eltigre's review against another edition
3.0
Pomalejsi rozjezd, o to rychlejsi konec. Nasla jsem tam par chyb a celkove me to prilis nezaujalo, ale spatne to urcite neni :).
lizzy_22's review
4.0
Quite a thriller and what a nasty take on vampires. Really well done and a total nail biter!!
sammwonder's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book so badly.
Every fibre of my being was making me sit there and get through it because despite my total lack of interest in vampire novels, and my sudden tiredness with the dystopia style, it was such an incredibly interesting concept that could have gone so far.
And yet, I couldn't get into it. And those words sound as bitter in my mouth as I type them. Despite the interesting plot, it just wasn't there. The plot twists, everything coming together was so good but yet so predictable, the action scenes were choppy and sometimes confusing. But I just couldn't bring my self to full heartedly love this book as I wanted to. Hopefully the sequel is better and helps push the story forward, however I don't think it'll be on my TBR for a while yet.
I'd give it 2 and a half really, but I'll bump it up to 3 because of my want to love it.
Every fibre of my being was making me sit there and get through it because despite my total lack of interest in vampire novels, and my sudden tiredness with the dystopia style, it was such an incredibly interesting concept that could have gone so far.
And yet, I couldn't get into it. And those words sound as bitter in my mouth as I type them. Despite the interesting plot, it just wasn't there. The plot twists, everything coming together was so good but yet so predictable, the action scenes were choppy and sometimes confusing. But I just couldn't bring my self to full heartedly love this book as I wanted to. Hopefully the sequel is better and helps push the story forward, however I don't think it'll be on my TBR for a while yet.
I'd give it 2 and a half really, but I'll bump it up to 3 because of my want to love it.
lillianhong's review
4.0
Okay, I'll admit it: it's better than I thought. With all the authors riding on the Meyer Vampire Fad nowadays, I've lost all faith in the fantasy genre. I expected another piece of dribble made "good" because it has vampires yay. =___= But NO. I got an exciting world with good writing and breathing characters. Freaking awesome.
WHAT I LIKE:
-- The absence of names. I've read a lot of books where the main character has a weird aversion to names, and prefers sticking people with nicknames. At least here, there's a reason to the absence of names. However, I've wondered how the other characters deal with this absence; how do they identify each other? Sure, they've got numbers and letters, but that's only for teachers and such. Hm.
-- The pain Gene goes through to fit in: shaving, clipping nails, block body odor, etc. Just like every highschool student in the US, except if you don't do these things, you'll be eaten. Alive.
-- Despite knowing the clear line between vampires and helpers, Gene can't help but feel abnormal; as if it's his fault for being human. You live in a world where sleeping on the roof is normal, and yet here you are, unable to put a single foot in the sleepholders without breaking it in half. You feel like a freak and it's driving you mad being the only one who's different. That is what I considered a normal and realistic reaction and I love it. Heck, I kind of identify with it too.
-- New details on vampires. There's the basic OMG SUNLIGHT HISSS that is very basic of vampires, along with the blood feeding. (If you don't have those, you're not a vampire, you're a mutant. If you sparkle, you're a fairy.) But then Fukuda adds more interesting things about vampires: they can't swim (and he has the decency to explain why, thank god), they get it on with armpits (yeah, I know, WTF), and more. They're the most original things I've ever read, and I applaud you, good sir.
-- Our human protagonists are smarter than our high and mighty vampires. They scored the highest on tests, are considered the most desirable mates of the school, and yet, they're humans! Considering the vampires' views on humans, I found it to be very ironic.
-- Our female protagonist, Ashley June, is smart, cunning, and brave. She thought of everything that could go wrong, and set out to fix it. She killed her vampire boyfriend in order to fake depression and ward off romantic advances, aka unwanted attention that could lead to her doom, and didn't even think twice. She cut her hand to lure the vampires with her blood so that Gene could escape. This is the heroine that girls should be following, not that fool of a Belle Swan.
-- Vampire's misconceptions on humans. At last, vampires have their revenge for our ridiculous misconceptions about them! Now we're the crazy creatures with baffling actions and motives. It's freaking hilarious.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
-- Mentioning old common beliefs on vampires. Previously, I gave my approval. I still do. In an entire paragraph, he makes fun of the common things that mordern vampires are given today. I thought it was pretty funny until he made a jab about romantic relationships between humans and vampires. Didn't he use that very thing in his own book summary? "Do not fall in love with one of them." And what makes it stupider is that the "one of them" isn't even "one of them," so why put that lie on the cover? To get more females readers? Shame, Mr. Fukuda.
-- Ashley June's ability to fit in better. How come she can see in the dark better than Gene can? How come she managed to last several days longer with body odor? And how come she can keep up with the lightning fast vampires, but Gene can't? Being pretty does not solve everything.
