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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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
FIND MORE OF MY REVIEWS HERE
Intial Attraction:
I've read another book from Gena Showalter before, Intertwined and it was pretty darn good.
The prospect of a second chance at life is a nifty idea.
I love a good, 'chosen one' story. They've been done a million times and I still really love them.
Plot:
The plot definitely runs the story, without it, the characters wouldn't be doing much.
It's very BAM! POW! action-y, which is fan-freaking-tastic. š
There's very few breathers between the 'BAM!' and the 'POW!'. Take this as you may, I personally love plots that just keep running.
The beginning probably could've been cut shorter. š¤
Characterisation:
The main characters are all strong minded and know what they're doing, but not necessarily what they want.
Whilst I enjoyed the quarrel amongst the two main dudes, sometimes it just felt downright annoying.
The characters felt real, they all had their own lives and their own depths. Sometimes novels don't let you into the background of their characters and I liked that this one did.
Development:
You could see how Ten had evolved from before the asylum and during, however I didn't see a shift after.
The background characters grew more than Ten did? And that confuses me.
Nothing happened that surprised me, in a 'OH MY FREAKING GOD, WHAT!?' sort of way. It wasn't predictable, but it wasn't shocking either.
Style & Tone:
I've never been a fan of books that have email or letter correspondence, nothing against them, just ain't my cuppa tea.
The writing was pretty great. š
Nothing about the style or tone of this novel had me questioning it's purpose or intent. So, there's a plus!
Enjoyment:
I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
I love the characters and the plot.
I can't wait to dive into the next one!
Overall Thoughts:
It was a wonderful novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wouldn't mark it as a favourite of mine, but it definitely has my interest. It's quite unique and I think that's something I really enjoyed about it. Plus, the characters were H-O-T. š
The break down of my rating:
Plot: 8/10
Characterisation: 8/10
Development: 4/10
Style & Tone: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Intial Attraction:
I've read another book from Gena Showalter before, Intertwined and it was pretty darn good.
The prospect of a second chance at life is a nifty idea.
I love a good, 'chosen one' story. They've been done a million times and I still really love them.
Plot:
The plot definitely runs the story, without it, the characters wouldn't be doing much.
It's very BAM! POW! action-y, which is fan-freaking-tastic. š
There's very few breathers between the 'BAM!' and the 'POW!'. Take this as you may, I personally love plots that just keep running.
The beginning probably could've been cut shorter. š¤
Characterisation:
The main characters are all strong minded and know what they're doing, but not necessarily what they want.
Whilst I enjoyed the quarrel amongst the two main dudes, sometimes it just felt downright annoying.
The characters felt real, they all had their own lives and their own depths. Sometimes novels don't let you into the background of their characters and I liked that this one did.
Development:
You could see how Ten had evolved from before the asylum and during, however I didn't see a shift after.
The background characters grew more than Ten did? And that confuses me.
Nothing happened that surprised me, in a 'OH MY FREAKING GOD, WHAT!?' sort of way. It wasn't predictable, but it wasn't shocking either.
Style & Tone:
I've never been a fan of books that have email or letter correspondence, nothing against them, just ain't my cuppa tea.
The writing was pretty great. š
Nothing about the style or tone of this novel had me questioning it's purpose or intent. So, there's a plus!
Enjoyment:
I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
I love the characters and the plot.
I can't wait to dive into the next one!
Overall Thoughts:
It was a wonderful novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wouldn't mark it as a favourite of mine, but it definitely has my interest. It's quite unique and I think that's something I really enjoyed about it. Plus, the characters were H-O-T. š
The break down of my rating:
Plot: 8/10
Characterisation: 8/10
Development: 4/10
Style & Tone: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
It was a little confusing at first but quickly became a book I didn't want to put down for anything. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book.
Tenley "Ten" Lockwood is locked in Prynne Asylum- why? Because she won't bend to her parents will and sign to Myraid. You seen Ten is currently living her Firstlife. When she dies she will goto her second life, in in Everlife, but she must choose where to live. In Myraid (where her parents want her to go) - who offer the souls who would prove most valuable the best possible life and those who are less vauble get less. Where laws and rules are bent and broken for the greater good. Or Troika - who believe everyone is equal, work hard for rewards and must follow the law to the letter or be punished. If she dies before she survives she will end up in the land of Many Ends where your deepest darkest nightmares seem pleasent.
Once the choice is made, it is forever. Ten refuses to make the choice under her parents pressure, so they send her to Dr Vans to straighten her out. Dr Vans methods are questionable and Ten struggles to decide where she truely belongs.
I enjoyed this novel. Sadly I am not greatly impressed with the delivery. The unknown around the Second Life makes for a good story but the way the information is slowly released just causes the head to swim in confusion and could have been done better. I understand keeping the reader on their toes and most the time it works well, I just believe it could have been delivered better. The actual writing of the story was poor as well and I am a little disappointed as I have enjoyed Gena's work in the past.
