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2.92 AVERAGE
2.92 AVERAGE
0.5 stars
Review reflective 100% of the ending of this book. I don't think that I have ever hated an ending like I did this one. I am glad that this is their first book and they have obviously seen the error in their ways since writing it. But I will never recommend this to anyone.
Review reflective 100% of the ending of this book. I don't think that I have ever hated an ending like I did this one. I am glad that this is their first book and they have obviously seen the error in their ways since writing it. But I will never recommend this to anyone.
I love Christina Lauren. I met them recently and told them that I had just finished Sublime. They asked what I thought and I said I was pissed off at the end. What I didn't get to say was that I really liked Sublime. Sublime was a great story about a girl Lucy who wakes up one day on a frozen path not really knowing how she got there or who she is, until she meets Colin. Colin is a boy who has lost a lot in his life and now lives for the adrenaline high of danger. When he sees Lucy for the first time, he is drawn to her like no other. The two cannot stay away from each other but neither knowing the reason why. This NA novel was full of eerie suspense, mystery and longing. A ghostly tale with a twist. Yes, I was pissed at the end. Perhaps because I didn't want it to end, or the fact that it was unpredictable. I recommend this ghostly tale and give it 4.5 Sighs. Paired with a Liquefied Ghost Cocktail.
http://www.hgtv.com/entertaining/liquefied-ghost-cocktail-recipe/index.html
http://www.hgtv.com/entertaining/liquefied-ghost-cocktail-recipe/index.html
Are you fucking high? How did no one stop them from publishing this?? My man decided to commit suicide so he could bone his girlfriend? I am so confused
Review originally posted at www.fictitiousdelicious.com on 10/15/14:
I did it! I FINALLY read a Christina Lauren book! My BFF Nikki will be sooo proud of me! She's been pushing their new adult series on me for about 1,000 days now, and it's easy to see why she's been doing so. The writing of this tragic love story was probably my favorite part of the whole book. I'll be back for more Christina Lauren.
SUBLIME started out slow for me, but in a way, that was totally appropriate. We meet Lucy who literally appears out of no where with no recollection of who she is, where she came from, etc. It takes her some time to understand that she's, well, dead as she absorbs her environment and the reader experience that process along with her. So, yeah. It's slow to start, but it ties into the storyline nicely. (As I said, the writing = fabulous.)
My disconnect with the relationship between Colin and Lucy was immediate. I never really felt it, you know? I mean, no doubt those two love each other when you consider the lengths they go to be together (hold on, I'll get to that shortly), I just didn't become as invested in their love story as I could have. Now, that being said? Once they were determined to find a way to be together, I completely devoured the pages of this book because it was fun and mysterious to watch them go down that path.
I'm torn about the end, yo. On one hand, it took guts to go there as a writer, in my opinion. I always knew there was a potential for the story to go that way, but a tiny voice in the back of my head kept saying,"No, they won't go there." That kind of thing earns oodles of respect from this reader. On the other hand, GAAAAH. And that's all I'm saying about that, because SPOILERS SUCK.
All in all, a recommended read for fans of romance who aren't put off by insta-love. I'm coming back for a second helping of Christina Lauren very soon. I'm coming for you, Max Stella. :)
I did it! I FINALLY read a Christina Lauren book! My BFF Nikki will be sooo proud of me! She's been pushing their new adult series on me for about 1,000 days now, and it's easy to see why she's been doing so. The writing of this tragic love story was probably my favorite part of the whole book. I'll be back for more Christina Lauren.
SUBLIME started out slow for me, but in a way, that was totally appropriate. We meet Lucy who literally appears out of no where with no recollection of who she is, where she came from, etc. It takes her some time to understand that she's, well, dead as she absorbs her environment and the reader experience that process along with her. So, yeah. It's slow to start, but it ties into the storyline nicely. (As I said, the writing = fabulous.)
My disconnect with the relationship between Colin and Lucy was immediate. I never really felt it, you know? I mean, no doubt those two love each other when you consider the lengths they go to be together (hold on, I'll get to that shortly), I just didn't become as invested in their love story as I could have. Now, that being said? Once they were determined to find a way to be together, I completely devoured the pages of this book because it was fun and mysterious to watch them go down that path.
I'm torn about the end, yo. On one hand, it took guts to go there as a writer, in my opinion. I always knew there was a potential for the story to go that way, but a tiny voice in the back of my head kept saying,"No, they won't go there." That kind of thing earns oodles of respect from this reader. On the other hand, GAAAAH. And that's all I'm saying about that, because SPOILERS SUCK.