-- School enrollment: how?! Don't you need papers for that stuff? How did Gene and Ashley (who's also an ORPHAN at a young age) manage to get into high school without papers?
-- It's going to be a series. No one ends a book with one protagonist locked in death city and another caught in a emotional landslide of to save or to run. If you do, you'll die in a blazing fire of doom. Just saying.
So, my conclusion is 4/5. It's not entirely original as everyone says, but there many parts that'll make you go, hey, that's a new one; never heard that before. It was a rare enjoyable read and restores some of my faith in the fantasy genre.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
WHAT I LIKE:
-- The absence of names. I've read a lot of books where the main character has a weird aversion to names, and prefers sticking people with nicknames. At least here, there's a reason to the absence of names. However, I've wondered how the other characters deal with this absence; how do they identify each other? Sure, they've got numbers and letters, but that's only for teachers and such. Hm.
-- The pain Gene goes through to fit in: shaving, clipping nails, block body odor, etc. Just like every highschool student in the US, except if you don't do these things, you'll be eaten. Alive.
-- Despite knowing the clear line between vampires and helpers, Gene can't help but feel abnormal; as if it's his fault for being human. You live in a world where sleeping on the roof is normal, and yet here you are, unable to put a single foot in the sleepholders without breaking it in half. You feel like a freak and it's driving you mad being the only one who's different. That is what I considered a normal and realistic reaction and I love it. Heck, I kind of identify with it too.
-- New details on vampires. There's the basic OMG SUNLIGHT HISSS that is very basic of vampires, along with the blood feeding. (If you don't have those, you're not a vampire, you're a mutant. If you sparkle, you're a fairy.) But then Fukuda adds more interesting things about vampires: they can't swim (and he has the decency to explain why, thank god), they get it on with armpits (yeah, I know, WTF), and more. They're the most original things I've ever read, and I applaud you, good sir.
-- Our human protagonists are smarter than our high and mighty vampires. They scored the highest on tests, are considered the most desirable mates of the school, and yet, they're humans! Considering the vampires' views on humans, I found it to be very ironic.
-- Our female protagonist, Ashley June, is smart, cunning, and brave. She thought of everything that could go wrong, and set out to fix it. She killed her vampire boyfriend in order to fake depression and ward off romantic advances, aka unwanted attention that could lead to her doom, and didn't even think twice. She cut her hand to lure the vampires with her blood so that Gene could escape. This is the heroine that girls should be following, not that fool of a Belle Swan.
-- Vampire's misconceptions on humans. At last, vampires have their revenge for our ridiculous misconceptions about them! Now we're the crazy creatures with baffling actions and motives. It's freaking hilarious.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE:
-- Mentioning old common beliefs on vampires. Previously, I gave my approval. I still do. In an entire paragraph, he makes fun of the common things that mordern vampires are given today. I thought it was pretty funny until he made a jab about romantic relationships between humans and vampires. Didn't he use that very thing in his own book summary? "Do not fall in love with one of them." And what makes it stupider is that the "one of them" isn't even "one of them," so why put that lie on the cover? To get more females readers? Shame, Mr. Fukuda.
-- Ashley June's ability to fit in better. How come she can see in the dark better than Gene can? How come she managed to last several days longer with body odor? And how come she can keep up with the lightning fast vampires, but Gene can't? Being pretty does not solve everything.
-- School enrollment: how?! Don't you need papers for that stuff? How did Gene and Ashley (who's also an ORPHAN at a young age) manage to get into high school without papers?
-- It's going to be a series. No one ends a book with one protagonist locked in death city and another caught in a emotional landslide of to save or to run. If you do, you'll die in a blazing fire of doom. Just saying.
So, my conclusion is 4/5. It's not entirely original as everyone says, but there many parts that'll make you go, hey, that's a new one; never heard that before. It was a rare enjoyable read and restores some of my faith in the fantasy genre.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
valeriew's review
4.0
Pretty good. I listened to it by I wish I was reading so I could skip some of the descriptions. Way too descriptive. The ending!!!! Wow. That's a good cliff hanger!
bookla's review against another edition
4.0
In un mondo governato da vampiri, dove gli esseri umani sono ormai quasi estinti, un ragazzo umano si finge quello che non è per sopravvivere. Costretto a vivere un'esistenza solitaria, mimetizzandosi tra i suoi predatori, facendo sempre attenzione ai piccoli dettagli che potrebbero rivelare la sua natura e farlo diventare un succulento pasto, Gene riesce a gestire abbastanza bene questa vita fatta di finta normalità. I problemi arrivano quando si ritrova in una situazione molto delicata e rischiosa che metterà a dura prova la sua resistenza e la sua capacità di fingersi un altro.
