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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Full Review posted at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog
So what do I give the first book in the series? I give it four stars and can’t wait to work through these books again. I’m anxiously waiting for the last book in the series, but do I want it to end? No, not really, but I know Kresley Cole will finish it in a way that makes me never forget this series. It will live on in my head, and I can always reread it. Hurry up, Hollywood, pick up this series for a tv show/movie. Preferably several films that we can enjoy back-to-back.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of Kresley Cole’s Arcana Chronicles series, and I highly recommend reading in order.
Cliffhanger: Yes
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I recommend this book/series to fans of the YA Dystopian/Fantasy genres. This series is about Arcana Tarot Cards coming to life in a dystopian world. Doesn’t that intrigue you to read it? I know it did me. =)
So what do I give the first book in the series? I give it four stars and can’t wait to work through these books again. I’m anxiously waiting for the last book in the series, but do I want it to end? No, not really, but I know Kresley Cole will finish it in a way that makes me never forget this series. It will live on in my head, and I can always reread it. Hurry up, Hollywood, pick up this series for a tv show/movie. Preferably several films that we can enjoy back-to-back.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of Kresley Cole’s Arcana Chronicles series, and I highly recommend reading in order.
Cliffhanger: Yes
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I recommend this book/series to fans of the YA Dystopian/Fantasy genres. This series is about Arcana Tarot Cards coming to life in a dystopian world. Doesn’t that intrigue you to read it? I know it did me. =)
I read this one for the alt pick for the Vaginal Fantasy book club, May 2013. The main this month was also by this author, but was an adult novel. I enjoyed that one well enough, though I didn't LOVE it. This one I loathed.
The heroine was horrible. She had no clue about anything. Ever. The hero wasn't even a good "bad boy," but a complete idiot when it came to anything but basic survival.
I just...no. This book was awful.
The heroine was horrible. She had no clue about anything. Ever. The hero wasn't even a good "bad boy," but a complete idiot when it came to anything but basic survival.
I just...no. This book was awful.
It took a while to get into, because all the confusion the main character was feeling, I was feeling. This to me has always been proof of quality writing. I had to keep reading to see how things played out and I'm happy I bought the second book in advance because there is still more I need to know.
This book is very hard to review, and I think two stars is being pretty generous considering it's probably more on the one side.
I thought this book was definitely interesting, the first chapter really pulled me in, and the concept was very unique. I liked the characters most of the time, and I thought for the most part, the dialogue flowed.
That's pretty much where the good ends, though. After the first chapter the book's direction was very much annoying me. I hated all the characters until after The Flash, they were annoying and archetypical. The good girl falls for the bad boy despite all her attempts not too. Perfect boyfriend on the side but she's constantly conflicted with her feelings for him versus the bad boy. Obnoxious best friend. I've heard it all before. I was very glad that the world ended and picture-perfect Brandon and the most annoying character to ever be written, Mel, died. Every time there was dialogue with her I wanted to shoot myself in the foot; no one talks like that.
The whole high school drama thing with popularity dwindling and the new bad kids in school was really too over-the-top. Evie's hallucinations during school just irritated me, because at that point I had yet to see any flaws in her character, and I felt like the hallucinations were the author's way of trying to make her not perfect. It had the opposite effect on me. And then Jackson's random interest in her really bothered me, he was written as though the author was trying much too hard to make him every inch of the bad guy he was supposed to look like. Too much. Annoying.
After "the Flash," things got a little more interesting, even though I was surprised I had put up with the book for that long. I liked the new world and the concept of no plant life or water and the ultimate survival. Jackson coming back into Evie's life was pretty predictable, but that's probably more because of the summary on the back cover than anything. I liked the mystery about the Arcana powers that kept building throughout the novel, and how Evie's knowledge grew with the reader's.
The only thing good I have to say about the character Selena is that she really emphasized Evie's one and only flaw, the fact that she doesn't know how to do anything useful. Besides that, everything she did and basically her entire character was so cliche I wanted to rip the pages out. Of course we cannot have a romance without a challenging opponent. Yeah no. Evie and Jackson had enough issues with this nails-on-a-chalkboard irritating character.
