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I don't know what to think of this book honestly. Overall it was a good book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I read it one sitting, the cliffhanger was so great, when it happened I sat up in bed and said out loud, " I KNEW IT!" And this book was entertaining, I did want to know what happens next I just didn't love it.
This is a story about a society where the royals can't have children and in order to save their blood they guy girls with certain special qualities or talents to have their children for them. These surrogates are bought and sold like sheep or cattle, brought up and reared for the sole purpose of helping maintain the royal blood of this society doesn't die out. After that? What use are these girls?
Violet refuses to succumb to being just a number once she comes of age. She refuses to just do whatever she is told and succumb to the will of another. Although she is talented, she is also human, talented, kind, not so smart, but knows her limits. After being auctioned off she is pampered and well taken care of. As long as she stays within the limits of the person that bought her and does all that she is told she will be rewarded if not she is severely punished.
The world building was interesting as the author did a good job of creating and explaining what she wants the reader to understand about his society and it's hierarchy. I enjoyed the bit of magical twist on this story it and how it's involvement in the surrogates and their lives.
I wasn't a huge fan of the relationship between Violet and Ash. It was insta-love and I couldn't feel the chemistry between them. It was all too fast There wasn't enough character development for Ash, I didn't really get to know his character before they were thrown together as characters. I was really disappointed in that. There wasn't much conflict between them before they started making out!
Overall, that was that. I liked it but didn't love it. I am interested to see more from this author and what she has to offer.
Sexual Content: moderate (some kissing, knowledge that characters had sex, talk of pregnancy)
Language: none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild (social drinking, a character constantly drunk)
Violence: mild (understanding that characters or people are treated badly, some hitting)
*A huge thank you to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.*
This is a story about a society where the royals can't have children and in order to save their blood they guy girls with certain special qualities or talents to have their children for them. These surrogates are bought and sold like sheep or cattle, brought up and reared for the sole purpose of helping maintain the royal blood of this society doesn't die out. After that? What use are these girls?
Violet refuses to succumb to being just a number once she comes of age. She refuses to just do whatever she is told and succumb to the will of another. Although she is talented, she is also human, talented, kind, not so smart, but knows her limits. After being auctioned off she is pampered and well taken care of. As long as she stays within the limits of the person that bought her and does all that she is told she will be rewarded if not she is severely punished.
The world building was interesting as the author did a good job of creating and explaining what she wants the reader to understand about his society and it's hierarchy. I enjoyed the bit of magical twist on this story it and how it's involvement in the surrogates and their lives.
I wasn't a huge fan of the relationship between Violet and Ash. It was insta-love and I couldn't feel the chemistry between them. It was all too fast There wasn't enough character development for Ash, I didn't really get to know his character before they were thrown together as characters. I was really disappointed in that. There wasn't much conflict between them before they started making out!
Overall, that was that. I liked it but didn't love it. I am interested to see more from this author and what she has to offer.
Sexual Content: moderate (some kissing, knowledge that characters had sex, talk of pregnancy)
Language: none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild (social drinking, a character constantly drunk)
Violence: mild (understanding that characters or people are treated badly, some hitting)
*A huge thank you to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.*
3.5/5
worked so well for me until the introduction of Ash. then I feel the story kind of lost itself and me in the process
worked so well for me until the introduction of Ash. then I feel the story kind of lost itself and me in the process
خلاصه کتاب:داستان درباره دختری به نام وایولته .دختری زیبا با چشمانی بنفش که در مارش به دنیا اومده(فقیر ترین ناحیه در کل شهر تنها).وایولت از سنین پائین به عنوان جایگزینی برای تولید مثل نحیب زادگان بزرگ شده،وقتی وایولت به جواهر برده میشه و در مراسم مزایده دوشس دریاچه اون رو میخره وایولت متوجه میشه روکش زرین جواهر نقابی بیش نیست و حقایقی وجود داره که میتونه به سادگی جون اون رو بگیره.
این کتاب جلد اول یه مجموعه سه جلدیه که باید پشت سر همدیگه خونده بشن.
