Reviews tagging 'Deportation'

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

3 reviews

soph22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I have a complicated relationship with this book. I’d heard before reading that it was a bit of a love or hate kinda book, and I’ll be honest, the first 250 pages I really didn’t think I’d get along with it: the writing in first person felt a bit clunky, the action seemed off, but I kept going because the flirty banter between two characters was absolutely top notch. Something switched at the hallway mark, and I suddenly really started enjoying it. The maritime became more dynamic, the storytelling clearer, and the plot swept me away.
Overall, I don’t t think it was a flawless book, but it did entertain me. It had its issues, and I’m pretty sure it’s similar to Hunger Games (although I’ve never read it - 😲), but I will be continuing the series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

ect625's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Paedyn shares many qualities and traits with Celaena in Throne of Glass, Oraya in The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and Violet in Fourth Wing. Powerless has a similar vibe and rough storyline as those books, and scrappy, knife-throwing stabby girls are my fave FMCs, so I loved this book.

A friend who also read the book commented that the magic/power system isn't that great, and I agree with her. It's cumbersome and the origin story feels needlessly complicated. Fortunately, it's easy to take the storyline at face value without needing to think too hard about the how and why.

It's a classic story of 

Scrappy Girl meets Powerful Bad Boy, they fight, she throws knives, he falls in love, she denies her feelings but finally admits them

and that all leads to the ultimate conflict and unresolved ending that sets up the sequel.

Not all books have to be Shakespeare and sometimes a formulaic

stabby girl-bad boy

story is just what I'm looking for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Torture and Deportation

emilywemily6's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I ate this up!! If you like The Hunger Games + Divergent + The Selection, you’ll like this a lot. I really liked the premise with the Elites and the Ordinaries, as well as the different powers you see used by Elites throughout the book. The only reason this isn’t a 5 star is because the book felt a bit long (17.5 hr listen for a first book in a YA trilogy is a bit much). I am so excited to read the next book asap!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Medical content, and Kidnapping