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sketchy_reader's review against another edition
5.0
I've already read this series but it has been ages. I've decided all my rereads will be audio books so I don't take any reading time away from new books.
kayjersey's review against another edition
3.0
First half rating - 1-2/5
Second half - 3/5
I have had this book on my kindle half read for nearly a year and I had no real intention of finishing it, as much as I love Scott Westerfeld this just wasn't griping me. On a whim I decided to finish it today and I am glad I went back to it as the second half is vastly superior compared to the first. The pace was better, the characters became more relatable and the book was just generally more interesting.
If you had told me the second half would improve so much that I would decide to read the next in the series I would have pulled my signature 'Bitch please' face but I will be reading pretties, it's not going to the top of my to-read list but I will get there.
Second half - 3/5
I have had this book on my kindle half read for nearly a year and I had no real intention of finishing it, as much as I love Scott Westerfeld this just wasn't griping me. On a whim I decided to finish it today and I am glad I went back to it as the second half is vastly superior compared to the first. The pace was better, the characters became more relatable and the book was just generally more interesting.
If you had told me the second half would improve so much that I would decide to read the next in the series I would have pulled my signature 'Bitch please' face but I will be reading pretties, it's not going to the top of my to-read list but I will get there.
adeleinwanderland's review against another edition
3.0
Upřímně, čekala jsem od toho trochu víc. Příběh mě zaujal více než obsah knihy, ale dá se říct, že mě to místy i bavilo a uvažuju, že si přečtu i zbylé díly, protože jsem přece jenom zvědavá, jak to všechno dopadne. Tally mi ze začátku připadala úplně nesnesitelná, ale omlouvá ji snad to, že ji celý život namlouvali, že je ošklivá.
vanessamariebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
jboivs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
nicolemeetswrld's review against another edition
4.0
Opening words: "The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.”
If that opening line doesn’t hook you in, I don’t know what will.
If that opening line doesn’t hook you in, I don’t know what will.
rochellegermano's review against another edition
2.0
The story has interesting elements, but didn't feel exciting until the very end. And even then, everything seemed too predictable. Many of the characters spoke the same way and fell a bit flat for me. The writing style was only so-so.
faithtrustpixiedust's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent dystopian tale of choice, trust, and weeds.
The Writing and Worldbuilding
While the writing style wasn't my absolute favorite, it was engaging and managed to make the slower parts of the book not so boring as they had the potential to be. The dialogue felt a bit 2005, but the book was published then, so I can't really hold that against it. I was particularly fond of the motifs and themes of the book, my favorite being the beautiful flowers that are invasive weeds literally choking out all other life, and ultimately even themselves.
The premise sounded somewhat far-fetched at first, but it is executed so well that by the end, I could really see this as a possible future, which was frightening. The technology was well explained and plausible (at least to me, but I'm no scientist).
The Characters
Tally: She was really consistent, yet still grew a lot, which I really liked. She stayed true to her fundamental person—a person of action, but also thought—and also learned to let go of some of her faults—indecision, selfishness, and even self-consciousness. And me of all people actually liking a female protagonist is really something.
Shay: I loved Shay. She is fun and spunky, and somewhat of a tomboy, but still maintaining some girlish charm.
David: Despite being a tad insta-love-y, David was also really great! His insta-love had actual believable reasons, and he was just such a sweet guy!
Dr. Cable: Specials in general are pretty freaky, but this one in particular was super creepy.
Conclusion
It definitely wasn't my favorite book ever, but I did really like it, and actually really brought back some appreciation for YA that had been dying in me, so I'm really glad I read it, and I would definitely recommend it. And besides all that, my older sister has been trying to get me to read this series since like 2010, so it was surely time.
The Writing and Worldbuilding
While the writing style wasn't my absolute favorite, it was engaging and managed to make the slower parts of the book not so boring as they had the potential to be. The dialogue felt a bit 2005, but the book was published then, so I can't really hold that against it. I was particularly fond of the motifs and themes of the book, my favorite being the beautiful flowers that are invasive weeds literally choking out all other life, and ultimately even themselves.
The flowers were so beautiful, so delicate and unthreatening, but they choked everything around them.
The premise sounded somewhat far-fetched at first, but it is executed so well that by the end, I could really see this as a possible future, which was frightening. The technology was well explained and plausible (at least to me, but I'm no scientist).
What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.
The Characters
Tally: She was really consistent, yet still grew a lot, which I really liked. She stayed true to her fundamental person—a person of action, but also thought—and also learned to let go of some of her faults—indecision, selfishness, and even self-consciousness. And me of all people actually liking a female protagonist is really something.
Shay: I loved Shay. She is fun and spunky, and somewhat of a tomboy, but still maintaining some girlish charm.
Doing what you're supposed to do is always boring. I can't imagine anything worse than being required to have fun.
David: Despite being a tad insta-love-y, David was also really great! His insta-love had actual believable reasons, and he was just such a sweet guy!
Dr. Cable: Specials in general are pretty freaky, but this one in particular was super creepy.
Conclusion
It definitely wasn't my favorite book ever, but I did really like it, and actually really brought back some appreciation for YA that had been dying in me, so I'm really glad I read it, and I would definitely recommend it. And besides all that, my older sister has been trying to get me to read this series since like 2010, so it was surely time.