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kitkenyon's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The idea of this book is intriguing– three high schoolers have to figure out who leaked pictures of their teacher. The execution and resolution were just... bad. There are three POVs in this book but no distinct voices. It was difficult to remember whose POV you were reading without going back and looking at the chapter title. The characters’ relationships are told, not shown, nor believable from their actions. The three of them are also horrible people written as stereotypes without growth. The side characters feel like one-dimensional tropes and make short appearances that don’t circle back to the main characters’ goals and motivations. The dialogue is shaky and awkward. The feminist messages, albeit true, read like dialogue taken from a professional development course rather than something a person would actually say. With that in mind, the ending doesn’t match the message that’s worth telling. I was left angry, confused, and disgusted. I truly hope that young, impressionable people do not read this book.
powisamy's review against another edition
3.0
I was excited to read Easy Prey at the beginning because thrillers are not my main genre so I wanted to give it ago. I really enjoyed the book and would like to read more from Catherine Lo in the future.
I think that one of the things that I really did enjoy about the book was the characters. They all had their own individual characteristics and were all unique in their own way.
Like a lot of thrillers in recent years, the book plays off the whole Breakfast Club stereotypes with one being a nerd, one being the popular girl who suffers with a problem and the popular guy. I think that these were done in a good way with them being well developed and having their own unique characteristics.
Although I did like many ideas in the book, I did find the book hard to get into and was not as hooked as I would have liked to have been when reading a thriller. There was also a romance in the boon which I did not fully love and it felt quite forced and on one side made me really hate the character in some moments. These did effect my overall enjoyment of the book although I did like it.
The problem with thrillers is that I do tend to guess the ending and with the characters having their own chapters it did make this easier for me not to guess who did it which is always a good thing.
The Verdict:
Easy Prey is an entertaining and unputdownable thriller perfect for anyone who wants to get into the genre.
I think that one of the things that I really did enjoy about the book was the characters. They all had their own individual characteristics and were all unique in their own way.
Like a lot of thrillers in recent years, the book plays off the whole Breakfast Club stereotypes with one being a nerd, one being the popular girl who suffers with a problem and the popular guy. I think that these were done in a good way with them being well developed and having their own unique characteristics.
Although I did like many ideas in the book, I did find the book hard to get into and was not as hooked as I would have liked to have been when reading a thriller. There was also a romance in the boon which I did not fully love and it felt quite forced and on one side made me really hate the character in some moments. These did effect my overall enjoyment of the book although I did like it.
The problem with thrillers is that I do tend to guess the ending and with the characters having their own chapters it did make this easier for me not to guess who did it which is always a good thing.
The Verdict:
Easy Prey is an entertaining and unputdownable thriller perfect for anyone who wants to get into the genre.
maryehavens's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5 stars because I think it's very important that tweens and teens (well, everyone really) understand the gravity of posting pictures and sharing intimate moments freely. At least once we've had issues at my library of students potentially being charged with child pornography for accessing, distributing, and owning nude pictures of their peers. It's super serious and gets law enforcement on multiple levels, including Federal. So....don't do it.
I liked the twist at the end - I started seeing some of it form in about the last hours of listening. The group's dislike for Miss Bailey was a bit ....unnerving. I get the whole "teachers are lame" kind of rhetoric but being one of those teachers/staff members, I don't want to hear it. As much as I don't care if they think I'm lame, I also don't want to hear such cruel remarks in general. It's childish for students to view their teachers/staff as such because they really have no idea. I'm sure we've all been there but I hope we/they don't have to hear it. It made me sad to hear the students in the book talk that way.
If you are interested in Internet privacy and the pitfalls of revenge porn/softcore porn, this book satisfies that. I think it would be an interesting book to discuss but I would have a hard time discussing the teacher aspect of it.
I liked the twist at the end - I started seeing some of it form in about the last hours of listening. The group's dislike for Miss Bailey was a bit ....unnerving. I get the whole "teachers are lame" kind of rhetoric but being one of those teachers/staff members, I don't want to hear it. As much as I don't care if they think I'm lame, I also don't want to hear such cruel remarks in general. It's childish for students to view their teachers/staff as such because they really have no idea. I'm sure we've all been there but I hope we/they don't have to hear it. It made me sad to hear the students in the book talk that way.
If you are interested in Internet privacy and the pitfalls of revenge porn/softcore porn, this book satisfies that. I think it would be an interesting book to discuss but I would have a hard time discussing the teacher aspect of it.
joliendelandsheer's review
1.0
Review on my blog The Fictional Reader
Listen, I don’t like writing negative reviews on books that haven’t been released yet/review copies. It always makes me feel guilty. But I just couldn’t not write a review for this book. I don’t give 1 star to books often. In fact, I almost never do it. But this book made me so angry I had to stop reading every 2 to 5 pages. It actually managed to give me heartburn, because the anger was riling up my weak stomach.
