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alongreader's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure whether this book wants to be a romance, an alien novel or a dystopian; it mixes bits from all three, sadly not very successfully. Despite its being the third in a series I was able to follow well enough, but it just didn't make much internal sense, as far as I could tell. Not awful, but not great either.
redamancyreads's review against another edition
5.0
I've been anxiously waiting for this book to release since I read the two prequels - Scythe and Umbra and let me tell you, it was so worth that wait.
The story has everything I've come to learn and love about author Christina Bauer. The world building and twists and turns had me flipping through the pages so fast, I'm pretty sure I developed an eye twitch because I just couldn't slow down. lol
I am borderline obsessed with this story. My mind is just whirling with the unknowns and possibilities that can happen within this world! Meimi, Chloe and Zoe are definitely my heroes. I mean, sure Thorne is bomb dot com, but who doesn't love when a story has a kick ass female as the main character?
I'm super excited to see where things may go with Justice and Slate as well. Like..rubbing my hands together, gears turning in my mind, smacking my lips together excited. Hahaha
The story has everything I've come to learn and love about author Christina Bauer. The world building and twists and turns had me flipping through the pages so fast, I'm pretty sure I developed an eye twitch because I just couldn't slow down. lol
I am borderline obsessed with this story. My mind is just whirling with the unknowns and possibilities that can happen within this world! Meimi, Chloe and Zoe are definitely my heroes. I mean, sure Thorne is bomb dot com, but who doesn't love when a story has a kick ass female as the main character?
I'm super excited to see where things may go with Justice and Slate as well. Like..rubbing my hands together, gears turning in my mind, smacking my lips together excited. Hahaha
stine_reads's review against another edition
4.0
*free copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Phew, this was quite a ride! As alwayas, Christina Lauren manages to combine a kick-ass heroine and a sligthly overprotective boyfriend without it becoming cringy and...Twilight-y. The heroine stands on both two feet, and not once during the story did I recent the boyfriend for being the classic YA boyfriend trope. Yay!
The story itself is packed with action and fun, and the world building, which started so good in the first two prequels, continues perfectly. I can't wait to read the next one!
Phew, this was quite a ride! As alwayas, Christina Lauren manages to combine a kick-ass heroine and a sligthly overprotective boyfriend without it becoming cringy and...Twilight-y. The heroine stands on both two feet, and not once during the story did I recent the boyfriend for being the classic YA boyfriend trope. Yay!
The story itself is packed with action and fun, and the world building, which started so good in the first two prequels, continues perfectly. I can't wait to read the next one!
nemerith's review against another edition
3.0
I will start this review saying that in my opinion, it is best to read both prequels before starting Alien Minds
You get so much insight into how both Meimi and Thorne were before the start of Alien Minds.
So if you haven't already, go check them out!
That being said, I liked the story! I find the plot to be fun and very versatile. Though sci-fi isn't my normal cup of tea, I had no issues with this at all. Think more along the lines of 'alternate universe' and not as much 'spacey'.
World building was good, we mostly stayed within the lab, only occasionally venturing outside. But all descriptions were clear and well written.
Character development was good, though not as I was used to from the author. Having read her other books, I felt that Meimi and Thorne fell a little bit short of my expectations.
Of course, we need to keep in mind that they were in a lab most of the time and not exactly alone... so yeah, stands to reason not much can happen.
Pacing and flow were very good, with a great balance between action (and excitement) and conversations.
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors and there is no sex described (if that is important to you).
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and I thought it to be a smooth and enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next installment with a bit more depth to the characters. And a lot more female shenanigans :D
You get so much insight into how both Meimi and Thorne were before the start of Alien Minds.
So if you haven't already, go check them out!
That being said, I liked the story! I find the plot to be fun and very versatile. Though sci-fi isn't my normal cup of tea, I had no issues with this at all. Think more along the lines of 'alternate universe' and not as much 'spacey'.
World building was good, we mostly stayed within the lab, only occasionally venturing outside. But all descriptions were clear and well written.
Character development was good, though not as I was used to from the author. Having read her other books, I felt that Meimi and Thorne fell a little bit short of my expectations.
Of course, we need to keep in mind that they were in a lab most of the time and not exactly alone... so yeah, stands to reason not much can happen.
Pacing and flow were very good, with a great balance between action (and excitement) and conversations.
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors and there is no sex described (if that is important to you).
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and I thought it to be a smooth and enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next installment with a bit more depth to the characters. And a lot more female shenanigans :D
chllybrd's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the characters and the world. Make sure you read the prequels or you will likely be lost.
My biggest issue with ALIEN MINDS was that there was just too much explanations about things that wasn't needed. It took me out of the flow of the story and made me want to skip ahead to the meat of things.
