Scan barcode
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
Fairly quick read, and the last in the series by this New York author. Young-adult, subtly touching on themes of honesty and work ethic.
More of a "shared universe" than a series, each of the books is about something happening inside the game from Rasmussem corporation. Considering the length of time between books, the author has done an excellent job of focusing on the experience instead of the individual tech.
Nearly all of the characters are female, from the main company representative down to the main character trying to save her sister. Male characters make up 1) the lawyer 2) the boyfriend, and arguably 3) the game AI. The main conflict is between the main character's sister and her best female friend.
In the previous books, the game was part of the conflict; here the game is merely the vehicle. The ending is fairly sudden and too brief to cover some larger themes introduced. Ultimately I liked this a little less than [b:Heir Apparent|213652|Heir Apparent (Rasmussem Corporation, #2)|Vivian Vande Velde|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1378760495l/213652._SX50_.jpg|1032171]. I would like to check out more of the authors books, and have my eye on [b:The Book of Mordred|589767|The Book of Mordred|Vivian Vande Velde|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348979612l/589767._SY75_.jpg|2805].
More of a "shared universe" than a series, each of the books is about something happening inside the game from Rasmussem corporation. Considering the length of time between books, the author has done an excellent job of focusing on the experience instead of the individual tech.
Nearly all of the characters are female, from the main company representative down to the main character trying to save her sister. Male characters make up 1) the lawyer 2) the boyfriend, and arguably 3) the game AI. The main conflict is between the main character's sister and her best female friend.
In the previous books, the game was part of the conflict; here the game is merely the vehicle. The ending is fairly sudden and too brief to cover some larger themes introduced. Ultimately I liked this a little less than [b:Heir Apparent|213652|Heir Apparent (Rasmussem Corporation, #2)|Vivian Vande Velde|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1378760495l/213652._SX50_.jpg|1032171]. I would like to check out more of the authors books, and have my eye on [b:The Book of Mordred|589767|The Book of Mordred|Vivian Vande Velde|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348979612l/589767._SY75_.jpg|2805].
bananapancakes211's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
watry's review
3.0
Why I Picked It Up: I first read User Unfriendly years ago, in elementary school. I loved Heir Apparent, too, so of course I chose to finish the trilogy.
Why I finished it: It was short. I didn't dislike the book, but really, that was the only reason I finished. Details below.
SPOILERS
At first I was happy to see a change in the setup from the first two stories--rather than having to rescue themselves from a malfunctioning game, a teenage girl has to rescue her depressed sister from committing suicide with the game. But the sister's problems are all cured about halfway through the book, with a single conversation, and THEN we get the stuck inside the game factor. The book is much too short to give proper attention to both plots, and both are shorted. Also, depression doesn't work that way.
Related to this is the enormous pacing problem that could have been fixed by choosing one plot or the other.
Now, I know this book is meant for readers much younger than me, and this may have caused the book to seem shorter than it is. On the other hand, I immediately re-read User Unfriendly, and it still seems as long and well-paced as it ever did. I think it's the subplots--which probably would have been a much better way for Deadly Pink to go, too.
Why I finished it: It was short. I didn't dislike the book, but really, that was the only reason I finished. Details below.
SPOILERS
At first I was happy to see a change in the setup from the first two stories--rather than having to rescue themselves from a malfunctioning game, a teenage girl has to rescue her depressed sister from committing suicide with the game. But the sister's problems are all cured about halfway through the book, with a single conversation, and THEN we get the stuck inside the game factor. The book is much too short to give proper attention to both plots, and both are shorted. Also, depression doesn't work that way.
Related to this is the enormous pacing problem that could have been fixed by choosing one plot or the other.
Now, I know this book is meant for readers much younger than me, and this may have caused the book to seem shorter than it is. On the other hand, I immediately re-read User Unfriendly, and it still seems as long and well-paced as it ever did. I think it's the subplots--which probably would have been a much better way for Deadly Pink to go, too.
operasara's review
3.0
Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde takes place in a virtual reality fantasy game. When Grace's mother comes and gets her from school she learns that her sister Emily is stuck inside a game that she created and slowly dying. Grace is needed to go inside and retrieve Emily, a task that shouldn't take more than a few minutes. When Grace enters the game she finds a pretty pink wonderland created for little girls but she finds that rescuing her sister is far more difficult than she could imagine.
This book was odd and after thinking about it I think the problem was the foundation of gaming. The story within the game was a fun fantasy read and I loved following Grace as she outwitted the characters to rescue her sister. The story outside the game was predictable and took away from the fantasy. I think if instead of reality gaming the story was pure fantasy involving a trip to fairy land it would have worked much better. I did like the story and I finished the book fairly quickly (and I've been in a mood lately where I'm dumping books half way through) but I won't be rushing to read another story that takes place in the virtual gaming world. The suicide plot makes the book inappropriate for the tween audience who would enjoy the fantasy world of the game.
Appropriateness: There is quite a bit of talk of suicide in this book. It is handled well with the repercussions to outside family members being addressed and reasons why it's not ok. Other than that there is no adult content. I would recommend this book to readers 13+
This book was odd and after thinking about it I think the problem was the foundation of gaming. The story within the game was a fun fantasy read and I loved following Grace as she outwitted the characters to rescue her sister. The story outside the game was predictable and took away from the fantasy. I think if instead of reality gaming the story was pure fantasy involving a trip to fairy land it would have worked much better. I did like the story and I finished the book fairly quickly (and I've been in a mood lately where I'm dumping books half way through) but I won't be rushing to read another story that takes place in the virtual gaming world. The suicide plot makes the book inappropriate for the tween audience who would enjoy the fantasy world of the game.
Appropriateness: There is quite a bit of talk of suicide in this book. It is handled well with the repercussions to outside family members being addressed and reasons why it's not ok. Other than that there is no adult content. I would recommend this book to readers 13+
kariadams's review
2.0
I thought this book had an interesting topic, a girl stuck in virtual reality game, but I really wasn't expecting the virtual characters to have the ability to change the game code. I liked some parts and thought others were just ridiculous.
valhecka's review
5.0
Virtual reality! Sisters turning into dragons! Sisters saving each other! Sisters being awesome! GIRLS!
I dunno, this book is perfect.
I dunno, this book is perfect.
chelsea_not_chels's review against another edition
2.0
I've only read one of the other two books in this "series," HEIR APPARENT. Between the two, I liked HEIR much better. DEADLY PINK wasn't necessarily bad, but it just seemed somewhat weak. Here's what I didn't like:
-Grace seems like the much more mature and together sister, despite being five years younger than Emily and in a completely different point of her life.
-Emily's characterization was pretty weak overall.
-The plot as to why Emily went into the game was hackneyed, and it was "wrapped up" way too hurriedly in the end, as if the author knew she'd opened a bag of worms she couldn't really close up and went, "Well, that's it" instead of looking at how this should have been fixed as a whole.
-How is this company allowed to exist? It was one thing in HEIR, when the MC was stuck in the game because the equipment had been damaged by rioters; it's another thing entirely when the company engages software that allows AI to keep the players captive in the game if it gets ticked off at them.
What I LIKED about this one is, essentially, one of the things I really liked about HEIR. It's always interesting to see the characters try to game the game, find loopholes, and exploit the game's logic itself. But that on its own isn't enough to carry the book, and with the other weaker elements, I found myself just a tad disappointed here.
-Grace seems like the much more mature and together sister, despite being five years younger than Emily and in a completely different point of her life.
-Emily's characterization was pretty weak overall.
-The plot as to why Emily went into the game was hackneyed, and it was "wrapped up" way too hurriedly in the end, as if the author knew she'd opened a bag of worms she couldn't really close up and went, "Well, that's it" instead of looking at how this should have been fixed as a whole.
-How is this company allowed to exist? It was one thing in HEIR, when the MC was stuck in the game because the equipment had been damaged by rioters; it's another thing entirely when the company engages software that allows AI to keep the players captive in the game if it gets ticked off at them.
What I LIKED about this one is, essentially, one of the things I really liked about HEIR. It's always interesting to see the characters try to game the game, find loopholes, and exploit the game's logic itself. But that on its own isn't enough to carry the book, and with the other weaker elements, I found myself just a tad disappointed here.
rainbowbookthief's review against another edition
3.0
It was really interesting. The voice is kind of similar to Maximum Ride, the main character Grace is very sarcastic and funny.
silvernfire's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the first part of the book much better than the last. Emily chose an interesting way to kill herself, and Grace's growing frustration at trying to get Emily to even talk to her, much less exit the game worked well. But once Grace did pin Emily down, the story went flat. Okay, a lot of this comes from being an adult reading a middle-school level book, but while I was willing to believe all sorts of things in the context of the game, what eventually happened to the characters in the real world wasn't believable.