I just have a very Evie-like "meh" feeling about this book. I didn't really like it but I didn't hate it either. I've read worse and I've read much, much better.
I thought this book was definitely interesting, the first chapter really pulled me in, and the concept was very unique. I liked the characters most of the time, and I thought for the most part, the dialogue flowed.
That's pretty much where the good ends, though. After the first chapter the book's direction was very much annoying me. I hated all the characters until after The Flash, they were annoying and archetypical. The good girl falls for the bad boy despite all her attempts not too. Perfect boyfriend on the side but she's constantly conflicted with her feelings for him versus the bad boy. Obnoxious best friend. I've heard it all before. I was very glad that the world ended and picture-perfect Brandon and the most annoying character to ever be written, Mel, died. Every time there was dialogue with her I wanted to shoot myself in the foot; no one talks like that.
The whole high school drama thing with popularity dwindling and the new bad kids in school was really too over-the-top. Evie's hallucinations during school just irritated me, because at that point I had yet to see any flaws in her character, and I felt like the hallucinations were the author's way of trying to make her not perfect. It had the opposite effect on me. And then Jackson's random interest in her really bothered me, he was written as though the author was trying much too hard to make him every inch of the bad guy he was supposed to look like. Too much. Annoying.
After "the Flash," things got a little more interesting, even though I was surprised I had put up with the book for that long. I liked the new world and the concept of no plant life or water and the ultimate survival. Jackson coming back into Evie's life was pretty predictable, but that's probably more because of the summary on the back cover than anything. I liked the mystery about the Arcana powers that kept building throughout the novel, and how Evie's knowledge grew with the reader's.
The only thing good I have to say about the character Selena is that she really emphasized Evie's one and only flaw, the fact that she doesn't know how to do anything useful. Besides that, everything she did and basically her entire character was so cliche I wanted to rip the pages out. Of course we cannot have a romance without a challenging opponent. Yeah no. Evie and Jackson had enough issues with this nails-on-a-chalkboard irritating character.
I just have a very Evie-like "meh" feeling about this book. I didn't really like it but I didn't hate it either. I've read worse and I've read much, much better.
Evie is not looking forward to her return to school. Having spent the summer locked up in a psychiatric unit, with her mother convinced she’s going mad, Evie is nervous about what the future will hold for her. And she has every reason to be.
Her visions are becoming more frequent. She’s hearing voices. Being labelled as suffering with a mental health issue would probably be a good way out once you know what’s in store for her!
Evie is not crazy. She is, in fact, part of a much bigger picture. A supernatural/mystical game of sorts...which only one can win.
We follow Evie as she travels across country, fighting off the survivors of The Flash. She has what can best be described as some odd encounters. However, by the time we get to the end of the story and start to piece together who she is and what all these events might mean I was totally hooked.
Her visions are becoming more frequent. She’s hearing voices. Being labelled as suffering with a mental health issue would probably be a good way out once you know what’s in store for her!
Evie is not crazy. She is, in fact, part of a much bigger picture. A supernatural/mystical game of sorts...which only one can win.
We follow Evie as she travels across country, fighting off the survivors of The Flash. She has what can best be described as some odd encounters. However, by the time we get to the end of the story and start to piece together who she is and what all these events might mean I was totally hooked.
I give 3,5 stars to this book. It was good, I enjoyed the story and will continue to read the series.
Major thanks to Ashleigh for recommending this book to me, I loved it. When I finished I wanted more!!! When does the next book come out!? I love Jackson...
Review later,maybe...I definitely recommend reading this one :)
Review later,maybe...I definitely recommend reading this one :)
Thanks so much to Simon and Schuster and PulseIt for letting me read this amazing book for free!
This book was so great! I absolutely loved the world that it was set in, and the characters made for a really interesting story.
I liked this book more and more as it went on. The beginning was good, but after the Flash I came to like it much more. It was interesting to get to learn what was happening to Evie inside of her head. The visions and dreams were always very intense and exciting. I want to learn more about what Evie's Gran has to do with all of the Arcana. The story was very exciting, and I never wanted to put this down!
