maddie____'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A bit slow (didn’t think the original really needed a sequel but loved it) paced, but near the end it’s just right
Graphic: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Cursing, Sexism, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Death, Sexual harassment, Violence, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Kidnapping
lizzyluck's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism, Body horror, Blood, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol, Confinement, Infertility, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape
caidyn's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Simon Pulse for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
CW: sexism (extreme), implied sexual assault, posting pictures of assaults and stories about it online, and physical injury
This was one of my most anticipated books for 2020 and I was not disappointed! It was a very good follow up to the first book, something that I was a little worried about. I didn't reread the first book and, surprisingly, I was able to keep up and remembered most of the important things that I needed to.
I'm going to do my best to skate around the reveal at the first book and just focus on the elements in this that I liked.
Mina and her friends escaped Innovations Academy after discovering the truth about who they really are. They manage to get away and, with some help, went underground and into a private school where things are... quite like where they came from. It's a boy's club of a school. Anything the rugby team does is looked over. Women don't report the things they do. They get a pat on the back for what they do as the girls are shamed.
For me, it felt a bit over the top. I read the sections about them being in school and how it was. I kept thinking that it was too much, that no school is like that. I went to public high school and then attended a private university and it wasn't like that at all. But, of course, I'm male and that means I have a different set of experiences, so I'm definitely interested in hearing what female readers thought about it rather than my own perception.
But, then, there was a further expanding of the world where it starts making sense why I felt it was over the top. Basically, as we're coming to find out, this isn't just sci-fi, but it's more of a AU world where Congress actually passed a law in recent history where men were able to control women. When it was repealed, that's when Innovations Academy came out.
Still, it felt over the top and a little contrived for me. I had been happy where the first book had gone and was interested to see what was going to happen, but now I see that this series could stretch easily into a million books which leave me annoyed because of how awesome the first one was. This was still a really good book, but there were some things nagging at the back of my mind about how amateurish the writing and plot felt, which is not how I felt about the first book at all.
I'm still going to keep tuned into this series and read a third book, because there definitely will be one with the ending, but I'm hoping that the series will come to an end soon rather than keep dragging along.
CW: sexism (extreme), implied sexual assault, posting pictures of assaults and stories about it online, and physical injury
This was one of my most anticipated books for 2020 and I was not disappointed! It was a very good follow up to the first book, something that I was a little worried about. I didn't reread the first book and, surprisingly, I was able to keep up and remembered most of the important things that I needed to.
I'm going to do my best to skate around the reveal at the first book and just focus on the elements in this that I liked.
Mina and her friends escaped Innovations Academy after discovering the truth about who they really are. They manage to get away and, with some help, went underground and into a private school where things are... quite like where they came from. It's a boy's club of a school. Anything the rugby team does is looked over. Women don't report the things they do. They get a pat on the back for what they do as the girls are shamed.
For me, it felt a bit over the top. I read the sections about them being in school and how it was. I kept thinking that it was too much, that no school is like that. I went to public high school and then attended a private university and it wasn't like that at all. But, of course, I'm male and that means I have a different set of experiences, so I'm definitely interested in hearing what female readers thought about it rather than my own perception.
But, then, there was a further expanding of the world where it starts making sense why I felt it was over the top. Basically, as we're coming to find out, this isn't just sci-fi, but it's more of a AU world where Congress actually passed a law in recent history where men were able to control women. When it was repealed, that's when Innovations Academy came out.
Still, it felt over the top and a little contrived for me. I had been happy where the first book had gone and was interested to see what was going to happen, but now I see that this series could stretch easily into a million books which leave me annoyed because of how awesome the first one was. This was still a really good book, but there were some things nagging at the back of my mind about how amateurish the writing and plot felt, which is not how I felt about the first book at all.
I'm still going to keep tuned into this series and read a third book, because there definitely will be one with the ending, but I'm hoping that the series will come to an end soon rather than keep dragging along.
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
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