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imme_van_gorp's reviews
651 reviews
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book proved that you really don’t need constant, over-the-top love declarations for a book to be insanely romantic!
Khai is autistic, and because he has never processed emotions the same way as other people do, he has convinced himself he has a heart of stone and can’t feel anything at all, but nothing could be further from the truth. He actually experiences things very deeply, and is capable of extending a tremendous amount of care. I mean, even though it isn’t until the end of the book that he is finally able to recognize he has loved Esme this entire time, it was already so obvious through his subconscious actions and thoughts towards her. It was such a touchingly sweet and gentle story, and I loved it from start to finish.
I also thought it was a very nice detail that Esme never really learned what autism was, and never saw Khai as different in any way. She fell for him exactly the way he was, and she didn’t need any excuses or explanations. It was honestly adorable; Khai’s broody cluelessness and Esme’s bubbly naivety truly made for the cutest couple.
Khai is autistic, and because he has never processed emotions the same way as other people do, he has convinced himself he has a heart of stone and can’t feel anything at all, but nothing could be further from the truth. He actually experiences things very deeply, and is capable of extending a tremendous amount of care. I mean, even though it isn’t until the end of the book that he is finally able to recognize he has loved Esme this entire time, it was already so obvious through his subconscious actions and thoughts towards her. It was such a touchingly sweet and gentle story, and I loved it from start to finish.
I also thought it was a very nice detail that Esme never really learned what autism was, and never saw Khai as different in any way. She fell for him exactly the way he was, and she didn’t need any excuses or explanations. It was honestly adorable; Khai’s broody cluelessness and Esme’s bubbly naivety truly made for the cutest couple.
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Well, shite. What a big disappointment. Especially after I had such high hopes…
This book really started out promising; it was gentle and sweet and delicate. Archer was such a broken but heartbreakingly kind man, and Bree was the sunshiney goodness he needed in his life. They were both so pure and warm, I instantly loved them. I adored seeing their quiet but strong connection grow over time; it was so endearing to see Archer find a safe place and a person he could talk to. It was sad, but also really beautiful.
However, the minute these two decided to get intimate in a romantic way was the same moment the whole book went downhill. Gone went all of their sweet and meaningful interactions, and in its place came nothing but horniness, smut and the occasional love-bombing. Sex was all these two seemed to do with each other anymore and their love declarations felt a little over-the-top and underserved; the book just lost all depth and beauty for me, and it simply became boring and repetitive. Super disappointing.
Also, I got really frustrated with their relationship near the end. At first, Archer seemed to think Bree hung the moon and stars and adored her with a fiery passion. This woman was his whole world and you’d think he could never live without her. But then, randomly, and without reason, this man decides to leave her for <i>months</i> because he loves her too much and needs to learn how to live on his own…?? EXCUSE ME!? He literally just left her. With a dumb, weak note. For months. Bree had no idea if he’d be back, or when that would be, and he even said he didn’t expect her to wait (so apparently he was fine with her moving on??? What the hell??). But obviously she does wait, and when he comes back she doesn’t even get mad. Nope, she welcomes him back with open arms like nothing happened and they live happily ever after.
And I guess their happy ending was that Archer now learned to love her less, so he won’t be afraid of losing her, and that’s… good somehow? I dunno. I thought it sucked. And honestly just kind of ruined their whole relationship dynamic for me.
Lastly, the plot of this whole book was insane. You’re telling me Archer’s dad and uncle shot each other, but nobody ever thought to ask the only witness, Archer, what the hell even happened? Even if he couldn’t speak, they could ask him to write it down! Jeez. How incompetent is the police department in that town??
This book really started out promising; it was gentle and sweet and delicate. Archer was such a broken but heartbreakingly kind man, and Bree was the sunshiney goodness he needed in his life. They were both so pure and warm, I instantly loved them. I adored seeing their quiet but strong connection grow over time; it was so endearing to see Archer find a safe place and a person he could talk to. It was sad, but also really beautiful.
