briar_rose_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Disappointing follow-up to MYSTIC CITY (which I liked better, well enough to read this book).
Main complaints:
The heroine carried the Idiot Ball as though it were the Olympic Torch. (Thank you, TV Tropes, for that perfect trope name.) Her dumb decisions were required to drive the plot forward, and I like plots that locomote with minimal stupidity from major characters. The dialogue overflowed with "As you know, Bob" moments where two characters discussed things both of them already knew, just to remind or inform the readers. And there was a long villainous monologue where a bad guy delayed doing The Thing That Will Give Me All The Power in order to explain his/her plan to the good guys.
Sadly--though I liked the unique setting and the cool world-building in the first book--I'm not sure I'll be picking up the finale of this trilogy, unless the reviews are convincingly positive.
Main complaints:
The heroine carried the Idiot Ball as though it were the Olympic Torch. (Thank you, TV Tropes, for that perfect trope name.) Her dumb decisions were required to drive the plot forward, and I like plots that locomote with minimal stupidity from major characters. The dialogue overflowed with "As you know, Bob" moments where two characters discussed things both of them already knew, just to remind or inform the readers. And there was a long villainous monologue where a bad guy delayed doing The Thing That Will Give Me All The Power in order to explain his/her plan to the good guys.
Sadly--though I liked the unique setting and the cool world-building in the first book--I'm not sure I'll be picking up the finale of this trilogy, unless the reviews are convincingly positive.
kazalicious's review against another edition
3.0
Would have liked it more if Aria got with Turk. PFFFT. HUNTER.
svenja98's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
naeee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
LOVED the book but i still think the first book is the best
miii_'s review against another edition
4.0
What to say about the book...
I think if I could give 1/2 points I would give them but so just 4 from 5 ...I just can't give full stars...some stuff really bothered me.
First of all let’s talk about the good points. I thought the second book couldn't be that good as the first book but even if I gave more stars the first book I really enjoyed the second book equally as the first book. I finished the first book in a day and the second book nearly in a day ... usually it takes me 3 or 5 days to finish a book. What I really really really love in Toxic heart is that not everything is about the topic love. I really enjoy the hunt of the heart and how everything breaks and breaks farther apart in A. world. I really love how she becomes a badass character. She is not just a little dumb girl ....maybe she could be a bit cleverer but she is still naive... But that is why she is loveable .I love the book development and that every character is not perfect and has actually faults in her/his character.
Now a bit negative stuff which contains spoilers....Seriously the ending is not as good as it could be. Sure the Author "wants" to write three books...but he could have finished this book series with the second book.
Also...the love story...I don't ship A. and Hunter that much but a girl who has found her first love WOULD NEVER BREAK UP WITH HER BOYFRIEND IN THAT WAY. Seriously that how guys break up with girls ...I thought the whole time when they talked a girl would never let go the topics that easily and a girl would run after Hunter after he said such stuff. A girl would try to save her boyfriend and don't say what do I care I still have busy stuff to do. Because if it is your first love you couldn't give up your boyfriend like that you would fight for your first love. Also no girl would react like A. reacted with Truk, because a girl would panic xDD. We actually would think more about what happened. But we would stay with Hunter ....sad news but we would. But the author is a man XD which I sometimes could read ....that’s not how girl’s feelings for something’s are. In the first book I think he did a better job with this problem. I remember I was really surprised how a man could get a girl that well. The next thing what bothered me is the hunt after heart is super exciting and a page turner but at the end I thought...okay we get it...the hunt is long but that long ...is a bit too long. But that is maybe not my cup of tea...but what I really disliked in the second book is why can't A. stay normal just not a supernatural being. I think that wasn't necessary I really couldn't stand the ending that’s why the book isn't for me 5 stars. I really love A. grounded not...magical that’s why everybody can empatherise with her.
I think if I could give 1/2 points I would give them but so just 4 from 5 ...I just can't give full stars...some stuff really bothered me.
First of all let’s talk about the good points. I thought the second book couldn't be that good as the first book but even if I gave more stars the first book I really enjoyed the second book equally as the first book. I finished the first book in a day and the second book nearly in a day ... usually it takes me 3 or 5 days to finish a book. What I really really really love in Toxic heart is that not everything is about the topic love. I really enjoy the hunt of the heart and how everything breaks and breaks farther apart in A. world. I really love how she becomes a badass character. She is not just a little dumb girl ....maybe she could be a bit cleverer but she is still naive... But that is why she is loveable .I love the book development and that every character is not perfect and has actually faults in her/his character.
