sadiecass's review
4.0
1st person-present tense POV always grates on my nerves, but the storyline was so fascinating I kept reading.
I really enjoyed the premise of this. I was also fascinated as to why on earth Lexi was treated different than others. I feared she'd suffer a horrible fate, but the dedication of those around her kept her afloat.
Lexi's inner strength despite the horrible hands fate has dealt her is impressive. I enjoyed her growth and the relationship with Cole.
There was one part I didn't like, most notably how her brother treated her, and how Cole treated her when they got to her brother. I get that the whole situation was difficult, but I really skimmed the whole portion with her ass brother and her training. I didn't like her brother enough to care and got bored.
*Side note: there were some major editing and formatting issues, but I did not mark down any stars for that, but felt I needed to note them. It did make it more difficult to read and detracted some from my enjoyment of the whole story.
I really enjoyed the premise of this. I was also fascinated as to why on earth Lexi was treated different than others. I feared she'd suffer a horrible fate, but the dedication of those around her kept her afloat.
Lexi's inner strength despite the horrible hands fate has dealt her is impressive. I enjoyed her growth and the relationship with Cole.
There was one part I didn't like, most notably how her brother treated her, and how Cole treated her when they got to her brother. I get that the whole situation was difficult, but I really skimmed the whole portion with her ass brother and her training. I didn't like her brother enough to care and got bored.
*Side note: there were some major editing and formatting issues, but I did not mark down any stars for that, but felt I needed to note them. It did make it more difficult to read and detracted some from my enjoyment of the whole story.
pipershaw314's review
5.0
very good very very good.
I must admit it has been a while since i have read such a great fast-paced, action-packed novel
that is really well written and well rounded
If you haven't, go pick it up and read it now.
You won't be disappointed
I must admit it has been a while since i have read such a great fast-paced, action-packed novel
that is really well written and well rounded
If you haven't, go pick it up and read it now.
You won't be disappointed
bryonycostello's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
What I liked:
* Lexi. Lexi is the protagonist, and a strong one at that. Although she’s close to breaking at many times, she always manages to get back up and keep fighting. I admire her for this because realistically, I don’t think many people would be able to cope with everything that is thrown at her.
* The world. The world that Branded is set in is very intriguing. It’s a dystopian world like none I’ve ever read before. Sure, there’s the stereotypical corrupt and crumbling government, the poverty and evidence of war, but it’s the extent that the authors take these elements that makes the world in which this novel set in that makes the world unique.
* The whole concept of the Hole and the sinners is also very intriguing. In this dystopian world, people who have sinned get thrown in the Hole – effectively a prison, but more similar to a third-world community. Things in the Hole are intense – it’s either killed or be killed when it comes down to it. The guards whose job it is to try and maintain order are just as bad as the citizens of the Hole – the sinners. Lexi is constantly leered at and in danger or being taking advantage of all because she was accused of being lustful. People who are accused of being lustful are given a blue brand and they are the ones who face the most danger within the Hole.
* The action – this novel is full of it! I don’t think there’s a chapter that doesn’t contain either a fight, a terrorist-like attack or an execution. If you like books chock-block full of action, definitely pick this up and give it a read.
* The writing style. Abi and Missy’s writing is very relatable. It’s easy to understand and it draws you in.
What I didn’t like, but also didn’t dislike:
* The pacing. I found the pacing of this book to be just a little bit too fast for the majority of the novel. While a fast-paced book is always good, I can’t help feeling that if this book was a little bit slower paced, that I would’ve made a deeper connection with the characters. While I was able to sympathise with the characters, I didn’t share their pain. However, once the book hit around the ¾ mark, the pacing slowed down to a speed that I thought worked quite well.
* The romance between Cole and Lexi. In the beginning, I really enjoyed the slow but sure development of the romance between Cole and Lexi. It was moving at a nice pace and a pace that I felt was realistic. Then all of a sudden…BAM! They were making out in every second scene and making serious declarations of their love for each other.
* Bruno. Now, this is something quite petty that annoyed me. I really enjoyed Bruno’s character, but I felt it was a bit weird and unrealistic that he treated Lexi as an equal as soon as they met.
What I didn’t like:
* The timing. I feel as though the timing was the biggest issue with this novel. I was never sure how much time had passed between each significant event, and that’s something that bugged me.
* That plot twist near the end. Oh. My. God. I was so not expecting that. However, this is a factor that I dislike only because of how much it surprised me. Thinking about it critically, I think it worked very well with the rest of the story.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. I’m already looking forward to the second book to see where the story goes from here. I found all of the characters to be well developed and I enjoyed the overall tone of the book.
What I liked:
* Lexi. Lexi is the protagonist, and a strong one at that. Although she’s close to breaking at many times, she always manages to get back up and keep fighting. I admire her for this because realistically, I don’t think many people would be able to cope with everything that is thrown at her.
* The world. The world that Branded is set in is very intriguing. It’s a dystopian world like none I’ve ever read before. Sure, there’s the stereotypical corrupt and crumbling government, the poverty and evidence of war, but it’s the extent that the authors take these elements that makes the world in which this novel set in that makes the world unique.
* The whole concept of the Hole and the sinners is also very intriguing. In this dystopian world, people who have sinned get thrown in the Hole – effectively a prison, but more similar to a third-world community. Things in the Hole are intense – it’s either killed or be killed when it comes down to it. The guards whose job it is to try and maintain order are just as bad as the citizens of the Hole – the sinners. Lexi is constantly leered at and in danger or being taking advantage of all because she was accused of being lustful. People who are accused of being lustful are given a blue brand and they are the ones who face the most danger within the Hole.
* The action – this novel is full of it! I don’t think there’s a chapter that doesn’t contain either a fight, a terrorist-like attack or an execution. If you like books chock-block full of action, definitely pick this up and give it a read.
* The writing style. Abi and Missy’s writing is very relatable. It’s easy to understand and it draws you in.
What I didn’t like, but also didn’t dislike:
* The pacing. I found the pacing of this book to be just a little bit too fast for the majority of the novel. While a fast-paced book is always good, I can’t help feeling that if this book was a little bit slower paced, that I would’ve made a deeper connection with the characters. While I was able to sympathise with the characters, I didn’t share their pain. However, once the book hit around the ¾ mark, the pacing slowed down to a speed that I thought worked quite well.
* The romance between Cole and Lexi. In the beginning, I really enjoyed the slow but sure development of the romance between Cole and Lexi. It was moving at a nice pace and a pace that I felt was realistic. Then all of a sudden…BAM! They were making out in every second scene and making serious declarations of their love for each other.
* Bruno. Now, this is something quite petty that annoyed me. I really enjoyed Bruno’s character, but I felt it was a bit weird and unrealistic that he treated Lexi as an equal as soon as they met.
What I didn’t like:
* The timing. I feel as though the timing was the biggest issue with this novel. I was never sure how much time had passed between each significant event, and that’s something that bugged me.
* That plot twist near the end. Oh. My. God. I was so not expecting that. However, this is a factor that I dislike only because of how much it surprised me. Thinking about it critically, I think it worked very well with the rest of the story.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. I’m already looking forward to the second book to see where the story goes from here. I found all of the characters to be well developed and I enjoyed the overall tone of the book.
emilywoodal's review
5.0
This actually surprised me. I was kinda hesitant at first when I read the synopsis but I’m glad I took the plunge and read it. This was,for sure, a different kind of story. The protagonist, Lexi, lives in a complete totalitarian world where if you break any of the 7 deadly sins, you are branded and sent to the Hole....where everyone lives, fights, prostitutes, and dies; from murder to hunger to bomb explosions. You name it, you can die from it.
So anyway, Lexi is picked up for allegedly committing lust. Apparently her mom accused her because her stepfather gave her more attention and mom was jealous. First of all, wtf!!! As a mother, this just fucking appalled me. So Lexi goes into the hole, is branded with a blue collar around her neck, and assigned a guard...Cole. And for the record, Lexi is innocent.
So, Lexi is assigned to the hospital to work and generally feels like her life will be her starving or killed by other people in the hole. But!!!!....of course, you guessed it, her and Cole start falling for each other. And in this totalitarian shit hole, this sort of thing is frowned upon and the two are brutally killed, so of course they have to be careful. So yada, yada, a bunch of other stuff happens and we come to find out that it might not have been accidental that Lexi was assigned to Cole, the hospital and in the hole itself!!
Like every other world, of course there’s a revolt group where Lexi eventually finds herself after escape. I won’t go into details and give anything away but I will say holy shit!!! The last 15% of the book was cray cray. I’d seriously recommend this book to EVERYONE!! It was action packed and something always happened which made me want to stay up late to read. I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens next
So anyway, Lexi is picked up for allegedly committing lust. Apparently her mom accused her because her stepfather gave her more attention and mom was jealous. First of all, wtf!!! As a mother, this just fucking appalled me. So Lexi goes into the hole, is branded with a blue collar around her neck, and assigned a guard...Cole. And for the record, Lexi is innocent.
So, Lexi is assigned to the hospital to work and generally feels like her life will be her starving or killed by other people in the hole. But!!!!....of course, you guessed it, her and Cole start falling for each other. And in this totalitarian shit hole, this sort of thing is frowned upon and the two are brutally killed, so of course they have to be careful. So yada, yada, a bunch of other stuff happens and we come to find out that it might not have been accidental that Lexi was assigned to Cole, the hospital and in the hole itself!!
Like every other world, of course there’s a revolt group where Lexi eventually finds herself after escape. I won’t go into details and give anything away but I will say holy shit!!! The last 15% of the book was cray cray. I’d seriously recommend this book to EVERYONE!! It was action packed and something always happened which made me want to stay up late to read. I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens next
readingwithemmett's review
4.0
When someone commits a sin, or just accused of one, they are captured, branded of a color to show their sin, and sent to the Hole without a trail. Lexi is one of these people who was accused and sent there. Cole is a guard of the Hole, and is ordered to protect Lexi when she gets there. The story follows Lexi as she struggles and adapts with her new life in the Hole.
This is probably one of the most well written books I have ever read. I loved the plot of the story, the character development, and everything else about this book. I had a very hard time putting this down. It was filled with enough action to keep me reading.
Parts of the book were a little over the top. I thought Cole and Lexi's relationship moved way too fast. I also didn't really understand the point of Keegan and Cole fighting like they did, it kind of distracted from the point of the story.
Overall, this book was very good. I enjoyed reading it, and would recommend it to others.
This is probably one of the most well written books I have ever read. I loved the plot of the story, the character development, and everything else about this book. I had a very hard time putting this down. It was filled with enough action to keep me reading.
Parts of the book were a little over the top. I thought Cole and Lexi's relationship moved way too fast. I also didn't really understand the point of Keegan and Cole fighting like they did, it kind of distracted from the point of the story.
Overall, this book was very good. I enjoyed reading it, and would recommend it to others.
kacichellev's review
5.0
I absolutely loved it!!! I will never forget this book. This book definitely made my top favorite books!!!
chllybrd's review
I don’t even know what to say about this book. I wanted to love it, but it was extremely disappointing. I finally gave up about 1/2 of the way through it-after skimming for quite a while-and marked it as DNF.
condygurl's review
4.0
What an intense ride! The story starts out with a young girl getting ready to kill herself. We find out later why. But progresses rapidly for a fight for survival. Branded is a dystopian novel, and if I was to tell the truth, I'd hate to have to live in that world. Where you are guilty and can never be proven innocent. Not a good world to live in at all.
Character creation was fairly well done! I must be honest here and say that the main character was just a little bit of a weakling for me. A lot of time is spent telling you how strong she is going to be, but it isn't shown very much. Unless you count her strength at love. She has a very strong moral compass and does stand by her own thoughts and choices.
The concept behind the story where a person is placed in "the Hole" and "Branded" due to committing one of the seven deadly sins sucked me in. But the story is far larger than just that. Lies, Deception, Hidden Agenda's, and Friendship all are of equal value in this book. And I felt that the story had a ton of potential and paths it could take.
This book is a very quick read! It will keep you flipping pages, and it is a very rapid paced book. The story itself progresses along fairly quickly. But I must say that even with that, I felt that the ending should have been a bit more. I still give the book 4 stars, and I do recommend the book to anyone who likes this genre of books. If the ending wasn't so rushed I honestly would have given it 5 stars. But the absolute speed at which what happens, happens is just far too distracting. And it felt a tad bit disjointed for me.
As I said all in all I give this book 4 stars and I will read the next book simply to find out what happens next with Cole and Lexi. I do offer one little piece of advice to the Author, don't rush the endings as much because it makes it feel off, and don't say someone is something that they aren't. Show me how strong Lexi is, don't just tell me she is strong.
Details/Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free for my honest review. This free book held no determination on my final review.
Character creation was fairly well done! I must be honest here and say that the main character was just a little bit of a weakling for me. A lot of time is spent telling you how strong she is going to be, but it isn't shown very much. Unless you count her strength at love. She has a very strong moral compass and does stand by her own thoughts and choices.
The concept behind the story where a person is placed in "the Hole" and "Branded" due to committing one of the seven deadly sins sucked me in. But the story is far larger than just that. Lies, Deception, Hidden Agenda's, and Friendship all are of equal value in this book. And I felt that the story had a ton of potential and paths it could take.
This book is a very quick read! It will keep you flipping pages, and it is a very rapid paced book. The story itself progresses along fairly quickly. But I must say that even with that, I felt that the ending should have been a bit more. I still give the book 4 stars, and I do recommend the book to anyone who likes this genre of books. If the ending wasn't so rushed I honestly would have given it 5 stars. But the absolute speed at which what happens, happens is just far too distracting. And it felt a tad bit disjointed for me.
As I said all in all I give this book 4 stars and I will read the next book simply to find out what happens next with Cole and Lexi. I do offer one little piece of advice to the Author, don't rush the endings as much because it makes it feel off, and don't say someone is something that they aren't. Show me how strong Lexi is, don't just tell me she is strong.
Details/Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free for my honest review. This free book held no determination on my final review.
kaylajo127's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book!!! A great new spin on the popular dystopian theme!!