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jmmeyer's review against another edition
1.0
I just couldn't force myself through this one. If it were on audio and I was working out to it then maybe but reading, not happening. I keep avoiding reading it so I'm just done. Maybe I'll revisit this because it's a cool idea but I don't know. Sagara's writing bugs me. It feels overworked. Her characters don't feel like real teenagers either, they feel like an adult trying to make them teenagers.
There is an autistic character who I rather liked and he kept me reading longer than I might have otherwise. I mean, true, I don't like not finishing books but I'm in a strange mood and if I don't like it I'm not forcing it...there are too many books to read for me to try so hard on a book that isn't a nonfiction piece that will leave me more informed.
Beautiful cover, cool concepts, sexy guys, and interesting nicknames but writing that makes me grind my teeth. A no go for me.
There is an autistic character who I rather liked and he kept me reading longer than I might have otherwise. I mean, true, I don't like not finishing books but I'm in a strange mood and if I don't like it I'm not forcing it...there are too many books to read for me to try so hard on a book that isn't a nonfiction piece that will leave me more informed.
Beautiful cover, cool concepts, sexy guys, and interesting nicknames but writing that makes me grind my teeth. A no go for me.
virginiaduan's review against another edition
3.0
Just like some posts/articles/web content have trigger warnings for rape, violence, abuse, etc., they need trigger warnings on things for BABIES IN PERIL and SUFFERING. I just broke down weeping because this book has a 4 year old boy trapped in a fire who refused to come out of his room and follow his mommy out the house because she had to hold onto a 3 month old baby and an 18 month old baby. And he felt betrayed! And he DIED. And he is stuck there as a ghost in the burning house because he is SO MAD.
All I can think of is my own DS throwing a tantrum at the most inconvenient time and me trying to get him out of the house to save him but having no way to do it.
WHY!? Why are there books with such obvious WEEPING BAIT? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU AUTHORS??
That is all. Carry on.
Oh, right. The rest of the story is fine. I really liked Eric and Chase. But seriously. The second book BETTER NOT HAVE ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN TO BABIES.
All I can think of is my own DS throwing a tantrum at the most inconvenient time and me trying to get him out of the house to save him but having no way to do it.
WHY!? Why are there books with such obvious WEEPING BAIT? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU AUTHORS??
That is all. Carry on.
Oh, right. The rest of the story is fine. I really liked Eric and Chase. But seriously. The second book BETTER NOT HAVE ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN TO BABIES.
haramis's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't hate this book, but it wasn't like anything approaching good either; it was on the sliding into crap side of mediocre. Most of the time when I rate a book two stars, I didn't blazing hate it, but I strongly disliked it. Silence didn't really make me feel anything.
The story is the tired old YA retread--teenage girl with troubled past discovers that she has special powers of the "I'm a f-ing snowflake" variety and is taunted by the mysterious, yet handsome newcomer at her school who knows more than he's telling. Yawn.
Different? She has a support network that she actually relies upon and that is not full of frenemies. Bad? None of the relationships feel real. We are told that these are all (Oh god, I forgot her name, that's how generic this book is) Emma's friends, but Sagara never wrote them in such a way that I could actually believe in their connection. Odder, Eric and Chase just fall into the group like family, although they are clearly other--view all that oddly stilted witty banter. I can't decide if the dialogue was actually crap or if it was a failing of Alexandra Bailey's comatose performance.
Most of plot revolves around Emma not being told what is happening to her for her own protection. Again, yawn. This book would have been so much better if Sagara had just put her cards on the table instead of trying to keep it suspensefully vauge. The result was a book I couldn't even begin to invest in.
The story is the tired old YA retread--teenage girl with troubled past discovers that she has special powers of the "I'm a f-ing snowflake" variety and is taunted by the mysterious, yet handsome newcomer at her school who knows more than he's telling. Yawn.
Different? She has a support network that she actually relies upon and that is not full of frenemies. Bad? None of the relationships feel real. We are told that these are all (Oh god, I forgot her name, that's how generic this book is) Emma's friends, but Sagara never wrote them in such a way that I could actually believe in their connection. Odder, Eric and Chase just fall into the group like family, although they are clearly other--view all that oddly stilted witty banter. I can't decide if the dialogue was actually crap or if it was a failing of Alexandra Bailey's comatose performance.
