forsakenfates's review against another edition
3.0
“And everyday since then, Bedlam City and the people in it have managed to break her heart all over again. She’s learned this world is a beast, a bully that keeps on kicking you long after you’re down. In Bedlam, you either learn to take a beating, or you find a way to fight back.”
This is one of those books that confuses me when it comes to the ratings on Goodreads. This book is rated extremely low (3.37), with many 1 star ratings. I went into this book apprehensive and expecting the worst. I was presently surprised to find a reimagined Batman-esque book. This book was not amazing, nor was it as horrible as others have said. Yes, this book was extremely similar to Batman and Gotham City, but it was unique with a female protagonist. The book had very little world building but this did not bother me much since it so closely resembled Gotham. I can see why others have been bothered by the lack of world building, Kahaney was attempting to make a crime ridden city in Bedlam and used many aspects of Gotham and Batman to achieve this. This lessened the originality of her story.
Anthem was annoying yes, but she is your stereotypical rich kid who gains “powers” and becomes a vigilante. Along with the superpowers, Anthem was also a ballerina initially. I found her annoying at times and hated the way she treated her friends and family throughout the book. Anthem is surrounded by other characters such as her parents, her ex-boyfriend, Will, her best friend, Zahra, and her new boyfriend, Gavin. There was quite a bit of insta-love between Gavin and Anthem, but they aren’t with each other long enough before he is kidnapped for it to really bother me.
As for the believability aspect of this book, I think the superhero vibe this book gave off helped me connect with the story and believe that it was possible for Anthem to have this new heart that saved her and also gave her new powers.
The best part of this book was definitely the prologue, I honestly loved it. I even used the end of it as the quote at the beginning of the review. It was very superhero-esque and reminded me of the intros to shows such as Arrow and The Flash, where the character is explaining who they are and what they do.
I struggled with what rating to give this book and decided a 3.5. This was done mostly because this book was enjoyable, but not amazing. I enjoyed the ease of reading it and how fast I was able to get through it. And as I’ve said, I enjoyed the superhero aspect of this book even if our protagonist left much to be desired.
This is one of those books that confuses me when it comes to the ratings on Goodreads. This book is rated extremely low (3.37), with many 1 star ratings. I went into this book apprehensive and expecting the worst. I was presently surprised to find a reimagined Batman-esque book. This book was not amazing, nor was it as horrible as others have said. Yes, this book was extremely similar to Batman and Gotham City, but it was unique with a female protagonist. The book had very little world building but this did not bother me much since it so closely resembled Gotham. I can see why others have been bothered by the lack of world building, Kahaney was attempting to make a crime ridden city in Bedlam and used many aspects of Gotham and Batman to achieve this. This lessened the originality of her story.
Anthem was annoying yes, but she is your stereotypical rich kid who gains “powers” and becomes a vigilante. Along with the superpowers, Anthem was also a ballerina initially. I found her annoying at times and hated the way she treated her friends and family throughout the book. Anthem is surrounded by other characters such as her parents, her ex-boyfriend, Will, her best friend, Zahra, and her new boyfriend, Gavin. There was quite a bit of insta-love between Gavin and Anthem, but they aren’t with each other long enough before he is kidnapped for it to really bother me.
As for the believability aspect of this book, I think the superhero vibe this book gave off helped me connect with the story and believe that it was possible for Anthem to have this new heart that saved her and also gave her new powers.
The best part of this book was definitely the prologue, I honestly loved it. I even used the end of it as the quote at the beginning of the review. It was very superhero-esque and reminded me of the intros to shows such as Arrow and The Flash, where the character is explaining who they are and what they do.
I struggled with what rating to give this book and decided a 3.5. This was done mostly because this book was enjoyable, but not amazing. I enjoyed the ease of reading it and how fast I was able to get through it. And as I’ve said, I enjoyed the superhero aspect of this book even if our protagonist left much to be desired.
sydneythekydneybean's review against another edition
You gave me a cool concept. A girl with a bionic heart, some kidnapping and a kickass girl. Cool concept, but then you add an instalove, losing virginity in a week, some weird plot twists, betrayal that was completely uncalled for, a whiny girl, and an incomplete world building and you've ruined it.
