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eesh25's review
2.0
2.5 Stars
Sometimes you read a book that you really want to like but then it disappoints you and that makes the book almost worse that it would've been if you'd gone in having no expectations. This novel is kind of like that.
I just liked the concept of it so much. It's about a bunch of kids who call themselves Zeroes. They had a falling out a year prior but when one of them gets in serious trouble, the group's self-proclaimed leader decided to get them back together to help.
This is favourite book trope. When a group of people with different personalities and specialties come together for a common cause. I like any book with this plot by default. And yet, the book somehow managed to mess things up. I even made a positives and negatives list (because lists are my thing) in the hope that I'd find more good than bad. Alas, that did not happen.
The writing in the book was good and, as I said before, the concept was great. The powers were different from any I've read before and had me very intrigued — their abilities were actually the best part of the book. I even liked four of the six main characters (Liked: Bellwether, Scam, Crash and Anonymous. Disliked: Mob and Flicker)
Where things started to go wrong was when the romances came along. Because I swear, the romances were so incredibly forced that they managed to ruin two perfectly good characters. The one with Scam was just because the girl was hot and the one with Flick was also because the guy was hot. She actually referred to him as "the beautiful boy" for quite a while. The stupid thing managed to overshadow the friendship building between Scam and Anon—one of best things in the book.
Besides, do you actually expect me to believe that two weeks of make out sessions and mostly forgotten conversations equals true love? Insta-love much? I mean, there was never even any talk about what one person liked in the other!
Then there was the "mission" which I didn't give two shits about and their 'coming-together moment' that was anti-climatic, rushed and happened because... reasons. The villain was... someone ...for some reason, since his motivations for such a huge step were unclear. Meaning even the stakes were forced! *look to the above gif again*
Crash was a good character even if her story was a little rushed toward the end. Honestly, the best character was Bellwether, aka Glorious Leader. He wasn't the best guy but he easily the most interesting one. He, and Scam's ability, i.e. his 'voice', kept me going.
I'm not sure if I'm going to be reading the sequel. I've heard that's it's better but I'm still not sure. As for this one, I, personally, wouldn't recommend it. But it does have a cool concept — seriously, for the first quarter, I thought this was the coolest book — and a lot of other people like it, so it's up to you whether or not you want to read it. It's possible I'm being a but harsh, but I'm just sticking to my list. And list is unhappy.
If you do decide to give the book a shot, be sure to tell me what you think.
harleyrae's review
3.0
3.5/5 Stars
Honestly I enjoyed this much more than I had originally thought I would! It was super fast paced and very easy to get through. My biggest issues was the amount of POVs. 6 povs was just a bit too many. Especially since many of the characters read in a very similar manner. Glad I finally picked this up though.
Honestly I enjoyed this much more than I had originally thought I would! It was super fast paced and very easy to get through. My biggest issues was the amount of POVs. 6 povs was just a bit too many. Especially since many of the characters read in a very similar manner. Glad I finally picked this up though.
sienaro's review
5.0
I love all six characters in this story:
Ethan, Scam, because he's a jerk and always make the wrong decision, but he's usually sorry and most of the time its to impress girls.
Nate, Bellwether, the Glorious Leader, because he's charming and controlling and organized and brilliant. Everyone is just in his game and I for one wouldn't mind being a part of it.
Riley, Flicker, because she's strong and persistent. She has a different way of seeing the world and it makes her so fascinating.
Chizara, Crash, because she's moral and stubborn. She tells her family everything and supports her friends, but only when she believes that its the right thing to do.
Thibault, Anonymous, because he's logical and broken and keenly observant. He doesn't ever get frustrated repeating himself or go into a dark place because of all the people that have forgotten him.
Kelsey, Mob, because I want her as a best friend. She's literally the life of the party and a perfect level of guarded.
I also love the relationships:
•Riley and her twin, Lily and their sisterly bond
•Nate and Riley, and their sibling-esque relationship
•Chizara and Ikem, siblings who support each other
•Thibault and Ethan, a friendship that Ethan remembers
•Kelsey and her dad, unbreakable through trial
•Riley and Thibault, because she found him
•Ethan and Kelsey, and their UST (omg seriously)
•Nate and Chizara and food, eternal
The plot of this story was also perfect in so many ways because it was unique enough to keep me reading but had enough trope superhero things to remind us of its genre. The superhero team that was broken because of one member, all brought back together. And the Mission Impossible finish with the bomb diffusion only seconds before explosion.
So yea. Quite obviously 5/5 stars. I loved the Uglies series and So Yesterday and basically this is another of Westerfield's many many successes.
Ethan, Scam, because he's a jerk and always make the wrong decision, but he's usually sorry and most of the time its to impress girls.
Nate, Bellwether, the Glorious Leader, because he's charming and controlling and organized and brilliant. Everyone is just in his game and I for one wouldn't mind being a part of it.
Riley, Flicker, because she's strong and persistent. She has a different way of seeing the world and it makes her so fascinating.
Chizara, Crash, because she's moral and stubborn. She tells her family everything and supports her friends, but only when she believes that its the right thing to do.
Thibault, Anonymous, because he's logical and broken and keenly observant. He doesn't ever get frustrated repeating himself or go into a dark place because of all the people that have forgotten him.