All in all, a recommended read for fans of romance who aren't put off by insta-love. I'm coming back for a second helping of Christina Lauren very soon. I'm coming for you, Max Stella. :)
dnf’ed at chapter 13. honestly it was just so boring. not sure if it’s because i was listening on audiobook or because the book was just a drag, or maybe both. but i just could NOT focus on it and had no desire to continue. bleh.
It was an odd book, I thought it would have been better.
DNF at 55%, this book was going nowhere interesting after the first half. We get it, she's a ghost, who cares?
My original review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.
**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of this title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♦ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 3.5 stars! I thought the premise was really interesting and unique. The prose was simple, yet pretty. However, my frustration over a few aspects of the story, ones I’ll discuss below, prevented me from really liking or loving the book. Overall, this was a good young adult debut for this seven-time New York Times bestselling coauthor duo, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, better known for their adult novels.
♦ The Lowdown: Lucy wakes up in a forrest, frost hanging in the air and on her skin, thanks in part to her sundress and sandals, without any recollection of where she is or even who she is, but there’s something familiar about the location, like she knows without knowing. A tugging inside her being leads her through a busy campus and into a cafeteria where a spark of certainty connected to a specific boy makes her feel like she’s here for him. She tells him as much before she runs away. Though, with time, she learns to love this boy whose skin feels like live-wire.
Colin has a very daredevil, live boldly approach to life. Touched by tragedy in his childhood and surviving his brush with death almost makes him feel invincible. So, true to his nature, he pushes the limits without pause or worry. And being with Lucy feels like the biggest adrenaline rush of his life, even when her disappearing acts start tearing him down from the inside out.
The biggest inconvenience of their relationship is that Lucy is dead, murdered on that very campus ten years before they meet. His touch always feels like too much and hers never feels like quite enough. Then, when a certain encounter gives them the perfect sync, Colin finds himself pushing himself closer to the edge than he’s ever gone before.
♦ My Thoughts: I have been following this writing duo for quite some time, long before they were ever known for their adult bestselling titles, and this premise was the one that captured my attention the most and I’ve been biding my time waiting for its release ever since. With many reviews raving about this “hauntingly beautiful tale” and the gorgeous cover to entice me, I couldn’t wait to dive in once S&S approved me. There were certain things that I’d come to expect from these writers and, for the most part, they delivered flawlessly. First, the prose was nothing short of lovely, building the atmosphere and the longing desperation between our two main characters was spot on, as was the dialogue. As a whole, I enjoyed Lucy and Colin, both individually and as a couple, and the supporting cast very much; I appreciated the depth that this writing team brought to each character. Also? The more intimate scenes were the perfect balance of hot/swoony, never really crossing that unstated “too graphic” boundary rule for YA, and I liked that as well.
Now, I’m going to clue you in to the biggest reason my rating fell to three instead of jumping to four. First off, while I liked the the MC’s, I never felt any real character growth from them throughout the entire novel. So likable? Yes, definitely, but I never saw them change for the better throughout the whole book. They were still making crazy, selfish decisions until the very end. Secondly, if you’ve read any of my other reviews, you probably already know that while I like mysteries, it almost literally pains me to have to wait an entire novel for all the answers to come to light. (The struggle not to jump ahead and find out everything is always real, you guys. Always.) However, one of my greatest pet peeves in reading is figuring out the whole plot long before everyone in the story does. It drives me mad. (Insert mini rant: I mean, am I not given the same information the characters are? Shouldn’t we come to the same conclusion- or at least the same suspicion- around the same time?) Sublime is very much that type of story, one that unfurls slowly and tries to not-so-subtly sneak in hints about the bigger picture and I knew what was up long before anyone in the story pieced it together. So, it was a bit frustrating knowing what was going on for the better half of the book when Lucy was struggling to understand until the very, very end. Then, I was a little disappointed in how it the novel was concluded. I would’ve liked a little more after that last reunion just to round out the story more, to see how Colin and Lucy felt about how things turned out, but that’s just my opinion/wishful thinking. I suppose a smile and a slow blink can be enough to satisfy me.
♦ Rec It? Yes. Honestly, it was a very well-written paranormal romance with a couple I could picture being together easily. I know my hangups with how the mystery was handled are my own, and most other readers will enjoy that aspect of this novel more than I did. Plus, how pretty is that cover? I feel like it captures the essence of the book perfectly.
♦ A very special thanks to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for providing me an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of this title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♦ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 3.5 stars! I thought the premise was really interesting and unique. The prose was simple, yet pretty. However, my frustration over a few aspects of the story, ones I’ll discuss below, prevented me from really liking or loving the book. Overall, this was a good young adult debut for this seven-time New York Times bestselling coauthor duo, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, better known for their adult novels.
