schadenfreudian's review
DNF at 55%. If I did rate it based on what I read, it would be a 1 star.
Big group of characters are introduced, the Cavies, by name. Then they are each given new names. So... the reader is expected to remember who these characters are, what they can do, and who they are now. Strike 1.
Gypsy/Norah is a special snowflake that is completely average, even with her powers, but she has 3 love interests. Tired of love triangles in YA? How about a love quadrangle? Strike 2.
What killed this for me and showed me just how thin some of these characters were written, love interest numero uno tells her he had ulterior motives for getting to know her. She gets mad, yeah? No! Gypsy basically blows it off to angst about it privately. Not much is even said to him.
Numero dos, same thing, and she at least confronts him because her third love interest was there with her. Nothing came of it! He seriously ended up making a snide comment, telling her that her friend was capable of getting her home safely and walking away. And she takes that!
The strikes:
I am apparently in the minority here since it's rated highly here on Goodreads so while I don't recommend it, read at your own peril. Good luck.
Big group of characters are introduced, the Cavies, by name. Then they are each given new names. So... the reader is expected to remember who these characters are, what they can do, and who they are now. Strike 1.
Gypsy/Norah is a special snowflake that is completely average, even with her powers, but she has 3 love interests. Tired of love triangles in YA? How about a love quadrangle? Strike 2.
What killed this for me and showed me just how thin some of these characters were written, love interest numero uno tells her he had ulterior motives for getting to know her. She gets mad, yeah? No! Gypsy basically blows it off to angst about it privately. Not much is even said to him.
Numero dos, same thing, and she at least confronts him because her third love interest was there with her. Nothing came of it! He seriously ended up making a snide comment, telling her that her friend was capable of getting her home safely and walking away. And she takes that!
The strikes:
I am apparently in the minority here since it's rated highly here on Goodreads so while I don't recommend it, read at your own peril. Good luck.
rafrickauthor's review
4.0
4 out of 5 stars for Gypsy by Trisha Leigh. While the story was complex with new terms and characters from the first page, it picked up quickly and never slowed down. Every time I thought I had a hold in the story, it presented a new twist.
The Cavies, or teenagers with special powers, are a wily bunch of kids with a wife range of personalities. I had a hard time holding on to their multiple names, especially when a whole new group of teens and adults were added. The standout of the group, thankfully, was the narrator Gypsy. While often shy and unsure of herself, she was also introspective and curious enough to be a reliable storyteller. I also loved seeing her navigate new situations!
While I normally dislike present tense, Gypsy was very descriptive of her surroundings, making the story flow. Between the intrigue of her investigating her own powers, and figuring out the trail of cute boys after her, I had trouble putting the book down. I laughed, cried, and gasped throughout and was left gasping to the very last line!
If you like stories similar to X-Men or The a Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I would suggest this book to you. Leigh still has quite a bit if editing, but this ARC did not disappoint! 4/5 stars for Gypsy, and I can't wait to read the next Cavy Files story!
The Cavies, or teenagers with special powers, are a wily bunch of kids with a wife range of personalities. I had a hard time holding on to their multiple names, especially when a whole new group of teens and adults were added. The standout of the group, thankfully, was the narrator Gypsy. While often shy and unsure of herself, she was also introspective and curious enough to be a reliable storyteller. I also loved seeing her navigate new situations!
While I normally dislike present tense, Gypsy was very descriptive of her surroundings, making the story flow. Between the intrigue of her investigating her own powers, and figuring out the trail of cute boys after her, I had trouble putting the book down. I laughed, cried, and gasped throughout and was left gasping to the very last line!
If you like stories similar to X-Men or The a Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I would suggest this book to you. Leigh still has quite a bit if editing, but this ARC did not disappoint! 4/5 stars for Gypsy, and I can't wait to read the next Cavy Files story!
michalice's review
5.0
When I first got the email off Trisha asking me to review Gypsy I had to do some research. I had never heard of Trisha or Gypsy before and needed to know more about the book and the author before making my decision. Of course I replied and said yes and quickly found myself in the possession of Gypsy.