Un libro veramente particolare, una storia senza riferimenti spazio-temporali che oscilla tra l'horror ed i romanzi distopici e riesce a tenerti incollata alla pagine.
La storia è raccontata in prima persona dal protagonista, che ci permette di vivere i suoi momenti di paura, i suoi problemi, le sue riflessioni e le sue abitudini per sembrare quello che non è, ma anche le importanti scoperte relative ai suoi simili, perché gli umani non sono del tutto estinti.
Una storia triste, cruda in alcuni momenti, ma veramente ben scritta, capace di coinvolgerti nelle emozioni del protagonista
Un libro veramente particolare, una storia senza riferimenti spazio-temporali che oscilla tra l'horror ed i romanzi distopici e riesce a tenerti incollata alla pagine.
La storia è raccontata in prima persona dal protagonista, che ci permette di vivere i suoi momenti di paura, i suoi problemi, le sue riflessioni e le sue abitudini per sembrare quello che non è, ma anche le importanti scoperte relative ai suoi simili, perché gli umani non sono del tutto estinti.
Una storia triste, cruda in alcuni momenti, ma veramente ben scritta, capace di coinvolgerti nelle emozioni del protagonista
novelheartbeat's review
4.0
From my blog Auntie Spinelli Reads
3.5/5
What an interesting take on vampires! This one certainly was not what I was expecting. It was different from any other vamp story I've ever read. Which is refreshing, because frankly I'm getting a little sick of vampires. It was strange at some points, but the originality earned some major brownie points for me. The reviews on Goodreads definitely showed a love vs. hate with this book (as in, no in between), so I was kinda skeptical going in. But I ended up enjoying in much more than I thought I would.
I can't imagine having to live in Gene's shoes. In fact, I think I'd rather have just killed myself to get it over with (or just be turned, if that's even possible?). I simply do not possess the survival skills it would take. Let's go over the reasons:
You have to act like a robot. No showing emotions - no raising eyebrows or widening eyes in surprise, no gasping. No coughing, sneezing, laughing, clearing of the throat (just thinking about that makes me do it). No humming, whistling, singing. No slouching or squinting.
You have to maintain better than perfect hygiene. You can't sweat. You can't have any body hair (and really, that was never mentioned on the vamp side - I guess they don't/can't grow body hair?) - so you have to shave daily. You have to keep your nails carefully trimmed and manicured (again, do they not break nails?). If you don't shower very frequently, your smell will give you away. Which goes along with the sweat. No strenuous exercise in front of them.
You can't sleep around them. Because they sleep on the ceiling, so if you're caught sleeping somewhere...not on the ceiling...you're screwed.
So basically, you can't do anything. Which makes me wonder how it's even possible at all for someone to survive. But at the same time, if Gene could do it, why weren't there more others hiding in plain sight?
There were definitely some interesting quirks that the vamps had, and I have to give kudos to Fukuda for originality. They don't laugh, they scratch their wrists when they think something is funny. Hugs are performed with ears instead of arms - rubbing earlobes together. And there's no kissing or necking, instead it's elbowing and armpitting. Hmm. Can't say someone touching my armpit would ever turn me on...
There were a lot of holes in the world building. Mainly because the vampires weren't explained hardly at all (in fact, the word 'vampire' wasn't used even once). They just were. Which left me with tons of questions. How did they come to be? When/how did they take over the world? How does their population grow? Can a Heper - aka a human - be turned from a bite or scratch (there was a hint about Gene's father being bitten and having to leave, but it never came right out and stated he turned)? Or are they born? Because how could they possible breed by having armpit-elbow sex?
And what year is it, anyway? It's obviously been a long time, since Gene didn't know what a 'name' was, or singing.
The Heper Hunt was kind of a twisted version of the Hunger Games. Hepers are almost extinct, so they're a delicacy. And speaking of Hepers, it was interesting how Gene always said 'we' instead of 'they,' like he counted himself more among the vampires than the humans. And he thought himself better than the Hepers because he saw them as uncivilized and low like beasts. This bothered me - uh, hellooo, you're human too, genius. You're one of them! I wanted to slap him. He may as well have been a vamp himself.
Something else that irked me that I feel the need to mention, even though it's a small issue - the overuse of 'mercuric.' EVERY time light was described, that word was used. In fact, one time it was used twice on the same page. I should have kept count, because I know it was used at least 10 times throughout the book.
What I liked best was the dark and gritty feeling this book had. It was dangerous and sometimes gruesome (the gory parts were pretty in depth), and there was an ominous mood that put me on the edge of my seat in anticipation. Plus, I was able to get a very vivid picture of everything in my head.
