to connect characters to their past.
THAT ENDING THOUGH. Definitely made me want to read the sequel. I hope the next book has a lot more character development and world building.
One of those books that was more important than sleep.
Right after leaving her sister Mel with a complete stranger who, though Lily doesn't know it, is a vampire, all you want to do is talk about why he has been lying to you?
Carter may have just beaten the crap out of me, he may have shot me in the back [with a tranquilizer gun], but he’d bought me Dr Pepper. I know it was effed up, but somehow, it balanced out. (136)
No. You were right the first time, your relationship is effed up. There is no way you two are even in this point of the book because the only thing he has done since he has met you is lied. Lied about why he was there, what you are, and the plans he has for you. Oh, also, because he thinks you are a mind controller, his feelings for you are projected and therefore, in my eyes, invalid. She caused your feelings dude. So there is no way I could see anyone wanting them to end up together. The fact that she made him fall in love with her, even if she didn't know it is no basis for a relationship. Because she is the hope for humanity Carter is also extremely protective of her and tranquilizes her ‘to protect her.’ WTF man? If you had been open with her from the start, then you wouldn't have needed to shot her!
The one interaction I really enjoyed between them is when he follows her back to where she and Mel are staying, and surprises and scares Lily so much that she jumps him and tries to shank him. He eventually starts to get the upper hand when she recognizes him and they start fighting. Since apparently every YA has to have them, even when it is supposed to be about a girl and her sister trying to escape the vampire plague that has overtaken the US After that, I thought Carter might be an interesting love interest since at first the lying to her for the cause of the rebellion was different, but once the book went to hell in a handbasket and he still continued to lie to her, I was done.
The fact that Lily is stupid doesn’t help. If it wasn’t for Mel being an abductura, they both probably would be dead. Every time a decision has to be made, Lily makes the decision more complicated than it needs to be by arguing or insisting that she wants to do it her way. Even though now she knows all of her plans would have gotten her and Mel killed. But no, don’t trust the two people that have been doing these sort of missions many times before and who have been very successful at them, but do whatever she says. Because she is the abductura.
There were only two characters I liked and neither got near enough screen time. One is Mel, Lily’s autistic sister. Different chapters have Lily, Carter, and Mel narrating them. Mel has 15 pages from her point of view out of a four hundred and twenty page book. The other character that didn’t make stupid decisions that I liked was Sebastian, a vampire. WTF book? I read this because I wanted to hate all the vampires in this book, not find ‘the one good vampire.’ Though I suppose he isn’t all that good. He is a vampire, and portrayed as one, not cuddly or nice but as someone who has been around for two hundred years and expects to be respected.
The only time Sebastian made a stupid decision is when Lily and Carter forced him to turn Mel into a vampire after a Tick killed her and he only did that, I believe, because he needs the support of Carters rebellion group. Lily wanted him to turn Mel into a vampire and Carter backed her up because he is in love with her. But by turning Mel into a vampire, you are taking away who she was and negating her sacrifice. She practically says so in the final chapter that she didn’t want this to happen to her.
If life was music, this is silence.
I don’t know what this is, but it’s not life.
It’s anguish…. a hand has reached inside of me and pulled out my stomach. My heart. My soul.
Then, though the reason Lily has Sebastian turn Mel into a vampire is because she wants to protect Mel yet she leaves her a monster and in the care of another monster. Fail Lily, fail.
I want to read the next book to find out what happens to Mel, but I don’t know if I will get around to it because I am so enraged that this book ends with another of Lily’s mistakes.
Carter may have just beaten the crap out of me, he may have shot me in the back [with a tranquilizer gun], but he’d bought me Dr Pepper. I know it was effed up, but somehow, it balanced out. (136)
No. You were right the first time, your relationship is effed up. There is no way you two are even in this point of the book because the only thing he has done since he has met you is lied.
The one interaction I really enjoyed between them is when he follows her back to where she and Mel are staying, and surprises and scares Lily so much that she jumps him and tries to shank him. He eventually starts to get the upper hand when she recognizes him and they start fighting. Since apparently every YA has to have them, even when it is supposed to be about a girl and her sister trying to escape the vampire plague that has overtaken the US After that, I thought Carter might be an interesting love interest since at first the lying to her for the cause of the rebellion was different, but once the book went to hell in a handbasket and he still continued to lie to her, I was done.