However, the minute these two decided to get intimate in a romantic way was the same moment the whole book went downhill. Gone went all of their sweet and meaningful interactions, and in its place came nothing but horniness, smut and the occasional love-bombing. Sex was all these two seemed to do with each other anymore and their love declarations felt a little over-the-top and underserved; the book just lost all depth and beauty for me, and it simply became boring and repetitive. Super disappointing.
Also, I got really frustrated with their relationship near the end. At first, Archer seemed to think Bree hung the moon and stars and adored her with a fiery passion. This woman was his whole world and you’d think he could never live without her. But then, randomly, and without reason, this man decides to leave her for <i>months</i> because he loves her too much and needs to learn how to live on his own…?? EXCUSE ME!? He literally just left her. With a dumb, weak note. For months. Bree had no idea if he’d be back, or when that would be, and he even said he didn’t expect her to wait (so apparently he was fine with her moving on??? What the hell??). But obviously she does wait, and when he comes back she doesn’t even get mad. Nope, she welcomes him back with open arms like nothing happened and they live happily ever after.
And I guess their happy ending was that Archer now learned to love her less, so he won’t be afraid of losing her, and that’s… good somehow? I dunno. I thought it sucked. And honestly just kind of ruined their whole relationship dynamic for me.
Lastly, the plot of this whole book was insane. You’re telling me Archer’s dad and uncle shot each other, but nobody ever thought to ask the only witness, Archer, what the hell even happened? Even if he couldn’t speak, they could ask him to write it down! Jeez. How incompetent is the police department in that town??
Love/Hate by Quinn Riley
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Oh my god, this was awful. It felt like it was written by a 14-year old girl who didn’t even bother to check whether any of her writing made a lick of sense before publishing it. The sentences had no structure whatsoever, the plot gave me whiplash, and the characters were as ridiculously unbelievable as possible.
The romance had to be the most random and underdeveloped thing I’ve ever encountered; it’s a bully romance, but the book starts with the bully being halfway in love with his victim from the get-go, so the very first time we see them interact he says “sorry”, they hook up, and start a relationship. This all happened in the first damn pages, and it was simply insane.
Anyway, after I’d read about 20% of this book I knew it was utter trash, so I decided to skim the rest of it. I’ll just recap the gist of the plot, because wow, it was so dumb and I feel like people need to know just how dumb it is before choosing to waste their time on it:
Okay, so the book starts with the arsehole bully having an epiphany about lusting after the guy he’s tormented for years, so he decides to have some sort of hate make-out session with him (which the victim was totally okay with for some reason?), and then they immediately start dating and talking about love. It was super random and had no build-up. However, it gets worse, because some big “misunderstanding” happens that has the victim running away for five years, which leads to the bully being all pissy and angry at him (hypocrisy is a foreign concept for him, I guess). Anyway, this means that after the victim comes back he spends the whole rest of the book groveling and trying to win the bully back. Like… excuse me!? You’re telling me the bully gave his victim severe anxiety, OCD and dissociative disorder with his abuse, but the book decides to focus on the grovel the VICTIM gives to the bully? A grovel we NEVER got from the bully in the first place?? And the victim has to grovel for leaving for <i>very valid reasons</i>, because who can blame the guy for not assuming the best about his abusive bully when everyone tells him horrible lies about what the bully was planning to do to him?? I’d have left too! Well, I’d never have forgiven the bully in the first place, so the whole point is moot, but still. Just… What a mess. So frustrating.
P.S. The victim’s dad casually ended up dating and impregnating his recently legal son’s closest friend, which was totally accepted by everyone and the dad was considered the <i>good guy</i> in this story. I feel like that should tell you all you need to know about the quality of this book and the decency of the characters.
The romance had to be the most random and underdeveloped thing I’ve ever encountered; it’s a bully romance, but the book starts with the bully being halfway in love with his victim from the get-go, so the very first time we see them interact he says “sorry”, they hook up, and start a relationship. This all happened in the first damn pages, and it was simply insane.
