flowerbridetale's review against another edition
5.0
i finished this book at 5am and cried so many times,, my eyes will probably look puffy for a few hours but no regrets!!!!
alle_kat97's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jakeyjake's review against another edition
Not as exciting as the first book in the duology for me, but still a fun quick YA read. Just kind of a redux, but in Shanghai this time.
taliatalksbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“Ruse” is the perfect sequel to Cindy Pon’s “Want.” I enjoyed both of these books, and while the sequel might not have been as great as the first book, this story takes on important topics such as corporate greed and environmentalism. Glossing over romance (don’t worry, there is still a little bit if you’re a fan) and focusing on trust and friendship was a bold move for this YA novel, but in my opinion, it paid off. It’s casual romance and LGBTQ+ characters don’t distract from the plot, and all the relationship feel natural and earned. No tokens here! Also, if you’re someone who is sick of YA novels (or stories in general) taking place in NYC or LA, look no further—not only does this story avoid those cities, but it avoids the US setting all together by allowing you to experience the city of Taipei. These books are truly a breath of fresh air if you’re an avid YA reader like myself. I highly recommend checking out this series—you won’t regret it! “Ruse” earns itself a great rating.
books4days's review against another edition
3.0
Much like the first book in this duology, I love the setting (this time - Shanghai!) but AGAIN this book starts out by fridging a main character (another nonwhite female scientist too!), and this was actually spoiled by the inside flap, which was disappointing, even though it happened almost immediately. I liked the big con/cat & mouse game/heist dynamic of this book even more than the first (probably because it was a bigger part of this book). If you liked the first book, I'd recommend this as a follow-up, but this has many of the same issues the first suffered from, but it was nonetheless a quick, enjoyable read. I liked the cool cast of Asian characters and the LGBT representation, and the addition of a second narrator for this book.
shadyeglenn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
vickycbooks's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I loved reading Want so much in 2017 during the December “one read a day” promo on Riveted Lit, that I went out and ordered my own copy of Want a few weeks later!
And now, I am so so so happy to have been able to read the glorious book that is the sequel Ruse and it was just as amazing as Want.
The concept is no less exciting and Ruse is still filled with all the heists and big corporation takedowns that I loved reading in Want–but this time with even spicier dynamics!
It was so fantastic and I am so happy to have been able to read about some of my favorite characters once again. Seeing Jason and Lingyi and Arun and Daiyu again was so wonderful and I love them all and will miss them very very much.
It was really refreshing to read about all of them, and they were also still very dynamic throughout the book (despite it being a sequel) and they grew and learned–especially in reaction to Victor’s death from the last book.
Something I definitely wasn’t expecting was the commentary about grief, but that’s what really bumped this book up a half star–the analysis and incorporation of the characters grieving over Victor’s death. I think Pon did a really great job of showing how this impacted Jason and Lingyi especially, and their friend was not forgotten in the sequel.
Plus, there’s some spicy relationships going on between Jason and Daiyu, and as much as I hate one of my fave couples being broken up, I relished in seeing how this all made them stronger.
And yay for taking down big corporations and saving the environment! We love good near-future environmental-focused novels and Ruse, although it didn’t need as much of an introduction as Want did, still focused on the setting & environmental themes and continued to build on it, especially with a new country as part of the plot.
Honestly, I enjoyed so much about this book and am so sad to see the series end (I think?). It’s a fun, highly entertaining read, and I can’t wait to see what Cindy Pon brings us next.
However:
I do think that y’all should note that although Lingyi is loud and proud on the cover, this book is still mostly centering Jason and he narrates the majority of the story.
I do think a lot of early readers were misled by this and were hoping for Lingyi and her relationship with Iris to be front and center, but that’s not necessarily the case. They’re still very present, but this is still mostly Jason’s story and he’s the only first person point of view in the book.
So just keep that in mind! Lingyi, Jany, and Daiyu all have their own third person chapters (sometimes multiples), but I’d say at least half of the story was narrated by Jason.
Overall, Ruse brought to the table everything I was looking for and a little more on top of that. I would wholeheartedly recommend this series to everyone, and really hope you pick it up!
Thank you so much to Cindy Pon for sending me one of her ARCs in exchange for an honest review! Still sobbing over this wow
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I loved reading Want so much in 2017 during the December “one read a day” promo on Riveted Lit, that I went out and ordered my own copy of Want a few weeks later!
And now, I am so so so happy to have been able to read the glorious book that is the sequel Ruse and it was just as amazing as Want.
The concept is no less exciting and Ruse is still filled with all the heists and big corporation takedowns that I loved reading in Want–but this time with even spicier dynamics!
It was so fantastic and I am so happy to have been able to read about some of my favorite characters once again. Seeing Jason and Lingyi and Arun and Daiyu again was so wonderful and I love them all and will miss them very very much.
It was really refreshing to read about all of them, and they were also still very dynamic throughout the book (despite it being a sequel) and they grew and learned–especially in reaction to Victor’s death from the last book.
Something I definitely wasn’t expecting was the commentary about grief, but that’s what really bumped this book up a half star–the analysis and incorporation of the characters grieving over Victor’s death. I think Pon did a really great job of showing how this impacted Jason and Lingyi especially, and their friend was not forgotten in the sequel.
Plus, there’s some spicy relationships going on between Jason and Daiyu, and as much as I hate one of my fave couples being broken up, I relished in seeing how this all made them stronger.
And yay for taking down big corporations and saving the environment! We love good near-future environmental-focused novels and Ruse, although it didn’t need as much of an introduction as Want did, still focused on the setting & environmental themes and continued to build on it, especially with a new country as part of the plot.
Honestly, I enjoyed so much about this book and am so sad to see the series end (I think?). It’s a fun, highly entertaining read, and I can’t wait to see what Cindy Pon brings us next.
However:
I do think that y’all should note that although Lingyi is loud and proud on the cover, this book is still mostly centering Jason and he narrates the majority of the story.
I do think a lot of early readers were misled by this and were hoping for Lingyi and her relationship with Iris to be front and center, but that’s not necessarily the case. They’re still very present, but this is still mostly Jason’s story and he’s the only first person point of view in the book.
So just keep that in mind! Lingyi, Jany, and Daiyu all have their own third person chapters (sometimes multiples), but I’d say at least half of the story was narrated by Jason.
Overall, Ruse brought to the table everything I was looking for and a little more on top of that. I would wholeheartedly recommend this series to everyone, and really hope you pick it up!
Thank you so much to Cindy Pon for sending me one of her ARCs in exchange for an honest review! Still sobbing over this wow
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