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anne100307_'s review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
silvercole's review against another edition
3.0
I should start off by saying this book was honestly not what I expected. And not in a good way. We follow our two main characters Knox Grayson and Ava Harris, two high school seniors who can’t stand one another. Ava has her reasons but to me Knox’s reason as to why he disliked Ava was boring. And that’s where this book fell flat for me. Ava hates the Sharks, also known as the popular boys that rule the school, because she suspects that one of them was the one that raped her a year before. Chance, Dane and Knox, the main sharks,hate her all for different reasons. Chance, who was dating Ava the year that she was raped hates her cause he believed Ava was lying and just cheated on him. (eye roll at the slut shaming in this book). Dane hates Ava mostly because she reminds him of his mother, who was also raped and committed suicide. And finally Knox “hates” Ava because she is different from the rest. We find out how much Knox hates Ava when its revealed that he hired a PI to investigate her life, and just find out everything about her cause he was secretly in love with her this whole time. shocking. (yawn)
Like I said before, this book just lacked alot of actual foundation to create a great book. I was more invested in Knox’s brother, Dane. We got to see so many sides to Dane as he struggled with drugs and the death of his mother. I think Madden can write some good characters and make them come to life yet this one just wasn’t for me.
The characters were very well written and the romance was very good, hence the three stars. Although this wasn’t one of my favorite reads of 2020 it was a guilty pleasure of mine. The last chapter of the book was honestly my favorite part of the book because we got to see Knox and Ava being more mature yet still madly in love with one another. Overall it was good, easy read.
Like I said before, this book just lacked alot of actual foundation to create a great book. I was more invested in Knox’s brother, Dane. We got to see so many sides to Dane as he struggled with drugs and the death of his mother. I think Madden can write some good characters and make them come to life yet this one just wasn’t for me.
The characters were very well written and the romance was very good, hence the three stars. Although this wasn’t one of my favorite reads of 2020 it was a guilty pleasure of mine. The last chapter of the book was honestly my favorite part of the book because we got to see Knox and Ava being more mature yet still madly in love with one another. Overall it was good, easy read.
prettybigjuicybussyhoe's review against another edition
3.0
It had such a good plot but honestly could have been so much shorter. The epilogues were unnecessary but still a nice story.
iyareadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐
This was a fun, one-time read if I ignore the obvious reveal and the extremely anti-climatic ending. The synopsis of the book is misleading along with the cover.
The story follows the life of Ava, who at the beginning of the book is sexually assaulted by someone she can't remember except for the fact that the person was from her school's sports team. After being aloof for ten months, she returns to find out the culprit and has a collision with Knox Grayson, as well as receives a mysterious love note in her locker.
For most part, the story focuses on the relationship between Knox and Ava which was one based on mutual pining even though they were supposedly enemies. I will completely discern the fact that I got no enemy vibes from both of them. They were a little sarcastic and bickering at the beginning, that's all. Other than that, the build up was good and the conclusion was well done. The surprise at the end was definitely unpredictable although you could guess a little.
The writing was good, the execution of the plot was moderate but the characters were well-flashed out. Dane just stole my heart. His arc was the most complex and relatable. The conflicts he potrayed were very well written and this was one of the reasons I was hooked.
The problem I had with this book is the anti-climatic ending which was very predictable and felt rushed. It could have made sense if Ava and Knox got a little more time to figure out their relationship before things started to fly out of nowhere. Also, Ava not recognising her assaulter's voice even though she knew it well didn't make sense.
A nice read with a good message and beautiful ending but a little off-track towards at times.
But you can't take a beautiful, soft flower and crush it under your cleats, not when she's halfway to broken already.
This was a fun, one-time read if I ignore the obvious reveal and the extremely anti-climatic ending. The synopsis of the book is misleading along with the cover.
The story follows the life of Ava, who at the beginning of the book is sexually assaulted by someone she can't remember except for the fact that the person was from her school's sports team. After being aloof for ten months, she returns to find out the culprit and has a collision with Knox Grayson, as well as receives a mysterious love note in her locker.
