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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
I picked this book for one of my reading challenges thinking it was a Western. According to Kirkus it is a dystopian western, so I am not entirely sure it will fit the genre requirement. I was hesitant to pick it up as I am not a fan of juggernaut James Patterson and am reluctant to pick up books he endorses.
This was the first "James Patterson Presents" I picked up and it did not leave a good impression. The author did not do a good job with world building, never explains why a six-shooter was the protagonist's mom weapon of choice, and did not create a plot that interested me. I sped through the audiobook at 3x and was happy when the book ended, not because I was satisfied with the resolution, but because I was done. Perhaps this was due to the fact that I had high expectations due to the fact that our heroine was compared to Annie Oakley and Katniss Everdeen and I was disappointed that there was not more of these badass women in her personality.
This was the first "James Patterson Presents" I picked up and it did not leave a good impression. The author did not do a good job with world building, never explains why a six-shooter was the protagonist's mom weapon of choice, and did not create a plot that interested me. I sped through the audiobook at 3x and was happy when the book ended, not because I was satisfied with the resolution, but because I was done. Perhaps this was due to the fact that I had high expectations due to the fact that our heroine was compared to Annie Oakley and Katniss Everdeen and I was disappointed that there was not more of these badass women in her personality.
NOTE: I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review by Date a Book/Hachette Books Australia. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Spoiler-Free Review is up on my channel:
https://youtu.be/qrBlK57eSyo
OH MY!
This debut western/dystopian was really good and it's not getting as much buzz as it deserves!
I'm honestly hoping and praying that there is going to be a sequel because I NEED!
Spoiler-Free Review is up on my channel:
https://youtu.be/qrBlK57eSyo
OH MY!
This debut western/dystopian was really good and it's not getting as much buzz as it deserves!
I'm honestly hoping and praying that there is going to be a sequel because I NEED!
3.5 / 5
If you're a fan of the YA genre, this one should check all the right boxes. If you're less inclined, it's worth a shot. It's not particularly character driven or deep. It just depends on how much you'd be into a Western-lite, criminal underworld, circus Dystopia.
I am waiting for the sequel.
full review: https://absoluteshannonigans.blogspot.com/2018/01/gunslinger-girl-lyndsay-ely.html
If you're a fan of the YA genre, this one should check all the right boxes. If you're less inclined, it's worth a shot. It's not particularly character driven or deep. It just depends on how much you'd be into a Western-lite, criminal underworld, circus Dystopia.
I am waiting for the sequel.
full review: https://absoluteshannonigans.blogspot.com/2018/01/gunslinger-girl-lyndsay-ely.html
This was a decent story, but nothing to write home about, as it were.
It's basically a Western, but set in a dystopian future. There's talk of a Second Civil War and the Pacific Event which changed the face of the world - but there's really not a lot of explanation given to these. We know that there were the Patriots, who lost the war, and the Confederation, who won, and the only reason it seems remotely important is because it gives some characters motivation. The Pacific Event is literally mentioned in passing, even though it seems to have destroyed parts of the world.
Anyway - it established that we're in a world where, in what remains of the former United States, there's the big cities on the East, the frontier and farm lands in the West, and the focus on the book in the furthest corner of the West, lawless, except for Selene's law, where there's prostitution and gambling and shows...
So, yeah... it's a Western, but with cars. I mean, there's not really a lot of tech or anything which screams futuristic or anything. It could be a straight up Western for all it's worth, really, but I guess that's not as much of a seller as the current YA dystopian trend.
But, really, none of that bothered me overly. Well, except I would've liked more details in the world building. But it's a common trait in YA books to have just enough world building to set the stage, as it were, so I can roll with that.
What really was lacking was the characters and the writing. I mean, it was perfectly serviceable writing, but suffered from the dreaded telling vs showing. We were told how Pity felt - she felt a twinge or guilt, or a moment of sorrow, or whatever. But, despite being in her head, we never really get into the character, if that makes sense. It's never told in an evocative enough sense that we can feel what she's feeling. Instead we're told what she's feeling, as if we were watching from a distance.
And the characters were kind of shallow. Pity and Max at least get a bit of history, but Max is artistic and moody and we find out about his past - and that's the entire sum of his parts. Pity is damaged and determined and that's about the sum of her parts. Usually I can forgive - even applaud - YA's tendency to not belabor world-building, but it's usually a trade off with deeper developed characters. It's a trade-off I'm more than willing to accept - but I didn't feel like we got much in the way of characters, either.
And literally only Pity and Max, and maybe Selene a very little bit, got any development. Everyone else was more or less set dressing.
So, yeah...
That said, it was interesting enough to keep me reading, and it was fast paced and it was entertaining enough to pass some time, if just a bit mediocre. I think a better writer could've made more out of the story - but it is a debut novel, so hopefully the writing style will develop in time.
Of course, I have to admit I was a bit hesitant as soon as I saw the "James Patterson presents" slapped onto the front of the book because, by all accounts, mediocre writing with shallow characterizations but fast paced stories is pretty much his guiding light, so...
It's basically a Western, but set in a dystopian future. There's talk of a Second Civil War and the Pacific Event which changed the face of the world - but there's really not a lot of explanation given to these. We know that there were the Patriots, who lost the war, and the Confederation, who won, and the only reason it seems remotely important is because it gives some characters motivation. The Pacific Event is literally mentioned in passing, even though it seems to have destroyed parts of the world.
Anyway - it established that we're in a world where, in what remains of the former United States, there's the big cities on the East, the frontier and farm lands in the West, and the focus on the book in the furthest corner of the West, lawless, except for Selene's law, where there's prostitution and gambling and shows...
