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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've been a long time Siobhan Davis fan, but this book is NEXT level and a wild ride.
You'll have to pick your jaw up off the floor multiple times- the world of the Rydeville Elite is patriarchal at best and horrifying at worst, but these are the realities of these privileged and talented teens. What is expected of them, how those around them operate, the mystery and twists and surprises will knock you off your feet, but you'll get right back up again but at the core of this story with this crazy and dark world of the elite is a story of interesting, complex, soulful, and enigmatic characters that you love to hate and hate to love.
I don't want to give too much away with an overview, because the shock value of reading it blank slate is so delicious, but know that we have an amazing heroine Abby- she's strong, focused, and driven, yet underneath her veneer she is hurting and trapped. She's surrounded by a motley crew of elites- some we love (like her best friend or her brother) and some less so, like her significant other and especially her father. Her crew runs the show, until a new crew, some new "elites" roll into Rydeville and shake everyone up, including our hero, Cam. Their chemistry is explosive and combative, and so so yummy.
Like All Siobhan tells get ready for nothing to be as it seems, for some nuanced and complex story telling, for fatally flawed but endearing and full realized characters, for a story that has more twists and turns than a mountain away, and for an EPIC cliff hanger. This world and these characters are so intriguing- I'm ready to take up residence in Rydeville just to see it all unfold.
You'll have to pick your jaw up off the floor multiple times- the world of the Rydeville Elite is patriarchal at best and horrifying at worst, but these are the realities of these privileged and talented teens. What is expected of them, how those around them operate, the mystery and twists and surprises will knock you off your feet, but you'll get right back up again but at the core of this story with this crazy and dark world of the elite is a story of interesting, complex, soulful, and enigmatic characters that you love to hate and hate to love.
I don't want to give too much away with an overview, because the shock value of reading it blank slate is so delicious, but know that we have an amazing heroine Abby- she's strong, focused, and driven, yet underneath her veneer she is hurting and trapped. She's surrounded by a motley crew of elites- some we love (like her best friend or her brother) and some less so, like her significant other and especially her father. Her crew runs the show, until a new crew, some new "elites" roll into Rydeville and shake everyone up, including our hero, Cam. Their chemistry is explosive and combative, and so so yummy.
Like All Siobhan tells get ready for nothing to be as it seems, for some nuanced and complex story telling, for fatally flawed but endearing and full realized characters, for a story that has more twists and turns than a mountain away, and for an EPIC cliff hanger. This world and these characters are so intriguing- I'm ready to take up residence in Rydeville just to see it all unfold.
A definite must read. Couldn’t put the book down. I can’t wait to start the next one!
DNF
Lets get into it. I do not understand Abby. Here she is. Privilege rich girl. Part of popular students in school. It seems she has everything. Behind close door, she played this role as angry resentful girl to all of her privilege. Her fiancee treats her with no respect. She agrees to bully other students in her school so she can maintain her status as mean girl.
From her dialog, she seems strong, but why she willing to accept every play and every bad treatment coming to her way? From her fiancee, her parent and even her fiancee's father. To me it seems she is asking for it to get attention from Cam.
And Cam. He is suppose to be her love interest. But he is moving on background. I only catch a glimpse of him now and then.
I listened until more than 6th hour. I give up. I just can not do it anymore. Nothing click for me.
Lets get into it. I do not understand Abby. Here she is. Privilege rich girl. Part of popular students in school. It seems she has everything. Behind close door, she played this role as angry resentful girl to all of her privilege. Her fiancee treats her with no respect. She agrees to bully other students in her school so she can maintain her status as mean girl.
From her dialog, she seems strong, but why she willing to accept every play and every bad treatment coming to her way? From her fiancee, her parent and even her fiancee's father. To me it seems she is asking for it to get attention from Cam.
And Cam. He is suppose to be her love interest. But he is moving on background. I only catch a glimpse of him now and then.
