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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
3 stars.
[Content warnings: murder; mentions of hangings; suggestions/symptoms of PTSD. Nothing in this review].
It is apparent that I still love this world Ally Carter has created, and the characters within it. Carter writes so well and she remains an author who I trust.
That said, See How They Run fell short of its predecessor by quite a way. One of my main issues was the pace of the mystery and feed of information - for the most part it is too slow, and upon finishing the book I realised that I still haven't learnt nearly enough. It became frustrating to be held back from the secrets and details of these unknowns so constantly. I appreciate that Grace too is held back from so much, and she voices her frustrations often, but still.
By contrast, there were a few moments that were, curiously, too fast. They are wrenched in and out of the narrative with such speed that I'm not even sure they happened. They are revealed, then brushed aside, or proved and quickly disproved, or blown up in flames and doused instantly - it was confusing, especially when the majority of the book is slow-moving and often detached from the truth. These rapid bursts are not properly acknowledged and confronted in the context of everything else we know, so it has left me quite confused about where we stand on certain characters or clues.
I sadly got the impression that the mystery and outcomes of this novel were not as carefully planned as Carter's previous works I have read. I wish she had figured out a better arc for the series as a whole so that we weren't left with such a lacking story for this middle instalment. But to credit Carter, there were a couple of vital clues and reveals which took me by surprise, but which had seeds planted that I could have theoretically noticed much earlier in the story - so some aspects at least were properly planned and woven into the story.
A couple of nit-picky complaints:
- Grace gets called by her name/nickname way too often?? In real life people don't actually say your name that much, I swear. Maybe I'm being dramatic, but it's one of those where once I noticed it once, I couldn't stop noticing it all the time ugm.
- This is a much more genuine complaint than the point above lol, but I got tired of Grace's relentless insistence that she was 'broken' and 'crazy' and such. It was so dramatic. She basically couldn't go more than a couple of pages without commenting on how much of a mess she was. Like yeah, we get it. She was feeling sorry for herself, and it was giving 'nobody understands me, whine whine whine'. I like to think she is stronger and doesn't have time for that.
All of these grievances aside, I still enjoyed my return to Embassy Row and am excited to figure everything out in the final instalment (I hope). It's also worth mentioning that Ally Carter truly does the best low-intensity, slow-burn romances and I have such a nice time seeing the build-up of all these sweet moments, so bring on even more of that, please.
[Content warnings: murder; mentions of hangings; suggestions/symptoms of PTSD. Nothing in this review].
It is apparent that I still love this world Ally Carter has created, and the characters within it. Carter writes so well and she remains an author who I trust.
That said, See How They Run fell short of its predecessor by quite a way. One of my main issues was the pace of the mystery and feed of information - for the most part it is too slow, and upon finishing the book I realised that I still haven't learnt nearly enough. It became frustrating to be held back from the secrets and details of these unknowns so constantly. I appreciate that Grace too is held back from so much, and she voices her frustrations often, but still.
By contrast, there were a few moments that were, curiously, too fast. They are wrenched in and out of the narrative with such speed that I'm not even sure they happened. They are revealed, then brushed aside, or proved and quickly disproved, or blown up in flames and doused instantly - it was confusing, especially when the majority of the book is slow-moving and often detached from the truth. These rapid bursts are not properly acknowledged and confronted in the context of everything else we know, so it has left me quite confused about where we stand on certain characters or clues.
I sadly got the impression that the mystery and outcomes of this novel were not as carefully planned as Carter's previous works I have read. I wish she had figured out a better arc for the series as a whole so that we weren't left with such a lacking story for this middle instalment. But to credit Carter, there were a couple of vital clues and reveals which took me by surprise, but which had seeds planted that I could have theoretically noticed much earlier in the story - so some aspects at least were properly planned and woven into the story.
A couple of nit-picky complaints:
- Grace gets called by her name/nickname way too often?? In real life people don't actually say your name that much, I swear. Maybe I'm being dramatic, but it's one of those where once I noticed it once, I couldn't stop noticing it all the time ugm.
- This is a much more genuine complaint than the point above lol, but I got tired of Grace's relentless insistence that she was 'broken' and 'crazy' and such. It was so dramatic. She basically couldn't go more than a couple of pages without commenting on how much of a mess she was. Like yeah, we get it. She was feeling sorry for herself, and it was giving 'nobody understands me, whine whine whine'. I like to think she is stronger and doesn't have time for that.
All of these grievances aside, I still enjoyed my return to Embassy Row and am excited to figure everything out in the final instalment (I hope). It's also worth mentioning that Ally Carter truly does the best low-intensity, slow-burn romances and I have such a nice time seeing the build-up of all these sweet moments, so bring on even more of that, please.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this book too, a worthy sequel. Still good story, though Grace is still a bit damaged and defeated. She opened herself up more in this book which I liked, and I enjoyed the continuing development of the other characters. There is certainly a lot of intrigue in Adria.
And the suspense continues...See How They Run by Ally Carter continues the story of Grace Blakely in her quest to find the truth behind her mother's death and now the recent murder of her brother's friend John Spencer. As the clues are uncovered and facts are unfolded, Grace and her friends learn of a secret which is intertwined with the two thousand year history of Adria. As Grace's hero's journey continues her trust wavers among the people she loves especially her brother Jaime and the Russian boy next door Alexei. She finds herself believing in people she would never imagine running to, the Scarred Man.
See How They Run is another read in one day story where I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this to anyone who loves suspense and mystery with a hint of drama. I am definitely excited to read where Grace's adventures leads as she flies to Germany in a US helicopter.
Thank you edelweiss for the ARC.
See How They Run is another read in one day story where I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this to anyone who loves suspense and mystery with a hint of drama. I am definitely excited to read where Grace's adventures leads as she flies to Germany in a US helicopter.
Thank you edelweiss for the ARC.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
WHAT NO MY HEART I'M DYING HELP THESE BOOKS ARE SO GOOD
....................Nothing happened in this book................why am I still reading this? I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE