Tag: Young Adult (Page 102 of 159)

BOOK REVIEW: I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver #1) by Dan Wells

August 14, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver #1)
by Dan Wells
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it.

He's spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.

He's obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn't want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he's written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.

Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don't demand or expect the empathy he's unable to offer. Perhaps that's what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there's something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.

Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can't control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

Dan Wells's debut novel is the first volume of a trilogy that will keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.

You are evil, said myself. You are Mr. Monster. You are nothing. You are me.

Well well well…what an odd slice of fun this was. Simplistic and understated, this book really doesn’t try to be anything other than what it says it is, making for not only a fun, easy read, but a very touching one, as well. It’s not easy to read about a diagnosed sociopath…well, at least not for the average person. For me? It felt more authentic and real. I became entwined and engrossed with this character in the early stages of the book, making it enjoyable from page one all the way until the end. And then there’s that damn middle part that just…ugh…it was so…ah, fuck it-It made me laugh. Hard.

“So you have coincidental links to two serial killers,” he said. “That’s a little odd, I admit, but I’m still not seeing a cosmic conspiracy against you.”
“My last name is ‘Cleaver,'” I said. “How many people do you know who are named after two serial killers and a murder weapon?”

I mean seriously?? He really went there? You’ve got to be kidding me. And yet….is it odd that, in the end, I kind of loved where this went??? I can now see why some people didn’t like the direction this novel took, but I actually, after my initial shock, LOVED IT! It took a bit, I’ll admit, to get past the absurdity with which this was presented. But let me ask you this: For me, being the type of reader that I am, why wouldn’t I love the fact that this ~~little~~ twist made it all the more perilous? Yeah, it was totally unbelievable. Yeah, it was an odd direction to go. And, yes, it will not be for everyone. But, for whatever reason, I decided I really liked it-Logic be damned.

I think that fire is more alive than we are-brighter, hotter, more sure of itself and where it wants to go. Fire doesn’t settle; fire doesn’t tolerate; fire doesn’t “get by.” Fire does.
Fire is.

I really did have an internal struggle on whether or not I liked what was happening in this one. I wrestled with the idea that, while I am in love with these types of books, this was really dumb. But it comes down to more than that, it comes down to if the positive outweighs the negative…and, for me, it did. And that big positive that made this whole book worth it? Our main character, John.

People scurry around, doing their little jobs and raising their little families and shouting their meaningless emotions to the world, and all the while you just watch from the sidelines, bewildered. This drives some sociopaths to feel superior, as if the whole of humanity were simply animals to be hunted or put down; others feel a hot, jealous rage, desperate to have what they cannot. I simply felt alone, one leaf sitting miles away from a giant, communal pile.

Emotionless, lacking empathy, and a social outcast, John was my favorite type of character, at the moment. Well, I like a little more empathy in my boys, but, hey-You get what I mean. Not without the quirky inner monologue or the twisted humor of the writing would this book have succeeded-of that I’m sure. John would not be a likable character to read about had we not gotten his odd rationalizations of the goings on around him or the way he views human flaws, such as love and loyalty. In a way, he’s broken. He longs to feel something, anything, if only to be like those around him-He can’t even cry. He gets jealous that others have this ability, and that’s why he is so fascinated with serial killers-weird sounding, I know! But, when you feel like you’re on the verge of being one yourself, it only makes sense to latch onto the one connection in this world you are sure is your only like to humanity.

“You’re weird, man,” said Max, taking another bite of his sandwich. “That’s all there is to say. Someday you’re going to kill a whole bunch of people-probably more than ten, because you’re such an overachiever-and then they’re going to have me on TV and ask if I saw this coming, and I’m going to say,’Hell yes, that guy was seriously screwed up.'”
“Then I guess I have to kill you first,” I said.

You heard me right-He thinks he is destined to be a serial killer. And, because of this, he has a set of rules he rigidly follows. And it has worked…until a serial killer comes to town. Every day his ‘monster’ threatens to leak out, to identify with this new murderer-sorry, sorry, not murder…SERIAL KILLER-in town. But when he finds out who is killing, he takes responsibility into his own hands. Who better to find a serial killer…than a destined-to-be serial killer?

“I’ve been clinically diagnosed with sociopathy,” I said. “Do you know what that means?”
“It means you’re a freak,” he said.
“It means that you’re about as important to me as a cardboard box,” I said. “You’re just a thing-a piece of garbage that no one’s thrown away yet. Is that what you want me to say?”
“Shut up,” said Rob. He was still acting tough, but I could see his bluster was starting to fail-he didn’t know what to say.
“The thing about boxes,” I said, “is that you can open them up. Even though they’re completely boring on the outside, there might be something interesting on the inside. So while you’re saying all of these stupid, boring things, I’m imagining what it would be like to cut you open and see what you’ve got in there.”

-lol, is it deranged I laughed and loved that?

Stellar, spot-on writing, wicked humor, and absolutely gruesome scenes that make you think deeper about life in general….I really liked this book. And, after looking at book two ratings and reviews, it seems book two is even darker, grittier, better. I cannot wait until I get the time to read book two. Because once John’s exterior cracked? I fell in love with him. I can’t wait to see how he wrestles with his dark side.

BOOK REVIEW – The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

August 14, 2015 / Anna

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1)
by Marie Lu
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Hey YOU! BOOK! You pretended to be right up my alley! You said I will love you! You said you were dark and captivating!

The truth is, after getting off to a flying start, the tension loosened more and more, making the next 300 pages a real core to read for me. When I first met Adelina, I was ecstatic : because of the darkness that seemed to lie in her heart, she appeared to be the kind of morally ambiguous character I could root for.

Too bad the whole book turned out to be completely anticlimactic : I. WAS. BORED.

✘ I don’t like Mari Lu’s writing : I wouldn’t be able to point what was wrong, exactly, but I kept feeling that something wasn’t quite right with it. Frankly, I think that the present tense throws me off guard. And her sentences seemed… weird to me sometimes, bugging me so much that I had to reread them. It didn’t flow smoothly. Not in my opinion anyway.

✘ Let’s forget the fact that there’s barely any world-building, except a re-creation of the Renaissance Italy with the black plague as an explication to the Young Elites new powers. Frankly, I’m okay with authors using real settings to create their fantasy world (take Mark Lawrence for example, whose Broken Empire is nothing more than Europe after an atomic war). However, if Mark Lawrence plays with this real background, letting the reader know where his inspiration lies, Mari Lu merely uses entire settings without never acknowledging what she borrowed. Changing names isn’t enough. Is it high fantasy? No. It’s alternate history with fantastic elements.

✘ The pacing was ~~uneven~~ a big fail : after a strong beginning which put my feelings all over the place, nothing really happens during several chapters…. until we start a new cycle again : an amazing scene and then boring pages during which I don’t really know what to think. Like, the consort pages. What’s the point?

While I desperately wanted to feel something, to feel captivated, I was drowned in descriptions of clothes and other useless details. For real, how many times do I have to read the word velvet? Huh? Take Gabriele for example. I don’t need to know everything he’s wearing every day. Call me shallow, but I don’t care.

✘ This book is… putdownable. Is that a thing? (apparently, no, but I’ll make it a thing, because I can) Indeed I kept feeling distracted during my read and before I could think more about it I was doing something else entirely (laundry, watching TV, just name it). As far as my investment in the story is concerned, it’s a big huge fail for me.

✘ But my biggest disappointment is Adelina. I expected dark. I expected complex. That’s absolutely not what I got. Let’s get this straight : I love antiheroes. I have no problem to adore characters who are complete little shit and who embrace evil as a living. I crave them, for crying out loud, because good (haha) antiheroes are rare and complicated to create : how to make the readers root for a character whose actions disgust and disturb them? I have no clue, but when it’s well-done, it’s amazing. Adelina… wasn’t quite like that. She is NOT an antihero but spends her time whining about events that aren’t even her fault. Okay, okaaaay, she thinks about killing people and keeps telling us that there’s a darkness inside her but frankly? BRING IT, GIRL. Stop whining and show me that there’s more to you than your internal confusion. I was ready to accept EVERYTHING from her : jealousy, selfishness, murder instincts, betrayal, everything. What I got is a lot of TELLING but not near enough SHOWING to make me care about her. I didn’t.

And you know what happens when I don’t care about the characters?

It becomes a core to finish.

✘ I didn’t feel anything towards Enzo as well except during his first apparition (what? I’m an Assassin’s Creed whore and my eyes sparkle at the mention of daggers, don’t mind me).

✘ To be frank, during most of the book I got the impression that the characters were… wandering… to go…. somewhere… I think… It lacked directions and the plot was almost non-existent, except for the betrayal trope I see in every Fantasy YA book I read these days. Look, it was a trope I used to love, and I still do, when it’s executed properly, when it’s more than an easy way to bring angst in a story. Sadly, in my opinion it belonged to the second category : I simply COULDN’T FEEL Adelina’s struggles. Oh, she tells us. Well, she tells us a lot of things. But to me neither Teren nor Violetta felt like real characters, therefore I was never moved by this situation. Heavy sigh.

✔ The ending, though? It was good. It was everything I wanted from the book. It came… too late. How am I supposed to savor epic scenes if I haven’t given a fuck about the characters for pages and pages? Why using most of the book as a set-up for a shocking ending? It feels just… cheap to me. A genuinely great ending won’t make me forget that I was bored to death during 300 pages. Nope. Sorry.

This book didn’t quite give me what it was telling me.

BOOK REVIEW: The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

August 12, 2015 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1)
by Marie Lu
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

“Come out, demon.” His smile fades, replaced with a chilling blankness. “Come out, so we can play.”

I can’t breathe. I swear to God-I literally. Can’t. Breathe.

I was in shock. I was in utter denial. I was half hyperventilating and half watching Friends (I mean, I have to calm down somehow, right?). The beginning and the end….they were truly something to behold. When I picked this book up, it felt right. Near the end, I was an absolute mess and completely engrossed in what could possibly become of these wonderfully flawed characters-And that is really saying something, because somewhere in the middle I had decided I didn’t care anymore-Go figure.

Who will ever want you, Adelina?
My fury heightens. Everyone. They will cower at my feet, and I will make them bleed.

I always say I won’t write a long review and then I proceed to write an even longer review. It’s one of my many ~~curses~~ gifts-The gift of gab. But, with so many mixed emotions, I feel it would be unfair-or rather, very hard on myself-to write a review on a book that I both loved and hated. Because I did-I loved and hated it. And I think that’s testament to this author-everyone adores Marie Lu. And as a person? I think she’s great. As a writer-So creative. But, somewhere along the lines, she always loses me in her books. It’s like, do you have a certain way you’d love things to go in your mind when you read? Especially dystopian or peril-ish type books? Well, I do, and most authors tend to either go exactly in the direction I want it to-but much better-or somewhere very close and very pleasing to me. But, with Marie Lu, she always…veers off. And I don’t know why. I never like the journeys her books take, but I generally always love the end result. I guess we will call that a matter of creative differences.

My sorrow turns to anger, then to ice-cold fury. My soul curls in on itself in defense. I am gone. I am truly gone.
I am not sorry.

The beginning. Strong. Haunting. Engrossing. It immediately draws you in and you’re like-Fuck yes, this is going to be epic. And the beginning is.

I struggle feebly against my chains. My legs are shaking violently. I want to hide my body from all of these people, hide my flaws from their curious eyes. Is Violetta somewhere in this crowd? I scan the faces for her, then look up toward the sky. It’s such a beautiful day-how can the sky possibly be this blue? Something wet rolls down my cheek. My lip quivers.
Gods, give me strength. I am so afraid.

