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A review by miras_booverse
MINE: The Anti-Hero, Book One by Amanda McKinney
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There are books I fall in love with from the first page. There are books for which my feelings gradually warm up. There are books that I don't like at first. And there are those who leave me with very mixed feelings, just like Amanda McKinney's "Mine" did.
The beginning of "Mine" greatly increased my expectations, as it showed a really good and detailed writing style that does not give everything to the reader and does not just tell the story. McKinney's style provides exactly the right things, inserted in the perfect places at the right time, so as to help us get to know the characters and at the same time continue to maintain the mystery around them. A big bonus for me were the short chapters, as I just love those and I didn’t feel when I was already halfway through the book.
Nothing is hurried in the book, including the meeting of the main characters, which I really liked. The increasing tension greatly contributed to my curiosity to follow how the characters' relationships and the course of the story would unfold. My attention was grabbed from the very first pages, which showed that the book will not be much of an easy read, but it will make me enjoy every page of it. In addition to the main storyline between Sabine and Astor, there are several more subplots at the same time, one of which takes the direction of an evolving mystery and with all the elements that complemented this one so well, I can't help but say that I didn't want to stop reading.
The two main characters together are like a storm where you expect to be swept away because of the intensity of their emotions and feelings. Their relationship is extremely intense, which makes the sexual attraction between them so great that you cannot help but feel it, even if they are not in one place. And their erotic scenes only contribute even more to the enjoyment of the book. I admit that their conversations were a bit strange and awkward in their first longer interactions, but for me this only contributed to the interesting dynamics between them.
So far, the book sounds great, doesn't it? Only a little after the middle from a great one, it turned into a complete tragedy!
Yes, there was great attraction between Sabine and Astor. Yeah, they looked great together. Yes, the tension was so good that your legs shook. However, I never realized when Sabine was able to fall in love with Astor so quickly that she began to hold him to accountable because of his attitude and started throwing tantrums. And what did I miss that Astor went from being cool, calculating and perfect at maintaining a good image in front of his audience, became a complete caveman who goes to beat people because they talk to Sabine and treat her horribly just because she left him at some event to go to the bathroom? Their relationship had huge potential, and when it finally came to that, I feel like everything was rushed. And not because of anything else, but because the author just didn't know what to do with them.
On top of that, some things happen out of nowhere, the characters go completely crazy without any logic in their actions, everything happens too quickly and forced, and that absolutely dragged the book down. I even wondered at one time if the same person had written the first and second half of the book, because it didn't look like that.
The climax is filled with a lot of action, but precisely because of everything that happens it is terribly chaotic, which does not make it good.
Part of the denouement seemed too long and even superfluous. And although the cliffhanger invites me to pick up the second book, I'm not entirely sure if I want to read it.
~~~
Rating: 3/5
~~~This book was provided to me by Grey's Promo for my honest opinion.~~~
The beginning of "Mine" greatly increased my expectations, as it showed a really good and detailed writing style that does not give everything to the reader and does not just tell the story. McKinney's style provides exactly the right things, inserted in the perfect places at the right time, so as to help us get to know the characters and at the same time continue to maintain the mystery around them. A big bonus for me were the short chapters, as I just love those and I didn’t feel when I was already halfway through the book.
Nothing is hurried in the book, including the meeting of the main characters, which I really liked. The increasing tension greatly contributed to my curiosity to follow how the characters' relationships and the course of the story would unfold. My attention was grabbed from the very first pages, which showed that the book will not be much of an easy read, but it will make me enjoy every page of it. In addition to the main storyline between Sabine and Astor, there are several more subplots at the same time, one of which takes the direction of an evolving mystery and with all the elements that complemented this one so well, I can't help but say that I didn't want to stop reading.
The two main characters together are like a storm where you expect to be swept away because of the intensity of their emotions and feelings. Their relationship is extremely intense, which makes the sexual attraction between them so great that you cannot help but feel it, even if they are not in one place. And their erotic scenes only contribute even more to the enjoyment of the book. I admit that their conversations were a bit strange and awkward in their first longer interactions, but for me this only contributed to the interesting dynamics between them.
So far, the book sounds great, doesn't it? Only a little after the middle from a great one, it turned into a complete tragedy!
Yes, there was great attraction between Sabine and Astor. Yeah, they looked great together. Yes, the tension was so good that your legs shook. However, I never realized when Sabine was able to fall in love with Astor so quickly that she began to hold him to accountable because of his attitude and started throwing tantrums. And what did I miss that Astor went from being cool, calculating and perfect at maintaining a good image in front of his audience, became a complete caveman who goes to beat people because they talk to Sabine and treat her horribly just because she left him at some event to go to the bathroom? Their relationship had huge potential, and when it finally came to that, I feel like everything was rushed. And not because of anything else, but because the author just didn't know what to do with them.
On top of that, some things happen out of nowhere, the characters go completely crazy without any logic in their actions, everything happens too quickly and forced, and that absolutely dragged the book down. I even wondered at one time if the same person had written the first and second half of the book, because it didn't look like that.
The climax is filled with a lot of action, but precisely because of everything that happens it is terribly chaotic, which does not make it good.
Part of the denouement seemed too long and even superfluous. And although the cliffhanger invites me to pick up the second book, I'm not entirely sure if I want to read it.
~~~
Rating: 3/5
~~~This book was provided to me by Grey's Promo for my honest opinion.~~~