Evie changes a LOT throughout the story. In the beginning she's a cheerleader, popular, and very well-liked at her school. But she has secrets. She sees things and has weird dreams. Over the summer she is sent to a "rehab" type place to help her cope with being "crazy". After the Flash, you get to learn how strong she really is. Jackson was really mysterious. He came into the story quickly, but you could tell from the beginning that hewas going to have a large role in the story. Well, I must say that I was a fan of Brandon at first, but I changed over to Jackson pretty quick. Some of the things that he says and does is harsh, but you can tell that it's a tough guy cover up. Deep down he's so sweet and really cares. Mel was the comic relief of the book. She was a good best friend to Evie, and I enjoyed reading about her. Arthur creeps me out. Let me just say that I was very happy with the ending.
Just a warning for those that have difficulty with POV changes and flashbacks, etc: The POV changes a little, but pay attention to the dates before and after the Flash! I got a little confused before I figured out when things were taking place. I liked how it started and ended at Arthurs. It made me really interested in finding out how Evie reached that point in time.
Overall, I loved this book! I want to find out what happens next so badly! I mean, who wouldn't with THAT ending?!
This book was so great! I absolutely loved the world that it was set in, and the characters made for a really interesting story.
I liked this book more and more as it went on. The beginning was good, but after the Flash I came to like it much more. It was interesting to get to learn what was happening to Evie inside of her head. The visions and dreams were always very intense and exciting. I want to learn more about what Evie's Gran has to do with all of the Arcana. The story was very exciting, and I never wanted to put this down!
Evie changes a LOT throughout the story. In the beginning she's a cheerleader, popular, and very well-liked at her school. But she has secrets. She sees things and has weird dreams. Over the summer she is sent to a "rehab" type place to help her cope with being "crazy". After the Flash, you get to learn how strong she really is. Jackson was really mysterious. He came into the story quickly, but you could tell from the beginning that hewas going to have a large role in the story. Well, I must say that I was a fan of Brandon at first, but I changed over to Jackson pretty quick. Some of the things that he says and does is harsh, but you can tell that it's a tough guy cover up. Deep down he's so sweet and really cares. Mel was the comic relief of the book. She was a good best friend to Evie, and I enjoyed reading about her. Arthur creeps me out. Let me just say that I was very happy with the ending.
Just a warning for those that have difficulty with POV changes and flashbacks, etc: The POV changes a little, but pay attention to the dates before and after the Flash! I got a little confused before I figured out when things were taking place. I liked how it started and ended at Arthurs. It made me really interested in finding out how Evie reached that point in time.
Overall, I loved this book! I want to find out what happens next so badly! I mean, who wouldn't with THAT ending?!
exactly why I can't read ya. great premise, tense action... hate it. can't finish. insufferable main characters making horrible choices bc they're children.
How in the world does this book have such high ratings?! I was so dissatisfied with the book. I had such high expectations for this book and I was grossly disappointed half of the time. So much so, that half way through the book I wasn’t sure if I would keep on reading. This book is “supposed” to be about a post-apocalyptic world where all the characters in the Tarot deck are real and have powers of their own. The main character, Evie, is supposed to be the Empress card but she has no idea who she is or what she can do.
The book starts almost a year after “the Flash” has destroyed the earth. Evie is all alone and winds up in the home of some psychopath who is about to kidnap and torture her. Unbeknownst to her, she goes into his home and begins to tell him her story. She starts her story one week before the Flash. This was the beginning of the end for me. The next 100 pages or so are the most boring pages of my life. Evie’s life pre-apocalypse is so annoying and contributes NOTHING to the story whatsoever. The characters are shallow, bland and have no substance. I felt like I was reading about a never-ending episode of Beverly Hills 90210. I have no idea why the author decided to dedicate the entire half of the book to Evie’s life pre-apocalypse considering that it doesn’t contribute to the story and all those characters died during the Flash.
I’m going to take a moment to talk about the two main characters before I continue. Evie is by far the weakest heroine in the history of literature. I didn’t think any other character could trump Bella from the Twilight series or Ever from The Immortals series but Evie takes top honors. She is so naïve and I seriously wonder how an author could develop an entire series around her. Jackson is a boy from the wrong side of town who also managed to survive the Flash. He is constantly drinking and making suggestive remarks to Evie. The only thing he is interested in is sex. He is constantly speaking in French and even though Evie translates most of the things he says there are a lot phrases that go un-translated; so unless you speak French, you will get lost.
