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Reviews

They Both Die at the End Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on They Both Die at the End Review

*Spoilers Obviously*

they both dieThis was so tragically beautiful, I definitely got emotional.

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little sceptical and hesitant going in because when a book is just super hyped for me I find myself not wanting to like it for some reason. But lo and behold I loved it! It was witty and effervescent and even though you have this event looming over their head it doesn’t become too dark and macabre.

We follow the perspectives of Mateo and Rufus and they live in a near futuristic world where they are able to pinpoint the day that someone is going to die. Mateo and Rufus have both just received their calls that they are going to die sometime within the next 24 hours and we join them as they make their way through their final day.

Mateo and Rufus as the two main protagonists in the book were wonderful. I like how they complement each other and grow this bond over the course of the day and finally bloom into this relationship they both needed. I like that we are given a backstory for each of them and we see how they eventually make contact through the app, I thought it was very up to date and connected to the present.

I also enjoyed that we get a multitude of small different perspectives from people throughout the book and we see little by little how they all link back to Mateo and Rufus. I thought it was very well done and it really helped to expand the world outside of the two boys and how everything seemed destined to happen the way it did.

The concept of the book is so unique and interesting; it did have me invested from the start. It was also a very fast paced book that I found quite easy to read. Knowing what was going to eventually happen really kept the stakes high and kept me turning the pages. I found myself towards the end trying to predict how they were going to die. The foreshadowing was definitely there but it was subtle enough that you didn’t notice until the very end and then everything comes flooding back to you. It was not pandering in any way and kept true to the concept. I thought for a second one of them might get miraculously saved and I’m happy that wasn’t the case.

⭐️4.5/5 stars I loved it, it was different, it was unique and the fact that we are not given a happy ending really topped it off for me.

Reviews

Never Fade Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Never Fade Review

*Not really any spoilers*

Book_2_CoverIt was just kind of ok.

Never Fade starts about 6 months after The Darkest Minds ends. Ruby has now been trained by the Children’s League and is used regularly by them to extract/torture information out of their enemies they capture.

We are given a lot of information about the league and how they operate pretty much straight out of the gate and I found myself kind of struggling to remain interested. The first half of the book was kind of boring for me and I really had to kind of force myself to keep reading, hoping that things were going to pick up.

We are introduced to some new and I think pretty integral characters to the series, mostly children who have either escaped from the camps or avoided detection and was found by the league. Vida I liked, I thought she was a good contrast to Ruby as she is so blunt and kind of overly aggressive and direct. Jude was just kind of like another Zu. He is younger than Ruby and she kind of takes him under her wing and dotes on him as she did Zu. Again, I liked these characters but I didn’t really spend enough time with them to form a bond or really care about them.

I think I just went into this book a little bit biased, as I didn’t quite like the choices Ruby made at the end of The Darkest Minds and how she has come to be in this situation now. I didn’t like that she ended up at the Children’s League and how she manipulated Liam and kind of just abandoned Chubs. We literally don’t hear about him for the first half of the book and when he finally reappears its then explained how she checked what happened after the hospital. I didn’t really feel any kind of progression from Ruby as a character for most of this book. I thought she still seemed very naïve and passive and made a lot of choices that just kind of bugged me. She second-guesses herself constantly and I just want her to assert herself and be the strong, powerful, confident character I know she can be. I see the potential there but its just lacking a bit for me at the moment.

I will still be continuing on the series as I am curious as to how it ends and I want to see some form of conclusion for Ruby, Liam and Chubs. I want to know where Alexander Bracken will take the plot from here and I still have hope that In the Afterlight will be the stand out novel of the series for me.

⭐️3/5 stars not great, not terrible just ok

Reviews

Unravel Me Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Unravel Me Review

*Some Spoilers*

y648Ultimately I thought it was a lot better than Shatter Me. I felt most of the characters progressed well throughout the novel but I definitely still feel like there is room to grow.

Unravel Me continues two weeks after Shatter Me concluded. Juliette how started her training and is discovering how much power she actually has and how to control it whilst still remaining herself and not turning into a monster. She’s having trouble fitting in and socialising with everyone and has found herself to be kind of ostracised.

I still enjoy the premise of the story and how its unfolded so far, its just a little bit too angsty for me. There is only so much I can take of Juliette agonizing over every single decision she makes in regards to Adam and then her guilt and remorse over her feelings for Warner. She is kind of just getting on my nerves at the moment. Adam as well not taking the news of his powers and its limits well and how he crumbles in on himself and won’t communicate. All of that side of the book annoyed me, however, the action and the politics and schemes were entertaining and interesting.

