Scan barcode
jess_bizz's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
faithl's review against another edition
2.0
Review originally posted HERE
Yeah . . . I didn't enjoy this book very much. It wasn't my cup of tea. The whole sappy romance and the 'predestined' to belong to each other concept didn't appeal to me at all. So ultimately for me, this book was both a bore and a cringe to read.
This will be quite a short review because there's not a lot I have to say except for some things here and there about the characters and the plot.
Ebony was a whiny and useless character to me. For most of this book she droned on and on about how much she loved Nathaneal or how hot Nathaneal was. SHUT UP, WOMAN. It seemed like who she was revolved around her love for this angel dude. Nathaneal and Jordan were the same: whine, whine, whine, talk, talk, talk. None of these characters were independent and this was the main reason why I disliked many of them except for Prince Luca, he had some redeeming qualities.
Moving on to plot. The plot itself wasn't very exciting. While reading this, I waited for something dramatic or at least redeeming enough for this bland book. That didn't happen. All that remained was a simple and annoying goose chase of Ebony being kidnapped by Prince Luca, escaping and then at the end, being kidnapped again. URGH.
In conclusion, definitely not my cup of tea. The cringe-worthy, sappy romance, unexciting plot and shallow characters did not appeal to me.
Yeah . . . I didn't enjoy this book very much. It wasn't my cup of tea. The whole sappy romance and the 'predestined' to belong to each other concept didn't appeal to me at all. So ultimately for me, this book was both a bore and a cringe to read.
This will be quite a short review because there's not a lot I have to say except for some things here and there about the characters and the plot.
Ebony was a whiny and useless character to me. For most of this book she droned on and on about how much she loved Nathaneal or how hot Nathaneal was. SHUT UP, WOMAN. It seemed like who she was revolved around her love for this angel dude. Nathaneal and Jordan were the same: whine, whine, whine, talk, talk, talk. None of these characters were independent and this was the main reason why I disliked many of them except for Prince Luca, he had some redeeming qualities.
Moving on to plot. The plot itself wasn't very exciting. While reading this, I waited for something dramatic or at least redeeming enough for this bland book. That didn't happen. All that remained was a simple and annoying goose chase of Ebony being kidnapped by Prince Luca, escaping and then at the end, being kidnapped again. URGH.
In conclusion, definitely not my cup of tea. The cringe-worthy, sappy romance, unexciting plot and shallow characters did not appeal to me.
fictionalkate's review against another edition
4.0
Ebony, a girl who never quite believed she belonged, is coming to terms with the fact that she might be an angel. If only if it was as simple as that! There is a chance that those who believe she was switched at birth may be mistaken and her uniqueness has nothing to do with anything angelic. Her guardian and friend, Jordan, has his own agenda at hand and as much as he loves and cares about Ebony, his motives and emotions are clouding his judgement. Nathaniel (Thane) is forced to face the consequences of his actions in Hidden and other sinister forces are in play. There's a lot going on and somehow Marianne Curley manages to work it all together in a way which works.
The narration switches between Ebony, Jordan and Thane. I always felt like the person who was currently giving their point of view was the right choice at the time. Each of the three has their problems to face during the novel and being able to see what they see, feel what they feel emotionally helps us understand. Ebony is refreshing in terms of her relationship with Thane. They have a love which may have spanned eras and there is the exhilaration at having found each other again but she remains practical. As much as she wants to be with Thane, she realizes that there are more important things that being together all the time. And the same goes for Thane. Their relationship is so important to him (as evident when he put his personal feelings and the protection of Ebony before what the Angels would consider to be what is best for Avena in Hidden) but so is the fate of his people and the fight against Prince Luca.
For each of these characters, their backgrounds are important to who the character is in the present day. Ebony is logical and has faith in that which she can prove. Her relationship with her horses and friends is important to her. Jordan is effected by the past and it impacts on his decisions. Thane's upbringing and life in Avena is relevant to everything he does from Ebony to leading his people. I admire Ms. Curley for being consistent and acknowledging that to have her characters grow into the people they need to be, they have to know where they're coming from.
Love triangles are not usually my cup of tea but perhaps that is because I have not read many which are as well thought out as the one between Thane, Ebony and Jordan. There is reason and rationale behind why these characters have the feelings they have and as a reader, I could understand the justification behind the emotions. Ebony and Jordan being in such close proximity and the guardian bond working over time brings a closeness to the two which makes sense. As does the mind link between Thane and Ebony and hearing the passion Thane has when speaking about it with his closest friends.
Broken is a great addition to the Australian YA scene. Not only authored by an Aussie, Broken is mostly set in Snowy Mountains and has an authentic Australian feel to it. The scenery was beautifully described and I loved reading this book and being familiar with the region in which it was set. That said - the parts of Broken set in Avena or Skade were equally as impressive with their settings. The angelic realm of Avena, with the colours and unearthly way in which things work, as well as Skade, the place for souls and dark angels, had a certain vivid quality with their descriptions.
If you enjoyed Hidden (Avena #1), then I think you would love Broken. It has everything the first book had and more. And for those unfamiliar with the series, I recommend Hidden to people who enjoy well-rounded characters and great writing and a plot which will keep you guessing.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.
Note: I had the opportunity to get my copy of Broken signed by Marianne Curley when I met her at the 2014 Indie Authors Down Under event in March. She was so lovely and it was so nice to meet her.
