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Defect
Locked in the mental ward on her sixteenth birthday, Eve Sterling doesn’t think things can get any worse.
They can.
After failing the mindscan procedure that predicts future crime, she’s deemed a Defect and subjected to endless psychological and physical testing as the government tries to determine what’s different about her.
The one bright spot is military guard, Will. He’s gentle with her when no one’s watching and suppresses a smile whenever she defies their challenges. Will’s lessons begin to dance dangerously close to knowledge she shouldn’t possess, like what’s beyond the fenced compound. Though it’s forbidden and Will would be killed on the spot if they’re discovered, they steal away moments together. With her very life on the line, Eve has to decide if she can trust the guard she’s falling for.
DEFECT, young adult romance takes place in the near-future.
It is a survivalist love story.
They can.
After failing the mindscan procedure that predicts future crime, she’s deemed a Defect and subjected to endless psychological and physical testing as the government tries to determine what’s different about her.
The one bright spot is military guard, Will. He’s gentle with her when no one’s watching and suppresses a smile whenever she defies their challenges. Will’s lessons begin to dance dangerously close to knowledge she shouldn’t possess, like what’s beyond the fenced compound. Though it’s forbidden and Will would be killed on the spot if they’re discovered, they steal away moments together. With her very life on the line, Eve has to decide if she can trust the guard she’s falling for.
DEFECT, young adult romance takes place in the near-future.
It is a survivalist love story.
396 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2013
7 people are currently reading
1307 people want to read
About the author
Ryann Kerekes
3 books128 followersRyann Kerekes writes young adult novels with a strong dose of romance. She lives in Minnesota with a super cute husband and two puppies, one of which may be part monkey. When not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, laughing and day dreaming about kissing scenes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 8, 2013
I’m a big fan of dystopia, and I really liked the premise of this one. Kerekes’ dystopian world is set 40 years after the ‘Medical Revolution’ which sought to irradiate crime, physical and mental illness, and socially unacceptable behaviour from the population. In order to do this, all citizens living in the fenced-in, heavily guarded cities, are subjected to a ‘mindscan’ at age 16 which predicts their future susceptibility.
We meet our heroine, Eve, on the day of her mindscan, when she, most unusually, fails the procedure and is taken into custody and subjected to intense testing – and labelled a Defect.
I really liked Eve. Thrown into a completely unknown and terrifying existence, she refuses to let anybody break her. She is determined to fight, to stay true to herself, and to tackle all of the obstacles thrown at her. There’s a strong Divergent vibe going on when she begins training as a soldier and endures extreme physical challenges, grows stronger, learns about her world and becomes one tough little chick.
And then there’s Will *sigh*, Eve’s trainer, who is a bit of a badass but who is nothing but gentle with her. He looks out for her, protects her, and helps her adjust to her new world. And then there are the meaningful stares, hidden smiles, little touches and forbidden talk about their situation and life beyond the fences. And in defiance of the rules, a sweet romance develops.
“Nothing here was by choice. Except us. That’s why this feels so right. We’re choosing each other.”
But Eve’s status as a Defect is a unique one, and unbeknownst to her, her government sees her as a threat, putting her in very real danger.
The story is told entirely from Eve’s POV, and you really feel her emotion as she adjusts to everything around her. The side characters are great – both the good and the evil, and the dystopian world is intriguing and well developed.
But as excited as I was to read a stand alone, cliffie-free book, I felt that the ending was really rushed, and it could easily have been expanded out to become a fuller story. Part 2 of the book, with a major shift in focus, starts at 85%. To keep with the flow of the story, I feel like this should have happened at the halfway point of the book, but instead, after the well paced and detailed lead up to get to that point, too much story is squished into that last 15%, with new characters introduced, and major events taking place that are just glossed over. I feel like so much potential has been missed. The whole book builds up to an epic finish which just… isn’t there. There’s an Epilogue so we now how Eve’s story ends up – two years later – and it is a HEA, but all of the action is missing, and so many threads are left undone. I wanted more.
We meet our heroine, Eve, on the day of her mindscan, when she, most unusually, fails the procedure and is taken into custody and subjected to intense testing – and labelled a Defect.
I really liked Eve. Thrown into a completely unknown and terrifying existence, she refuses to let anybody break her. She is determined to fight, to stay true to herself, and to tackle all of the obstacles thrown at her. There’s a strong Divergent vibe going on when she begins training as a soldier and endures extreme physical challenges, grows stronger, learns about her world and becomes one tough little chick.
And then there’s Will *sigh*, Eve’s trainer, who is a bit of a badass but who is nothing but gentle with her. He looks out for her, protects her, and helps her adjust to her new world. And then there are the meaningful stares, hidden smiles, little touches and forbidden talk about their situation and life beyond the fences. And in defiance of the rules, a sweet romance develops.
“Nothing here was by choice. Except us. That’s why this feels so right. We’re choosing each other.”
But Eve’s status as a Defect is a unique one, and unbeknownst to her, her government sees her as a threat, putting her in very real danger.
The story is told entirely from Eve’s POV, and you really feel her emotion as she adjusts to everything around her. The side characters are great – both the good and the evil, and the dystopian world is intriguing and well developed.