The Positives: The realtionships built in this story are well done as are most the characters. It is so difficult to determine who to trust and who is right and I love this about the story.
I was really excited to read this and was let down a little. After the first 50 pages I knew it wasn't going to be the amazing thing I expected it to be and yet I still will read the next one...
Once the choice is made, it is forever. Ten refuses to make the choice under her parents pressure, so they send her to Dr Vans to straighten her out. Dr Vans methods are questionable and Ten struggles to decide where she truely belongs.
I enjoyed this novel. Sadly I am not greatly impressed with the delivery. The unknown around the Second Life makes for a good story but the way the information is slowly released just causes the head to swim in confusion and could have been done better. I understand keeping the reader on their toes and most the time it works well, I just believe it could have been delivered better. The actual writing of the story was poor as well and I am a little disappointed as I have enjoyed Gena's work in the past.
The Positives: The realtionships built in this story are well done as are most the characters. It is so difficult to determine who to trust and who is right and I love this about the story.
I was really excited to read this and was let down a little. After the first 50 pages I knew it wasn't going to be the amazing thing I expected it to be and yet I still will read the next one...
Quite good but I struggel to understand what her goal were. Much happened and it was thrilling but four what.
Firstly, thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for this review copy.
Review originally posted at Fiction in Fiction in Fiction
What is it about pretty covers that draw me in every time? Especially ones with cities and skylines. As soon as I saw the cover of Firstlife I was like āOOOH GIMME DA PRETTYā. Then I read the synopsis and I knew I needed it in my life. For what itās worth, the cover perfectly reflects the story and the blurb was accurate. Sadly no pretty cover could save the way Firstlife went downhill. Or should I say it just dropped into an abyss?
The premise for Firstlife is fantastic. In the growing trend of parallel worlds/alternate universes, Showalter takes the concept and adds a twist with the idea of afterlife. What if there is life after death and you can choose where to go? Our protagonist Tenley has been forced into an asylum to make her choose a realm. Essentially this book is about choices and the consequences of each personās decision. I find this is so cool.
I really liked Ten in the beginning. Sheās been toughened up by the asylum and the torture she goes through but at the same time she has a really big heart. Ten is driven by compassion and the need to help others. Weāre not given much information on her personality pre-Prynne but I get the impression that her compassion has deepened due to the effects of the asylum and seeing what itās like when people give you only hard choices. Her snarky voice added humour to the sometimes bleak story. Her obsession with numbers and facts related to them added to her character as it was her coping mechanism. By the end of the book though, I felt that a lot of her choices started becoming really selfish. She was being stubborn with a lot of decisions, and I hated that she kept passing the blame onto a particular person. What really turned this book upside down was the way her decisions were basically 100% driven by her romantic interests by the end and how, in a life or death situation, sheās thinking how hot this guy is. NO.
Ten is accompanied throughout the book by two male companions ā Archer and Killian. Iāll save you the guessing and tell you that this book has NO love triangle. And I cannot believe Iām saying this but I wish there was because I HATE the love interest and the other guy is so much better for her. What killed me about this was that while both companions were clearly helping her, she kept lumping the blame onto one while constantly forgiving the other. And why? Well it seemed to me it was because of his hot looks. I will say that both companions clearly care for her but after seeing their back stories, WHY she still defends the āhotterā guy (because obviously they both have to be exorbitantly handsome) is beyond me. It just pissed the hell out of me the way it so quickly went beyond attraction. It really felt like insta-love.
The romance was 100% NOT believable and I donāt ship it I donāt feel it NONONO. Itās wrong. From the beginning itās clear heās seducing her; she knows it, she lets him. This guy has like ruined other girls just out of spite and Ten thinks that SHE is an exception? That SHE could be any different? Please. For a girl who seems quite smart I donāt understand how she could be so delusional. There is only a hint of doubt on Tenās part and itās all quickly washed away by his closeness and scent and oh oh heās so beautiful IāM GAGGING. Excuse me.
The plot itself is definitely well-thought out. And it would have been better had it not been so overdosed and driven by the romance. The realms have secrets and thereās this place called Many Ends that raises lots of questions about the idea of choosing a realm. What I thought was great about Firstlife was that Showalter shows glimpses of the realms so you know theyāre real and everybody knows theyāre real. But as Ten discovers, thereās so much more going on behind the scenes and how the realms were shaped. Showalter has created a great concept that can be built on for the sequels. The world-building is great ā the realms and descriptions of creepy places and the torture. Itās still YA āfriendlyā per se but thereās just enough pain that you know Ten is tortured and she feels it. Towards the end though, I got the feeling that the realms are loosely based off afterlife realms weāre all quite familiar with...
I mean looking back this could have been great. The concept of an Everlife by choosing realms, each realmās separate beliefs, the funny voice/writing with descriptive world-building, lots of secrets unfolding and a strong-willed protagonist. That was all shattered by the unnecessary and unbelievable focus on romance. Y u do dis? So obviously this wasnāt for me but thatās because I canāt deal with romances that move quickly. I like āem slow burn. Slow and steady wins the race yeh? No not really idek. ANYWAY. If you can overlook the romance then this is a very interesting book with a concept not widely explored so mebbeh you enjoy dis and you tell Jaz? Yes? Yes.
Review originally posted at Fiction in Fiction in Fiction
What is it about pretty covers that draw me in every time? Especially ones with cities and skylines. As soon as I saw the cover of Firstlife I was like āOOOH GIMME DA PRETTYā. Then I read the synopsis and I knew I needed it in my life. For what itās worth, the cover perfectly reflects the story and the blurb was accurate. Sadly no pretty cover could save the way Firstlife went downhill. Or should I say it just dropped into an abyss?
The premise for Firstlife is fantastic. In the growing trend of parallel worlds/alternate universes, Showalter takes the concept and adds a twist with the idea of afterlife. What if there is life after death and you can choose where to go? Our protagonist Tenley has been forced into an asylum to make her choose a realm. Essentially this book is about choices and the consequences of each personās decision. I find this is so cool.
I really liked Ten in the beginning. Sheās been toughened up by the asylum and the torture she goes through but at the same time she has a really big heart. Ten is driven by compassion and the need to help others. Weāre not given much information on her personality pre-Prynne but I get the impression that her compassion has deepened due to the effects of the asylum and seeing what itās like when people give you only hard choices. Her snarky voice added humour to the sometimes bleak story. Her obsession with numbers and facts related to them added to her character as it was her coping mechanism. By the end of the book though, I felt that a lot of her choices started becoming really selfish. She was being stubborn with a lot of decisions, and I hated that she kept passing the blame onto a particular person. What really turned this book upside down was the way her decisions were basically 100% driven by her romantic interests by the end and how, in a life or death situation, sheās thinking how hot this guy is. NO.
Ten is accompanied throughout the book by two male companions ā Archer and Killian. Iāll save you the guessing and tell you that this book has NO love triangle. And I cannot believe Iām saying this but I wish there was because I HATE the love interest and the other guy is so much better for her. What killed me about this was that while both companions were clearly helping her, she kept lumping the blame onto one while constantly forgiving the other. And why? Well it seemed to me it was because of his hot looks. I will say that both companions clearly care for her but after seeing their back stories, WHY she still defends the āhotterā guy (because obviously they both have to be exorbitantly handsome) is beyond me. It just pissed the hell out of me the way it so quickly went beyond attraction. It really felt like insta-love.
The romance was 100% NOT believable and I donāt ship it I donāt feel it NONONO. Itās wrong. From the beginning itās clear heās seducing her; she knows it, she lets him. This guy has like ruined other girls just out of spite and Ten thinks that SHE is an exception? That SHE could be any different? Please. For a girl who seems quite smart I donāt understand how she could be so delusional. There is only a hint of doubt on Tenās part and itās all quickly washed away by his closeness and scent and oh oh heās so beautiful IāM GAGGING. Excuse me.
The plot itself is definitely well-thought out. And it would have been better had it not been so overdosed and driven by the romance. The realms have secrets and thereās this place called Many Ends that raises lots of questions about the idea of choosing a realm. What I thought was great about Firstlife was that Showalter shows glimpses of the realms so you know theyāre real and everybody knows theyāre real. But as Ten discovers, thereās so much more going on behind the scenes and how the realms were shaped. Showalter has created a great concept that can be built on for the sequels. The world-building is great ā the realms and descriptions of creepy places and the torture. Itās still YA āfriendlyā per se but thereās just enough pain that you know Ten is tortured and she feels it. Towards the end though, I got the feeling that the realms are loosely based off afterlife realms weāre all quite familiar with...
I mean looking back this could have been great. The concept of an Everlife by choosing realms, each realmās separate beliefs, the funny voice/writing with descriptive world-building, lots of secrets unfolding and a strong-willed protagonist. That was all shattered by the unnecessary and unbelievable focus on romance. Y u do dis? So obviously this wasnāt for me but thatās because I canāt deal with romances that move quickly. I like āem slow burn. Slow and steady wins the race yeh? No not really idek. ANYWAY. If you can overlook the romance then this is a very interesting book with a concept not widely explored so mebbeh you enjoy dis and you tell Jaz? Yes? Yes.
This book covered a lot of ground really fast and so it sometimes felt a bit scattered like it was hard to keep up with all the new developments. I wasnāt sold on the main love story as a relationship. All of this being said, I loved the world built, all the layers of intrigue, the main characterās growth and inner awareness, the twists. I really enjoyed reading it and canāt wait to read number 2!
Oh my God! I want the next book now! Archer stole my heart, and I want him back!
Yaaaass I need the next one how could they leave me hanging like this? Not the biggest fan of Ten her decisions were so easily swayed, but I don't think of I was in such a position I could have done any better.