کتاب برداشتی از مجموعه انتخاب و سرگذشت ندیمست که از نظرم به خوبی تونسته مضمون هر دو کتاب رو با خودش ادغام کنه و، در عین حال به ایده کلی و جهان سازی خاص خودش وفادار بمونه.
من کتاب رو به دو بخش تقسیم میکنم.بخش اول صرفا ما قراره با شخصیت وایولت،اعتقاداتش،و حس نفرتی که از عروسک دست دیگران بودن داره آشنا بشیم، و هیجان خاصی در این بخش داستان نیست.ولی در نیمه دوم شاهد هیجان بیشتری خواهیم بود جوری که مشتاق میشیم که حتی به خاطر پایانش جلد دوم رو بخونیم.
از نظر من کتاب بهمون نشون میده که گاهی لازمه برای آزادی که میخوایم بدست بیاریم باید بجنگیم و بهاش رو بپردازیم.
از نظرم هر کدوم از شخصیت ها نماد یکی از افرادی بودند که در زندگی روزمره بهشون برخورد میکنیم و این حس همذات پنداری با کاراکتر ها نشونه شخصیت پردازی نسبتا عالی نویسندست.
کتاب چندان فضاسازی خاصی در جلد اول نداشت که برام خاطره ساز بشه ولی مطمئنا این موضوع قراره داخل جلدهای بعد درست بشه.
کتاب یه رمنس گوگولی داره که خیلی جذابش میکنه.
این کتاب جلد اول یه مجموعه سه جلدیه که باید پشت سر همدیگه خونده بشن.
کتاب برداشتی از مجموعه انتخاب و سرگذشت ندیمست که از نظرم به خوبی تونسته مضمون هر دو کتاب رو با خودش ادغام کنه و، در عین حال به ایده کلی و جهان سازی خاص خودش وفادار بمونه.
من کتاب رو به دو بخش تقسیم میکنم.بخش اول صرفا ما قراره با شخصیت وایولت،اعتقاداتش،و حس نفرتی که از عروسک دست دیگران بودن داره آشنا بشیم، و هیجان خاصی در این بخش داستان نیست.ولی در نیمه دوم شاهد هیجان بیشتری خواهیم بود جوری که مشتاق میشیم که حتی به خاطر پایانش جلد دوم رو بخونیم.
از نظر من کتاب بهمون نشون میده که گاهی لازمه برای آزادی که میخوایم بدست بیاریم باید بجنگیم و بهاش رو بپردازیم.
از نظرم هر کدوم از شخصیت ها نماد یکی از افرادی بودند که در زندگی روزمره بهشون برخورد میکنیم و این حس همذات پنداری با کاراکتر ها نشونه شخصیت پردازی نسبتا عالی نویسندست.
کتاب چندان فضاسازی خاصی در جلد اول نداشت که برام خاطره ساز بشه ولی مطمئنا این موضوع قراره داخل جلدهای بعد درست بشه.
کتاب یه رمنس گوگولی داره که خیلی جذابش میکنه.
If you’ve read Wither or The Selection then you’ve obviously already read this book. Where Wither or The Selection went wrong, this book goes even worse because it includes the most ridiculous amount of insta-love that not only emphasizes the shaky world building and annoying protagonist, but it also includes a cliffhanger that felt added for shock value than anything else.
Violet Lasting is the protagonist of this book. She is a special snowflake. Her eyes are a beautiful color, she’s a beautiful specimen, her cello playing is beautiful, her body is beautiful, and she is all around beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Despite all the beauty and praise she constantly receives from pretty much everyone, Violet’s life is horrible. She lives in a horrible mansion where she has her own room, her own lady in waiting, marvelous food brought to her whenever she pleases, a huge library that she can visit whenever she wants, and gardens so vast that she can walk around. Not to mention the fact that she attends balls, goes to parties, intoxicates herself with champagne, plays the cello, gets primped and pampered constantly, and is protected from the “horrors” of The Jewel. Violet’s life is absolutely tragic, don’t you think?
Despite reading 358 pages where I’m being told how horrible being auctioned off in the surrogacy auction is, I really couldn’t believe it. Violet’s life is absolutely privileged and she, more than anyone knows it. Never once in all those pages does she ever stop and think, “Wow, this place is horrible. I need to leave here immediately”. Hell, I’d volunteer for that life, since I am never shown any legitimate reason to feel fear whatsoever.
My main issue with Violet is the fact that she is so compliant. She never stands up for herself, never acts rebellious, and never tries to escape her household situation. She was sold in an auction. She is treated as no more than a uterus to bear a child. And yet she does absolutely nothing. Katniss she is not. Never once does she ever make a decision for herself. Everything that happens is because someone else decides it for her or because she’s told that it’s the best decision she can make. She was more preoccupied in admiring the mansion or walking through the gardens than about her own life. Was she even a little bit distraught because she was going to have to bear someone else’s child? Absolutely not.
The world-building is very poor. We get some small details here and there from info dumps conveniently placed within the story, but other than that we know little to nothing about the setting. How did the world come to be like this? Since when has it been like this? Is this even set in America? We’re expected just to take this as it is because Violet’s story is apparently much more important than actually building a believable setting.
The surrogacy theme is by far the most unbelievable part of the book, and this has to do with the fact that the world building was so flimsy. We are never given a legitimate and believable reason as to why girls from poor cities must be used as surrogates to give birth to Royalty. There’s also a small paranormal aspect that is used as a way to try to explain this, but it was also completely vague and basically looked over until it was necessary to keep the plot moving along again.
Then to add icing to the cake, as if the annoying protagonist and flimsy world building were not enough, we have a case of insta-love that’ll make you question Violet’s sanity (if you weren’t already).
One, very short, conversation between Violet and Ash about music begins this love story. Violet’s every thought is consumed with Ash just because he totally understands her. His beautiful eyes can see right through her. Violet becomes possessive and jealous from one little conversation about cellists. She’s jealous when he does his damn job of accompanying the Duchess’s niece; she becomes possessive when he doesn’t glance at her when she knows that they can’t have a romance because it is forbidden. BECAUSE THEY CAN BE KILLED IF ANYONE FINDS OUT.
It doesn’t matter if later on in the story we can actually see why they love each other and “cannot live without” the other, because by that point I was already annoyed with the couple who can go from “my favorite cellist is…” to “I think I love you” based on one conversation.
The story in itself was very simplistic. There were many repetitive descriptions and similar situations. The dialogue seemed contrived and forced when Violet wasn’t the one speaking, and it really felt more tell than show.
Nothing much happens other than Violet angsting over Ash and going to parties and getting makeovers. There are actually a lot of descriptions of dresses and makeup and hairstyles.
At one point I really believed that this book was going to be amazing. And I’m pretty sure I would’ve forgiven most of its flaws if it weren’t for the ending. We reach the 300-page mark, and suddenly everything is going at break-neck speed, there is plot twist after plot twist after plot twist and revelation after revelation after revelation until all of a sudden, it ends. I felt like everything was still left out in the open and like pages were missing from the book.
Absolutely done with this book
I honestly cannot recommend this because I couldn’t find anything about it that I could like or that I could say I had never seen before. If you’ve read Wither or The Selection, then you’re not missing out on this one..
Violet Lasting is the protagonist of this book. She is a special snowflake. Her eyes are a beautiful color, she’s a beautiful specimen, her cello playing is beautiful, her body is beautiful, and she is all around beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Despite all the beauty and praise she constantly receives from pretty much everyone, Violet’s life is horrible. She lives in a horrible mansion where she has her own room, her own lady in waiting, marvelous food brought to her whenever she pleases, a huge library that she can visit whenever she wants, and gardens so vast that she can walk around. Not to mention the fact that she attends balls, goes to parties, intoxicates herself with champagne, plays the cello, gets primped and pampered constantly, and is protected from the “horrors” of The Jewel. Violet’s life is absolutely tragic, don’t you think?
Despite reading 358 pages where I’m being told how horrible being auctioned off in the surrogacy auction is, I really couldn’t believe it. Violet’s life is absolutely privileged and she, more than anyone knows it. Never once in all those pages does she ever stop and think, “Wow, this place is horrible. I need to leave here immediately”. Hell, I’d volunteer for that life, since I am never shown any legitimate reason to feel fear whatsoever.