The romance aspect was well done and all of the characters were easy to navigate. I would read more.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My biggest issue with ALIEN MINDS was that there was just too much explanations about things that wasn't needed. It took me out of the flow of the story and made me want to skip ahead to the meat of things.
The romance aspect was well done and all of the characters were easy to navigate. I would read more.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
theestherhadassah's review
5.0
Two things I was really excited about:
1) New Christina Bauer book; she has a fun and unique way of telling her stories.
2) A different take on leading heroines with good action pieces and suspenseful plots.
I had the privilege of reading the prequels before diving into Alien Minds. I am very glad that I did. I really enjoined Meimi's character. She has great spunk. She's a total bad-ass. She's extremely observant of her surroundings and I found that relatable to myself because I am exactly the same way.
From start to finish, it's hook-line-sink. I was glued to my seat and enjoyed every minute of it. The intrigue was amazing and when the climax came around, I was so shocked. I feel that the book is well executed and definitely leaves the reader wanting more. I can definitely agree that this book is for Divergent fans.
I have the most wonderful pleasure of participating in a blog tour for this book, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of this book for that participation. This is my honest, voluntary review. The reception of the book does not influence my final opinion.
1) New Christina Bauer book; she has a fun and unique way of telling her stories.
2) A different take on leading heroines with good action pieces and suspenseful plots.
I had the privilege of reading the prequels before diving into Alien Minds. I am very glad that I did. I really enjoined Meimi's character. She has great spunk. She's a total bad-ass. She's extremely observant of her surroundings and I found that relatable to myself because I am exactly the same way.
From start to finish, it's hook-line-sink. I was glued to my seat and enjoyed every minute of it. The intrigue was amazing and when the climax came around, I was so shocked. I feel that the book is well executed and definitely leaves the reader wanting more. I can definitely agree that this book is for Divergent fans.
I have the most wonderful pleasure of participating in a blog tour for this book, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of this book for that participation. This is my honest, voluntary review. The reception of the book does not influence my final opinion.
books_tea_healthy_me's review
4.0
Alien Minds is the third book in a series. The first two parts are novellas, but I would highly recommend reading them before you read Alien Minds. Everything will make much more sense. I enjoyed this book. It was a fun quick read. I will read the next book in the series when it comes available.
ania_star's review
5.0
Received from Xpresso Book Tours
Wow, this was one hell of a book. :) I just finished it and my thoughts are nowhere coherent. I knew from reading prequel that it will be amazing & was super hyped about it, but the story just blew my mind. :)
Wisteria wakes up in a hospital bed and the creepy doctor explains how she lost all her memories because of the accident and has to work for him on his super evil plan. She is guarded by Thorne who seems very familiar and goes for hot to cold all the time. Seeing the evilness of doctors plan she agrees to help him and forms a little side plan herself. She assembles a team, but it's not all smooth sailing. They are hardly a team at first, the doctor keeps interfering, crazy emperors are lurking, and there is always a chance from the plan to fail. No to spoil anything, but the ending is epic. :)
There is lots of sciency stuff (my favorite), loads of scheming, secret plan, plans within plan... so many plans đ(another favorite thing), non-stop action and so many twists and turns, and romance... ahhh... đ
One of the best books I've read this year ... đđđ
Highly recommend it!
Wow, this was one hell of a book. :) I just finished it and my thoughts are nowhere coherent. I knew from reading prequel that it will be amazing & was super hyped about it, but the story just blew my mind. :)
Wisteria wakes up in a hospital bed and the creepy doctor explains how she lost all her memories because of the accident and has to work for him on his super evil plan. She is guarded by Thorne who seems very familiar and goes for hot to cold all the time. Seeing the evilness of doctors plan she agrees to help him and forms a little side plan herself. She assembles a team, but it's not all smooth sailing. They are hardly a team at first, the doctor keeps interfering, crazy emperors are lurking, and there is always a chance from the plan to fail. No to spoil anything, but the ending is epic. :)
There is lots of sciency stuff (my favorite), loads of scheming, secret plan, plans within plan... so many plans đ(another favorite thing), non-stop action and so many twists and turns, and romance... ahhh... đ
One of the best books I've read this year ... đđđ
Highly recommend it!
