bestdressedbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
On the 1 year anniversary of reading book 1 I decided to pick up book 2. I remember liking the first book but finding it a bit average compared to other things I was reading at the time. Then enters book 2 and for the first time in a long time I am introduced to a series that doesnt have second book syndrome. I really really loved this book compared to its counterpart to the point where I am about to go order book 3 after writing this review. This book had everything but he first book had, it just did it better. Betrayal, plot development, twists, cliff hangers, intrigue, characters I loved, characters I enjoyed hating and best of all massive growth and development to the story. I read this so quick because I didnt want to put it down. So you might ask why it is only getting 4.5 stars, the answer, it all depends on the conclusion......
ejivar's review against another edition
4.0
I know he betrayed her in the end but idc what anyone says Kit is superior to Rain in every way shape and form. End of discussion.
teacher2library's review against another edition
1.0
I picked up this sequel hoping it would make good on the promise of the plot more than the first had. Boy, was I disappointed.
Imagine a world where techonology has so entranced people that they decide to plug permanently into the virtual and leave their physical bodies behind... sounds intriguing, right? The idea is just about the only good thing this series has going for it.
The bad? Almost everything else.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
In addition to resorting to tired YA cliches like the love triangle, Freitas decides to give Skylar a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome. So much of the novel is devoted to the story of Skylar falling in love with Kit, her KIDNAPPER, and the subsequent love triangle with Rain, that everything else takes a backseat... the other relationships, character development, the freaking plot itself.
"... I knew that I couldn't leave him like this. I had to help him. It was the right thing to do. But in my heart I knew I would help him because I wanted to, not simply because it was right."
...right, because the right thing to do in a hostage situation is take care of your kidnapper.
"'I am going to trust you, Kit,' I said. Kit had kidnapped me, but he still had never betrayed me. He never masqueraded something he wasn't, however unpleasant it had been it first."
...because kidnapping someone apparently isn't a betrayal of human rights.
"As I continued toward him, a million different impulses fired through me... Do something, anything, to restore the life to those eyes that I once thought were vacant, yet now knew where the opposite, or could be when something brought the real Kit to the surface from the deep place where he kept himself hidden."
...I can't even.
Imagine a world where techonology has so entranced people that they decide to plug permanently into the virtual and leave their physical bodies behind... sounds intriguing, right? The idea is just about the only good thing this series has going for it.
The bad? Almost everything else.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
In addition to resorting to tired YA cliches like the love triangle, Freitas decides to give Skylar a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome. So much of the novel is devoted to the story of Skylar falling in love with Kit, her KIDNAPPER, and the subsequent love triangle with Rain, that everything else takes a backseat... the other relationships, character development, the freaking plot itself.
"... I knew that I couldn't leave him like this. I had to help him. It was the right thing to do. But in my heart I knew I would help him because I wanted to, not simply because it was right."
...right, because the right thing to do in a hostage situation is take care of your kidnapper.
"'I am going to trust you, Kit,' I said. Kit had kidnapped me, but he still had never betrayed me. He never masqueraded something he wasn't, however unpleasant it had been it first."
...because kidnapping someone apparently isn't a betrayal of human rights.
"As I continued toward him, a million different impulses fired through me... Do something, anything, to restore the life to those eyes that I once thought were vacant, yet now knew where the opposite, or could be when something brought the real Kit to the surface from the deep place where he kept himself hidden."
...I can't even.
odettebrethouwer's review against another edition
5.0
I even loved this book better than the first one, [b:Unplugged|15751616|Unplugged (The Wired, #1)|Donna Freitas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459694856s/15751616.jpg|21446041]. I think this is the first time this has ever happened.
What I love so much about this series is that it makes me much more aware of the world we are living in. About all the little beautiful wonders we experience every single day. How much we do with and depend on technology every day.
This aspect of this book was even better worked out in the second book than in the first. Because of this, I forgave the fact that the female main character was trying to save the world and that there was a love triangle. Some books have such awesome aspects that I love them anyway, despite their faults like that.
So yeah, I cannot wait for the last book in this series!
What I love so much about this series is that it makes me much more aware of the world we are living in. About all the little beautiful wonders we experience every single day. How much we do with and depend on technology every day.
This aspect of this book was even better worked out in the second book than in the first. Because of this, I forgave the fact that the female main character was trying to save the world and that there was a love triangle. Some books have such awesome aspects that I love them anyway, despite their faults like that.
So yeah, I cannot wait for the last book in this series!
teenage_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Plot:
The Body Market is open. Repulsed by the idea, it was Skye who found herself in the middle of the market with one person on her mind: Inara. Put up to be sold by Jude, Skye knew it was her responsibility to protect her friend. Still, the past few months had been rough, with the wait for the Body Market to open, any chance of being with Rain out, as he not only lied to her, but was occupied with Lacy. When walking home from the market, a guy on a motorcycle kidnaps Skye, she did not put up much of a fight. Trapped in his cabin during a blizzard, Skye learns more about the bounty hunter, Kit, who took her away. Being with Kit made Skye feel something she could never have felt with Rain: Honesty. As Kit clearly states that he could fall in love with her, and still turn her over to Jude the next day, they bond during the cold nights in the cabin, and where Skye knew she will always have feelings for Rain, the good and the bad, there is no use denying the feelings she grew for Kit, and him to her.
Rain feels lost, knowing that he hurt the one person he needed most: Skye. And now she’s gone. Tormented, Rain begins sending mixed messages to Lacy, his best friend, and whom she sees herself as his girlfriend. From hugs to kisses, Lacy knew her place in this world, a place to the right of Rain. Still he is in denial, kissing Lacy and then regrets it later as he had hoped the Skye would be his first real kiss. Lacy and Zeera became friends, Rain focuses more on where Skye went and the Body Market. When Skye comes home with a new piece of arm candy, jealously flares in Rain as he knows Kit, but more upset to see Skye with him. Developing a plan to break into Jude’s castle, Rain, Skye and Kit work together to bring down the Body Market, and bring a sister home.
Thoughts:
Donna Freitas wrote more about love than politics in this second instalment of The Wired series. With Rain and Skye being on the outs, but still have feeling towards each other, and with the introduction of Kit, and the re-introduction of Lacy, it seems as if this pair was never meant to be. Lacy was determined to be with Rain, where Skye and Kit slowly fall in love, sharing the same sibling passion, and their love for the Real World. Yet when in the mix world trying to find home it was not Briarwood but Kit’s cabin, the one place Skye felt safe. As the story progresses Rain has one secrete left to tell to Skye, as Skye makes the most dangerous journey as she goes from the Real World she fell in love with, back to the App World to save the people who never wanted her.
The Body Market is open. Repulsed by the idea, it was Skye who found herself in the middle of the market with one person on her mind: Inara. Put up to be sold by Jude, Skye knew it was her responsibility to protect her friend. Still, the past few months had been rough, with the wait for the Body Market to open, any chance of being with Rain out, as he not only lied to her, but was occupied with Lacy. When walking home from the market, a guy on a motorcycle kidnaps Skye, she did not put up much of a fight. Trapped in his cabin during a blizzard, Skye learns more about the bounty hunter, Kit, who took her away. Being with Kit made Skye feel something she could never have felt with Rain: Honesty. As Kit clearly states that he could fall in love with her, and still turn her over to Jude the next day, they bond during the cold nights in the cabin, and where Skye knew she will always have feelings for Rain, the good and the bad, there is no use denying the feelings she grew for Kit, and him to her.
Rain feels lost, knowing that he hurt the one person he needed most: Skye. And now she’s gone. Tormented, Rain begins sending mixed messages to Lacy, his best friend, and whom she sees herself as his girlfriend. From hugs to kisses, Lacy knew her place in this world, a place to the right of Rain. Still he is in denial, kissing Lacy and then regrets it later as he had hoped the Skye would be his first real kiss. Lacy and Zeera became friends, Rain focuses more on where Skye went and the Body Market. When Skye comes home with a new piece of arm candy, jealously flares in Rain as he knows Kit, but more upset to see Skye with him. Developing a plan to break into Jude’s castle, Rain, Skye and Kit work together to bring down the Body Market, and bring a sister home.
Thoughts:
Donna Freitas wrote more about love than politics in this second instalment of The Wired series. With Rain and Skye being on the outs, but still have feeling towards each other, and with the introduction of Kit, and the re-introduction of Lacy, it seems as if this pair was never meant to be. Lacy was determined to be with Rain, where Skye and Kit slowly fall in love, sharing the same sibling passion, and their love for the Real World. Yet when in the mix world trying to find home it was not Briarwood but Kit’s cabin, the one place Skye felt safe. As the story progresses Rain has one secrete left to tell to Skye, as Skye makes the most dangerous journey as she goes from the Real World she fell in love with, back to the App World to save the people who never wanted her.
bettyturner's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kaeleskrazybookobsession's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
This book was ten times crazier than the first. This series is great. The main character is pretty strong. I gate love triangles, but lately all of my books have a love triangle where I can't figure out who I want to win. I still don't know who she'll end up with and there's only one more book. This book gave me trust issues. Yes I read this book in 24 hours. I need book 3 ASAP.
This book was ten times crazier than the first. This series is great. The main character is pretty strong. I gate love triangles, but lately all of my books have a love triangle where I can't figure out who I want to win. I still don't know who she'll end up with and there's only one more book. This book gave me trust issues.