Let's start things off, Anthem Fleet is a perfect girl who is rich, a ballet virtuoso and has the boy everyone wants. She's always whining about how she is the replacement daughter for he parents after their last daughter drowned. Now even though she might have red hair instead of blonde and green eyes instead of blue, but she is still perfect. Good girl, good grades, has that one bad friend. But, still feels bad. Boohoo. Anyways, her parents kinda ignore her, but still whatever. They have a banquet for orphan charity Anthem is going to with her six month boyfriend with. Now this boyfriend, Will, is the perfect guy every parent wants their daughter to go out with, but he wants to go farther with her. She feels uncomfortable, but I would be too. He was super controlling. Anyways, she goes with her bad friend Zahar to this party on the South Side. Now in the description, her parents don't want her going to the South Side, but in the book her parents never even mention it.
So, Anthem goes to this party with her friend and meets the guy, Gavin, and have a great time talking while he smoke for like fifteen minutes before some police come around and gas the place and they lose each other. It's a great thing, so the gas is called feargas. Zahar has hallucinations, starts crying, thinks the moon is bleeding. I have never seen anything like it... and they never explain how it came to be or why they were invented.
Anthem gets back to school, normal, breaks up with her stupid boyfriend. But Will is, like, super mean about it. He basically says that Anthem will come crawling back to him and that no one breaks up with Will and that he has, like, people watching her. All creepy man stuff.
Anyways, Anthem goes to her ballet practice and sees that Gavin, the guy at the party, is there waiting for him. Instead of being like, "No, I really have to go practice and I've know you for fifteen minutes and you could be a serial killer. No thank you, I will not be getting on the back of your motorcycle with you to who-know-where." Nope, she goes, like a little idiot. She lies to her ballet coach for a whole week and goes with this guy she barely knows. Now, within the first day, the first hour that she knows him, she's making out with him. So many lies... so much deceit... so much no.
At the end of this week, Anthem sneaks out to see Gavin at his place. Now he has a great place, huge, great place. He paints houses in the summer... that doesn't make a lot of money. Everyone knows that. Painters get zip, zilch, nada, nothing. But princess doesn't know that. But wait it gets better... she loses her virginity with him. AFTER A WHOLE WEEK! THE BOYFRIEND FOR SIX MONTHS AND NOTHING! A BOY SHE'S KNOWN FOR A WEEK, AND NOTHING BUT LIES THAT CAME FROM HIM, EVERYTHING FOR HIM!
Then, these people barge into his house with guns and point it at Gavin's head. And they somehow know that she is the richest girl of all North Side. How? I don't know, but she never asks. Anyways, mean people take lover boy, wanting money.
She walks off into the night because she is a seventeen-year-old girl who doesn't know how to drive and her boyfriend drove her there. Now, she's a small girl in the dead of night in the highest crime part of town all by herself. Yeah, smart girl. Anyways, of course she was harassed, but she gets saved by some guy. She gets scared, well he didn't help much, but she still runs to a cliff and he was trying to get her away from it but she falls off the cliff.
When she waked up, she's in a bloody lab. Now this bionic heart is cool to think of, but it's kinda put to the side. I kinda understand the speed, since her heart beats faster and the blood pumps quicker. But the hearing and grace and the way her eyes and hair are more vibrant make absolutely no sense. There is no way that her heart could change any of that. But if it could, they don't explain it whatsoever.
So she needs the money to get Gavin back, but her parents won't give it to her. So she gets a gun, the guy who gave her a heart to bring her to the crime place, an old mall, and she confronts them, ALL ALONE! The head crime lady, Miss Roach, ends up shooting Gavin the the chest in front of Anthem. She gets angry and beats the shit out of everyone. But, surprise, surprise, Gavin was behind the whole thing for her money.
This is what you get Anthem for being whiny and cling to hard and too quick. But her dad was also behind it? I am so confused by this book. Her boyfriend blackmails her, and does a good job with it. I'm proud. But Anthem should have been smarter. I'm disappointed. She should have thought it thorough, listened to everyone around her, left Gavin to die. No one is worth that. Especially after a week. With that bionic heart she could do anything with her life.
Gah, I'm so disappointed. I gave the book up. Great concept.
Onto the next one.
