sunny_momster's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
3.75
lsvicente537's review against another edition
4.0
There is so much action in this book, I was never bored. I like Anya and I feel her very relatable even though her life is so different from mine. She is an amazing young girl, who has so much on her plate and she deals with all of it so well. Yes she makes mistakes, but she is smart enough not to let one mistake her ruin all of her plans. She is strong and independent but she does love Win and they really are so cute together. If there I was one thing I would change, is that I would add more scenes of Win and Annie alone. Everything was so business, business, business, that sometimes, I forgot that she had a boyfriend. Crazy twists in the story, and I can't wait to see what will happen next!
elleunchained's review against another edition
3.0
This book series has become a guilty pleasure of mine. To be fair, I am older than the target audience. The plot became even more ridiculous in this book, but I still enjoyed it and will read the next one as well.
paperlove's review against another edition
Leider ziemlich zäh & langweilig. Ich habe den roten Faden vermisst. Habe nach 2/3 abgebrochen und werde auch Teil 3 nicht mehr lesen.
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars!
I have Jenn, from the YASisterhood to thank for this ARC because she was kind enough to grab it for me at this year's ALA.
A note about the cover changes - I know All These Things I've Done has a new cover and it coordinates with this one, but I actually prefer the original cover.
This was one read I was really looking forward to! I thought the concept of coffee and chocolate being illegal was so interesting and entertaining in the first book and I fell in love with Anya and Win. This second installment in the Birthright series is good but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book. There were times I experienced extreme frustration with these characters and other times they broke my heart. *cries*
Because It Is My Blood picks up with Anya's release from Liberty and her desire to move on with her life but not everyone around her is willing to let her do that. Her sister Natty doesn't want to see her, Scarlet, her BFF is now dating her archenemy, Win's father still seems hell-bent on making Anya's life miserable and then there's Win whose gone off and gotten himself another girlfriend. *sighs* Boys!
However, not everything is as it seems and try as she might to find a new normal, Anya ends up caught in the middle of a political scandal that sends her right back to jail. (No passing "Go" and no collecting $200 - poor girl) But before she has a chance to get settled, her life is threatened, a chance to escape arises and an unexpected visitor shows up with the hopes of setting the record straight.
Anya manages to get away and while she's gone not only learns a lot about the "family business" but a lot about herself too. She knows what's important and what she's willing to fight for and who. When yet another life is threatened because of her, she'll be forced to return home and try to make sense of what's left of her life, again. When Anya returns to NYC, she sees that the game may still be the same but the faces are all new. Her family is all she has to depend on but when she experiences betrayal after betrayal Anya begins to wonder if the only person she can really trust is herself.
The pacing felt slower in this book than the first one and it seemed like each time Anya had a chance at happiness, it was ripped away. I found myself asking, "How many times does the girl need to be locked up?" Granted, her life in general is pretty much a prison, but still. I did like that she seems to be able to share more of her feelings instead of keeping them bottled up inside. She's doing the best she can with what she's been dealt but I really hope book 3 brings Anya some semblance of peace.
Win, whose character I adore, confused me somewhat in this book. He's always been torn between his feelings for Anya and his loyalty to his father but I've also felt it wouldn't hurt him to grow a backbone where his father is concerned. He does accomplish this but seems to direct it at the wrong person. I've enjoyed that his character has loved Anya through so much which is why I didn't understand some of the decisions he makes. *shakes him*
Potential Spoilers:
*Throughout the book, Zevin intersperses the titles of her other works, All These Things I've Done, Elsewhere and part of Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac which I thought was rather creative.
*There was a point where I thought Win and Natty were going to get together and I guess they still could in book 3 but honestly, if that happens, I will be upset. (like, really upset.)
I have Jenn, from the YASisterhood to thank for this ARC because she was kind enough to grab it for me at this year's ALA.
A note about the cover changes - I know All These Things I've Done has a new cover and it coordinates with this one, but I actually prefer the original cover.
This was one read I was really looking forward to! I thought the concept of coffee and chocolate being illegal was so interesting and entertaining in the first book and I fell in love with Anya and Win. This second installment in the Birthright series is good but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book. There were times I experienced extreme frustration with these characters and other times they broke my heart. *cries*
Because It Is My Blood picks up with Anya's release from Liberty and her desire to move on with her life but not everyone around her is willing to let her do that. Her sister Natty doesn't want to see her, Scarlet, her BFF is now dating her archenemy, Win's father still seems hell-bent on making Anya's life miserable and then there's Win whose gone off and gotten himself another girlfriend. *sighs* Boys!
However, not everything is as it seems and try as she might to find a new normal, Anya ends up caught in the middle of a political scandal that sends her right back to jail. (No passing "Go" and no collecting $200 - poor girl) But before she has a chance to get settled, her life is threatened, a chance to escape arises and an unexpected visitor shows up with the hopes of setting the record straight.
Anya manages to get away and while she's gone not only learns a lot about the "family business" but a lot about herself too. She knows what's important and what she's willing to fight for and who. When yet another life is threatened because of her, she'll be forced to return home and try to make sense of what's left of her life, again. When Anya returns to NYC, she sees that the game may still be the same but the faces are all new. Her family is all she has to depend on but when she experiences betrayal after betrayal Anya begins to wonder if the only person she can really trust is herself.
The pacing felt slower in this book than the first one and it seemed like each time Anya had a chance at happiness, it was ripped away. I found myself asking, "How many times does the girl need to be locked up?" Granted, her life in general is pretty much a prison, but still. I did like that she seems to be able to share more of her feelings instead of keeping them bottled up inside. She's doing the best she can with what she's been dealt but I really hope book 3 brings Anya some semblance of peace.
