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alicedouglas's review against another edition
2.0
When I first picked up this book about a year ago I was so excited to read it. But as I started to read it I started to lose interest as fast as I started it. The beginning was slow and I couldn't get past chapter thirteen so I put it down and then a couple of days ago I thought why not give it a second chance. I started reading it and then found myself skim reading most of the book and I just kept in losing interest in it, the only thing that kept me going was I wanted to know how it ended. Out of the entire book the only thing that I liked was the fact that Anthem (like myself) is a dancer and had a mechanical heart, and I also liked the last three chapter of the book, as well as some things here and there. But other than that I thought the the main character was annoying, I mean who goes on a revenge spree for a guy that she claims to love after knowing him for about a week.
I personally had high expectations of this book that certainly weren't met and maybe one day in the future I might pick up the sequel but right now I doubt it.
I personally had high expectations of this book that certainly weren't met and maybe one day in the future I might pick up the sequel but right now I doubt it.
caladhiel80's review against another edition
4.0
Un univers à la Batman, une héroïne naïve qui grandit et se bat au fil des pages. Une histoire pleine de potentiel de réflexion par rapport aux dérives qui menacent notre société de surconsommation. Espérons que certains de ces éléments soient approfondis dans le second tome de cette duologie que j'attends avec impatience.
Ma chronique en entier: www.bulledecaladhiel.com/chronique-les-coeurs-brises-1-de-amelia-kahaney/
Ma chronique en entier: www.bulledecaladhiel.com/chronique-les-coeurs-brises-1-de-amelia-kahaney/
sjeckert's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this story. It held my interest and appealed to the parts of me that love Batman. I only reduce my rating for a couple reasons. First, while stylistically I thought the story was written in an interesting way, there were also several places I feel the writing could have been better. The other reason is a plausibility issue. I don't think the author talked to a scientist when writing about Anthem's new heart, and as a scientist, all I can see is where it doesn't make sense. I was really disappointed with the explanation of the heart and her new abilities. Maybe I missed something, but it just doesn't make sense scientifically or biologically. But regardless of my problems with where her abilities came from, I still ordered the sequel...if that tells you how I feel about Anthem and Bedlam...
postitsandpens's review against another edition
3.0
While this is by no means the best book ever, I did enjoy portions of this quite a lot. I do wish there had been better world-building, and I didn't always love Anthem, our MC, but I still found this entertaining enough overall, even if I did see the big plot twist coming fairly early on. Still, if there's a sequel, I'll definitely check it out.
Full review to come soon.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
Full review to come soon.
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
stephajo's review against another edition
4.0
"The Dark Night meets Cinder"? How can anyone NOT want to read this?
bibt198's review against another edition
2.0
This book could have been so much more.
Sadly, while the concept of it sounded amazing, the execution wasn't as good.
Plus, the fact that I guessed most of the ending did not help the story and my enjoyment of it at all.
Sadly, while the concept of it sounded amazing, the execution wasn't as good.
Plus, the fact that I guessed most of the ending did not help the story and my enjoyment of it at all.
36459gem's review against another edition
5.0
This novel was nothing like I was expecting. Based off the cover alone I was expecting some massive science fiction cyborg kinda thing.
However I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't it at all.
Gavins character made me so angry. The way he lied to Anthem and tricked her was what made the plotline so good but so frustrating at the same time. I honestly just wanted to reach into the story and murder him. Thankfully Anthem did it for me.
Finding out about Gavins connection to her father has made me super excited for the sequel. Can't wait to read.
However I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't it at all.
Gavins character made me so angry. The way he lied to Anthem and tricked her was what made the plotline so good but so frustrating at the same time. I honestly just wanted to reach into the story and murder him. Thankfully Anthem did it for me.
Finding out about Gavins connection to her father has made me super excited for the sequel. Can't wait to read.
forsakenfates's review against another edition
3.0
“And everyday since then, Bedlam City and the people in it have managed to break her heart all over again. She’s learned this world is a beast, a bully that keeps on kicking you long after you’re down. In Bedlam, you either learn to take a beating, or you find a way to fight back.”
This is one of those books that confuses me when it comes to the ratings on Goodreads. This book is rated extremely low (3.37), with many 1 star ratings. I went into this book apprehensive and expecting the worst. I was presently surprised to find a reimagined Batman-esque book. This book was not amazing, nor was it as horrible as others have said. Yes, this book was extremely similar to Batman and Gotham City, but it was unique with a female protagonist. The book had very little world building but this did not bother me much since it so closely resembled Gotham. I can see why others have been bothered by the lack of world building, Kahaney was attempting to make a crime ridden city in Bedlam and used many aspects of Gotham and Batman to achieve this. This lessened the originality of her story.
Anthem was annoying yes, but she is your stereotypical rich kid who gains “powers” and becomes a vigilante. Along with the superpowers, Anthem was also a ballerina initially. I found her annoying at times and hated the way she treated her friends and family throughout the book. Anthem is surrounded by other characters such as her parents, her ex-boyfriend, Will, her best friend, Zahra, and her new boyfriend, Gavin. There was quite a bit of insta-love between Gavin and Anthem, but they aren’t with each other long enough before he is kidnapped for it to really bother me.
As for the believability aspect of this book, I think the superhero vibe this book gave off helped me connect with the story and believe that it was possible for Anthem to have this new heart that saved her and also gave her new powers.
The best part of this book was definitely the prologue, I honestly loved it. I even used the end of it as the quote at the beginning of the review. It was very superhero-esque and reminded me of the intros to shows such as Arrow and The Flash, where the character is explaining who they are and what they do.
I struggled with what rating to give this book and decided a 3.5. This was done mostly because this book was enjoyable, but not amazing. I enjoyed the ease of reading it and how fast I was able to get through it. And as I’ve said, I enjoyed the superhero aspect of this book even if our protagonist left much to be desired.
This is one of those books that confuses me when it comes to the ratings on Goodreads. This book is rated extremely low (3.37), with many 1 star ratings. I went into this book apprehensive and expecting the worst. I was presently surprised to find a reimagined Batman-esque book. This book was not amazing, nor was it as horrible as others have said. Yes, this book was extremely similar to Batman and Gotham City, but it was unique with a female protagonist. The book had very little world building but this did not bother me much since it so closely resembled Gotham. I can see why others have been bothered by the lack of world building, Kahaney was attempting to make a crime ridden city in Bedlam and used many aspects of Gotham and Batman to achieve this. This lessened the originality of her story.
Anthem was annoying yes, but she is your stereotypical rich kid who gains “powers” and becomes a vigilante. Along with the superpowers, Anthem was also a ballerina initially. I found her annoying at times and hated the way she treated her friends and family throughout the book. Anthem is surrounded by other characters such as her parents, her ex-boyfriend, Will, her best friend, Zahra, and her new boyfriend, Gavin. There was quite a bit of insta-love between Gavin and Anthem, but they aren’t with each other long enough before he is kidnapped for it to really bother me.
As for the believability aspect of this book, I think the superhero vibe this book gave off helped me connect with the story and believe that it was possible for Anthem to have this new heart that saved her and also gave her new powers.
The best part of this book was definitely the prologue, I honestly loved it. I even used the end of it as the quote at the beginning of the review. It was very superhero-esque and reminded me of the intros to shows such as Arrow and The Flash, where the character is explaining who they are and what they do.
I struggled with what rating to give this book and decided a 3.5. This was done mostly because this book was enjoyable, but not amazing. I enjoyed the ease of reading it and how fast I was able to get through it. And as I’ve said, I enjoyed the superhero aspect of this book even if our protagonist left much to be desired.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
3.0
Anthem Fleet has grown up in a world of privilege but things are changing. As the daughter of one of the most powerful men in town, she knows she has to be careful but one night she decides to go to a party with her friend Zahara and meets Gavin, the guy who changes her life.
Gavin is a Southsider and the opposite of everything Anthem is/represents. He is a little dangerous and Anthem finds herself adjusting her priorities to be with him. Instead of going to ballet she is meeting Gavin after school and their relationship moves very quickly. Anthem breaks up with Will and starts spending less time with her best friend Zahara and over the span of a few weeks, she is in (insta) love with Gavin.
After spending the night with Gavin at his place, Anthem finds that she and Gavin have been targeted by some syndicate members and Gavin ends up kidnapped. On her way to find help, Anthem finds herself in danger and after falling to what she believes is her death, eventually wakes up in a lab with people she doesn't know. The jogger, Ford, who stopped her on the bridge and scared her, is the one that saved her. During his explanation of what happened, she also learns that her heart stopped and in order to keep her alive, she had to be given a to find she has a chimeric heart and along with the new heart comes some abilities she never had before.
As she comes to, Anthem finds she has been missing for 3 days – days she feels she should have been doing whatever she could to save Gavin. When she goes to her parents and they refuse to help her find him, she decides to do whatever she can on her own and with the help of some people she wasn't expecting, Anthem becomes more than just a teenage girl trying to find the boy she loves. As she goes on this mission to find and save Gavin she finds out more about her city and the syndicate than she originally thought she would. As she comes to lose something she considered valuable, she decides that she will do whatever it takes to bring those who are guilty to justice.
Ford and Serge become her allies. Ford is the guy who inadvertently scares Anthem quite literally to her death and then takes her to a lab to be saved. He is also the guy who teaches her to fight and yes, they eventually come to mean more to each other. Serge is still a bit of a mystery to me. He is the bodyguard/driver for Anthem’s father/family and he recognizes there is something going on with her. He is the one who helps her with information and either protecting her from Will and others or even sometimes herself.
There were some things about this story that I enjoyed and others that I thought were fairly predictable. The way the relationship was developed between Anthem and Gavin went too quickly – they went from meeting once at a party to Anthem giving up her virginity to him about a week later. Probably not a big deal but she seemed to throw everything she valued (ballet) out the door once she met him and it felt a bit forced to me. With that in mind, I see why Kahaney felt it was necessary as the story progressed.
I do also wish we had gotten a bit more background of how things came to be. Kahaney alludes to the fact that things weren't always as bad and with the introduction of The Hope story, we see people at one time believed in something. I would have also liked to have learned more about this sister of Anthem’s. She clearly is an important figure but we only get bits and pieces of her story and the fact that her death was the catalyst to Anthem’s birth.
Overall I enjoyed this story. Due to this new heart Anthem has unexplainable abilities and because of a clear betrayal, she is forever changed. The fact that she uses these abilities to make an impact on the population of the city is interesting to me and I am curious to see what happens next (really not sure – is this a series or not. It appears not but the end definitely left this open.) with Anthem, her family and Ford. This was a quick read and fairly fast paced. If you enjoy a story with a bit of mystery, a bit of action and some interesting characters, you might also enjoy this one.
Gavin is a Southsider and the opposite of everything Anthem is/represents. He is a little dangerous and Anthem finds herself adjusting her priorities to be with him. Instead of going to ballet she is meeting Gavin after school and their relationship moves very quickly. Anthem breaks up with Will and starts spending less time with her best friend Zahara and over the span of a few weeks, she is in (insta) love with Gavin.
After spending the night with Gavin at his place, Anthem finds that she and Gavin have been targeted by some syndicate members and Gavin ends up kidnapped. On her way to find help, Anthem finds herself in danger and after falling to what she believes is her death, eventually wakes up in a lab with people she doesn't know. The jogger, Ford, who stopped her on the bridge and scared her, is the one that saved her. During his explanation of what happened, she also learns that her heart stopped and in order to keep her alive, she had to be given a to find she has a chimeric heart and along with the new heart comes some abilities she never had before.
As she comes to, Anthem finds she has been missing for 3 days – days she feels she should have been doing whatever she could to save Gavin. When she goes to her parents and they refuse to help her find him, she decides to do whatever she can on her own and with the help of some people she wasn't expecting, Anthem becomes more than just a teenage girl trying to find the boy she loves. As she goes on this mission to find and save Gavin she finds out more about her city and the syndicate than she originally thought she would. As she comes to lose something she considered valuable, she decides that she will do whatever it takes to bring those who are guilty to justice.
Ford and Serge become her allies. Ford is the guy who inadvertently scares Anthem quite literally to her death and then takes her to a lab to be saved. He is also the guy who teaches her to fight and yes, they eventually come to mean more to each other. Serge is still a bit of a mystery to me. He is the bodyguard/driver for Anthem’s father/family and he recognizes there is something going on with her. He is the one who helps her with information and either protecting her from Will and others or even sometimes herself.
There were some things about this story that I enjoyed and others that I thought were fairly predictable. The way the relationship was developed between Anthem and Gavin went too quickly – they went from meeting once at a party to Anthem giving up her virginity to him about a week later. Probably not a big deal but she seemed to throw everything she valued (ballet) out the door once she met him and it felt a bit forced to me. With that in mind, I see why Kahaney felt it was necessary as the story progressed.
I do also wish we had gotten a bit more background of how things came to be. Kahaney alludes to the fact that things weren't always as bad and with the introduction of The Hope story, we see people at one time believed in something. I would have also liked to have learned more about this sister of Anthem’s. She clearly is an important figure but we only get bits and pieces of her story and the fact that her death was the catalyst to Anthem’s birth.