oracle_of_madness's review
4.0
Meimi wakes up with no memory, and worse, she has to deal with Luci and Josiah without even knowing who they really are. She thinks her name is Wisteria Roberts, Meimi's old alias. However, she is still okay enough to know that this situation is sketchy and she doesn't like the Authority and definitely does not want to help Godwin. Meanwhile, Thorne is still protecting Meimi by working for Godwin as her personal guard. He is also secretly meeting his brothers , Justice and Slate, to not only keep them updated but to also receive their help. Meimi and Thorne do have something in common, besides being transcendents, and that is unstable parents. Meimi has a mom that has slowly been becoming more and more mentally unstable but has at least always tried to protect her daughter. Thorne's dad, however, has a father who goes between being a loving dad and a psycho emperor willing to kill his sons to keep his throne. Another thing Meimi and Thorne have in common? They both handle their situations incredibly well. There is so much going on in this book and it is so much fun to read about. Godwin has his maniacal evil plans, not to mention an awesome cat-snake with bat wings, and... of course, the ROMANCE!!! I recommend this to readers who are ready to have a good time! A fun quick read that will kept me cracking up and also on the edge of my seat!
thebookhawk's review
1.0
Read: March 2019
Rating: 1 star out of 5
*Thank you to Edelweiss+ for the free digital ARC.*
Honestly, I expected little from Christina Bauerâs Alien Minds - and this book lived up to my expectations. I plowed through Alien Minds quickly, simply because it was tedious and jejune and I wanted to be done with it.
Alien Minds plays host to a plethora of flaws, least of which is the sloppy editing. Although the writing is legible, Bauerâs strong suit clearly does not lie in grammar and spelling conventions, nor does her editorâs strength lie in noticing and correcting them. Several words are missing letters, have their letters transposed, or contain letters that transform them into different words altogether. Take, for example, Meimi yammering into her âsmart witchâ (smart watch) and explaining her âthughtsâ (thoughts) to the reader, and Thorneâs name being spelled âThroneâ at one point in the book. Errors like that, while obvious, are easy enough to parse out, but missing or jumbling words in sentences are more difficult to deal with.
Bauer also has a penchant for doling out the wrong amount of detail for the wrong subjects. Lush imagery and meticulously crafted lore are well and good, but it seems to me that Bauer gives more thorough descriptions of trivialities like clothing and appearances than of more important aspects of her story, particularly background information. Yes, I know Meimi is suffering from amnesia. Yes, I understand that some things will be left out as a result. That said, Bauer frequently just dumps readers into a scene, blathers about the sartorial choices of nearby characters or what color the walls are, decides, âFuck it!â and then careens onward through her haphazardly assembled plot. To make matters worse, she tends to gracelessly insert information, frequently at inappropriate points in a scene. These interruptions compound with negligible buildup to events, adversely affecting the flow of the story overall. (Side note: In a futuristic science fantasy novel, never use the word âmodernâ when describing architecture. No one knows what âmodernâ means in the context of two-and-a-half centuries in the future.)
The characters themselves have little appeal. Characterization is anemic from the start, and thereâs little character development to remedy that. Meimi is purportedly an adroit scientist, but readers donât really get to experience her problem-solving - they just see the results. Sheâs portrayed as a perfect girl, a state of being established less by actions and events and more by statements about Meimi. Furthermore, Meimi is the queen of patent observations. More than several times she notes something completely obvious in the stupidest way possible. Thorne, her extraterrestrial love interest, isnât a huge improvement. The son of an alien emperor, Thorneâs character centers around being in love with Meimi and dealing with his daddy issues, but mostly around being in love with Meimi. In fact, Thorneâs callow, near-constant exultation of Meimi is a major irritant. Thorne also has a creepy habit of smelling Meimi. Not catching a whiff of her scent in passing and remarking that she smells nice, but legit purposefully sniffing her. And when you sleep next door to someone, even if youâre concerned about their safety, itâs definitely obsessive to sleep on the floor directly in front of the door, not to mention imprudent. What if Meimi tries to run from danger and she opens his door and trips over him? Just sayinâ. Their instalove romance is dull and moves way too fast. In one scene, while Meimi is still suffering from amnesia, Thorne purchases undergarments for her. Slow the fuck down, dude, she only kinda remembers you. Thorne is also overprotective of Meimi and, much to my vexation, calls her âmy girlâ about one million times throughout the book; Meimi, meanwhile, repeatedly chooses the term âyummyâ to describe Thorne. This romance is so contrived that it would be fitting for Thorne to forgo the rose bouquet and instead gift Meimi an entire fucking bushel of corn.
So much of the story focuses on instalove that the supporting characters are glossed over, and the antagonists arenât well-constructed either. Zoe and Chloe Fine are useful but only superficially entertaining; the Hollowâs backstory is glossed over. Vargas, a Merciless soldier charged with marking society outcasts for execution - often with the unwilling aid of his poor Pokemon, Marro - is little more than a death-hungry lech with muscles and a pea brain. Dr. Godwin is basically the alternate-dimension Dr. Doofenshmirtz: heâs genuinely evil but completely cheesy and absolutely not subtle.
When all is said and done, I wouldnât read this book again, nor would I recommend it. Honestly, I probably wouldnât have read it in the first place if it hadnât been free. Itâs definitely not my cup of tea, but if Alien Minds is yours, by all means, please read it.
You can also read this review on my website: https://thebookishhawk.home.blog/
Rating: 1 star out of 5
*Thank you to Edelweiss+ for the free digital ARC.*
Honestly, I expected little from Christina Bauerâs Alien Minds - and this book lived up to my expectations. I plowed through Alien Minds quickly, simply because it was tedious and jejune and I wanted to be done with it.
Alien Minds plays host to a plethora of flaws, least of which is the sloppy editing. Although the writing is legible, Bauerâs strong suit clearly does not lie in grammar and spelling conventions, nor does her editorâs strength lie in noticing and correcting them. Several words are missing letters, have their letters transposed, or contain letters that transform them into different words altogether. Take, for example, Meimi yammering into her âsmart witchâ (smart watch) and explaining her âthughtsâ (thoughts) to the reader, and Thorneâs name being spelled âThroneâ at one point in the book. Errors like that, while obvious, are easy enough to parse out, but missing or jumbling words in sentences are more difficult to deal with.
Bauer also has a penchant for doling out the wrong amount of detail for the wrong subjects. Lush imagery and meticulously crafted lore are well and good, but it seems to me that Bauer gives more thorough descriptions of trivialities like clothing and appearances than of more important aspects of her story, particularly background information. Yes, I know Meimi is suffering from amnesia. Yes, I understand that some things will be left out as a result. That said, Bauer frequently just dumps readers into a scene, blathers about the sartorial choices of nearby characters or what color the walls are, decides, âFuck it!â and then careens onward through her haphazardly assembled plot. To make matters worse, she tends to gracelessly insert information, frequently at inappropriate points in a scene. These interruptions compound with negligible buildup to events, adversely affecting the flow of the story overall. (Side note: In a futuristic science fantasy novel, never use the word âmodernâ when describing architecture. No one knows what âmodernâ means in the context of two-and-a-half centuries in the future.)
The characters themselves have little appeal. Characterization is anemic from the start, and thereâs little character development to remedy that. Meimi is purportedly an adroit scientist, but readers donât really get to experience her problem-solving - they just see the results. Sheâs portrayed as a perfect girl, a state of being established less by actions and events and more by statements about Meimi. Furthermore, Meimi is the queen of patent observations. More than several times she notes something completely obvious in the stupidest way possible. Thorne, her extraterrestrial love interest, isnât a huge improvement. The son of an alien emperor, Thorneâs character centers around being in love with Meimi and dealing with his daddy issues, but mostly around being in love with Meimi. In fact, Thorneâs callow, near-constant exultation of Meimi is a major irritant. Thorne also has a creepy habit of smelling Meimi. Not catching a whiff of her scent in passing and remarking that she smells nice, but legit purposefully sniffing her. And when you sleep next door to someone, even if youâre concerned about their safety, itâs definitely obsessive to sleep on the floor directly in front of the door, not to mention imprudent. What if Meimi tries to run from danger and she opens his door and trips over him? Just sayinâ. Their instalove romance is dull and moves way too fast. In one scene, while Meimi is still suffering from amnesia, Thorne purchases undergarments for her. Slow the fuck down, dude, she only kinda remembers you. Thorne is also overprotective of Meimi and, much to my vexation, calls her âmy girlâ about one million times throughout the book; Meimi, meanwhile, repeatedly chooses the term âyummyâ to describe Thorne. This romance is so contrived that it would be fitting for Thorne to forgo the rose bouquet and instead gift Meimi an entire fucking bushel of corn.
So much of the story focuses on instalove that the supporting characters are glossed over, and the antagonists arenât well-constructed either. Zoe and Chloe Fine are useful but only superficially entertaining; the Hollowâs backstory is glossed over. Vargas, a Merciless soldier charged with marking society outcasts for execution - often with the unwilling aid of his poor Pokemon, Marro - is little more than a death-hungry lech with muscles and a pea brain. Dr. Godwin is basically the alternate-dimension Dr. Doofenshmirtz: heâs genuinely evil but completely cheesy and absolutely not subtle.
When all is said and done, I wouldnât read this book again, nor would I recommend it. Honestly, I probably wouldnât have read it in the first place if it hadnât been free. Itâs definitely not my cup of tea, but if Alien Minds is yours, by all means, please read it.
You can also read this review on my website: https://thebookishhawk.home.blog/