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saragofe16's review against another edition
4.0
http://librosqueenganchan.blogspot.com/2015/06/resena-la-trampa-de-los-18_28.html
seeingnight's review against another edition
4.0
GENRE: YA Dystopian
THEME: Romance, Mystery
RECEIVED: Edelweiss
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
This book was a fantastic surprise, I’m always wary with dystopians because they have started to all sounds similar. But the best part of Taken was having a male as the lead protagonist, which I don’t read often. This book feels like your standing at the edge of a dangerous cliff from beginning to end, because there is so much danger and a lot of twist and turns that will shock the readers to the very last page.
Taken follows a seventeen year old named Gray. He lives in a town that has a tough setting on the 18th birthday of all males. When they reach midnight on their 18th they disspear without anyone knowing what happens to them, this is called the Heist. Gray is trying to cope with the fact his older brother has reached the day of his Heist and there is nothing he can do. But after he finds a letter from his mother, he starts to figure out his town and the wall that keeps them there are apart of a large secret.
Gray is a determined young guy, who hates the fact that all the males have a certain fate and that he’s going to lose his brother. With it only being months away until his 18th, Gray makes a choice that will change his life. I loved how unstoppable Gray is, he doesn’t want to sit and wait for the inevitable, he wants answers. He does carry a bad attitude but truly loves his family and those close to him. His maturaty grows through out the very dangerous situations he gets himself in and overall becomes a leader type figure.
Emma grew up with Gray in their town Claysoot. He always liked her but was never one to show his feeling, he’d actually rather argue or fight. In their town the males are chosen for specific woman each month to continue the cycle. Emma is chosen for Gray and they begin to learn from each other and realize they both want answers about their town and what else is out there. She is a girl who has the same determination as him but I saw mostly as a damsel in distress. She is passive, intelligent and a healer, but she makes a mistake I probably wouldn’t forgive her for. I guess you can say her character was my major issue. I felt like I was suppose to like her but really didnt connect to her, and actually enjoyed when she wasn't in a scene.
Bree is a tough as nails and outspoken girl, she challenges Gray and also has his back when he needs it. I liked her much better than Emma, mostly because she was strong, ready to fight and wanted to help those who are fighting for the right cause. She and Gray build a bond that I felt developed really well and I look forward to seeing how it grows.
Overall I loved the concept of Taken, it may sounds familiar but there is so much backstory and reasoning behind what is happening. There are a ton of key characters that are the answers that Gray and Emma were looking for. I was pleasantly surprised by the constant unraveling of truths, but they were always followed by more questions that Gray will no doubt figure out. The best part of Taken is that anyone can enjoy this, there is lots of action, mystery, romance, complex plot twist and characters that continue to develop as the story move on.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a Young Adult book with a dystopian theme. Fans of Dan Wells Partials series and Article 5 by Kristen Simmons will enjoy Taken by Erin Bowman.
THEME: Romance, Mystery
RECEIVED: Edelweiss
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
This book was a fantastic surprise, I’m always wary with dystopians because they have started to all sounds similar. But the best part of Taken was having a male as the lead protagonist, which I don’t read often. This book feels like your standing at the edge of a dangerous cliff from beginning to end, because there is so much danger and a lot of twist and turns that will shock the readers to the very last page.
Taken follows a seventeen year old named Gray. He lives in a town that has a tough setting on the 18th birthday of all males. When they reach midnight on their 18th they disspear without anyone knowing what happens to them, this is called the Heist. Gray is trying to cope with the fact his older brother has reached the day of his Heist and there is nothing he can do. But after he finds a letter from his mother, he starts to figure out his town and the wall that keeps them there are apart of a large secret.
Gray is a determined young guy, who hates the fact that all the males have a certain fate and that he’s going to lose his brother. With it only being months away until his 18th, Gray makes a choice that will change his life. I loved how unstoppable Gray is, he doesn’t want to sit and wait for the inevitable, he wants answers. He does carry a bad attitude but truly loves his family and those close to him. His maturaty grows through out the very dangerous situations he gets himself in and overall becomes a leader type figure.