Let's start things off, Anthem Fleet is a perfect girl who is rich, a ballet virtuoso and has the boy everyone wants. She's always whining about how she is the replacement daughter for he parents after their last daughter drowned. Now even though she might have red hair instead of blonde and green eyes instead of blue, but she is still perfect. Good girl, good grades, has that one bad friend. But, still feels bad. Boohoo. Anyways, her parents kinda ignore her, but still whatever. They have a banquet for orphan charity Anthem is going to with her six month boyfriend with. Now this boyfriend, Will, is the perfect guy every parent wants their daughter to go out with, but he wants to go farther with her. She feels uncomfortable, but I would be too. He was super controlling. Anyways, she goes with her bad friend Zahar to this party on the South Side. Now in the description, her parents don't want her going to the South Side, but in the book her parents never even mention it.
So, Anthem goes to this party with her friend and meets the guy, Gavin, and have a great time talking while he smoke for like fifteen minutes before some police come around and gas the place and they lose each other. It's a great thing, so the gas is called feargas. Zahar has hallucinations, starts crying, thinks the moon is bleeding. I have never seen anything like it... and they never explain how it came to be or why they were invented.
Anthem gets back to school, normal, breaks up with her stupid boyfriend. But Will is, like, super mean about it. He basically says that Anthem will come crawling back to him and that no one breaks up with Will and that he has, like, people watching her. All creepy man stuff.
Anyways, Anthem goes to her ballet practice and sees that Gavin, the guy at the party, is there waiting for him. Instead of being like, "No, I really have to go practice and I've know you for fifteen minutes and you could be a serial killer. No thank you, I will not be getting on the back of your motorcycle with you to who-know-where." Nope, she goes, like a little idiot. She lies to her ballet coach for a whole week and goes with this guy she barely knows. Now, within the first day, the first hour that she knows him, she's making out with him. So many lies... so much deceit... so much no.
At the end of this week, Anthem sneaks out to see Gavin at his place. Now he has a great place, huge, great place. He paints houses in the summer... that doesn't make a lot of money. Everyone knows that. Painters get zip, zilch, nada, nothing. But princess doesn't know that. But wait it gets better... she loses her virginity with him. AFTER A WHOLE WEEK! THE BOYFRIEND FOR SIX MONTHS AND NOTHING! A BOY SHE'S KNOWN FOR A WEEK, AND NOTHING BUT LIES THAT CAME FROM HIM, EVERYTHING FOR HIM!
Then, these people barge into his house with guns and point it at Gavin's head. And they somehow know that she is the richest girl of all North Side. How? I don't know, but she never asks. Anyways, mean people take lover boy, wanting money.
She walks off into the night because she is a seventeen-year-old girl who doesn't know how to drive and her boyfriend drove her there. Now, she's a small girl in the dead of night in the highest crime part of town all by herself. Yeah, smart girl. Anyways, of course she was harassed, but she gets saved by some guy. She gets scared, well he didn't help much, but she still runs to a cliff and he was trying to get her away from it but she falls off the cliff.
When she waked up, she's in a bloody lab. Now this bionic heart is cool to think of, but it's kinda put to the side. I kinda understand the speed, since her heart beats faster and the blood pumps quicker. But the hearing and grace and the way her eyes and hair are more vibrant make absolutely no sense. There is no way that her heart could change any of that. But if it could, they don't explain it whatsoever.
So she needs the money to get Gavin back, but her parents won't give it to her. So she gets a gun, the guy who gave her a heart to bring her to the crime place, an old mall, and she confronts them, ALL ALONE! The head crime lady, Miss Roach, ends up shooting Gavin the the chest in front of Anthem. She gets angry and beats the shit out of everyone. But, surprise, surprise, Gavin was behind the whole thing for her money.
This is what you get Anthem for being whiny and cling to hard and too quick. But her dad was also behind it? I am so confused by this book. Her boyfriend blackmails her, and does a good job with it. I'm proud. But Anthem should have been smarter. I'm disappointed. She should have thought it thorough, listened to everyone around her, left Gavin to die. No one is worth that. Especially after a week. With that bionic heart she could do anything with her life.
Gah, I'm so disappointed. I gave the book up. Great concept.
Onto the next one.
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
If you are ready for a new kick butt superhero, say ANTHEM! This book did not start off well. It took a good fifty pages before it really got going. However, once the scene was set and all of the necessary background information was put in place, this novel made way for a new supergirl. This book covers the experiences of a superhero before they really become an icon. For example, it feels like Peter Parker just getting his power and learning that "with great power comes great responsibility." In a world that is devoid of hope and filled gangsters and the syndicate, Anthem may be just the thing to bring justice and give the power back to the people. Give this book a chance, because it will pleasantly surprise you in the end.
alexperc_92's review against another edition
4.0
It's really bed this book is so underrated. It was really good!
jessiek04's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
(Note: I am not a teenager, so please consider this review accordingly.)
This was predictable but enjoyable. Anthem isn't my favorite MC, nor is she really original, but I liked this story enough that I'll listen to the sequel.
(Note: I am not a teenager, so please consider this review accordingly.)
This was predictable but enjoyable. Anthem isn't my favorite MC, nor is she really original, but I liked this story enough that I'll listen to the sequel.
missprint_'s review against another edition
2.0
Anthem Fleet has spent her life in the shadow of the dead sister she never met; a replacement for a lost daughter against whom she will never measure up. A talented dancer, the daughter of two of Bedlam's most respected citizens, Anthem appears to be a girl with a bright future. Everyone thinks she's lucky.
Everyone is wrong.
When Anthem meets a boy from the South Side--the absolutely wrong side of Bedlam--it feels like she is finally waking up. Her real life, the one she has been waiting for, seems to finally be starting.
Then the unthinkable happens.
Then Anthem dies.
When she wakes up nothing is the same. Not Anthem, not her life, and not her heart which is now a mechanical thing that beats faster and pushes her harder than should be humanly possible.
Anthem's old life is over. She is broken. But maybe this new heart of hers will give her what she needs to find a new life and help Bedlam the way no one else can in The Brokenhearted (2013) by Amelia Kahaney.
Everything about this premise sounded amazing. The cover is beautiful. The opening prologue is well-written and completely fascinating. Even Anthem, with her ballet background, has the potential to be a unique, strong heroine.
With the gritty, hard luck setting of Bedlam and the promise of superhuman powers this book is reminiscent of comic book stories and recent books like Vicious or Steelheart.
Unfortunately, beyond all of this potential is a deeply disappointing book. The plot is slow to start, dragging through the first half which is mired in tragic, star-crossed love and Anthem's sulking narration.
Plot points that are hinted at in the prologue are treated with no further foreshadow or resolution until the bitter end of the novel making for a story that drags and offers very few surprises or revelations.
Even with this problems, the idea remains promising. Unfortunately key elements* are never quite explained enough to make sense and character motivations never quite make sense.** The atmosphere is pitch perfect completely evocative of comic book cities Gotham before Batman returned.
The Brokenhearted strikes an uneasy balance between superhero story and romantic adventure. Erratic execution and poor pacing make it a frustrating read though die-hard comic fans (or dancers) might find some redeeming qualities here.
*Anthem gets a new heart. Which also gives her superhuman powers. But how a new organ changes everything about Anthem's abilities is never explained.
**Anthem essentially has insta-love as a driving force of her character which is fine as an inciting incident but makes less sense as it is dragged through more than one hundred pages. The other male lead, Ford, is also a bit strange in that he is in no small part responsible for Anthem's injury but he is also her ally. It's just a strange combination.
Possible Pairings: Plain Kate by Erin Bow, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch, Proxy by Alex London, Fracture by Megan Miranda, Watchmen by Alan Moore, The Superhero Handbook by Michael Powell, Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson, Vicious by V. E. Schwab, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Everyone is wrong.
When Anthem meets a boy from the South Side--the absolutely wrong side of Bedlam--it feels like she is finally waking up. Her real life, the one she has been waiting for, seems to finally be starting.
Then the unthinkable happens.
Then Anthem dies.
When she wakes up nothing is the same. Not Anthem, not her life, and not her heart which is now a mechanical thing that beats faster and pushes her harder than should be humanly possible.
Anthem's old life is over. She is broken. But maybe this new heart of hers will give her what she needs to find a new life and help Bedlam the way no one else can in The Brokenhearted (2013) by Amelia Kahaney.
Everything about this premise sounded amazing. The cover is beautiful. The opening prologue is well-written and completely fascinating. Even Anthem, with her ballet background, has the potential to be a unique, strong heroine.
With the gritty, hard luck setting of Bedlam and the promise of superhuman powers this book is reminiscent of comic book stories and recent books like Vicious or Steelheart.
