The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
rainyreadingrite's review against another edition
5.0
This affected me. It really did.
But I guess when a book touches you on one level (or more), when it gets you thinking, then it's very, very good. I'm rating it 4.5 (maybe even 4.75) stars, rounding it up to 5 stars though. There were some things in the book I didn't quite understand, but those minor things didn't really matter. Loved it.
Spoiler
Why couldn't Clem and Jess find a way to stay together, stay friends, stay normal? I get that the wrongness of the regime, the unlucky circumstances etc. is preventing them to have a normal life. I get that both of them stood up to the regime and that this was a) the exact right thing to do but b) their doom? I get that the real world is like this, that you can't happily live in an authoritarian regime while working against it. It's just how it is. But however; their seperation, Clem's fate and the fact Jess has lost the person she's loved most in the world - is just utterly depressing, but also very realistic.But I guess when a book touches you on one level (or more), when it gets you thinking, then it's very, very good. I'm rating it 4.5 (maybe even 4.75) stars, rounding it up to 5 stars though. There were some things in the book I didn't quite understand, but those minor things didn't really matter. Loved it.
frizabell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
carolinerosereads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
notlikethebeer's review against another edition
2.0
Main question: what's the 'thing that was left out' alluded to right at the end????
storytimed's review against another edition
2.0
This is an alternate history where the Nazis won WWII and took over England. Jessika is devoted to the regime (& gay), her bff and unrequited crush Clementine is a rebel
I liked the idea of this, but the execution was a little lacking? I think that the contours of the dystopia were not concrete
Mayhew tells the story slightly out of order, which adds to the confusion: we start with Jessika's slow political awakening with a climax when she witnesses Clementine's rebellion, then jump to her being detained, then jump to the immediate aftermath of Clementine's Big Action and show what led to Jessika's detainment
I'm not mad that Jessika doesn't overthrow the government as a teen, but her emotional arc is simply not well-constructed or compelling enough to pull off a 1984-style ending. The futility of her actions is neither depressing nor enraging. It's just kind of stupid.
I liked the idea of this, but the execution was a little lacking? I think that the contours of the dystopia were not concrete
Mayhew tells the story slightly out of order, which adds to the confusion: we start with Jessika's slow political awakening with a climax when she witnesses Clementine's rebellion, then jump to her being detained, then jump to the immediate aftermath of Clementine's Big Action and show what led to Jessika's detainment
I'm not mad that Jessika doesn't overthrow the government as a teen, but her emotional arc is simply not well-constructed or compelling enough to pull off a 1984-style ending. The futility of her actions is neither depressing nor enraging. It's just kind of stupid.
kjurewicz's review against another edition
2.0
I have a lot of feelings about this book, so buckle up. My initial reaction is that this book made me angry, for numerous reasons. First, I think the premise of the book had the potential to be interesting and powerful. Instead, the world of the book was poorly constructed. If I had not known beforehand that this book was set in an alternative historical timeline, it would have taken me a long time to figure out what was going on. The use of German felt forced and random; although the glossary at the end was helpful, I didnāt use it because I was just trying to finish reading as quickly as possible. Jumping back and forth in time did not help matters either, especially in the end when no dates were included. Rather than making an interesting non-linear timeline, it just made everything harder to follow. Iām also angry that the Reichās decision to deny the Holocaust was only briefly mentioned in passing. This should have been a MUCH more significant element to the story and plot. Instead, itās seemed like Clementine and her family were fighting for some vague idea of personal āfreedomā that had nothing to do with anyone else. For a book titled āThe Big Lie,ā they barely addressed the biggest lie of Nazi Germany. Additionally, the main character made me angry as well. Itās possible that if we were not in the midst of protesting, I may feel differently about her complicity and refusal to challenge the German doctrine. And I also canāt predict how I would react in the face of bodily harm. But she took a long time to start questioning the world around her and didnāt really do it until she was punished for her association with Clementine. Her decision to print the papers was a small act of rebellion, but she didnāt go through with it anyway. Yet she was still caught and punished (was someone specific watching her? The fat man?) Although the ending makes it sound like she might still rebel against the system, based on her character I sincerely doubt it. [SPOILER ALERT FOR 1984]. I think I hated this book because it reminds me of 1984. Winston is a spineless, minor rebel but in the end is āre-educatedā by Big Brother in the face of torture. I know not every story can be happy and comfortable but I canāt stand protagonists like this. I should have DNF, but since I sped through the first half in a day, I forced myself to power through. But I was mad the whole time.
bizzybee429's review against another edition
I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I might. The concept intrigued me, as I love learning about World War Two and I love alternative-history novels; however, the writing style and characters didn't really live up to my expectations.
First, the writing. I realized after I stopped reading that this book was first published in 2014, which isn't a bad thing, but it helped me pin down what felt off about the book: it had a very 2014 vibe. In 2014, I was taking part in a YALSA group, and a lot of the mediocre books we read had the same feeling to them when I read them. It was kind of like taking a blast from the past, and even though 2014 was only three years ago, there have been great strides towards diversifying YA fiction. The inclusion of an LGBT plot was something that was honestly very out there and progressive in 2014, and while it is still mildly progressive now, reading a plot about two cisgender white girls just doesn't excite me as much as it would have in 2014. It would have been nice to have more POC diversity.
Second, the characters. At the beginning, I really liked Jessika and the allusions to her eventual rebellion, but after the first few chapters her character fell flat for me. I couldn't get invested into her life or Clem's life, and that was really what broke the book for me.
First, the writing. I realized after I stopped reading that this book was first published in 2014, which isn't a bad thing, but it helped me pin down what felt off about the book: it had a very 2014 vibe. In 2014, I was taking part in a YALSA group, and a lot of the mediocre books we read had the same feeling to them when I read them. It was kind of like taking a blast from the past, and even though 2014 was only three years ago, there have been great strides towards diversifying YA fiction. The inclusion of an LGBT plot was something that was honestly very out there and progressive in 2014, and while it is still mildly progressive now, reading a plot about two cisgender white girls just doesn't excite me as much as it would have in 2014. It would have been nice to have more POC diversity.
Second, the characters. At the beginning, I really liked Jessika and the allusions to her eventual rebellion, but after the first few chapters her character fell flat for me. I couldn't get invested into her life or Clem's life, and that was really what broke the book for me.