Overall I enjoyed this story. Due to this new heart Anthem has unexplainable abilities and because of a clear betrayal, she is forever changed. The fact that she uses these abilities to make an impact on the population of the city is interesting to me and I am curious to see what happens next (really not sure – is this a series or not. It appears not but the end definitely left this open.) with Anthem, her family and Ford. This was a quick read and fairly fast paced. If you enjoy a story with a bit of mystery, a bit of action and some interesting characters, you might also enjoy this one.
sydneythekydneybean's review against another edition
You gave me a cool concept. A girl with a bionic heart, some kidnapping and a kickass girl. Cool concept, but then you add an instalove, losing virginity in a week, some weird plot twists, betrayal that was completely uncalled for, a whiny girl, and an incomplete world building and you've ruined it.
Let's start things off, Anthem Fleet is a perfect girl who is rich, a ballet virtuoso and has the boy everyone wants. She's always whining about how she is the replacement daughter for he parents after their last daughter drowned. Now even though she might have red hair instead of blonde and green eyes instead of blue, but she is still perfect. Good girl, good grades, has that one bad friend. But, still feels bad. Boohoo. Anyways, her parents kinda ignore her, but still whatever. They have a banquet for orphan charity Anthem is going to with her six month boyfriend with. Now this boyfriend, Will, is the perfect guy every parent wants their daughter to go out with, but he wants to go farther with her. She feels uncomfortable, but I would be too. He was super controlling. Anyways, she goes with her bad friend Zahar to this party on the South Side. Now in the description, her parents don't want her going to the South Side, but in the book her parents never even mention it.
So, Anthem goes to this party with her friend and meets the guy, Gavin, and have a great time talking while he smoke for like fifteen minutes before some police come around and gas the place and they lose each other. It's a great thing, so the gas is called feargas. Zahar has hallucinations, starts crying, thinks the moon is bleeding. I have never seen anything like it... and they never explain how it came to be or why they were invented.
Anthem gets back to school, normal, breaks up with her stupid boyfriend. But Will is, like, super mean about it. He basically says that Anthem will come crawling back to him and that no one breaks up with Will and that he has, like, people watching her. All creepy man stuff.
Anyways, Anthem goes to her ballet practice and sees that Gavin, the guy at the party, is there waiting for him. Instead of being like, "No, I really have to go practice and I've know you for fifteen minutes and you could be a serial killer. No thank you, I will not be getting on the back of your motorcycle with you to who-know-where." Nope, she goes, like a little idiot. She lies to her ballet coach for a whole week and goes with this guy she barely knows. Now, within the first day, the first hour that she knows him, she's making out with him. So many lies... so much deceit... so much no.
At the end of this week, Anthem sneaks out to see Gavin at his place. Now he has a great place, huge, great place. He paints houses in the summer... that doesn't make a lot of money. Everyone knows that. Painters get zip, zilch, nada, nothing. But princess doesn't know that. But wait it gets better... she loses her virginity with him. AFTER A WHOLE WEEK! THE BOYFRIEND FOR SIX MONTHS AND NOTHING! A BOY SHE'S KNOWN FOR A WEEK, AND NOTHING BUT LIES THAT CAME FROM HIM, EVERYTHING FOR HIM!
Then, these people barge into his house with guns and point it at Gavin's head. And they somehow know that she is the richest girl of all North Side. How? I don't know, but she never asks. Anyways, mean people take lover boy, wanting money.
She walks off into the night because she is a seventeen-year-old girl who doesn't know how to drive and her boyfriend drove her there. Now, she's a small girl in the dead of night in the highest crime part of town all by herself. Yeah, smart girl. Anyways, of course she was harassed, but she gets saved by some guy. She gets scared, well he didn't help much, but she still runs to a cliff and he was trying to get her away from it but she falls off the cliff.
When she waked up, she's in a bloody lab. Now this bionic heart is cool to think of, but it's kinda put to the side. I kinda understand the speed, since her heart beats faster and the blood pumps quicker. But the hearing and grace and the way her eyes and hair are more vibrant make absolutely no sense. There is no way that her heart could change any of that. But if it could, they don't explain it whatsoever.
So she needs the money to get Gavin back, but her parents won't give it to her. So she gets a gun, the guy who gave her a heart to bring her to the crime place, an old mall, and she confronts them, ALL ALONE! The head crime lady, Miss Roach, ends up shooting Gavin the the chest in front of Anthem. She gets angry and beats the shit out of everyone. But, surprise, surprise, Gavin was behind the whole thing for her money.