But as excited as I was to read a stand alone, cliffie-free book, I felt that the ending was really rushed, and it could easily have been expanded out to become a fuller story. Part 2 of the book, with a major shift in focus, starts at 85%. To keep with the flow of the story, I feel like this should have happened at the halfway point of the book, but instead, after the well paced and detailed lead up to get to that point, too much story is squished into that last 15%, with new characters introduced, and major events taking place that are just glossed over. I feel like so much potential has been missed. The whole book builds up to an epic finish which just… isn’t there. There’s an Epilogue so we now how Eve’s story ends up – two years later – and it is a HEA, but all of the action is missing, and so many threads are left undone. I wanted more.
March 27, 2013
[image error]
Welcome to the future where “The Medical Revolution” has created a segregated society that categorizes citizens into a new social stratus: “Sleeper,” “Reject,” and the rare “Defect.” Technology has enabled the government to perform a “mindscan” on all individuals when they turn sixteen. The purpose of the mindscan is to identify individuals who have a criminal mindset, mental disorders, or medical diseases and to isolate them from the general population.
The results of your mindscan determine your place in society. Sleepers are deemed fit for society, while Rejects are sent to military training. Defects, well, the government doesn’t want to recognize Defects, but those rare few identified as such are locked away where they undergo further testing. Those unfortunate few who are not categorized as Sleepers lose their freedoms and can never return to their families or the life they once had.
When the story opens, it’s Eve Sterling’s “sweet sixteen” birthday, and she is accompanied by her mother to have the required mindscan. We experience the events of the story from Eve’s point-of-view, and this is effective in allowing us to care about Eve along her journey. By only having Eve’s perspective, the author kept my interest because I was never certain of who Eve could trust. When she chooses to confide in another character, I found myself cringing, wondering if that was a wise decision.
As Eve undergoes the procedure, her thoughts center around her mother’s advice: “Guard your mind.”
[image error][image error]
Eve’s results indicate that she is a Defect. At first she doesn’t understand what that means, since there are only two well-established categories: Sleepers” and Rejects. Talk of Defects is hushed. She later learns that to be labeled a Defect means that the mindscan failed to read her mind. Eve, finally, begins to see the significance of her situation and the potential threat she poses to the government:
Will is a trainer for Rejects who are forced into the military training program. Early on, it is obvious that he sees something in Eve. Aware of her current, dismal existence, he helps her by persuading his superior, O’Donovan, to allow Eve to train with them.
O’Donovan and Will appear to doubt her abilities, since her physicality immediately puts her at a disadvantage. She’s slightly over five-feet in height and weights around 100 lbs. Eve is aware that“neither of them believes I can actually do this-become a fearless soldier-but I desperately want the chance to prove them wrong.”
Will is a formidable trainer who easily intimidates the new recruits. However, he takes special interest in Eve, helping her outside of the group’s training routine. He spends extra time training Eve and teaching her survival skills.
[image error]
Eve is skeptical of Will at first: Will is “the one person here…who seems to be looking out for me, and I still haven’t figured out his motive.” Even with doubts, Eve senses that he is a good person. She admits, “…his gaze could level you, and when he’s standing close, it’s like all the air’s been sucked from the room. Intense? Yes. But I’ve never felt scared of him.” Will is a strong, silent hero who keeps Eve guessing about his feelings toward her. At times, the intense attraction between the two is so overwhelming, I squirmed just reading about it, especially the scene with Bad Company playing “Feel Like Making Love” in the background.
Through their time together, Eve and Will fall for each other. The first time Will kisses Eve in the privacy of his dorm room, she exclaims,
[image error]
Eve is an impressive heroine in the book. At the age of sixteen, she is forced into situations that she never imagined. Her world has been shattered, but she refuses to allow others to break her either emotionally or physically. She endures and conquers every obstacle set before her. Among them-
Unfairly matched fights
[image error]
And Predators
[image error]
Ironically, her successes make her a threat to the government.
Once Will and Eve become aware that Eve is in imminent danger, they make a plan for Eve’s escape. Will is willing to put his own life at risk by helping Eve. He wants to save her life, and she wants to save his by persuading him to leave with her. His decision to leave is questionable. But Eve has no choice if she wants to survive.
The suspense builds as Eve seeks to escape and find safety with a group of Radicals, individuals who escaped during the revolution to live apart from society in the wilderness. Can Eve stay strong if she leaves Will behind? Can they find their way back to each other?
[image error]
Can the government continue with their illusion of promising a better way of life?
The conclusion of the story was unexpected for me. I really expected more of a descriptive and developed resolution. There is so much material for expansion, and, before I reached the end, I just knew there would be a sequel. However the author chose an epilogue to wrap up the story. Readers who dislike books with cliff-hangers will probably find this a satisfactory conclusion.
Welcome to the future where “The Medical Revolution” has created a segregated society that categorizes citizens into a new social stratus: “Sleeper,” “Reject,” and the rare “Defect.” Technology has enabled the government to perform a “mindscan” on all individuals when they turn sixteen. The purpose of the mindscan is to identify individuals who have a criminal mindset, mental disorders, or medical diseases and to isolate them from the general population.
The results of your mindscan determine your place in society. Sleepers are deemed fit for society, while Rejects are sent to military training. Defects, well, the government doesn’t want to recognize Defects, but those rare few identified as such are locked away where they undergo further testing. Those unfortunate few who are not categorized as Sleepers lose their freedoms and can never return to their families or the life they once had.
When the story opens, it’s Eve Sterling’s “sweet sixteen” birthday, and she is accompanied by her mother to have the required mindscan. We experience the events of the story from Eve’s point-of-view, and this is effective in allowing us to care about Eve along her journey. By only having Eve’s perspective, the author kept my interest because I was never certain of who Eve could trust. When she chooses to confide in another character, I found myself cringing, wondering if that was a wise decision.
As Eve undergoes the procedure, her thoughts center around her mother’s advice: “Guard your mind.”
[image error][image error]
Eve’s results indicate that she is a Defect. At first she doesn’t understand what that means, since there are only two well-established categories: Sleepers” and Rejects. Talk of Defects is hushed. She later learns that to be labeled a Defect means that the mindscan failed to read her mind. Eve, finally, begins to see the significance of her situation and the potential threat she poses to the government:
“Their technology didn’t work on me-I wasn’t sick, I wasn’t a criminal-but rather than admit that I’d somehow outsmarted them, they chose to lock me up and throw away the key. It fills me with rage.”
Will is a trainer for Rejects who are forced into the military training program. Early on, it is obvious that he sees something in Eve. Aware of her current, dismal existence, he helps her by persuading his superior, O’Donovan, to allow Eve to train with them.
O’Donovan and Will appear to doubt her abilities, since her physicality immediately puts her at a disadvantage. She’s slightly over five-feet in height and weights around 100 lbs. Eve is aware that“neither of them believes I can actually do this-become a fearless soldier-but I desperately want the chance to prove them wrong.”
Will is a formidable trainer who easily intimidates the new recruits. However, he takes special interest in Eve, helping her outside of the group’s training routine. He spends extra time training Eve and teaching her survival skills.
[image error]
Eve is skeptical of Will at first: Will is “the one person here…who seems to be looking out for me, and I still haven’t figured out his motive.” Even with doubts, Eve senses that he is a good person. She admits, “…his gaze could level you, and when he’s standing close, it’s like all the air’s been sucked from the room. Intense? Yes. But I’ve never felt scared of him.” Will is a strong, silent hero who keeps Eve guessing about his feelings toward her. At times, the intense attraction between the two is so overwhelming, I squirmed just reading about it, especially the scene with Bad Company playing “Feel Like Making Love” in the background.
Through their time together, Eve and Will fall for each other. The first time Will kisses Eve in the privacy of his dorm room, she exclaims,
“Will floods my senses. Just his physical presence overwhelms me. The stubble on his jaw, the feel of his strong hands against me, it’s all completely new and electrifying.“
[image error]
Eve is an impressive heroine in the book. At the age of sixteen, she is forced into situations that she never imagined. Her world has been shattered, but she refuses to allow others to break her either emotionally or physically. She endures and conquers every obstacle set before her. Among them-
Unfairly matched fights
[image error]
And Predators
[image error]
Ironically, her successes make her a threat to the government.
Once Will and Eve become aware that Eve is in imminent danger, they make a plan for Eve’s escape. Will is willing to put his own life at risk by helping Eve. He wants to save her life, and she wants to save his by persuading him to leave with her. His decision to leave is questionable. But Eve has no choice if she wants to survive.
The suspense builds as Eve seeks to escape and find safety with a group of Radicals, individuals who escaped during the revolution to live apart from society in the wilderness. Can Eve stay strong if she leaves Will behind? Can they find their way back to each other?
[image error]
Can the government continue with their illusion of promising a better way of life?
The conclusion of the story was unexpected for me. I really expected more of a descriptive and developed resolution. There is so much material for expansion, and, before I reached the end, I just knew there would be a sequel. However the author chose an epilogue to wrap up the story. Readers who dislike books with cliff-hangers will probably find this a satisfactory conclusion.
March 28, 2013
Now THESE young characters I'm happy to read even as a fairly jaded adult. There's too much goodness here to cover, but I'll skim the highlights:
1. A strong, non-bitchy female lead who reflects on her actions, questions herself and grows as a person. And we get a male counterpart who is compelling without being the slightest bit abusive, obnoxious or pointlessly mysterious. Dear readers, the young man communicates! He actually opens his mouth and says important things that correct mistaken impressions, drive the plot forward, and give us a reason to like him!
2. A spare writing style that does a great job conveying creepy without edging into melodramatic. Pretty decent plot -- it may not be madly original, but the execution and pacing were fantastic.
3. No ridiculously forced love triangles. There may be the occasional sideline guy mooning over our Eve, but she respects herself and her emotions too much to play mind games with any of them or with herself.
Seriously, there are probably a lot of readers like me out there by now. I avoid love triangles in which your average brainless twit just doesn't know how to choose between the good boy who is her best friend and the mysterious boy who quickens the fire in her loins, or some such bullshit. Those are usually enough to shift a book from the "must-read" to the "consigned-to-the-dustbin-of-shitty-lazy-plot- devices" pile. Rant over.
