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jennyedwall's review against another edition
1.0
Worst book of the year and one of the worst books ever.
tonks332's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-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? It's complicated
1.0
xliterati's review against another edition
1.0
This book was just not my cup of tea. At all.
I think the most obvious problem I had with this book was that the writing took itself WAY too seriously for my liking. Almost immediately we're pulled into Cara's world of whale watching. Though she seems slightly interesting enough, not much is established about her before we're thrown heels first into an encounter with David, Cara's supposed soulmate. I mean she literally feels a 'connection' when their hands touch? I'm all for larger than life descriptions of encounters with soulmates in the YA genre, but this one felt completely forced and awkward. Cara's mother (who seems to be the only voice of reason in the entire book) makes some VERY important points in regards to Cara and David's relationship, namely the power imbalance between the two. I'm not sure what it is with the YA genre and its fascination with writing teenage girls with grown men, but it's very irksome.
This book seemed to have too much going for it all at once, and none of it was interesting. The characters came off completely one dimensional, the writing was choppy at best, and the descriptions fall flat leaving the reader in a haze of uninterest. I'm not even sure how I managed to finish this, but probably won't ever be picking it up again.
I think the most obvious problem I had with this book was that the writing took itself WAY too seriously for my liking. Almost immediately we're pulled into Cara's world of whale watching. Though she seems slightly interesting enough, not much is established about her before we're thrown heels first into an encounter with David, Cara's supposed soulmate. I mean she literally feels a 'connection' when their hands touch? I'm all for larger than life descriptions of encounters with soulmates in the YA genre, but this one felt completely forced and awkward.
Spoiler
Not to mention we later find out David is actually her new student teacher and THAT is the greatest source of tension between them.This book seemed to have too much going for it all at once, and none of it was interesting. The characters came off completely one dimensional, the writing was choppy at best, and the descriptions fall flat leaving the reader in a haze of uninterest. I'm not even sure how I managed to finish this, but probably won't ever be picking it up again.
abwright's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. Not sure what I just read. We had angels. demons. whales, stalkers, and witches. Flat characters, flat relationships, too many weird plots mixed together, a whole lot of diet soda and apple references. Throw in several preachy topics, and I'm scratching my head. Wish I had passed this one up.
abbeyleec's review against another edition
3.0
This book was interesting but I had no idea what was going on for most of the book.
I liked the fact that the main character, Cara, was in love with her teacher. She didn't know at the time she met him that he was a teacher. That was crazy and she had to hide her feelings for David. He was a student teacher though and he was only 21. I really do like the teacher love trope though. Gets me every time.
I thought Garren was pretty cool but he was kind of being a stalker, he knew where Cara was a most of the time and would always pop up. He wasn't a bad guy though.
Rachel was a bitch to Cara in the book. She was really obsessed with her new boyfriend and was so horrible to Cara, I don't know why Cara tried to help her. I wouldn't like to be treated like that.
Still a good book, enjoyed it.
I liked the fact that the main character, Cara, was in love with her teacher. She didn't know at the time she met him that he was a teacher. That was crazy and she had to hide her feelings for David. He was a student teacher though and he was only 21. I really do like the teacher love trope though. Gets me every time.
I thought Garren was pretty cool but he was kind of being a stalker, he knew where Cara was a most of the time and would always pop up. He wasn't a bad guy though.
Rachel was a bitch to Cara in the book. She was really obsessed with her new boyfriend and was so horrible to Cara, I don't know why Cara tried to help her. I wouldn't like to be treated like that.
Still a good book, enjoyed it.
ladyida1's review against another edition
5.0
Love it
1 thing I didnt like is her disrespectful attitude when it comes to her mother. I few times I wanted to kick her out. Her mother was only looking out for her.
Love the twist at the end and Im also glad we got to find out what was Garren's deal
1 thing I didnt like is her disrespectful attitude when it comes to her mother. I few times I wanted to kick her out. Her mother was only looking out for her.
Love the twist at the end and Im also glad we got to find out what was Garren's deal
bellaacsg's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book, Garren and David were the best male characters in the story, I wish I had a friend like Garren ! I've seen people give Cara's character a bad review but honestly I think Cara is an amazing person having a hard time. If you're a sucker for romance then I'd strongly suggest you read this !!
lea_orlaya's review against another edition
4.0
Despite all the bad reviews and low ratings I picked up this book and I'm really glad I did. Okay, the writing isn't the best at the begining but it gets much better towards the end. Sometimes the events and storytelling feel a bit rushed, but some really great descriptions make up for that. And yes, "his lopsided smile" is mentioned so many times I lost count, but the romance is really sweet. The book gives a different twist on witches, has some cool descriptions of seaside life, and, most importantly, shows what is probably the most realistic mother-daughter relationship I came across in YA. So before you judge this book and cross it off your list, at least give it a try, maybe you won't get disappointed.
minimire's review against another edition
2.0
So let me get this straight, the only reason I bought this book was because I found the cover interesting, and also because I was intrigued by the synopsis. However, I was dead wrong to dive into this book.
Ok, so, this book. Boy, where do I start? Alright, so let’s start with the part I dislike the most. And that is the instant love. Honestly, this is the first book I have read about that has an instant love and I’ve got to admit, it really did ruin my whole view on instant love.
So we have Cara, who meets David, and falls in love with him on the first day she met him. And I hated it. The author kept on describing their so called “love” as a connection and that they are “made for each other”. I mean, Cara doesn’t even know the guy! For all she knows David might be a killer! [Though obviously not in this book]
And another thing is, the author kept on repeating the word ‘connection’ throughout the whole book. So much that I got so irritated whenever I see the word in the book. I would be fine if the author described their connection three times throughout the whole book, but not three times in a single chapter! It just got too repetitive.
Apart from the constant use of the word ‘connection’ and the instant love, I also dislike the fact that the author actually made it look like it was against the law for students to be dating teachers. The author made it look like it was a crime and Cara and David were just trying to break the law but not get punished. However, when we found out that Cara was 18 and David was 21, and the age gap was just 3 years, it didn’t look like it was such a big deal. Though I didn’t understand why they couldn’t have waited until Cara graduates. They could use the time to get to know each other better. Literally, Cara does not know about David at all, except for that lopsided smile of his. They could have used the time to be friends and not partners yet.
Another problem I had with this book was the cheesy conversations between David and Cara. Usually, no, most of the time, I love cheesy conversations. I go to fanfiction.com and read fanfics on my favourite otp and when I get goosebumps, I love the feeling. But with this book, instead of getting goosebumps, I just got really disgusted with the conversations. Most of the time I was like ‘God, just stop already!’
So now, on to the characters.
Cara. I had a lot of problems with this girl. I don’t know why but I just hated her attraction to David. Maybe it’s because of the instant love. I remember in the very first chapter, she said that after her ex-boyfriend, she would never fall for a guy. But then, on that same day, she fell in love with this cute face. I was like, ‘What. The. Hell?’ I found that the author could have improved the book so much more if David and Cara’s relationship was introduced in another way.
There was a part in the book where Cara was just acting like an immature middle grade student defying her mother and it pissed me off, literally. I was so close to throwing the book on the floor. Cara was defying everything her mother told her to do and she was just acting like a spoiled little brat. She’s 18, she should know better than to argue like an 8 year old. And I could just picture it so clearly in my head, that disgusting, brat look on her face when she talked back to her mother.
David. I didn’t have much problems with him, except for his relationship with Cara. I felt at certain parts in the book, he was a little too protective. And it just disgusts me. A lot.
Garren. So for Garren, I found the way he was introduced into the story a bit strange. Was there no other way the author could have introduced him? Did he have to be almost knocked down by Cara and then have a conversation with her? Introducing himself and all. I also found that conversation a bit forced.