Gypsy, and her fellow Cavies lived and grew up at Darley, a home where they discovered their powers, practised and basically had a mixed up family. Her world is shaken up when the arrival of the police splits her makeshift family up, and what Gypsy thought she knew about herself is ripped out from under her feet at the discovery she has a real family, somewhere to really call home.
I love this small group of kids that think of themselves as a family, and while we initially only see a quick glimpse of their life together and what their abilities are, I quickly became emotionally invested in them all. I love the uniqueness of them and how not one of them is the same in personality or ability wise. I was shocked to the core when their family was broken up and was worried over what would happen to the now. As each one finds a home to go to, or somewhere to stay we see how this affects them all, but I really like how the new parental figures still allowed this makeshift family to stay in contact with each other, to keep that bond alive.
Starting a new school is not the best experience for anyone, but imagine having to start a whole new life, and a whole new school on top of that, but also knowing that every single person thinks they know you, yet you have no idea what to do in this new life. I really thought that Gypsy dealt amazingly well with the situation she finds herself in, and I admire her for trying to get used to this new life, making friends and trying to be a normal person.
I am trying so hard not to say too much about what happens in Gypsy in case I spoil it. Gypsy was better than I expected it would be. I went into reading Gypsy expecting it to be an X-Men style book, in that we would see a lot of the ability side and maybe a small hint of normal life, but there are so many things that make up the plot to Gypsy. Of course there is the fantasy/science fiction part of it, and romance, but also the average teenage life problems. I also came away with the feeling that family means different things, and that even if you do have a family in the traditional way, you can still have others that are a family in a non-traditional way.
Reading Gypsy I never knew what to expect next, and just as I thought things were finally falling into place for Gypsy, something was thrown into the mix that made you think and re-evaluate what you thought. I enjoyed the twists and turns within the pages and as I was reaching the final pages I really thought that it had all been sorted out for this group, but Trisha ended with a major cliffhanger that I did not see coming......ever, and I really NEED the next book now. I NEED to know what is happening and what this means. The ending makes sense if you look at in in a certain way, but taking that factor out, the ending does not make sense...is this even real. I NEED to know!!!!!!!!!!!
Gypsy, and her fellow Cavies lived and grew up at Darley, a home where they discovered their powers, practised and basically had a mixed up family. Her world is shaken up when the arrival of the police splits her makeshift family up, and what Gypsy thought she knew about herself is ripped out from under her feet at the discovery she has a real family, somewhere to really call home.
I love this small group of kids that think of themselves as a family, and while we initially only see a quick glimpse of their life together and what their abilities are, I quickly became emotionally invested in them all. I love the uniqueness of them and how not one of them is the same in personality or ability wise. I was shocked to the core when their family was broken up and was worried over what would happen to the now. As each one finds a home to go to, or somewhere to stay we see how this affects them all, but I really like how the new parental figures still allowed this makeshift family to stay in contact with each other, to keep that bond alive.
Starting a new school is not the best experience for anyone, but imagine having to start a whole new life, and a whole new school on top of that, but also knowing that every single person thinks they know you, yet you have no idea what to do in this new life. I really thought that Gypsy dealt amazingly well with the situation she finds herself in, and I admire her for trying to get used to this new life, making friends and trying to be a normal person.
I am trying so hard not to say too much about what happens in Gypsy in case I spoil it. Gypsy was better than I expected it would be. I went into reading Gypsy expecting it to be an X-Men style book, in that we would see a lot of the ability side and maybe a small hint of normal life, but there are so many things that make up the plot to Gypsy. Of course there is the fantasy/science fiction part of it, and romance, but also the average teenage life problems. I also came away with the feeling that family means different things, and that even if you do have a family in the traditional way, you can still have others that are a family in a non-traditional way.
Reading Gypsy I never knew what to expect next, and just as I thought things were finally falling into place for Gypsy, something was thrown into the mix that made you think and re-evaluate what you thought. I enjoyed the twists and turns within the pages and as I was reaching the final pages I really thought that it had all been sorted out for this group, but Trisha ended with a major cliffhanger that I did not see coming......ever, and I really NEED the next book now. I NEED to know what is happening and what this means. The ending makes sense if you look at in in a certain way, but taking that factor out, the ending does not make sense...is this even real. I NEED to know!!!!!!!!!!!
hollyberry_1980's review
4.0
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it was wonderful! I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes. This book reminded me of X-Men when they were teenagers with all the different powers that they had.
We first meet Gypsy in the book whom is at a sort of boarding school for "cavies" which are people with special powers. She has always dreampt of having a normal life with her parents, but she has no idea what happened to them.
There is a man that shows up at the school one day pretending to be lost, and then all hell breaks loose, the police show up and take all the cavies out of the school and bring them back with their parents (they were able to track them down using DNA). So all their worlds are turned upside down when they have to go live with their parents whom have no idea about the powers that their children hold.
Gypsy's power is that she is able to see the year that people are going to die when she touches them, and this gets her in to some trouble when she starts going to a normal school and meets some of the students in her class and she sees that one of them is going to die at 18, just a year from now, and she doesn't know what to do about it. Then she meets another student, and when she shakes his hand, there is nothing, no number at which he is going to die, and that is the first time ever that that has happened to her.
The story takes off from there and it is a roller coaster the entire time with the twists and turns with who is on the cavies side and who is not. I highly suggest you pick this one up, you will not be disappointed! This one gets a 4/5 with high anticipation for book #2!
We first meet Gypsy in the book whom is at a sort of boarding school for "cavies" which are people with special powers. She has always dreampt of having a normal life with her parents, but she has no idea what happened to them.
There is a man that shows up at the school one day pretending to be lost, and then all hell breaks loose, the police show up and take all the cavies out of the school and bring them back with their parents (they were able to track them down using DNA). So all their worlds are turned upside down when they have to go live with their parents whom have no idea about the powers that their children hold.
Gypsy's power is that she is able to see the year that people are going to die when she touches them, and this gets her in to some trouble when she starts going to a normal school and meets some of the students in her class and she sees that one of them is going to die at 18, just a year from now, and she doesn't know what to do about it. Then she meets another student, and when she shakes his hand, there is nothing, no number at which he is going to die, and that is the first time ever that that has happened to her.
The story takes off from there and it is a roller coaster the entire time with the twists and turns with who is on the cavies side and who is not. I highly suggest you pick this one up, you will not be disappointed! This one gets a 4/5 with high anticipation for book #2!
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Gah, the cliffhanger at the end of this book is going to kill me, I want a sequel, like, now!!!
nixwolfwood's review
4.0
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was a quick read. There are a lot of characters, but they're pretty easy to keep up with. I was a little confused once or twice, but it didn't take long for me to get back into the story.
There are some pretty fantastic characters in this story, but I would have to say that Mole is my absolute favorite. He's blind, he's a hooligan, and he's hilarious. I'd have loved to read the entire book from his point of view. Also there's a character named Jude. Obviously I have to love him immediately, because he has a fantastic name. (My name is Jude, by the way)
There were a few parts of the story that seemed a little off. There were some parts that felt a little too rushed, other that didn't really seem to serve a purpose except for filler words, and the editing needs a bit of tweaking.
All and all, though, I did really like this book and I am looking forward to the sequel. ...Even if the end of the book was cruel and fiendish, and if I don't get to read book 2 soon then I will have to wallow in despair.
4/5 platypires
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/gypsy-by-trisha-leigh
I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was a quick read. There are a lot of characters, but they're pretty easy to keep up with. I was a little confused once or twice, but it didn't take long for me to get back into the story.
There are some pretty fantastic characters in this story, but I would have to say that Mole is my absolute favorite. He's blind, he's a hooligan, and he's hilarious. I'd have loved to read the entire book from his point of view. Also there's a character named Jude. Obviously I have to love him immediately, because he has a fantastic name. (My name is Jude, by the way)
There were a few parts of the story that seemed a little off. There were some parts that felt a little too rushed, other that didn't really seem to serve a purpose except for filler words, and the editing needs a bit of tweaking.
All and all, though, I did really like this book and I am looking forward to the sequel. ...Even if the end of the book was cruel and fiendish, and if I don't get to read book 2 soon then I will have to wallow in despair.
4/5 platypires
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/gypsy-by-trisha-leigh
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