dreamofbookspines's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Occasionally crosses the line from entertainment to something less enjoyable. The rage is real and familiar, as a woman in the world. I would have loved the empowered rage when I was a teenager/in my early 20s. Now, it still feels relatable but slightly less galvanizing than when I was dating men.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Bullying
Minor: Racism
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
Content Warnings
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
Content Warnings
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
danileah07's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Bullying
izzy_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Gore and Sexual assault
ladykelsier's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Misogyny
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
More...