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humblebee20's review against another edition
3.0
This was a book I wanted to read when it first came out in 2017 and I finally got the chance to read it now. I know that I'm a little older than the recommended age range, but this book was still fun and exciting. There were a few aspects that irked me a bit throughout and ruined the climax for me, but the world feels putrid and evil in all the right ways. The suits seem perfectly in line with future tech and sensibilities.
I feel like we could have done without the enemies to lovers/ Romeo & Juliet subplot and the story would have been better for it, but I get why it was added. I just wish the fake flirting didn't become real pining. Then again, it is YA sci-fi so I don't know what I expected.
Spoilers from here on out, but I really didn't like the ending. It felt rushed and very bare bones. A vaccine being tested on friends that killed the last test subjects? Why not? How about we even expedite it to all of Taipei without tracking symptoms and side effects?
Building that can blow up on the inside but not the outside? Sure. Friend that gets killed and whose death is given very little impact. Whatever.
Hacking that always goes perfect and heists that have seemingly high stakes that always end up being fine?
Through the last third, I felt like it was tonal whiplash with everything just happening and going well for the sake of convenience. And I hate that the reason most of this worked was because the love interest is omniscient and just didn't want the guy she knew kidnapped her to know that she remembered the kidnapping and wants to help him. It was an annoying twist to wave away plot holes.
That isn't to say that this is a bad book. It was fun and had a really well developed world. If you can look past the overly cliche moments, this book is a nice heist and dystopia book.
I feel like we could have done without the enemies to lovers/ Romeo & Juliet subplot and the story would have been better for it, but I get why it was added. I just wish the fake flirting didn't become real pining. Then again, it is YA sci-fi so I don't know what I expected.
Spoilers from here on out, but I really didn't like the ending. It felt rushed and very bare bones. A vaccine being tested on friends that killed the last test subjects? Why not? How about we even expedite it to all of Taipei without tracking symptoms and side effects?
Building that can blow up on the inside but not the outside? Sure. Friend that gets killed and whose death is given very little impact. Whatever.
Hacking that always goes perfect and heists that have seemingly high stakes that always end up being fine?
Through the last third, I felt like it was tonal whiplash with everything just happening and going well for the sake of convenience. And I hate that the reason most of this worked was because the love interest is omniscient and just didn't want the guy she knew kidnapped her to know that she remembered the kidnapping and wants to help him. It was an annoying twist to wave away plot holes.
That isn't to say that this is a bad book. It was fun and had a really well developed world. If you can look past the overly cliche moments, this book is a nice heist and dystopia book.
drridareads's review against another edition
2.0
I try not to set high expectations of books while going in. But the plot sounded intriguing and it had such great reviews.
Damn was I disappointed. I expected some cool futuristic world-building. Instead all I got was the world is extremely polluted so the yous (rich) wear protective suits with clean O2 while the meis (poor)..well they fall sick and die. The company (Jin Corp) that manufactures these suits doesn't want the pollution to get better.
The concept reminded me of Lorax, I haven't read the book but I think even that children's movie was better.
Jason (mei) and his mei friends plan to destroy that company. Jason kidnaps a you girl to gets a huge ransom for her return. To fund their their plan. In order to destroy Jin Corp, Jason has to get close to his daughter (Daiyu) to get inside it. Not surprise: it's the same girl, and he'll start falling for her. Maybe this cliche was romantic for when it was first introduced, honestly don't like it much.
Everything was way too convinient in this suppossedly dystopian world, new tech existed for everything their plan required, and he conveniently had a friend just for this purpose.
Jason's thoughts about Daiyu being a different you girl were so freaking annoying.
The whole idea of kidnapping to do good was just weird. Specially since he also happened to have a hacker friend. I mean they literally could've just stolen it maybe. Idk, did not like this at all.
Overall the characters did not feel real to me. Specially Jason's friends, who felt more like pawns needed for the plot.
Overall I did not really like this book. I did however enjoy Pon's writing style and the pacing which were great. At no point did it feel like a drag.
Damn was I disappointed. I expected some cool futuristic world-building. Instead all I got was the world is extremely polluted so the yous (rich) wear protective suits with clean O2 while the meis (poor)..well they fall sick and die. The company (Jin Corp) that manufactures these suits doesn't want the pollution to get better.
The concept reminded me of Lorax, I haven't read the book but I think even that children's movie was better.