Nothing matters. Death lingers in cars, in quiet school buildings, and beneath the freezing earth. Death is everywhere, but his ghost is gone.
~quote taken from the eARC of Sublime at 42%
♦ The Lowdown: Lucy wakes up in a forrest, frost hanging in the air and on her skin, thanks in part to her sundress and sandals, without any recollection of where she is or even who she is, but there’s something familiar about the location, like she knows without knowing. A tugging inside her being leads her through a busy campus and into a cafeteria where a spark of certainty connected to a specific boy makes her feel like she’s here for him. She tells him as much before she runs away. Though, with time, she learns to love this boy whose skin feels like live-wire.
Colin has a very daredevil, live boldly approach to life. Touched by tragedy in his childhood and surviving his brush with death almost makes him feel invincible. So, true to his nature, he pushes the limits without pause or worry. And being with Lucy feels like the biggest adrenaline rush of his life, even when her disappearing acts start tearing him down from the inside out.
The biggest inconvenience of their relationship is that Lucy is dead, murdered on that very campus ten years before they meet. His touch always feels like too much and hers never feels like quite enough. Then, when a certain encounter gives them the perfect sync, Colin finds himself pushing himself closer to the edge than he’s ever gone before.
♦ My Thoughts: I have been following this writing duo for quite some time, long before they were ever known for their adult bestselling titles, and this premise was the one that captured my attention the most and I’ve been biding my time waiting for its release ever since. With many reviews raving about this “hauntingly beautiful tale” and the gorgeous cover to entice me, I couldn’t wait to dive in once S&S approved me. There were certain things that I’d come to expect from these writers and, for the most part, they delivered flawlessly. First, the prose was nothing short of lovely, building the atmosphere and the longing desperation between our two main characters was spot on, as was the dialogue. As a whole, I enjoyed Lucy and Colin, both individually and as a couple, and the supporting cast very much; I appreciated the depth that this writing team brought to each character. Also? The more intimate scenes were the perfect balance of hot/swoony, never really crossing that unstated “too graphic” boundary rule for YA, and I liked that as well.
Now, I’m going to clue you in to the biggest reason my rating fell to three instead of jumping to four. First off, while I liked the the MC’s, I never felt any real character growth from them throughout the entire novel. So likable? Yes, definitely, but I never saw them change for the better throughout the whole book. They were still making crazy, selfish decisions until the very end. Secondly, if you’ve read any of my other reviews, you probably already know that while I like mysteries, it almost literally pains me to have to wait an entire novel for all the answers to come to light. (The struggle not to jump ahead and find out everything is always real, you guys. Always.) However, one of my greatest pet peeves in reading is figuring out the whole plot long before everyone in the story does. It drives me mad. (Insert mini rant: I mean, am I not given the same information the characters are? Shouldn’t we come to the same conclusion- or at least the same suspicion- around the same time?) Sublime is very much that type of story, one that unfurls slowly and tries to not-so-subtly sneak in hints about the bigger picture and I knew what was up long before anyone in the story pieced it together. So, it was a bit frustrating knowing what was going on for the better half of the book when Lucy was struggling to understand until the very, very end. Then, I was a little disappointed in how it the novel was concluded. I would’ve liked a little more after that last reunion just to round out the story more, to see how Colin and Lucy felt about how things turned out, but that’s just my opinion/wishful thinking. I suppose a smile and a slow blink can be enough to satisfy me.
♦ Rec It? Yes. Honestly, it was a very well-written paranormal romance with a couple I could picture being together easily. I know my hangups with how the mystery was handled are my own, and most other readers will enjoy that aspect of this novel more than I did. Plus, how pretty is that cover? I feel like it captures the essence of the book perfectly.
♦ A very special thanks to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for providing me an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
I really wish I had thought about this myself. It started out amazing. And usually, I don't give 5 stars to a book I pretty much figure out by chapter 5, but here's the thing: it's damn captivating. Her language is ridiculously amazing, her phrasing is so heavenly.
Now, cons: this is predictable. It does drag. The character is bland compared to what the other characters see.
What saves this book for me is the gothic elements. It's rare to find this type of writing, and I mean her language and phrasing, paired with gothic, haunting plotlines. Maybe I'm just a maudlin creature at the moment, but it really hit me in the right place.
Now, cons: this is predictable. It does drag. The character is bland compared to what the other characters see.
What saves this book for me is the gothic elements. It's rare to find this type of writing, and I mean her language and phrasing, paired with gothic, haunting plotlines. Maybe I'm just a maudlin creature at the moment, but it really hit me in the right place.