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mxharriet's review against another edition
4.0
*Received from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
Addictive and refreshing, Out of Control is a fast pace, action-packed novel that you will not be able to put down. I really like the cover of this edition, it is dark and mysterious, yet simple.
I knew very little about this novel going into it, and I felt that made the experience even more thrilling. Just know that it is two teens on the run from both the police and two killers, with a lot of action and suspense. It will blow you away!
Our main protagonist Liva was a refreshing character. She was not perfect, not acting above others, she was down-to-earth and could defend for herself with strength and knowledge. Liva did not whine at any moments, she got on with the job at hand and always did what she could to protect others, even if she knew very little about them. What I additionally liked about Liva was that she was intelligent and just got on with the job, Liva would always try to find a way to protect them, even if it would only protect Jay and not herself.
The plot of this novel was fast paced and full on. But the most important element was of human trafficking. I have never read a novel including this theme before, though it was subtle and not a dominant part of the novel, the awareness it brings to the reader will truly make you stop and think. Alderson created an addictive and, at times, heart-stopping plot with its suspense, alongside action scenes and car chases that will make this novel un-put-downable. There are twists and turns at every corner, and though I was able to predict the outcome, it was still a surprise for you could see how well-carved this plot was.
An addictive thriller with action and suspense, you will be unable to put it down.
Addictive and refreshing, Out of Control is a fast pace, action-packed novel that you will not be able to put down. I really like the cover of this edition, it is dark and mysterious, yet simple.
I knew very little about this novel going into it, and I felt that made the experience even more thrilling. Just know that it is two teens on the run from both the police and two killers, with a lot of action and suspense. It will blow you away!
Our main protagonist Liva was a refreshing character. She was not perfect, not acting above others, she was down-to-earth and could defend for herself with strength and knowledge. Liva did not whine at any moments, she got on with the job at hand and always did what she could to protect others, even if she knew very little about them. What I additionally liked about Liva was that she was intelligent and just got on with the job, Liva would always try to find a way to protect them, even if it would only protect Jay and not herself.
The plot of this novel was fast paced and full on. But the most important element was of human trafficking. I have never read a novel including this theme before, though it was subtle and not a dominant part of the novel, the awareness it brings to the reader will truly make you stop and think. Alderson created an addictive and, at times, heart-stopping plot with its suspense, alongside action scenes and car chases that will make this novel un-put-downable. There are twists and turns at every corner, and though I was able to predict the outcome, it was still a surprise for you could see how well-carved this plot was.
An addictive thriller with action and suspense, you will be unable to put it down.
j4n1n2000's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
larryberry's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ac223's review against another edition
4.0
Also posted @ http://thepaperbackaddict.blogspot.com/
The description of Out of Control doesn't do a great job of portraying what a good book this is. When I first read it, I thought it sounded a little ridiculous. I mean she witnesses a murder, gets taken into protective custody, and the police station is shot up, and she's on the run with a car thief she met at the police station. It's plot is improbable, but Alderson does a pretty good job of making you forget that part.
Olivia "Liva" is at the police station giving her version of events about the murder she witnessed. Jay is brought in around the same time for stealing a car, and asks her to make a phone call on his behalf when she leaves. Liva can't explain why she agrees, but the instant connection between the two is undeniable. When bullets start flying, the two of them escape together, and do their best to stay ahead of the psycho cop killer. Most of the book is happening within a few days span, and it's a pretty thrilling ride. I do wish the book would have gone on a little while longer, but it was a good read all the same.
The description of Out of Control doesn't do a great job of portraying what a good book this is. When I first read it, I thought it sounded a little ridiculous. I mean she witnesses a murder, gets taken into protective custody, and the police station is shot up, and she's on the run with a car thief she met at the police station. It's plot is improbable, but Alderson does a pretty good job of making you forget that part.
Olivia "Liva" is at the police station giving her version of events about the murder she witnessed. Jay is brought in around the same time for stealing a car, and asks her to make a phone call on his behalf when she leaves. Liva can't explain why she agrees, but the instant connection between the two is undeniable. When bullets start flying, the two of them escape together, and do their best to stay ahead of the psycho cop killer. Most of the book is happening within a few days span, and it's a pretty thrilling ride. I do wish the book would have gone on a little while longer, but it was a good read all the same.
firevsice's review against another edition
5.0
This was like 320 pages of pure perfection! Fast paced, kick ass heroine who knows how to use a gun, set in the course of one day. .. It's like book heaven! Definitely the best book I have read this year. .
melbsreads's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content warnings: murder, violence, gun violence, mentions of gangs, human trafficking, mentions of incarceration, blood, disordered eating.
What the hickity heck did I just read. I picked it up on a whim because the kids at work seem to LOVE this, and I knew within a handful of pages that it probably wasn't going to end well for me. And it didn't.
Liva - short for Olivia and NOT an abbreviation that works well in an Australian accent, let me tell you - is clearly supposed to be a strong female character but I honestly found her pretty gross, especially with the racist assumptions she makes about Jay. The human trafficking plotline wasn't well handled and the way it played out was largely unsatisfying. Liva is also a ballet dancer, so she's got a hefty dose of disordered eating going on, which definitely didn't help my enjoyment.
I *will* say that it's a very fast paced and action packed story and I absolutely flew through it. So for that reason, I'm giving it 2.5 stars. But just know that deep down, I'm giving it 1.5 stars.
What the hickity heck did I just read. I picked it up on a whim because the kids at work seem to LOVE this, and I knew within a handful of pages that it probably wasn't going to end well for me. And it didn't.
Liva - short for Olivia and NOT an abbreviation that works well in an Australian accent, let me tell you - is clearly supposed to be a strong female character but I honestly found her pretty gross, especially with the racist assumptions she makes about Jay. The human trafficking plotline wasn't well handled and the way it played out was largely unsatisfying. Liva is also a ballet dancer, so she's got a hefty dose of disordered eating going on, which definitely didn't help my enjoyment.
I *will* say that it's a very fast paced and action packed story and I absolutely flew through it. So for that reason, I'm giving it 2.5 stars. But just know that deep down, I'm giving it 1.5 stars.
cltroy's review against another edition
3.0
Overall enjoyed this. Quick easy read with a good story line. Lots of action scenes. Who doesn’t love some gun fights around NYC with the bad guys
tobyyy's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book while it was on PulseIt (today was the last day and since I started it yesterday, I really had to zoom through it!). I really enjoyed it; it really was an edge-of-the-seat sort of ride.
I liked Liva, but for a protagonist, she was somewhat mysterious, even though the book was told in first-person. I think part of that is due to the fact that she had such a different life from 98% of the world's population, and definitely different from mine. Growing up overseas, having a bodyguard at all times, etc.
I also really think this book has a lot to offer the world of YA fiction. It deals with two fairly tough topics -- although IMO they're tough in different ways. Throughout the book, Liva realizes how much she forces herself not to feel anything -- and throughout the book, Jay shows her that feeling something is better than feeling nothing. Even if that something is not a pleasant feeling. Because when you learn to numb yourself to feelings, sure, you deprive yourself of the negative ones (like guilt, grief, anger) -- but you also deprive yourself of the wonderful ones (happiness, joy, excitement). That's the first tough topic; the reason I call it "tough" is because once you get used to numbing your feelings -- in whatever way, whether it involves drugs, alcohol, self-injury, or just shutting them out and refusing to think about them -- it's so hard to reverse that and learn to feel again. And so many teens/young adults that I know do numb their feelings because it's painful to be sad, to be depressed, to be grieving.
The other tough topic was that of human trafficking. Gotta admit, I totally did not see where this book was going with that. In grad school, whenever we had to write papers on injustice in today's society, I wrote mine on human trafficking. Even where I live (a rural county in Northeast PA), it's an issue. It's an operation that, world-wide, earns billions of dollars a year. And I am so glad that it was tackled in a YA book, in a manner that was not too brutal (IMO) yet gave valuable information about human trafficking.
Definitely a good read. Thought-provoking, too. Well done, Ms. Alderson!
I liked Liva, but for a protagonist, she was somewhat mysterious, even though the book was told in first-person. I think part of that is due to the fact that she had such a different life from 98% of the world's population, and definitely different from mine. Growing up overseas, having a bodyguard at all times, etc.
I also really think this book has a lot to offer the world of YA fiction. It deals with two fairly tough topics -- although IMO they're tough in different ways. Throughout the book, Liva realizes how much she forces herself not to feel anything -- and throughout the book, Jay shows her that feeling something is better than feeling nothing. Even if that something is not a pleasant feeling. Because when you learn to numb yourself to feelings, sure, you deprive yourself of the negative ones (like guilt, grief, anger) -- but you also deprive yourself of the wonderful ones (happiness, joy, excitement). That's the first tough topic; the reason I call it "tough" is because once you get used to numbing your feelings -- in whatever way, whether it involves drugs, alcohol, self-injury, or just shutting them out and refusing to think about them -- it's so hard to reverse that and learn to feel again. And so many teens/young adults that I know do numb their feelings because it's painful to be sad, to be depressed, to be grieving.
The other tough topic was that of human trafficking. Gotta admit, I totally did not see where this book was going with that.
Spoiler
The fact that Liva's father was in charge of a human trafficking ring -- and to the end, continued to justify it -- was horrific to me.Spoiler
I think that many teens/young adults think that they are "immune" to being victims of things such as that -- and so the the fact that Liva was a target for a trafficking operation (well, to be used as a bargaining chip, but I have no doubt that she would endure horrific things during that time) was really quite clever on the part of Alderson, since it kind of takes away that sense of immunity to being a victim from the reader, especially if they can find anything at all to identify with in Liva.Definitely a good read. Thought-provoking, too. Well done, Ms. Alderson!
scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
4.0
Whats with ya thrillers cutting off as soon as the action is over? I like to know what happens after you know.