Thank you Ryann Kerekes (and whatever powers inspired you) for tying up a story in one single well-written book! No pointless cliff hangers, no invented relationship barriers erected by sheer stupidity. This is just a breath of fresh air of a book that left me hugging a very confused cat in giggly glee.
1. A strong, non-bitchy female lead who reflects on her actions, questions herself and grows as a person. And we get a male counterpart who is compelling without being the slightest bit abusive, obnoxious or pointlessly mysterious. Dear readers, the young man communicates! He actually opens his mouth and says important things that correct mistaken impressions, drive the plot forward, and give us a reason to like him!
2. A spare writing style that does a great job conveying creepy without edging into melodramatic. Pretty decent plot -- it may not be madly original, but the execution and pacing were fantastic.
3. No ridiculously forced love triangles. There may be the occasional sideline guy mooning over our Eve, but she respects herself and her emotions too much to play mind games with any of them or with herself.
Seriously, there are probably a lot of readers like me out there by now. I avoid love triangles in which your average brainless twit just doesn't know how to choose between the good boy who is her best friend and the mysterious boy who quickens the fire in her loins, or some such bullshit. Those are usually enough to shift a book from the "must-read" to the "consigned-to-the-dustbin-of-shitty-lazy-plot- devices" pile. Rant over.
Thank you Ryann Kerekes (and whatever powers inspired you) for tying up a story in one single well-written book! No pointless cliff hangers, no invented relationship barriers erected by sheer stupidity. This is just a breath of fresh air of a book that left me hugging a very confused cat in giggly glee.
March 9, 2013
I absolutely loved reading this book; Ryann Kerekes is an author to follow! Situations that may seem ordinary and non-dramatic are made to feel absolutely vibrant and true to life, as if you are sitting in the shoes of our heroine. Your heart beats with hers, your breath catches with hers, and your hopes for her drive the story in a quick and riveting fashion. And, boy, how Kerekes created such a handsome, charming and sweet hero! Will had some major sex appeal; you could practically smell and taste him, and feel his breath on your neck… At times my heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest from the level of sexual tension!
HOLY SEXUAL TENSION!!!
GIFSoup
Don't be fooled by the book cover, this is not a simple romance, this is a dystopian fiction, full of government corruption, embattled citizens and the loss of free will. The romantic story is delicately woven into the larger drama, in a subtle yet sometimes explosive way. I enjoyed that I got to share the struggles, joys, heartbreaks and insecurities with these characters, and then to witness their just rewards. I only wish that the story could have been longer, and that we could have had more details around the resolution of the story. I feel like I only scratched the surface of these fascinating characters, and would have been willing to dive into a much bigger book. I can't wait to move on to everything else Ryann Kerekes writes!
*An ARC of this book has been provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
HOLY SEXUAL TENSION!!!
GIFSoup
Don't be fooled by the book cover, this is not a simple romance, this is a dystopian fiction, full of government corruption, embattled citizens and the loss of free will. The romantic story is delicately woven into the larger drama, in a subtle yet sometimes explosive way. I enjoyed that I got to share the struggles, joys, heartbreaks and insecurities with these characters, and then to witness their just rewards. I only wish that the story could have been longer, and that we could have had more details around the resolution of the story. I feel like I only scratched the surface of these fascinating characters, and would have been willing to dive into a much bigger book. I can't wait to move on to everything else Ryann Kerekes writes!
*An ARC of this book has been provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
Want to read
March 7, 2013
Yet another awesome sounding book!!
Locked in the mental ward on her sixteenth birthday, Eve Sterling doesn’t think things can get any worse.
They can.
After failing the mindscan procedure that predicts future crime, she’s deemed a Defect and subjected to endless psychological and physical testing as the government tries to determine what’s different about her.
The one bright spot is military guard, Will. He’s gentle with her when no one’s watching and suppresses a smile whenever she defies their challenges. Will’s lessons begin to dance dangerously close to knowledge she shouldn’t possess, like what’s beyond the fenced compound. Though it’s forbidden and Will would be killed on the spot if they’re discovered, they steal away moments together. With her very life on the line, Eve has to decide if she can trust the guard she’s falling for.
DEFECT, young adult romance takes place in the near-future.
It is a survivalist love story.
May 24, 2013
There is a reason (however annoying we find it) why this kind of books are usually written as a trilogy: if you are giving us a new world you have to make us part of it as if it was our own. You have to give us heroes and heroines we would be happy to follow in real life and make us become invested in the revolution.
Unfortunately that didn't happen in this book. We get glimpses of this new world, but nothing else. How are we going to become members of this movement if you don't let us know what our heroes and heroines are fighting for? The idea was good, the story underdeveloped. I couldn't believe when the first part of the story ( let's call it the warm up to the revolution) finished at 85% of the book. 15% of the book to start a revolution, win it, have the hero and heroine sort out their relationship and even an epilogue! Exhausting!