Jason (mei) and his mei friends plan to destroy that company. Jason kidnaps a you girl to gets a huge ransom for her return. To fund their their plan. In order to destroy Jin Corp, Jason has to get close to his daughter (Daiyu) to get inside it. Not surprise: it's the same girl, and he'll start falling for her. Maybe this cliche was romantic for when it was first introduced, honestly don't like it much.
Everything was way too convinient in this suppossedly dystopian world, new tech existed for everything their plan required, and he conveniently had a friend just for this purpose.
Spoiler
also when Jin Corp infects the people with some deadly virus, Arun is facing difficulty in making an antidote, but just as his friends get infected the experimental antidote happens to work perfectlyJason's thoughts about Daiyu being a different you girl were so freaking annoying.
The whole idea of kidnapping to do good was just weird. Specially since he also happened to have a hacker friend. I mean they literally could've just stolen it maybe. Idk, did not like this at all.
Spoiler
In the end we learn that Daiyu knows Jason's the one that kidnapped. What the hell is wrong with her, instead of running away she gets close to himOverall the characters did not feel real to me. Specially Jason's friends, who felt more like pawns needed for the plot.
Overall I did not really like this book. I did however enjoy Pon's writing style and the pacing which were great. At no point did it feel like a drag.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
1.5/5
I felt like it had a lot of potential, but the pacing felt slow, and the story had little action.
I felt like it had a lot of potential, but the pacing felt slow, and the story had little action.
danacanterino's review against another edition
1.0
Tenía tantas expectativas de este libro que hasta me compré el segundo. Tanta desilusión.
Es de lo más cliché que he leído en mucho tiempo. Planeta dividido cruelmente entre ricos y pobres, ambiente hecho una porquería, protagonista bueno como el pan que quiere cambiar las cosas y un ecléctico grupo de personajes que convenientemente se desarrolla en distintas actividades necesarias para la trama.
Es tan cliché que duele.
Es cierto que en varios momentos se hacía interesante y llevadero, pero muchas veces, para ser el tipo de libro que es, se volvía terriblemente pesado, explicando cosas que son tan obvias que sentía que Pon nos tomaba de tontos.
Los personajes son meh, la historia es meh y todo no llega a ser horrible, pero tampoco bueno.
Me gustó un poco el romance lgbt, también que a pesar de que el romance entre el protagonista y la chica está tan atado de las nubes que se vuelve irrisorio, las convicciones de él no flaquean y no deja tirado todo por la chica (gracias, tenía pánico que eso pasara y juro que dejaba el libro sin leer).
Pero más allá de eso y de algunas descripciones de Taipei que estuvieron lindas, no hubo mucho más.
Un punto a parte de la historia que quiero comentar, porque me parece imposible dejar de lado.
No entiendo cómo pasó el proceso de edición, y es la CANTIDAD DE COMENTARIOS MISÓGINOS. No sé si la autora es así. No sé si cree que así los chicos piensan (que muchos sí lamentablemente, pero no todos y estaría bueno que haya protagonistas masculinos que repudien esa clase de comportamiento y que más chicos se identifiquen con pensamientos más abiertos). Pero es terrible ver a Zhou enalteser a las mujeres de su vida que si quiere (su madre, su tía, sus amigas, su cuasi novia) y despreciar y desprestigiar por su exterior a las demás mujeres.
Es tan común eso, la distinción entre la puta y la santa. Las mujeres de su vida se enrolan en el segundo, mientras que TODAS las demás mujeres, en el primero. Era asqueroso de leer y más, en en género de YA.
Hacía rato (por suerte) que no me encontraba esto en este tipo de libros, creí que se había mejorado muchísimo desde 2012 o por esos tiempos, al YA actual, pero Cindy Pon lleva todo al tacho y se vuelve a retomar esa narrativa misógina de que si las mujeres son lindas, se maquillan, se visten provocativas, se operan, salen de fiesta, son putas, fáciles, desagradables.
Me dio asco de leer. Y sinceramente, por la calidad del libro a parte de eso le iba a dar dos estrellas, pero no puedo obviar esta bajada de línea tan triste (más, cuando es narrado por una mujer) el odio hacia sus pares.
Es de lo más cliché que he leído en mucho tiempo. Planeta dividido cruelmente entre ricos y pobres, ambiente hecho una porquería, protagonista bueno como el pan que quiere cambiar las cosas y un ecléctico grupo de personajes que convenientemente se desarrolla en distintas actividades necesarias para la trama.
