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alyram4's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
Ok I'll say it. This Cruel Design is much better than the first. That's not saying so much since I'm giving this 3.5 stars. Why? The characters. Again. Suvada did so much more in terms of the plot that it made me more interested in the novel. The action scenes, plot twists, and chapter cliffhangers were at a higher level than the previous book. At least, most of them were. I'm annoyed at how the Cat & Jun Bei interaction was handled towards the end. I personally feel it just added more unnecessary conflicts and made the ending even more predictable. I can probably guess how the 3rd book will probably develop as well just from the final chapter alone. That final plot twist in the last chapter ain't it chief. I will say that Mato, Cat, & Cole were developed wonderfully. Now onto the next thing...the romance. What the hell is even going on!? I literally cannot. Way too much going on the romance category that I can't keep track. And I know I'm not the only one.
Step up from the first novel, but this still has so many flaws.
Ok I'll say it. This Cruel Design is much better than the first. That's not saying so much since I'm giving this 3.5 stars. Why? The characters. Again. Suvada did so much more in terms of the plot that it made me more interested in the novel. The action scenes, plot twists, and chapter cliffhangers were at a higher level than the previous book. At least, most of them were. I'm annoyed at how the Cat & Jun Bei interaction was handled towards the end. I personally feel it just added more unnecessary conflicts and made the ending even more predictable. I can probably guess how the 3rd book will probably develop as well just from the final chapter alone. That final plot twist in the last chapter ain't it chief. I will say that Mato, Cat, & Cole were developed wonderfully. Now onto the next thing...the romance. What the hell is even going on!? I literally cannot. Way too much going on the romance category that I can't keep track. And I know I'm not the only one.
Step up from the first novel, but this still has so many flaws.
alice_clawford's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookladysreviews's review against another edition
5.0
*I received this book for free, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions, are my own!*
I stumbled upon This Mortal Coil during the summer and wasn't expecting to fall in love with it as much as I did, something that hasn't really happened in a while! I was so impressed with how well constructed its premise was, that I basically screamed my head off when I got the chance to participate in the official Blog Tour for its sequel! I never doubted that this book would exceed my expectations, because the first book had such a powerful ending that, I was basically sure for the perfection that would follow its magnificent plot twist. The most fascinating part is that, it happened in multiple occasions and had several stages of excitement before it reached that climactic moment, which managed to blow my mind and leave me speechless for a while after I finished reading it!
I'm well aware of how important sequels are and how difficult it is to add even more dimension to a story that surprised you with its brilliance through them, believe me! Many of them have disappointed me in the past, even though I immensely enjoyed their predecessors and could not wai to get my hands on them! This Cruel Design though, did not suffer from the ''sequel syndrome'' because it became its own legacy, in a way, for me as a reader and left my soul in shambles, to say the least! I know that I might sound dramatic to some of you but, this series has quickly become an all time favorite, which is an even more important achievement, if you consider the fact that I'm not actually the biggest fan of Science Fiction! So, in case you haven't noticed, we' re not here to talk about the actual plot because, that would certainly defeat the purpose of you going into it without having any idea of its plot and being forever changed by the discovery of how unique and brilliantly written it actually is!
I usually avoid writing reviews on sequels, for the reason mentioned above and the fact that, it's even harder to remain vague in your words and not reveal anything of importance in them, which is what we're trying to avoid in this one! That's why I'm going to elaborate on what made me fall in love with these books and why you should pick them up as soon as you can!
First of all, the character development is insane! The characters progress throughout both novels is loud and clear, which makes the novel even more three dimensional than it originally started out being. They're so intricate in their complexity that, you can actually envision them clearly while the story is being narrated! There's an abundance of details where they and the virus ridden world they live in is concerned, which was such a breath of fresh air! Nothing was overdone it terms of how well it was constructed and the author did a wonderful job at creating this terrifyingly realistic world where, every action had an immediate consequence and adapting to its changes meant survival! And of course, I appreciated the fact that, everything was described in a way that didn't negatively affect the pacing of the story or slow it down. On the contrary, it made it even more engrossing and impossible to put down, since it never got boring or repetitive!
Second of all, the shocking plot twist continue on to This Cruel Design and are delivered in a way that keeps you on the edge of a cliff you have no idea whether you should leave behind or brave through! Cat grows so much through them and I absolutely love how well thought out she is as a character! Her character reflects on the parts of society that failed to deliver and have flaws but, will never stop striving towards a better future! She doesn't pretend to be perfect, neither does she try to suppress her true self in order to become one with the crowd, in a weird way! She's intelligent, brave, loyal and real, which makes it so much easier to connect with her and forget the fact that, she actually lives in this futuristic world that sounds incredibly real, as well as terrifying to live in!
Overall, I absolutely fell in love with the characters for the hundredth time and immensely enjoyed experiencing the development of the story firsthand, through the author's incredible writing style and vivid descriptions! I cannot recommend this series enough and I'm desperately crossing my fingers for it to become a movie adaptation as soon as possible!!! I'm not sure whether anyone could even touch the high stakes the novels have set where the possibility of a movie is concerned but, a girl can hope, right?
I stumbled upon This Mortal Coil during the summer and wasn't expecting to fall in love with it as much as I did, something that hasn't really happened in a while! I was so impressed with how well constructed its premise was, that I basically screamed my head off when I got the chance to participate in the official Blog Tour for its sequel! I never doubted that this book would exceed my expectations, because the first book had such a powerful ending that, I was basically sure for the perfection that would follow its magnificent plot twist. The most fascinating part is that, it happened in multiple occasions and had several stages of excitement before it reached that climactic moment, which managed to blow my mind and leave me speechless for a while after I finished reading it!
I'm well aware of how important sequels are and how difficult it is to add even more dimension to a story that surprised you with its brilliance through them, believe me! Many of them have disappointed me in the past, even though I immensely enjoyed their predecessors and could not wai to get my hands on them! This Cruel Design though, did not suffer from the ''sequel syndrome'' because it became its own legacy, in a way, for me as a reader and left my soul in shambles, to say the least! I know that I might sound dramatic to some of you but, this series has quickly become an all time favorite, which is an even more important achievement, if you consider the fact that I'm not actually the biggest fan of Science Fiction! So, in case you haven't noticed, we' re not here to talk about the actual plot because, that would certainly defeat the purpose of you going into it without having any idea of its plot and being forever changed by the discovery of how unique and brilliantly written it actually is!
I usually avoid writing reviews on sequels, for the reason mentioned above and the fact that, it's even harder to remain vague in your words and not reveal anything of importance in them, which is what we're trying to avoid in this one! That's why I'm going to elaborate on what made me fall in love with these books and why you should pick them up as soon as you can!
First of all, the character development is insane! The characters progress throughout both novels is loud and clear, which makes the novel even more three dimensional than it originally started out being. They're so intricate in their complexity that, you can actually envision them clearly while the story is being narrated! There's an abundance of details where they and the virus ridden world they live in is concerned, which was such a breath of fresh air! Nothing was overdone it terms of how well it was constructed and the author did a wonderful job at creating this terrifyingly realistic world where, every action had an immediate consequence and adapting to its changes meant survival! And of course, I appreciated the fact that, everything was described in a way that didn't negatively affect the pacing of the story or slow it down. On the contrary, it made it even more engrossing and impossible to put down, since it never got boring or repetitive!
Second of all, the shocking plot twist continue on to This Cruel Design and are delivered in a way that keeps you on the edge of a cliff you have no idea whether you should leave behind or brave through! Cat grows so much through them and I absolutely love how well thought out she is as a character! Her character reflects on the parts of society that failed to deliver and have flaws but, will never stop striving towards a better future! She doesn't pretend to be perfect, neither does she try to suppress her true self in order to become one with the crowd, in a weird way! She's intelligent, brave, loyal and real, which makes it so much easier to connect with her and forget the fact that, she actually lives in this futuristic world that sounds incredibly real, as well as terrifying to live in!
Overall, I absolutely fell in love with the characters for the hundredth time and immensely enjoyed experiencing the development of the story firsthand, through the author's incredible writing style and vivid descriptions! I cannot recommend this series enough and I'm desperately crossing my fingers for it to become a movie adaptation as soon as possible!!! I'm not sure whether anyone could even touch the high stakes the novels have set where the possibility of a movie is concerned but, a girl can hope, right?
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
4.0
There's still hope as long as we're alive.
Okay so this one didn't quite wow me like This Mortal Coil did, I'm afraid. I struggled a lot in the first half - I was feeling slumpy already and I wasn't loving it like I did the first book. I was bored. So, I decided to put it down for a while. I read something else (Ship of Smoke and Steel, which I did NOT like), and the break was just what I needed because I ended up loving the second half! I'm so glad I stuck with it!
Other than it being a little slow in the first half, my other issue with this was the introduction of a love triangle. Or kind of love triangle, anyway?
Spoiler
Love square?!Spoiler
I hated the rift that grew between them. SO. MUCH. I hope they can resolve things in the next book!The shit really hit the fan in the second half. I wish the first half would have been as intense and explosive! There were bombs dropped left and right - the shock and awe factor was insane!
Spoiler
Regina is her mother?! Lachlan really IS her father?!?! Jun Bei is living separately inside Cat's head?!?!?! DEAD. And the fact that Lachlan only used Cat to basically hold Jun Bei's spot? Holy crap, I felt so bad for her! Talk about a messed up family..."If there is a design that underpins us, Catarina, then it is cold, it is violent, and it is cruel."
The concept of this series is really astounding, and unlike anything I've ever read before. I love the idea of coding your DNA! And the virus was just disturbing. The books also take a close look at humanity - what it means to be human and what we would do to survive. It's quite chilling!
Spoiler
AGNES!!!! Omg I was grinning like an idiot (in public, oops) when she came back! AHHHH!!! I cried when I thought she died in the first book. I love her so much!Sooo, that ending?! For some reason I thought this was only a duology, and that ending left it very much open for another book.
Spoiler
I predicted that "Cat" would close the book introducing herself as Jun Bei. I just knew it was her! But holy shit, to end it like that?!This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
petrichor_pages's review against another edition
4.0
I firstly want to applaud the author's work on the science in the book. The best science fiction happens when the science fiction could potentially be the technology of tomorrow. A lot of the concepts related to genes in the book are based on areas of active research in the science community So I'm definitely impressed by the author's development of science concepts in the book.
The writing was pretty solid, the only issue I really had with the book is the fact that the first 20 or so pages completely invalidates all of the work of the first book. There were also a few decisions that the author made in terms of characters and development that just didn't quite resonate with me.
Overall though, it was a fun follow up to a strong scifi. It does suffer a bit from second book syndrome, but I have hopes for the third.
The writing was pretty solid, the only issue I really had with the book is the fact that the first 20 or so pages completely invalidates all of the work of the first book. There were also a few decisions that the author made in terms of characters and development that just didn't quite resonate with me.
Overall though, it was a fun follow up to a strong scifi. It does suffer a bit from second book syndrome, but I have hopes for the third.
celery09's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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
3.5
This entire series as kept me on the edge of my seat so far. This is a good sequel to the first book, and has kept me wanting more. However, it leaves a lot of loose ends to be tied up, so it relies on the third book to have a satisfying conclusion. And the relationship is kind of forced in this one, but I hope it will all be put together by the end.
dani_bugz's review against another edition
2.0
Ughhhhhhh what a let down!
The first half of This Cruel Design picks up where we left off. It's full of thrilling escapades and cool side plots. I did of course notice the instalove once again, and was annoyed that only a week had passed in the first book, but hey I could go with it.
And then the second half came around. By that point I was just rolling my eyes and sighing for the rest of the book. It was so implausible, the romance was rubbish, there was no character development, and a butt-load of loose threads. And man, that ending was BULL SH*T! I seriously can't believe it ended like that! A small part of me wants to find out what happens in the end, but a larger part of me is telling me not to waste my money. We'll see who wins out this time next year I guess...
Age:12+
Warnings: A bit of killing, and sexual tension but nothing explicit on either account
The first half of This Cruel Design picks up where we left off. It's full of thrilling escapades and cool side plots. I did of course notice the instalove once again, and was annoyed that only a week had passed in the first book, but hey I could go with it.
And then the second half came around. By that point I was just rolling my eyes and sighing for the rest of the book. It was so implausible, the romance was rubbish, there was no character development, and a butt-load of loose threads. And man, that ending was BULL SH*T! I seriously can't believe it ended like that! A small part of me wants to find out what happens in the end, but a larger part of me is telling me not to waste my money. We'll see who wins out this time next year I guess...
Age:12+
Warnings: A bit of killing, and sexual tension but nothing explicit on either account
halbloewenherz's review against another edition
5.0
My heart is aching. This series is just so incredibly perfect and it's the worst that I have to wait 5 months until the third book will be released.
It has just the right amount of everything: romance, action and unsuspected plot twists. The characters are no super heroes, they make mistakes and are REAL.
I haven't read such a good book (series) in a loooong time, thank you so much for this, Emily Suvada!
It has just the right amount of everything: romance, action and unsuspected plot twists. The characters are no super heroes, they make mistakes and are REAL.
I haven't read such a good book (series) in a loooong time, thank you so much for this, Emily Suvada!