xxsquigglesxx's review
2.0
MEMORABLE QUOTE: "When I develop pictures in a darkroom, it's almost like painting with light." (p. 21)
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Unfortunately, I have never read Macbeth, so I cannot compare this story to that at all. I was looking forward to reading this as I enjoyed Askew and Helmes' first book, Tempestuous. This one sort of similar, but I didn't like it as much. The last third or so of the book is definitely the best part. I feel like the beginning could have used a little bit more involvement, maybe Skye could have done more to try and find out what had happened on that night at the party, but it was very slow moving.
CHARACTERS: I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I feel like Skye, the main character, didn't really do much except for whine to herself inside her head. I just feel like she is very naive, and she doesn't change very much throughout the course of the book.
COVER: The cover is okay, there's not really much to it. I like the crown, it's cute.
*I received a finished copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Unfortunately, I have never read Macbeth, so I cannot compare this story to that at all. I was looking forward to reading this as I enjoyed Askew and Helmes' first book, Tempestuous. This one sort of similar, but I didn't like it as much. The last third or so of the book is definitely the best part. I feel like the beginning could have used a little bit more involvement, maybe Skye could have done more to try and find out what had happened on that night at the party, but it was very slow moving.
CHARACTERS: I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I feel like Skye, the main character, didn't really do much except for whine to herself inside her head. I just feel like she is very naive, and she doesn't change very much throughout the course of the book.
COVER: The cover is okay, there's not really much to it. I like the crown, it's cute.
*I received a finished copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.
michalice's review
4.0
When I was contacted about reviewing Exposure it was with a request for Tempestuous too. As soon as I finished reading Tempestuous I immediately started reading Exposure. The writing by both Kim and Amy had me hooked and wanting more of their work. The protagonist for Exposure is a photographer Skye, who works for the school news paper. While Skye has a friend, Craig, high up on the social ladder, she herself is at the bottom.
When I began reading Exposure I instantly liked Skye, she felt like a real person and not just a character. She has to deal with every issue that we face in school, and I certainly experienced some of them myself, yet she keeps on going and finds her own friends who accept her for who and what she is, and don't judge her for her interests. When we are first introduced to Craig and get to see how he acts towards Skye I disliked him, a lot. To stand by and watch your girlfriend hurl insults at someone who used to be your best friend and make their life a misery is just wrong, and I felt like he could have tried a bit harder.
The mystery in the story had me trying to guess who was the culprit and what their reasons were, and while we get a sneaky listen in along with Skye, the whole truth isn't revealed. Although Skye omits part of the truth when the school is questioned, she does it for good reasons, and I think if it was me in her shoes I certainly would not have done it, especially for how she is treated (yes its very vague but I don't want to reveal the secrets ;)).
I enjoyed reading Exposure, there were a lot of elements that blended together really well to make a great read. One thing I particularly liked was Skye. She is a pretty girl, yet due to her likes she is an outcast in school and her friends aren't exactly climbing up the social ladder themselves. I loved how they all stuck together and helped each other out when needed. Exposure shows how cruel school can be if you don't fit the mould, but also how great friendships can be when you make the right ones. One thing that I missed was getting a chance to see some of the photographs described in the book that were taken by Skye, especially the ones for her final project, but that is just me wanting to see some scenery of Anchorage and some hot boys.
Overall Exposure was a quick read, but one that had me hooked, and I am looking forward to future books from these great authors.
When I began reading Exposure I instantly liked Skye, she felt like a real person and not just a character. She has to deal with every issue that we face in school, and I certainly experienced some of them myself, yet she keeps on going and finds her own friends who accept her for who and what she is, and don't judge her for her interests. When we are first introduced to Craig and get to see how he acts towards Skye I disliked him, a lot. To stand by and watch your girlfriend hurl insults at someone who used to be your best friend and make their life a misery is just wrong, and I felt like he could have tried a bit harder.
The mystery in the story had me trying to guess who was the culprit and what their reasons were, and while we get a sneaky listen in along with Skye, the whole truth isn't revealed. Although Skye omits part of the truth when the school is questioned, she does it for good reasons, and I think if it was me in her shoes I certainly would not have done it, especially for how she is treated (yes its very vague but I don't want to reveal the secrets ;)).
I enjoyed reading Exposure, there were a lot of elements that blended together really well to make a great read. One thing I particularly liked was Skye. She is a pretty girl, yet due to her likes she is an outcast in school and her friends aren't exactly climbing up the social ladder themselves. I loved how they all stuck together and helped each other out when needed. Exposure shows how cruel school can be if you don't fit the mould, but also how great friendships can be when you make the right ones. One thing that I missed was getting a chance to see some of the photographs described in the book that were taken by Skye, especially the ones for her final project, but that is just me wanting to see some scenery of Anchorage and some hot boys.
Overall Exposure was a quick read, but one that had me hooked, and I am looking forward to future books from these great authors.
neffcannon's review
2.0
Having grown up in Anchorage, there were too many errors about Anchorage for me to really get lost in the story. I would have enjoyed this book so much more had the authors done some research into their setting and not had so many inaccuracies.
wifi0wifey's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
sabbygee's review
4.0
This review and more at Sab The Book
Eater
In the second book of the Twisted Lit series, Kim Askew and Amy Helmes brings an interesting adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. I'm not much of a Shakespeare fan; I don't know much about most of his work. When I read Exposure I tried to do my homework by reading at least a summary of Macbeth. To be fair though, I read their first book and I can say reading Shakespeare isn't really a prerequisite. I just wanted to know if it would have an effect on my reading experience. Turns out, it was even better. Now I'm not sure if it's because I read a plot summary or I really just happened to enjoy Exposure more than Tempestuous. Okay let's get down to it.
I like how enjoyable Exposure is despite the tragic events. Don't tell me I spoiled it for you! The synopsis says, "tragic twists of fate" and well... it's Shakespeare. Some sort of tragedy is to be expected. Anyway, what captivated me from the onset was the mystery injected in the story early in the Prologue. From there, the story was told beautifully in a mixture of constant suspense and drama. It's the typical highschool story wherein the cool kids fight over the "coveted" (it's in quotes because I never really believed in all that LOL) title of Prom King and Queen only more interesting because there's so much more involved. Aside from that, I like that the story didn't lose its YA touch because the teen romance was still there along with all the drama that comes with it - without giving readers the unnecessary stress that a lot of teen dramas give. (tee hee)
Since I only read Macbeth's plot summary, the only similarities I saw between the characters in Macbeth and in Exposure are their names. It's fun though, to actually get the play on names (play on words?). It was interesting to read how incredibly diverse the characters were and how they developed throughout the story. I liked Skye and Craig's chemistry in particular. I liked them so much that even if things ended that way, I was okay with it. In fact, I liked how everything turned out. I really liked how Askew and Helmes wrote the (inevitable, slightly tragic) ending.
Lastly, and this is rare, I love the cover of the book. I don't usually take the cover into account when I rate/review a book but this is really something. I don't know about you but I don't usually see/read books that have meaningful covers. Exposure's cover ties the whole story together and it's really cool that it made sense when I looked at it again after reading it. Snaps for that! *snaps haha*
Overall Exposure is a great read. It says so much about ambition, guilt, betrayal, and love in an enjoyable well-paced story that'll definitely leave you satisfied. ;-)
Eater
In the second book of the Twisted Lit series, Kim Askew and Amy Helmes brings an interesting adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. I'm not much of a Shakespeare fan; I don't know much about most of his work. When I read Exposure I tried to do my homework by reading at least a summary of Macbeth. To be fair though, I read their first book and I can say reading Shakespeare isn't really a prerequisite. I just wanted to know if it would have an effect on my reading experience. Turns out, it was even better. Now I'm not sure if it's because I read a plot summary or I really just happened to enjoy Exposure more than Tempestuous. Okay let's get down to it.
I like how enjoyable Exposure is despite the tragic events. Don't tell me I spoiled it for you! The synopsis says, "tragic twists of fate" and well... it's Shakespeare. Some sort of tragedy is to be expected. Anyway, what captivated me from the onset was the mystery injected in the story early in the Prologue. From there, the story was told beautifully in a mixture of constant suspense and drama. It's the typical highschool story wherein the cool kids fight over the "coveted" (it's in quotes because I never really believed in all that LOL) title of Prom King and Queen only more interesting because there's so much more involved. Aside from that, I like that the story didn't lose its YA touch because the teen romance was still there along with all the drama that comes with it - without giving readers the unnecessary stress that a lot of teen dramas give. (tee hee)
Since I only read Macbeth's plot summary, the only similarities I saw between the characters in Macbeth and in Exposure are their names. It's fun though, to actually get the play on names (play on words?). It was interesting to read how incredibly diverse the characters were and how they developed throughout the story. I liked Skye and Craig's chemistry in particular. I liked them so much that even if things ended that way, I was okay with it. In fact, I liked how everything turned out. I really liked how Askew and Helmes wrote the (inevitable, slightly tragic) ending.
Lastly, and this is rare, I love the cover of the book. I don't usually take the cover into account when I rate/review a book but this is really something. I don't know about you but I don't usually see/read books that have meaningful covers. Exposure's cover ties the whole story together and it's really cool that it made sense when I looked at it again after reading it. Snaps for that! *snaps haha*
Overall Exposure is a great read. It says so much about ambition, guilt, betrayal, and love in an enjoyable well-paced story that'll definitely leave you satisfied. ;-)
cazzimon's review
4.0
This review can also be found at: http://loadedshelves.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/review-exposure-askew-helmes.html
Exposure is the second book in Askew & Helmes' Twisted Lit series. I read the first, Tempestuous last month and LOVED it so I was really excited to see what Askew & Helmes were going to do with my beloved Macbeth.
Like Tempestuous, the characters were brilliantly written. I loved Skye and Craig to the point where I think i'd have been happy just hearing about them constantly! I loved the back story to other characters too (i.e. Beth). Other than a few editing problems, the writing was flawless and kept me interested.
Like Macbeth, there is constant suspense, madness, and the infamous 'damn spot!' I loved the modernised versions of all these things. The fight for Prom King & Queen was imaginative, relevant and worked wonderfully with the setting of both Exposure and Macbeth. The twists on character names and plot revelations were great and there were definitely parts of the book where I was getting excited about Shakespeare references and of course, that sonnet.
The title, Exposure was lost on me when I first started reading the book but i'm happy to say that it does all come together. Skye's focus on photography, death by exposure, exposing oneself to reveal the truth (whether it be academic, romantic or legal).
All in all another great book from Askew & Helmes. I'd definitely recommend to fans of Shakespeare adaptations (like me!), those who love a good read and anyone with ambitions to claim the title of Prom King or Queen (careful!). Eagerly awaiting more from these two fabulous authors.
Exposure is the second book in Askew & Helmes' Twisted Lit series. I read the first, Tempestuous last month and LOVED it so I was really excited to see what Askew & Helmes were going to do with my beloved Macbeth.
Like Tempestuous, the characters were brilliantly written. I loved Skye and Craig to the point where I think i'd have been happy just hearing about them constantly! I loved the back story to other characters too (i.e. Beth). Other than a few editing problems, the writing was flawless and kept me interested.
Like Macbeth, there is constant suspense, madness, and the infamous 'damn spot!' I loved the modernised versions of all these things. The fight for Prom King & Queen was imaginative, relevant and worked wonderfully with the setting of both Exposure and Macbeth. The twists on character names and plot revelations were great and there were definitely parts of the book where I was getting excited about Shakespeare references and of course, that sonnet.
The title, Exposure was lost on me when I first started reading the book but i'm happy to say that it does all come together. Skye's focus on photography, death by exposure, exposing oneself to reveal the truth (whether it be academic, romantic or legal).
All in all another great book from Askew & Helmes. I'd definitely recommend to fans of Shakespeare adaptations (like me!), those who love a good read and anyone with ambitions to claim the title of Prom King or Queen (careful!). Eagerly awaiting more from these two fabulous authors.
kdotsart's review
5.0
http://whisperingprettystories.weebly.com/book-reviews.html
Ok, so I don't remember anything about MacBeth except "out damned spot!" and "double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble!" So I had no idea what to expect when I read this book. I have no idea if this story has anything to do with MacBeth, except, of course, for the three witches, and you could have knocked me over with a feather after I read two scenes with them in it BEFORE I realized that's who they were. Duh! Oh, the damned spot was here, too. Other than that, no idea.
Once again, as with Tempestuous, I loved the story! Only Askew and Helmes can take Tickle Me Elmo and relate him somehow to Shakespeare. This should be required reading for every high school student who has to read MacBeth. I can imagine the essays now, drawing similarities between characters, plot lines, etc.
But back to the book. I love Skye. Everything about her screams model and wallflower at the same time. She sounds like she would be great to hang out with in real life. I'm not sure, though, how she could have grown up in this town and still not have close friends. I either glossed over that or it wasn't explained straightforward enough for me.
And I totally kept waiting for Margot to be her mother's girlfriend. I hope I didn't ruin that for you, but if you had read The You Know Who Girls yesterday like I did, that would be in the back of your mind, too.
I will recommend this book to students who enjoy fairy tales retold, romance novels, comedies, and tragedies.
Ok, so I don't remember anything about MacBeth except "out damned spot!" and "double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble!" So I had no idea what to expect when I read this book. I have no idea if this story has anything to do with MacBeth, except, of course, for the three witches, and you could have knocked me over with a feather after I read two scenes with them in it BEFORE I realized that's who they were. Duh! Oh, the damned spot was here, too. Other than that, no idea.
Once again, as with Tempestuous, I loved the story! Only Askew and Helmes can take Tickle Me Elmo and relate him somehow to Shakespeare. This should be required reading for every high school student who has to read MacBeth. I can imagine the essays now, drawing similarities between characters, plot lines, etc.
But back to the book. I love Skye. Everything about her screams model and wallflower at the same time. She sounds like she would be great to hang out with in real life. I'm not sure, though, how she could have grown up in this town and still not have close friends. I either glossed over that or it wasn't explained straightforward enough for me.
And I totally kept waiting for Margot to be her mother's girlfriend. I hope I didn't ruin that for you, but if you had read The You Know Who Girls yesterday like I did, that would be in the back of your mind, too.
I will recommend this book to students who enjoy fairy tales retold, romance novels, comedies, and tragedies.
bookfever's review
4.0
How I love these books. I feel like for the past two days I've been living on a Twisted Lit cloud. When I finished Tempesteous I started Exposure right away. And even though I didn't think it was quite as good as its predecessor, I still really liked it.
This book, unlike the previous one, had definitely a slightly dark undertone. I mean, it was still kind of cute but with the murder and everything it was darker. Which I thought was great.
As always (so far) with a Twisted Lit book, I really liked the main character and her voice. Skye was a little bit of an outsider, which I think a lot of people can relate to. I also liked her three friends. I'm not sure I liked Craig, though. He had his good moments for sure but I thought he was kind of an ass for the way he treated Skye for the past three years.
As always the writing was excellent, which by now I shouldn't be surprised with because obviously Kim Askew and Amy Helmes are very skilled with words.
All in all, Exposure was another thoroughly enjoyable and recommendable book in the Twisted List series!
This book, unlike the previous one, had definitely a slightly dark undertone. I mean, it was still kind of cute but with the murder and everything it was darker. Which I thought was great.
As always (so far) with a Twisted Lit book, I really liked the main character and her voice. Skye was a little bit of an outsider, which I think a lot of people can relate to. I also liked her three friends. I'm not sure I liked Craig, though. He had his good moments for sure but I thought he was kind of an ass for the way he treated Skye for the past three years.
As always the writing was excellent, which by now I shouldn't be surprised with because obviously Kim Askew and Amy Helmes are very skilled with words.
All in all, Exposure was another thoroughly enjoyable and recommendable book in the Twisted List series!
daylafm's review against another edition
5.0
Article first published as Book Review: Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes on Blogcritics.
Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy for review
Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes is the second installment in the Twisted Lit series. It is also an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The prologue offers a unique introduction into the story, while the protagonist is a smart twist to Shakespeare’s most tragic play. Set in Alaska, Askew and Helmes pull the reader into a world as new and unique as their story line.
Skye Kingston, the protagonist, is a wallflower. She would rather take pictures than participate with her classmates. But as the school year progresses, Skye encounters situations that influence her growth as a character. What makes this adaptation so refreshing is that Skye is given a greater role in the novel than Shakespeare’s protagonists.
Skye is also a very special character because she gives the reader a voice in Macbeth. She witnesses the change the characters representing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Craig and Beth, go through. Skye is aware of their slow descent into madness, and as a result, she becomes the character that has the power to say something. The reader soon realizes that she is the hero that Macbeth never met.
The romantic side of Exposure is very interesting. The reader witnesses the poisonous relationship between Craig and Beth, but Askew and Helmes juxtapose this with a promising connection between Craig and Skye. This new perspective is intriguing because it hints that Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a limited story.
Askew and Helmes captivate their modern readers by offering more depth to the story of Macbeth. Only these co-authors can take a morbid and seemingly hopeless play, and make it into a story full of moral lessons about growing up and accepting consequences.
