Category: Z-Old Users (Page 28 of 50)

Synopsis:

Absolutely NOT.

► How many series made you want to read each book back to back? How often are you willing to accept the flaws as they are and still treasure the story you read? In my reading experience, it’s a rarity.

WARNING : I won’t spoil the series for you, but DO NOT read the blurb of this third book, otherwise you’d find unsolicited information. You don’t want to do that, trust me.

① When you read a book, you need a ending that :
A. wraps everything up
B. lets some loose ends
C. I don’t know, I don’t care this is crazy!!! Love it love it LOVE IT!

[embracing the madness]

② Do you need to understand all the characters’ intention?
A. of course yes
B. I don’t understand the question : you mean that they must act coherently at any time? Why?
C. no I don’t give a damn

③ As for the pacing, you expect:
A. a fast-paced, action-packed page-turner where pausing to breathe is – really – overrated
B. a slow and insightful story with many descriptions of stuff as clothes, food, furniture…

④ You love your main characters :
A. fundamentally good, I can’t deal with unlikeable characters
B. [insert evil laugh] what was the question?
C. Realistic characters as in : neither fully bad nor good but complex

⑤ Among these possible sources of annoyance, which one is a lesser evil in your opinion?
A. to be frozen to death by boredom
B. to wander clueless and accept to suspend your disbelief sometimes
C. to predict every one of the outcomes

⑥ What would you say about your favorite characters?
A. They smirk and stare and glare. But they’re so fucking HAWT.
B. They’re so wise and clever that you could quote them as a rule of life. Actually, you do.
C. They fuck up. They make mistakes. They doubt. They fear. They live.

Now, a subsidiary question :

► After reading this book, you thought that something was useless and annoying. What was it?
A. the love-triangle
B. the love-triangle
C. the love-triangle

(Don’t worry though, it doesn’t last long at all and makes sense)

Ps. Many reviews explained perfectly why this series is filled with plot holes and inaccuracies and I can’t say that they’re wrong. However, I enjoyed every moment and I would still recommend these books in a heartbeat.

Actual rating for this book : 3.5 stars
Rating for the series as a whole : 4 stars

Synopsis:

Again, NO. Don't read it.

These books are like thrillers on crack, and again the story pulled me in from the very first page. So. Much. Win.

First of all, what you need to know is ________________. Indeed, while the ending of Pines offered us some answers, I have to admit that I wasn’t completely convinced by _____________________. In that aspect, Wayward turned out to be a strong and satisfying sequel because _______________________. As for the twists and turns the story takes, didn’t you love when _______________ ? It was by far my favorite part, because even though I guessed that ________________ and that _________________ (yes I did!! Okay! It was obvious! Whatever! Don’t give a damn!), I couldn’t help but feel stunned by ______________ . Not to mention the ____________________ : incredible idea, right? As for ___________________, his __________ was revealed to be even more crazy than I thought it was.

Haha. You really thought that I was going to review this book?

I can’t, people, I can’t! WHY?!

WAIT – is it good then? Well, let’s see…

If a :
☑ A captivating page-turner…
☑ … with complex and multi-layered characters…
☑ … nobody to be trusted…
☑ … hard choices to make…
☑ … with the boundaries between right and wrong more and more blurred …
☑ … and a killer ending…

… is a good book for you…

… Yes it is.

Sorry, I did say that my review would be without any spoilers. I never said that it’d be useful, though. Oops.

Synopsis:

Haha, NO. Don't read the blurb. 

► Fast-paced, gripping, Pines let me begging for more – I am in awe. READ IT. READ IT. READ IT. This book is fabulous.

▩ The plot… fascinated and surprised me. The male lead (let’s call him “he”) wakes up in an unknown town, badly bruised, penniless, and without any memories of his life.

Now, this is a situation that would scare the shit out of anyone, don’t you agree? From page one my brain was reeling, faced with so many unanswered questions that I couldn’t help but strongly sympathize with him : what defines who you are? Who would you be if every knowledge about yourself had been ripped off your mind? To what degree can you trust your instincts? Can they be right? Or are you going completely out of line? And even if your memories come back, how can you survive when you’re surrounded by secrets?

“Are you losing your mind?
I sometimes think I’m still in that torture room. I never left.
Are you losing your mind?
You tell me.
I can’t.
Why?
Because I am you.”

Who is to be believed? Who is to be trusted?

▩ The characters… are interesting and intriguing. When it comes to thrillers, I’ve drawn this conclusion : more the author keeps us in the dark, characters wise, more my interest is piqued, because the lack of knowledge adds tension to the story and you know what? I NEED TENSION. He isn’t a likeable character, not flawless by any means, but I cared for his quest of answers, even more because the layers of his life aren’t immediately unraveled. I won’t say much about him… Because obviously : if my enjoyment was linked to the fact that I had no idea of what I could expect, I won’t be the person that screw your read^^ As for the other characters we meet…

What, though?

▩ The settings … are quite ominous.

Imagine a little town lost between mountains, with no escape in sight. Creepy, right? I mean, probably wonderful if you’ve planned a trip with friends, but to wake up there alone and in a bad shape? I’d probably turn hysterical. Nobody wants to see that, trust me. Even more when we realize, along the male-lead, that something isn’t quite right there… The people… The places… Everything appears intriguing and yes, more and more frightening…

▩ The writing… is all kinds of amazing : indeed the alternative use of short and long sentences compelled me to read more and more and more, not to mention that some vivid descriptions (including smells! Thank you!) are straight on beautiful. I know many readers complained about the fragmented sentences and I can understand their struggles but… I think it’s only a matter of taste : I love that kind of writing when it’s well-done and it was perfect to express the changes in the rythm in my opinion.

From start to finish, Pines never gets dull and ends with a punch, leaving me eager for more.

► So, Anna, you’re telling us that this book is perfect ?

Huh, NO. Plot holes, anyone? Obviously, I won’t talk about them because spoilers, but know that there are several of them and I. Don’t. Care. I don’t want to analyze : I was mesmerized, I was surprised, I am in love and I don’t give a damn if some things don’t quite make sense. You’ve been warned.