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squishsquish's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
lizaxox's review against another edition
5.0
I love love loved it. I simply couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for a series that’s so good you willingly forfeit sleep in order to read it look no further.
shorthannah's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The concept of this book is interesting for fans of dystopian books, although as others have said, it's very similar to other popular books. (normal girl with a habit of sneaking out of the sector she lives in to gather resources gets taken into the control of a corrupt elitist governmental system in a place which from the outside seems luxurious but within it the wealthy citizens exploit and degrade the poor and even make them fight to the death for their entertainment. Then after some training and fights the MC escapes and eventually finds a secret group of rebels who live underground and which the tyrannical government hoped had been eradicated... sound familiar? Oh also, the dregs are controlled by a substance injected into their necks which brainwashes them and allows the government figures to control their behaviour, but a small number of people including the main character have something different about them which makes them immune or resistant to it... that rings a bell too.)
I don't find the characters particularly likeable. The main ones we actually get to know are Ashen, who could be a good main character - impulsive but resilient and fiercely loyal. But my criticism would be that she is overly trusting of strangers considering how often she gets betrayed. Then there is Finn, with whom Ash has a very Romeo and Juliet type romance in the 'star crossed lovers who've known each other for very little time but would already die for each other' sense. This romance feels too forced and unconvincing to the point that I fully expected him to betray Ashen at any point. And then Rystan, who betrayed her, got her mother killed and her brother captured yet she immediately trusts again straight away.
Other than that none of the other side characters really get fleshed out properly before the plot moves on without them. We get little flashes or hints like with Peric (another weird hatred which suddenly turns into a potential romance out of nowhere and then we never see him again.) Cyntra, and Veer but then it moves on to a whole group of new characters.
Finally, a separate bug bear is that the writing just isn't very good. The dialogue often feels wooden and unnatural; too stiff to be believable as realistic dialogue. There are also quite a few grammatical errors - not just little things but things like misused words/ wrong word used, and sentences with whole words missing. It really breaks my immersion.
I really wanted to enjoy these books because I've been itching for a good dystopian series but sadly it just isn't what I'm looking for.
I don't find the characters particularly likeable. The main ones we actually get to know are Ashen, who could be a good main character - impulsive but resilient and fiercely loyal. But my criticism would be that she is overly trusting of strangers considering how often she gets betrayed. Then there is Finn, with whom Ash has a very Romeo and Juliet type romance in the 'star crossed lovers who've known each other for very little time but would already die for each other' sense. This romance feels too forced and unconvincing to the point that I fully expected him to betray Ashen at any point. And then Rystan, who betrayed her, got her mother killed and her brother captured
Other than that none of the other side characters really get fleshed out properly before the plot moves on without them. We get little flashes or hints like with Peric
Finally, a separate bug bear is that the writing just isn't very good. The dialogue often feels wooden and unnatural; too stiff to be believable as realistic dialogue. There are also quite a few grammatical errors - not just little things but things like misused words/ wrong word used, and sentences with whole words missing. It really breaks my immersion.
I really wanted to enjoy these books because I've been itching for a good dystopian series but sadly it just isn't what I'm looking for.
abigsnail's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
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? Yes
3.5
paigek21's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
aliciareads83's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
annaka's review against another edition
4.0
The main character gets annoying at times and there's a bit of suspension of disbelief for her plots to succeed, however, there's some really fun tech, interesting supporting characters, and an engaging storyline so overall, an enjoyable need and I'll quickly pick up the next in the series.
jcika's review
3.0
The author really has a way of drawing the reader into the story, and this was for sure a quick, fun read. However, the relationship between Ashen and Finn just seems less and less genuine, and the author also seems to force the relationship onto readers as something believable, when it is not. I still think it is a worthwhile read, as I am curious as to what will happen next.
emiwee97's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0