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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I read 100 pages and then used audiobook. Audiobook was more engaging/captivating but I still wasn’t into the story. Sci-fi fantasy dystopian or whatever. So I stopped forcing myself to like it and dnf’d. Would not try again
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Alright, so I read this book about a week or two ago while I was travelling, and now I don't remember much of it, but I'll list down here all my problems with this book that I can manage to recall.
1. SO. SO. SLOW
This book took forever to pick up. No, really, I was at 68% before there was any sort of actual plot happening. I don't understand why authors do this. Are you trying to get me to fall asleep within the first half an hour? Besides, I feel like if you're going to wait this long to introduce plot to your story, it better be for a good reason. Did Roth have one here? Nope. Which brings me to point two.
2. Shoddy world-building
Listen, I'm a sucker for some good sci-fi. So obviously, I was excited for a book set in space. But apart from some scant mentions of the galaxy, the council and I think a couple of chapters in which they're on a spaceship to watch the current, this book could have been set in my backyard. Roth wasted a lot of time getting to the point in this book, and I so dearly wish some of that time had been better utilised in helping the world of this book come alive. Not only is her world-building bad , it's also immensely problematic in the way she presents the two main races, the Shotet and Thuvhe.
3. Cyra and Akos
God, these two had the personality of a chewed up gum drop, which is to say, none. They were boring, and made a lot of really naive, questionable decisions that I thought would have gotten them killed. Besides, their romance seriously lacked chemistry. It was just.. there. Heteronormativity for the win!
Normally when the protagonists are complete dunderheads, I try to find interesting side characters to latch on to. Did this book have those, at the least? NOPE. Maybe Cisi.
Welp, this is all I can remember for now. Seriously, the book was that forgettable. Maybe one day when I'm feeling particularly masochistic I'll skim read this book and add more points as I go along. For now, do yourself a favour and just stay away. There are far better YA books waiting to be read than one that hinges far too heavily on the author's brand name to conceal its poor, problematic writing.
1. SO. SO. SLOW
This book took forever to pick up. No, really, I was at 68% before there was any sort of actual plot happening. I don't understand why authors do this. Are you trying to get me to fall asleep within the first half an hour? Besides, I feel like if you're going to wait this long to introduce plot to your story, it better be for a good reason. Did Roth have one here? Nope. Which brings me to point two.
2. Shoddy world-building
Listen, I'm a sucker for some good sci-fi. So obviously, I was excited for a book set in space. But apart from some scant mentions of the galaxy, the council and I think a couple of chapters in which they're on a spaceship to watch the current, this book could have been set in my backyard. Roth wasted a lot of time getting to the point in this book, and I so dearly wish some of that time had been better utilised in helping the world of this book come alive. Not only is her world-building bad , it's also immensely problematic in the way she presents the two main races, the Shotet and Thuvhe.
3. Cyra and Akos
God, these two had the personality of a chewed up gum drop, which is to say, none. They were boring, and made a lot of really naive, questionable decisions that I thought would have gotten them killed.
Spoiler
Seriously, Cyra, you're letting your prisoner teach you how to brew sleeping draughts? And you're ALSO helping him learn to fight?Normally when the protagonists are complete dunderheads, I try to find interesting side characters to latch on to. Did this book have those, at the least? NOPE. Maybe Cisi.
Welp, this is all I can remember for now. Seriously, the book was that forgettable. Maybe one day when I'm feeling particularly masochistic I'll skim read this book and add more points as I go along. For now, do yourself a favour and just stay away. There are far better YA books waiting to be read than one that hinges far too heavily on the author's brand name to conceal its poor, problematic writing.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5!
After Divergent I was hesitant to trust Veronica Roth again but I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.
At times I felt like there was too much description when it came to things like eating meals and how each person in the room was sitting when it didn’t really matter but I could overlook them because I enjoyed the writing. She had a way of keeping you engaged that I loved as a girl who easily gets distracted.
I enjoyed the steady building of relationship between Cyra and Akos, I’m glad that they stayed strong throughout the novel and really became a team.
Also SPOILER but I had a suspicion that the parentage of all the characters was funky from the start so I felt like I was just waiting this whole time to find out the truth. And low key gonna have to read the second book to know it all!
Overall I enjoyed it and I hope Veronica doesn’t ruin my life in the second book
After Divergent I was hesitant to trust Veronica Roth again but I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.
At times I felt like there was too much description when it came to things like eating meals and how each person in the room was sitting when it didn’t really matter but I could overlook them because I enjoyed the writing. She had a way of keeping you engaged that I loved as a girl who easily gets distracted.
I enjoyed the steady building of relationship between Cyra and Akos, I’m glad that they stayed strong throughout the novel and really became a team.
Also SPOILER but I had a suspicion that the parentage of all the characters was funky from the start so I felt like I was just waiting this whole time to find out the truth. And low key gonna have to read the second book to know it all!
Overall I enjoyed it and I hope Veronica doesn’t ruin my life in the second book
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated