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authorannafaundez's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'd give this book a better rating if the villain wasn't so childish. Really, it ruins her whole vibe, which could have been so good if the authors had just given her a solid motive, a why. At this point, I doubt that's going to happen. Even if it did, the impact wouldn't be as great, because it's too late in the series.
However, finally, I was happy to see some character development in Zoey & Co.'s group. It's about time some people in their circle had true and lasting change . . . as long as they don't backpedal (again) in the next couple books.
I was also happy to see at least one of these authors has improved their descriptive writing. This alone raised the quality of the book, even if the dialogue is still incredibly cringe-y or off-putting sometimes. I've seen it referred to as "teen speak," and I'm inclined to agree, even if no teen I've ever heard has sounded like these guys do. (And I'm from Oklahoma; I'd know.)
But, as usual, there's clichés without the addition of a twist to make it unique. This just leads to boring, predictable, and forgettable conclusions to problems.
At this point, I'm ready for the series to end. These books are clearly being unnecessarily dragged out, and it shows, even if this particular book had a pretty solid medium pace. I'm battling a serious case of sunk cost fallacy.
However, finally, I was happy to see some character development in Zoey & Co.'s group. It's about time some people in their circle had true and lasting change . . . as long as they don't backpedal (again) in the next couple books.
I was also happy to see at least one of these authors has improved their descriptive writing. This alone raised the quality of the book, even if the dialogue is still incredibly cringe-y or off-putting sometimes. I've seen it referred to as "teen speak," and I'm inclined to agree, even if no teen I've ever heard has sounded like these guys do. (And I'm from Oklahoma; I'd know.)
But, as usual, there's clichés without the addition of a twist to make it unique. This just leads to boring, predictable, and forgettable conclusions to problems.
At this point, I'm ready for the series to end. These books are clearly being unnecessarily dragged out, and it shows, even if this particular book had a pretty solid medium pace. I'm battling a serious case of sunk cost fallacy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Kidnapping
rachaelarsenault's review
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.25
I'm out of words to describe all the problems I have with this series. Like, I have literally written several long, very details essays about it. This essay sums up my thoughts overall, and also links to all the previous essays I wrote about the series. It's a long read, but it's hard to be brief when it comes to discussing the problems in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Sexism, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Fatphobia
frequent use of the r-slur and related words
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