I want to preface this review by saying I am clearly an outlier on this book. That’s why I was left wondering whether I had read the same book as everyone else had. The early reviews on this are as following: 37 ratings. 12 of those are 5-star ratings and 16 of them 4-star ratings. Clearly, the majority of early readers really enjoyed this book. I hated it. Let’s talk about my reasons as to why.
THE PLOT
This book revolves around three students, one of which leaked nude photos of their law teacher. It’s split up into several parts: the ‘today’ when the photos were leaked on Twitter, and then a few other timelines each spanning a week which all take place before said point (like ‘three weeks before’, ‘two weeks before’, etc.).
You’re trying to find out who leaked the photos, as well as how the three students actually got their hands on naked pictures of their teacher. First of all, can I just say EW??
I was hoping this was going to be an empowering read on privacy, how women are mistreated and the double standard of nudes. And I can’t lie, there were a lot of parts in this book where the author highlighted how messed up the double standard is, and where the characters really called people out on their bullshit. It was going to be the ONE saving grace of this book. Until the ending came. I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say that the ending completely erased the one positive message this book had -at least, in my opinion.
I was so happy to see some things being called out! One of the three students, Jenna, had her own nudes leaked on Twitter as well. This is a conversation she has with the school director (or counselor, I can’t remember):
Jenna really calls him out on his bullshit, and I was so happy to read this. The stereotype of the ‘golden’ and ‘good boy’ makes me sick every single time. That’s how they escape all the consequences, while the victims are the only ones who are left punished.
Yet all the positive messages regarding victim blaming, double standards, and more were completely ruined by the ending of this book. It still makes me angry.
THE CHARACTERS
This. This is what made me so angry I wanted to gouge my own eyeballs out with a spoon. I hate EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this book, aside from Jenna’s mom and little brother who aren’t even that present. Let’s look at them one by one.
Mouse
Mouse, you make me want to punch you in the nuts. Mouse is the ‘nerd’ of the group, the stereotypical smart and unpopular guy. The quiet and shy one with big dreams of going to MIT. He also has feelings for Jenna, who has been his friend for years. And guess what, he is friendzoned. Surprise, surprise.
He constantly complains that Jenna doesn’t see him, and that she should be with a nice guy like him instead of the jocks like Troy and Drew. Barf. First of all, just because you are nice to a woman doesn’t mean that she owes you anything at all. It’s called basic human decency. Second of all, you are NOT a nice guy, Mouse. In fact, you are so far removed from nice that you might as well be another shitstain on the floor. Don’t even get me started on the way he kissed her without her consent at a party, after which she pushed him away, and he tried again because if he only tried again she would see that they were perfect for each other. Great, sexual assault. Wonderful.
The things he does to Jenna… I can’t even comprehend. And how after all that he still thinks he is a nice guy??? Are you delusional, mate???
And once again, I will say that an abusive home does not excuse your horrid behavior. Yes, his situation is horrible. But that doesn’t excuse your actions at all!
I can’t talk about him anymore, because I will pop a blood vessel if I keep going.
Drew
Another person I want to strangle, for multiple reasons. Another shitstain on the surface of humanity. Let me tell you why.
First, he thinks it’s a game to collect as many nudes from girls from his high school as possible. It makes him feel accomplished. So he has nudes of more than 30 girls from his high school (probably underage, even though I think he is underage as well). THAT IS SO DISGUSTING, I CAN’T EVEN DEAL. And he doesn’t even learn anything throughout this book. He’s like, “Oh, it’s awful for Jenna that her nudes got leaked. I’ll delete hers from my phone, but I’ll keep the others’ because I just like to know they’re there.” What the actual flying fuck.
Then his little sister talks to him about it. About how other girls have told her that her brother is someone they have to be careful of, that he asks for inappropriate pictures. His little sister asks him about it. Then he says that she should be careful of men because they don’t have good intentions. That men don’t respect girls who send pictures like that. That he never asked for them. Are you fucking serious??? Yes, you did! You manipulated those girls until they sent you a picture, and now you’re blaming them?
Drew also plays on the basketball team of the school. At some point, Troy (the captain, I think) doesn’t pass to him but to another guy because Drew had been missing shots the past few weeks. Afterwards in the locker room, he confronts Troy and tells him that he needs Troy to believe in him, and he says the following:
What. The. Fuck.
