jaclynt's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
it was good but it took me forever to get through it
ambers0511's review against another edition
5.0
Reread December 7 to
What is on the cover? Is that the symbol for the psi? Just wonderin if someone could help me understand that...
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Ruby and Liam were both super awesome. Chubs was the nerdy guy that's a kick-butt fighter. Zu was adorable. (Was anyone else confused by them calling her Suzume? It took me forever to figure out that they were the same person.) Ruby and Liam's relationship was so touching, And then there's Clancy. Oh, Clancy.
What is on the cover? Is that the symbol for the psi? Just wonderin if someone could help me understand that...
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Ruby and Liam were both super awesome. Chubs was the nerdy guy that's a kick-butt fighter. Zu was adorable. (Was anyone else confused by them calling her Suzume? It took me forever to figure out that they were the same person.) Ruby and Liam's relationship was so touching,
Spoiler
and when Ruby erased Liam's memory of her, I have to admit that I was tearing up.flowertm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.75
savannahsprice's review against another edition
4.0
Okaaaaay. Honeeeeey this book was so good. SO GOOD. The only thing I would fix is the world building but other than that? A+++++++++++++++++++ to Alex. I'm crying so hard and I took the note of "You and me? Inevitable." because I've heard it SO MUCH. But really, I finished it about 5 minutes ago and I'm crying so hard. I can't.
alexfabienne's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
emmaghanem's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness!! This was such an amzing book. I didn't expect that I would love it so much. This book just gave me sooo many feels.
This book hooked me on the first chapter. Just the concept of this book was really cool and creepy. I love the way that the author did it. There were a few parts where they were not clearly explained, and I was extremely confused, but apart from that, this book was fantastic. So fantastic, that I need the second book like right now.. Also I don't even want to talk about the ending, because it'll hurt too much, and make me cry again
This book hooked me on the first chapter. Just the concept of this book was really cool and creepy. I love the way that the author did it. There were a few parts where they were not clearly explained, and I was extremely confused, but apart from that, this book was fantastic. So fantastic, that I need the second book like right now.. Also I don't even want to talk about the ending, because it'll hurt too much, and make me cry again
zoet's review against another edition
2.0
Tfw everyone loves a book that was a long, onerous push to the finish for you.
huongdang's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I have the same feelings about this book as my feelings for The Knife of Never Letting Go. Weak main protagonist. A plot that goes nowhere. Poor writing all around. The storygraph's book ratings have been disappointing me lately with these books that have such high ratings but terrible content.
First, let's talk about the main protagonist. Ruby has no personality. There's nothing about her that makes me want to root for her. She's not a clever or witty or interesting. All she is in the book is pretty, as expounded upon multiple times by Liam and the many boys that came along. All she does in the book is get into trouble and be rescued. Supposedly a character possessing of strong superpowers, there are few moments when she actually makes herself useful with her powers. My bar for an interesting but flawed main female protagonist is Katniss Everdeen, and if you compare Katniss side by side with Ruby, you'll see why Ruby doesn't deserve to have a story to begin with.
This brings me to point 2 and 3 - a plot that goes nowhere written by an author who has yet to command the craft of writing. The entire book is misery upon misery. There is no singular moment of triumph for the ostracized psi kids. It's only suffering again and again, whether it's at the hands of the brutal military or their own people. This book is also hella long too, so I was just reading a really long depressing book with a weak main protagonist and mediocre side characters.
Bracken's writing also leaves little to be desired. There are many moments in the book where I read words but don't know what they're trying to say. It's like there are words stringed together but they don't make sense within their own context. For example, Ruby would be awoken not by the gentle hand of Cate but by the cold water. What does that even mean? Did Ruby get splashed with cold water? If so, why wasn't that included in the follow-up sentence? But also did that really happen because Cate was gentle with her so why would she splash water on Ruby? What is this water that woke Ruby? Is it the sound of a running stream of water? But then how did she know it's cold? There is a lot of ambiguity in the writing. I don't understand what happened in chapter 29 when Ruby called her mom and heard the voice message with Ruby's name. Who is the other Ruby that Ruby is referencing? I don't even think the author knew what she wanted to write when she wrote these lines.
The book was published in 2012. After finishing it in 2023, I can tell how dated it is. There's an unnecessary romance plot that is silly and stupid. I'd be concerned with other things when I'm being hunted down by all the adults in the world, not dilly dallying over whether I should kiss a boy or not. It's so stupid and cringeworthy and reminiscent of the early 2010s era when all the YA dystopian books always had to have a stupid ass romance. The only character that has any depth, wit, of personality is Chubs and it's unclear at the end whether he was written out of the series. There's so much potential in the premise of the book, and it's sad that none of it is seen in the light of day. I guess I'll just have to search harder for my next dystopian read.
First, let's talk about the main protagonist. Ruby has no personality. There's nothing about her that makes me want to root for her. She's not a clever or witty or interesting. All she is in the book is pretty, as expounded upon multiple times by Liam and the many boys that came along. All she does in the book is get into trouble and be rescued. Supposedly a character possessing of strong superpowers, there are few moments when she actually makes herself useful with her powers. My bar for an interesting but flawed main female protagonist is Katniss Everdeen, and if you compare Katniss side by side with Ruby, you'll see why Ruby doesn't deserve to have a story to begin with.