Emma grew up with Gray in their town Claysoot. He always liked her but was never one to show his feeling, he’d actually rather argue or fight. In their town the males are chosen for specific woman each month to continue the cycle. Emma is chosen for Gray and they begin to learn from each other and realize they both want answers about their town and what else is out there. She is a girl who has the same determination as him but I saw mostly as a damsel in distress. She is passive, intelligent and a healer, but she makes a mistake I probably wouldn’t forgive her for. I guess you can say her character was my major issue. I felt like I was suppose to like her but really didnt connect to her, and actually enjoyed when she wasn't in a scene.
Bree is a tough as nails and outspoken girl, she challenges Gray and also has his back when he needs it. I liked her much better than Emma, mostly because she was strong, ready to fight and wanted to help those who are fighting for the right cause. She and Gray build a bond that I felt developed really well and I look forward to seeing how it grows.
Overall I loved the concept of Taken, it may sounds familiar but there is so much backstory and reasoning behind what is happening. There are a ton of key characters that are the answers that Gray and Emma were looking for. I was pleasantly surprised by the constant unraveling of truths, but they were always followed by more questions that Gray will no doubt figure out. The best part of Taken is that anyone can enjoy this, there is lots of action, mystery, romance, complex plot twist and characters that continue to develop as the story move on.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a Young Adult book with a dystopian theme. Fans of Dan Wells Partials series and Article 5 by Kristen Simmons will enjoy Taken by Erin Bowman.
nicolemm_author's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the story and of course I love dystopians, but I felt a disconnect from the main character for most of the book until the end.
couchnest's review against another edition
2.0
Had high hopes for this one, but it is taking me FOREVER to read so it isn't really THAT gripping, otherwise I would be done by now.
FINALLY finished this book. Taken has taken hours from my life that I could have spent on something else. I can't put my finger on why this book just didn't do anything for me. The only thing I can figure is that I just didn't care, about any of the characters. There was nothing really that earth shattering, new, or exciting. I won't say I didn't like it, but just that it did not make me want to drop everything to read it. In the end, I was skimming as fast as I could to get on to the next, better, book.
FINALLY finished this book. Taken has taken hours from my life that I could have spent on something else. I can't put my finger on why this book just didn't do anything for me. The only thing I can figure is that I just didn't care, about any of the characters. There was nothing really that earth shattering, new, or exciting. I won't say I didn't like it, but just that it did not make me want to drop everything to read it. In the end, I was skimming as fast as I could to get on to the next, better, book.
paseando_entre_paginas's review against another edition
2.0
Reseña completa: http://paseandoentrepaginas.blogspot.com.es/2015/05/saga-el-rapto-libro-i-la-trampa-de-los.html
noejc's review against another edition
5.0
http://kyaneainneverland.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/la-trampa-de-los-18-erin-bowman.html
winkyle86's review against another edition
2.0
Such phenomenal world building with so many truly unlikeable characters. Ugh the worst
svimm2056's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. It had an interesting premise, but wasn't all that while reading it.
Writing wasn't stellar, but was better than Quarantine: The Loners.
Characters were meh at best. Didn't really care for them. Probably the only one I kind of cared for was Bree, to an extent. Main character was tolerable, as well, but I felt slightly apathetic towards him.
Writing wasn't stellar, but was better than Quarantine: The Loners.
Characters were meh at best. Didn't really care for them. Probably the only one I kind of cared for was Bree, to an extent. Main character was tolerable, as well, but I felt slightly apathetic towards him.
mrbookwonder's review against another edition
5.0
Talk about a kind of story that you don’t read every day. Talk about a kind of story where everything you thought is not what it seems to be. Talk about mind-blowing.
At first glance, Taken is just your classic dystopian story: action-packed, fascinating, and intriguing. Nowadays, it is usual to find the same concept repeatedly readapted in the form of books or films particularly in science fictions. There’s the concept of fighters in an arena.There’s the concept of a rebellion or war where humans and robots or even clones are involve. There’s the concept of a world ravaged with calamities or a deadly virus. In Taken, Bowman impressively juggles varying science fiction concepts and elements that surprisingly and breathtakingly created an unsafe world that I believe is the worst case of a future ever designed, if not more--and yet I never expected to love.
But then there’s more to Taken than meets the eye.
