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vidipi's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Child abuse
Moderate: Suicide attempt
brennalee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Drug use, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
nicska's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexism, and Suicide attempt
booksnbones13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
5.0
why am i so addicted to these books
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Violence
nishath's review against another edition
dark
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Gore, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Suicide attempt
illgiveyouahint's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Listen it's not exactly quality,right? But something about this book series just pulls you in and doesn't let go. It's super fucked up. But somehow even on a reread still enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Child abuse, Car accident, Confinement, Death of parent, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Rape, Death, Torture, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Alcohol
samchase112's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream.
Well I'll be damned, things can get even more violent and messed-up than they already were. It's amazing that Nora Sakavic got me to care about care for these characters so completely that you couldn't tear me away. The awful things they've gone through make me want to cry with sympathy. Despite everything, they band together to do what they love (well, most of them love it) and show their enemies the best, most vicious versions of themselves. Warning: I'm not sure if any of this review will make any sense, but too bad. This series just makes me want to hit someone. In a good way, I promise.
Your parents are dead, you are not fine, and nothing is going to be okay. This is not news to you. But from now until May you are still Neil Josten and I am still the man who said he would keep you alive.
Neil and Andrew are my precious babies and must be protected from the world at all times. They start interacting more in this book, and it's clear that Neil is probably the only one on the team who truly understands Andrew, and definitely the only one who tries to understand him. Their dynamic was everything; I was cheering, grimacing, squealing, and shouting at everything that happened to them and/or the other people involved. I seriously cannot wait to see how their relationship progresses in the final book. These idiots deserve each other's support, so let's hope they figure that out soon.
I am a bad person trying very hard to be a good person.
There were so many plot twists in this book, it sent me reeling. Each one was more unbelievable and violent than the last, until I just wanted to stick my hand into the pages and smooth out all the scars left behind. Starting from the first page to the last, there was no stopping the confrontations and virutal insanity; I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. What these characters go through in this book in unacceptable, and I wish reality was never this bad. I wish I could change it. Once again, I couldn't put the series down, because that would leave my poor children in jeopardy and I needed to know what was going to happen to them. If you thought The Foxhole Court was violent and insane, then just wait for what this book has in store. Through it all, Neil is always there with an "I'm fine" to get his teammates - his friends - frustrated as ever.
It's about family. Not necessarily the one we were born with, but the one we choose. This one. The people we trust to be part of our lives. The people we care about.
Exy was just as compelling as in The Foxhole Court, but it was the clear the author went out of her way to explain it more here than she did in the first book. There was even a little legend at the back that explained the rules of the game and other details. The match against the Ravens, what the previous book had been building towards, ended up being exciting but secondary to the other things happening in the characters' lives outside the game. I was still buried in the game, but that knock-down of its importance was a little disappointing to me. However, it made sense in the context of the book. In fact, pretty much the point of this book was to show Neil that sometimes personal problems and real life have to take precedence over an Exy game. This is a lesson Kevin will never learn, but which Neil is starting to.
As he listened to them, Neil realised he was happy. It was such an unexpected and unfamiliar feeling he lost track of the conversation for a minute.
My final problem, same as with the first book, is that the plot is basically a run-on. I need to see how things turn out for Neil and everyone else by the end of the trilogy, but despite that the books themselves could be one big thing. There's no clear separation between them, except maybe a little plot explanation during the beginning of this book. It seems like Sakavic knew she'd be releasing all the books at once, so she didn't bother to make each one feel like a separate entity. I'm plowing through them one after another, and it seems that's what the author expected and wanted to happen.
Andrew Joseph Minyard, what the flying fuck have you done this time?
I can't believe this series is almost over, and I'm going to have to say goodbye to these characters soon. As Neil says, the Exy season goes by way too quickly; well, so does this trilogy. This entire trilogy is fascinating in every way - how much the violence calls to me, my fierce protectiveness over the characters, and my willingness to overlook its problems and love it anyway.
Neil pulled himself back together piece by broken piece and followed Kevin off the Foxhole Court.
Bonus: This E P I C takedown of Riko a la fierce-protective-mama-bear Neil had me cheering from the sidelines.
Well I'll be damned, things can get even more violent and messed-up than they already were. It's amazing that Nora Sakavic got me to care about care for these characters so completely that you couldn't tear me away. The awful things they've gone through make me want to cry with sympathy. Despite everything, they band together to do what they love (well, most of them love it) and show their enemies the best, most vicious versions of themselves. Warning: I'm not sure if any of this review will make any sense, but too bad. This series just makes me want to hit someone. In a good way, I promise.
