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l_butterflies777's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
This was an amazing book that I could barely bring myself to put down with dystopian themes and lines that will pull at your heartstrings. I would definitely recommend reading this! I’m am definitely going to get the series as soon as I have a chance to!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Blood, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Torture
Minor: War, Violence, and Torture
This author explains everything that the main character is seeing in detail including graphic injuries.romance_books_loveee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Terminal illness
usjdjfnnffm2737's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
millycameron's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m intrigued in how she eventually ends up with Warner, he seems quite mental.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Violence, and Emotional abuse
foxo_cube's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I feel kind of unsure how to rate this. Essentially, the story itself didn't do much for me, but I found it really compelling - I wanted to keep reading it and I was a bit disappointed to come to the end.
I love the writing style. I think it does very well at bringing the reader into the chaos and intensity of Juliette's mind as a traumatised, terrified teenager, and the writing becomes more or less frantic with her emotions. Oddly, there is a note at the start of the book explaining this narrative technique, which I can't blame the writer for because it's just as, if not more, likely to have been the publisher's idea. Bit of a shame, though - like explaining the punchline to a joke. Nonetheless, I think that's what drew me in to the narrative: the way that Juliette's feelings are expressed is lovely and makes her feel more human.
The romance with Adam was okay. I think it's a bit weird that he found out he could touch her unharmed because he was caressing her in her sleep when she was having nightmares, but his feelings for her come off as sincere. I think she genuinely loves him but sometimes I couldn't help but think that surely, affection from nearly anyone will feel amazing and that could make her <i>think</i> she's in love even if she isn't. I mean, you only have to look at her weirdly conflicting emotions towards War Criminal Warner to see that.
Ah, yes, War Criminal Warner. He's a pervert and a pathetic nepotism baby and likes to kill people for fun. He turns up to be emotionally abusive and sexually inappropriate towards Juliette, intending on grooming her into his weapon/consort. She inexplicably still thinks he's hot. Sometimes, it feels like this book is resisting the urge to become Baby's First Dark Romance and go down his route.Towards the end, when she and Adam have escaped and later get caught, Warner has found out he can also touch her without being hurt, and so starts being even more handsy than usual. She spots a gun in his inside coat pocket and decides to go with it despite her discomfort just long enough to get the gun and shoot him, which is a bit of a girlboss move. So he's making out with her and picking her up by the arse and all this and she starts off being "ew yucky nasty Warner, this isn't my One and Only True Love Adam" and then thinks "...actually, I'm kinda into this". What??? I know that sort of thing is a trope in dark romance as a genre, but that is one of the reasons I do not read dark romance. The whole "this is sexual assault but actually I like it" thing is just gross to me. If you're into it as a fantasy and within the constrains of fiction, I can't stop you, but it's not my cup of tea at <i>all</i>. Although I see how Adam can be viewed as a bit bland (he is), Warner is, like, bland with a bit of black pepper. I have a soft spot for pathetic men and for crazy sadistic characters, albeit typically not in romance, but he's just not very sexy about it. He's just a bit sad, to me. I don't care if his eyes are light green or whatever.
Juliette is incredibly horny in general. It's kind of funny sometimes. She'll experience the most traumatising shit you can think of and then Adam will touch her arms and she'll be like "oh YEAH babey". To be fair, though, she is the most touch-starved person of all time, so maybe that's not that weird.
This isn't a criticism, but a thing I noticed that I found strange. So, Juliette has been given maybe one small meal a day for the best part of a year, and presumably must be terribly underweight and look like she's on death's door. Even after eating normally for a couple of weeks, she's probably not looking exactly healthy. That's whatever in itself, that's just the nature of being imprisoned in an inhumane asylum. But there're consistent reminders of how tiny and little and small Juliette is that... well, it kind of gave me the ick. Look, I've got a height complex three times my size, so I'm not a fan of big height differences personally. I don't want to feel even shorter than I am. But with the context meaning she's probably very very skinny and frail <i>as well</i>, it made me a bit uncomfy. I don't know if this is just a straight woman thing that I don't get, a romance trope that I wouldn't have come across, or if the writer has a mild macro/micro kink that's coming through or what, which is why, even if I didn't like it, I don't mean it as critique. It just stood out to me.
The ending left more questions than answers because it's part of a series. That's fair.Still, I like that she found a community with other people with powers similar to hers. I think that's cool. I don't know if I'll read the other books, though. I'm kind of happy imagining that she lived safe and happily with Adam and it's all okay now, but then it <i>was</i> a fun book to read even if my review probably comes across as miserable so hey, we'll see!
I love the writing style. I think it does very well at bringing the reader into the chaos and intensity of Juliette's mind as a traumatised, terrified teenager, and the writing becomes more or less frantic with her emotions. Oddly, there is a note at the start of the book explaining this narrative technique, which I can't blame the writer for because it's just as, if not more, likely to have been the publisher's idea. Bit of a shame, though - like explaining the punchline to a joke. Nonetheless, I think that's what drew me in to the narrative: the way that Juliette's feelings are expressed is lovely and makes her feel more human.
The romance with Adam was okay. I think it's a bit weird that he found out he could touch her unharmed because he was caressing her in her sleep when she was having nightmares, but his feelings for her come off as sincere. I think she genuinely loves him but sometimes I couldn't help but think that surely, affection from nearly anyone will feel amazing and that could make her <i>think</i> she's in love even if she isn't. I mean, you only have to look at her weirdly conflicting emotions towards War Criminal Warner to see that.
