Scan barcode
0sureal's review against another edition
4.0
i give this book 3.5.
So i am a massive fan of YA books in general.
I think the issue with this one was maybe it was a little too Young for me.
It was a good story, and an interesting villain.
I think this is perfect for kids, but maybe a bit young for adults.
So i am a massive fan of YA books in general.
I think the issue with this one was maybe it was a little too Young for me.
It was a good story, and an interesting villain.
I think this is perfect for kids, but maybe a bit young for adults.
rayne_1906's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
2 h 57 mins - This book is odd, to say the least. The beginning has a weird pace and is a bit confusing, jumping between POVs quickly before you know much about any of the characters. However, once I got used to the writing style, I found it much easier to read. The plot is enjoyable, if a little similar to other dystopias, but this book also feels more science-fiction than most dystopias, which is a nice change. I loved reading from Mika's point of view, with the competition and the YDF. The ending was slightly rushed and confusing though. All in all, a decent read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, and Gun violence
Moderate: Drug use, Medical content, and War
manu3la's review against another edition
5.0
Well written, and if you’re thinking about reading it... just read it. I don’t want to give too much away because that’s what the synopsis is for. But definitely go and read it
helenareads08's review against another edition
5.0
This really got me into reading last year, I loved all of it. There is a second book, which puts the first book into context, the series is one of my favourites and is definitely one of the most underrated books I've seen. Would definitely recommend anyone into dystopian to read.
clarino9108's review against another edition
1.0
I read this in middle school and I don't think I've ever hated a book more.
library_brandy's review against another edition
2.0
Mika has never gotten over the death of his twin sister--mostly because he's positive she's not dead. He can feel her out there, somewhere, and it's up to him to find her. It's not easy, when the world is surrounded by a giant wall to keep out the plague-ridden animals, and going to school now means drinking cups of the vile FitMix and going to FitCamp. When the new Podfighter game comes to the arcades, Mika takes to it like he's been playing all his life, and there's something about it that will bring him closer to his missing sister.
Hmm. I didn't love this. I didn't even particularly like it. There are some huge plot holes (have Ellie and Mika always been telepathic?How is the competition rigged so that only mutants make it all the way through? ) and abandoned plot threads (where did Helen go? Will she be back?) Maybe some of this will be addressed in the sequel (due out Feb 2012, it seems) but I'm not inclined to pick it up and find out.
So: the world has been reduced to the space inside the wall, safe from the plague-carrying animals and the dangerous, deadly nature. Inside the wall, people are packed tightly together in strict classes, with little in-between: the wealthy live in the Golden Turrets, the luxury apartments; the poor live in the slums in tiny fold-down apartments prone to mildew and dampness; the really poor live in the Shadows, where they frequently die of illnesses induced by living in mold and dankness. You've got your garden-variety class issues, plus environmental ruin, population control (Mika and Ellie are among the oldest kids around after a 30-year population halt), gaming culture, conspiracy, and technology (anti-aging drugs, hovercars, tiny pocket-sized "companions" in place of phones).
Middle-schoolers may be excited by all the action; high schoolers are more likely to be jaded and bored by the loooooooong details of podfighter tournaments. Similar to Ender's Game or Epic(video gaming), X-Men or Witch and Wizard (mutant powers), Uglies (flying sequences; going beyond city limits), Maze Runner (safety only inside walls), or Inside Out (discoveries about the world outside).
Hmm. I didn't love this. I didn't even particularly like it. There are some huge plot holes (have Ellie and Mika always been telepathic?
So: the world has been reduced to the space inside the wall, safe from the plague-carrying animals and the dangerous, deadly nature. Inside the wall, people are packed tightly together in strict classes, with little in-between: the wealthy live in the Golden Turrets, the luxury apartments; the poor live in the slums in tiny fold-down apartments prone to mildew and dampness; the really poor live in the Shadows, where they frequently die of illnesses induced by living in mold and dankness. You've got your garden-variety class issues, plus environmental ruin, population control (Mika and Ellie are among the oldest kids around after a 30-year population halt), gaming culture, conspiracy, and technology (anti-aging drugs, hovercars, tiny pocket-sized "companions" in place of phones).
Middle-schoolers may be excited by all the action; high schoolers are more likely to be jaded and bored by the loooooooong details of podfighter tournaments. Similar to Ender's Game or Epic(video gaming), X-Men or Witch and Wizard (mutant powers), Uglies (flying sequences; going beyond city limits), Maze Runner (safety only inside walls), or Inside Out (discoveries about the world outside).
evnlibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly I was just glad to be done with this book. I'm slighlty disapponited, since so many of the teens at the library do seem to like it, and I'd like something to recommend after the Hunger Games but just...good night did this get preachy and even sappy at times. It's a world where everyone went behind a wall in London to escape an animal plague, with the rich living in high turrets and the poor living in shadows. The 1st children in 30 years are being born and the government has its sights set on them for their own purposes. The story mostly follows Mika, a boy whose twin sister was kidnapped by the government a year ago. Only Mika thinks she's still alive. And he'll do anything to find her.