We also learn later in the book that Garren is Cara’s guardian angel. That’s actually not that much of a surprise. From the moment Garren was introduced, I know he’s the guardian angel. Why? Because the whole book on revolves around less than ten characters.
Here are a few parts of the book which I found annoying and here are some things I discovered about this author.
One, she absolutely loves to describe a character’s smile, especially a male, with just one word, and repeat it one million times throughout the book. Literally, how many times did the author mention David’s lopsided grin?
Two, the author has choppy writing. A few times throughout the book, I read sentences that felt out of place, and also paragraphs that felt a bit forced and was not necessary.
Page 114. Cara just tasted some salt and spat it out as if it was a drug. Then the author stated that “the bitter taste remained in her mouth” what? She just had salt, and it tasted bitter?
Page 117. So Cara had been noticing Rachel’s odd behaviour. Garren had mentioned to her a few times that Rachel might be possessed even though Cara chose not to believe it. She then decided to do some research on the symptoms of possessed. She witnessed it with her own two eyes some of the symptoms Rachel has been having but Cara still chooses not to believe it. Fine, maybe Cara wants to think positively, that Rachel is just under Ethan’s influence.
But when she enters her room and finds a book on witchcraft and just flips through it like it was an ordinary magazine? What? Who does that? Cara was not even surprized that Rachel would keep such a book. Ok, up to this point, I was furious and frustrated with Cara. For all I know, if my best friend is keeping such a dangerous book, and is having symptoms of being possessed, I would not be so calm as to flip through the book like a magazine and then put it back down as if I’ve seen the book many times.
Page 183. The argument Cara had with her mother. This really made me hate Cara so much more. She’s arguing with her mother over David and the worst part is, she’s acting like a spoiled brat and acting as if she had been in more relationships than her mother to know what’s best.
Those were a few of the main parts I wanted to address, but there were some good points in the book as well.
I really liked the short chapters. I find that it keeps my attention on the book longer compared to books with longer chapters.
I also really liked the last few chapters of the book where they were doing a ritual for Amber. I like how everything was described and I could picture it clearly in my head, especially the dark demonic cloud that escaped Amber and into the transient orca.
So that is all for my book review guys I hope you enjoyed it. I gave this book a 2 out of 5 stars in total and would not recommend it. However, please do not let that dissuade you from buying the book. If you really feel like giving this book a try, go ahead. Thanks for reading!
Ok, so, this book. Boy, where do I start? Alright, so let’s start with the part I dislike the most. And that is the instant love. Honestly, this is the first book I have read about that has an instant love and I’ve got to admit, it really did ruin my whole view on instant love.
So we have Cara, who meets David, and falls in love with him on the first day she met him. And I hated it. The author kept on describing their so called “love” as a connection and that they are “made for each other”. I mean, Cara doesn’t even know the guy! For all she knows David might be a killer! [Though obviously not in this book]
And another thing is, the author kept on repeating the word ‘connection’ throughout the whole book. So much that I got so irritated whenever I see the word in the book. I would be fine if the author described their connection three times throughout the whole book, but not three times in a single chapter! It just got too repetitive.
Apart from the constant use of the word ‘connection’ and the instant love, I also dislike the fact that the author actually made it look like it was against the law for students to be dating teachers. The author made it look like it was a crime and Cara and David were just trying to break the law but not get punished. However, when we found out that Cara was 18 and David was 21, and the age gap was just 3 years, it didn’t look like it was such a big deal. Though I didn’t understand why they couldn’t have waited until Cara graduates. They could use the time to get to know each other better. Literally, Cara does not know about David at all, except for that lopsided smile of his. They could have used the time to be friends and not partners yet.
Another problem I had with this book was the cheesy conversations between David and Cara. Usually, no, most of the time, I love cheesy conversations. I go to fanfiction.com and read fanfics on my favourite otp and when I get goosebumps, I love the feeling. But with this book, instead of getting goosebumps, I just got really disgusted with the conversations. Most of the time I was like ‘God, just stop already!’