Ah, yes, War Criminal Warner. He's a pervert and a pathetic nepotism baby and likes to kill people for fun. He turns up to be emotionally abusive and sexually inappropriate towards Juliette, intending on grooming her into his weapon/consort. She inexplicably still thinks he's hot. Sometimes, it feels like this book is resisting the urge to become Baby's First Dark Romance and go down his route.
Juliette is incredibly horny in general. It's kind of funny sometimes. She'll experience the most traumatising shit you can think of and then Adam will touch her arms and she'll be like "oh YEAH babey". To be fair, though, she is the most touch-starved person of all time, so maybe that's not that weird.
This isn't a criticism, but a thing I noticed that I found strange. So, Juliette has been given maybe one small meal a day for the best part of a year, and presumably must be terribly underweight and look like she's on death's door. Even after eating normally for a couple of weeks, she's probably not looking exactly healthy. That's whatever in itself, that's just the nature of being imprisoned in an inhumane asylum. But there're consistent reminders of how tiny and little and small Juliette is that... well, it kind of gave me the ick. Look, I've got a height complex three times my size, so I'm not a fan of big height differences personally. I don't want to feel even shorter than I am. But with the context meaning she's probably very very skinny and frail <i>as well</i>, it made me a bit uncomfy. I don't know if this is just a straight woman thing that I don't get, a romance trope that I wouldn't have come across, or if the writer has a mild macro/micro kink that's coming through or what, which is why, even if I didn't like it, I don't mean it as critique. It just stood out to me.
The ending left more questions than answers because it's part of a series. That's fair.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Violence, and War
abbyycadabbyy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Oh. My. God. I was so excited to start this series, it didn’t disappoint. There were a few things that I wasn’t a fan of that I will talk about later
Juliette. I have mixed feelings about her. I felt like she was a little “pick me” at times, but I almost couldn’t blame her because of everything she has been through. I thought a little closer to the end she got better. There was something about her that bothered me and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Her power is super intense. I wish we got to see it a little bit more.
Adam. Holy shit, I CANNOT STAND his stinky dinky ass. He only cares about himself and his feelings. He does reckless stuff and doesn’t care who or what he hurts in the process. I feel like he is a horrible person for Juliette. He brings her down as a character. They didn’t even talk in school yet he sacrificed his whole life and career for his fantasy of Juliette. The only reason he “loves” Juliette is based off of her looks. The only credit I can give him is that he is a good older brother.
Warner. I feel like he is mad out to be this monster, but her really isn’t. Let me explain. Now here is a real man, who actually cares about Juliette’s wellbeing. He wants Juliette to embrace her full potential and not be put in some asylum and treated like a monster. He wants her to have self love and confidence in who she is. Warner doesn’t know her but he wants to, that’s why he takes her out and walked around with her, and shows her stuff. He doesn’t comment about her looks as much as Adam does. I think he just is an overall better man. Adam is dog shit compared to Warner.
Kenji. He is a comedic gift from god. I love him and we really haven’t gotten that much of him.
The world building in this book was so good. It was super easy to understand. I felt like I could easily visualize the setting.
There is one other thing that bothered me. I thought that Juliette was supposed to be special butother people have powers.
I am going right into the next books. I can’t wait to see how this story will progress. I can see how series will be 5 stars.
Juliette. I have mixed feelings about her. I felt like she was a little “pick me” at times, but I almost couldn’t blame her because of everything she has been through. I thought a little closer to the end she got better. There was something about her that bothered me and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Her power is super intense. I wish we got to see it a little bit more.
Adam. Holy shit, I CANNOT STAND his stinky dinky ass. He only cares about himself and his feelings. He does reckless stuff and doesn’t care who or what he hurts in the process. I feel like he is a horrible person for Juliette. He brings her down as a character. They didn’t even talk in school yet he sacrificed his whole life and career for his fantasy of Juliette. The only reason he “loves” Juliette is based off of her looks. The only credit I can give him is that he is a good older brother.
Warner. I feel like he is mad out to be this monster, but her really isn’t. Let me explain. Now here is a real man, who actually cares about Juliette’s wellbeing. He wants Juliette to embrace her full potential and not be put in some asylum and treated like a monster. He wants her to have self love and confidence in who she is. Warner doesn’t know her but he wants to, that’s why he takes her out and walked around with her, and shows her stuff. He doesn’t comment about her looks as much as Adam does. I think he just is an overall better man. Adam is dog shit compared to Warner.
Kenji. He is a comedic gift from god. I love him and we really haven’t gotten that much of him.
The world building in this book was so good. It was super easy to understand. I felt like I could easily visualize the setting.
There is one other thing that bothered me. I thought that Juliette was supposed to be special but
I am going right into the next books. I can’t wait to see how this story will progress. I can see how series will be 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Death, Violence, and Child death
hellxriver's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Violence and Child death
faitherslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Torture
lizzye33's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Emotional abuse, Body horror, War, Medical content, and Police brutality
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Torture, Child abuse, and Genocide
nyree42's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Fast-paced and exciting. I kind of don't want to get sucked into the entire long series... but I *am* curious about what happens next, so we'll see.
The narration style would have been grating but I hadn't read anything written that way in a long time, so instead of being annoying it helped place me into the character's perspective, as it was meant to.
The narration style would have been grating but I hadn't read anything written that way in a long time, so instead of being annoying it helped place me into the character's perspective, as it was meant to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Death, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Sexism