kitsunebi_reads's review
5.0
The Returned answered burning questions from The Taking, but left do many more unanswered. Where will Kyra find herself in the future? More importantly what will happen between her and Tyler? Or with Simon? Can't wait to find out in the next installment.
erinarkin20's review
4.0
The Replaced is book two of The Taking series by Kimberly Derting and I have been waiting to get my hands on this book since I finished book one. The book picks up shortly after The Taking ended and if you haven’t read that one yet, you might want to hold off on reading this review. Not because I am going to spoil anything with this book (or at least try not to) but because I don’t want to give anything away on the first book.
Ok, so this book picks up shortly after book one ends. Kyra has been at the Silent Creek camp in Oregon where the other Returned are and she has been relying on Simon and some of the others to help her find her dad and Tyler. When a message comes through that an unidentified male has been found and is being held at a facility for inspection, Kyra jumps at the opportunity to see if it really is Tyler.
While at the camp, Kyra has become friends with a few of the people there and they are the same people that are headed out to the facility with her. Natty, Willow, Simon, Thom, and Jett all make the trip and as they get to the location, things don’t go exactly as planned. They also end up face to face with Agent Truman and after their escape, Kyra finds out how many secrets the group has been keeping from her. The biggest one being around the replacement DNA she has in her and the fact that Agent Truman is specifically hunting her.
Now that the group is on the run again, they decide that they will need to head to Blackwater Ranch, which is where Thom and Simon met. As the group gets there, Kyra finds out there is more to the story than Thom and Simon led her to believe and she finds out that the leader of the camp, Griffin, has a history with them. She also finds out that Griffin’s story is a bit different from the rest of the group as she has a connection to the scientists working for the government.
Kyra also finds out that the one person she has been looking for, Tyler, has been at the camp but things aren’t the same as when he left since he can’t remember how their relationship changed when Kyra came back. It was definitely difficult for Kyra to adapt to being just friends with Tyler but at the same time, she was clearly starting to have feelings for Simon…which I wasn’t happy about.
A lot definitely happens in this book and I only covered a very small portion of the actual things going on. There is a lot of action and a whole bunch of secrets are revealed to Kyra and this book ends with a bang. I loved how Derting tied everything together and explained what is really going on with the differences Kyra has within her (compared to the other returned). If you liked The Taking, definitely read this one when you can. You will get some answers but like me, you will also have more questions when you hit the last page. I can’t wait to see what happens with these characters and will be waiting anxiously for the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Ok, so this book picks up shortly after book one ends. Kyra has been at the Silent Creek camp in Oregon where the other Returned are and she has been relying on Simon and some of the others to help her find her dad and Tyler. When a message comes through that an unidentified male has been found and is being held at a facility for inspection, Kyra jumps at the opportunity to see if it really is Tyler.
While at the camp, Kyra has become friends with a few of the people there and they are the same people that are headed out to the facility with her. Natty, Willow, Simon, Thom, and Jett all make the trip and as they get to the location, things don’t go exactly as planned. They also end up face to face with Agent Truman and after their escape, Kyra finds out how many secrets the group has been keeping from her. The biggest one being around the replacement DNA she has in her and the fact that Agent Truman is specifically hunting her.
Now that the group is on the run again, they decide that they will need to head to Blackwater Ranch, which is where Thom and Simon met. As the group gets there, Kyra finds out there is more to the story than Thom and Simon led her to believe and she finds out that the leader of the camp, Griffin, has a history with them. She also finds out that Griffin’s story is a bit different from the rest of the group as she has a connection to the scientists working for the government.
Kyra also finds out that the one person she has been looking for, Tyler, has been at the camp but things aren’t the same as when he left since he can’t remember how their relationship changed when Kyra came back. It was definitely difficult for Kyra to adapt to being just friends with Tyler but at the same time, she was clearly starting to have feelings for Simon…which I wasn’t happy about.
A lot definitely happens in this book and I only covered a very small portion of the actual things going on. There is a lot of action and a whole bunch of secrets are revealed to Kyra and this book ends with a bang. I loved how Derting tied everything together and explained what is really going on with the differences Kyra has within her (compared to the other returned). If you liked The Taking, definitely read this one when you can. You will get some answers but like me, you will also have more questions when you hit the last page. I can’t wait to see what happens with these characters and will be waiting anxiously for the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
amarylissw's review
2.0
2 stars.
I remember liking the first one. A lot. Because of the sweet romance and interesting premise. But this one fell pretty flat for me. Was it because of the lack of that sweet romantic interest? Maybe. (Although I do think it's good to get some distance from romance every once in a while to get perspective.) But more so, I found myself irked by Kyra and her childish narrative and actions and especially her forced romance with Simon. I hate it when we're introduced to a love interest in the first book and then, because he's gone in the second book, the protagonist goes on a rebound. What on earth. It makes me so angry. That may have been one of my biggest problems with the book . . . Kyra, the romance, and.
The world-building isn't great. The character are all right, though many of them rub me the wrong way and none of them are overly developed. The writing seems juvenile at best.
Overall, not the best second book, but because I've managed to get this far, I'll finish the trilogy.
I remember liking the first one. A lot. Because of the sweet romance and interesting premise. But this one fell pretty flat for me. Was it because of the lack of that sweet romantic interest? Maybe. (Although I do think it's good to get some distance from romance every once in a while to get perspective.) But more so, I found myself irked by Kyra and her childish narrative and actions and especially her forced romance with Simon. I hate it when we're introduced to a love interest in the first book and then, because he's gone in the second book, the protagonist goes on a rebound. What on earth. It makes me so angry. That may have been one of my biggest problems with the book . . . Kyra, the romance, and
Spoiler
the fact that the author actually went and pulled the "Tyler's lost his memories" card -- cliché much?The world-building isn't great. The character are all right, though many of them rub me the wrong way and none of them are overly developed. The writing seems juvenile at best.
Overall, not the best second book, but because I've managed to get this far, I'll finish the trilogy.
duskbladedrow's review
3.0
I wanted to give this book 4 stars since I'm such a big fan of the author's writing, but I am just really tired of
Spoiler
the tragic love triangle. Surely there must be other ways to ramp up the tension besides throwing in a new love interest...meganmreads's review against another edition
2.0
Review originally published at Love Literature Art and Reason book review blog.
Basically, Kyra spent all of her time in The Replaced trying to find Tyler, who was rumored to have Returned after she gave him up to save his life. Through her adventures with other Returned, she was able to find out more about why she and the others were different and what it was about them that made them so different.
I did not like The Replaced at all and I’m very glad that I was able to borrow it from the library and not spend money on it because I would have been super mad about it. While Kyra was definitely doing everything she could to find Tyler, she was also letting Simon play this whole game where he was so obviously trying to be important to her and slide his way into her good graces. It was awful. And she just kept letting him. I was totally on board with the quick romance between Tyler and Kyra and I was committed to that, but the story just lost me with Tyler being ripped out of it and Kyra spending time distracted. I don’t have time for love triangles or other teenage nonsense. Give me insta-love and I’ll deal if that couple can hack it and just be the thing I’m rooting for, but I can’t get on board with a bunch of other awful YA tropes and plot devices thrown in. No.
The Replaced was like The Maze Runner/The Scorch Trials with a bunch of betrayals and teenage camps and other eye roll inducing scenarios that just totally lost me. The first book wasn’t so much of an action packed story and was more focused on Kyra’s emotions and her fitting into a life that moved on without her and exploring her feelings for Tyler and I loved all of that, while the sequel was just more over the top alien abduction research plots that were always a tad far fetched, but at least that wasn’t the main focus of book one. I just couldn’t do it. I finished, but it was grueling and not satisfying. And to top it off, the eventual return of Tyler was even MORE frustrating and now I’m just mad I ever decided to read book two.
I know I recommended The Taking and thought it was entertaining and fun, but I’m taking my words back. I’m definitely not continuing the series.
Basically, Kyra spent all of her time in The Replaced trying to find Tyler, who was rumored to have Returned after she gave him up to save his life. Through her adventures with other Returned, she was able to find out more about why she and the others were different and what it was about them that made them so different.
I did not like The Replaced at all and I’m very glad that I was able to borrow it from the library and not spend money on it because I would have been super mad about it. While Kyra was definitely doing everything she could to find Tyler, she was also letting Simon play this whole game where he was so obviously trying to be important to her and slide his way into her good graces. It was awful. And she just kept letting him. I was totally on board with the quick romance between Tyler and Kyra and I was committed to that, but the story just lost me with Tyler being ripped out of it and Kyra spending time distracted. I don’t have time for love triangles or other teenage nonsense. Give me insta-love and I’ll deal if that couple can hack it and just be the thing I’m rooting for, but I can’t get on board with a bunch of other awful YA tropes and plot devices thrown in. No.
The Replaced was like The Maze Runner/The Scorch Trials with a bunch of betrayals and teenage camps and other eye roll inducing scenarios that just totally lost me. The first book wasn’t so much of an action packed story and was more focused on Kyra’s emotions and her fitting into a life that moved on without her and exploring her feelings for Tyler and I loved all of that, while the sequel was just more over the top alien abduction research plots that were always a tad far fetched, but at least that wasn’t the main focus of book one. I just couldn’t do it. I finished, but it was grueling and not satisfying. And to top it off, the eventual return of Tyler was even MORE frustrating and now I’m just mad I ever decided to read book two.
I know I recommended The Taking and thought it was entertaining and fun, but I’m taking my words back. I’m definitely not continuing the series.
the_cover_contessa's review against another edition
3.0
I want to thank Harper Teen for supplying me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
I absolutely adored The Taking. The characters, the plot, the everything. And then, when it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I had to have the next book. So jumping into this one was no effort at all. If you haven't read the first book in the series, STOP HERE! This review will contain spoilers for that book! So turn around, go back to the first book and READ IT!
This book picks right back up where the first left off. Kyra has lost her father and Tyler. And now she's part of the rebel crew trying to outwit and outrun the NSA. You can imagine this does not come easy.
Kyra remains the tough as nails girl we knew in the first book. She's intent of finding Tyler. Her life since she was returned has been filled with much heartache. so losing him was the icing on the cake. She spends much of the book wondering where he is and how things will be when they are reunited. I don't see her change much in this book until the very end. But I won't get into that too much because I don't want to spoil things. One thing she works on during this book is honing her power. It's something that could be of great use if she just knew how to control it.
We get to know Simon a bit better in this book. We see where he has come from and learn a bit about his background. We also see him develop a strong pull to Kyra. Since Tyler is not in the picture Kyra feels the pull back. But she squashes it because all she wants is Tyler.
The pacing of this book was a bit slow for me. I was not as riveted as I was in the first book. There is less action, more development of characters and relationships. We also meet a bunch of new characters, which gave the book a more interesting feel. And, of course, there are traitors in the mist, which Kyra and her crew don't figure out until very close the end of the book.
There is a big twist in the plot of this book, about who Kyra actually is, which explains the title. But you'll just have to read it to find out exactly what I mean.
I didn't love this book as much as the first for sure. I was missing characters and, while I was happy to meet new people, I still wanted to see some of the old ones from the first book. Some did eventually appear, but it's not until later in the book and I really would have liked to see it earlier.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next one!
I absolutely adored The Taking. The characters, the plot, the everything. And then, when it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I had to have the next book. So jumping into this one was no effort at all. If you haven't read the first book in the series, STOP HERE! This review will contain spoilers for that book! So turn around, go back to the first book and READ IT!
This book picks right back up where the first left off. Kyra has lost her father and Tyler. And now she's part of the rebel crew trying to outwit and outrun the NSA. You can imagine this does not come easy.
Kyra remains the tough as nails girl we knew in the first book. She's intent of finding Tyler. Her life since she was returned has been filled with much heartache. so losing him was the icing on the cake. She spends much of the book wondering where he is and how things will be when they are reunited. I don't see her change much in this book until the very end. But I won't get into that too much because I don't want to spoil things. One thing she works on during this book is honing her power. It's something that could be of great use if she just knew how to control it.
We get to know Simon a bit better in this book. We see where he has come from and learn a bit about his background. We also see him develop a strong pull to Kyra. Since Tyler is not in the picture Kyra feels the pull back. But she squashes it because all she wants is Tyler.
The pacing of this book was a bit slow for me. I was not as riveted as I was in the first book. There is less action, more development of characters and relationships. We also meet a bunch of new characters, which gave the book a more interesting feel. And, of course, there are traitors in the mist, which Kyra and her crew don't figure out until very close the end of the book.
There is a big twist in the plot of this book, about who Kyra actually is, which explains the title. But you'll just have to read it to find out exactly what I mean.
I didn't love this book as much as the first for sure. I was missing characters and, while I was happy to meet new people, I still wanted to see some of the old ones from the first book. Some did eventually appear, but it's not until later in the book and I really would have liked to see it earlier.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next one!
amaliea's review
3.0
3,5 stars
This wasn't as exciting as the first book, but I loved most of the twists and I loved the cliffhanger. It explained a lot of unanswered questions from the first book too, which I appreciated. This was a solid second book, and it's got some major stuff ready for book three, which I hopefully will be reading in the near future. I got to know what's going to happen and how it's going to end, because let me tell you, these characters are in a big mess right now.
This wasn't as exciting as the first book, but I loved most of the twists
Spoiler
the one that I didn't really like was the Thom twist, because it was kind of predictable. Of course there was going to be a traitor, and of course it was going to be one of those in the "main" group. Loved the revelations about the Replaced and Griffin thoughjenbsbooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I have to admit I was a bit confused coming in. I'd actually started book 3, because I thought I'd read this, but then I didn't remember it at all. I didn't have it marked/reviewed here on GoodReads, so I figured I hadn't read it. I was able to snag the Kindle version from the library and when I got it, it took me to the end, and there was a highlight or two in it. So HAD I read it? As I read (or re-read) nothing was familiar. So if I had read it, I really didn't remember (maybe I'm like Tyler!)
It had been a while since I read book 1, but I did have vague memories of what had happened there, and the book was pretty good about recapping important events.
So overall, I liked the book, it kept my interest, but if I had to recap what happened I'd still have a little trouble doing so.
On to the next book ... that I'd already started but now I have a better idea of what is going on!
It had been a while since I read book 1, but I did have vague memories of what had happened there, and the book was pretty good about recapping important events.
So overall, I liked the book, it kept my interest, but if I had to recap what happened I'd still have a little trouble doing so.
On to the next book ... that I'd already started but now I have a better idea of what is going on!
marie_lrj's review
5.0
I would actually rate this as 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up to 5. I didn't like this book quite as much as I loved the first one, mainly because of Tyler (or lack thereof). I absolutely love Tyler, and I loved watching Kyra interact with him and fall in love with him in the first book. This book is a little different, but still wonderful. There was a ton of suspense and action, and of course, twists to the story. Also, let it be known that I am not a fan of Simon. There were many parts in this book where he really annoyed me. But overall, great installment in the Taking trilogy, and I'm looking forward to book three!