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octobertune's review against another edition
3.5
After reading Hunger, and not liking it very much, I was very reluctant to read the rest of the series. Still, when I was in Amsterdam and I saw Lies on the discount shelf at American Book Center, I decided to take it with me just because.
I have to admit, I wasn't really looking forward to reading Lies, mainly because Hunger had disappointed me a bit. But I can't stand it when I don't finish a series, so eventually I just got myself a copy of Lies because I really wanted to know how the story goes on. I got through Lies a lot quicker than Hunger and I liked it a lot more as well. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Lies was a bit thinner than the previous two books (Gone had 558 pages, Hunger had 590 pages and Lies only 446).
The writing was very good, as usual, I just enjoy Michael Grant's writing a lot, but personally I would have loved a bit less POV's in the series. Especially since every book has new characters that weren't there in the previous books. In Lies, we're introduced to five new characters who live on one of the islands trapped in the FAYZ. I liked reading about them, but I was just a tiny bit annoyed because there were another five characters I needed to remember in the upcoming books.
Of course, there are also still the original characters; Sam, Astrid, Little Pete, Quinn, Caine, Diana, etc. And I liked reading about them (okay I hated reading about Caine, but still). They all have issues, like the fights Sam and Astrid have, the fact that Caine and Diana and the other Coates kids are nearly starving to death; and I liked them for that. They weren't perfect, Astrid wasn't the perfect 'genius' that she was supposed to be, Sam wasn't the perfect hero that everyone thought he was, but that didn't matter. I liked them. And honestly, it would pain me to see any one of them leaving (yes, even Caine, though he's just a pain in the arse).
Lies is also the first book in the series, where we hear about people on the outside of the FAYZ, which made me really happy. I do kind of hope we'll be hearing more from them, but for some reason I think that's not going to happen, oh well, a girl can hope!
I was also very annoyed by the Human Crew in this book. It reminded me a lot of those people inside the bus in the Midnight episode of Doctor Who. It shows you how horrible humans can be during a situation like this, and I think Grant did a VERY good job at it with the Human Crew. Every time I read about them wanting to kill the 'freaks' I cringed and wrote down I wanted Zil to be punished.
In the end, I am really happy with Lies because it means I will probably be less reluctant to finish the rest of the series. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who wants to read a nice dystopia story that isn't a trilogy!
I have to admit, I wasn't really looking forward to reading Lies, mainly because Hunger had disappointed me a bit. But I can't stand it when I don't finish a series, so eventually I just got myself a copy of Lies because I really wanted to know how the story goes on. I got through Lies a lot quicker than Hunger and I liked it a lot more as well. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Lies was a bit thinner than the previous two books (Gone had 558 pages, Hunger had 590 pages and Lies only 446).
The writing was very good, as usual, I just enjoy Michael Grant's writing a lot, but personally I would have loved a bit less POV's in the series. Especially since every book has new characters that weren't there in the previous books. In Lies, we're introduced to five new characters who live on one of the islands trapped in the FAYZ. I liked reading about them, but I was just a tiny bit annoyed because there were another five characters I needed to remember in the upcoming books.
Of course, there are also still the original characters; Sam, Astrid, Little Pete, Quinn, Caine, Diana, etc. And I liked reading about them (okay I hated reading about Caine, but still). They all have issues, like the fights Sam and Astrid have, the fact that Caine and Diana and the other Coates kids are nearly starving to death; and I liked them for that. They weren't perfect, Astrid wasn't the perfect 'genius' that she was supposed to be, Sam wasn't the perfect hero that everyone thought he was, but that didn't matter. I liked them. And honestly, it would pain me to see any one of them leaving (yes, even Caine, though he's just a pain in the arse).
Lies is also the first book in the series, where we hear about people on the outside of the FAYZ, which made me really happy. I do kind of hope we'll be hearing more from them, but for some reason I think that's not going to happen, oh well, a girl can hope!