Exposure’s plot also raises questions about its origins, such as: what was Macbeth like before meeting his wife? What was his life like beyond his relationship with his wife? Was there ever an opportunity for Macbeth to redeem himself?
Askew and Helmes' adaptation adds a certain zest to the original play. Through well-paced writing, complicated romance, and a relatable protagonist, the reader has the ability to view a literary classic in a new and enjoyable way.
I would recommend Exposure to readers that are interested in modern adaptations of Shakespearean plays in the young adult age group.
The title Exposure hints at the dangers within the novel, and Skye’s love of photography. Most importantly, however, it represents the act of exposing oneself when s/he appears lost, or hidden.
Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy for review
Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes is the second installment in the Twisted Lit series. It is also an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The prologue offers a unique introduction into the story, while the protagonist is a smart twist to Shakespeare’s most tragic play. Set in Alaska, Askew and Helmes pull the reader into a world as new and unique as their story line.
Skye Kingston, the protagonist, is a wallflower. She would rather take pictures than participate with her classmates. But as the school year progresses, Skye encounters situations that influence her growth as a character. What makes this adaptation so refreshing is that Skye is given a greater role in the novel than Shakespeare’s protagonists.
Skye is also a very special character because she gives the reader a voice in Macbeth. She witnesses the change the characters representing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Craig and Beth, go through. Skye is aware of their slow descent into madness, and as a result, she becomes the character that has the power to say something. The reader soon realizes that she is the hero that Macbeth never met.
The romantic side of Exposure is very interesting. The reader witnesses the poisonous relationship between Craig and Beth, but Askew and Helmes juxtapose this with a promising connection between Craig and Skye. This new perspective is intriguing because it hints that Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a limited story.
Askew and Helmes captivate their modern readers by offering more depth to the story of Macbeth. Only these co-authors can take a morbid and seemingly hopeless play, and make it into a story full of moral lessons about growing up and accepting consequences.
Exposure’s plot also raises questions about its origins, such as: what was Macbeth like before meeting his wife? What was his life like beyond his relationship with his wife? Was there ever an opportunity for Macbeth to redeem himself?
Askew and Helmes' adaptation adds a certain zest to the original play. Through well-paced writing, complicated romance, and a relatable protagonist, the reader has the ability to view a literary classic in a new and enjoyable way.
I would recommend Exposure to readers that are interested in modern adaptations of Shakespearean plays in the young adult age group.
The title Exposure hints at the dangers within the novel, and Skye’s love of photography. Most importantly, however, it represents the act of exposing oneself when s/he appears lost, or hidden.
melissayabookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Exposure is a modern day retelling of William Shakespeare's MacBeth, one of my favorite Shakespearean tragedies. While I loved the play, I felt that this novel wasn't nearly as interesting. Throughout the novel, I felt like Shakespeare achieved new heights in the exploration of the psychology of guilt, but this retelling never adds anything to the narrative, I guess that's not entirely true because rather than focus primarily on Beth Morgan and her boyfriend, Craig (the Lady MacBeth and MacBeth figures), the co-authors of the novel write the story through the perspective of Skye Kingston. There is no equivalent to Skye in the novel, but she nevertheless plays an important role of witness to the private conversation between Craig and Beth immediately after the accident and a sort of Cinderella figure simultaneously.
Early on, there are a few racist comments, slurs and nicknames concerning the Aboriginal peoples of Alaska, which put me on edge. Even though they don't come from the MC, it furthers stereotypes about the Aboriginal people in ways that made me uncomfy.
I also didn't always find Skye's voice to be authentic as a teen. I wanted to, but it didn't always sound like the way teens speak either in real life or in novels or media representations.
Liked the way that the three girls representing the witches that give a prophecy of MacBeth in the play are introduced and how they open up understanding of the tribe some of them are a part of.
Early on, there are a few racist comments, slurs and nicknames concerning the Aboriginal peoples of Alaska, which put me on edge. Even though they don't come from the MC, it furthers stereotypes about the Aboriginal people in ways that made me uncomfy.
I also didn't always find Skye's voice to be authentic as a teen. I wanted to, but it didn't always sound like the way teens speak either in real life or in novels or media representations.
Liked the way that the three girls representing the witches that give a prophecy of MacBeth in the play are introduced and how they open up understanding of the tribe some of them are a part of.
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