Reviews with content warning for Gore - All of Us Villains

Reviews tagging 'Gore'

All of Us Villains by C.L. Herman, Amanda Foody

91 reviews

amyteurhour's review against another edition

2.5

My notes for this one say that it was pretty mid but picks up near the end. I think there were too many characters to be switching back and forth, especially at the beginning, it was so hard to keep track of who's who. There were a few scenes that felt like I was somehow watching the Hunger Games, make of that what you will. The mystery is intriguing and the action is easy enough to visualize, but I think following multiple characters just got tiring for me. I'll probably check out the second book at some point, but I need some time in between, especially considering it's 19 hours?!

The audiobook by Billie Fulford-Brown and Raphael Corkhill was fine, but I didn't really feel like there were distinct voices for each character (though that could definitely also be tied to the writing and not the performance).

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bnntt's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved this book. I usually listen to audiobooks and I tore through this book in a little over a week.

I felt like it

ended on a cliffhanger suddenly so the story didn’t feel complete

and that’s mildly frustrating.

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bookishbabe431's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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bookrecsbyjess's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kenzaett's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My first read of 2024, yay!
I picked this up in a bookshop on vacation for half price as a beach read, no clue what it entailed, just knew it was on my tbr, and
what a surprisingly good riiiidddee.

We're taking into an urban fantasy setting within a town that has teenagers fighting to death over the world's biggest magic source for their families (and nobody seems to have ever questioned it? Capitalism I guess), on the eve of the next tournament starting. This round is different though, as a traitorous voice from the village has spilled news about the tournament and now viewers from other villages have gathered to see the gorey spectacle. We follow the children of the 7 families from their nomination to the final fight... And end with a cliffhanger 😭

This book has a wonderful gloomy gothic dark academia witchy creepy village in the woods in the 50ies vibe but with modern and an interesting magic(k) system I haven't seen before.
I disliked the many POVs, 2-3 would have definitely been enough already. We can antagonize the protagonists even when we don't see them from other perspectives!! But that might just have been due to this novel being co-authored by two writers.

I feel like some of the characters could have been more fleshed out, had we had more time with them and their thoughts, and they tend to fall into a few archetypes, but the incredible writing, the scenery, and the way the authors are able to pull you into the world, make you see and hear and smell everything around you.. That makes up for it.

It's also like 1/5 on a spice level, which is amazing for YA. Instead we get brotherly love, manipulation, betrayal, family feuds, academic rivalry, emancipation from who you thought you were or would turn out to be, and a lot of BLOOD.

And I want MORE.

I would have loved a proper ending and to see this as a standalone, but I'll have to soon pick up book two for the conclusion 🥴👍🏻

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kate001's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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sammisshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book went super fast, and I think that’s because the events flew by without a ton of in-depth moments. I wish I liked the characters more, but they just didn’t feel super developed. I honestly was constantly waiting to get back to Alistair and Isabel’s perspectives, mostly Alistair because he felt the most developed. That being said, I did get hooked on this story. I understand why it’s been compared to a magical hunger games, but it’s a hunger games without a meaning commentary on our real world. I’m kind of shocked this isn’t all one book, as I feel like there’s not much left to wrap up in the finale. But, maybe it will surprise me, I was certainly surprised many times throughout this book.

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denlia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This book has the most disappointing second half that I have ever read this year (and it is December)
The first part was so good : the premise, the characters, the setting and the atmosphere.

The second part is filled with silly romance, clumsy alliances and nonsensical decisions.
You know for a tournament that revolves around killing each other( and they have been prepared for this thing their whole life, may I add) they act so shocked and indignant when someone makes even an attempt to eliminate the competition.

The "ending" was horrible too. Don't recommend this book.

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ladypalutena's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Five stars. The only Death Tournament book I've read that surpasses the original book (Hunger Games, which kicked off the genre).

The only flaw I found is that

there are 7 Champions, but only 4 narrators, so you know that 3 of those "spares" will have to die. And two of them do, in this book.

I am so glad this is a completed duology, and I don't have to wait for the next book to come out.

Fantastic narrators for this audiobook as well.

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micaelacccc's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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