Taken is not simply a dystopian book. Bowman intricately blends in mystery and suspense into the story as well--and how she brought them out (especially with the mystery behind the Heist and the Wall), literally left me openmouthed. She casted questions and secrets into the story that did not only make the characters doubtful about their identities, their pasts and what they believed to be but I was also thirstily tempted to dig out for answers that eventually turned the plot into an adrenaline-rushed and fast-paced storyline. At the same time, the mystery and suspense intensified the complexities of the story that literally made me cringe, eager, and jolt with every budding secret and every unexpected discovery. Thus, it’s really, really hard to put the book down.
As much as I enjoyed the world-building and the surprising twists in Taken, the characters also impressed me, Gray in particular. Bowman captures a male’s voice effortlessly and skillfully emotional. As a male, it surely helped me understand Gray. He maybe stubborn, impulsive, and sometimes selfish--very unlikeable traits--but that doesn't mean he’s unlikeable throughout the entire story. Actually, it helped and braved him to survive the atrocities he had in life especially with blow after blow of both lies and truths bombarded into him. Gray’s character may present a love-and-hate outcome to the readers but it just shows Bowman’s adept ability to craft believable and convincing characters.
Similarly, I couldn't help but admire the romantic side of the story. Bowman delivered an uncommon romance yet a powerful, complicated and almost tragic one that could affect a reader with flux of emotions and questions to ponder. Hence, I can’t wait on how the romance will evolve in the following books.
Erin Bowman's Taken is a perfectly imagined harrowing thought of the future. It’s a phenomenal book that uniquely blends past to present, and reality to science fiction. It’s addictive, dark, disturbing, unforgettable, and unpredictable making it one of the best dystopian books I've ever read. With that, I am craving for the next book and I am preparing for whatever surprises Bowman has up in her sleeves.
Ultimately, it’s as much as I can say but I shall forewarn you: once you enter it, get ready to be heisted, because there’s no escaping from its wall.
This review originally appears at Mr. Book Wonder.
At first glance, Taken is just your classic dystopian story: action-packed, fascinating, and intriguing. Nowadays, it is usual to find the same concept repeatedly readapted in the form of books or films particularly in science fictions. There’s the concept of fighters in an arena.There’s the concept of a rebellion or war where humans and robots or even clones are involve. There’s the concept of a world ravaged with calamities or a deadly virus. In Taken, Bowman impressively juggles varying science fiction concepts and elements that surprisingly and breathtakingly created an unsafe world that I believe is the worst case of a future ever designed, if not more--and yet I never expected to love.
But then there’s more to Taken than meets the eye.
Taken is not simply a dystopian book. Bowman intricately blends in mystery and suspense into the story as well--and how she brought them out (especially with the mystery behind the Heist and the Wall), literally left me openmouthed. She casted questions and secrets into the story that did not only make the characters doubtful about their identities, their pasts and what they believed to be but I was also thirstily tempted to dig out for answers that eventually turned the plot into an adrenaline-rushed and fast-paced storyline. At the same time, the mystery and suspense intensified the complexities of the story that literally made me cringe, eager, and jolt with every budding secret and every unexpected discovery. Thus, it’s really, really hard to put the book down.
As much as I enjoyed the world-building and the surprising twists in Taken, the characters also impressed me, Gray in particular. Bowman captures a male’s voice effortlessly and skillfully emotional. As a male, it surely helped me understand Gray. He maybe stubborn, impulsive, and sometimes selfish--very unlikeable traits--but that doesn't mean he’s unlikeable throughout the entire story. Actually, it helped and braved him to survive the atrocities he had in life especially with blow after blow of both lies and truths bombarded into him. Gray’s character may present a love-and-hate outcome to the readers but it just shows Bowman’s adept ability to craft believable and convincing characters.
Similarly, I couldn't help but admire the romantic side of the story. Bowman delivered an uncommon romance yet a powerful, complicated and almost tragic one that could affect a reader with flux of emotions and questions to ponder. Hence, I can’t wait on how the romance will evolve in the following books.
Erin Bowman's Taken is a perfectly imagined harrowing thought of the future. It’s a phenomenal book that uniquely blends past to present, and reality to science fiction. It’s addictive, dark, disturbing, unforgettable, and unpredictable making it one of the best dystopian books I've ever read. With that, I am craving for the next book and I am preparing for whatever surprises Bowman has up in her sleeves.
Ultimately, it’s as much as I can say but I shall forewarn you: once you enter it, get ready to be heisted, because there’s no escaping from its wall.
This review originally appears at Mr. Book Wonder.
tinyy's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0