greergreer's review against another edition
2.0
Well, I just read this book this month and have totally forgotten what it was about. This does not bode well about the book. Hummm.
raohyrule's review against another edition
5.0
I was not expecting this to be as great as it was but I am very happy.
Lauren was a great female lead and Sasha was a darling.
Lauren was a great female lead and Sasha was a darling.
lynnietakalele's review against another edition
4.0
I did really enjoy reading this because—I have a weakness for books written as journal entries, as well as books written by multiple characters (bonus points if you don’t know whose perspective to trust), as well as books set in the future. And this book is all of those things plus a smidge of romance thrown in, so yay!
But I do find myself dwelling on the reasons why I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars. I wanted more of everything that worked well. I wanted more info on the sister and her friends who seemed to be part of the resistance. I wanted more of Sasha’s backstory. I wanted more times to feel like I was on the verge of figuring out who to trust only to have some new information change my mind again.
I did like the ending!!!
But I do find myself dwelling on the reasons why I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars. I wanted more of everything that worked well. I wanted more info on the sister and her friends who seemed to be part of the resistance. I wanted more of Sasha’s backstory. I wanted more times to feel like I was on the verge of figuring out who to trust only to have some new information change my mind again.
I did like the ending!!!
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Lauren was born with a condition that made her completely trusting and gullible. Her family had to set up strict rules for her to follow, because she could not tell when people were lying to her or trying to take advantage of her. She took absolutely everything at face value and could not imagine any kind of deception or harm. This all changed at the age of 16 when she had experimental surgery to cure her condition. Suddenly she does not believe anyone and trusts no one except for her sister. But is it really paranoia when people are out to get you? Told through journal entries and psychologist's transcripts, with footnotes from her older sister, this glimpse at a dystopian future that is not so far away will keep readers riveted until the end. Highly recommend for grades 7 and up.
supersol375's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
tjlcody's review against another edition
2.0
Eh.
Interesting concept, but pretty predictable in how it was carried out.
I mean, I'm just saying, the more shocking twist would have been if
And the world-building? The world-building is horrendous. The world-building is patchwork, built through brief mentions through diary entries and references to things the characters understand, but we don't.
And here's the thing: If the reader doesn't have a grasp on what the world they're reading about is, then they don't get the stakes. You have to EXPLAIN some things, or it's impossible to connect with the world we're reading about.
Interesting concept, but pretty predictable in how it was carried out.
I mean, I'm just saying, the more shocking twist would have been if
Spoiler
Lauren was actually imagining it and there wasn't actually some greater conspiracy. But it's not difficult to figure out, based on the prelude written by Evelyn that Lauren was going to turn out to be some major figure who broke up a conspiracy. It kind of spoils everything- you know Lauren's coming in to something shady before you even start the book properly.And the world-building? The world-building is horrendous. The world-building is patchwork, built through brief mentions through diary entries and references to things the characters understand, but we don't.
And here's the thing: If the reader doesn't have a grasp on what the world they're reading about is, then they don't get the stakes. You have to EXPLAIN some things, or it's impossible to connect with the world we're reading about.
margaretann84's review against another edition
5.0
I was really, really lucky to win a copy of this book from the author in a Goodreads Giveaway.
-----
“The hardest lies to catch are the ones you want to believe” (206).
And that, my friends, is the most important line of The Innocence Treatment. You’re welcome.
Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating a bit. The entire book is important. No, really! It’s important…and funny and tragic and amazing, and I wish I could go back in time so I could read it all over again for the first time. It’s just that good.
I’m a sucker for unreliable narrators, and throughout the book I was trying to decide who to trust: Lauren, whose journal entries make up the bulk of the text; Brechel, the psychologist analyzing Lauren in the transcripts; Corbin, in the few times she shows up; Evelyn, with her teenage idealism and loathing for the Department; or Sasha, the spy paid to protect Lauren. Most of the story is told from Lauren’s point of view, so it’s hard to believe anyone but her is telling the truth, but in the transcripts we see a character who is as coldly calculating as Cumberbatch’s version of Sherlock Holmes (a comparison Lauren makes herself, I imagine with a wry grin). Evelyn admits in her notes that even she doesn’t know the exact truth about any of this, though she is naturally inclined to believe Lauren’s account than anyone else’s. Because of this uncertainty, the book kept me on my toes and had me compulsively turning pages long after I should have been in bed. The book called me all day while I was at work, whispering at me to read just one more paragraph before class started…
Full Review at A Writer Reads.
-----
“The hardest lies to catch are the ones you want to believe” (206).
And that, my friends, is the most important line of The Innocence Treatment. You’re welcome.
Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating a bit. The entire book is important. No, really! It’s important…and funny and tragic and amazing, and I wish I could go back in time so I could read it all over again for the first time. It’s just that good.
I’m a sucker for unreliable narrators, and throughout the book I was trying to decide who to trust: Lauren, whose journal entries make up the bulk of the text; Brechel, the psychologist analyzing Lauren in the transcripts; Corbin, in the few times she shows up; Evelyn, with her teenage idealism and loathing for the Department; or Sasha, the spy paid to protect Lauren. Most of the story is told from Lauren’s point of view, so it’s hard to believe anyone but her is telling the truth, but in the transcripts we see a character who is as coldly calculating as Cumberbatch’s version of Sherlock Holmes (a comparison Lauren makes herself, I imagine with a wry grin). Evelyn admits in her notes that even she doesn’t know the exact truth about any of this, though she is naturally inclined to believe Lauren’s account than anyone else’s. Because of this uncertainty, the book kept me on my toes and had me compulsively turning pages long after I should have been in bed. The book called me all day while I was at work, whispering at me to read just one more paragraph before class started…
Full Review at A Writer Reads.
leahcaruana's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lilyaronovitz's review against another edition
3.0
{3.5} My biggest disappointment about this book was the fact that I thought all the information would be revealed at the end, in order to tie up the story and pull it all together. Instead however, the book left the reader wondering what the "Emergency Act", and who the department was, and several other loose ends at the end of the book. I wasn't all that crazy about any of the characters, and was slightly confused about Lauren and Sasha' relationship. There were so many paths that this book started on, but I felt like very few of them got resolved in the end, and the plot didn't go very far throughout the book. With just a little more information for the reader, this book probably could have been very good, but it fell short of my expectations for such an intriguing plot line.