This is what you get Anthem for being whiny and cling to hard and too quick. But her dad was also behind it? I am so confused by this book. Her boyfriend blackmails her, and does a good job with it. I'm proud. But Anthem should have been smarter. I'm disappointed. She should have thought it thorough, listened to everyone around her, left Gavin to die. No one is worth that. Especially after a week. With that bionic heart she could do anything with her life.
Gah, I'm so disappointed. I gave the book up. Great concept.
Onto the next one.
Let's start things off, Anthem Fleet is a perfect girl who is rich, a ballet virtuoso and has the boy everyone wants. She's always whining about how she is the replacement daughter for he parents after their last daughter drowned. Now even though she might have red hair instead of blonde and green eyes instead of blue, but she is still perfect. Good girl, good grades, has that one bad friend. But, still feels bad. Boohoo. Anyways, her parents kinda ignore her, but still whatever. They have a banquet for orphan charity Anthem is going to with her six month boyfriend with. Now this boyfriend, Will, is the perfect guy every parent wants their daughter to go out with, but he wants to go farther with her. She feels uncomfortable, but I would be too. He was super controlling. Anyways, she goes with her bad friend Zahar to this party on the South Side. Now in the description, her parents don't want her going to the South Side, but in the book her parents never even mention it.
So, Anthem goes to this party with her friend and meets the guy, Gavin, and have a great time talking while he smoke for like fifteen minutes before some police come around and gas the place and they lose each other. It's a great thing, so the gas is called feargas. Zahar has hallucinations, starts crying, thinks the moon is bleeding. I have never seen anything like it... and they never explain how it came to be or why they were invented.
Anthem gets back to school, normal, breaks up with her stupid boyfriend. But Will is, like, super mean about it. He basically says that Anthem will come crawling back to him and that no one breaks up with Will and that he has, like, people watching her. All creepy man stuff.
Anyways, Anthem goes to her ballet practice and sees that Gavin, the guy at the party, is there waiting for him. Instead of being like, "No, I really have to go practice and I've know you for fifteen minutes and you could be a serial killer. No thank you, I will not be getting on the back of your motorcycle with you to who-know-where." Nope, she goes, like a little idiot. She lies to her ballet coach for a whole week and goes with this guy she barely knows. Now, within the first day, the first hour that she knows him, she's making out with him. So many lies... so much deceit... so much no.
At the end of this week, Anthem sneaks out to see Gavin at his place. Now he has a great place, huge, great place. He paints houses in the summer... that doesn't make a lot of money. Everyone knows that. Painters get zip, zilch, nada, nothing. But princess doesn't know that. But wait it gets better... she loses her virginity with him. AFTER A WHOLE WEEK! THE BOYFRIEND FOR SIX MONTHS AND NOTHING! A BOY SHE'S KNOWN FOR A WEEK, AND NOTHING BUT LIES THAT CAME FROM HIM, EVERYTHING FOR HIM!
Then, these people barge into his house with guns and point it at Gavin's head. And they somehow know that she is the richest girl of all North Side. How? I don't know, but she never asks. Anyways, mean people take lover boy, wanting money.
She walks off into the night because she is a seventeen-year-old girl who doesn't know how to drive and her boyfriend drove her there. Now, she's a small girl in the dead of night in the highest crime part of town all by herself. Yeah, smart girl. Anyways, of course she was harassed, but she gets saved by some guy. She gets scared, well he didn't help much, but she still runs to a cliff and he was trying to get her away from it but she falls off the cliff.
When she waked up, she's in a bloody lab. Now this bionic heart is cool to think of, but it's kinda put to the side. I kinda understand the speed, since her heart beats faster and the blood pumps quicker. But the hearing and grace and the way her eyes and hair are more vibrant make absolutely no sense. There is no way that her heart could change any of that. But if it could, they don't explain it whatsoever.
So she needs the money to get Gavin back, but her parents won't give it to her. So she gets a gun, the guy who gave her a heart to bring her to the crime place, an old mall, and she confronts them, ALL ALONE! The head crime lady, Miss Roach, ends up shooting Gavin the the chest in front of Anthem. She gets angry and beats the shit out of everyone. But, surprise, surprise, Gavin was behind the whole thing for her money.
This is what you get Anthem for being whiny and cling to hard and too quick. But her dad was also behind it? I am so confused by this book. Her boyfriend blackmails her, and does a good job with it. I'm proud. But Anthem should have been smarter. I'm disappointed. She should have thought it thorough, listened to everyone around her, left Gavin to die. No one is worth that. Especially after a week. With that bionic heart she could do anything with her life.
Gah, I'm so disappointed. I gave the book up. Great concept.
Onto the next one.