For most part, the story focuses on the relationship between Knox and Ava which was one based on mutual pining even though they were supposedly enemies. I will completely discern the fact that I got no enemy vibes from both of them. They were a little sarcastic and bickering at the beginning, that's all. Other than that, the build up was good and the conclusion was well done. The surprise at the end was definitely unpredictable although you could guess a little.
“Stay with me. I'm giving you my heart. I'm giving you everything...”
The writing was good, the execution of the plot was moderate but the characters were well-flashed out. Dane just stole my heart. His arc was the most complex and relatable. The conflicts he potrayed were very well written and this was one of the reasons I was hooked.
The problem I had with this book is the anti-climatic ending which was very predictable and felt rushed. It could have made sense if Ava and Knox got a little more time to figure out their relationship before things started to fly out of nowhere. Also, Ava not recognising her assaulter's voice even though she knew it well didn't make sense.
A nice read with a good message and beautiful ending but a little off-track towards at times.
cyq123455's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
I read review and someone compared this with Veronica Mars first season and they were right.
It has a lot of similar stuff.
I liked Knox and Ava together at times difficult to read but okay read.
It has a lot of similar stuff.
I liked Knox and Ava together at times difficult to read but okay read.
theamitymalum's review against another edition
3.0
i have a strong opinion on this one. first it is sold as a slow burn enemies to lovers. to be enemies to lovers you need to be enemies first, he has been in love with her since he met her. they never really hated each other they just couldn't date because right person wrong time.
ANYWAY if you would've told me instead of knox his name was harry styles i wouldn't question it. most of this felt like a wattpad fanfic it made me mad. i liked it? yes i like romance but i am mad there were never enemies in the first place. i also chose to ignore the cover
slow burn? don't know her. he literally fingered her in the auditorium the first moment they were all alone. if you're diabetic be careful reading this book because he's lovesick he said such beautiful things i gagged i had a sugar rush he was ready to give it all up for her
ANYWAY if you would've told me instead of knox his name was harry styles i wouldn't question it. most of this felt like a wattpad fanfic it made me mad. i liked it? yes i like romance but i am mad there were never enemies in the first place. i also chose to ignore the cover
slow burn? don't know her. he literally fingered her in the auditorium the first moment they were all alone. if you're diabetic be careful reading this book because he's lovesick he said such beautiful things i gagged i had a sugar rush he was ready to give it all up for her
skathleennn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
jazmin's review against another edition
4.0
“No matter the road you take, it doesn’t matter if it’s beautiful or ugly, hard or smooth, paved or pitted with ruts—it’s your road to take. What matters is how it ends.”
A wonderful romance that was both moving and sweet. I loved this book’s plot and fell in love with its characters.
❦ Ava and Knox ❦
As I mentioned, I really enjoyed all of the protagonists, including our two main characters Ava and Knox. They were both strong and brave and it was easy to love them. My feelings towards them as a couple were a bit more unsteady because my opinions kept going up and down, but ultimately I did like them and their journey.
“Really? No one wanted them to be together. None of the gods approved. Who’d love the king of the underworld?” “The right person.” He inhales.
❦ Side Characters ❦
This book also managed to do something that most standalone romances can’t, and that was to have great side characters! Usually, side characters get glossed over in romance novels and they are very rarely memorable, but I really liked a few of them in this book! It was hard not to love Dane, Tyler and Wyatt after seeing how much Ava and Knox cared for them.
❦ Themes and Plot ❦
Despite how cheery I sounded at the beginning of this review, this book dealt with some very dark themes and serious topics. They were very well written and I enjoyed seeing Ava finally get the justice that she both craved and deserved. Overall the plot was fantastic, but the one thing I didn’t understand was why the text messages and the note in her locker were a part of the book. Now that I look back, it seemed to play such a small role in the novel as a whole, and it just felt a bit unnecessary considering how much was going on at the same time.
“Scars serve as medals of honor, and the strongest hearts have the most.”
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