Anyway, after I’d read about 20% of this book I knew it was utter trash, so I decided to skim the rest of it. I’ll just recap the gist of the plot, because wow, it was so dumb and I feel like people need to know just how dumb it is before choosing to waste their time on it:
Okay, so the book starts with the arsehole bully having an epiphany about lusting after the guy he’s tormented for years, so he decides to have some sort of hate make-out session with him (which the victim was totally okay with for some reason?), and then they immediately start dating and talking about love. It was super random and had no build-up. However, it gets worse, because some big “misunderstanding” happens that has the victim running away for five years, which leads to the bully being all pissy and angry at him (hypocrisy is a foreign concept for him, I guess). Anyway, this means that after the victim comes back he spends the whole rest of the book groveling and trying to win the bully back. Like… excuse me!? You’re telling me the bully gave his victim severe anxiety, OCD and dissociative disorder with his abuse, but the book decides to focus on the grovel the VICTIM gives to the bully? A grovel we NEVER got from the bully in the first place?? And the victim has to grovel for leaving for <i>very valid reasons</i>, because who can blame the guy for not assuming the best about his abusive bully when everyone tells him horrible lies about what the bully was planning to do to him?? I’d have left too! Well, I’d never have forgiven the bully in the first place, so the whole point is moot, but still. Just… What a mess. So frustrating.
P.S. The victim’s dad casually ended up dating and impregnating his recently legal son’s closest friend, which was totally accepted by everyone and the dad was considered the <i>good guy</i> in this story. I feel like that should tell you all you need to know about the quality of this book and the decency of the characters.
The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Oh, how creepy!
The story follows a man who says he is being haunted by a ghost who keeps warning him before terrible tragedy strikes. The man is beside himself because the ghost appeared before him again, and he now fears danger is looming ahead. Yet, the man does not know how to stop the upcoming tragedy from happening, nor does he know what the danger entails. He is scared and wants to do something to help, but knows he is useless to do anything. He is terribly frustrated because why would the ghost warn him without telling him what he can do to prevent the tragedy?
He confides his troubles to a complete stranger, who comes to the conclusion that the man’s senses must be betraying him, and that the ghost’s appearances and previous tragedies have to simply be a coincidence. Still, the stranger doesn’t want to outright call the man crazy, or expose his secret to others, especially since the man seems intelligent and controlled in all other aspects, so the stranger decides to let it be for the time being. However, the next night something happens that proofs the stranger wrong, and it certainly has dire consequences...
I think the reason this story worked so well for me is because I never figured out if the man’s loneliness made him see things that weren’t there, or if maybe he truly was being haunted by something supernatural. It all depends whether the end could be seen as a coincidence... Could it? I’m not sure.
The story follows a man who says he is being haunted by a ghost who keeps warning him before terrible tragedy strikes. The man is beside himself because the ghost appeared before him again, and he now fears danger is looming ahead. Yet, the man does not know how to stop the upcoming tragedy from happening, nor does he know what the danger entails. He is scared and wants to do something to help, but knows he is useless to do anything. He is terribly frustrated because why would the ghost warn him without telling him what he can do to prevent the tragedy?
He confides his troubles to a complete stranger, who comes to the conclusion that the man’s senses must be betraying him, and that the ghost’s appearances and previous tragedies have to simply be a coincidence. Still, the stranger doesn’t want to outright call the man crazy, or expose his secret to others, especially since the man seems intelligent and controlled in all other aspects, so the stranger decides to let it be for the time being. However, the next night something happens that proofs the stranger wrong, and it certainly has dire consequences...
I think the reason this story worked so well for me is because I never figured out if the man’s loneliness made him see things that weren’t there, or if maybe he truly was being haunted by something supernatural. It all depends whether the end could be seen as a coincidence... Could it? I’m not sure.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Aww, this was actually super sweet and adorable. I didn’t expect to feel so much affection for this book, but I did.
Stella and Michael had such a gentle romance with a true love connection. They were absolutely perfect for each other, and I love how they took everything slowly to make Stella feel more comfortable and safe.
It felt so soft and nice.