Win, whose character I adore, confused me somewhat in this book. He's always been torn between his feelings for Anya and his loyalty to his father but I've also felt it wouldn't hurt him to grow a backbone where his father is concerned. He does accomplish this but seems to direct it at the wrong person. I've enjoyed that his character has loved Anya through so much which is why I didn't understand some of the decisions he makes. *shakes him*
Potential Spoilers:
*Throughout the book, Zevin intersperses the titles of her other works, All These Things I've Done, Elsewhere and part of Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac which I thought was rather creative.
*There was a point where I thought Win and Natty were going to get together and I guess they still could in book 3 but honestly, if that happens, I will be upset. (like, really upset.)
bensonville18's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the first one, I love this one, and I CANNOT wait till the third one comes out!!
honeybadger11492's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
missprint_'s review against another edition
5.0
**As the second in a series, this book (and the review) may contain spoilers for All These Things I've Done. You have been warned.**
Anya Balanchine knows firsthand that being the presumptive heir to an illegal chocolate empire comes with its fair share of complications. After a turbulent year filled with futile attempts to move beyond her criminal reputation and date a truly ill-advised boy--all while caring for her brother and sister--Anya is hoping that the start of autumn and her release from Liberty Children's Facility will bring with it calmer times.
Unfortunately, nothing about Anya's life after Liberty is calm. Her criminal record makes attending (not to mention finishing) high school nearly impossible.
Her little sister Natty has grown up during Anya's time away. Scarlet, her best friend, seems closer than ever to her odious boyfriend Gable. And Win? The boy who made Anya want to give up almost everything her family stood for seems to have a new love.
Anya isn't sure where she fits into this world where everything and everyone has moved on without her except that she hopes it has nothing to do with her extended family. Or chocolate.
Unfortunately, as ever, Anya's wants are overlooked as she is drawn back into the Balanchine's world of crime, chocolate and intrigue. Taken away from the city and the people that she loves, Anya will have to decide what price she is willing to pay for safety and who she truly wants to be in Because It Is My Blood (2012) by Gabrielle Zevin.
Because It Is My Blood is the second book in Gabrielle Zevin's Birthright series which started with All These Things I've Done.
As exciting as Because It Is My Blood can be, this novel's strength is in its focus on Anya. She is still impetuous and often acts rashly. But she is also circumspect and calculating--as is fitting of a mafiya princess, even a reluctant one.
While Anya struggles with familiar questions about her family and her identity, Zevin keeps the story original with her surprising turns and Anya's wry, eloquent narration. Readers will also notice Anya's continued growth as she moves out from her dead father's shadow (and advice) to begin making her own decisions.
Zevin also continues to delicately build Anya's world in Because It Is My Blood with some tantalizing hints of what readers can expect in the latter half of this series. As our heroine moves beyond the island of Manhattan, Zevin develops the politics of 2083 that surround a country where chocolate is illegal and many other items are in short supply.
Because It Is My Blood proves that Anya still has more to learn and even more tricks up her sleeve making this book another absorbing installment in an already gripping series.
Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, Strings Attached by Judy Blundell, The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
You can also read my exclusive interview with Gabrielle Zevin later this month!
*This book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2012
Anya Balanchine knows firsthand that being the presumptive heir to an illegal chocolate empire comes with its fair share of complications. After a turbulent year filled with futile attempts to move beyond her criminal reputation and date a truly ill-advised boy--all while caring for her brother and sister--Anya is hoping that the start of autumn and her release from Liberty Children's Facility will bring with it calmer times.
Unfortunately, nothing about Anya's life after Liberty is calm. Her criminal record makes attending (not to mention finishing) high school nearly impossible.
Her little sister Natty has grown up during Anya's time away. Scarlet, her best friend, seems closer than ever to her odious boyfriend Gable. And Win? The boy who made Anya want to give up almost everything her family stood for seems to have a new love.
Anya isn't sure where she fits into this world where everything and everyone has moved on without her except that she hopes it has nothing to do with her extended family. Or chocolate.
Unfortunately, as ever, Anya's wants are overlooked as she is drawn back into the Balanchine's world of crime, chocolate and intrigue. Taken away from the city and the people that she loves, Anya will have to decide what price she is willing to pay for safety and who she truly wants to be in Because It Is My Blood (2012) by Gabrielle Zevin.
Because It Is My Blood is the second book in Gabrielle Zevin's Birthright series which started with All These Things I've Done.
As exciting as Because It Is My Blood can be, this novel's strength is in its focus on Anya. She is still impetuous and often acts rashly. But she is also circumspect and calculating--as is fitting of a mafiya princess, even a reluctant one.
While Anya struggles with familiar questions about her family and her identity, Zevin keeps the story original with her surprising turns and Anya's wry, eloquent narration. Readers will also notice Anya's continued growth as she moves out from her dead father's shadow (and advice) to begin making her own decisions.
Zevin also continues to delicately build Anya's world in Because It Is My Blood with some tantalizing hints of what readers can expect in the latter half of this series. As our heroine moves beyond the island of Manhattan, Zevin develops the politics of 2083 that surround a country where chocolate is illegal and many other items are in short supply.
Because It Is My Blood proves that Anya still has more to learn and even more tricks up her sleeve making this book another absorbing installment in an already gripping series.
Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, Strings Attached by Judy Blundell, The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
You can also read my exclusive interview with Gabrielle Zevin later this month!
*This book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2012