So now, on to the characters.
Cara. I had a lot of problems with this girl. I don’t know why but I just hated her attraction to David. Maybe it’s because of the instant love. I remember in the very first chapter, she said that after her ex-boyfriend, she would never fall for a guy. But then, on that same day, she fell in love with this cute face. I was like, ‘What. The. Hell?’ I found that the author could have improved the book so much more if David and Cara’s relationship was introduced in another way.
There was a part in the book where Cara was just acting like an immature middle grade student defying her mother and it pissed me off, literally. I was so close to throwing the book on the floor. Cara was defying everything her mother told her to do and she was just acting like a spoiled little brat. She’s 18, she should know better than to argue like an 8 year old. And I could just picture it so clearly in my head, that disgusting, brat look on her face when she talked back to her mother.
David. I didn’t have much problems with him, except for his relationship with Cara. I felt at certain parts in the book, he was a little too protective. And it just disgusts me. A lot.
Garren. So for Garren, I found the way he was introduced into the story a bit strange. Was there no other way the author could have introduced him? Did he have to be almost knocked down by Cara and then have a conversation with her? Introducing himself and all. I also found that conversation a bit forced.
We also learn later in the book that Garren is Cara’s guardian angel. That’s actually not that much of a surprise. From the moment Garren was introduced, I know he’s the guardian angel. Why? Because the whole book on revolves around less than ten characters.
Here are a few parts of the book which I found annoying and here are some things I discovered about this author.
One, she absolutely loves to describe a character’s smile, especially a male, with just one word, and repeat it one million times throughout the book. Literally, how many times did the author mention David’s lopsided grin?
Two, the author has choppy writing. A few times throughout the book, I read sentences that felt out of place, and also paragraphs that felt a bit forced and was not necessary.
Page 114. Cara just tasted some salt and spat it out as if it was a drug. Then the author stated that “the bitter taste remained in her mouth” what? She just had salt, and it tasted bitter?
Page 117. So Cara had been noticing Rachel’s odd behaviour. Garren had mentioned to her a few times that Rachel might be possessed even though Cara chose not to believe it. She then decided to do some research on the symptoms of possessed. She witnessed it with her own two eyes some of the symptoms Rachel has been having but Cara still chooses not to believe it. Fine, maybe Cara wants to think positively, that Rachel is just under Ethan’s influence.
But when she enters her room and finds a book on witchcraft and just flips through it like it was an ordinary magazine? What? Who does that? Cara was not even surprized that Rachel would keep such a book. Ok, up to this point, I was furious and frustrated with Cara. For all I know, if my best friend is keeping such a dangerous book, and is having symptoms of being possessed, I would not be so calm as to flip through the book like a magazine and then put it back down as if I’ve seen the book many times.
Page 183. The argument Cara had with her mother. This really made me hate Cara so much more. She’s arguing with her mother over David and the worst part is, she’s acting like a spoiled brat and acting as if she had been in more relationships than her mother to know what’s best.
Those were a few of the main parts I wanted to address, but there were some good points in the book as well.
I really liked the short chapters. I find that it keeps my attention on the book longer compared to books with longer chapters.
I also really liked the last few chapters of the book where they were doing a ritual for Amber. I like how everything was described and I could picture it clearly in my head, especially the dark demonic cloud that escaped Amber and into the transient orca.
So that is all for my book review guys I hope you enjoyed it. I gave this book a 2 out of 5 stars in total and would not recommend it. However, please do not let that dissuade you from buying the book. If you really feel like giving this book a try, go ahead. Thanks for reading!
sunsetwaves's review
4.0
I really liked this book. It was filled with mystery and cute romances. I couldn't put it down except for the parts where I anticipated something bad was going to happen. I love the slight touches toward Christianity and religion and the warnings about sorcery. Overall, it was a really good read that I enjoyed. I almost cried about Garren, but I love how everything ended. I'm glad she avoided the whole love triangle thing as well. That was a definite plus.