They were both very insecure and thought the other person was way too good for them, and somehow they failed to realize that they were absolutely perfect in the other’s eyes, and neither one would change a thing about each other, even if they could. They gave each other complete acceptance, which was exactly what they both needed, and it was lovely to see them come together.
I do have to say that it got a little ridiculous at times when they were so blind to the other’s feelings; nobody can be that oblivious! It was so clear that they both fell in love and it was no longer “just an arrangement”, but their insecurities refused to let either of them accept that…
I kind of understood why Stella was unsure considering it was Michael’s job to play a role and make women feel good, but what was his excuse for not recognizing her (very obvious) feelings for him??
That said, the thing that truly made me fall in love with this book was the heroine herself. Stella was utterly endearing, forever loyal and caring, always honest and direct, and so very kind. My heart broke for the insecurities she felt about being autistic, and I hated seeing her try to change to be “normal”. The fact that she thought she needed “lessons” to help her be better at sex and relationships was a little heartbreaking to see, but then again, it did lead her to Michael, so I guess it was a good thing in the end. She was just such a precious person, and seeing her finally find comfort and understanding and affection after being so lonely for so long truly made my heart feel so full. I genuinely loved seeing her get her happily ever after, and I fully believe she couldn’t have found someone better to do that with than Michael.
Stella and Michael had such a gentle romance with a true love connection. They were absolutely perfect for each other, and I love how they took everything slowly to make Stella feel more comfortable and safe.
It felt so soft and nice.
They were both very insecure and thought the other person was way too good for them, and somehow they failed to realize that they were absolutely perfect in the other’s eyes, and neither one would change a thing about each other, even if they could. They gave each other complete acceptance, which was exactly what they both needed, and it was lovely to see them come together.
I do have to say that it got a little ridiculous at times when they were so blind to the other’s feelings; nobody can be that oblivious! It was so clear that they both fell in love and it was no longer “just an arrangement”, but their insecurities refused to let either of them accept that…
I kind of understood why Stella was unsure considering it was Michael’s job to play a role and make women feel good, but what was his excuse for not recognizing her (very obvious) feelings for him??
That said, the thing that truly made me fall in love with this book was the heroine herself. Stella was utterly endearing, forever loyal and caring, always honest and direct, and so very kind. My heart broke for the insecurities she felt about being autistic, and I hated seeing her try to change to be “normal”. The fact that she thought she needed “lessons” to help her be better at sex and relationships was a little heartbreaking to see, but then again, it did lead her to Michael, so I guess it was a good thing in the end. She was just such a precious person, and seeing her finally find comfort and understanding and affection after being so lonely for so long truly made my heart feel so full. I genuinely loved seeing her get her happily ever after, and I fully believe she couldn’t have found someone better to do that with than Michael.
Lightlark by Alex Aster
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
Well, what can I say? It’s not like I hadn’t been warned this book would be bad. I had. And those people were right. I should have listened.
But honestly though, it’s not like this book didn’t have potential. It definitely did. I think the premise truly was very cool and intriguing, and even the plot itself could have been good. But all of that potential was simply wasted on piss-poor execution.
Firstly, the writing was very dull and lifeless; it didn’t have a hint of charm to it. The pacing was horrendous as well; there were way too many completely irrelevant and unnecessary descriptions, and nothing ever seemed to happen. It was super slow and boring.
The characters were also insanely superficial and felt more empty than I could have ever thought possible. Their relationships all felt completely random and meaningless as well; nothing held even a hint of depth or intrigue. It was all so… worthless. useless. vain. insubstantial. vacant. boring.
Speaking of relationships, there is also romance in this book, and even though it’s supposed to play a big part in the story, I didn’t actually feel any romance during the whole book. There’s supposedly a love triangle going on, but one of the guys was already in love with her from the beginning (because apparently he fell in love with her before the book even started, but we don’t get to know or understand that until the very end??), and the other one apparently fell in love with her throughout the book, but I never would have guessed, since he didn’t act like it whatsoever. This dude was not in love. He simply wasn’t. I don’t care if the book tells me he was, I don’t believe it.