And of course, Drew also comes from a rich family. At some point, he comes to Jenna’s place of work to talk to her. He then says that ‘it must be nice to have a job and all that responsibility’ and that he wishes he could experience it too. Are you shitting me? She doesn’t work there because she loves it. She works there because some people actually need the money!
Jenna
Marginally less of a shitstain than the other two, but still a shitstain. Listen, I liked the way she called people out on their bullshit. The way she didn’t let anyone walk over her, or treat her in this horrible manner because of her leaked photos. But guess what? She is still a bad person! As is pretty much everyone else in this book.
I just… I can’t deal anymore.
Miss Bailey
Miss Bailey is the teacher whose nudes were leaked through Twitter. In general, I just felt bad for her. I also think she’s not a good teacher, and that she treated people terribly. Still, that doesn’t mean she deserves to have something so private put out there.
I just can’t deal with this book. I don’t understand how this book’s average rating on Goodreads is so high. Did I read the same book as everyone else did? Anyway, go check out their reviews on Goodreads if you want to see a different perspective on this book! For some fun, read my Goodreads updates while reading. There are far more of them than usual because I just needed to vent while reading.
Listen, I don’t like writing negative reviews on books that haven’t been released yet/review copies. It always makes me feel guilty. But I just couldn’t not write a review for this book. I don’t give 1 star to books often. In fact, I almost never do it. But this book made me so angry I had to stop reading every 2 to 5 pages. It actually managed to give me heartburn, because the anger was riling up my weak stomach.
I want to preface this review by saying I am clearly an outlier on this book. That’s why I was left wondering whether I had read the same book as everyone else had. The early reviews on this are as following: 37 ratings. 12 of those are 5-star ratings and 16 of them 4-star ratings. Clearly, the majority of early readers really enjoyed this book. I hated it. Let’s talk about my reasons as to why.
THE PLOT
This book revolves around three students, one of which leaked nude photos of their law teacher. It’s split up into several parts: the ‘today’ when the photos were leaked on Twitter, and then a few other timelines each spanning a week which all take place before said point (like ‘three weeks before’, ‘two weeks before’, etc.).
You’re trying to find out who leaked the photos, as well as how the three students actually got their hands on naked pictures of their teacher. First of all, can I just say EW??
I was hoping this was going to be an empowering read on privacy, how women are mistreated and the double standard of nudes. And I can’t lie, there were a lot of parts in this book where the author highlighted how messed up the double standard is, and where the characters really called people out on their bullshit. It was going to be the ONE saving grace of this book. Until the ending came. I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say that the ending completely erased the one positive message this book had -at least, in my opinion.
I was so happy to see some things being called out! One of the three students, Jenna, had her own nudes leaked on Twitter as well. This is a conversation she has with the school director (or counselor, I can’t remember):
“No. You chose to ignore the evidence because without Troy and his friends, our basketball team would never have made it to championships.”
“You’re simplifying what happened. You have to understand that those were very serious allegations that could have ruined a boy’s life and destroyed a very promising career before it even got started.”
Jenna really calls him out on his bullshit, and I was so happy to read this. The stereotype of the ‘golden’ and ‘good boy’ makes me sick every single time. That’s how they escape all the consequences, while the victims are the only ones who are left punished.
Yet all the positive messages regarding victim blaming, double standards, and more were completely ruined by the ending of this book. It still makes me angry.
THE CHARACTERS
This. This is what made me so angry I wanted to gouge my own eyeballs out with a spoon. I hate EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this book, aside from Jenna’s mom and little brother who aren’t even that present. Let’s look at them one by one.
Mouse
Mouse, you make me want to punch you in the nuts. Mouse is the ‘nerd’ of the group, the stereotypical smart and unpopular guy. The quiet and shy one with big dreams of going to MIT. He also has feelings for Jenna, who has been his friend for years. And guess what, he is friendzoned. Surprise, surprise.
He constantly complains that Jenna doesn’t see him, and that she should be with a nice guy like him instead of the jocks like Troy and Drew. Barf. First of all, just because you are nice to a woman doesn’t mean that she owes you anything at all. It’s called basic human decency. Second of all, you are NOT a nice guy, Mouse. In fact, you are so far removed from nice that you might as well be another shitstain on the floor. Don’t even get me started on the way he kissed her without her consent at a party, after which she pushed him away, and he tried again because if he only tried again she would see that they were perfect for each other. Great, sexual assault. Wonderful.
The things he does to Jenna… I can’t even comprehend. And how after all that he still thinks he is a nice guy??? Are you delusional, mate???
And once again, I will say that an abusive home does not excuse your horrid behavior. Yes, his situation is horrible. But that doesn’t excuse your actions at all!