Most of plot revolves around Emma not being told what is happening to her for her own protection. Again, yawn. This book would have been so much better if Sagara had just put her cards on the table instead of trying to keep it suspensefully vauge. The result was a book I couldn't even begin to invest in.
cjmichel's review against another edition
3.0
The story was good but I felt like it took forever to get to the end.
lainy122's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book immensely. The protagonist was practical without being calculating, kind without being a pushover, smart without being obnoxious, interesting without being complicated, and just generally likable in a way that I find rare in young adult novels these days. She had a level head, an empathy and a common sense that made her incredibly identifiable and real.
The premise was also engrossing, and avoided info dumps that often accompany intricate world building. The pace flowed naturally, and although the audience was feed small snippets of information before the protagonist, it never felt like we left her behind or outpaced her in any way. A gradual build to a satisfying conclusion, the plot never felt slow or padded.
Highly recommended, great read. Looking forward to the next in the series!
The premise was also engrossing, and avoided info dumps that often accompany intricate world building. The pace flowed naturally, and although the audience was feed small snippets of information before the protagonist, it never felt like we left her behind or outpaced her in any way. A gradual build to a satisfying conclusion, the plot never felt slow or padded.
Highly recommended, great read. Looking forward to the next in the series!
kscandone28's review against another edition
2.0
Finished my first Goodreads giveaway book, which I received for FREE!! I'd give this book 2.5 stars. Despite the blatant overuse of the words "grimaced" and "winced", as well as the excessive use of the term "shoved his hands in his pockets", it was a pretty decent read. Fast and relatively easy to follow, though some points in the story line seemed disjointed, and explanations of certain crucial events seemed rushed and left me with more questions that I wanted answers to. This is not a typical genre for me to read, and it's the first book of a series I'm not sure I'll continue reading. I think if I was more into sci-fi/fantasy, I'd read the next book in the series. It seems like a good read for the YA population, I would recommend it to them.
trufyre's review against another edition
1.0
The book by itself I would probably give 2 to 2.5 stars. However the audiobook's narrator monotone detracts the story.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book! I loved the world, loved the writing, loved the characters! Need more!
kayemnic's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
phoenixemerald's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from Penguin Books in exchange for and honest review. This review and others can be seen at http://wonbooksblog.blogspot.com
This is the first of Sagara's books I have read, although I have heard a lot of praise for her Chronicles of Elantra series. Silence is a YA fantasy book in which a teenage Emma begins to have contact with the dead. She meets some people who would like to help her and some who want her to join the dead she has befriended.
There were some very imaginative parts of this book that made the whole thing worth the read. I loved Sagara's imagery and characters. Golden chains into the hearts of the dead? Soul fire? Heck yes.
There was a lot left unexplained, but I think that is because this book is the first in a series, not because of error or carelessness. I did hit a lull in the middle of the book. Luckily the beginning had me so hooked that it carried me through to the end where it picked up again.
Basically, I loved this book because it was an original idea with some neat magical imagery. Also, I loved the cover art by Cliff Nielsen. If you have not seen his work you should definitely check it out. It is pretty incredible.
This is the first of Sagara's books I have read, although I have heard a lot of praise for her Chronicles of Elantra series. Silence is a YA fantasy book in which a teenage Emma begins to have contact with the dead. She meets some people who would like to help her and some who want her to join the dead she has befriended.
There were some very imaginative parts of this book that made the whole thing worth the read. I loved Sagara's imagery and characters. Golden chains into the hearts of the dead? Soul fire? Heck yes.
There was a lot left unexplained, but I think that is because this book is the first in a series, not because of error or carelessness. I did hit a lull in the middle of the book. Luckily the beginning had me so hooked that it carried me through to the end where it picked up again.
Basically, I loved this book because it was an original idea with some neat magical imagery. Also, I loved the cover art by Cliff Nielsen. If you have not seen his work you should definitely check it out. It is pretty incredible.