I like that we got a full backstory about Warner and his father and that plot twist was juicy and necessary at that time in the story! It gave us a lot of context in relation to Warner’s motives and why he acts and thinks the way he does. I’m kind of starting to like him to be quite honest. He’s unpredictable and unforgiving and he’s exciting to read as I don’t know what he is going to do next. I also like that he is so endearing and loving towards Juliette, I like the dynamic they have together and how different it contrasts to her and Adam’s relationship.

All in all, it was a pretty fast paced book that I finished very quickly. I am still intrigued and I definitely want to know what happens next. I just felt like it could of been a lot more high stakes and engaging than what it was.

⭐️3.5/5 stars I’m still enjoying the series, just hasn’t blown me away yet

Reviews

Shatter Me Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Shatter Me Review

*A little bit spoilery*

y648It was a good start to the series.

This didn’t exactly blow me away as I read it, but I did find myself enjoying it anyways.
Shatter Me follows the story of Juliette who has an ability that she neither wants nor enjoys, she can kill people just by touching them. She is currently an inmate in an asylum because of an incident that occurred three years prior. She hasn’t seen or spoken to anyone in that time until a young man walks into the door of her cell, a new roommate.

I definitely feel that parts of the storyline was a little rushed and there wasn’t much depth to the plot. I can see the potential and hopefully the rest of the series builds upon this shallow foundation and we really get more scope for the world.

Juliette‘s character was a little confusing to me. For the first half of the book she’s timid and skittish and the second half she’s a lot more determined and spirited and kind of gutsy. That progression happened a little too quickly for me, I just think it could have been more gradual.

The same can be said for Juliette’s and Adam‘s relationship. It was kind of insta-lovey for me. I think for the most part it was just explained why they should be together and have feelings for each other instead of developing organically. I do still think that they are very cute though; I just wished it were more drawn out.

That being said I am intrigued by the concept. I do feel that there are so many directions the storyline can go from here. I want to know more about Warner and his backstory and everything about Omega Point. I kind of like this mix of dystopian with a bit of fantasy thrown in. I feel I might really come to love this series. I just hope there is more depth and substance in the rest of the books.

⭐️3/5 stars very quick read, I just need more!

Reviews

Kingdom of Ash Review

by amyleighreads4 Comments on Kingdom of Ash Review

*SPOILERS*

33590260Legit, I did shed a tear or two.

We’ve finally come to the conclusion of this epic series that I only read at the start of this year. I am very fortunate that I didn’t have to wait long before this book was released and I was not disappointed! I know there are a lot of people who love to hate this series, but I just enjoyed it for what it was. I didn’t really read too much into the nuances and take everything literally; I really just enjoyed the characters, the magic system and the schemes and fierceness of the storyline.

This book was very plot heavy with multiple scenarios being played out simultaneously throughout the book. I liked the different povs we read, I thought it helped to distinguish the characters, as it has been a couple months since I’ve delved into the series so some of the characters were a little fuzzy for me.
I like the way that the differing scenes played off each other and we never really get a distinct timeline of when these events are all happening. It made everything a lot more mysterious and made the stakes at the end there way higher.

Aelin was such a star of the books. She’s really the reason that I continued to read these books as I was just enraptured by her. She’s strong, manipulative, calculating, cunning, loyal and still so much more than that. Her willingness to do anything at all even give her own life to ensure that Terrason survives after this war is so noble and really made her more likeable and relatable to me, as she can come across as unlikeable at times. All of her plots and never-ending schemes kept me highly entertained and nearly always caught me by surprise.

Another strong female antagonist that I really didn’t enjoy in the other books but really shone through for me in Kingdom of Ash was Manon. Her brash, harsh nature and how she eventually evolved into the queen she now is was really wonderful to read. I found her arc to be so fulfilling and yet still so heartbreaking. Her loyalty to her clan and the Thirteen and how she mourned after their sacrifice really touched me. I liked how her relationship with Dorian developed quite naturally, first hating each other, using each other for the closeness and eventually having that grow into true feelings was so gratifying for me. I also enjoyed that show of mutual respect at the end between her and Aelin, acknowledging the weight that they both now hold as Queens. A lot of the more pivotal moments for me happened with the witches actually. When Manon was crowned Queen of the Cochran’s, having all the Cochran witches show up right before the battle at Orynth, the sacrifice of the Thirteen and how Manon reacted and when they found out the curse was finally broken.

I won’t go too far into details, as there was soo much happening all at once. The battle scenes, the political intrigue, the backstories that we are finally made aware of. Everything just wove together perfectly in my opinion and just as it should be. I thought it was a just ending that these characters deserved. Definitely not flawless and pristine but well deserved I think!

⭐️5/5 really loved this series and this finale was beautiful!