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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, I really liked this one. The fact that Tamani appeared at school and had a fight with David about Laurel and I really hope she realises that Tamani is her real love.
I'm really curious in what Tamani's up to. Maybe he's going to live among the humans: going to her school maybe? i dunno,but that last chapter made me want to scream!!! LOL Oh Tamani what are u up to????
The only reason I'm even continuing this series is because of the end, and because I'm somewhat curious about what's going to happen, but I'm not going to lie -- this book has tested my limits as to how much teenage bullshit drama I can endure.
There's several stuff that took away the joy of reading this:
1. Laurel. I really don't like that the protagonist is the very reason I dislike the book a lot, but Pike had no business making Laurel absolutely detestable. She is selfish, she is so obnoxious, so self-centered despite for some reason everyone kind of making it out as if she was being selfless (???), and she cannot. for the life of her. keep. her. mouth. shut. The amount of times I have read about her discussing David and Tamani over and over again gave me a brain aneursym.
You might ask me -- hey, Juju, it wasn't that bad, was it? YES. YES, IT WAS. The entire book was seemingly just this stupid love triangle between these characters. It was David this, Tamani that.
I hated, HATED that Laurel was with David, then she couldn't make up her mind about Tamani so she went to him and ALLOWED him to do all the stuff, because she got this fuzzy feeling and doesn't want to rid it, basically cheating on David. Then she gets angry AT HIM EVEN THOUGH HE MAKES HIS STUPID ASS INTENTION SO CLEAR YOU'D HAVE TO BE A LITERAL INFANT NOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUCK HE'S DOING AND WHAT HE WANTS. And then HE does what the heck he's supposed to do - which is do all the Yuki stuff (I'll talk about her in the later paragraphs) and Laurel goes all "oh youre hooking up with her now?? you didnt even LOOK at me during the dance while i was with david. how dare you close your eyes and enjoy another girl."
BITCH- okay. I need to breathe. In and out. I cannot believe what I'm reading. I cannot believe what I'm enduring. This shit is the most whiney, attention-seeking little bullshit anyone can do. She makes him jealous, gets angry at her own boyfriend for being jealous for very real and valid reasons, then gets jealous at Tamani for doing his fucking job, and expects both of them to still pant after her because she does not want to lose the longing in their eyes. Because she enjoys being loved by both. Fuck you, Laurel. Fuck you.
I am sick of reading any more of this immature and very, very annoying back and forth. I don't know why the author decided to make that the entire plotline of the book, but I seemingly got nothing out of what initially lead me to read Illusions in the first place.
Everything I learned regarding world-building and Avalon and all the faerie customs was just gone and replaced by this bull right there. You know, it's funny, because when Tamani suddenly appeared at school, I was kind of excited. I actually thought this was gonna go somewhere really cool, and granted, obviously there was gonna be a clash between David and Tamani, but instead -- instead I read through these pages and realised more and more how ridiculously enarmoured they are with Laurel, who is literally not special in any way. I genuinely do not understand why the fuck they like her; why Tamani lets himself be tortured like this.
But let me zoom out really quick and talk about the characters generally really quick:
You know, I kinda liked Tamani. I thought there was going to be more of him on a deeper level, in the sense that I wanted to see some faults, to see some spirit in him. But instead, the author wrote him as this love-sick, passion-ridden guy who wouldn't stop at anything to make Laurel his. Laurel is his entire world. He does not have any other priorities in his life, and it kind of really pisses me off, because I don't feel like they have a history to base it on. They don't have any kind of proper relationship in that way. It just felt really artificial.
Then there's David, and he feels so bland. There is nothing to this guy, no essence. I have no idea what kind of person he is, because the author wrote him out to be one of those guys whose entire personality is fitted to the protagonist. Him and Tamani, they both are there to love Laurel, not becuase they exist as their own person.
Mentioning that -- Chelsea. Literally useless person in this book, in this entire series. What is her point. There is literally no use, no worth to her regarding to the story, because she doesn't bring anything. She's a little bit of drama, and that's it. There is literally nothing I'm getting from her. I don't know who the fuck she is and to be honest, I couldn't care less if she died in a car accident or got eaten by trolls in the next chapter.
Oh yeah, speaking of trolls. ??????????? Remember when they were supposed to be a danger, or to have some sort of conflict going on with the faeries? Yeah, where did that go? We got literally nothing. It was useless "suspense" throughout the chapters (except really, it was only useless love triangles because in the end, the suspense wasn't even fleshed out. Nothing happened). I thought hey, it's gonna be just as magical as the last book, to read more about this world and learn more about the different seasons. But instead, I got this trash.
Now on to Yuki -- she was honestly the most interesting part of the entire story and she didn't even appear that much. We knew nothing of her (because if Laurel had gotten her head out of her ass with all the boys drama, we might have) and yet she was still the best part, and that was because I knew there was a secret with her. She might be the one who ends up having a more complex characterisation, but having read the past three books, I don't believe that this is what is going to happen. Nonetheless, she stays the "highlight".
Then the ending happened, and let me just say that it was a very cheap but lowkey effective way of keeping us interested. Because had that not happened, I would DNF this series right at this point.
There's several stuff that took away the joy of reading this:
1. Laurel. I really don't like that the protagonist is the very reason I dislike the book a lot, but Pike had no business making Laurel absolutely detestable. She is selfish, she is so obnoxious, so self-centered despite for some reason everyone kind of making it out as if she was being selfless (???), and she cannot. for the life of her. keep. her. mouth. shut. The amount of times I have read about her discussing David and Tamani over and over again gave me a brain aneursym.
You might ask me -- hey, Juju, it wasn't that bad, was it? YES. YES, IT WAS. The entire book was seemingly just this stupid love triangle between these characters. It was David this, Tamani that.
I hated, HATED that Laurel was with David, then she couldn't make up her mind about Tamani so she went to him and ALLOWED him to do all the stuff, because she got this fuzzy feeling and doesn't want to rid it, basically cheating on David. Then she gets angry AT HIM EVEN THOUGH HE MAKES HIS STUPID ASS INTENTION SO CLEAR YOU'D HAVE TO BE A LITERAL INFANT NOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUCK HE'S DOING AND WHAT HE WANTS. And then HE does what the heck he's supposed to do - which is do all the Yuki stuff (I'll talk about her in the later paragraphs) and Laurel goes all "oh youre hooking up with her now?? you didnt even LOOK at me during the dance while i was with david. how dare you close your eyes and enjoy another girl."
BITCH- okay. I need to breathe. In and out. I cannot believe what I'm reading. I cannot believe what I'm enduring. This shit is the most whiney, attention-seeking little bullshit anyone can do. She makes him jealous, gets angry at her own boyfriend for being jealous for very real and valid reasons, then gets jealous at Tamani for doing his fucking job, and expects both of them to still pant after her because she does not want to lose the longing in their eyes. Because she enjoys being loved by both. Fuck you, Laurel. Fuck you.
I am sick of reading any more of this immature and very, very annoying back and forth. I don't know why the author decided to make that the entire plotline of the book, but I seemingly got nothing out of what initially lead me to read Illusions in the first place.
Everything I learned regarding world-building and Avalon and all the faerie customs was just gone and replaced by this bull right there. You know, it's funny, because when Tamani suddenly appeared at school, I was kind of excited. I actually thought this was gonna go somewhere really cool, and granted, obviously there was gonna be a clash between David and Tamani, but instead -- instead I read through these pages and realised more and more how ridiculously enarmoured they are with Laurel, who is literally not special in any way. I genuinely do not understand why the fuck they like her; why Tamani lets himself be tortured like this.
But let me zoom out really quick and talk about the characters generally really quick:
You know, I kinda liked Tamani. I thought there was going to be more of him on a deeper level, in the sense that I wanted to see some faults, to see some spirit in him. But instead, the author wrote him as this love-sick, passion-ridden guy who wouldn't stop at anything to make Laurel his. Laurel is his entire world. He does not have any other priorities in his life, and it kind of really pisses me off, because I don't feel like they have a history to base it on. They don't have any kind of proper relationship in that way. It just felt really artificial.
Then there's David, and he feels so bland. There is nothing to this guy, no essence. I have no idea what kind of person he is, because the author wrote him out to be one of those guys whose entire personality is fitted to the protagonist. Him and Tamani, they both are there to love Laurel, not becuase they exist as their own person.
Mentioning that -- Chelsea. Literally useless person in this book, in this entire series. What is her point. There is literally no use, no worth to her regarding to the story, because she doesn't bring anything. She's a little bit of drama, and that's it. There is literally nothing I'm getting from her. I don't know who the fuck she is and to be honest, I couldn't care less if she died in a car accident or got eaten by trolls in the next chapter.
Oh yeah, speaking of trolls. ??????????? Remember when they were supposed to be a danger, or to have some sort of conflict going on with the faeries? Yeah, where did that go? We got literally nothing. It was useless "suspense" throughout the chapters (except really, it was only useless love triangles because in the end, the suspense wasn't even fleshed out. Nothing happened). I thought hey, it's gonna be just as magical as the last book, to read more about this world and learn more about the different seasons. But instead, I got this trash.
Now on to Yuki -- she was honestly the most interesting part of the entire story and she didn't even appear that much. We knew nothing of her (because if Laurel had gotten her head out of her ass with all the boys drama, we might have) and yet she was still the best part, and that was because I knew there was a secret with her. She might be the one who ends up having a more complex characterisation, but having read the past three books, I don't believe that this is what is going to happen. Nonetheless, she stays the "highlight".
Then the ending happened, and let me just say that it was a very cheap but lowkey effective way of keeping us interested. Because had that not happened, I would DNF this series right at this point.
This whole book series was truly amazing. I fell in love with all the characters and the beautifully written storyline will always stay with me.
(3.5 estrelas, mas arredondo para cima.)
Neste terceiro volume da série Wings o mistério avoluma-se, o coração da protagonista divide-se uma vez mais com emoções ambíguas e o perigo, esse, volta a estar à espreita roubando a estabilidade necessária a este mundo maravilhoso onde as fadas preenchem o nosso imaginário.
Gosto. Gosto mesmo destas criaturas singulares, destas meninas que se fazem mulheres em flor e nos envolvem com o seu cheiro, com as suas cores, com os seus poderes e, no caso de Laurel, com as suas descobertas para um novo mundo.
Regressando da mágica Avalon explorada no livro anterior – a terra onde brotou da sua semente e passou a sua infância, uma terra plena de sonhos e peculiaridades –, em Ilusões a nossa protagonista retorna para o quotidiano familiar onde, ainda assim, os fenómenos extraordinários abundam e perduram nos actos e nas acções da sua espécie que, em sintonia plena com a natureza, continua a fazer Laurel sofrer os medos de sempre.
Neste livro, a nossa fada depara-se novamente com o pavor provocado pelos selvagens trolls, sem a certeza da sua segurança, sem a certeza de um futuro. Enquanto isto se desenvolve, é magoada com as evidências provocadas por um primeiro amor que parece fracassado pelas diferenças e, mais do que preocupar-se com o seu ameaçado coração, Laurel preocupa-se com toda a sua raça, ameaçada, que depende, em parte, da sua coragem e inteligência para seguir mais além.
No que respeita a personagens, merece destaque Tamani que volta a ser uma presença assídua. Mudado, ele está mais próximo do humanamente aceitável, atraindo com maior facilidade para si aquela por quem sempre esteve apaixonado. Este interveniente tornou-se mais apelativo, presente e crucial, ganhando um justo papel de protagonista partilhado com Laurel, a fada de que não consegue abdicar. Forte, corajoso e muito apaixonado ele é, definitivamente, um herói nesta narrativa remetendo David para segundo plano, muito aquém das suas potencialidades.
Merece igualmente ser realçado o surgimento de uma nova e intrigante personagem, Yuki, que promete vir balançar esta história com o mistério que a circunda. Tímida, de origens distantes e pertencente a uma raça que aparentemente desconhece na totalidade, ela irá balançar as, já de si difíceis, tarefas do núcleo principal e, sem oferecer a certeza das suas intenções, esta jovem compromete tudo o que conhecíamos até ao momento.
Questões exploradas ao longo da série, como a gerência de um avida normal quando se é o oposto, ou os dramas de uma adolescência que é tudo menos comum, continuam em vogue, no entanto confesso que houve algo que fez deste terceiro volume o meu favorito até ao momento.
Em relação ao maravilhoso, esperava ver os poderes da protagonista um pouco mais desenvolvidos mas, ainda assim, compreendo que a obra se centre mais na sua essência enquanto espécie, partilhada agora por um número elevado de fadas que podemos encontrar perto de Laurel.
É ainda favorável a forma como as páginas se equilibram perfeitamente entre o romance e o fantástico, havendo o cuidado de manter presentes os perigos e o mistério principal, agradando desta forma aos leitores que se saturam de triângulos amorosos.
Esta é, portanto, uma série de fantasia juvenil e urbana muito agradável que preencherá todos os requisitos dos leitores deste género literário, a quem eu sugiro esta narrativa sem qualquer restrição.
Opinião completa: http://historiasdeelphaba.blogspot.pt/2013/02/ilusoes-aprilynne-pike-opiniao.html
Neste terceiro volume da série Wings o mistério avoluma-se, o coração da protagonista divide-se uma vez mais com emoções ambíguas e o perigo, esse, volta a estar à espreita roubando a estabilidade necessária a este mundo maravilhoso onde as fadas preenchem o nosso imaginário.
Gosto. Gosto mesmo destas criaturas singulares, destas meninas que se fazem mulheres em flor e nos envolvem com o seu cheiro, com as suas cores, com os seus poderes e, no caso de Laurel, com as suas descobertas para um novo mundo.
Regressando da mágica Avalon explorada no livro anterior – a terra onde brotou da sua semente e passou a sua infância, uma terra plena de sonhos e peculiaridades –, em Ilusões a nossa protagonista retorna para o quotidiano familiar onde, ainda assim, os fenómenos extraordinários abundam e perduram nos actos e nas acções da sua espécie que, em sintonia plena com a natureza, continua a fazer Laurel sofrer os medos de sempre.
Neste livro, a nossa fada depara-se novamente com o pavor provocado pelos selvagens trolls, sem a certeza da sua segurança, sem a certeza de um futuro. Enquanto isto se desenvolve, é magoada com as evidências provocadas por um primeiro amor que parece fracassado pelas diferenças e, mais do que preocupar-se com o seu ameaçado coração, Laurel preocupa-se com toda a sua raça, ameaçada, que depende, em parte, da sua coragem e inteligência para seguir mais além.
No que respeita a personagens, merece destaque Tamani que volta a ser uma presença assídua. Mudado, ele está mais próximo do humanamente aceitável, atraindo com maior facilidade para si aquela por quem sempre esteve apaixonado. Este interveniente tornou-se mais apelativo, presente e crucial, ganhando um justo papel de protagonista partilhado com Laurel, a fada de que não consegue abdicar. Forte, corajoso e muito apaixonado ele é, definitivamente, um herói nesta narrativa remetendo David para segundo plano, muito aquém das suas potencialidades.
Merece igualmente ser realçado o surgimento de uma nova e intrigante personagem, Yuki, que promete vir balançar esta história com o mistério que a circunda. Tímida, de origens distantes e pertencente a uma raça que aparentemente desconhece na totalidade, ela irá balançar as, já de si difíceis, tarefas do núcleo principal e, sem oferecer a certeza das suas intenções, esta jovem compromete tudo o que conhecíamos até ao momento.
Questões exploradas ao longo da série, como a gerência de um avida normal quando se é o oposto, ou os dramas de uma adolescência que é tudo menos comum, continuam em vogue, no entanto confesso que houve algo que fez deste terceiro volume o meu favorito até ao momento.
Em relação ao maravilhoso, esperava ver os poderes da protagonista um pouco mais desenvolvidos mas, ainda assim, compreendo que a obra se centre mais na sua essência enquanto espécie, partilhada agora por um número elevado de fadas que podemos encontrar perto de Laurel.
É ainda favorável a forma como as páginas se equilibram perfeitamente entre o romance e o fantástico, havendo o cuidado de manter presentes os perigos e o mistério principal, agradando desta forma aos leitores que se saturam de triângulos amorosos.
Esta é, portanto, uma série de fantasia juvenil e urbana muito agradável que preencherá todos os requisitos dos leitores deste género literário, a quem eu sugiro esta narrativa sem qualquer restrição.
Opinião completa: http://historiasdeelphaba.blogspot.pt/2013/02/ilusoes-aprilynne-pike-opiniao.html
Laurel is a slut.
The majority of people who have read Illusions probably agrees with me. I can’t tell why, because maybe it’ll be a little spoiler-ish but, what the hell?
Laurel it’s that kind of girl who thinks it’s cute – and fine - to be attracted to two guys at the same time. Well, another example is – you guessed it! - Twilight, and we all know how that turned out to be.
Think that for yourselves, folks.
This saga became chick-lit, and why? Because there’s nothing happening during most of it! Sometimes, there is something important, but it goes on so fast you almost miss it – especially when you were as bored as I was. That must be the way of the book telling Hey, guess what, I haven’t changed genre at all! There is still paranormal stuff in me!
Sigh…
When I was reading this, I felt like it was my job. It’s just… I liked Spells so much I thought that a bad start didn’t mean that the rest was it too. I’m not saying Illusions is awful, but… where is the magic? The chemistry stuff? The… action?
WHERE IS THE ACTION?!
Cut the crap and see if you can get something worth three hundred pages. Thank you.
Oh. Almost forgot. Wanna get your mind blown?
1 - Tamani has an iPhone and he says "he doesn't work well because of the touch screen".
Huh, why don’t you give me that incredibly expensive smart phone and, in return, you can have my non-capacitive touch screen mobile phone that cost me not even a forth of yours?!
And, right after that smart paragraph of conversation, we get this gem:
2 - Laurel doesn't go “save the world” because she still has homework to do.
Real-really? People are in danger and you…! Don’t get me started, slut!
The majority of people who have read Illusions probably agrees with me. I can’t tell why, because maybe it’ll be a little spoiler-ish but, what the hell?
Laurel it’s that kind of girl who thinks it’s cute – and fine - to be attracted to two guys at the same time. Well, another example is – you guessed it! - Twilight, and we all know how that turned out to be.
Think that for yourselves, folks.
This saga became chick-lit, and why? Because there’s nothing happening during most of it! Sometimes, there is something important, but it goes on so fast you almost miss it – especially when you were as bored as I was. That must be the way of the book telling Hey, guess what, I haven’t changed genre at all! There is still paranormal stuff in me!
Sigh…
When I was reading this, I felt like it was my job. It’s just… I liked Spells so much I thought that a bad start didn’t mean that the rest was it too. I’m not saying Illusions is awful, but… where is the magic? The chemistry stuff? The… action?
WHERE IS THE ACTION?!
Cut the crap and see if you can get something worth three hundred pages. Thank you.
Oh. Almost forgot. Wanna get your mind blown?
1 - Tamani has an iPhone and he says "he doesn't work well because of the touch screen".
“it doesn’t work quite as well for us as humans.
Our bodies don’t conduct electrical currents the same, so
sometimes I have to touch the screen more than once to
get it to react. Genius talking, 2011
Huh, why don’t you give me that incredibly expensive smart phone and, in return, you can have my non-capacitive touch screen mobile phone that cost me not even a forth of yours?!
And, right after that smart paragraph of conversation, we get this gem:
2 - Laurel doesn't go “save the world” because she still has homework to do.
Real-really? People are in danger and you…! Don’t get me started, slut!
I bought this book on impulse when Border's was having its final sale and I haven't touched it since. I was kind of confused through most of it since it was the first book in the series I had read but I really enjoyed being pulled in. Some of the reviews have talked about how young it is, and as a 23 year old I full heartedly concur, but it is a nice word to be brought into all the same.
I won't say I loved it but I thought it was a nice supernatural read, one that was full of little secrets I'm sure I would have learned sooner if I had taken the time to read the rest of the series. Over all, a quick and easy read.
I won't say I loved it but I thought it was a nice supernatural read, one that was full of little secrets I'm sure I would have learned sooner if I had taken the time to read the rest of the series. Over all, a quick and easy read.
Things are starting to get juicy. (dun dun dunnn)
Where the first two books laid the groundwork of the world that we are all sinking our teeth into, the third one blindsides us with a full on rebellion (kinda)! We don't actually learn much about anything until the very end of the book, just towards the beginning when Laurel visits Avalon a brief mention. Then from there the pace of the book immediately picks up, and never stops until the moment your jaw drops open with a cliff hanger at the end.
The treatment of the boys in this book gets a little better, and it's nice to see Laurel finally making some decisions for herself rather than what she feels like has to happen now that she knows she's a faerie.
We're coming right up to the end of her senior year and we still don't know if she chooses college or the Academy (unless you spoil yourself and read the description for Arabesque trying to find out if it's part of the main series *sigh*) but I can't wait to see how it all plays out regardless.
Where the first two books laid the groundwork of the world that we are all sinking our teeth into, the third one blindsides us with a full on rebellion (kinda)! We don't actually learn much about anything until the very end of the book, just towards the beginning when Laurel visits Avalon a brief mention. Then from there the pace of the book immediately picks up, and never stops until the moment your jaw drops open with a cliff hanger at the end.
The treatment of the boys in this book gets a little better, and it's nice to see Laurel finally making some decisions for herself rather than what she feels like has to happen now that she knows she's a faerie.
We're coming right up to the end of her senior year and we still don't know if she chooses college or the Academy (unless you spoil yourself and read the description for Arabesque trying to find out if it's part of the main series *sigh*) but I can't wait to see how it all plays out regardless.