My main issue with Violet is the fact that she is so compliant. She never stands up for herself, never acts rebellious, and never tries to escape her household situation. She was sold in an auction. She is treated as no more than a uterus to bear a child. And yet she does absolutely nothing. Katniss she is not. Never once does she ever make a decision for herself. Everything that happens is because someone else decides it for her or because she’s told that it’s the best decision she can make. She was more preoccupied in admiring the mansion or walking through the gardens than about her own life. Was she even a little bit distraught because she was going to have to bear someone else’s child? Absolutely not.
The world-building is very poor. We get some small details here and there from info dumps conveniently placed within the story, but other than that we know little to nothing about the setting. How did the world come to be like this? Since when has it been like this? Is this even set in America? We’re expected just to take this as it is because Violet’s story is apparently much more important than actually building a believable setting.
The surrogacy theme is by far the most unbelievable part of the book, and this has to do with the fact that the world building was so flimsy. We are never given a legitimate and believable reason as to why girls from poor cities must be used as surrogates to give birth to Royalty. There’s also a small paranormal aspect that is used as a way to try to explain this, but it was also completely vague and basically looked over until it was necessary to keep the plot moving along again.
Then to add icing to the cake, as if the annoying protagonist and flimsy world building were not enough, we have a case of insta-love that’ll make you question Violet’s sanity (if you weren’t already).
One, very short, conversation between Violet and Ash about music begins this love story. Violet’s every thought is consumed with Ash just because he totally understands her. His beautiful eyes can see right through her. Violet becomes possessive and jealous from one little conversation about cellists. She’s jealous when he does his damn job of accompanying the Duchess’s niece; she becomes possessive when he doesn’t glance at her when she knows that they can’t have a romance because it is forbidden. BECAUSE THEY CAN BE KILLED IF ANYONE FINDS OUT.
“He doesn’t look at me. His eyes seem to skip over me, as if I’m not even there. Like I’m invisible. The pain of this is a sharp, physical thing.”
It doesn’t matter if later on in the story we can actually see why they love each other and “cannot live without” the other, because by that point I was already annoyed with the couple who can go from “my favorite cellist is…” to “I think I love you” based on one conversation.
The story in itself was very simplistic. There were many repetitive descriptions and similar situations. The dialogue seemed contrived and forced when Violet wasn’t the one speaking, and it really felt more tell than show.
Nothing much happens other than Violet angsting over Ash and going to parties and getting makeovers. There are actually a lot of descriptions of dresses and makeup and hairstyles.
At one point I really believed that this book was going to be amazing. And I’m pretty sure I would’ve forgiven most of its flaws if it weren’t for the ending. We reach the 300-page mark, and suddenly everything is going at break-neck speed, there is plot twist after plot twist after plot twist and revelation after revelation after revelation until all of a sudden, it ends. I felt like everything was still left out in the open and like pages were missing from the book.
Absolutely done with this bookI honestly cannot recommend this because I couldn’t find anything about it that I could like or that I could say I had never seen before. If you’ve read Wither or The Selection, then you’re not missing out on this one..
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is the Selection, meets the Handmaids Tale, meets the Hunger Games? Yea that makes sense. This book is the perfect example of why I never buy just the first book in a series because here I am at midnight left on a cliffhanger and in desperate need to know what happens. Send help.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
It's too bad the romance ruined everything, because, despite its flaws, I was totally enjoying this before then. The politics were interesting. I get the comparison to The Selection because it was equally bad and equally addicting. Review to come.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Violet has special powers. Those powers make her special. But her special powers come with a price, Violet is to be a surrogate to the royalty who cannot have their own kids. As Violet slowly starts to realize the darker side of her world, all of the pretty dresses and good food cannot make up for what fate has in store for people like her.
Interesting story line and characters. I really like Violet and how she went with her instincts. She was loyal to her friends even when it wasn't in her best interests and even when she had no power at all she still had spirit. She never lost her will and she didn't sell her soul to the royalty.
The ending was a bit of a surprise too.
Interesting story line and characters. I really like Violet and how she went with her instincts. She was loyal to her friends even when it wasn't in her best interests and even when she had no power at all she still had spirit. She never lost her will and she didn't sell her soul to the royalty.
The ending was a bit of a surprise too.