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koistyfishy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
1 Carnival Tower Star ⭐️
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️/5
What an absolute clusterfuck. Why book! WHY!!!! My God I don't even know where to start...
I suppose let me focus on the good...
Yeah...there is none - at least nothing that is contained in these pages. There was a definite good in that I could bitch and moan to my Twinsie about what the fuck was going on...
I am seriously asking if anyone has read this if you could help me find the plot...because I tried looking for it and I couldn't find it. I tried really really hard to piece the information together with what we were given in a mess of words and still cannot wrap my mind around what the fuck was going on. The plot was either so light it was a feather that it just floated away, or it was so convoluted that it was akin to trying to decipher hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone.
It felt like something jumbled together with half-strung ideas just floating around. The annoying part is it had a glimmer that it could have been amazing. It had so much potential and then in the end it was just a bunch of stupid teenagers running around thinking that they were invincible and completely untouchable.
Lia finished this before I did and I DRAGGEGD ON THE STRUGGLE BUS... I only did it because I felt bad she did and I figured given how much I had already given to the book and because I had the hope that it would be able to redeem itself, I should carry on... Spoiler...it didn't.
Aro and Hawke are the most complex, convoluted characters but with no substance, they are basically surface-level. I have no idea who or what they are. It feels like they are pretending to be these badass characters based on generalized stereotypes that you can take from dark romances and put on teenagers who then think because they have a little bit of an ego and popularity they're so "hardcore" when they're children! All I wanted was for them both to talk to ADULTS or the authorities to solve their problems instead of trying to solve them themselves because they clearly couldn't think like adults.
One of the biggest things I didn't like about Hawke and Aro's relationship was the fact that they were constantly challenging each other. Like constantly putting each other up to the test to see if the other would fuck up and prove them wrong or essentially prove they "were right" that the other person isn't what they think they are. Trust is an essential foundation in a relationship and if you're constantly trying to catch the other person out for lying to you, cheating on you or stabbing you in the back... it doesn't promote a very safe and healthy relationship.
Then there was the fact that it was so chaotic. I cannot understand how these two who were supposed to be hiding from the police and hiding from a drug lord; essentially went to every social event, pool party, and car race WHEN they should have been lying low. It was like these characters were doing nothing but running from point A to point B to point C back to point A to point D, then to point E and then from E back to B to actually end at C. I have no idea what was going on and my brain hurts trying to put it together.
Things just moved around. Things were thrown in. Things were never resolved. Things were just strewn about. And you just have to be like, Yeah, I'm along for the ride and I'm enjoying this! WHAT THE FUCK.... NO!
I thought I would escape my pet peeve with Penelope Douglas's writing, but low and behold, did she bring it! That is that she has this amazing ability of storytelling where she has one character do something off page, even though we have a dual pov we don't see this happen. Then the other character is told about what the character did off page and the STORY JUST MOVES ON WITHOUT MOTIVATION. You are never given the character's motivations for why they chose to do that thing. You are expected to accept that this is now part of the story.
Basically, this is a shit show and I would like an award for finishing it.
Trope Summary:
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Touch Her and Die
▶ Small Town Romance
▶ One Bed
▶ Virgin MMC
I honestly don't know if Penelope Douglas is the author for me. I have read three of her books now, and loved one and despised two of them. I am giving her one more chance with Damon's book before I decide to stay away from her for good.
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️/5
What an absolute clusterfuck. Why book! WHY!!!! My God I don't even know where to start...
I suppose let me focus on the good...
Yeah...there is none - at least nothing that is contained in these pages. There was a definite good in that I could bitch and moan to my Twinsie about what the fuck was going on...
I am seriously asking if anyone has read this if you could help me find the plot...because I tried looking for it and I couldn't find it. I tried really really hard to piece the information together with what we were given in a mess of words and still cannot wrap my mind around what the fuck was going on. The plot was either so light it was a feather that it just floated away, or it was so convoluted that it was akin to trying to decipher hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone.