The narration switches between Ebony, Jordan and Thane. I always felt like the person who was currently giving their point of view was the right choice at the time. Each of the three has their problems to face during the novel and being able to see what they see, feel what they feel emotionally helps us understand. Ebony is refreshing in terms of her relationship with Thane. They have a love which may have spanned eras and there is the exhilaration at having found each other again but she remains practical. As much as she wants to be with Thane, she realizes that there are more important things that being together all the time. And the same goes for Thane. Their relationship is so important to him (as evident when he put his personal feelings and the protection of Ebony before what the Angels would consider to be what is best for Avena in Hidden) but so is the fate of his people and the fight against Prince Luca.
For each of these characters, their backgrounds are important to who the character is in the present day. Ebony is logical and has faith in that which she can prove. Her relationship with her horses and friends is important to her. Jordan is effected by the past and it impacts on his decisions. Thane's upbringing and life in Avena is relevant to everything he does from Ebony to leading his people. I admire Ms. Curley for being consistent and acknowledging that to have her characters grow into the people they need to be, they have to know where they're coming from.
Love triangles are not usually my cup of tea but perhaps that is because I have not read many which are as well thought out as the one between Thane, Ebony and Jordan. There is reason and rationale behind why these characters have the feelings they have and as a reader, I could understand the justification behind the emotions. Ebony and Jordan being in such close proximity and the guardian bond working over time brings a closeness to the two which makes sense. As does the mind link between Thane and Ebony and hearing the passion Thane has when speaking about it with his closest friends.
Broken is a great addition to the Australian YA scene. Not only authored by an Aussie, Broken is mostly set in Snowy Mountains and has an authentic Australian feel to it. The scenery was beautifully described and I loved reading this book and being familiar with the region in which it was set. That said - the parts of Broken set in Avena or Skade were equally as impressive with their settings. The angelic realm of Avena, with the colours and unearthly way in which things work, as well as Skade, the place for souls and dark angels, had a certain vivid quality with their descriptions.
If you enjoyed Hidden (Avena #1), then I think you would love Broken. It has everything the first book had and more. And for those unfamiliar with the series, I recommend Hidden to people who enjoy well-rounded characters and great writing and a plot which will keep you guessing.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.
Note: I had the opportunity to get my copy of Broken signed by Marianne Curley when I met her at the 2014 Indie Authors Down Under event in March. She was so lovely and it was so nice to meet her.
justgeekingby's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a while to get into this one because it starts quite slow and it had been so long since I'd read the first book. But once it got got going, boy did it get going! Started the next one straight away and can't wait to read more.
jcika's review against another edition
3.0
I am happy I decided to continue with this series. What the first book lacked, this sequel improved. The story was full of excitement and twists, and the characters felt more developed (Ebony's personality was much stronger than book one's love struck teen and provided a very enjoyable perspective I wish had more chapters), Thane was more 'human' and Jordan...well he was still the same obsessed person for the most part).
I still didn't completely buy the whole eternal insta love aspect, but the level of detail that went into explaining it seemed much more plausible.
The second half of the book seemed a bit rushed, and ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, making book three a must read if you decide to get into this trilogy.
I still didn't completely buy the whole eternal insta love aspect, but the level of detail that went into explaining it seemed much more plausible.
The second half of the book seemed a bit rushed, and ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, making book three a must read if you decide to get into this trilogy.
b00kr3vi3ws's review against another edition
3.0
The book takes off shortly after where Hidden ended. Nathaneal has been taken back to Avena to stand trial as a repercussion of revealing his powers. Meanwhile, Ebony is left with Jordan and Mr.Xavier, a man who claims to be her uncle. Something about Mr.Xavier doesn’t strike her right, yet desperation can lead people to do things that they wouldn’t normally do.
I have to say that while Jordan did not make much impression on me in the first book of the series, I absolutely hated him in this one. He turned out to be such manipulative freak. Doing crazy wrong things in the name of love doesn’t make them right. Ebony developed a bit in this book and while I did not really enjoy her obsession over Nathaneal, she has somewhat evolved from the confused girl that she was in the first book. Nathaneal, so far seems to be the best character in the book even though he does his share of obsessing. I really wish that authors would just move on from having their characters obsess over their looks (or their partner’s looks). The book has been narrated through the voices of Ebony, Nathaneal and Jordan. While this gave us a complete look into the minds of these three characters, I wish the author had included Prince Luca’s (our antagonist) point of view. I would have loved to know what and how he was thinking and it would have added a pleasant change in the flow. The plot of the story was pretty straight forward and predictable. The narration felt a bit better in this book. The book ends with a cliffhanger that made sure that I picked up the next book in the series immediately.
Overall, I think it was an average read that I did not mind reading through one time, but I doubt I will be picking this series up for a second time.
I have to say that while Jordan did not make much impression on me in the first book of the series, I absolutely hated him in this one. He turned out to be such manipulative freak. Doing crazy wrong things in the name of love doesn’t make them right. Ebony developed a bit in this book and while I did not really enjoy her obsession over Nathaneal, she has somewhat evolved from the confused girl that she was in the first book. Nathaneal, so far seems to be the best character in the book even though he does his share of obsessing. I really wish that authors would just move on from having their characters obsess over their looks (or their partner’s looks). The book has been narrated through the voices of Ebony, Nathaneal and Jordan. While this gave us a complete look into the minds of these three characters, I wish the author had included Prince Luca’s (our antagonist) point of view. I would have loved to know what and how he was thinking and it would have added a pleasant change in the flow. The plot of the story was pretty straight forward and predictable. The narration felt a bit better in this book. The book ends with a cliffhanger that made sure that I picked up the next book in the series immediately.
Overall, I think it was an average read that I did not mind reading through one time, but I doubt I will be picking this series up for a second time.
tlc's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
justgeekingby's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a while to get into this one because it starts quite slow and it had been so long since I'd read the first book. But once it got got going, boy did it get going! Started the next one straight away and can't wait to read more.
More...