Reviews

the whole thing was forced into this book like honestly I don't like books that have a second book and they force it into it like they don't even care or try to finish it up like come on now!

lisaluvsliterature's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I got an ARC of the first book, The Warning, from the publisher earlier this year and really enjoyed it. This sequel was just as original in many ways as the first book was. I loved all the different science fiction aspects to it. But at times the amount of the technology was a bit overwhelming, and I could probably have used a little more explanation or more examples of it being used. I was kept on the edge of my seat with this, wondering what was really going on with the world they had all been brought to, and if they might be able to get back to their own Earth. There was some time travel in a way, even as they said it was impossible, but that also meant there was some alternate universe types of things.

There were a few glimpses into what might be the aliens or whoever had come to take them, with some spaceships when they thought they were on a planet, and not finding the vances when they tried to locate them either. So I was also left with some questions and wondering exactly how some pieces of the puzzle fit. Personally I would like or it at least seemed like we needed more of a third book to wrap a lot of the things up and that is why I only gave 4 stars, even though it had me turning pages, on my e-reader, as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen next.

sonsonsia's review against another edition

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5.0

5/5 Sterne

essjay's review against another edition

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2.0

I think part of why both of these books bothered me so much is that they seem to be coming from a place of privilege and entitlement without ever really acknowledging it. Alex (and everyone else we meet) has a very black and white way of thinking about the situation, with zero nuance or room for error. And I guess maybe it's not meant to be read this way, since

SIDEKICK says they completed their mission to save Alex,

but by

returning to our Earth with the technology instead of destroying it, and creating a new "meritocracy," are they not just the beginning of the cycle they've just worked so hard to end?

Idk, overall there was just an awful lot about this duology that didn't work for me. Both books could have been improved greatly if some of the pacing issues were worked out. In both, not a whole lot happened for 75-80% (just so much wheel-spinning), only for an "explosive conclusion" that goes exactly nowhere.

Bleh.

lizdbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

In this follow-up to The Warning, Alex has gone through the portal to a new utopian world to bring the truth - that all is not what it seems.

Though I did like this, it wasn't as good as the first book. This one felt more rushed, choppy, and it was harder to suspend disbelief.

However, the world built here was very interesting and I hoped for the humans' success. It kept me turning pages until the (rather abrupt) end.

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