Your parents are dead, you are not fine, and nothing is going to be okay. This is not news to you. But from now until May you are still Neil Josten and I am still the man who said he would keep you alive.
Neil and Andrew are my precious babies and must be protected from the world at all times. They start interacting more in this book, and it's clear that Neil is probably the only one on the team who truly understands Andrew, and definitely the only one who tries to understand him. Their dynamic was everything; I was cheering, grimacing, squealing, and shouting at everything that happened to them and/or the other people involved. I seriously cannot wait to see how their relationship progresses in the final book. These idiots deserve each other's support, so let's hope they figure that out soon.
I am a bad person trying very hard to be a good person.
There were so many plot twists in this book, it sent me reeling. Each one was more unbelievable and violent than the last, until I just wanted to stick my hand into the pages and smooth out all the scars left behind. Starting from the first page to the last, there was no stopping the confrontations and virutal insanity; I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. What these characters go through in this book in unacceptable, and I wish reality was never this bad. I wish I could change it. Once again, I couldn't put the series down, because that would leave my poor children in jeopardy and I needed to know what was going to happen to them. If you thought The Foxhole Court was violent and insane, then just wait for what this book has in store. Through it all, Neil is always there with an "I'm fine" to get his teammates - his friends - frustrated as ever.
It's about family. Not necessarily the one we were born with, but the one we choose. This one. The people we trust to be part of our lives. The people we care about.
Exy was just as compelling as in The Foxhole Court, but it was the clear the author went out of her way to explain it more here than she did in the first book. There was even a little legend at the back that explained the rules of the game and other details. The match against the Ravens, what the previous book had been building towards, ended up being exciting but secondary to the other things happening in the characters' lives outside the game. I was still buried in the game, but that knock-down of its importance was a little disappointing to me. However, it made sense in the context of the book. In fact, pretty much the point of this book was to show Neil that sometimes personal problems and real life have to take precedence over an Exy game. This is a lesson Kevin will never learn, but which Neil is starting to.
As he listened to them, Neil realised he was happy. It was such an unexpected and unfamiliar feeling he lost track of the conversation for a minute.
My final problem, same as with the first book, is that the plot is basically a run-on. I need to see how things turn out for Neil and everyone else by the end of the trilogy, but despite that the books themselves could be one big thing. There's no clear separation between them, except maybe a little plot explanation during the beginning of this book. It seems like Sakavic knew she'd be releasing all the books at once, so she didn't bother to make each one feel like a separate entity. I'm plowing through them one after another, and it seems that's what the author expected and wanted to happen.
Andrew Joseph Minyard, what the flying fuck have you done this time?
I can't believe this series is almost over, and I'm going to have to say goodbye to these characters soon. As Neil says, the Exy season goes by way too quickly; well, so does this trilogy. This entire trilogy is fascinating in every way - how much the violence calls to me, my fierce protectiveness over the characters, and my willingness to overlook its problems and love it anyway.
Neil pulled himself back together piece by broken piece and followed Kevin off the Foxhole Court.
Bonus: This E P I C takedown of Riko a la fierce-protective-mama-bear Neil had me cheering from the sidelines.
You know, I get it. Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court— yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. I know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you’re physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don’t think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone.
Reread August 2019
I absolutely love these characters and care about them so much. Every twist still packed an enormous punch, even on the reread. Somehow Sakavic gets me so invested in everything that I’m always on the edge of my seat. Can I love this trilogy more? Apparently.
Reread October 2019
The fact that Neil is mad for Andrew and doesn’t realize it yet is one of my favorite things. Every little detail in this book is important, and even the third time through the twists and awful situations hit almost as hard as the first time through. I seriously can’t believe how much I care for these insane characters and their insane problems.
Reread September 2020
I just...I love these freaking characters so much. I will never get tired of their story, of watching them suffer and recover from the worst situations imaginable. I still laugh out loud, gasp out loud, and even tear up at some of these scenes; I can't help myself. Why am I even writing these reviews anymore? We all know how I feel.
Reread November 2022
Everything from this incredible book hits just as hard the fifth time around as it did the first — perhaps even more, knowing what's to come. I would actually die for any of these characters, and they would for sure die for each other. My love for this series is likely concerning, but…I think we're past that at this point, don't you?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Torture, and Rape
Minor: Vomit
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