I can’t talk about him anymore, because I will pop a blood vessel if I keep going.
Drew
Another person I want to strangle, for multiple reasons. Another shitstain on the surface of humanity. Let me tell you why.
First, he thinks it’s a game to collect as many nudes from girls from his high school as possible. It makes him feel accomplished. So he has nudes of more than 30 girls from his high school (probably underage, even though I think he is underage as well). THAT IS SO DISGUSTING, I CAN’T EVEN DEAL. And he doesn’t even learn anything throughout this book. He’s like, “Oh, it’s awful for Jenna that her nudes got leaked. I’ll delete hers from my phone, but I’ll keep the others’ because I just like to know they’re there.” What the actual flying fuck.
Then his little sister talks to him about it. About how other girls have told her that her brother is someone they have to be careful of, that he asks for inappropriate pictures. His little sister asks him about it. Then he says that she should be careful of men because they don’t have good intentions. That men don’t respect girls who send pictures like that. That he never asked for them. Are you fucking serious??? Yes, you did! You manipulated those girls until they sent you a picture, and now you’re blaming them?
Drew also plays on the basketball team of the school. At some point, Troy (the captain, I think) doesn’t pass to him but to another guy because Drew had been missing shots the past few weeks. Afterwards in the locker room, he confronts Troy and tells him that he needs Troy to believe in him, and he says the following:
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to be the only white guy on the team, constantly battling for respect?”
What. The. Fuck.
And of course, Drew also comes from a rich family. At some point, he comes to Jenna’s place of work to talk to her. He then says that ‘it must be nice to have a job and all that responsibility’ and that he wishes he could experience it too. Are you shitting me? She doesn’t work there because she loves it. She works there because some people actually need the money!
“You’ve never had a job, have you?”
He shakes his head, looking sheepish. “Nah. My parents want me to focus on school and sports.”
“Must be nice,” I mutter.
“Not really,” he says, clueless. “I’d love to have a job like this.”
Jenna
Marginally less of a shitstain than the other two, but still a shitstain. Listen, I liked the way she called people out on their bullshit. The way she didn’t let anyone walk over her, or treat her in this horrible manner because of her leaked photos. But guess what? She is still a bad person! As is pretty much everyone else in this book.
I just… I can’t deal anymore.
Miss Bailey
Miss Bailey is the teacher whose nudes were leaked through Twitter. In general, I just felt bad for her. I also think she’s not a good teacher, and that she treated people terribly. Still, that doesn’t mean she deserves to have something so private put out there.
I just can’t deal with this book. I don’t understand how this book’s average rating on Goodreads is so high. Did I read the same book as everyone else did? Anyway, go check out their reviews on Goodreads if you want to see a different perspective on this book! For some fun, read my Goodreads updates while reading. There are far more of them than usual because I just needed to vent while reading.
ramblingsreads02's review against another edition
3.0
Major, major spoilers for a great ya thriller!
I've read a fair amount of ya in my time, and I know the tropes. I know that, if these characters were real, most of the couples would be broken up two years after the book ends, not even remembering the crazy story that I spent an afternoon reading about. I have made my peace with this.
But I know for a fact that Jenna and Troy will be together for the rest of time. Troy really said "set fire to my car baby girl, you do what you have to do" and I love that for them. L'chaim you crazy kids!
I've read a fair amount of ya in my time, and I know the tropes. I know that, if these characters were real, most of the couples would be broken up two years after the book ends, not even remembering the crazy story that I spent an afternoon reading about. I have made my peace with this.
But I know for a fact that Jenna and Troy will be together for the rest of time. Troy really said "set fire to my car baby girl, you do what you have to do" and I love that for them. L'chaim you crazy kids!
phi_cai's review against another edition
1.0
Unintentionally good (and by good, I mean not zero stars) - it’s a pretty poorly written YA novel full of one dimensional stereotypes, however it makes for a brilliant satire if you don’t take it seriously. Spoiler alert but the ending is so predictable that it doesn’t even matter! If you really try to think of it in this way, the book makes an ingenious social commentary, a Black Mirror-esque dark comedy satire drama, about drug usage and peer pressure more than anything. Mouse was pressured into doing it, which lead to a snowball effect that ended with him ruining his future. I felt really bad for him, the character that’s supposed to be the second LEAST sympathetic one, and no one else so at least the book made me feel *something*.
melindagallagher's review against another edition
4.0
A good mystery that sheds light on sexting, gossip, internet security, and what kids will do to fit in or reach their goals. Lots to discuss in this book, including privacy issues, revenge, and online bullying.
sngick's review against another edition
4.0
Great audiobook... kept me guessing every chapter. Well written and timely.