Unfortunately, beyond all of this potential is a deeply disappointing book. The plot is slow to start, dragging through the first half which is mired in tragic, star-crossed love and Anthem's sulking narration.
Plot points that are hinted at in the prologue are treated with no further foreshadow or resolution until the bitter end of the novel making for a story that drags and offers very few surprises or revelations.
Even with this problems, the idea remains promising. Unfortunately key elements* are never quite explained enough to make sense and character motivations never quite make sense.** The atmosphere is pitch perfect completely evocative of comic book cities Gotham before Batman returned.
The Brokenhearted strikes an uneasy balance between superhero story and romantic adventure. Erratic execution and poor pacing make it a frustrating read though die-hard comic fans (or dancers) might find some redeeming qualities here.
*Anthem gets a new heart. Which also gives her superhuman powers. But how a new organ changes everything about Anthem's abilities is never explained.
**Anthem essentially has insta-love as a driving force of her character which is fine as an inciting incident but makes less sense as it is dragged through more than one hundred pages. The other male lead, Ford, is also a bit strange in that he is in no small part responsible for Anthem's injury but he is also her ally. It's just a strange combination.
Possible Pairings: Plain Kate by Erin Bow, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch, Proxy by Alex London, Fracture by Megan Miranda, Watchmen by Alan Moore, The Superhero Handbook by Michael Powell, Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson, Vicious by V. E. Schwab, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
michelle8731's review against another edition
4.0
This book seems to have a bad rap on Goodreads, and I'm not sure why. I enjoyed the story, which I would describe as a cross between a superhero origin story and a teen coming-of-age story. Anthem is discovering who she is and what she believes in while she's going through a physical transformation and fighting the bad guys. It wasn't a perfect story, but I enjoyed it, and if this sounds interesting to you, I say pick it up and try it yourself. The reviews are too varied to be trusted!
siobhan27's review against another edition
4.0
This another book that I wanted to read based on the cover, because seriously it is gorgeous. I knew this book was being called a "super-heros" themed novel, and i know some people are very serious about that sort of thing, but for me, I just want to read a book that entertains me. And this one did just that.
The main character, Anthem was a great narrator and I loved her voice. She was sarcastic, true to herself and very passionate. These are things that I love in any female character, and honestly they just more prominent the more the book progressed. When she finds out that because of a tragic accident she is now alive with a bionic heart in her chest that allows her to have "special" powers she goes into revenge mode. And i loved watching this "perfect girl" we met at the beginning of the book spiral downward to the point where she is almost at the mercy of her revenge and has no grasp on reality.
I am not a comic person at all, so I do know the history behind certain characters or their origin stories, but I did some similarities between this story and some famous comic books characters. Although some might say that this is cheating and not original, I will have to disagree. All stories, whether they be YA, or adult fiction, are almost always inspired by something else. And in this case it happens to be comic book characters. So to those critics who are saying this story is not original, think again. Not all story can be original.
I will say that although some have been surprised by the ending of this book, I kinda saw it coming. But that might just because i read into things too much. But even if I saw it coming, I still loved how it was dealt with and how it will evolve into future books--at least I hope it will. This was a great read that packs a punch in the action department and I seriously cannot wait to what happens next.
The main character, Anthem was a great narrator and I loved her voice. She was sarcastic, true to herself and very passionate. These are things that I love in any female character, and honestly they just more prominent the more the book progressed. When she finds out that because of a tragic accident she is now alive with a bionic heart in her chest that allows her to have "special" powers she goes into revenge mode. And i loved watching this "perfect girl" we met at the beginning of the book spiral downward to the point where she is almost at the mercy of her revenge and has no grasp on reality.
I am not a comic person at all, so I do know the history behind certain characters or their origin stories, but I did some similarities between this story and some famous comic books characters. Although some might say that this is cheating and not original, I will have to disagree. All stories, whether they be YA, or adult fiction, are almost always inspired by something else. And in this case it happens to be comic book characters. So to those critics who are saying this story is not original, think again. Not all story can be original.
I will say that although some have been surprised by the ending of this book, I kinda saw it coming. But that might just because i read into things too much. But even if I saw it coming, I still loved how it was dealt with and how it will evolve into future books--at least I hope it will. This was a great read that packs a punch in the action department and I seriously cannot wait to what happens next.