We learn of a girl who is badly mistreated because of a genetic defect she can’t help, a genetic defect she acquired through no fault of her own when she was younger-it effected more than just her because of a plague or something. The kids effected by this plague are labeled malfettos….they are mistreated and deemed not fit to be a part of society. But there’s one strong male who is gathering malfettos-the best of the best. They are called the Young Elites….and he’s coming for Adelina. (By far one of my favorite scenes of book, second only to the end). Rating? 5/5.

The Middle. I’m sorry, the middle just….ugh. It lost my interest. And it’s not because it wasn’t good-it was. It just….wasn’t for me. It gave me negative angst-not the good angst I crave and am sickeningly in love with. No, this angst had me losing sleep (not in the giddy, excited way) and worrying if Lu was going to ruin the end for me (yes, I’m very selfish like that)…and basically the middle was what I was speaking of earlier-It just wasn’t going where I wanted it to go. Boring and almost cause for DNF….which is never a thought in my mind. Rating? 2/5.

Enzo watches me silently. The lanterns on the courtyard wall outline his face in a halo of damp, golden light, and the beads of water glitter in the darkness. He is such a startlingly different beauty from Raffaele-dark, intense, wary, perhaps even menacing-but I see a softness in him, a stirring desire. Something mysterious flickers in his eyes.

The End. Can you really put this fucking epic end into words? Can you? I’m not so sure. Let’s just say-It’s my absolute favorite. Most-perilistically-pleasing. Sickening. Maddeningly perfect. Ending type ever. Ever. I got exactly what I normally want but…Marie Lu? You got some balls, girl. Because…

Rating? 10/5. I’m not happy about it, though.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
My turn.

So, you know. I don’t know what to say. I hated it. I loved it. It was perfect. It had dumb parts. It was intense…but only in the beginning and not until the very end. I don’t know. I mean, are we all always so sure what works for us? Why something doesn’t click until we get precisely what we want? Is it fair? I never have a problem with authors playing things out as they please, but, I definitely am feeling a little harsh on this one. But, eh, I’ve always been fickle. Take what you want from this review-I have no clue what to say to anyone, anyway.

If you want a more thorough and well thought out review, check out Anna’s review. Thanks for joining, Bug!

BOOK REVIEW – The Secret Fire (The Secret Fire #1) by C.J. Daugherty, Carina Rozenfeld

August 11, 2015 / Anna

The Secret Fire (The Secret Fire #1)
by C.J. Daugherty, Carina Rozenfeld
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
French teen Sacha Winters can't die. He can throw himself off a roof, be stabbed, even shot, and he will always survive. Until the day when history and ancient enmities dictate that he must die. Worse still, his death will trigger something awful. Something deadly. And that day is closing in.

Taylor Montclair is a normal English girl, hanging out with her friends and studying for exams, until she starts shorting out the lights with her brain. She’s also the only person on earth who can save Sacha.

There’s only one problem: the two of them have never met. They live hundreds of miles apart and powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

They have eight weeks to find each other.

Will they survive long enough to save the world?

➱ Would I have enjoyed The Secret Fire more if I hadn’t read plenty of paranormal young adult books before? Definitely. Sadly, as much as I would want to, I can’t unread all these books and that’s why I can’t ignore all the annoying tropes that spoiled my read.

PART ONE : DO NOT LIKE

Indeed Taylor, the MC, is so perfect and annoying I want to puke. Like, really. Let me draw a little list, okay?

✅ She’s a straight-As student and only think about studying, because of course, that’s how the majority of teenagers are.

✅ She’s top-volunteer of the year (really, she won an award or something) but you know what? She didn’t show me an ounce of her so-called kindness when it comes to the way she handles her relationship with her best friend. No. She’s condescending towards everyone, and she wants us to think that she’s a paragon of virtue and made me roll my eyes almost as often as Snowhite in Once Upon a Time (aka. every time she opens her mouth).

✅ She thinks she’s not attractive (SPOILER ALERT : She is). She complains about her hair which is curly blond and here’s her explanation :

“Blonde hair should be straight and silky.”

