Oh boy...I don't want to review this...but I'm going to...I HAVE to...It needs to be done.
Summary: A girl who can't touch people without killing them. Crazy person wants to use her as a weapon. Hot guy saves her and they decide to fight back against the establishment...or the Reestablishment...ugh.
3.5 Stars
This book started off sooooooooooooooooooo well!!! So well! I am so disappointed. I literally cannot even believe it. I had heard nothing but AMAZING things about this book and this series. Whitney from WhittyNovels on Youtube absolutely loves this series. She had me so curious about these books. I couldn't fathom why someone would be so obsessed over it. After all the hunting for this book and the LONG wait to get it started, I finally read it this past July...And BOY did I have some problems with it. I'm going to break it down as to why I liked it and why I won't be continuing on with the series.
Why This Worked for Me:
I loved the writing style. Tahereh Mafi has amazing writing. It's so poetic and it makes you want to keep reading. Even if you aren't really enjoying the story. For me, it helped me keep turning the page and made me want to read more and more. The chapters were also really short, so I felt like I was reading faster and it made the book go by very quickly.
The world was interesting. I didn't expect this to be a dystopian...I don't know why...but it was actually ok! The ozone layer is gone and everything is dying. People are starving, animals are poison because the only plants they can get are deadly. The government has gone to shit and is being run by a group called the Reestablishment. I loved the descriptions of the outside world and the fringe communities.I felt that the world described was something that could actually exist and was something that could happen in our future. It was kind of scary.
But this was the extent of the things I enjoyed about this book...Now to the hard part...
Why it Didn't:
The characters all sucked. Hard. I hated every one of them. Juliette, for starters, was a drip. I liked her at first. Quiet yet observant. She had trust issues, which made sense for someone who was bullied and thrown away by people who were supposed to care for her. Then she was suddenly really trusting of people. Now, I haven't been though the things Juliette had been through, but I do have trust issues. I would NEVER have made any of the decisions that she made. No matter how deep the crush for Adam was, I never would have trusted him after he "randomly" reappears into my life. I also didn't like how her only assets were the fact that she had a deadly touch and that she was pretty. EVERY character that ran into her, whether it was a main character or a character that made a very small cameo, had to mention how gorgeous Juliette was. "Wow she's deadly...but DAYUM she is hot!" I was so sick of it....Like...is that it? Nothing else? Just deadly and pretty? LAAAAAAAAAME! I don't have time for characters like that. Adam was a drip and Warner was not an interesting "villain." Maybe because he was obsessed with Juliette and I really didn't like her? I don't know...the idea that she was possibly going to choose between Warner or Adam in the end made me very nauseous. I couldn't see any redeeming qualities in any of these characters. Meh.
THE ENDING! I.....I can't.....I was not expecting the first book to end the way it did...and that's not a good thing. I was really hoping that the plot and world would make up for the shitty characters.........nope. I could have found this ending or "plot twist" in ANY dystopian or a very famous Marvel franchise....I just couldn't believe that was the direction she took the story. I rage few through the rest of the story (which wasn't much....thank goodness for that) and was just left feeling frustrated. None of this was original and I had been hoping for something new and captivating. Wishful thinking.
I am so disappointed that I didn't like this book. I wanted to like it so much, but in the end I was left feeling angry and frustrated. I didn't like the choices the author made and I think she really could have done something amazing. *sigh* I don't understand why this was such a popular trilogy...If it was just based on writing, I totally get it....but everything else was so bad that I'm not even interested in the other two books and novella......I mean, maybe I'll google it for shits and giggles, but I definitely don't want to read it. Too much time spent on something I really didn't enjoy.
If you liked this book, PLEASE tell me why? I hold no judgement against you, only curiosity. I think it is important to have different opinions and I would like to know yours!
Please check out my YouTube channel (it's me and a friend) and friend me on my goodreads if you want to stay current with the books I'm reading and my feelings as I read! I will leave links down below!
Until next time!
~Momo (Momes)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6483377-supermomochan-peachyfishybooks
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk5eRrShYL-HK0Gzg2qp4zQ
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I can't....I can't hold it in any more.........................................
SPOILERS BELOW! IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE SERIES AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANY SORT OF SPOILER INFORMATION. DO. NOT. READ!! I JUST HAVE SOME THINGS I NEED TO GET OFF MY CHEST AND I CAN'T KEEP IT TO MYSELF ANYMORE!!!!!! KEEP READING IF YOU WANT TO KNOW SOME MORE OF MY THOUGHTS. IF NOT, SEE YOU IN MY NEXT POST!~
Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?! This ending!!?? Seriously?!?!?!?!?! It was practically ripped off of X-Men!! And underground group of people with strange powers who are training to fight by a guy who wants to help people/kids accept their powers and use them for good?! I mean, yes, there are differences...but then it is almost like Mockingjay...again....more spoilers for the Hunger Games trilogy....and underground compound that houses people who want to fight against the leaders of their dystopian world...nah. No thanks. If I wanted any of that I would just watch an X-Men movie...it was done better in my opinion. And then let's give fucking Juliette, who EVERYONE is in love with and infatuated with a skin tight cat suit that will keep her from accidentally touching people. mmmmmhmmmmmmm yeah......It's like Mystique and Rogue had a baby with Cat Woman or something.
No. Thank you. Rant done.