In addition, the " love story" let me feeling completely cold. I was never interested on it (which is sad, because I usually focus in the love stories as if I was still 15, so imagine how lukewarm it was) and didn't care a bit if they ended together or not (maybe because I still don't know what they were doing together in the first place).
Unfortunately that didn't happen in this book. We get glimpses of this new world, but nothing else. How are we going to become members of this movement if you don't let us know what our heroes and heroines are fighting for? The idea was good, the story underdeveloped. I couldn't believe when the first part of the story ( let's call it the warm up to the revolution) finished at 85% of the book. 15% of the book to start a revolution, win it, have the hero and heroine sort out their relationship and even an epilogue! Exhausting!
In addition, the " love story" let me feeling completely cold. I was never interested on it (which is sad, because I usually focus in the love stories as if I was still 15, so imagine how lukewarm it was) and didn't care a bit if they ended together or not (maybe because I still don't know what they were doing together in the first place).
April 2, 2013
I've always loved dystopian novels. The world building in this was interesting and definitely kept me reading but I think it could've been built upon more and could've easily been turned into a great 3-4 book series. The ending felt very rushed to me. The end of part one is around 82%, I think, which made me question the reason to even break the book up into "parts". Part Two was so rushed I almost got whiplash at the time lapses. Without giving away spoilers, there was a WHOLE lot that happened during part two that the reader didn't even get to experience. It's what was being worked toward the entire book and it goes from "I cant believe its about to happen" right to the Epilogue. I did like the characters and the build up to their romance. I admired Eve's strength, both physical and mental, and Will was a fantastic hero and leader. I just wished there was more to it.
September 30, 2024
Oh so a Four and Tris spin off with even more challenges, more angst, and more dialog?? Spectacular, give me 14 of them right now!
May 11, 2014
This would have been a great book to read, especially seeing as I am such a huge fan of dystopian stories because they can feature all kind of genres such as romance, action, humour, angst...etc. The list is endless. The writing for this story was actually pretty great, nice writing style and Kerekes has a way with words that makes you want to read on - which is the only reason I ended this book.
This book is not original. I know this because I have read so many dystopian books now, and this story did not even hide the fact that it was using plots from Divergent, Hunger Games and Delirium (to name a couple). If I was Veronica Roth, I would be so angry because so much of her plot line was used. Ryann did not have enough originality to make it believable that this was her plot and not somebody else's. I am amazed that when it was being published, no one recognised the similarity of the story line.
I was not impressed, to say the least. I had high hopes for this but I was really annoyed that the books I had loved previously were being ripped off in this piece of fiction. Kerekes clearly has the writing style but where is the originality?
This book is not original. I know this because I have read so many dystopian books now, and this story did not even hide the fact that it was using plots from Divergent, Hunger Games and Delirium (to name a couple). If I was Veronica Roth, I would be so angry because so much of her plot line was used. Ryann did not have enough originality to make it believable that this was her plot and not somebody else's. I am amazed that when it was being published, no one recognised the similarity of the story line.
I was not impressed, to say the least. I had high hopes for this but I was really annoyed that the books I had loved previously were being ripped off in this piece of fiction. Kerekes clearly has the writing style but where is the originality?
March 7, 2013
NEW FAVORITE BOOK OF 2013!!!
Ryann sent me an ARC of her new book Defect and I was totally like...
Eve and Will *sigh* I loved the fact it wasn't love at first sight kind of thing, it was a sweet and gradual progress.
Defect is filled with action, amazing bffs, sweet kisses (and steamy ones too!) and a girl finding inner strength. I was enraptured from page one and couldn't stop reading (even though I was literally going cross-eyed) till the end:)
Ryann does it again!!! The type of story all us booklovers are addicted to and this one is like crack. I can't wait for more from Ryann. I'll definitely be stalking her till the next one.
Ryann sent me an ARC of her new book Defect and I was totally like...
Eve and Will *sigh* I loved the fact it wasn't love at first sight kind of thing, it was a sweet and gradual progress.
Defect is filled with action, amazing bffs, sweet kisses (and steamy ones too!) and a girl finding inner strength. I was enraptured from page one and couldn't stop reading (even though I was literally going cross-eyed) till the end:)
Ryann does it again!!! The type of story all us booklovers are addicted to and this one is like crack. I can't wait for more from Ryann. I'll definitely be stalking her till the next one.
May 30, 2014
I'm in love with the first 85% of this book. But I hated the ending, and how it was just kind of squished into one conjumbled mass of story. Kerekes spends so much time carefully building the first 85% of the story, and then abruptly ends it without any of the satisfaction I was looking for. Honestly, I thought the book was missing pages or something! I feel so utterly robbed of my time because I feel that the ending of this was so rushed and missed all of the potential that it had going for it. It could've been the next Divergent, but not with that ending.
December 13, 2013
This book is terrible. It's like a cross between Divergent, Delirium and Hunger Games. There is no imagination, the descriptions are cold and there is no real feeling, even in the romance scenes. I struggled to finish this and only managed by skimming the latter part of the book. The final chapters of the book are rushed with no details. I don't write many reviews, even though I read about three books a week. However, this book was so terrible and the reviews so over-praising I thought the truth should be shared. If this wasn't the worst book I've read this year, it was pretty close.