Are you for real?

✅ She dates some perfect golden boy and she has no idea why he’s interested in her.

✅ She blushes all the freaking time. Of course she does. Sigh.

Frankly, I hated her chapters and I don’t know if the author’s writing is to blame but I didn’t like at all the way the characterization was handled : too many useless details about Taylor (like, the countless tea descriptions : I DON’T CARE), and not a drop of interest toward the other characters (mostly Tom, the one-dimensional boyfriend, and Georgie, the hot best friend, who isn’t slut-shamed but who is still mostly defined by her looks and her lack of interest in studying).

“He looked dangerous. And that danger had a magnetic force.”

Oh, please. Not that again.

Give me a wounded boy, okay. But please don’t think I’m stupid enough to find normal that the female lead realizes things about him in 2 seconds when SHE OBVIOUSLY CAN’T. I’m sorry, that’s not how relationships work. Anyway, I did enjoy his chapters more than Taylor’s ones. Indeed 1)the storyline is way more interesting there (it includes gun shots, gambling, and general deception) and 2)he’s completely fucked-up. Of course I ship that, duh.

However as much as I liked his character at first, from the moment that he *really* met Taylor his behavior screamed FRAUD to me : I mean, come on.

First Taylor decides to go to Paris (aka in a foreign country) for 2 days a)after talking with him online only TWICE, b)without telling anyone where she is. Does it not break some elementary safety rules to you? Because to me that’s beyond stupid and dangerous. I don’t care if your teacher asked you to tutor him. He could be a psychopath for all you know.

Their attraction is cliché, unconvincing and sometimes beyond ridiculous : we’re offered a lot of blushing, staring, OMG what it is happening to me!! kind of stuff, and frankly, I was laughing and screaming HORMONES! Sigh. Does nobody talk about hormones to teenagers these days? I’m starting to wonder.

Frankly, I kept rolling my eyes every time they talk to each other/think about each other. Everything sounds so CLICHÉ. Really, we are spared none of it.

✅ The descriptions they make of each other are roll-eyed worthy. For real, I was choking on the cheese.

Taylor about Sasha : “He had the longest lashes she could ever remember seeing. Like black feathers against his cheeks.” Of course he does. Because he’s a cat or something.
Sasha about Taylor : “She had even, white teeth and full pink lips, and when she smiled she lit up as if illuminated by some inner light. She was one of those people.” I’m not even gonna comment on that.

✅ She blushes for no reason every time he looks at her/talks to her/whatever. No reason I said.

✅ “She liked the way her name sounded when he said it.” Enough said.

✅ Their interactions are silly, juvenile, and again, cliché. Example?

“He chuckled. “And you’re just some English girl with a leaf in your hair.”
“There’s a leaf in my hair?” Reaching up, she felt for objects.
“Here, let me.” Leaning towards her, Sacha pulled the leaf from a curl carefully. Her hair felt incredibly soft beneath his fingertips.” Nah, I didn’t see that move coming. *roll-eyes*

Oh! And she smells like sunlight! What is it, I don’t know, but apparently, it’s a great smell.

Conclusion :

“How do you spend one day with someone and decide they belong in your life?”

I don’t know, you DON’T?

I mean, why fucking bother? We have :

✅ The best friend who is only here to show how much fucking better Taylor is supposed to be. As I already said, I didn’t like at all the patronizing way Georgie is treated by Taylor, and for me her role is strictly restricted as how her actions can manipulate the reader into thinking that Taylor is worth it. It didn’t work on me.

✅ The boyfriend who turns into a jerk the minute she meets Sacha. *rise eyebrow* How convenient.

✅ The teachers whose behavior screams trouble from the start.
In my opinion the whole premise is wobbly : the whole “I want you to interact” plot stank of put-up job from the start. Just sayin’.

✅ The families who make a special appearance sometimes but just disappear when – well again, when it’s convenient.

The premise sounded really interesting to me, especially on Sacha’s side : a boy who can’t die whatever happens because his death is planned for his eighteen’s birthday? Paris and London settings? Count me in. Unfortunately it lacked some depth to really enthrall me and I found myself reading their story only as a distant witness : I didn’t care about their fate that much, especially in Taylor’s case (goddammit, this girl made my head ache)

PART TWO : NOT BAD

I thought that the paranormal aspects were pretty good and original, and therefore were by far the better part of the book. Indeed the only moments I felt invested in the story where when Sacha tried to deal with the frightening creatures and the impact of his family’s curse on his life. Taylor’s intake would have probably been captivating too – too bad the girl made my head bleed. I really liked how it was linked to medieval witches hunt and frankly, I can see how this book could please a lot of readers if you manage to get over the overused tropes submentioned and the cliché phrasing, that is.

Indeed the action in the last 30% kept me on the edge of my seat :
– Sacha’s struggles and discoveries captivated me and made me want to learn more and more about the creatures he faces and the characteristics of his curse.
– The events started to be less predictable and their shocked factor increased.
– Even Taylor’s chapters improved grandly : indeed her Mary Sue status is FINALLY put aside and she starts to become a heroine I can like, making me hope for her role in the sequel. From her relationships with other characters (most of all Louisa, who I enjoyed a lot) to her inner thoughts and decisions, I can’t deny that she grew on me a little bit.

✘ I still have a problem though : If I always liked Sasha and if Taylor’s behavior improved in the end, I still hate them together. I’m sorry, but I can’t help, they make me gag and they feel fake to me when they’re together.

Finally, I’m not sure that I will give the sequel a try, but if I do I hope that it will be more free of these annoying tropes that spoiled most of my read. Look, I know that tropes are useful, but really, the Mary Sue one? The insta-something one? They don’t add anything to a story in my opinion, and even worst, they waste it.

*arc kindly provided by Bookouture through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

BOOK REVIEW: The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2) by Danielle Paige

August 10, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2)
by Danielle Paige
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestsellingDorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die...

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

When you claim your name, what will it be?

I think there’s a certain standard in which second books are expected to live up to. In no way is it fair, because, especially with me, the first book in a series is always leagues above the rest-it’s just the way it is. When I fall in love with a series, it’s no light thing. I become obsessed and nothing is likely to please me any time soon. That being said-I have high standards. After devouring a 100% 5 star book, I want the same superiority of action and angst in book two. Sadly, though, this rarely happens. And I’m just going to come right out and say it: Compared to book one-a now absolute favorite of mine-this book paled in comparison.

Some people spend their whole lives searching for the one thing that they can do to say, I changed the world. I had found that thing. I might not be able to accomplish it, but I was going to die trying. So call me selfish.

Second books aren’t all bad, though. They get a bad rap, sure, but there are many good things that come from them, as well. Sometimes it’s the opposite, actually. There have been a few times when the second book by far outshines its predecessor and makes up for boring build-ups with no results. In this case, though, I definitely was missing….something. And while that’s not always a problem, it was in this case-for me.

It was frustrating that everyone was so convinced that I had this great potential to be evil, when all I’d done was show up, get thrown in the dungeon by Dorothy, and then follow the Order’s instructions pretty much exactly. I’d fought for what I thought was right. For what I believed in. And now even people like Lulu-people who were supposed to be on the same side as me-seemed suspicious of me because of it. It all felt a little unfair.

One: The action. My God I missed the action. There was plenty, I suppose, but the level of intensity was severely lacking based on what I know this author can do. For example, in book one, not every scene was full of fights and battles, but there was just this level of dread with each passing chapter that brought forth a sense of doom and foreboding that made you feel as though something terrible could happen at any minute….whereas in this story it was all build up. It was book two hell, if I’m being honest. With all that foreboding and dread in book one, when a battle scene would actually happen it was like when you poke a hole in a balloon-it was as though this pressure that had been pressing down on your chest was finally released and you could just breathe, because it had finally happened. But it was so intense that you didn’t care if you were breathing at all, anyway, because wasn’t this exactly what you’d been waiting for? It was the sweetest of evils. In this book, while the action scenes were epic in their own right, they were few and far between and I almost felt….sad….when they happened because I knew there wasn’t much left of the book….and I never felt my breath release like I wanted. Which brings me to my next point.

I may not have known how I was doing it, but every time I rose back up, reshaping myself into my own form, I knew what I was doing when I was under there. I was touching the darkness.

Two: The length. Talk about wanting to cry…I almost started bawling-no joke-when I saw how short this book was. It was barely even (if at all) half the length of the first book. And the first book was The perfect length, by the way. It was perfect because of how wonderfully paced everything was-every little part had ample time to unwind, to grow, to pull you deeper-you never wanted to stop reading. Never once did it feel rushed, overdone, drawn out, NOTHING. I fell hard and I fell fast and I fell deeper under it’s spell-I STILL think about book one and my heart STILL goes into overdrive as my stomach simultaneously drops out of the bottom of me. This is the biggest downfall for book two, I have to say. The chapters were way too short. You would just start to get into a scene and then it would be over and we would have to move on. There were times where it was nicely paced, but most of the time it didn’t feel…quite right….which was shocking to me after seeing how amazing book one’s pacing was. And, if I’m being completely honest, I’m pretty bitter about the length of this book. I love this author, this series, for life, but I feel cheated. I was ecstatic to pick up book two, only to find out that we were getting such a short story. And I know I know, this is a bridge book for the final story…but never has a book felt like a literal bridge before-because this is exactly what this is-bridging to the fanatical last story (I will be a happy little lark when book three comes out, but, for now, let me just pout).

Despite what I’d said to Dorothy’s Fantasm in the Fog of Doubt, and as wicked as I knew I could be when I had to, I had one weakness: kindness.
And kindness is a weakness. I can see that now. But it’s a weakness I’m still not sure I’d want to give up entirely.

Three: The World Building. I didn’t think I’d ever say this in a review because I really could give two shits less but…..I wanted more. I don’t know what but…more. It was great, it was wonderful but..yeah. That’s all.

All over the place, when you looked a little more closely, traces of the city’s former grandeur remained. Amidst all the wreckage, the streets had a sheen that I realized was coming from millions of scattered jewels-emeralds, obviously, but diamonds and rubies and amethysts, too. Here and there, pools of gold melted and then hardened again, like puddles lingering after a thunderstorm.

Four: The romance. Believe me when I wholeheartedly say-I LIVE FOR NOX AND AMY’S RELATIONSHIP. I ship them so hard-Especially Nox. He is just…ugh. But that’s why this is [partially] in the negative category. I wanted more. There-I SAID IT. I really, truly, wholeheartedly, needed more. I craved it, I ached for it, and when it finally was within in my clutches, it felt like it was over too soon. See reason two above-I am still a pissy pink elephant about this. Every little bit of the romance was perfection. Well…or Nox was. But I think I’m going to put him in his own little category….just because I can. My point? The romance, while exactly what I wanted, inexplicably Just. Wasn’t. Enough.

It was like I was entering a world of shadows. I wasn’t sure how I was doing it, and I wasn’t sure where I was going when I disappeared like that-only that wherever it was, it was cold and foreign and deadly silent. From down there, everything was hazy and slow-motion, and I was outside reality, looking up into it from the darkness like gazing up through a layer of black, muddy water.

So, as you can see, while I love this story, it had detrimental issues that stunted my enjoyment. And isn’t that the best way to describe a short story? Choppy, stunted, without the growth I so desperately needed? But here comes my favorite part: The GOOD.

Once upon a time a girl named Amy Gumm had come to Oz on a tornado. She had fought hard; she had been loyal and fierce. She had done things she’d never in a million years imagined that she would.

One: Amy. Amy might possibly be my favorite heroine ever-at the moment. I think this second book sold her a little short, if I’m being completely honest, but I can’t forget how epic she was in the first….and how epic she continues to be. She’s in the midst of an internal battle within herself that continues to confuse and conflict her. She has conquered the use of magic by learning from Nox and the rest of the order from book one….but this is exactly how it all started with Dorothy, isn’t it? She got a taste of the power, and then it wasn’t enough. She wanted more and more and more…until eventually ruling an entire kingdom wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to control everyone, she needed them to fear and worship her, as well. And now the dark magic is making it’s way to Amy, and she struggles to stifle it with each new battle and after every new hard decision is made. She is becoming someone she doesn’t recognize….and I loved every minute of her internal conflicts. And perhaps the brightest point of her life, her most grounded ally, is the adorable warlock, Nox.

She had been both good and wicked and everything in between. She had been both at once, too, until it was very hard for her to even tell the difference anymore.

Two: Nox. My beautiful, messy-haired boy, Nox. He is just so wonderful. I absolutely adored him-from book one until now he has left such a mark on my heart. I can hardly think about this series without getting all mushy and sighing when I think about this poor orphaned boy who fights for the only thing he has ever known to strive for-his freedom from Dorothy. But what he doesn’t know? What happens after. Who will he become? What will he do? What will his purpose be? We get to see a more vulnerable side to Nox in this book, and I devoured each and every moment he was a part of. I almost would go so far as to say I didn’t think he was treated the way he should have been…I’m very protective of my boy. A beacon of light for Amy’s impending darkness, her voice of reason, and her greatest ally and friend. Nox, just like in book one, stole the show. I am obsessed with him and CANNOT WAIT for more of him in book three-I need his HEA.

My last glimpse of Nox back in the city kept flashing through my mind: his dark, always-messy hair, his broad shoulders and skinny, sinewy arms. The determined tilt of his jaw, and that look of almost arrogant pride. The anger that was always coiled deep in his chest finally ready to burst out and strike down everything that stood in his way, all of it to save Oz, the home that he loved.
No, not just that. To save me, too.

Three: The villains. I love these guys. They are complex. They back up what they say. They do what’s best for THEM. They are truly evil. You don’t get false threats with any of them-They say what they mean and they mean what they say. You will feel the pain. You will hurt. You will be upset by what they do-they sugar coat nothing. They are the true definition of evil…and they blur the lines of hate/like/love-because they are truly addicting in their ruthlessness. Wicked-Wickeder-Wickedest-who would you want to go up against? I’m not so sure.

“I. Know. Who. I. AM,” I said again, more confidently this time with each word bringing forth every bit of the power, the rage, and-yeah-the wickedness, that had been building inside of me since I was just a little girl. “And I’m willing to fight for it.”

Four: Everything I don’t have time to mention. The beautiful descriptions. The amazing world and everything that pulls me so deeply out of reality-when I’m in this world, there’s no where else I’d rather be. That’s so hard to achieve these days. The writing-it’s so amazing. How every little detail matters. Amy’s inner monologues. The vivid imagination that goes into each and every moment….the list goes on and on. There is no end to how engrossing this series is.

The rainbows washed over me. It was like I was being spun in some Willy Wonka version of a washing machine. A neon palette swirled around me as I tumbled: hot pink, electric blue, candy-apple red, grape-soda purple, and every color imaginable in between, all of them zooming downward into infinity in a twisting, death-defying flume, carrying me faster than even seemed possible.

So, while this was not what I wanted it to be, I still loved it. I love this series, this world, these characters-I am obsessed with them. Be it good or evil, each and every character is so addicting. We even get more of the lovable Pete in this one!! And, in a super weird way, I get so excited when Dorothy appears. She is so sickeningly sweet…it’s endearing. She might even be my favorite villain EVER. Amy’s journey is one that I can’t seem to get out of my head, and she and Nox’s relationship brings me to a whole new level of fangirling. Maybe that’s why I had so many things I was disappointed about…I just needed so much more of what I loved, and I didn’t get it. So, without making this even longer than it really is, just know that I am going CRAZY knowing I have to wait for book three. It might just kill me…but it’s one of those wonderful pains-you know it’s worth the wait.