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theduchess93's review
1.0
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this book was dredged up from one of Suzanne Collins's high school notebooks and regurgitated with very few edits onto the page. I feel like the author decided the main character would be gay just so they could break into the dystopian genre with an "edge," because aside from some borderline insulting comments from characters about it, it's never really brought up again. Incredibly lackluster and I only finished it because I was stuck at work with literally nothing else to read.
lezreadalot's review
2.0
Okay? I guess? Neat idea (when I heard queer science fiction inspired by 'The Whipping Boy' I thought OOOOH!) that was pretty poorly executed. The POV switching drove me out of my mind, characters' motivations changed on a dime, there's nothing special about the writing and I didn't come to care about any of these characters very deeply.
2.5 stars.
2.5 stars.
libra35a's review
5.0
I really liked this book, but why oh why does everything have to be a 'series' now? Doesn't anyone write single, stand-alone books anymore?
nadmcglynn's review
5.0
THAT ENDING
I literally ship Knox and Syd so much and when they finally like actually kissed at the end I was so happy and then Knox had to go and die. My poor sassy little Knox!! I'm hoping he somehow didn't die? Just like teleported? or something? I can't wait to read Gaurdian! This was an amazing book!
I literally ship Knox and Syd so much and when they finally like actually kissed at the end I was so happy and then Knox had to go and die. My poor sassy little Knox!! I'm hoping he somehow didn't die? Just like teleported? or something? I can't wait to read Gaurdian! This was an amazing book!
greywuren's review
5.0
5/5 STARS THAT WAS FUCKING FANTASTIC
Okay, wow. this book.
Going into it, I knew it was dystopian. But this world was so much MORE than I was expecting. It was so complicated, yet so relatable to issues we face today. Social inequality, consumerism, social privilege and injustice were the main focus and main issues of this world and they were touched on so realistically that it actually scared you as a reader, because it's written as if it could be real.
Going off the realistic world, each characters opinions and reactions to world were equally as realistic. Knox's arrogance, selfishness and indifference to what happens to those less fortunate than him was so real and in complete contrast to Marie's personal moral duty to change things because of her guilt to being born privileged. Both ends of the spectrum were there and portrayed so realistically that you wanted to hate them both, but boy did they develop beautifully. Up until the middle I was afraid they wouldn't but they finally did and it was a wonderfully journey.
I absolutely loved the metaphors in this book; debt being the biggest. Syd going from having to repay his debts by sacrificing his life, his choices to him being the one who others sacrificed FOR was so beautiful and his internal struggle with it so realistic. Marie was the most badass female character I have read about. I love her to fucking death. Seeing Syd and Knox's friendship grow into something so profound was so amazing and so heartbreaking at the same time. I'm so utterly in awe of this book, this world and these characters. So many layers to all of them and it's so wonderful.
****SPOILERS****
______________________
I just. I can't get over the ending? I hated Knox at first, then i sympathized with him, then I fell in love with him, and then I cried and a bit of my soul died because of him. I can't believe it, I can't believe he's gone and it hurts so much because the reason he did is so... So profound? Especially for his character. As someone who never cared for anyone but himself, who was only doing things for attention, even running away with Syd was for attention. Then, he sacrifices himself for Syd. He takes Syd's debt and punishes himself for all the years that Syd took his. It's so beautiful, it's so heartbreaking and I hate myself. And seeing his Dad crying for him, seeing him finally get the attention he craved was even worse and even more soul crushing??? I HATE THIS WHY DID IT END THIS WAY
I'm so sad
I'm just gonna pretend it never happened and that Knox and Syd and Marie all lived happily ever after in the desert loving each other and being wonderful little shits okay? Okay.
IDK HOW IM GONNA READ THE NEXT BOOK IF KNOX ISNT IN IT I MISS HIM SO MUCH ALREADY
Okay, wow. this book.
Going into it, I knew it was dystopian. But this world was so much MORE than I was expecting. It was so complicated, yet so relatable to issues we face today. Social inequality, consumerism, social privilege and injustice were the main focus and main issues of this world and they were touched on so realistically that it actually scared you as a reader, because it's written as if it could be real.
Going off the realistic world, each characters opinions and reactions to world were equally as realistic. Knox's arrogance, selfishness and indifference to what happens to those less fortunate than him was so real and in complete contrast to Marie's personal moral duty to change things because of her guilt to being born privileged. Both ends of the spectrum were there and portrayed so realistically that you wanted to hate them both, but boy did they develop beautifully. Up until the middle I was afraid they wouldn't but they finally did and it was a wonderfully journey.
I absolutely loved the metaphors in this book; debt being the biggest. Syd going from having to repay his debts by sacrificing his life, his choices to him being the one who others sacrificed FOR was so beautiful and his internal struggle with it so realistic. Marie was the most badass female character I have read about. I love her to fucking death. Seeing Syd and Knox's friendship grow into something so profound was so amazing and so heartbreaking at the same time. I'm so utterly in awe of this book, this world and these characters. So many layers to all of them and it's so wonderful.
****SPOILERS****
______________________
I just. I can't get over the ending? I hated Knox at first, then i sympathized with him, then I fell in love with him, and then I cried and a bit of my soul died because of him. I can't believe it, I can't believe he's gone and it hurts so much because the reason he did is so... So profound? Especially for his character. As someone who never cared for anyone but himself, who was only doing things for attention, even running away with Syd was for attention. Then, he sacrifices himself for Syd. He takes Syd's debt and punishes himself for all the years that Syd took his. It's so beautiful, it's so heartbreaking and I hate myself. And seeing his Dad crying for him, seeing him finally get the attention he craved was even worse and even more soul crushing??? I HATE THIS WHY DID IT END THIS WAY
I'm so sad
I'm just gonna pretend it never happened and that Knox and Syd and Marie all lived happily ever after in the desert loving each other and being wonderful little shits okay? Okay.
