Melissa
This book confused me. I couldn't ever quite grasp the game, nor the real connection between many characters. And most of all, why?? The motive behind the game was never clear. Disjointed.
The solution to the clues was obvious early on — ok, it's a children's book— but the bombs and the pointless misdirection at the end were just...bizarre. The concept was good, but in the end I was disappointed.
Mixed feelings. Fairly enjoyable, but not fantastic. Author clearly did not do her due diligence about the time period. Pacing was very slow and the mystery was basic. I had it figured out less than halfway through. Characters were pretty compelling. On the fence about continuing, but if I do I will not listen to the audio; narrator was plodding and her inflection/phrasing was downright poor in places.
I don't know if it is the state of the world, or the unlikeable protagonist, but I did not enjoy this book like I did the original trilogy. It was pretty well written, albeit wayyyy longer than needed and oddly paced, but terribly depressing. Insight into Snow? I guess, but not compelling enough to merit an entire (long) novel. Overall it feels like an attempt to milk the popularity of the series for one last time, which I suppose it achieved.
Mostly enjoyable, with some fairly large exceptions. As others have noted, an odd and unexpected tale, which left me feeling befuddled at times. I'm not a huge satire fan, so that may have been part of my feeling lost occasionally. There is one giant glaring plot hole that drove me nuts and was never resolved, but overall the twists were fun. I saw the culprit coming a mile away, though not the motive and backstory. All in all, a story characterized by contradictions.
Disappointing. Lackluster mystery, lack of character development, and continued grammatical errors did me in. Oh, and the author's note was poorly researched, referencing Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich as primary influencers of women wearing trousers in the 20s, when neither of them actually became well known until the 30s. The editor thought they should be called pants!?! Good gracious, get a better editor...even this American knows that pants are underwear in the UK!
Enjoyable. I found the verbal sparring between Violet, Sebastian and St. Sevier entertaining, although it could easily become tedious. Decently woven plot and interesting, fairly developed characters; most importantly, no glaringly obvious missteps about the time and place, which are all too frequent in this genre.
I'm super torn about this book. First, it's definitely not cozy. Second, the relationship with Alaric has been exhausting from the start. I'm completely over it.
But. The mystery itself got really good towards the end, with multiple twists that had me gripped. Not sure I'll continue the series, but decided the writing at least deserved its due with the rating.
So, I did not love this book. The writing was pretty dismal. This author needs a good editor and a thesaurus. The protagonist's motto is “anyone can betray anyone.” That's the originality in a nutshell–non-existent. The plot was all over the place, trying to leach off the selection and hunger games, but not having much of its own direction. I hung in there in hopes it would go somewhere, and it kind of did. Not earth shattering, but enough of a twist to keep me engaged. 2.5 stars.
I find Andrews' self-importance distasteful. He supposes to be able to put words in the mouths of the greatest minds the world has ever seen; even a spokesperson of the almighty. I also abhor this particular brand of motivational-speech-based faith. It's neither good self-help nor good spiritual doctrine. Marshmallow fluff of the “chicken soup for the soul” variety. Two stars only because the concept was interesting.
