If you can deal with the main character meeting and adversary and oh my God they sound so hot and look so hot and act so hot but don't expect a romaaaIf you can deal with the main character meeting and adversary and oh my God they sound so hot and look so hot and act so hot but don't expect a romaaaance type writing, everything else was basically, idk, fine Solid 3.5 rounded up Great line was: 'It should not be this hard to stay a prisoner of a pirate ship!'...more
Love the line "It's been midnight for 3 minutes" Idk what happened that I didn't realize the age group this was for until fairly late into the book. WasLove the line "It's been midnight for 3 minutes" Idk what happened that I didn't realize the age group this was for until fairly late into the book. Was gonna give it 4stars on a curve but it hit 4 stars in its own merit toward the end. Excited to read the next one. Wish I had this at the appropriate age...more
The main thing that I think this book suffers from is a lack of trust in the reader. I found myself a little cDecent concept but hated the execution.
The main thing that I think this book suffers from is a lack of trust in the reader. I found myself a little confused about who the author felt they were writing for because things were over explained as if not trusting for a child to follow along but then there's a whorehouse. So the aim can't be *that* young. I made a guess that this was the author's first book and I was right, so I'd be willing to give the second a chance when it comes out.
~~~~~~ There were some things through the POV of the main character like where she has a friendship with someone higher ranking and even though they are nothing but kind/friendly, in EVERY scene together she has an inner monologue whenever she says something like "I'M FORGETTING MY PLACE WHY AM I ACTING SO CASUAL HE'S GOING TO GET MAD" even though there's literally no reason for her to feel that way based on his actual behavior. I think if she was more chill about it it would hit harder when things happen, like other people cutting her down, because you aren't reminded every time they talk. It'd be more of a slap of reality. There's a lot of things that likely would have been more impactful.
~~~~~~ The scene that was most egregious is a scene where... ((This isn't the actual scene, this is a similar example.)) --- Earlier there's something x wants to get out of so he makes his hand "unusable" with a fake cut on his hand and some bandages. Since she can't use his hand he gets out of it.((Again, NOT A REAL SCENE))
Then later y needs to get out of something and the prose is like "Y was wearing the bandages that x had used earlier. Y had been inspired by what x had done to get out of things earlier. X had left the bandages for y to borrow to help so that y could get out of it." ---
And like. I didn't need it explained that if y was doing the thing x did, with x's bandage that x was inspired by y. Especially not if immediately after that you're going to explain exactly how it came to pass...
Neither does, say, a 10 year old.
((pretty sure that isn't inspiration at that point, but, semantics))
~~~~~~ Something bad would happen that could, for instance, lead to the discovery that she's a girl and she'll be like it would be terrible if that happened! Because this situation I worried about earlier in the book already would reveal I'm a girl and *then* what would I do?
Yeah, I got why it was bad. It was literally 2 scenes ago you went over it.
~~~~~~ On the flipside something I DID like was the complete refusal to explain a single chinese thing. She eats black fungus and the teacher eats haw flakes and things about clothes and positions, even things like familial names like "mom", "dad", "brother", etc- and not a single thing is further explained. She just uses it and you just have to pick it up through context.
I just wish that she trusted the reader in this manner throughout.
I also liked the last decision the main character made in the book. It's a rare one I wish was chosen more.
I'm hopeful for writing growth in the second book
Also this was my first taste of silkpunk and it will not be my last....more
All the reviews I saw said this was a let down of a sequel but i think its better than the first book over all. I tried *really* hard to see if there wAll the reviews I saw said this was a let down of a sequel but i think its better than the first book over all. I tried *really* hard to see if there were going to be more books before committing to these and couldn't find an answer anywhere This book ends on a cliffhanger - this is not a duology, there will be more books....more
Had a hard time getting into this. I feel the writing is different early on then it is later and until the story gets going. Luckily the story gets goiHad a hard time getting into this. I feel the writing is different early on then it is later and until the story gets going. Luckily the story gets going pretty early on. I read more NA than YA so when the main character was a stupid 17 year old the stupidity hurt, but also something that gets better just a few chapters in. Went from a 2.5-3 in the fist 2 ch or so but hit a steady stride of 3-4 once it got going and even dipped into 5 stars a few time towards the end.