IDK HOW IM GONNA READ THE NEXT BOOK IF KNOX ISNT IN IT I MISS HIM SO MUCH ALREADY
aoosterwyk's review
5.0
The Whipping Boy meets Feed meets The Hunger Games in this fast-paced dystopian fiction. The society of the future is based on commerce and technology, with the very rich living the "lux" life at the expense of the desperately poor. Wealthy children are raised by nanny bots and have proxies to endure punishments that they themselves have earned.
This story shows a future where tech is implanted in humans and identities can be altered by slapping on a patch. Hackers carry their tech with them and work on the fly to gain access or alter evidence.
This story kept me wide-eyed and breathless as I waited for the next surprise twist in the plot. They kept coming.
The characters are dynamic and the interactions between them felt real. The overarching theme of debt and repayment timely and relevant today, with extreme excess and poverty existing side by side.
I liked everything about this book and even though it works as a stand alone, I look forward to the next.
This story shows a future where tech is implanted in humans and identities can be altered by slapping on a patch. Hackers carry their tech with them and work on the fly to gain access or alter evidence.
This story kept me wide-eyed and breathless as I waited for the next surprise twist in the plot. They kept coming.
The characters are dynamic and the interactions between them felt real. The overarching theme of debt and repayment timely and relevant today, with extreme excess and poverty existing side by side.
I liked everything about this book and even though it works as a stand alone, I look forward to the next.
reuben_surrender's review
5.0
As an action science fiction, it's a great read - it's fast, it's light, the ideas are interesting. It's not very deep philosophically when compared to other great science fiction writers
wannabekingpin's review
3.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: In this world you can be born with a debt. And it can grow deeper by decades if you need something basic, essential, and can’t afford it. The debts are paid by suffering for crimes, discrepancies, rebellions the patrons who bought the debt have committed, things you didn’t do. Needless to say, there’s varied levels to the suffering, and so people in the lowest casts have turned to hope, and legends. One in particular speaks of a rogue code, engineered to erase all the debt. And that one day it’ll spread through the system…
My Opinion: Poorly written characters break otherwise good stories. In this case it is not much of either. Characters are shallow and are easily traced in their trope or type, where nothing unexpected happens, where their decisions are basic, and require no basis for it. This leads to events that merely fill the gaps between steps in the story, and more often than not – add nothing to it. No character growth, development, no substance in the story. The only thing that was good were the jokes.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: In this world you can be born with a debt. And it can grow deeper by decades if you need something basic, essential, and can’t afford it. The debts are paid by suffering for crimes, discrepancies, rebellions the patrons who bought the debt have committed, things you didn’t do. Needless to say, there’s varied levels to the suffering, and so people in the lowest casts have turned to hope, and legends. One in particular speaks of a rogue code, engineered to erase all the debt. And that one day it’ll spread through the system…
My Opinion: Poorly written characters break otherwise good stories. In this case it is not much of either. Characters are shallow and are easily traced in their trope or type, where nothing unexpected happens, where their decisions are basic, and require no basis for it. This leads to events that merely fill the gaps between steps in the story, and more often than not – add nothing to it. No character growth, development, no substance in the story. The only thing that was good were the jokes.
mikaiten's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, and was pleased to see a protagonist that wasn't the sterotypical heteronormative male lead. Syd definitely isn't a stereotype, and I thought it rather apropos that I picked this book up during Pride Week.
I loved the fast pace of this book and the diverse characters. I can't wait to see where things go from here.
I loved the fast pace of this book and the diverse characters. I can't wait to see where things go from here.
thedistortedbliss's review
4.0
First off this was a GoodReads win :)
Thank you!
Also this was an Advance Uncorrected Galley
Thank you as well to the author for giving me the opportunity to read it!
This book was really good! I was hesitant because I am into mythical creatures and blah blah blah! but shockingly I really liked this book!
I was a little bit confused in the beginning, I wish the author explained the beginning alittle better. I guess I am just slow on how everything worked. Like the datastream or all the weird stuff they could do to their bodies with just a patch. Other then that the plot was great!
The characters were good!
I love Syd!
Knox..dude, I just don't know what to think!
The ending.. Tears! I was in shock and tears and WHY!
There is going to be a second book but I am so scared to read it without
that certain person being in it :(
Also, I have to wait till 2014 >,< AH! sucky!!
It will be forever till I know what happens!
Good book!! Definitely will tell people about it ^.^
Thank you!
Also this was an Advance Uncorrected Galley
Thank you as well to the author for giving me the opportunity to read it!
This book was really good! I was hesitant because I am into mythical creatures and blah blah blah! but shockingly I really liked this book!
I was a little bit confused in the beginning, I wish the author explained the beginning alittle better. I guess I am just slow on how everything worked. Like the datastream or all the weird stuff they could do to their bodies with just a patch. Other then that the plot was great!
The characters were good!
I love Syd!
Knox..dude, I just don't know what to think!
The ending.. Tears! I was in shock and tears and WHY!
There is going to be a second book but I am so scared to read it without
that certain person being in it :(
Also, I have to wait till 2014 >,< AH! sucky!!
It will be forever till I know what happens!
Good book!! Definitely will tell people about it ^.^