Kelsey, Mob, because I want her as a best friend. She's literally the life of the party and a perfect level of guarded.
I also love the relationships:
•Riley and her twin, Lily and their sisterly bond
•Nate and Riley, and their sibling-esque relationship
•Chizara and Ikem, siblings who support each other
•Thibault and Ethan, a friendship that Ethan remembers
•Kelsey and her dad, unbreakable through trial
•Riley and Thibault, because she found him
•Ethan and Kelsey, and their UST (omg seriously)
•Nate and Chizara and food, eternal
The plot of this story was also perfect in so many ways because it was unique enough to keep me reading but had enough trope superhero things to remind us of its genre. The superhero team that was broken because of one member, all brought back together. And the Mission Impossible finish with the bomb diffusion only seconds before explosion.
So yea. Quite obviously 5/5 stars. I loved the Uglies series and So Yesterday and basically this is another of Westerfield's many many successes.
paige_georgia_reads's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really liked the “powers” in this book. Not traditional, but still fun!
amandanic11's review
3.0
I really liked the idea of this book, but there was just a little something lacking for me. I thought the authors did a great job of managing six unique characters, which cannot be easy, but I wish the focus had been on one or two of these characters to really get more out of them. The backstory of each character, and how their power has both positively and negatively effected their life was the most interesting aspect of this book to me, and I could have used so much more of that.
The plot of this book is mainly what suffered for me, though that might just be because this book is clearly for readers 10 years younger than me, it's not really relatable for people in their 20s. This is one of those stories where the characters (most of whom aren't old enough to drive) seem to have absolutely zero adult supervision. It's a bit hard for me to buy the idea that a 15-year-old can sneak into a police station and convince everyone that they're an adult without question. Or that kids can get into clubs and easily get drinks, even with super powers. That doesn't mean I think the plot of this book is bad by any means, just a bit too cliched and convenient for my tastes. On the plus side, this book moves very quickly, so if you like something fast-paced with a lot going on, this book might be right up your alley.
The plot of this book is mainly what suffered for me, though that might just be because this book is clearly for readers 10 years younger than me, it's not really relatable for people in their 20s. This is one of those stories where the characters (most of whom aren't old enough to drive) seem to have absolutely zero adult supervision. It's a bit hard for me to buy the idea that a 15-year-old can sneak into a police station and convince everyone that they're an adult without question. Or that kids can get into clubs and easily get drinks, even with super powers. That doesn't mean I think the plot of this book is bad by any means, just a bit too cliched and convenient for my tastes. On the plus side, this book moves very quickly, so if you like something fast-paced with a lot going on, this book might be right up your alley.
fyreprincess's review
3.0
So my sister and I read the blurb of this book, and we were all like ‘hell yeah, that sounds interesting, we’ll get it’. I started to read it and then I realized that Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld was probably written for my brother’s fourteen year old age group rather than my own seventeen year old age group. Nevertheless, the book actually wasn’t so bad. I mean, the writing was pretty good and the world-building and character-building were pretty good as well. With the situations they were in, I thought that they could’ve been a bit more intense and the characters could’ve used their powers in more ways etc.
I liked the fact that the powers in which these teenagers had were not the commonplace ones such as super strength, and speed etc. However, with these unconventional powers, it meant that the characters couldn’t use their abilities in a wide variety of situations which therefore limited the types of situations in which the group was involved in. On the other hand though, there were a few of the powers which were pretty cool and useful, such as Crash’s, and Flicker’s, and Scam’s and even maybe Anon’s.
I did like the suspense that was built with the back story as to the group’s breakup and such, and I heard that this book was going to be the beginning of a trilogy, so maybe in later books, more history will be revealed.
I felt that the storyline could’ve been a bit more exciting and full on, but with the unconventionality of the group’s powers, such situations couldn’t really have come about. However, the storyline was pretty good for what could’ve been done with it. I enjoyed it, but I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was more action packed and full of things meant for my own age group.
I liked the fact that the powers in which these teenagers had were not the commonplace ones such as super strength, and speed etc. However, with these unconventional powers, it meant that the characters couldn’t use their abilities in a wide variety of situations which therefore limited the types of situations in which the group was involved in. On the other hand though, there were a few of the powers which were pretty cool and useful, such as Crash’s, and Flicker’s, and Scam’s and even maybe Anon’s.
I did like the suspense that was built with the back story as to the group’s breakup and such, and I heard that this book was going to be the beginning of a trilogy, so maybe in later books, more history will be revealed.
I felt that the storyline could’ve been a bit more exciting and full on, but with the unconventionality of the group’s powers, such situations couldn’t really have come about. However, the storyline was pretty good for what could’ve been done with it. I enjoyed it, but I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was more action packed and full of things meant for my own age group.
rollforlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
A great read that saw me lose track of the time more than once, but with these authors that is surely no surprise!
tyredsauce's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
lorrreli's review
3.0
It's action-packed, but a little slow towards the end, gradually pulling the ending out longer than necessary. But I enjoyed the discovery that happened throughout the book, and Anonymous was by far my favorite character. There were a couple of cheesy parts, but overall I'd say it was a solid read. Just not one I would read again.