Thus, all in all, both of these stories had to be the worst romances I have read in a while, cus neither of them actually gave me any romance…
Last but not least, there’s a supremely predictable twist at the end where our main character gets betrayed, but I swear, you have to be the blindest person on the planet to have not seen that one coming. It was obvious from the beginning that a certain someone could not be trusted, so I definitely did not care for that reveal. It was all very anticlimactic and underwhelming.
Long story short, I still think this could have been a good fantasy book. But only if someone else had written it.
Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
The plot here was definitely an improvement from the first book. It was much more hands-on; we actually got to see The Naturals in action rather than them just sitting in a house, babbling about how special they are.
The murder mystery was actually very intriguing and I felt super curious from the very beginning about what truly happened. The resolution and reveals were good too; I didn’t feel disappointed or underwhelmed at any time.
Furthermore, I was also very intrigued to find out more about some of the characters’s histories. Especially Dean. That guy has been an enigma from the start, but his past was clearly very dark, disturbing and haunted. I was hooked on every little scrap we got about him. I honestly feel like he would have been a much more interesting main character than Cassie… His past, his coping mechanisms, his fear, his repressed anger, but also the way people around him seem to care so deeply about him and want to do anything to protect him; it’s all so much more complex and meaningful than anything Cassie has to offer as a main character.
Nonetheless, despite the positives this book had to offer I still can’t get past that horrendous love triangle. Seriously, the love triangle was still as stupid as ever. There was just zero reason for either boy to be obsessively in love with this random girl, but somehow they still are. It was also obvious from the start which of the two boys Cassie would choose, so it wasn’t particularly exciting to watch the development in that department.
Also, am I the only one who was actually insanely curious about the reason <i>why</i> Michael and Dean hated each other so much? Deep down they clearly did care about each other, but for some reason they chose to mask it by a lot of animosity and mistrust. Why? They’re both nice guys, so it’s not like either of them really had a reason to be enemies with the other based on principle, so something must have happened in the past. But what is it? Is it truly just that dumb reason Michael gave; about Dean repressing his anger? That would be such a silly reason to me…
Sloane is probably the most likable person in the group to me. She’s the most socially inept but obviously has the best intentions. There’s nothing more endearing to me than a socially awkward genius trying to make sense of other people’s emotions through statistics and logic. She’s always trying to help and comfort, but just isn’t very skilled at doing it right.
I genuinely think all of the members of The Naturals are sweet people in their own way, but the only exception to that is Lia for me. She is just so freaking annoying and entitled. Her relationship with Dean and Michael are both so weird and I hate the way she takes all of her frustrations out on Cassie whenever something goes wrong with either of them, especially when it comes to Dean. Like, calm down, girl. That boy is not some sort of precious china doll you need to protect at all costs. Get a hobby or something and stop obsessing about a guy like your whole life depends on it. It’s even more embarrassing and pathetic since Dean clearly doesn’t care that much about her in return; he’s more interested in Cassie’s well-being and it’s painfully obvious.
I’m not sure whether the book will ever try to make Michael and Lia a thing, but I sure hope not. Lia’s priority has always been Dean, and Michael deserves better. Just like it’s also obvious that Michael would never look twice at Lia if Cassie gave him a shot. Putting these two together in the end would thus be supremely unsatisfying.
Anyway, long story short, this was a very fun, engaging, suspenseful and mysterious story that managed to have me hooked from start to finish! The silly love triangle is dumb, but the plot itself was actually surprisingly good.
The murder mystery was actually very intriguing and I felt super curious from the very beginning about what truly happened. The resolution and reveals were good too; I didn’t feel disappointed or underwhelmed at any time.
Furthermore, I was also very intrigued to find out more about some of the characters’s histories. Especially Dean. That guy has been an enigma from the start, but his past was clearly very dark, disturbing and haunted. I was hooked on every little scrap we got about him. I honestly feel like he would have been a much more interesting main character than Cassie… His past, his coping mechanisms, his fear, his repressed anger, but also the way people around him seem to care so deeply about him and want to do anything to protect him; it’s all so much more complex and meaningful than anything Cassie has to offer as a main character.