April 16, 2013
*sigh*
In essence, the idea for this book was great. The execution? Not so much. I really just couldn't finish this book. I got to page 190/328, and from the start, was thrown off by the protagonist, as well as the "love interest" (I actually don't know if he is really the love interest as I didn't finish the book). The characters didn't seem to have much depth to them and it was all too wishy-washy for my liking.
In essence, the idea for this book was great. The execution? Not so much. I really just couldn't finish this book. I got to page 190/328, and from the start, was thrown off by the protagonist, as well as the "love interest" (I actually don't know if he is really the love interest as I didn't finish the book). The characters didn't seem to have much depth to them and it was all too wishy-washy for my liking.
March 14, 2013
*Sigh* Will. :)
February 3, 2023
Things I liked: the concept was creative and I liked Eve’s determination.
Things I did not like:
-Eve was too lucky for it to be believable.
-Her personality was not likable, imo. She was fine, nothing deep so I found myself not caring what happened to her.
-her bond with Will was so intense yet not deep. There was no development. They were just immediately obsessed with each other. And it was short and sudden so it didn’t make sense that she was sudden so absorbed in him.
-Poor character descriptions
-Inconsistent characters with no depth
-loose ends never explained (like the dad)
-I could go on and on but the worst part was the terrible, rushed sloppy ending. Horrible. It’s like she wrote the book and then gave up so she made up a sloppy happy ending with a random sex scene at the end.
I hated this book. It seemed promising. It could have been really good. Oh well. Waste of time and money but maybe this review will help someone else not make the same disappointing mistake.
Things I did not like:
-Eve was too lucky for it to be believable.
-Her personality was not likable, imo. She was fine, nothing deep so I found myself not caring what happened to her.
-her bond with Will was so intense yet not deep. There was no development. They were just immediately obsessed with each other. And it was short and sudden so it didn’t make sense that she was sudden so absorbed in him.
-Poor character descriptions
-Inconsistent characters with no depth
-loose ends never explained (like the dad)
-I could go on and on but the worst part was the terrible, rushed sloppy ending. Horrible. It’s like she wrote the book and then gave up so she made up a sloppy happy ending with a random sex scene at the end.
I hated this book. It seemed promising. It could have been really good. Oh well. Waste of time and money but maybe this review will help someone else not make the same disappointing mistake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2013
There are some spoilers down the way, so be warned!
First off, I need to put a disclaimer:
First off, I need to put a disclaimer:
I don’t usually read dystopia books. The only ones I read before I started Defect, were the Hunger games books, and those I read only because I wanted to see what was all the fuss about them. It’s not that I didn’t like The Hunger Games, on the contrary, I loved them, but dystopia as a setting for a story is waaaay to much depressing for me. When something is depressing, I tend to avoid it, so there’s a big chance I won’t go through the whole book; which is a blasphemy. There’s a special hell for people who never finish books they’ve started, and in it the authors who write books that CAN’T be finished read their novel aloud to the chained non-finishers. At least that’s how it is in my head.
Back to the Defect, I expertly excavated it somewhere in the depths of the hard-drive on my computer (I’m an archaeologist, you know :D) and when I checked it out on Goodreads (as I’ve come to learn it’s necessary after reading a little thing called Laid Bare unprepared) and saw that it’s a stand alone, I decided to give it a shot, because one does not simply start studying without an unrelated book to procrastinate with.
We meet Eve Sterling and her mother on their way to the lab in which Eve has to undergo a mandatory mindscan. The language is simple, sentences short and to the point, and Eve seems completely secure in what she is about to endure. It’s mandatory. It’s safe. Everyone does it. Everyone has to do it. Nothing can go wrong. But her mother is nervous and tells her to guard her mind. That’s the first thing that bothered me a little. Ok, let’s say you live in a world where everything has to be just right, ordinary, non-defective. It’s an unimaginable concept to me, but I guess when you’re brought up in a society that believes in it, you believe too. But she was brought up by a person who doesn’t believe. We find out later that Eve’s mother is the first Defect, that she was let out of the Labs because she ended knocked up by a doctor (no less!) and it was a scandal and the whole shebang. Then WHY THE HELL hadn’t she run over the fence (or border, or whatever) with her child, why hadn’t she protected Eve?
So, Eve fails her mindscan (mind you, it’s not defective, as is for every other defect, she fails it) and she ends up in a mental institution. Cue the cute Dimiti Belikov-trainer-guardian-warrior-type-that-fall-in-love-at-first-sight (we’ll call him Will here), who is a kickass fighter and an asshole to everyone but her. He saves her from the hospital wing and puts her in warrior training.
Now, the hospital wing: I don’t get it. Why would you (if you are dystopian government) keep a bunch of defects that you have absolutely no use for in a hospital for their whole lives, where you have to sedate them, and feed them, and so on, when you have no problem with killing people already? Isn’t it a bit redundant? I mean, what people would object if you killed those teenagers that failed their mindscan, but they won’t make a fuss if you just torture them for 50 years? Yeah, that makes sense!
