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A review by emleemay
Villain by Michael Grant
2.0
2 1/2 stars. Hmm. I didn't expect to have much to say about the second book in a spin-off series of another popular six-book series, but I guess there's still things I want to talk about.
I'm a huge fan of Grant's Gone series, and also enjoyed the first book in this spin-off - Monster. I love the action, the grit, the diverse and flawed characters. I've definitely had some issues with parts of it but, overall, the positive has outweighed the negative.
The problem is that this book makes it feel like the series is losing steam. Monster appeared to breathe new life into the story by introducing new characters and higher stakes... yet this book feels like filler, propelled by mindless action and ever more ludicrous additions to the mutants. I think the addition of cyborgs is an odd choice and doesn't quite work-- it reads like a desperate attempt to drag something new into a series that is running out of ideas.
I also felt nothing towards the villain. I'm not talking about Drake - who gets very little page time here - but the new guy, Dillon, who Grant tries to turn into a complex villain. His story is somewhat interesting at first, but he quickly became lame and comical. His decision to cause so much trouble and kill people is done almost on a whim. A lot of this book feels a little like that - pointless action and gore without meaning or something bigger behind it.
And a quick warning-- this book is gross. It is gory and graphic and there were scenes that literally made me feel ill. There's descriptions of Drake's torture victims, some of which he even crucified. This is truly one of the most gruesome books I've ever read, and I don't just mean in YA.
Also not sure why we need to be reminded every chapter that Dekka is a lesbian. Like, I get it. Your rep of LGBTQ characters has been noted already. Let's move on.
I do think Grant is a great writer, but I also think I'm ready for something new from him. Mindless action scenes have never really been my thing and sometimes the most important part of writing a good series is knowing when to stop. Who knows? Maybe the story will get a boost in the next book, but right now it feels stale.
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I'm a huge fan of Grant's Gone series, and also enjoyed the first book in this spin-off - Monster. I love the action, the grit, the diverse and flawed characters. I've definitely had some issues with parts of it but, overall, the positive has outweighed the negative.
The problem is that this book makes it feel like the series is losing steam. Monster appeared to breathe new life into the story by introducing new characters and higher stakes... yet this book feels like filler, propelled by mindless action and ever more ludicrous additions to the mutants. I think the addition of cyborgs is an odd choice and doesn't quite work-- it reads like a desperate attempt to drag something new into a series that is running out of ideas.
I also felt nothing towards the villain. I'm not talking about Drake - who gets very little page time here - but the new guy, Dillon, who Grant tries to turn into a complex villain. His story is somewhat interesting at first, but he quickly became lame and comical. His decision to cause so much trouble and kill people is done almost on a whim. A lot of this book feels a little like that - pointless action and gore without meaning or something bigger behind it.
And a quick warning-- this book is gross. It is gory and graphic and there were scenes that literally made me feel ill
Spoiler
like the opening chapter where Dillon forces a man to lick vomit off the floorAlso not sure why we need to be reminded every chapter that Dekka is a lesbian. Like, I get it. Your rep of LGBTQ characters has been noted already. Let's move on.
I do think Grant is a great writer, but I also think I'm ready for something new from him. Mindless action scenes have never really been my thing and sometimes the most important part of writing a good series is knowing when to stop. Who knows? Maybe the story will get a boost in the next book, but right now it feels stale.
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