simonlewis17's review
4.0
(>_<)
I hate to say this but I'm merely disappointed in this book! Urggghhh.. I thought it was a stand alone book. I didn't know that this book is TRILOGY! Goodness! I hate you Kate Harrison! I buy this book in BOOK SALE. I couldn't find the 2nd and 3rd installment!
T_T
It was OKAY but not so good. I want an answer! Urghhhh... Maybe I will find the 2nd and 3rd installment. MAYBE. Yeah maybe.
I guess better luck next reading?!
I hate to say this but I'm merely disappointed in this book! Urggghhh.. I thought it was a stand alone book. I didn't know that this book is TRILOGY! Goodness! I hate you Kate Harrison! I buy this book in BOOK SALE. I couldn't find the 2nd and 3rd installment!
T_T
It was OKAY but not so good. I want an answer! Urghhhh... Maybe I will find the 2nd and 3rd installment. MAYBE. Yeah maybe.
I guess better luck next reading?!
bobeliey's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
nemof403c's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Self harm, Eating disorder, Murder, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Minor: Suicide
wirsindgefangene's review against another edition
3.0
Die Grundidee war etwas Neues für mich, hat mich aber nicht gefesselt oder berührt. Lust, die Reihe fortzusetzen, habe ich auch nicht wirklich bekommen.
katiejackson's review
5.0
The Soul Beach trilogy is honestly like nothing else that I have ever read.
Completely original, very moving, full of love, laughter, suspense and so many twists and turns.
It involves a virtual reality world so I think gamers (particular
y female) would really enjoy this series. I initially picked this up from the library as a 'quick contemporary' summer read. it really did turn out to be soooo much more than that! I highly recommend this series. Read it! :)
Completely original, very moving, full of love, laughter, suspense and so many twists and turns.
It involves a virtual reality world so I think gamers (particular
y female) would really enjoy this series. I initially picked this up from the library as a 'quick contemporary' summer read. it really did turn out to be soooo much more than that! I highly recommend this series. Read it! :)
blattzirkus's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn’t get my head around a couple of things. The idea is interesting because it reminds me a bit of Erebos by Ursula Poznanski. The combination of real life and virtual reality is cool and for a book written in 2012 really modern.
But – the plot drags. A lot. The same things happen over and over. This is what I call a really slow pace. If our protagonist Alice is constantly going to Soul Beach, at least make something happen there. But most of the time, she’s just checking in with Meggie, her sister, or shortly talking to her other “friends”, except for her real ones. This could end really badly. But yet not in this book.
I also refuse this book to call romantic, because it gets beyond weird and super unrealistc. Heads up here, but our protagonist Alice falls in love with a dead guy on the beach. I mean, he’s breathing and everything, but just virtually while his body is buried somewhere. Maybe it will all fall in place in one of the future books, but in this one, it is just – ew?
Alice doesn’t even try to find out who developed this website or how any of this – talking to your dead sister for example – is possible. Yeah, she is obviously still grieving, but at least be a little suspicious to make yourself interesting. Her actions just make her boring and the dragging writing isn’t helping with any of that.
--
You can read my full review on my blog Blattzirkus
But – the plot drags. A lot. The same things happen over and over. This is what I call a really slow pace. If our protagonist Alice is constantly going to Soul Beach, at least make something happen there. But most of the time, she’s just checking in with Meggie, her sister, or shortly talking to her other “friends”, except for her real ones. This could end really badly. But yet not in this book.
I also refuse this book to call romantic, because it gets beyond weird and super unrealistc. Heads up here, but our protagonist Alice falls in love with a dead guy on the beach. I mean, he’s breathing and everything, but just virtually while his body is buried somewhere. Maybe it will all fall in place in one of the future books, but in this one, it is just – ew?
Alice doesn’t even try to find out who developed this website or how any of this – talking to your dead sister for example – is possible. Yeah, she is obviously still grieving, but at least be a little suspicious to make yourself interesting. Her actions just make her boring and the dragging writing isn’t helping with any of that.
