Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This was okay. I kind of got annoyed with the protagonist because she was wishy washy. Like at the beginning she would act one way and then when it happened to her she would expect something different. Mind you this country was off its rocker to begin with so I guess she lived and learned. I think I’m going to continue to the next one just to see how it ends but nothing really stood out for me... kinda reminded me of Margaret Atwood’s “handmaids tale” with the branding stuff but also a mix of like divergent with the different societies.
dark
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
I read this book in an afternoon... needless to say I liked it! It had a kind of "The Giver" feel to it. The world not the plot. Many reviews I've read on here complained that some scenes were too graphic/real for them and they didn't like it. That is probably exactly why I liked it. It could be a bit tense to read, however that's because it was just, well real. Kudos to the author for that!
In the beginning the MC Celestine was annoyingly perfect, (think Pleasantville), so you knew immediately she was going to have a fall from grace. It didn't happen the way I expected though. What I love most about this book is that Celestine had an internal struggle for a bit and then she freaking commits to who she is!! The last two books I've read that was the biggest pet peeve for me. Also shout out to the parents in this book. I was impressed with how that plays out, and especially loved the mothers reaction and subsequent growth. The little brother is a throw away character and unnecessary to the story, not sure why he was included.
The love story is not the main focus of this story, at least not yet. That could change with the next one. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that it's not a love triangle scenario as that's very much available for the authors use. I'd like to see this MC stay strong and committed and to keep moving forward!!
Many found it boring, probably because it has a big political intrigue vibe going on. Personally that's right up my alley. I didn't find myself flagging very often in the book. There were a few scenes I am not certain about their purpose. However I get a tv show feel from it. Sometimes a scene is there not for that episode but to set up subsequent episodes. Hopefully that's the case here.
Overall I liked it and am looking forward to the next one!
In the beginning the MC Celestine was annoyingly perfect, (think Pleasantville), so you knew immediately she was going to have a fall from grace. It didn't happen the way I expected though. What I love most about this book is that Celestine had an internal struggle for a bit and then she freaking commits to who she is!! The last two books I've read that was the biggest pet peeve for me. Also shout out to the parents in this book. I was impressed with how that plays out, and especially loved the mothers reaction and subsequent growth. The little brother is a throw away character and unnecessary to the story, not sure why he was included.
The love story is not the main focus of this story, at least not yet. That could change with the next one. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that it's not a love triangle scenario as that's very much available for the authors use. I'd like to see this MC stay strong and committed and to keep moving forward!!
Many found it boring, probably because it has a big political intrigue vibe going on. Personally that's right up my alley. I didn't find myself flagging very often in the book. There were a few scenes I am not certain about their purpose. However I get a tv show feel from it. Sometimes a scene is there not for that episode but to set up subsequent episodes. Hopefully that's the case here.
Overall I liked it and am looking forward to the next one!
This book was definitely better than I thought it was going to be.
It has an intriguing premise in which people are branded as flawed if they do something wrong but not illegal and I liked the main character. It did read a little bit childish and ridiculous at times but overall was an interesting story and I will read the sequel to see how it ends.
It has an intriguing premise in which people are branded as flawed if they do something wrong but not illegal and I liked the main character. It did read a little bit childish and ridiculous at times but overall was an interesting story and I will read the sequel to see how it ends.
Took me a bit to get into this but when I did I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next one because the end of the book is definitely not the end of the story!
I was really surprised by this one. Solid character development, a villain to send shivers down your spine, and a society that is chillingly plausible.
Can't decide if this is a 4 star or 4.5 stars. I did enjoy it and loved the short chapters that helped add to the drama. I thought the plot was a new take on dystopian, which I appreciated as I normally don't like dystopian based novels. I thought that there was very little character development for a lot of characters and this, for me, is why it's not a 5 star book, paired with the fact that I felt in 400 pages there should have been a bit more plot development as there's now a lot to be done in the next book. Overall though I did enjoy this book a lot and am looking forward to the release of the second one.
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'll start with the TL;DR: unless you are committed to reading the gamut of dystopian YA published this year, don't waste your time on this one; there are much better options out there. At the same time, it's not entirely devoid of charm, and there are much worse ways to spend a few hours.
This was one of 3 recent YA fantasy or speculative fiction series debuts that I had in my TBR, so I decided to devote this weekend to them. This was the first I read, because I have a lot of respect for Cecelia Ahern's prodigious chick lit output and was eager to see what she'd do with YA.
A brief aside: the speculative/dystopian YA genre has gotten pretty crowded. In my opinion, to succeed in this field, you need a really strong, inspiring main character, a tight, well-thought-out and creative premise, and -- because it's YA -- a little bit of a commitment to melodrama. Teenagers' emotions and hormones run high, and I think talented YA writers can be faithful to that without seeming forced or ridiculous.
Unfortunately, Ahern fails in the first two categories, though she nails the third one.
Her protagonist, Celestine, is confusing -- and not in a good, complex way, but in a frustratingly inconsistent way. She tells us over and over that she's a by-the-book girl who has always followed all of the rules, but then with virtually no hesitation, she throws out all the rules in a moment to offer some fairly minimal assistance to a total stranger. The conversion from good girl to rebel was, for me, wildly unconvincing.
Wait, you might be saying. Why is it rebellious to offer assistance to a stranger (in this case, helping a sick man find a seat on a bus)? (And if it is, isn't the obvious comparison to Rosa Parks just a little bit uncomfortable?)
Glad you asked. I tried so very hard to buy into the premise of this book, because it's creative and has some interesting possibilities, and I really wanted to be swept up into the world of the book. In this world, anyone who tells a tiny lie, or makes a bad business decision, gets hauled before a tribunal and declared "Flawed," whereupon they are branded and forced to live by a strict set of rules, of which plain food and curfews seem to be the most salient. The obvious question is, how does society continue to function? If you tell a lie or are seen helping someone who's Flawed, teams of Whistleblowers literally swoop down and carry you away, and there's an enormous expenditure of time and manpower to put you through a trial and then essentially remove you from the consumer structure, which has to be terrible for the economy.
Then the inconsistencies start. The Flawless can be imprisoned for helping the Flawed, and the Flawed are so shunned that they have to be buried in separate graveyards and people shrink from (or spit at) them in public... And yet Flawed and Flawless people apparently marry and procreate and live together all the time.
More troublingly, in what seems like an obsessively rule-conscious society, Celestine's judge goes absolutely off the deep end when she admits what she did, and Maybe he thinks he's beyond the law, but it seems strangely easy for him to break rules without consequences, and that just doesn't seem to fit in the world of the book.
Ahern does nail the melodramatic teen inner monologue, though, and I liked Celestine much better when I was in her head than when I was watching her more inexplicable actions unfold.
However, I hated the "love triangle." Yes, it's a staple of the YA genre, but that doesn't mean it needs to be in every story. Here, Celestine has a boyfriend she's madly in love with, and who's madly in love with her. Plenty of romance. But for reasons that I assume will become apparent in the sequel, Ahern forces Celestine to Poor boyfriend doesn't stand a chance.
At the end of the day, though, I do want to see Celestine triumph over the unrealistically evil judge and change her unrealistically draconian society. There's a fair to middling chance I'll pick up the next book if it catches me at the right time.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
This was one of 3 recent YA fantasy or speculative fiction series debuts that I had in my TBR, so I decided to devote this weekend to them. This was the first I read, because I have a lot of respect for Cecelia Ahern's prodigious chick lit output and was eager to see what she'd do with YA.
A brief aside: the speculative/dystopian YA genre has gotten pretty crowded. In my opinion, to succeed in this field, you need a really strong, inspiring main character, a tight, well-thought-out and creative premise, and -- because it's YA -- a little bit of a commitment to melodrama. Teenagers' emotions and hormones run high, and I think talented YA writers can be faithful to that without seeming forced or ridiculous.
Unfortunately, Ahern fails in the first two categories, though she nails the third one.
Her protagonist, Celestine, is confusing -- and not in a good, complex way, but in a frustratingly inconsistent way. She tells us over and over that she's a by-the-book girl who has always followed all of the rules, but then with virtually no hesitation, she throws out all the rules in a moment to offer some fairly minimal assistance to a total stranger. The conversion from good girl to rebel was, for me, wildly unconvincing.
Wait, you might be saying. Why is it rebellious to offer assistance to a stranger (in this case, helping a sick man find a seat on a bus)? (And if it is, isn't the obvious comparison to Rosa Parks just a little bit uncomfortable?)
Glad you asked. I tried so very hard to buy into the premise of this book, because it's creative and has some interesting possibilities, and I really wanted to be swept up into the world of the book. In this world, anyone who tells a tiny lie, or makes a bad business decision, gets hauled before a tribunal and declared "Flawed," whereupon they are branded and forced to live by a strict set of rules, of which plain food and curfews seem to be the most salient. The obvious question is, how does society continue to function? If you tell a lie or are seen helping someone who's Flawed, teams of Whistleblowers literally swoop down and carry you away, and there's an enormous expenditure of time and manpower to put you through a trial and then essentially remove you from the consumer structure, which has to be terrible for the economy.
Then the inconsistencies start. The Flawless can be imprisoned for helping the Flawed, and the Flawed are so shunned that they have to be buried in separate graveyards and people shrink from (or spit at) them in public... And yet Flawed and Flawless people apparently marry and procreate and live together all the time.
More troublingly, in what seems like an obsessively rule-conscious society, Celestine's judge goes absolutely off the deep end when she admits what she did, and
Spoiler
not only hands down a sentence that is dramatically more serious than apparently the most serious sentence in the history of the commission, but starts demanding that the punishment administrators give her additional, unsanctioned punishments.Ahern does nail the melodramatic teen inner monologue, though, and I liked Celestine much better when I was in her head than when I was watching her more inexplicable actions unfold.
However, I hated the "love triangle." Yes, it's a staple of the YA genre, but that doesn't mean it needs to be in every story. Here, Celestine has a boyfriend she's madly in love with, and who's madly in love with her. Plenty of romance. But for reasons that I assume will become apparent in the sequel, Ahern forces Celestine to
Spoiler
develop an odd puppy love for a fellow prisoner -- whom she sees for maybe three days total, and speaks to maybe once. But there's heavy foreshadowing that he will rescue her! And together, they will fight the forces of darkness!At the end of the day, though, I do want to see Celestine triumph over the unrealistically evil judge and change her unrealistically draconian society. There's a fair to middling chance I'll pick up the next book if it catches me at the right time.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Celestine North lives a perfect life. She's a model daughter and sister, she's well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she's dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.
But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule. And now faces life-changing repercussions.
She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.
In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where obedience is paramount and rebellion is punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her-everything.
I'm surprised at the mixed review for this book as I thought it was fantastic. OK, the writing isn't always perfect but the story is gripping although surprisingly dark. I thought Celestine's feelings were explained really well, a normal girl who in a mad moment steps out of line and suffers huge consequences. Yes, it's dystopian but it's a whole new idea and a heroine who most of the time is terrified of what's she's done and her future. Loved it and can't wait for the sequel.
But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule. And now faces life-changing repercussions.
She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.
In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where obedience is paramount and rebellion is punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her-everything.
I'm surprised at the mixed review for this book as I thought it was fantastic. OK, the writing isn't always perfect but the story is gripping although surprisingly dark. I thought Celestine's feelings were explained really well, a normal girl who in a mad moment steps out of line and suffers huge consequences. Yes, it's dystopian but it's a whole new idea and a heroine who most of the time is terrified of what's she's done and her future. Loved it and can't wait for the sequel.