Now a bit negative stuff which contains spoilers....Seriously the ending is not as good as it could be. Sure the Author "wants" to write three books...but he could have finished this book series with the second book.
Also...the love story...I don't ship A. and Hunter that much but a girl who has found her first love WOULD NEVER BREAK UP WITH HER BOYFRIEND IN THAT WAY. Seriously that how guys break up with girls ...I thought the whole time when they talked a girl would never let go the topics that easily and a girl would run after Hunter after he said such stuff. A girl would try to save her boyfriend and don't say what do I care I still have busy stuff to do. Because if it is your first love you couldn't give up your boyfriend like that you would fight for your first love. Also no girl would react like A. reacted with Truk, because a girl would panic xDD. We actually would think more about what happened. But we would stay with Hunter ....sad news but we would. But the author is a man XD which I sometimes could read ....that’s not how girl’s feelings for something’s are. In the first book I think he did a better job with this problem. I remember I was really surprised how a man could get a girl that well. The next thing what bothered me is the hunt after heart is super exciting and a page turner but at the end I thought...okay we get it...the hunt is long but that long ...is a bit too long. But that is maybe not my cup of tea...but what I really disliked in the second book is why can't A. stay normal just not a supernatural being. I think that wasn't necessary I really couldn't stand the ending that’s why the book isn't for me 5 stars. I really love A. grounded not...magical that’s why everybody can empatherise with her.
oh_darling's review against another edition
3.0
Meine Gefühle zu diesem Band sind wirklich sehr gemischt.
Den Anfang fand ich schrecklich, schlecht geschrieben, fad und irgendwie auch erzwungen spannend. Gegen Ende fand ich das Buch dann gar nicht mehr so schrecklich.
Im Gegenteil.
Die Entwicklung von Aria gefällt mir zunehmend besser und auch die Storyline gewinnt wieder an Fahrt.
Dennoch kann dies nicht darüber hinweg trösten, dass Hunter einem Vollidioten gleicht und man keinen Bezug mehr zu dem einzigsten Traumpaar aufbauen kann. Sehr schade. Band 1 hatte mir wirklich gut gefallen. Band 2 konnte mich leider kaum überzeugen.
Eine Love-Triangel hätte das Buch im Übrigen gar nicht nötig, die veränderten Gefühle gegegenüber Hunter hätten vollkommen gereicht.ö
Den Anfang fand ich schrecklich, schlecht geschrieben, fad und irgendwie auch erzwungen spannend. Gegen Ende fand ich das Buch dann gar nicht mehr so schrecklich.
Im Gegenteil.
Die Entwicklung von Aria gefällt mir zunehmend besser und auch die Storyline gewinnt wieder an Fahrt.
Dennoch kann dies nicht darüber hinweg trösten, dass Hunter einem Vollidioten gleicht und man keinen Bezug mehr zu dem einzigsten Traumpaar aufbauen kann. Sehr schade. Band 1 hatte mir wirklich gut gefallen. Band 2 konnte mich leider kaum überzeugen.
Eine Love-Triangel hätte das Buch im Übrigen gar nicht nötig, die veränderten Gefühle gegegenüber Hunter hätten vollkommen gereicht.ö
wrenlee's review against another edition
3.0
Okay. As much as I loved the first book, this book isn't the best. Why? Good question!
A) The romance is so so so annoying. The author created an amazing romance between Aria and Hunter. Theo Lawrence practically threw it away. If you really loved this guy, Aria, you would have sent him to the corner and gotten over it! You're supposed to love him!
B) I hate Aria. She's whiny and annoying. She only gets a good image at the end. And even then I hate her.
C) Again, the romance! Seriously. Turk and Aria? God. Did you really need to set her up with another guy? She risked her life for Hunter. Two guys is too much for one life.
D) Practically everything else. Why? The plot is dull. Sure, there's action, but this action is dull. The fight scene with Elissa was interesting but not amazingly so. And Aria has to be saved by everyone.
E) ARIA IS SUCH A WIMP. Goodness. Get a life. Get a brain! Get common sense! -throws arms in the air- Her naivety is a disgrace!
A) The romance is so so so annoying. The author created an amazing romance between Aria and Hunter. Theo Lawrence practically threw it away. If you really loved this guy, Aria, you would have sent him to the corner and gotten over it! You're supposed to love him!