Es tan cliché que duele.
Es cierto que en varios momentos se hacía interesante y llevadero, pero muchas veces, para ser el tipo de libro que es, se volvía terriblemente pesado, explicando cosas que son tan obvias que sentía que Pon nos tomaba de tontos.
Los personajes son meh, la historia es meh y todo no llega a ser horrible, pero tampoco bueno.
Me gustó un poco el romance lgbt, también que a pesar de que el romance entre el protagonista y la chica está tan atado de las nubes que se vuelve irrisorio, las convicciones de él no flaquean y no deja tirado todo por la chica (gracias, tenía pánico que eso pasara y juro que dejaba el libro sin leer).
Pero más allá de eso y de algunas descripciones de Taipei que estuvieron lindas, no hubo mucho más.
Un punto a parte de la historia que quiero comentar, porque me parece imposible dejar de lado.
No entiendo cómo pasó el proceso de edición, y es la CANTIDAD DE COMENTARIOS MISÓGINOS. No sé si la autora es así. No sé si cree que así los chicos piensan (que muchos sí lamentablemente, pero no todos y estaría bueno que haya protagonistas masculinos que repudien esa clase de comportamiento y que más chicos se identifiquen con pensamientos más abiertos). Pero es terrible ver a Zhou enalteser a las mujeres de su vida que si quiere (su madre, su tía, sus amigas, su cuasi novia) y despreciar y desprestigiar por su exterior a las demás mujeres.
Es tan común eso, la distinción entre la puta y la santa. Las mujeres de su vida se enrolan en el segundo, mientras que TODAS las demás mujeres, en el primero. Era asqueroso de leer y más, en en género de YA.
Hacía rato (por suerte) que no me encontraba esto en este tipo de libros, creí que se había mejorado muchísimo desde 2012 o por esos tiempos, al YA actual, pero Cindy Pon lleva todo al tacho y se vuelve a retomar esa narrativa misógina de que si las mujeres son lindas, se maquillan, se visten provocativas, se operan, salen de fiesta, son putas, fáciles, desagradables.
Me dio asco de leer. Y sinceramente, por la calidad del libro a parte de eso le iba a dar dos estrellas, pero no puedo obviar esta bajada de línea tan triste (más, cuando es narrado por una mujer) el odio hacia sus pares.
tedpikul's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
mosthumanrobot's review against another edition
4.0
The short of it: Set in Taiwan, the city is ravaged by pollution and corrupt government, where only the elite can afford the suits to protect themselves. Jason Zhou must infiltrate high society to bring down the mega Jin Corporation - stumbling on a forbidden romance along the way.
From the literature references Zhou makes throughout the story, to the heart-warming family dynamic within his group of friends - this book is a gem. It provided an interesting setting with rampant air pollution gone unchecked, and when the disparity between rich and poor has gone to the extreme. I loved Zhou's charisma when interacting with the You's (the high society) and the growth of his beliefs and convictions. One of the first books I've read featuring Taiwan as a setting - with the characters occaisionally switching from Mandarin to English. I would recommend if you enjoy fast-paced reads, with convincing plots and a very cute romance.
From the literature references Zhou makes throughout the story, to the heart-warming family dynamic within his group of friends - this book is a gem. It provided an interesting setting with rampant air pollution gone unchecked, and when the disparity between rich and poor has gone to the extreme. I loved Zhou's charisma when interacting with the You's (the high society) and the growth of his beliefs and convictions. One of the first books I've read featuring Taiwan as a setting - with the characters occaisionally switching from Mandarin to English. I would recommend if you enjoy fast-paced reads, with convincing plots and a very cute romance.
lsparrow's review against another edition
3.0
a timely young adult read - questions about who has access to resources, new viruses and social responses.
xelasrecords's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
DNF at 17% page 46
The writing is very simple and the characters are forgettable. I tried to push through until the heist plan against the sci-fi evil pollution corp is introduced, but it just didn't interest me.
The writing is very simple and the characters are forgettable. I tried to push through until the heist plan against the sci-fi evil pollution corp is introduced, but it just didn't interest me.
lclowe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
jennthegreat251's review against another edition
4.0
Sadly, I could visualize this world so clearly. Interesting read but the first half was super slow and the 2nd half was rushed.