jerihurd's review against another edition
2.0
Two may be a bit harsh, but I'm not overly fond of books with a preachy, didactic agenda (if that's not redundant). Especially the obvious ones. Or maybe I'm just getting tired of über-gifted teens saving the world.
afro8921's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting story which kind of mirrors Walter Dean Myers "On a Clear Day". Alex is a young girl safely ensconced in an upper class world. That safety is compromised when another teen "Moses" tries to convince Alex that her father's business practices are having horrible effects on the lives of consumers.
tacanderson's review
3.0
I've enjoyed everything I've read by Bacigalupi. Doubt factory was enjoyable with good characters and fun plot twists. However, even though I agree with the points being made in the book it felt a little too preachy at times, which kept this from being a four star book.
kfedwards88's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.25
msseviereads's review against another edition
Well.... although I normally love this author, as a mom/teacher I had to quit this book.
300 and some pages in the two characters kiss.... and in the next paragraph they are waking up in bed together. Really? Really? We had to take a perfectly fine thriller and turn it into a sexy book that I won't put on my classroom shelf.
I don't mind romance if it adds to the story. But we could have had the romance without the sleeping together... especially the paragraph right after kissing Ugh.
300 and some pages in the two characters kiss.... and in the next paragraph they are waking up in bed together. Really? Really? We had to take a perfectly fine thriller and turn it into a sexy book that I won't put on my classroom shelf.
I don't mind romance if it adds to the story. But we could have had the romance without the sleeping together... especially the paragraph right after kissing Ugh.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick read but especially for a ya and a non-dystopia ya it was kind of dark. First of all though, the author, known primarily for sf, this is straight up fiction. And it kind of reminds me of [b:So Yesterday|24763|So Yesterday|Scott Westerfeld|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1258043266s/24763.jpg|1853833], which wasn't really this dark. Our main pov character Alix, is a pretty good kid but even as such she is clearly comfortable with a certain amount of drugs and alcohol and lying to parents - and that's pretty much before the story starts. There's certainly quite a bit of this that is uncomfortable. Some of that is the choices Alix makes and some of it are the truths that Alix discovers. In the end the story is really about what is right, true and moral. And mostly this book stays just on the right side of that line.
jakece4's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
anxietygirl89's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
holsarmstrong's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars.
I feel like younger me would have adored this book and I think it’s a good introduction to a YA thriller. The plot was interesting and I actually liked how Alix didn’t take what everyone said to her at face value. I find a lot of the time protagonists are so quick to believe things but what would you do if some random person came up to you and told you your dad was essentially evil? You’d want more than just their word, that’s for sure.
- our characters were great. I loved our side characters more, cynthia especially. I wanted more from them and their role in the book.
- great diversity and representation in this book! I liked how everything was just how it was and that’s it. no questions asked.
- the writing was good, if not a little drawn out. the plot developed well but there was a massive lull in the beginning of the second part that really didn’t need to be there. this book could have easily been 100-150 pages shorter.
Overall, this was a decent read with some great elements of thriller and mystery, all tied up in some conspiracy theories! I would recommend for someone who doesn’t want anything too dark and sinister and is looking for an easy read.
I feel like younger me would have adored this book and I think it’s a good introduction to a YA thriller. The plot was interesting and I actually liked how Alix didn’t take what everyone said to her at face value. I find a lot of the time protagonists are so quick to believe things but what would you do if some random person came up to you and told you your dad was essentially evil? You’d want more than just their word, that’s for sure.
- our characters were great. I loved our side characters more, cynthia especially. I wanted more from them and their role in the book.
- great diversity and representation in this book! I liked how everything was just how it was and that’s it. no questions asked.
- the writing was good, if not a little drawn out. the plot developed well but there was a massive lull in the beginning of the second part that really didn’t need to be there. this book could have easily been 100-150 pages shorter.
Overall, this was a decent read with some great elements of thriller and mystery, all tied up in some conspiracy theories! I would recommend for someone who doesn’t want anything too dark and sinister and is looking for an easy read.