--
You can read my full review on my blog Blattzirkus
michalice's review
4.0
I have had my eye on Soul Beach for a while so was very excited to receive it, along with Soul Fire, in the post and I jumped in straight away. The synopsis says it all so I am just going to jump straigh in with my review.
When Soul Beach begins we are introduced to Alice and her family and we get to see how they are coping with the death of Megan, Alice's older sister who is also famous. As the story progresses we are drawn into the mystery of who actually murdered Megan and also the excitement of entering Soul Beach.
One of the main things I liked about Soul Beach was how even though Alice was in her room she actually felt like she was on the beach, and the way the author describes it, you can imagine it all and feel like you are there too. While I did enjoy the visits to Soul Beach, I did feel sorry for both Megan and Alice. Apart from the reason Megan is at the beach, the time on the beach isn't forever and could stop at any time making the time that they do spend together even more precious.
I loved the different characters on the beach. I was never quite sure of Triti but after her heart to heart with Alice I did feel sorry for her. Javier was someone who I changed my mind about a lot, and it mostly depended on what mood he was on whenever Alice visited. As we get to learn more about the guests at the beach and what life was like for them I did feel sorry for them all. Soul Beach may seem like an idilac place to be, but the lack of everyday things we take for granted, birds, seasons, made it repetitive for them.
Cara was a hard one for me to understand. I know the she and Alice have been friends for a while, but they are so completely opposite, not only in personality but their whole attitude that I found it hard to actually picture them as friends if they weren't characters in a book. I didn't like how she involved Lewis via Robbie, but I did like how he was quick to help Alice for no reason than just to be a friend.
Alice was one character that I was not only drawn to, but was one I could relate to. The life she has after Megan's death is not easy, and having a famous sister does nothing to help her grieve. But the way her grief is portrayed and how, not only herself but also her parents deal with it, is described in a realistic but sensitive way. She puts a brave front on for others while she is still trying to deal with it herself, and I think her visits to Soul Beach and having a goal to aim for helps her adapt to life without Megan
I found myself really enjoying Soul Beach and I did not want to put it down. The whole idea behind Soul Beach really made me think about what I would want if it was me. When it wasn't revealed I didn't find myself disappointed, I think this was due to the fact that there was so many other things going on in the pages, it just made me want to read Soul Fire even more.
Kate Harrison has wrote a page turning book that does not disappoint and this is one series that I will definitely recommend to others.
When Soul Beach begins we are introduced to Alice and her family and we get to see how they are coping with the death of Megan, Alice's older sister who is also famous. As the story progresses we are drawn into the mystery of who actually murdered Megan and also the excitement of entering Soul Beach.
One of the main things I liked about Soul Beach was how even though Alice was in her room she actually felt like she was on the beach, and the way the author describes it, you can imagine it all and feel like you are there too. While I did enjoy the visits to Soul Beach, I did feel sorry for both Megan and Alice. Apart from the reason Megan is at the beach, the time on the beach isn't forever and could stop at any time making the time that they do spend together even more precious.
I loved the different characters on the beach. I was never quite sure of Triti but after her heart to heart with Alice I did feel sorry for her. Javier was someone who I changed my mind about a lot, and it mostly depended on what mood he was on whenever Alice visited. As we get to learn more about the guests at the beach and what life was like for them I did feel sorry for them all. Soul Beach may seem like an idilac place to be, but the lack of everyday things we take for granted, birds, seasons, made it repetitive for them.
Cara was a hard one for me to understand. I know the she and Alice have been friends for a while, but they are so completely opposite, not only in personality but their whole attitude that I found it hard to actually picture them as friends if they weren't characters in a book. I didn't like how she involved Lewis via Robbie, but I did like how he was quick to help Alice for no reason than just to be a friend.
Alice was one character that I was not only drawn to, but was one I could relate to. The life she has after Megan's death is not easy, and having a famous sister does nothing to help her grieve. But the way her grief is portrayed and how, not only herself but also her parents deal with it, is described in a realistic but sensitive way. She puts a brave front on for others while she is still trying to deal with it herself, and I think her visits to Soul Beach and having a goal to aim for helps her adapt to life without Megan
I found myself really enjoying Soul Beach and I did not want to put it down. The whole idea behind Soul Beach really made me think about what I would want if it was me. When it wasn't revealed I didn't find myself disappointed, I think this was due to the fact that there was so many other things going on in the pages, it just made me want to read Soul Fire even more.
Kate Harrison has wrote a page turning book that does not disappoint and this is one series that I will definitely recommend to others.
serendipity_viv's review
5.0
I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I was aware of Kate Harrison's romantic comedies and I was intrigued by this new venture into the Young Adult market with a suspense thriller, but I will admit to being slightly dubious. Fortunately, as soon as I began reading through the first chapter, I was hooked! I struggled to put the book down and found myself staying up until the early hours of the morning on a school night, desperate to find out how it would all end. With each short, sharp chapter, full of expertly written prose, I found the author reeling me in. The way Kate writes is both mesmerising and intoxicating and I am convinced that secretly she is a siren, ensnaring her readers into the shallow waters of Soul Beach, with no possibility of future escape.
I found myself desperate to see Soul Beach for myself. To experience the soft sands, the clear waters and the beauty of the dead - to see whether it was a dream or reality.
You sympathise with Alice right from the start. You are right by her side, as she experiences the loss of her sister. You cannot blame her need for Soul Beach, which becomes her obsession and you are fearful for the fall she will inevitably take when she loses her sister for a second time. Alice struggles with her feelings for Danny too and you cannot help but wonder how this relationship will develop.
This book should be described as a paranormal suspense thriller - a cross between Truly, Madly, Deeply and Nancy Drew, only much more sinister.
As you approach the half way mark of the book, you realise that Alice actually knows the killer. Yet, just like her, you cannot work out who it is and you become even more fearful for her safety as the killer appears to take an unhealthy interest in her.
The characters living on Soul Beach were troubled yet beautiful. You realise that Megan has changed from her former character as she comes to terms with her death. Danny just sounded gorgeous and for some reason had me visualizing him to look like John F. Kennedy Jr. I think it was a similar demise that created the link.
The ending of this book had me screaming at the top of my voice. The murder was left unresolved! It was a beautiful ending with some unexpected joyful turns, but I now have to wait until the next book to find out who committed the crime. I do hope Kate Harrison is writing furiously as I am desperate to find out what happens next.
I found myself desperate to see Soul Beach for myself. To experience the soft sands, the clear waters and the beauty of the dead - to see whether it was a dream or reality.
You sympathise with Alice right from the start. You are right by her side, as she experiences the loss of her sister. You cannot blame her need for Soul Beach, which becomes her obsession and you are fearful for the fall she will inevitably take when she loses her sister for a second time. Alice struggles with her feelings for Danny too and you cannot help but wonder how this relationship will develop.
This book should be described as a paranormal suspense thriller - a cross between Truly, Madly, Deeply and Nancy Drew, only much more sinister.
As you approach the half way mark of the book, you realise that Alice actually knows the killer. Yet, just like her, you cannot work out who it is and you become even more fearful for her safety as the killer appears to take an unhealthy interest in her.
The characters living on Soul Beach were troubled yet beautiful. You realise that Megan has changed from her former character as she comes to terms with her death. Danny just sounded gorgeous and for some reason had me visualizing him to look like John F. Kennedy Jr. I think it was a similar demise that created the link.
The ending of this book had me screaming at the top of my voice. The murder was left unresolved! It was a beautiful ending with some unexpected joyful turns, but I now have to wait until the next book to find out who committed the crime. I do hope Kate Harrison is writing furiously as I am desperate to find out what happens next.