The revelation at the end with the Scientist didn't make any sense to me. Gah, I don't want to give any spoilers...but if you've read it you'll know what I'm talking about. Because didn't they say he was a Heper, yet his identity...? It was a shocking twist, sure, but it didn't quite add up.
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 4/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
World-building: 2/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
The world building was more holey than Swiss cheese and I couldn't really connect with the characters, but the originality made it worthwhile for me.
3.5/5
What an interesting take on vampires! This one certainly was not what I was expecting. It was different from any other vamp story I've ever read. Which is refreshing, because frankly I'm getting a little sick of vampires. It was strange at some points, but the originality earned some major brownie points for me. The reviews on Goodreads definitely showed a love vs. hate with this book (as in, no in between), so I was kinda skeptical going in. But I ended up enjoying in much more than I thought I would.
I can't imagine having to live in Gene's shoes. In fact, I think I'd rather have just killed myself to get it over with (or just be turned, if that's even possible?). I simply do not possess the survival skills it would take. Let's go over the reasons:
You have to act like a robot. No showing emotions - no raising eyebrows or widening eyes in surprise, no gasping. No coughing, sneezing, laughing, clearing of the throat (just thinking about that makes me do it). No humming, whistling, singing. No slouching or squinting.
You have to maintain better than perfect hygiene. You can't sweat. You can't have any body hair (and really, that was never mentioned on the vamp side - I guess they don't/can't grow body hair?) - so you have to shave daily. You have to keep your nails carefully trimmed and manicured (again, do they not break nails?). If you don't shower very frequently, your smell will give you away. Which goes along with the sweat. No strenuous exercise in front of them.
You can't sleep around them. Because they sleep on the ceiling, so if you're caught sleeping somewhere...not on the ceiling...you're screwed.
So basically, you can't do anything. Which makes me wonder how it's even possible at all for someone to survive. But at the same time, if Gene could do it, why weren't there more others hiding in plain sight?
There were definitely some interesting quirks that the vamps had, and I have to give kudos to Fukuda for originality. They don't laugh, they scratch their wrists when they think something is funny. Hugs are performed with ears instead of arms - rubbing earlobes together. And there's no kissing or necking, instead it's elbowing and armpitting. Hmm. Can't say someone touching my armpit would ever turn me on...
There were a lot of holes in the world building. Mainly because the vampires weren't explained hardly at all (in fact, the word 'vampire' wasn't used even once). They just were. Which left me with tons of questions. How did they come to be? When/how did they take over the world? How does their population grow? Can a Heper - aka a human - be turned from a bite or scratch (there was a hint about Gene's father being bitten and having to leave, but it never came right out and stated he turned)? Or are they born? Because how could they possible breed by having armpit-elbow sex?
And what year is it, anyway? It's obviously been a long time, since Gene didn't know what a 'name' was, or singing.
The Heper Hunt was kind of a twisted version of the Hunger Games. Hepers are almost extinct, so they're a delicacy. And speaking of Hepers, it was interesting how Gene always said 'we' instead of 'they,' like he counted himself more among the vampires than the humans. And he thought himself better than the Hepers because he saw them as uncivilized and low like beasts. This bothered me - uh, hellooo, you're human too, genius. You're one of them! I wanted to slap him. He may as well have been a vamp himself.
Something else that irked me that I feel the need to mention, even though it's a small issue - the overuse of 'mercuric.' EVERY time light was described, that word was used. In fact, one time it was used twice on the same page. I should have kept count, because I know it was used at least 10 times throughout the book.
What I liked best was the dark and gritty feeling this book had. It was dangerous and sometimes gruesome (the gory parts were pretty in depth), and there was an ominous mood that put me on the edge of my seat in anticipation. Plus, I was able to get a very vivid picture of everything in my head.
The revelation at the end with the Scientist didn't make any sense to me. Gah, I don't want to give any spoilers...but if you've read it you'll know what I'm talking about. Because didn't they say he was a Heper, yet his identity...? It was a shocking twist, sure, but it didn't quite add up.
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 4/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
World-building: 2/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
The world building was more holey than Swiss cheese and I couldn't really connect with the characters, but the originality made it worthwhile for me.
gemmaduds's review against another edition
2.0
A lightly entertaining read with no real substance to it. I found the book predictable, and it had so many coincidences laced into it that I was disttracted and couldn't enjoy it. The characters are pretty flat, and I didn't really feel for any of them. The conclusion to the book was a wash out. Very disappointing.
Having said all of this, I found the book to be pretty much non-stop action and so the pages turned really quickly. I did have to read this through to the end, and so it wasn't all bad!
Having said all of this, I found the book to be pretty much non-stop action and so the pages turned really quickly. I did have to read this through to the end, and so it wasn't all bad!