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nikkigribuste's review
4.0
words can’t describe how much i really admire joey graceffa. back in 2015 when i read ‘in real life’ i felt as though i uncovered parts of him i never knew existed — which of course is clear as i only know him from his youtube videos. the moment i saw these books on sale at the works, they intrigued me because the covers were just stunning!! it wasn’t until 3 seconds later that i looked at the authors name to see ‘joey graceffa’ and immediately rushed to the counter to pay for the entire trilogy. i knew these would be good.
i was correct indeed, this book was just amazing. i loved all the characters, even stubborn old rowan. it’s been a while since i read a dystopian novel and i was happy to finally get back into one because they were well and truly missed. i love the concept of a hidden, secret world. well, not so much secret but ‘trapped’?? almost like the simpsons movie glass dome kinda style of trapped. that’s what i pictured eden to look like, except of course with more expansion.
lachlan was my favourite, even though i had slight suspicions that he was untrustworthy — i still reeaaalllyyy liked him. i’m not sure whether it was the protectiveness or the compassion but everything about him just screamed daddy material. okay maybs too far but he was great.
lark i also liked too. she knows what she wants and she ain’t afraid to break some rules. she was great.
i’m really excited to read the remaining two and i’m hopeful they will be just as good or even better.
i was correct indeed, this book was just amazing. i loved all the characters, even stubborn old rowan. it’s been a while since i read a dystopian novel and i was happy to finally get back into one because they were well and truly missed. i love the concept of a hidden, secret world. well, not so much secret but ‘trapped’?? almost like the simpsons movie glass dome kinda style of trapped. that’s what i pictured eden to look like, except of course with more expansion.
lachlan was my favourite, even though i had slight suspicions that he was untrustworthy — i still reeaaalllyyy liked him. i’m not sure whether it was the protectiveness or the compassion but everything about him just screamed daddy material. okay maybs too far but he was great.
lark i also liked too. she knows what she wants and she ain’t afraid to break some rules. she was great.
i’m really excited to read the remaining two and i’m hopeful they will be just as good or even better.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
I think it's over two years ago since I was at the ABC in Amsterdam and found the second book in this trilogy in the bargain section of the store. The first one however was nowhere to be found and without the book I eventually left. And yet, the book didn't let me go, so while I was browsing through the collection of a bookstore selling bargained sets I was quite happy when I found the complete trilogy for a nice price. Of course, it took me months since then before I finally picked up the first book...
From start to finish the book is quite action packed. Our heroine runs from one danger into the next and she barely gets any breathing time. It's quite admirable that at the end of the book she's still somehow functional and energetic after everything she has been through since the start of the book. I have to admit that for me the book could have been a little slower, with more attention to the emotions, but at least the book never got boring.
Since the heroine spent so much time running through the world we also get a very clear idea of the world. We see the city where the rich spend their time, we see the kind of house she has always lived in, but we also visit the parts of Eden that are far less wealthy and far less pretty. Just like we visit some parts of Eden that are actually hidden for the public eye. The world building is quite cliche in a way, but considering the current state of the universe it makes total sense.
The thing I love most though is the politics. We've only seen glimpses of it so far, but we do know that at its core there's something incredibly wrong with the politics in this book. We learn quite a few shocking things about how Eden came to be, but I think the most shocking thing is how Eden is functioning now. I kinda hope that this becomes a "tear down the government"-book. I can't wait to find that out in the next one!
From start to finish the book is quite action packed. Our heroine runs from one danger into the next and she barely gets any breathing time. It's quite admirable that at the end of the book she's still somehow functional and energetic after everything she has been through since the start of the book. I have to admit that for me the book could have been a little slower, with more attention to the emotions, but at least the book never got boring.
Since the heroine spent so much time running through the world we also get a very clear idea of the world. We see the city where the rich spend their time, we see the kind of house she has always lived in, but we also visit the parts of Eden that are far less wealthy and far less pretty. Just like we visit some parts of Eden that are actually hidden for the public eye. The world building is quite cliche in a way, but considering the current state of the universe it makes total sense.
The thing I love most though is the politics. We've only seen glimpses of it so far, but we do know that at its core there's something incredibly wrong with the politics in this book. We learn quite a few shocking things about how Eden came to be, but I think the most shocking thing is how Eden is functioning now. I kinda hope that this becomes a "tear down the government"-book. I can't wait to find that out in the next one!
lynxman_44's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
dariusroxy's review
1.0
literally don’t ask i had this book for years i don’t know why and felt bad i didn’t read it so i did. was not good
babs_reviews's review
3.0
First, I feel it's important to state I had no knowledge of who Joey Graceffa was before I was sent this book to review for Positively Book Crazy blog. Even after learning who he is, I still didn't seek out his videos.
3/5 stars for me. I was really on the fence about this rating. I was intrigued by the concept of this story. The blurb had me excited to start it and once I did I didn't want to stop because I wanted to know how it ended. That being said it was mildly flat and predictable.
I was sorely disappointed with the actions of the main character; I felt she didn't act as if she had been hidden from the world her whole life. One trip out and she's fine with ... everything? After one journey around the 'block' she is suddenly done being in awe. Didn't seem quite right.
There was a very exciting sci-fi feel that I adored. The concept of the lenses and being 'in the system' via them was so interesting. The bots aspect I wish we had gotten to see more of. The ending leaves you hanging a tad but not too much that it frustrates you.
I'm undecided if I will continue to the next book, should there be one.
3/5 stars for me. I was really on the fence about this rating. I was intrigued by the concept of this story. The blurb had me excited to start it and once I did I didn't want to stop because I wanted to know how it ended. That being said it was mildly flat and predictable.
I was sorely disappointed with the actions of the main character; I felt she didn't act as if she had been hidden from the world her whole life. One trip out and she's fine with ... everything? After one journey around the 'block' she is suddenly done being in awe. Didn't seem quite right.
There was a very exciting sci-fi feel that I adored. The concept of the lenses and being 'in the system' via them was so interesting. The bots aspect I wish we had gotten to see more of. The ending leaves you hanging a tad but not too much that it frustrates you.
I'm undecided if I will continue to the next book, should there be one.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
2.0
2.5/5
I was surprised by this book. Hesitant at first because the writing style was different. But the plot was interesting enough to keep me from putting it down. I wish there was more to the characters and their motives.
I was surprised by this book. Hesitant at first because the writing style was different. But the plot was interesting enough to keep me from putting it down. I wish there was more to the characters and their motives.
marieintheraw's review
3.0
so this is definitely not a standalone and despite it's abrupt ending, I'm looking forward to book two
marianzifrolica's review against another edition
Didn’t care for the romantic themes
noranne's review against another edition
2.0
This was...fine? It was very predictable and rote. The MC was implausible and annoying. Of course the first two people she ever meets outside of her family both seem to fall immediately in love with her and an annoying love triangle ensues. The ending kind of petered out, didn't think it was paced super well. But it was okay, I was never really tempted to quit, just rolled my eyes a lot. I'll probably check out the sequel at some point.
books_and_planners's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0