The fact that Lily is stupid doesn’t help.
There were only two characters I liked and neither got near enough screen time. One is Mel, Lily’s autistic sister. Different chapters have Lily, Carter, and Mel narrating them. Mel has 15 pages from her point of view out of a four hundred and twenty page book. The other character that didn’t make stupid decisions that I liked was Sebastian, a vampire. WTF book? I read this because I wanted to hate all the vampires in this book, not find ‘the one good vampire.’ Though I suppose he isn’t all that good. He is a vampire, and portrayed as one, not cuddly or nice but as someone who has been around for two hundred years and expects to be respected.
The only time Sebastian made a stupid decision is when Lily and Carter forced him to
If life was music, this is silence.
I don’t know what this is, but it’s not life.
It’s anguish…. a hand has reached inside of me and pulled out my stomach. My heart. My soul.
Then, though the reason Lily has Sebastian turn Mel into a vampire is because she wants to protect Mel yet she leaves her a monster and in the care of another monster. Fail Lily, fail.
I want to read the next book to find out what happens to Mel, but I don’t know if I will get around to it because I am so enraged that this book ends with another of Lily’s mistakes.
It's been a long time since I've read a dystopian/end of the world/supernatural whatchamacallit book that I really enjoyed. I'd been hunting for this book ever since I first saw it in a bookstore and finally got my hands on it and could not put it down. Such a different take on the world ending and while there are vampires involved, they do not become the focus of the story. The one vampire that's mentioned through out the entire book is there, but he's not overpowering everyone else. He's serving a purpose that does not involve sparkling or dazzling, but is more about helping the humans save the world.
And for once, the protagonist does not annoy me. I've been annoyed by Katniss and Tris so often while reading Hunger Games and Divergent, but Lily does not make me want to smack her head against a wall. Everything about this world is interesting and I cannot wait to read the next two books, just to see how it all works out.
PS. I love Mel.
And for once, the protagonist does not annoy me. I've been annoyed by Katniss and Tris so often while reading Hunger Games and Divergent, but Lily does not make me want to smack her head against a wall. Everything about this world is interesting and I cannot wait to read the next two books, just to see how it all works out.
PS. I love Mel.
I found this book to drag a touch at the start but by the end I was glued to the pages!! Can't wait for the next one!
medium-paced
Meh.
I'm not sure what's up with all the mediocre books I've been reading lately... what happened to all the gripping page turners?
I really thought this was going to be a suspenseful one, what with it being about running away from vampires and all.
But it wasn't. And there wasn't a lot of running from vampires.
There was a bit of it. Sure. But there was also a lot of NOT running from vampires, and a lot of just doing nothing. It took them FOREVER to actually even leave the farm.
I like that that story was told by 3 different people, but it bugged me that Mel and Lily's stories were written in the first person and Carter's stories were written in the third person. No, no. If a story is being told from three different people's perspectives, then they need to be written from THOSE people's perspectives! Come on!
So, ok, the story was interesting enough that it made me want to finish it, and it was pretty well written for the most past. I just found it kind of slow and, even though I found the writing good, it wasn't really my style. I'm not really sure.
It was good, but not amazing.
I'm not sure what's up with all the mediocre books I've been reading lately... what happened to all the gripping page turners?
I really thought this was going to be a suspenseful one, what with it being about running away from vampires and all.
But it wasn't. And there wasn't a lot of running from vampires.
There was a bit of it. Sure. But there was also a lot of NOT running from vampires, and a lot of just doing nothing. It took them FOREVER to actually even leave the farm.
I like that that story was told by 3 different people, but it bugged me that Mel and Lily's stories were written in the first person and Carter's stories were written in the third person. No, no. If a story is being told from three different people's perspectives, then they need to be written from THOSE people's perspectives! Come on!
So, ok, the story was interesting enough that it made me want to finish it, and it was pretty well written for the most past. I just found it kind of slow and, even though I found the writing good, it wasn't really my style. I'm not really sure.
It was good, but not amazing.
So at first I thought this book was super lame because I felt like it was stealing things from every other YA novel out there. And it does. But then I couldn't put it down. And I am the happiest girl ever now that I know it's a series! Can't wait to start The Lair and learn more about Mel. I also can't wait to meet the author at the book festival this month and get a copy of the book for a friend who I think would like it.