Nonetheless, despite the positives this book had to offer I still can’t get past that horrendous love triangle. Seriously, the love triangle was still as stupid as ever. There was just zero reason for either boy to be obsessively in love with this random girl, but somehow they still are. It was also obvious from the start which of the two boys Cassie would choose, so it wasn’t particularly exciting to watch the development in that department.
Also, am I the only one who was actually insanely curious about the reason <i>why</i> Michael and Dean hated each other so much? Deep down they clearly did care about each other, but for some reason they chose to mask it by a lot of animosity and mistrust. Why? They’re both nice guys, so it’s not like either of them really had a reason to be enemies with the other based on principle, so something must have happened in the past. But what is it? Is it truly just that dumb reason Michael gave; about Dean repressing his anger? That would be such a silly reason to me…
Sloane is probably the most likable person in the group to me. She’s the most socially inept but obviously has the best intentions. There’s nothing more endearing to me than a socially awkward genius trying to make sense of other people’s emotions through statistics and logic. She’s always trying to help and comfort, but just isn’t very skilled at doing it right.
I genuinely think all of the members of The Naturals are sweet people in their own way, but the only exception to that is Lia for me. She is just so freaking annoying and entitled. Her relationship with Dean and Michael are both so weird and I hate the way she takes all of her frustrations out on Cassie whenever something goes wrong with either of them, especially when it comes to Dean. Like, calm down, girl. That boy is not some sort of precious china doll you need to protect at all costs. Get a hobby or something and stop obsessing about a guy like your whole life depends on it. It’s even more embarrassing and pathetic since Dean clearly doesn’t care that much about her in return; he’s more interested in Cassie’s well-being and it’s painfully obvious.
I’m not sure whether the book will ever try to make Michael and Lia a thing, but I sure hope not. Lia’s priority has always been Dean, and Michael deserves better. Just like it’s also obvious that Michael would never look twice at Lia if Cassie gave him a shot. Putting these two together in the end would thus be supremely unsatisfying.
Anyway, long story short, this was a very fun, engaging, suspenseful and mysterious story that managed to have me hooked from start to finish! The silly love triangle is dumb, but the plot itself was actually surprisingly good.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Was this book supposed to feel like pretentious drivel on steroids or has something gone seriously wrong?
The never-ending, supposedly insightful ramblings and literary quotes made my eye twitch uncontrollably, and the writing was very close to giving me a full-blown aneurysm. Furthermore, the portrayals of important and delicate subjects were all handled in rather distasteful and over-the-top kind of ways.
The characters in this book were also completely unbearable; every single “adult” needed to be slapped right into next week, and the hyper-active, mentally ill MMC somehow developed an insane obsession with the moody, bitchy FMC for no reason whatsoever. Of course, both MCs are represented as quirky and special and not like everyone else, but in reality they were just sad and lonely, and I personally don’t think that’s a feeling that should be romanticized or idolized.
Also, zero real conversations have actually been spoken in this whole entire book, but who cares, right?
I think reading this book could be best described with one single word: headache.
The never-ending, supposedly insightful ramblings and literary quotes made my eye twitch uncontrollably, and the writing was very close to giving me a full-blown aneurysm. Furthermore, the portrayals of important and delicate subjects were all handled in rather distasteful and over-the-top kind of ways.
The characters in this book were also completely unbearable; every single “adult” needed to be slapped right into next week, and the hyper-active, mentally ill MMC somehow developed an insane obsession with the moody, bitchy FMC for no reason whatsoever. Of course, both MCs are represented as quirky and special and not like everyone else, but in reality they were just sad and lonely, and I personally don’t think that’s a feeling that should be romanticized or idolized.
Also, zero real conversations have actually been spoken in this whole entire book, but who cares, right?
