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smart_girls_love_trashy_books's review against another edition
2.0
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
Remember how last year I used to make a reputation for myself as hating on a bunch of really popular releases? And how this year, I'm really skimping on that because for whatever reason, I've been reading a lot of super good books this year?
I am happy to present a negative review of a popular book! It feels so good to be back!
Okay, so there were some good things I liked about this book. I did like the idea of it, and how it was modeled after Les Miserables...even though it borrowed from the plot of Les Mis I hate the most. I liked how the characters were diverse, which was fairly unheard of in YA lit when this book was written.
Now for the negatives. The main reason why I hated this book was because it felt very....lifeless. There was so much potential for description, for emotion, for character development...and there really wasn't. I didn't really connect to the characters, I didn't feel anything for them.
The plotline seemed very 'point-and-click'-ish. The characters needed to say this, they said that. They needed to go somewhere, they went there. It was too fast-paced for me to really get invested in what was going on, hence why I finished it so quickly.
Like when June has to pretend to be a street-child to get closer to Day. One of my most favorite tropes is someone rich disguising themselves as a poor person and being unaccustomed to that life and thus they make a ton of mistakes. It's really funny to me. But here, she doesn't do any of that. She doesn't stick out, yet we're still supposed to believe she's uncomfortable in such a situation.
I also didn't believe her and Day's relationship. They're both smart, quick on their feet, and observant...they were way too similar. Call me cliche, but I like couples who are the total opposite of each other. At least it makes more sense than when they're super similar.
Plus June analyzed every little thing around her. It was a bit....weird. And she hates dresses because of course she does.
The politics nor government were really explained. I know it's just a first book in a trilogy, as well as her debut, but she still could've woven a little something in there. Like it's revealed the government is purposely infecting people with the plague. Well, alright, but why? What do they have to gain from doing it?
The huge plot twist about who killed June's brother I saw coming from a mile away, yet it was supposed to be a huge surprise.
I did like the aesthetic layout of the book though. The part titles, plus all the gold text and inverted letters...I don't know, it just felt very..stylistic and it fit the book. I hope the other two follow this pattern. Plus I was picturing June and Day as being extremely attractive, so there's also that.
Overall....a wonderful concept and good character ideas, but they were never given proper time to flourish, and the result is a dull, lifeless story with generic characters whose only redeeming factors are their diversity.
Remember how last year I used to make a reputation for myself as hating on a bunch of really popular releases? And how this year, I'm really skimping on that because for whatever reason, I've been reading a lot of super good books this year?
I am happy to present a negative review of a popular book! It feels so good to be back!
Okay, so there were some good things I liked about this book. I did like the idea of it, and how it was modeled after Les Miserables...even though it borrowed from the plot of Les Mis I hate the most. I liked how the characters were diverse, which was fairly unheard of in YA lit when this book was written.
Now for the negatives. The main reason why I hated this book was because it felt very....lifeless. There was so much potential for description, for emotion, for character development...and there really wasn't. I didn't really connect to the characters, I didn't feel anything for them.
The plotline seemed very 'point-and-click'-ish. The characters needed to say this, they said that. They needed to go somewhere, they went there. It was too fast-paced for me to really get invested in what was going on, hence why I finished it so quickly.
Like when June has to pretend to be a street-child to get closer to Day. One of my most favorite tropes is someone rich disguising themselves as a poor person and being unaccustomed to that life and thus they make a ton of mistakes. It's really funny to me. But here, she doesn't do any of that. She doesn't stick out, yet we're still supposed to believe she's uncomfortable in such a situation.
I also didn't believe her and Day's relationship. They're both smart, quick on their feet, and observant...they were way too similar. Call me cliche, but I like couples who are the total opposite of each other. At least it makes more sense than when they're super similar.
Plus June analyzed every little thing around her. It was a bit....weird. And she hates dresses because of course she does.
The politics nor government were really explained. I know it's just a first book in a trilogy, as well as her debut, but she still could've woven a little something in there. Like it's revealed the government is purposely infecting people with the plague. Well, alright, but why? What do they have to gain from doing it?
The huge plot twist about who killed June's brother I saw coming from a mile away, yet it was supposed to be a huge surprise.
I did like the aesthetic layout of the book though. The part titles, plus all the gold text and inverted letters...I don't know, it just felt very..stylistic and it fit the book. I hope the other two follow this pattern. Plus I was picturing June and Day as being extremely attractive, so there's also that.