I don’t have to retell you what happens next – she becomes a kickass herself, hooks up with Will, has to run away, does it , has a Bella Swan New Moon moment in the wilderness outside the border (he’s dead, he’s dead, he left me, etc, etc.) and a HEA in the end, of course. I expected it, so I don’t think I should go on and on about the plot. The only thing that really poked me in my mental eye is the so –OMG-I-have-to-finish-and-wrapp-up-this-book-like-yesterday-ending. The writing in itself was already fast paced through the whole book (I read it, in an afternoon, and still managed to learn everything about Roman art in the Republic period), and I like it, it seemed natural, somehow, in sych with her day-for-day thinking. But that ending could have been written on at least as many pages as it is long now.
Do I recommend it? Yes, ok, especially if you are a dystopia-novels-virgin, like I was. But now, while I’m going through the third book of the Delirium saga – Requiem, I would not be as eager to recommend it to someone who knows the genre better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2013
**Find this and other reviews @ The Demon Librarian**
Defect is a YA dystopian novel set in a not-too-distant future where life is heavily regimented and controlled, and citizens are subjected to invasive mindscan procedures. Fail the scan and you're branded a Defect. Family, school, friends - you lose it all. Suddenly you're government property, and they can do whatever they want to you. Which is exactly what happens to Eve at the start of the book.
Eve's voice reeled me in almost instantly. She doesn't understand why she failed the mindscan, or what makes her different from the countless others who have taken (and passed) the same test. All she knows is life as she knows it is over. Rather than give up, though, or waste time railing against the unfairness of her fate, Eve makes up her mind that she is going to survive at any cost. She's not going to give anyone the satisfaction of beating her, or of turning her into a mindless drone. She's small but tough, this girl, and has plenty of smarts and spirit. It helps that she has a totally swoonworthy guy in her corner who isn't afraid to break and bend the rules for her.
Will....ah, Will. He sorta snuck up on me. He's a little tough to pin down at first, but when he turns it on, it's ON. I am not at all embarrassed to admit he made me sigh like a dreamy-eyed schoolgirl more than a few times. (What? Like you haven't oooh'd and aaah'd over a sexy book hero? Yeah, that's what I thought LOL)
The romance has the right amount of buildup and sizzling moments, and the characters are solid and pretty well defined, so it's easy to stay invested and interested in their story. Unfortunately, as much as I liked what I was reading (and I truly did), the book is not without its issues.
For starters, the world-building is slow to get off the ground, with a lot of necessary explanations about why things are the way they are postponed until further into the novel. Even then, I didn't feel like I got a crystal clear picture of how this dystopian world worked. What details I did get were vague and in short supply. The story also lacks urgency. I was told about various threats and dangers but I wasn't really shown them, and as a result, I didn't take them seriously.
Where Defect really let me down, though, was in its ending. The final 1/3 or so of the book had a bare bones, slightly rushed feel to it that I wasn't happy with. Like I was reading a recap of events, instead of being allowed to actually experience things as they happened. Adding Will's POV might have solved this problem, or better yet, splitting the story into two books instead of making it a standalone. Because honestly, there was a lot more to this story than what I read, and I was disappointed I had to settle for less.
All in all, though, while Defect didn't wow me as much as Ryann Kerekes' debut novel, The Cirque (which I cannot recommend strongly enough), for a sophomore effort it ain't half bad. I like Ryann Kerekes' style and believe she's just beginning to scratch the surface of her writing potential. I look forward to her next project, whatever it is.
This book would be ideal for those who are new to the YA dystopian genre. It's an easy read, not too heavy or angst-ridden, and the two main characters are sure to win you over.
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Defect is a YA dystopian novel set in a not-too-distant future where life is heavily regimented and controlled, and citizens are subjected to invasive mindscan procedures. Fail the scan and you're branded a Defect. Family, school, friends - you lose it all. Suddenly you're government property, and they can do whatever they want to you. Which is exactly what happens to Eve at the start of the book.
Eve's voice reeled me in almost instantly. She doesn't understand why she failed the mindscan, or what makes her different from the countless others who have taken (and passed) the same test. All she knows is life as she knows it is over. Rather than give up, though, or waste time railing against the unfairness of her fate, Eve makes up her mind that she is going to survive at any cost. She's not going to give anyone the satisfaction of beating her, or of turning her into a mindless drone. She's small but tough, this girl, and has plenty of smarts and spirit. It helps that she has a totally swoonworthy guy in her corner who isn't afraid to break and bend the rules for her.
Will....ah, Will. He sorta snuck up on me. He's a little tough to pin down at first, but when he turns it on, it's ON. I am not at all embarrassed to admit he made me sigh like a dreamy-eyed schoolgirl more than a few times. (What? Like you haven't oooh'd and aaah'd over a sexy book hero? Yeah, that's what I thought LOL)
The romance has the right amount of buildup and sizzling moments, and the characters are solid and pretty well defined, so it's easy to stay invested and interested in their story. Unfortunately, as much as I liked what I was reading (and I truly did), the book is not without its issues.
For starters, the world-building is slow to get off the ground, with a lot of necessary explanations about why things are the way they are postponed until further into the novel. Even then, I didn't feel like I got a crystal clear picture of how this dystopian world worked. What details I did get were vague and in short supply. The story also lacks urgency. I was told about various threats and dangers but I wasn't really shown them, and as a result, I didn't take them seriously.