I listened until more than 6th hour. I give up. I just can not do it anymore. Nothing click for me.
I loved this book! It had it all in my opinion.
Secret society. Old elite vs new elite.
Women are nothing but pawns with the old elite and Abby isn’t having that. I loved his she tried to take control of her life by any means necessary.
Twists, turns, and so much more!
Check TW/CW as there are some. While the characters are high school, the themes are not!
Story 4.5⭐️
5⭐️
Secret society. Old elite vs new elite.
Women are nothing but pawns with the old elite and Abby isn’t having that. I loved his she tried to take control of her life by any means necessary.
Twists, turns, and so much more!
Check TW/CW as there are some. While the characters are high school, the themes are not!
Story 4.5⭐️
5⭐️
I only got about a fourth of the way through this book but I’m at a point where I really really really do not want to finish it. I’m not a fan of “bully romances” but for some reason I chose to read this one. But let me tell you, they take so-called “bullying” to an extreme.
I only got through the first scene containing our main character and her love interest (post-ocean scene) before I decided to give up. For context, this is a girl who has been physically, sexually and emotionally abused for a long time, if not whole her life, and the “hero” is basically just continuing that cycle.
In the scene in question, she’s trapped in a room with three guys (H included). She wants to leave and runs to the door but upon reaching it, is restrained by them. They hold her arms and legs and try to move her further inside but she manages to escape and tries for the door a second time. Almost reaching the door, she is yanked back by her hair and then held up against a wall by her throat where’s she’s choked out until she’s blue in the face, with the perpetrator saying that if she does it again he’ll snap her neck. This is her love interest mind you. He presses his lower half against her to show her that this turns him on. He tells her that she’s to be their new “toy” and that they own her; to a girl who was, as he knows, going to kill herself not weeks before. Crying on the floor, he looks at her in disgust, saying that he doesn’t care if her family kills her. Like, wtf?
It almost made me want to throw up. Theres only so much a love interest can do before he’s unredeemable. I feel that he’s already crossed that line here and we’re only 20% in.
You know, I get it. It’s supposed to be dark, it’s supposed to be edgy. But I think you can create an engaging plot without having the love interest literally choke out the main character upon their second meeting. I’m sure he does actions later in the book that at least somewhat redeem him as a character, but I’m just in no way interested in watching it unfold.
I only got through the first scene containing our main character and her love interest (post-ocean scene) before I decided to give up. For context, this is a girl who has been physically, sexually and emotionally abused for a long time, if not whole her life, and the “hero” is basically just continuing that cycle.
In the scene in question, she’s trapped in a room with three guys (H included). She wants to leave and runs to the door but upon reaching it, is restrained by them. They hold her arms and legs and try to move her further inside but she manages to escape and tries for the door a second time. Almost reaching the door, she is yanked back by her hair and then held up against a wall by her throat where’s she’s choked out until she’s blue in the face, with the perpetrator saying that if she does it again he’ll snap her neck. This is her love interest mind you. He presses his lower half against her to show her that this turns him on. He tells her that she’s to be their new “toy” and that they own her; to a girl who was, as he knows, going to kill herself not weeks before. Crying on the floor, he looks at her in disgust, saying that he doesn’t care if her family kills her. Like, wtf?
It almost made me want to throw up. Theres only so much a love interest can do before he’s unredeemable. I feel that he’s already crossed that line here and we’re only 20% in.
You know, I get it. It’s supposed to be dark, it’s supposed to be edgy. But I think you can create an engaging plot without having the love interest literally choke out the main character upon their second meeting. I’m sure he does actions later in the book that at least somewhat redeem him as a character, but I’m just in no way interested in watching it unfold.
This book grabbed my attention and kept it through the WHOLE series. The drama. The twists. The turns. The SPICE. Ugh, it was all amazing. Abi is a badass and I rooted for her cause the whole time. Camden definitely misunderstood the assignment on where Abi stood, but the way the fell in hate-love, the perfect enemies to lovers