It felt like something jumbled together with half-strung ideas just floating around. The annoying part is it had a glimmer that it could have been amazing. It had so much potential and then in the end it was just a bunch of stupid teenagers running around thinking that they were invincible and completely untouchable.
Lia finished this before I did and I DRAGGEGD ON THE STRUGGLE BUS... I only did it because I felt bad she did and I figured given how much I had already given to the book and because I had the hope that it would be able to redeem itself, I should carry on... Spoiler...it didn't.
Aro and Hawke are the most complex, convoluted characters but with no substance, they are basically surface-level. I have no idea who or what they are. It feels like they are pretending to be these badass characters based on generalized stereotypes that you can take from dark romances and put on teenagers who then think because they have a little bit of an ego and popularity they're so "hardcore" when they're children! All I wanted was for them both to talk to ADULTS or the authorities to solve their problems instead of trying to solve them themselves because they clearly couldn't think like adults.
One of the biggest things I didn't like about Hawke and Aro's relationship was the fact that they were constantly challenging each other. Like constantly putting each other up to the test to see if the other would fuck up and prove them wrong or essentially prove they "were right" that the other person isn't what they think they are. Trust is an essential foundation in a relationship and if you're constantly trying to catch the other person out for lying to you, cheating on you or stabbing you in the back... it doesn't promote a very safe and healthy relationship.
Then there was the fact that it was so chaotic. I cannot understand how these two who were supposed to be hiding from the police and hiding from a drug lord; essentially went to every social event, pool party, and car race WHEN they should have been lying low. It was like these characters were doing nothing but running from point A to point B to point C back to point A to point D, then to point E and then from E back to B to actually end at C. I have no idea what was going on and my brain hurts trying to put it together.
Things just moved around. Things were thrown in. Things were never resolved. Things were just strewn about. And you just have to be like, Yeah, I'm along for the ride and I'm enjoying this! WHAT THE FUCK.... NO!
I thought I would escape my pet peeve with Penelope Douglas's writing, but low and behold, did she bring it! That is that she has this amazing ability of storytelling where she has one character do something off page, even though we have a dual pov we don't see this happen. Then the other character is told about what the character did off page and the STORY JUST MOVES ON WITHOUT MOTIVATION. You are never given the character's motivations for why they chose to do that thing. You are expected to accept that this is now part of the story.
Basically, this is a shit show and I would like an award for finishing it.
Trope Summary:
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Touch Her and Die
▶ Small Town Romance
▶ One Bed
▶ Virgin MMC
I honestly don't know if Penelope Douglas is the author for me. I have read three of her books now, and loved one and despised two of them. I am giving her one more chance with Damon's book before I decide to stay away from her for good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse
cait's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Car accident, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, and Death of parent
avkay3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I this is probably my favorite P.D. book and I love her other books but I think it’s a little different for her because she put a little more plot. I personally think your books are very character driven from the ones I’ve read for this one I feel like I can tell that throughout the series will be trying to solve a mystery. it different from devils night where we kind of think we have it solved until you get to the next book and realize that there are some missing information. It’s almost like miscommunication with the reader. Which I don’t mind. I don’t know a whole lot about the parents books I know like some parts and it’s weird it’s complicated. but you can kinda tell that she written it a little more more the mystery will kind of connect a little bit more.
Plus the characters and I think she writes pretty good characters. I wish she had a little more diversity but you can tell she’s trying and it is hard to write about something that you’re not actually going to experience.
overall I would recommend it specially if you like Hideaway. And you felt like you didn’t get enough of Banks and Kai it is different, but if you felt like that book was too much about Damon you’ll like this book because I feel the same way. I don’t mind damon but I wanted more of Banks and Kai
read it
Plus the characters and I think she writes pretty good characters. I wish she had a little more diversity but you can tell she’s trying and it is hard to write about something that you’re not actually going to experience.
overall I would recommend it specially if you like Hideaway. And you felt like you didn’t get enough of Banks and Kai it is different, but if you felt like that book was too much about Damon you’ll like this book because I feel the same way. I don’t mind damon but I wanted more of Banks and Kai
read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, and Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, Child death, Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcohol
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