Expect plenty of the 'have and have nots' political allegory with all the subtly of a sledghammer to the face. Oh, and the typical new agey nature worship of a 90s enviromental message cartoon (Captain Planet would blush). Yep, humans are evil, in particular human adults. Destroying the world and all (well, sort of, but to elaborate on that point would be spoiling the book). But fortunately the main characters aren't human, they're mutants, clearly described as the next step in evolution. The book almost seems eager for homo saipien to vanish like the Neanderthal.
Ok, perhaps I'm too harsh. There's a lot of fun action scenes with space age fighter planes and some sufficiently interesting ideas in building the world, plus the main villain is SO ridiculously evil and numb to human feeling it's entertaining. There's even a pysche out toward the end pretending to give him good motives before reaffirming that, yes he's even worse than we thought. Plus you do root for Mika to find his sister.
So can I personally recommend it? No, but based on the response from others it seems I'm in the minority. So take that for what you will. One final warning: Don't read this expecting closure in the end, this is clearly written with a sequel (and perhaps "franchise") in mind.
Expect plenty of the 'have and have nots' political allegory with all the subtly of a sledghammer to the face. Oh, and the typical new agey nature worship of a 90s enviromental message cartoon (Captain Planet would blush). Yep, humans are evil, in particular human adults. Destroying the world and all (well, sort of, but to elaborate on that point would be spoiling the book). But fortunately the main characters aren't human, they're mutants, clearly described as the next step in evolution. The book almost seems eager for homo saipien to vanish like the Neanderthal.
Ok, perhaps I'm too harsh. There's a lot of fun action scenes with space age fighter planes and some sufficiently interesting ideas in building the world, plus the main villain is SO ridiculously evil and numb to human feeling it's entertaining. There's even a pysche out toward the end pretending to give him good motives before reaffirming that, yes he's even worse than we thought. Plus you do root for Mika to find his sister.
So can I personally recommend it? No, but based on the response from others it seems I'm in the minority. So take that for what you will. One final warning: Don't read this expecting closure in the end, this is clearly written with a sequel (and perhaps "franchise") in mind.
si0bhan's review against another edition
2.0
Emma Clayton’s The Roar is one of those books I picked up to complete a deal – in fact, I picked up both books in this series. Although the books were used as a means to ensure I reached the right number of books to get the offer, I was interested in giving this series a read. In fact, I was rather eager to dive in. Although I feel as though young adult dystopian has grown to be overly repetitive, I still have a weakness for the genre.
Unfortunately, there was too much of that repetitiveness for me to enjoy this one. Most of the elements in this story I could point towards other young adult dystopian books and say ‘I have seen it before, and I have seen it done better’. Sure, there was potential here, but it failed to live up to it.
I think the biggest issue for me, however, was that I did not care about any of the characters. I can deal with similar stories, if I’m enjoying something about them. Namely, if I care about the characters and what is happening to them. With this one, I just didn’t care. I felt no connection to any of the characters, and I was reading simply to see how everything came together.
I will admit there was some enjoyment to be found when the details came together towards the end, and there were some nice messages in there, but it was not enough to win me over. As I have the second book I will be reading it to see how everything comes together, but it’s not a story I’m crazy excited about. It’s a means to get answers, not a necessity to calm a fangirl mind.
I’m sure many will enjoy this, but The Roar just wasn’t for me.
Unfortunately, there was too much of that repetitiveness for me to enjoy this one. Most of the elements in this story I could point towards other young adult dystopian books and say ‘I have seen it before, and I have seen it done better’. Sure, there was potential here, but it failed to live up to it.
I think the biggest issue for me, however, was that I did not care about any of the characters. I can deal with similar stories, if I’m enjoying something about them. Namely, if I care about the characters and what is happening to them. With this one, I just didn’t care. I felt no connection to any of the characters, and I was reading simply to see how everything came together.
I will admit there was some enjoyment to be found when the details came together towards the end, and there were some nice messages in there, but it was not enough to win me over. As I have the second book I will be reading it to see how everything comes together, but it’s not a story I’m crazy excited about. It’s a means to get answers, not a necessity to calm a fangirl mind.
I’m sure many will enjoy this, but The Roar just wasn’t for me.