Overall....a wonderful concept and good character ideas, but they were never given proper time to flourish, and the result is a dull, lifeless story with generic characters whose only redeeming factors are their diversity.
penny22222's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
jojowashere's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It is written like a middle-grade book but with violence and romance. Not very original, every idea you've seen before. It's a typical dystopian romance, which I found very average, but I believe some people could really love it.
birva's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
3.5
Good plot its what you would imagine as any dystopian - oppressive regime, plague virus infecting the world, division of the classes because of that it was very predictable and weren't really any surprises.
I wish the characters weren't 15 though I don't know they feel too young to me and it just didn't seem very believable Ifeel like 17/18 is a good age for stories like these ones.
I hope that there is some more surprise plot twists coming in the next few books and it doesn'tsimply continue to follow every other novels similar to this one.
I wish the characters weren't 15 though I don't know they feel too young to me and it just didn't seem very believable Ifeel like 17/18 is a good age for stories like these ones.
I hope that there is some more surprise plot twists coming in the next few books and it doesn'tsimply continue to follow every other novels similar to this one.
reader4evr's review against another edition
3.0
WOW, that took me forever to listen too and it is really not that long of a book. It is very fast past and keeps the story line moving.
This is the perfect book for those that have read the Hunger Games series and want something similar. This is probably the closest that I have read that I would recommend.
I liked how the book was set up having the 2 main character which are completely opposite of each other but are alike at the same time. Both were unique and I really liked both of them. With having both a girl and boy main character, I think this book to appeal to a very broad range of teens.
With all of the different interpretations of how the United States is going to be in the "future", I'm kind of scared lol.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was the ending. I wanted a big shocker and something crazy to happen, more of a cliffhanger I guess.
This is the perfect book for those that have read the Hunger Games series and want something similar. This is probably the closest that I have read that I would recommend.
I liked how the book was set up having the 2 main character which are completely opposite of each other but are alike at the same time. Both were unique and I really liked both of them. With having both a girl and boy main character, I think this book to appeal to a very broad range of teens.
With all of the different interpretations of how the United States is going to be in the "future", I'm kind of scared lol.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was the ending. I wanted a big shocker and something crazy to happen, more of a cliffhanger I guess.
dunnalotofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shes_book_obsessed's review against another edition
3.0
Legend
⭐️⭐️⭐️
To set the atmosphere: This is a "typical" dystopian book (series) where there is a corrupt government, a deadly plague is spreading around, a divided/catagorized society, a war/revolution is brewing, there are rebels, the teenagers take over etc. etc.
First thing first, this book was very predictable. I knew right away that Day did not kill Metias because I strictly remember him describing the knife hitting Metias´s shoulder while June stated it hit him RIGHT in the heart. When it comes to the plague I was suspicious, and figured it out before it was revealed.
Their first kiss was quite sudden. Personally, I think the chemistry was non-existent between them. Even in the last few pages June said:
"It's strange being here with you. I hardly know you. But... sometimes it feels like we're the same person born into two different worlds."
Although, I do agree with the last sentence of that quote.
But overall, the world building was good, the characters were otherwise great, and the plot was better than many other dystopian plots I´ve read, to be honest.
I don't, however, think I´ll be reading the next books anytime soon.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
To set the atmosphere: This is a "typical" dystopian book (series) where there is a corrupt government, a deadly plague is spreading around, a divided/catagorized society, a war/revolution is brewing, there are rebels, the teenagers take over etc. etc.
First thing first, this book was very predictable. I knew right away that Day did not kill Metias because I strictly remember him describing the knife hitting Metias´s shoulder while June stated it hit him RIGHT in the heart. When it comes to the plague I was suspicious, and figured it out before it was revealed.
Their first kiss was quite sudden. Personally, I think the chemistry was non-existent between them. Even in the last few pages June said:
"It's strange being here with you. I hardly know you. But... sometimes it feels like we're the same person born into two different worlds."
Although, I do agree with the last sentence of that quote.
But overall, the world building was good, the characters were otherwise great, and the plot was better than many other dystopian plots I´ve read, to be honest.
I don't, however, think I´ll be reading the next books anytime soon.
aftgtrash's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-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
3.5
bones_jackson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Segue bem com a vibe de distopia de 2010, mas é muito bom, amei os personagens e a trama e eu quero muito saber o que vai acontecer com eles
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, War, Torture, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Gore, Police brutality, Car accident, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Child death, Violence, Blood, Death, Vomit, Xenophobia, and Grief
peresuliz247's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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
5.0