B) I hate Aria. She's whiny and annoying. She only gets a good image at the end. And even then I hate her.
C) Again, the romance! Seriously. Turk and Aria? God. Did you really need to set her up with another guy? She risked her life for Hunter. Two guys is too much for one life.
D) Practically everything else. Why? The plot is dull. Sure, there's action, but this action is dull. The fight scene with Elissa was interesting but not amazingly so. And Aria has to be saved by everyone.
E) ARIA IS SUCH A WIMP. Goodness. Get a life. Get a brain! Get common sense! -throws arms in the air- Her naivety is a disgrace!
etinney's review against another edition
3.0
3 out of 5 stars
The beginning of this book was probably 2.5 stars, but luckily it redeemed itself.
Aria is an idiot. Throughout the whole novel, she did not see the consequences of her wishful thinking. She was immature and thought that everything would just work out. She was also extremely selfish in her dealings with other characters, especially with Hunter. She did not seem to understand that he had more important things to do than to be in a relationship with her.
Hunter was also extremely rude to Aria. He excluded her from his plans for no reason and was just an annoying character overall. I think Lawrence was trying too hard to set up the love triangle between Hunter and Turk. If you make Hunter annoying, Turk looks a lot better. Although Turk is the only consistently good character in the novel, I would prefer that Turk and Aria remain friends. The flirting seems very forced.
In addition to Hunter, Shannon is just a horrible person for absolutely no reason. I understand that she wouldn't have trusted Aria right away, but the insults were just unnecessary. It was obvious that her character was being set up for growth, but this just made the change unbelievable.
With the plot, most of it was fairly good. There was action and betrayal and whatever. However, a lot of points were not very believable, especially with the stand-offs between the "good" and "bad" guys. There was the cliche "I am going to tell you all of my plans so that the author can stall time before you kill me", especially in the battle between Elissa and the mystics. She could have easily killed all of them as soon as they walked in, yet there had to be a 2 page explanation of how she was power-hungry.
Besides these things, the story was fairly good, and the ending was definitely the best way it could have been handled. Aria finally grew up and realized that she was not fighting for her relationship. Thank god. She broke up with Hunter, who became extremely whiny at the end of the story.
I think I will continue on with the series, but I am not super excited for it.
The beginning of this book was probably 2.5 stars, but luckily it redeemed itself.
Aria is an idiot. Throughout the whole novel, she did not see the consequences of her wishful thinking. She was immature and thought that everything would just work out. She was also extremely selfish in her dealings with other characters, especially with Hunter. She did not seem to understand that he had more important things to do than to be in a relationship with her.
Hunter was also extremely rude to Aria. He excluded her from his plans for no reason and was just an annoying character overall. I think Lawrence was trying too hard to set up the love triangle between Hunter and Turk. If you make Hunter annoying, Turk looks a lot better. Although Turk is the only consistently good character in the novel, I would prefer that Turk and Aria remain friends. The flirting seems very forced.
In addition to Hunter, Shannon is just a horrible person for absolutely no reason. I understand that she wouldn't have trusted Aria right away, but the insults were just unnecessary. It was obvious that her character was being set up for growth, but this just made the change unbelievable.
With the plot, most of it was fairly good. There was action and betrayal and whatever. However, a lot of points were not very believable, especially with the stand-offs between the "good" and "bad" guys. There was the cliche "I am going to tell you all of my plans so that the author can stall time before you kill me", especially in the battle between Elissa and the mystics. She could have easily killed all of them as soon as they walked in, yet there had to be a 2 page explanation of how she was power-hungry.
Besides these things, the story was fairly good, and the ending was definitely the best way it could have been handled. Aria finally grew up and realized that she was not fighting for her relationship. Thank god. She broke up with Hunter, who became extremely whiny at the end of the story.
I think I will continue on with the series, but I am not super excited for it.
abbeyleec's review against another edition
5.0
This was such an amazing second book for the series. It was so great. So many things were happening and it got so intense in some parts. It was just so good.
Also, some relationships shifted and I don't know how I feel about them.
Also, some relationships shifted and I don't know how I feel about them.
booksforlosers's review against another edition
4.0
i read the first book towards the beginning of freshman year so over a year ago or so and i forgot how much i liked it, this one definitely wasn’t as good as the first one but i still really liked it and it’s easy to focus on