Jackson manages to find Evie a few months after the Flash and she convinces him to take her to find her grandmother, who Evie is sure, will have the answers she desperately needs. Throughout their journey, Evie is seriously dead weight. She can’t fend for herself and she is more of a burden than any help. They stumble across a mansion where Selene, the moon card, lives. After Evie refuses to have sex with Jackson it seems as though Jackson sleeps with Selene which turns Evie green with envy. They all go on a journey to seek a boy named Matthew who has been contacting Evie through her mind. The book starts to get interesting about the same time they meet Selene, which is half way through the book. Half way through the book is not where a book should start to get interesting (SMH). Evie later learns that the visions she keeps having about a murderous red witch, are actually visions of her past self and the person she needs to become. Refusing to tell Jackson the truth about herself, they part ways which is how she ends up with the psychopath from the beginning.
I would never recommend this book to anyone unless I am seriously trying to punish them. Aside from the serious flaws in the plot, the book is poorly written and the characters are shallow and undesirable. The biggest pet peeve, aside from Evie, was the fact that there were so many French words that went un-translated. So if you intend to reach this book, get yourself an English/French dictionary. This book could have been great but it wasn’t. The first half of the book was moot and even though the book started to get interesting half way through it was too late to fully salvage the story. The end was very intriguing and that’s about the only positive thing I have to say about this book.
The book starts almost a year after “the Flash” has destroyed the earth. Evie is all alone and winds up in the home of some psychopath who is about to kidnap and torture her. Unbeknownst to her, she goes into his home and begins to tell him her story. She starts her story one week before the Flash. This was the beginning of the end for me. The next 100 pages or so are the most boring pages of my life. Evie’s life pre-apocalypse is so annoying and contributes NOTHING to the story whatsoever. The characters are shallow, bland and have no substance. I felt like I was reading about a never-ending episode of Beverly Hills 90210. I have no idea why the author decided to dedicate the entire half of the book to Evie’s life pre-apocalypse considering that it doesn’t contribute to the story and all those characters died during the Flash.
I’m going to take a moment to talk about the two main characters before I continue. Evie is by far the weakest heroine in the history of literature. I didn’t think any other character could trump Bella from the Twilight series or Ever from The Immortals series but Evie takes top honors. She is so naïve and I seriously wonder how an author could develop an entire series around her. Jackson is a boy from the wrong side of town who also managed to survive the Flash. He is constantly drinking and making suggestive remarks to Evie. The only thing he is interested in is sex. He is constantly speaking in French and even though Evie translates most of the things he says there are a lot phrases that go un-translated; so unless you speak French, you will get lost.
Jackson manages to find Evie a few months after the Flash and she convinces him to take her to find her grandmother, who Evie is sure, will have the answers she desperately needs. Throughout their journey, Evie is seriously dead weight. She can’t fend for herself and she is more of a burden than any help. They stumble across a mansion where Selene, the moon card, lives. After Evie refuses to have sex with Jackson it seems as though Jackson sleeps with Selene which turns Evie green with envy. They all go on a journey to seek a boy named Matthew who has been contacting Evie through her mind. The book starts to get interesting about the same time they meet Selene, which is half way through the book. Half way through the book is not where a book should start to get interesting (SMH). Evie later learns that the visions she keeps having about a murderous red witch, are actually visions of her past self and the person she needs to become. Refusing to tell Jackson the truth about herself, they part ways which is how she ends up with the psychopath from the beginning.
I would never recommend this book to anyone unless I am seriously trying to punish them. Aside from the serious flaws in the plot, the book is poorly written and the characters are shallow and undesirable. The biggest pet peeve, aside from Evie, was the fact that there were so many French words that went un-translated. So if you intend to reach this book, get yourself an English/French dictionary. This book could have been great but it wasn’t. The first half of the book was moot and even though the book started to get interesting half way through it was too late to fully salvage the story. The end was very intriguing and that’s about the only positive thing I have to say about this book.