Spoiler
At this point I trust Skylar, Trader (I love him), and Zeera. That's about it. I've been betrayed too many times by her sister, Rain, and Kit. At the end of book one I wanted to love Rain so much. In this book I just want Kit to get it together because I loved him. Me and Skylar both. I've had the feeling that she'll be with rain in the end. But I keep going back and forth.ruthsic's review
3.0
At the end of Unplugged, Skylar had been rescued from her sister's Body Market, but in the start of The Body Market, she is back - as a witness to the grim proceedings of human trafficking. She wants to end it all, but gets kidnapped by a bounty hunter Kit, who has his own agenda when it comes to the whole App World. Skye's approach towards the App World was based on the love she had for her family back in the Real one, but now that she has been betrayed by them, she doesn't know her exact place in the world. Of course, this is where the romantic subplot comes in, and between all the teenage angst of who she should choose and who she should be with, they manage to devise a way to bring down the Body Market.
As a sequel, The Body Market is marginally better than Unplugged; the former's main pitfall was the weak world-building, with no proper structure in place. This one's fallacy is the lack of action in general - they are said to be the resistance, but until like the third quarter of the novel, they are twiddling their thumbs with respect to how to go about resisting. A propitious week-long blizzard at the beginning of the novel allowed for the romantic tension to be developed between Skye and Kit, (which I was still not convinced by, btw) and also allowed the activities of the Body Market to halt. The pace, though seemingly fast, feels like nothing has been achieved overall - this may be because a quarter of this novel is filled with damned dream sequences. Look, the significance of those dream sequences became apparent towards the end, but did we really need so many.
The potential of the secondary characters were also wasted, with the plot focusing on the tangled love web between Skye & Kit, Rain & his girlfriend - the last such an extraneous filler jealous-ex fill-in that I don't even remember her name (and I just finished this book). Adam and Parvda are mostly relegated to sidelines, which makes me wonder why even have the build up in the first book for them. Zeera was one character that gained prominence but only in like a tech role; Trader however gains a significant role and confirms a relationship hinted at in the previous. Ultimately, though, I felt this book was more focused on how Skye felt about Kit and Rain and her eternal comparison between the two worlds.
In the ending, I felt satisfied mainly because it afforded choice to the citizens (something I thought was going to be overlooked as in many dystopia) and also gave a realistic ending to the obstacles presented. It still retains some of the world-building problems that existed in the first, so I don't understand how this new world order will work either. It seemed like the Real world was a wasteland, but apparently they have enough resources to live comfortably, so I did not see the need for a body market in the first place. Also, there is no apparent governing body - the Ministers were in the App World, meaning they couldn't be in reality. Overall, I must say I am not impressed much by this sequel as I had hopes it would resolve some issues with the series but failed to do so. It, however, offers enough of a closure that you can consider the series complete, if only you don't read the last chapter, which serves as a set-up for a new novel than an ending to this one.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Harper Teen, via Edelweiss.
As a sequel, The Body Market is marginally better than Unplugged; the former's main pitfall was the weak world-building, with no proper structure in place. This one's fallacy is the lack of action in general - they are said to be the resistance, but until like the third quarter of the novel, they are twiddling their thumbs with respect to how to go about resisting. A propitious week-long blizzard at the beginning of the novel allowed for the romantic tension to be developed between Skye and Kit, (which I was still not convinced by, btw) and also allowed the activities of the Body Market to halt. The pace, though seemingly fast, feels like nothing has been achieved overall - this may be because a quarter of this novel is filled with damned dream sequences. Look, the significance of those dream sequences became apparent towards the end, but did we really need so many.
The potential of the secondary characters were also wasted, with the plot focusing on the tangled love web between Skye & Kit, Rain & his girlfriend - the last such an extraneous filler jealous-ex fill-in that I don't even remember her name (and I just finished this book). Adam and Parvda are mostly relegated to sidelines, which makes me wonder why even have the build up in the first book for them. Zeera was one character that gained prominence but only in like a tech role; Trader however gains a significant role and confirms a relationship hinted at in the previous. Ultimately, though, I felt this book was more focused on how Skye felt about Kit and Rain and her eternal comparison between the two worlds.
In the ending, I felt satisfied mainly because it afforded choice to the citizens (something I thought was going to be overlooked as in many dystopia) and also gave a realistic ending to the obstacles presented. It still retains some of the world-building problems that existed in the first, so I don't understand how this new world order will work either. It seemed like the Real world was a wasteland, but apparently they have enough resources to live comfortably, so I did not see the need for a body market in the first place. Also, there is no apparent governing body - the Ministers were in the App World, meaning they couldn't be in reality. Overall, I must say I am not impressed much by this sequel as I had hopes it would resolve some issues with the series but failed to do so. It, however, offers enough of a closure that you can consider the series complete, if only you don't read the last chapter, which serves as a set-up for a new novel than an ending to this one.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Harper Teen, via Edelweiss.
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