The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
lleer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I had a lot of fun reading this book for sure. It was very fun to read and gripping and fast to get through.
But throughout the whole book there's no actual plot, and there's a lot of telling and no showing. The six immediately accept being part of the society and accept killing someone without even questioning what is the society and what is the benefit of all this.
We are told there's a society and that's t. What is the society who controls it what is the benefit of joining, and almost no description whatsoever, we don't even know what the forum is and why is it against the society. Even the plot twist was just handed down to us. Everything is just there including the magic system. Which makes the book lack a lot.
Imo it's not worth more than 3.75 stars, but nevertheless it was very fun to read and easy to grasp. I enjoyed the characters interactions and the dialogues very much. If you are looking for a gripping mysterious story, I recommend it. It's overhyped though.
But throughout the whole book there's no actual plot, and there's a lot of telling and no showing. The six immediately accept being part of the society and accept killing someone without even questioning what is the society and what is the benefit of all this.
We are told there's a society and that's t. What is the society who controls it what is the benefit of joining, and almost no description whatsoever, we don't even know what the forum is and why is it against the society. Even the plot twist was just handed down to us. Everything is just there including the magic system. Which makes the book lack a lot.
Imo it's not worth more than 3.75 stars, but nevertheless it was very fun to read and easy to grasp. I enjoyed the characters interactions and the dialogues very much. If you are looking for a gripping mysterious story, I recommend it. It's overhyped though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Terminal illness
ellachamb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
blessjessmess's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
I understand the mixed reviews on this book. Its definitely not for everyone. This book is dark academia and an alternate universe where magic users are a normal part of society and society reflects magic in all aspects of the world.
OF COURSE, if magic were commonplace, it would find itself being used corruptly in finance, politics, and crime.
But what I really loved about this book is that this books main theme revolves around information. How information is weaponized against those without the means to access it. How the more information you know you realize theres so much you don't know. How easily information can be altered and how that can have dire consequences. How censorship hurts the entire population. And how information is power and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
OF COURSE, if magic were commonplace, it would find itself being used corruptly in finance, politics, and crime.
But what I really loved about this book is that this books main theme revolves around information. How information is weaponized against those without the means to access it. How the more information you know you realize theres so much you don't know. How easily information can be altered and how that can have dire consequences. How censorship hurts the entire population. And how information is power and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
- I held off on a 5 simply because the first book (the intro book, if you will) of a series should never be its best, which means I have high expectations for the upcoming 3rd in the series.
- I, personally, loved this book. It's a bit meta in the most original way I've seen any genre meta book written before, so I really enjoyed that.
- I liked that each character was well rounded, and time was spent on developing the entire cast in the novel.
- This book is incredibly cerebral, but I love cerebral fiction so that's a win for me.
- This book basically said F*** the Hero's Journey and took its on path....and I really respect that.
You will like this book if you like:
- alternating povs
- science theory
- coming of age books
- grounded magic
- time travel
- dimensional travel
- Dream travel
- found family
- if you want the feel of Harry Potter but want adult themes and modernized for the environment we currently live in
- If you are in a reading rut this is a good book to break it
You will NOT like this book if:
- unlikable characters.
- meta reading
- advanced science jargon
******I half read/half listened to this book on audio. I found I preferred the audio because of the voice actors.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide
Minor: Blood, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
wordswoods's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
YES
The first book I've finished in ages!
I'm gonna get the next installment tomorrow.
The first book I've finished in ages!
I'm gonna get the next installment tomorrow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
kaziaroo's review against another edition
Six spectacularly unlikeable people plot against each other (while also sleeping with each other) and explore the secrets of time and space through magic. Even that uninspired summary makes the book sound more interesting than it is. The book tries desperately to make you think everything it says is clever, but it's just not; the descriptions of science and magic felt like dry nonsense and the characters aren't nearly as deep and interesting as the amount of time spent in their heads implies. I read a good chunk (nearly two thirds) but ultimately decided it wasn't worth a minute more of my time and just read a plot summary online instead. Not worth the paper it's written on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Murder, and Suicide
cneighbors36's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
fruitbatflora's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, and Violence
philosofreaky's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this book but struggled to read it. (In the end, I think I just needed to be in the right mood/headspace to tackle it.) It's slow-paced, but I found the subject matter and character thoughts/conversations intriguing, until the last 5th of the book when it moves fast and exciting and couldn't put it down. That left me feeling quite content in the background and understanding I had of all the players moving forward.
I neither loved or hated anyone in particular, instead, did a good job of everyone having a purpose and being an intricate, ensemble cast. I will read the next one for sure, knowing that some parts might be dry but inevitably not? Somehow? I don't know. I still enjoyed the story AND the writing even though it didn't feel like a page turner. It made my brain happy.
Also, the bits in the short story included, Sacred Hospitality, did in fact make me chortle.
I neither loved or hated anyone in particular, instead, did a good job of everyone having a purpose and being an intricate, ensemble cast. I will read the next one for sure, knowing that some parts might be dry but inevitably not? Somehow? I don't know. I still enjoyed the story AND the writing even though it didn't feel like a page turner. It made my brain happy.
Also, the bits in the short story included, Sacred Hospitality, did in fact make me chortle.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Blood, Violence, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Drug use, Death, Bullying, Alcohol, and Murder
abbyycadabbyy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
3.0
I had really high hopes for this book, and I was disappointed. I thought that the book was going to be a lot different then it was.
When people said that the characters were "competing to be in the school" I was thinking like physically competing. I thought the book was going to be kinda A Court of Thornes and Roses vibes with the challenges. To be honest I don't really feel like they were competing.
This kinda goes along with the "competing" thing, but this book was SO slow. I feel like the book was way too long and had way too much random info dumping. Like the characters would talk about the molecular build of something and that would take up like 20 minutes. Like I took chemistry I don't need to relearn it. I don't know that was like extremely boring.
I didn't really like any of the characters. The only character I kinda liked was Prisa. Even then, I felt like she was annoying because all she would talk about was how she knew how to get into a man's pants so that they would give her information. I didn't like that at all. She could be really smart if she actually tried, but instead she resorted to sleeping with people.
I am going to be so for real I don't think I would have finished this if I wasn't listening to the audiobook. I also don't know how I am going to get through the second book.
When people said that the characters were "competing to be in the school" I was thinking like physically competing. I thought the book was going to be kinda A Court of Thornes and Roses vibes with the challenges. To be honest I don't really feel like they were competing.
This kinda goes along with the "competing" thing, but this book was SO slow. I feel like the book was way too long and had way too much random info dumping. Like the characters would talk about the molecular build of something and that would take up like 20 minutes. Like I took chemistry I don't need to relearn it. I don't know that was like extremely boring.
I didn't really like any of the characters. The only character I kinda liked was Prisa. Even then, I felt like she was annoying because all she would talk about was how she knew how to get into a man's pants so that they would give her information. I didn't like that at all. She could be really smart if she actually tried, but instead she resorted to sleeping with people.
I am going to be so for real I don't think I would have finished this if I wasn't listening to the audiobook. I also don't know how I am going to get through the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Murder
setsailforthestars's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was alright. I do love the quote I read in a tumblr post about them that said something along the lines of “the atlas six are whatever the opposite of a found family is” which is so right. I did enjoy the messiness but the plot was bogged down by the vague descriptions of whatever they were actually doing that whole year. Truly I do not know other than having weird sexual situationships with each other. The Ezra payoff also wasn’t that satisfying. But overall a decent and enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, and Classism