This brings me to point 2 and 3 - a plot that goes nowhere written by an author who has yet to command the craft of writing. The entire book is misery upon misery. There is no singular moment of triumph for the ostracized psi kids. It's only suffering again and again, whether it's at the hands of the brutal military or their own people. This book is also hella long too, so I was just reading a really long depressing book with a weak main protagonist and mediocre side characters.
Bracken's writing also leaves little to be desired. There are many moments in the book where I read words but don't know what they're trying to say. It's like there are words stringed together but they don't make sense within their own context. For example, Ruby would be awoken not by the gentle hand of Cate but by the cold water. What does that even mean? Did Ruby get splashed with cold water? If so, why wasn't that included in the follow-up sentence? But also did that really happen because Cate was gentle with her so why would she splash water on Ruby? What is this water that woke Ruby? Is it the sound of a running stream of water? But then how did she know it's cold? There is a lot of ambiguity in the writing. I don't understand what happened in chapter 29 when Ruby called her mom and heard the voice message with Ruby's name. Who is the other Ruby that Ruby is referencing? I don't even think the author knew what she wanted to write when she wrote these lines.
The book was published in 2012. After finishing it in 2023, I can tell how dated it is. There's an unnecessary romance plot that is silly and stupid. I'd be concerned with other things when I'm being hunted down by all the adults in the world, not dilly dallying over whether I should kiss a boy or not. It's so stupid and cringeworthy and reminiscent of the early 2010s era when all the YA dystopian books always had to have a stupid ass romance. The only character that has any depth, wit, of personality is Chubs and it's unclear at the end whether he was written out of the series. There's so much potential in the premise of the book, and it's sad that none of it is seen in the light of day. I guess I'll just have to search harder for my next dystopian read.
x_spiral's review against another edition
5.0
My Rating: 5 out of 5 ✩
Heat Rating: 1 out of 5 ❤
I picked this beauty up on a whim cause honestly, that cover is pretty, and I’m so happy I did. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I grabbed this, but it sure wasn’t what I got. The journey this story took me on was quite unnerving, but absolutely amazing at the same time. This world these kids live in seems believable, like it could very well happen tomorrow, and that is what was truly bothersome. To have a life so horrible and sterile, terrifying at times, is almost sickening. But the way Bracken tells it is mysteriously attractive.
In the beginning, I wasn’t really sure what to think of Ruby. There were aspects of her I liked and aspects of her that kind of annoyed me. It wasn’t until she made a snap decision in the middle of a frightening escape that I leaned more towards liking her. She was very timid in the beginning, careful of every interaction she has with anybody. But she soon warms up to Liam, Zu, and Chubs the more she comes to understand them. She had a deep drive to keep everyone safe, to always be cautious at every moment. She truly cared about the three of them and only wanted to make sure they reached East River. She had a very warm personality. She didn’t want any of them to feel like they were in some way unaccepted, like she felt. She knew she would always be a danger to them because of the nature of her abilities, but she hoped in some way she had found where she belonged. She was very emotion driven, usually doing things on instinct instead of thinking them through. This ends up being her strength, and ultimately develops into a kind of intelligence that in the right setting, made her a powerful ally. Her relationships with the other characters were beautiful in their own ways. Each one left me truly devoted to each of them, and pulled at my heartstrings like nothing else. The way they all interacted with each other made the situation they were in that much more powerful. Nothing was a given. Nowhere was safe. It was a race against time with a struggle to have a somewhat normal life. It was captivating and moving and a journey that left me thrilled and worried about what may be in store for them in the future.
This book was so much more than I expected when I picked it up and I loved every second of it. I know for sure I’ll be rushing out to get the next one. I have to know what happens to my beloved Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu.
Heat Rating: 1 out of 5 ❤
I picked this beauty up on a whim cause honestly, that cover is pretty, and I’m so happy I did. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I grabbed this, but it sure wasn’t what I got. The journey this story took me on was quite unnerving, but absolutely amazing at the same time. This world these kids live in seems believable, like it could very well happen tomorrow, and that is what was truly bothersome. To have a life so horrible and sterile, terrifying at times, is almost sickening. But the way Bracken tells it is mysteriously attractive.
In the beginning, I wasn’t really sure what to think of Ruby. There were aspects of her I liked and aspects of her that kind of annoyed me. It wasn’t until she made a snap decision in the middle of a frightening escape that I leaned more towards liking her. She was very timid in the beginning, careful of every interaction she has with anybody. But she soon warms up to Liam, Zu, and Chubs the more she comes to understand them. She had a deep drive to keep everyone safe, to always be cautious at every moment. She truly cared about the three of them and only wanted to make sure they reached East River. She had a very warm personality. She didn’t want any of them to feel like they were in some way unaccepted, like she felt. She knew she would always be a danger to them because of the nature of her abilities, but she hoped in some way she had found where she belonged. She was very emotion driven, usually doing things on instinct instead of thinking them through. This ends up being her strength, and ultimately develops into a kind of intelligence that in the right setting, made her a powerful ally. Her relationships with the other characters were beautiful in their own ways. Each one left me truly devoted to each of them, and pulled at my heartstrings like nothing else. The way they all interacted with each other made the situation they were in that much more powerful. Nothing was a given. Nowhere was safe. It was a race against time with a struggle to have a somewhat normal life. It was captivating and moving and a journey that left me thrilled and worried about what may be in store for them in the future.
This book was so much more than I expected when I picked it up and I loved every second of it. I know for sure I’ll be rushing out to get the next one. I have to know what happens to my beloved Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu.