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ashzleigh's review
adventurous
challenging
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A great dystopian book but fell short by the last chapter. It felt as the the writer was in a rush to end the story and completely skipped over some important points in the timeline.
readerjenn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
ms_colligan's review
5.0
One of the few YA books that I've read where I haven't been able to guess the ending, or have any plot twists spoiled.
Hits a little close to home with a plague infecting the world... but otherwise an amazing read!
Hits a little close to home with a plague infecting the world... but otherwise an amazing read!
mdevlin923's review
4.0
A plague, called the Wicked, has spread throughout the world. While some have isolated themselves from the world and remained True (untouched by the plague), most have succumbed to the Wicked disease. Only a small amount of people are immune to the disease. Astrid is one of those people, and so is Natalie. And they must do whatever they have to to survive.
Great science-fiction/dystopian/horror story. It was similar to World War Z in that it looks at the aftermath of a world-wide pandemic. The focus was less on surviving during the initial breakout and more on how survivors continued on. The two different story lines (Astrid's and Natalie's) fit together seamlessly in the end. The characters were fleshed out, not stereotypical, and relatable.
Thoroughly unique. I was hooked from the very start, and the plot twists and ending made it even better! Could be a great conversation starter about the choices that we make in difficult situations.
Great science-fiction/dystopian/horror story. It was similar to World War Z in that it looks at the aftermath of a world-wide pandemic. The focus was less on surviving during the initial breakout and more on how survivors continued on. The two different story lines (Astrid's and Natalie's) fit together seamlessly in the end. The characters were fleshed out, not stereotypical, and relatable.
Thoroughly unique. I was hooked from the very start, and the plot twists and ending made it even better! Could be a great conversation starter about the choices that we make in difficult situations.
eeshie154's review
5.0
One of the few YA books that I've read where I haven't been able to guess the ending, or have any plot twists spoiled.
Hits a little close to home with a plague infecting the world... but otherwise an amazing read!
Hits a little close to home with a plague infecting the world... but otherwise an amazing read!
adpatla's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
jaydynhunting's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ambeesbookishpages's review
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
To be brutally honest, I never head of How We Became Wicked until I spotted it on NetGalley. Immediately the summary sucked me in. Ultra-violet mosquitoes that spread a plague that causes people to become incredibly violent and sadistic, sign me up! This book had my name written all over it. How We Became Wicked wasn't just a book about a world that had ended, but the sacrifices you make for the ones you love and how dark secrets can have really deadly and horrid consequences. I ended up loving How We Became Wicked a lot more then I thought I was going too.
How We Became Wicked is told in two point of views: Astrid and Natalie. Astrid has recently broke up with her childhood best friend Hank, but there is one problem. They are the youngest people in their domed town leaving people disappointed in them no longer being together. When the light house on the island across from where Astrid and Hank live begins to go off, Astrid begins to ask questions that lead to dark and deadly consequences. Natalie lives on the island that Astrid is asking question about. Her mother is heavily pregnant and her grandfather is locked in the light house because he became Wicked years prior. But when Natalie's mother goes into labor and gives birth to a baby girl it is up to Natalie to take her to the mainland and have her bitten by the bugs, its the only way to get her vexed, immune, to the virus just like Natalie and her mother. Only once on the mainland Natalie learns that her and her tiny family aren't the only survivors and there are people looking for answers too.
I really enjoyed the writing style of How We Became Wicked. The characters and setting became alive in front of my eyes. The terror of the Wicked and how sadistic and terrifying they are was palpable. I waited a majority of the book for Natalie's and Astrid's paths to cross, only to be let in on the most amazing plot twist I've read in a while. I didn't expect the twist at all, but looking back at certain things that happened, it makes perfect sense. Overall I really enjoyed How We Became Wicked and hope we will get to see more of Natalie and Astrid's story.
To be brutally honest, I never head of How We Became Wicked until I spotted it on NetGalley. Immediately the summary sucked me in. Ultra-violet mosquitoes that spread a plague that causes people to become incredibly violent and sadistic, sign me up! This book had my name written all over it. How We Became Wicked wasn't just a book about a world that had ended, but the sacrifices you make for the ones you love and how dark secrets can have really deadly and horrid consequences. I ended up loving How We Became Wicked a lot more then I thought I was going too.
How We Became Wicked is told in two point of views: Astrid and Natalie. Astrid has recently broke up with her childhood best friend Hank, but there is one problem. They are the youngest people in their domed town leaving people disappointed in them no longer being together. When the light house on the island across from where Astrid and Hank live begins to go off, Astrid begins to ask questions that lead to dark and deadly consequences. Natalie lives on the island that Astrid is asking question about. Her mother is heavily pregnant and her grandfather is locked in the light house because he became Wicked years prior. But when Natalie's mother goes into labor and gives birth to a baby girl it is up to Natalie to take her to the mainland and have her bitten by the bugs, its the only way to get her vexed, immune, to the virus just like Natalie and her mother. Only once on the mainland Natalie learns that her and her tiny family aren't the only survivors and there are people looking for answers too.
I really enjoyed the writing style of How We Became Wicked. The characters and setting became alive in front of my eyes. The terror of the Wicked and how sadistic and terrifying they are was palpable. I waited a majority of the book for Natalie's and Astrid's paths to cross, only to be let in on the most amazing plot twist I've read in a while. I didn't expect the twist at all, but looking back at certain things that happened, it makes perfect sense. Overall I really enjoyed How We Became Wicked and hope we will get to see more of Natalie and Astrid's story.
annamickreads's review
4.0
A book about a pandemic-turned-apocalypse written just before our own global pandemic seems very timely, but don't let the timing fool you; this book is so different from many of the other pandemic-centric books I've read over the years I'm surprised not to see it everywhere!!
"How We Became Wicked" is set during a 40-year pandemic brought on by an onslaught of mosquito-type creatures, who infect humans with a virus known only as "the wickedness." Once infected, people lose their imagination and turn to their darkest impulses, which typically include being honest about the ways they want to murder one another. "The true," the survivors, cannot exist without wearing hazmat suits, save for some — "the vexed," also known as the immune.
Astrid and Hank are eighteen-year-olds who have been raised in a community known as Goldsport, which is encased in a greenhouse-style glass globe to keep the stingers/wicked out and the true in. As the only two teens (or children at all) in the community, they're constantly scrutinized, even mores when they strike up a romantic relationship that crashes and burns. Astrid is vexed and highly curious about the surrounding community, especially a lighthouse that seemingly goes on and off at random.
Our other protagonist, Natalie, is in a bind. She and her mother have been living near Puffin Lighthouse all their lives, free of stingers or glass castles, with their wicked grandfather trapped inside the lighthouse proper. Natalie is also vexed, but when her dad leaves the family and her mother has a baby, she must venture beyond the lighthouse to seek help for her newborn sister - especially after her grandfather gets loose.
There are a lot of themes this book explores that remind me of "The Hunger Games" (the haves and have-nots experiencing wildly different circumstances in a dystopia) and "The Illuminae Files" (terrifying, highly contagious virus that makes people turn on one another violently). There was a twist to this book I didn't expect that FLOORED me when I realized. The writing isn't flowery or prose-y but I think especially effective in its simplicity and the stark reality of the world the characters live in, which also reminded me of Suzanne Collins' writing.
TL;DR if you're not sick of pandemic literature or want to dive deeper into a post-apocalyptic landscape that DOESNT feature zombies, check this one out!!
"How We Became Wicked" is set during a 40-year pandemic brought on by an onslaught of mosquito-type creatures, who infect humans with a virus known only as "the wickedness." Once infected, people lose their imagination and turn to their darkest impulses, which typically include being honest about the ways they want to murder one another. "The true," the survivors, cannot exist without wearing hazmat suits, save for some — "the vexed," also known as the immune.
Astrid and Hank are eighteen-year-olds who have been raised in a community known as Goldsport, which is encased in a greenhouse-style glass globe to keep the stingers/wicked out and the true in. As the only two teens (or children at all) in the community, they're constantly scrutinized, even mores when they strike up a romantic relationship that crashes and burns. Astrid is vexed and highly curious about the surrounding community, especially a lighthouse that seemingly goes on and off at random.
Our other protagonist, Natalie, is in a bind. She and her mother have been living near Puffin Lighthouse all their lives, free of stingers or glass castles, with their wicked grandfather trapped inside the lighthouse proper. Natalie is also vexed, but when her dad leaves the family and her mother has a baby, she must venture beyond the lighthouse to seek help for her newborn sister - especially after her grandfather gets loose.
There are a lot of themes this book explores that remind me of "The Hunger Games" (the haves and have-nots experiencing wildly different circumstances in a dystopia) and "The Illuminae Files" (terrifying, highly contagious virus that makes people turn on one another violently). There was a twist to this book I didn't expect that FLOORED me when I realized. The writing isn't flowery or prose-y but I think especially effective in its simplicity and the stark reality of the world the characters live in, which also reminded me of Suzanne Collins' writing.
TL;DR if you're not sick of pandemic literature or want to dive deeper into a post-apocalyptic landscape that DOESNT feature zombies, check this one out!!