' "I've got a body at the med school." "I bet you've got a lot of bodies at the med school" '
' "That's 6 years of Sunday scSpoiler free quotes I liked-
' "I've got a body at the med school." "I bet you've got a lot of bodies at the med school" '
' "That's 6 years of Sunday school when I could have been playing baseball." "Were you any good?." "Nope. But I'm not good at scripture either." '
' "I'm not a killer." "Ok. More reluctant but efficient problem solvers." '
' "Great. Now I'm a snitch." "You've been worse." '
' She felt like she was watching a boxing match where the fighters threw citations instead of punches. '
'He looked like an ad for an expensive watch.' - I need to look through my older reviews because I swear I've pulled this line before because it amused me how specific and unusual it was [[insert 2 nickels meme here]]
' "Do we have to take an oath or something?" "Don't die. Try not to be an asshole. Thats the oath." '
' "We should cut across our palms! The way they do in movies!" "No one gets infections in movies and I actually need the use of my hands." '
' "You're not a killer." "*Yet*. Maybe I'm a late bloomer~" '
' "Wait a minute! You're saying it was made to trap demons!? Scholar's have been speculating on it for centuries!" [X] shrugged "I suppose it traps academics too." '
' "If anyone fucks with you I will teach them a new word for violence." '
'Fight, flight, or sarcasm.'
' "You know your problem?" "A predilection for first editions and women who like to lecture me about myself?" '
' "Why don't I think this story has a happy ending?" "I don't think they manufacture those is New Haven." '
' "He's a loaded weapon." "He's barely a squirt gun." '
' "Should I put on some tunes? I have this amazing Red Hot chili peppers double album!" Maybe they *should* kill them. '
' "You're going to have to change." "Of course! I know I haven't been the most responsible, but I believe in transformation growth!" "CLOTHES! You're going to have to change your *clothes*" '...more
Spoiler free quotes I liked. This series is FULL of amazing one liners-
'He was purebred golden retriever: Dopey, glossy, and expensive.'
' "You're in Spoiler free quotes I liked. This series is FULL of amazing one liners-
'He was purebred golden retriever: Dopey, glossy, and expensive.'
' "You're in terrible shape" "And you're an asshole." "Then we both have hardships to overcome" '
' "So it's a magical mixing bowl?" Such a little heathen.'
'His enthusiasm always seemed genuine. but sometimes it's sheer wattage made her want to do something abruptly violent. like put a pencil through his palm.'
'If she died her petty heart wanted to know who to haunt.'
'He wanted to look back to make sure she was still there. But he'd read enough stories to you know you never looked back on the way out of Hell.'
'He had been a lot of things-most of them annoying, but he loved his job.'
'She, who at the first sign of violence had curled into the corner like a hedgehog in a sweatshirt?'
' "You're about to die. Maybe now isn't the time to worry about giving a ghost a look at your boobs." '
'a little blasphemy to light the way.'
guy - '"what, you wanna ask me to prom?" girl- "idk, are gonna put out like a lil slut?"
' "brutalism" "well it does kind of feel like buildings are ganging up on us" "not what that means, but yes, it does feel that way." '
' "Was being left handed a sign of being demonic?" "Absolutely not. Demons are ambidextrous" '
' "We're all racist. How did you get through undergrad?" '
' "You're lucky this area's gentrified. Like to see me going to family dollar for goatsmilk." '
' "Is it a magical whiteboard?" "All whiteboards are magical! '
' "Am I supposed to be afraid?" "yes, but not of us." "Hey! he can be afraid of us!" '
'Maybe good things were like bad things, you just had to let them happen.'...more
My inebriated review to my friend was 'Dude how this author goes from "weird slow boring writing booooo" to "IF I DO NO FINISH THIS BOOK TONIGHT I MIGMy inebriated review to my friend was 'Dude how this author goes from "weird slow boring writing booooo" to "IF I DO NO FINISH THIS BOOK TONIGHT I MIGHT DIE" is wild' And I stand by it...more