I think reading this book could be best described with one single word: headache.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I know people are saying this is an exact copy of The Hunger Games, and really, I see you, I hear you, you’re kind of right. But… do I actually care, though? No. There’s a reason why The Hunger Games has become one of the most popular books in the world and that is because it is absolutely amazing. So the fact that this is a new version of that same type of story but then with a fantasy instead of dystopian setting and with a lot more romance? Yea, the unoriginality doesn’t actually bother me that much and I will eat it up regardless.
However, I did think the execution of it all was lacking, especially later on in the story. This book started out great and actually gripped me from the very beginning. I loved the premise of the book and the romantic dynamic was showing a lot of promise. Both of those things dwindled after a little while, though. The romance had delicious tension at the beginning with lots of banter, but it became very repetitive and stagnant after a while. Kai and Paedyn’s relationship didn’t change at all during the entire book, even though they did clearly grow closer, and I eventually found it a little boring.
The plot and setting also didn’t live up to their potential for me: “The Trials” were always a bit underwhelming and the world-building pretty much just stopped growing. A lot of the plotlines didn’t actually go anywhere, and were abandoned before they ever even had a chance of beginning. Same thing with a lot of the characters; they were introduced, had a few scenes, but then were only mentioned again once in a blue moon without much significance. We didn’t get the chance to really grow close to anyone, not even to the people Pae and Kai claim to care about, such as Adena or Kitt or Jax.
Long story short, this book had me hooked at the start, but slowly lost me along the way. It wasn’t a very well-developed story and left a lot to be desired. Therefore, I feel like lots of potential was lost here.
WARNING: There will be spoilers about the ending below!
I understand that the ending was meant to set up the next book with Kai (and Kitt) as enemies against Pae, but I’m struggling to feel sympathy for them. In my eyes, Paedyn has done absolutely nothing wrong. These boys have been carrying out a whole genocide against people like her, but now she’s supposed to feel guilty for helping those people fighting for their (and her own) life? While Kai and Kitt were just happily playing along with, and even participating in, this systematic killing of Pae’s people, she was just supposed to stand idly by and let it happen? How dare either of those boys even think about feeling betrayed by her; if anything, they should only feel ashamed for their own actions (or lack thereof).
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This story basically had one single message: capitalism is bad.
The plot follows an Indian family who try to make a living by pearl-diving but when the husband finds a glorious, beautiful pearl that is worth a lot of money, it brings nothing but pain and suffering. The rich, evil men would do anything to steal this impoverished man’s new-found wealth, and they are willing to go to immense lengths to take the pearl from him. First, the Indian family tries to fight back, but in the end they realize they do not want to own this pearl. They do not want to become wealthy. Not if it would make them dark and evil like all the other rich men. They would rather remain amongst their fellow poor people forever.
It could have been an okay story in theory, but I found the execution of it a little boring and even a bit simple. I also thought there are some problems with its message since it seems to suggests poor people should never try to move up in the world. I find that a little disheartening and discouraging, right?
Anyway, the writing was very descriptive and drawn-out, and I just didn’t feel connected to it. The characters also felt rather flat and didn’t come to live for me. Overall, I just wasn’t gripped by this story and the book left me feeling underwhelmed.
The plot follows an Indian family who try to make a living by pearl-diving but when the husband finds a glorious, beautiful pearl that is worth a lot of money, it brings nothing but pain and suffering. The rich, evil men would do anything to steal this impoverished man’s new-found wealth, and they are willing to go to immense lengths to take the pearl from him. First, the Indian family tries to fight back, but in the end they realize they do not want to own this pearl. They do not want to become wealthy. Not if it would make them dark and evil like all the other rich men. They would rather remain amongst their fellow poor people forever.
It could have been an okay story in theory, but I found the execution of it a little boring and even a bit simple. I also thought there are some problems with its message since it seems to suggests poor people should never try to move up in the world. I find that a little disheartening and discouraging, right?
Anyway, the writing was very descriptive and drawn-out, and I just didn’t feel connected to it. The characters also felt rather flat and didn’t come to live for me. Overall, I just wasn’t gripped by this story and the book left me feeling underwhelmed.