So, yeah... it's a Western, but with cars. I mean, there's not really a lot of tech or anything which screams futuristic or anything. It could be a straight up Western for all it's worth, really, but I guess that's not as much of a seller as the current YA dystopian trend.
But, really, none of that bothered me overly. Well, except I would've liked more details in the world building. But it's a common trait in YA books to have just enough world building to set the stage, as it were, so I can roll with that.
What really was lacking was the characters and the writing. I mean, it was perfectly serviceable writing, but suffered from the dreaded telling vs showing. We were told how Pity felt - she felt a twinge or guilt, or a moment of sorrow, or whatever. But, despite being in her head, we never really get into the character, if that makes sense. It's never told in an evocative enough sense that we can feel what she's feeling. Instead we're told what she's feeling, as if we were watching from a distance.
And the characters were kind of shallow. Pity and Max at least get a bit of history, but Max is artistic and moody and we find out about his past - and that's the entire sum of his parts. Pity is damaged and determined and that's about the sum of her parts. Usually I can forgive - even applaud - YA's tendency to not belabor world-building, but it's usually a trade off with deeper developed characters. It's a trade-off I'm more than willing to accept - but I didn't feel like we got much in the way of characters, either.
And literally only Pity and Max, and maybe Selene a very little bit, got any development. Everyone else was more or less set dressing.
So, yeah...
That said, it was interesting enough to keep me reading, and it was fast paced and it was entertaining enough to pass some time, if just a bit mediocre. I think a better writer could've made more out of the story - but it is a debut novel, so hopefully the writing style will develop in time.
Of course, I have to admit I was a bit hesitant as soon as I saw the "James Patterson presents" slapped onto the front of the book because, by all accounts, mediocre writing with shallow characterizations but fast paced stories is pretty much his guiding light, so...
Serendipity Jones lives with her father and two brothers, her mother having died years earlier. Her father is a brutal man, and upon hearing the news that she has been sold off because she's fertile, Pity runs. She takes only her mother's guns from the war, and her best friend. Along the way, they are set upon - leading Pity to a place and a life that she never would have imagined to be hers.
The setting for this book is after some sort of huge disaster for the world, including another civil war. However, that is a backdrop to the story - not the story itself. Instead, it influences how the story plays out and how the people are. It's like a futuristic throwback western, really.
I got this book somewhat impulsively, but I am quite glad I did. The characters are fabulous, and as with all good westerns, look out for the double-cross(es). I particularly liked Pity - she's a strong female main character who learns to trust her own strength over time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Gunslinger Girl, and would happily read more.
The setting for this book is after some sort of huge disaster for the world, including another civil war. However, that is a backdrop to the story - not the story itself. Instead, it influences how the story plays out and how the people are. It's like a futuristic throwback western, really.
I got this book somewhat impulsively, but I am quite glad I did. The characters are fabulous, and as with all good westerns, look out for the double-cross(es). I particularly liked Pity - she's a strong female main character who learns to trust her own strength over time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Gunslinger Girl, and would happily read more.
My first ever western.
It was good but not great. Pity wasn’t my favorite character. I thought she was overly trusting and slightly naive but that made her seem more normal. The setting was cool, the wild mixed with the west. Pity’s talent as a sharpshooter wasn’t really displayed that much. When it mattered she had a tendency to miss. You would have thought she’d hit every shot and every target.
All in all it was an enjoyable read. The ending saved it from the 3.5 rating. It seems like there will potentially be another book and if definitely read it if it happens.
It was good but not great. Pity wasn’t my favorite character. I thought she was overly trusting and slightly naive but that made her seem more normal. The setting was cool, the wild mixed with the west. Pity’s talent as a sharpshooter wasn’t really displayed that much. When it mattered she had a tendency to miss. You would have thought she’d hit every shot and every target.
All in all it was an enjoyable read. The ending saved it from the 3.5 rating. It seems like there will potentially be another book and if definitely read it if it happens.
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars 🌟
I don’t really have much to say about this one.
Overall I enjoyed it and found it entertaining but I doubt I’ll ever feel the desire to reread or think about it again.
I don’t really have much to say about this one.
Overall I enjoyed it and found it entertaining but I doubt I’ll ever feel the desire to reread or think about it again.
Such an interesting mix of the Wild West, futuristic tech, and a world of mystery and thrill!
Is it sci fi? Is it a western? Wait.. could it be a circus themed book? But then again is it dystopian? Believe it or not guys.. it is all of them! Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I was excited by the prospect of another western because I enjoyed Vengeance Road but this one fell flat. It was a bit too confusing for me and the mish mash of genres had the book jumping around a lot. Also, the name Pity bothers me. I can’t even say it out loud (haha).
I did love Ely’s writing though! I found it smooth and the pages kept on moving. I’d like to see her write on a different topic. Definitely still give this one a try if you’d like to try something different!
**Thank you for sending the ARC my way Hachette Book Canada.**
I did love Ely’s writing though! I found it smooth and the pages kept on moving. I’d like to see her write on a different topic. Definitely still give this one a try if you’d like to try something different!
**Thank you for sending the ARC my way Hachette Book Canada.**
For me, this book struggled with pacing and a clear antagonist/problem acting against the main character. This felt a lot like the main character learning a new city and struggling to adapt to a new way of life. I think this lack of clarity made the plot twists and final act of the book feel less powerful - it kind of felt like it came out of nowhere. Overall, I liked the story and the characters, but it wasn't a new favorite either.