I was also very annoyed by the Human Crew in this book. It reminded me a lot of those people inside the bus in the Midnight episode of Doctor Who. It shows you how horrible humans can be during a situation like this, and I think Grant did a VERY good job at it with the Human Crew. Every time I read about them wanting to kill the 'freaks' I cringed and wrote down I wanted Zil to be punished.
In the end, I am really happy with Lies because it means I will probably be less reluctant to finish the rest of the series. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who wants to read a nice dystopia story that isn't a trilogy!
aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
I don't know if I can handle three more books of this. Technically, we can all know the basics of how the series will end, so i don't know why we need to take six books to get there. It's horribly depressing. It's an interesting psychological experiment of sorts, as Sam feels his authority is stifled, Astrid wades through her own ethical struggles as she tries to stamp down anarchy, Mary fights to keep her head between her care for the "prees" and her eating disorders as her fifteenth birthday approaches, Howard is sort of all over the place, Orc shows a slight altruistic side, Albert actually seems to be thriving amidst the clamor, and the bad guys all go a little berserk. It's a little bit frightening to see just how adult a city of desperate kids and preteens can become, but I was thankful to see less graphic violence in this installment. However, there were no real new story hooks. A few interesting twists, yes, but we discover next to nothing about the secret behind Little Pete and the FAYZ.
"Lies" was decent, but not as gripping as "Gone" or "Hunger", and unless Grant can move things along here and throw something really interesting into the mix in "Plague"—like more interactions with the parents outside the FAYZ, or some actual explanations—I will likely not stick with the series. This is only halfway through? Really? We have to sit through another fifteen hundred (or more) pages of this warped dystopia?
"Lies" was decent, but not as gripping as "Gone" or "Hunger", and unless Grant can move things along here and throw something really interesting into the mix in "Plague"—like more interactions with the parents outside the FAYZ, or some actual explanations—I will likely not stick with the series. This is only halfway through? Really? We have to sit through another fifteen hundred (or more) pages of this warped dystopia?
skylar_63's review against another edition
4.0
This book is the first one where I felt support for nearly none of the characters (Diana and Lana can do no wrong IMO), but I do think that’s fitting for the series and bringing back home the absolute helplessness of the FAYZ. At this point I’m hooked on the series and can’t stop powering through these books.
finn_truman's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
littlerascal2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sandygx260's review against another edition
3.0
Mmmm, after the intensity of "Hunger" this one slips a little. I know, I KNOW the main characters are teenagers, but some of the decisions they make in this story had me going "oh hell no."
I also don't understand the addition of new characters who arrive in a fairly spectacular manner only to be ignored for the book's remainder. Their obvious arrival isn't even mentioned by the main characters. Say what? Definitely a weak plot point.
Astrid and Sam rapidly become less and less heroic, which isn't a surprise. I do like how Diana is starting to grow a conscience. Will she be the one to bring down Caine? That evil little cockroach deserves a few weeks of torment before dying.
Despite the nitpicks I have with "Lies", I downloaded "Plague" after finishing the last page of "Lies." I really want to see how this deepening disaster plays out for the remaining characters.
Sounds like existence in the FAYZ is going to become much, much worse.
I also don't understand the addition of new characters who arrive in a fairly spectacular manner only to be ignored for the book's remainder. Their obvious arrival isn't even mentioned by the main characters. Say what? Definitely a weak plot point.
Astrid and Sam rapidly become less and less heroic, which isn't a surprise. I do like how Diana is starting to grow a conscience. Will she be the one to bring down Caine? That evil little cockroach deserves a few weeks of torment before dying.
Despite the nitpicks I have with "Lies", I downloaded "Plague" after finishing the last page of "Lies." I really want to see how this deepening disaster plays out for the remaining characters.
Sounds like existence in the FAYZ is going to become much, much worse.
jodiel96's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
blamy's review against another edition
5.0
Addicting as all get out. If you're a fan of killer YA novels, read this entire series (Gone, Hunger, and Lies). The 4th book launches tomorrow. STOKED.