Where Defect really let me down, though, was in its ending. The final 1/3 or so of the book had a bare bones, slightly rushed feel to it that I wasn't happy with. Like I was reading a recap of events, instead of being allowed to actually experience things as they happened. Adding Will's POV might have solved this problem, or better yet, splitting the story into two books instead of making it a standalone. Because honestly, there was a lot more to this story than what I read, and I was disappointed I had to settle for less.
All in all, though, while Defect didn't wow me as much as Ryann Kerekes' debut novel, The Cirque (which I cannot recommend strongly enough), for a sophomore effort it ain't half bad. I like Ryann Kerekes' style and believe she's just beginning to scratch the surface of her writing potential. I look forward to her next project, whatever it is.
This book would be ideal for those who are new to the YA dystopian genre. It's an easy read, not too heavy or angst-ridden, and the two main characters are sure to win you over.
3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2013
***ARC received by publisher for review***
Their technology didn’t work on me-I wasn’t sick, I wasn’t a criminal-but rather than admit that I’d somehow outsmarted them, they chose to lock me up and throw away the key. It fills me with rage.
When I saw this book on Goodreads, I knew it was something I wanted to read. Falling in love in a mental ward? Yes please! Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this was a dystopian. As I’ve said before, dystopias and I just don’t get along. Too much gloom and doom, too depressing and the explaining of the new world I just find boring. The first couple of chapters were hard to get into, not because it was bad because the story picks up right away from the beginning. I just wasn’t sure yet if I wanted to keep reading. I was ready to call it a DNF but I remembered how much I loved the Shatter Me books and Black City, even though they are dystopias too. So I decided to keep reading and made it past the 50 page line. I’m glad I did because this was a story I ended up liking.
When violence hits an all time high, the government implements a new system which forces all teens to get a mind scan on their 16th birthday. Those deemed safe are ‘sleepers’ and those who show violent tendencies are deemed ‘rejects’ and locked away. Then they are those with inconclusive results who are labeled as ‘defects’. Eve fails her mind scan and is taken away to a mental ward. There she is treated to various and brutal tests trying to determine what is different about her. With the help of Will, one of the guards, she is transferred over to a secret section that trains defects to become soldiers. The relationship with her and Will was sweet and they had good chemistry. I loved seeing how he goes from his icy exterior to helping her in little ways to full on risking his life for her. Eve was a great MC. No matter how many shitty and horrible situations were thrown her way or how many times she was beaten, emotionally or physically, she always held her head high and did her best to prove them all wrong.
Defect was a good story, it was more of a survivalist story than a love story. It had what initially made me fall in love with the dystopia genre several years ago but most importantly, it didn’t have all the things that made me end up strongly dislike the genre. The best part: no cliffhanger ending! I don’t know why I was so happy over that, sometimes I just want my stories to wrap up nicely and not have to wait another book to find out what happens next. Although I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I would have a liked a few more chapters, the epilogue made up for it and gave me a glimpse into how Eve’s life is after. I admit that there were a few parts that reminded me of Delirium, minus the boring parts which was okay with me. Fans of dystopia books and even those who are not would really enjoy Defect.
3.5 out of 5 stars!
***
Read more of my reviews at:
www.MostlyYABookObsessed.com
December 19, 2014
This was a great read. It had all the trademarks of a great dystopian book. The main character was an underdog, yet tough enough to engage. The writing was relatively good, engaging and descriptive. The story was had quite a few twists, never too dull. The characters were all very interesting. Keeping in theme with dystopian novels, the characters were never too emotional. That being said, the characters were very well explored within a fairly action based premise. The book was action packed and well rounded, with detailed and likable characters. There was feasible goal, and the story stayed relatively on target.
SUMMARY: In a Dystopian world, every sixteen year old receives a mind scan, which determines their future jobs and life. But when Eve, the short teenager with the strange mom, takes the mind scan she fails the test. Immediately Eve is taken away to a government facility. Starved and drugged, Eve is repeatedly tested by multiple government scientists. Eventually Eve is moved to the guard program at the request of her instructor Will. Can Eve survive with the intense guard program? Can Eve thwart the government? Can she expose their corruption? What are Will's intentions? Is he part of the corrupt government?
the not-so-good parts: The book was very good and engaging, until the end. The story seemed to lose its independent theme and it's focus on the main character. The relation between the main caracter and a certain individual also seemed a little under developed. Also, there were quite a few loose ends (who is her father? How did they take control of the government?), yet the end of the book left a generally satisfying feeling.
the best parts: The epilogue was excellent: we saw a little more of the main character, and really filled out the holes in the story. Additionally, the main character was AWESOME. Independent, strong, and discovered herself. The action within the book was also very exciting, well placed and well thought out. The guard program was really intricate and intriguing. I do have to say that Will was a great character. All in all, the story left me with a good feeling, and was an excellent story. Definitely one of the best Dystopian books I've read.
If you like Dystopian books, independent characters, and strong character development, this is your book! It's exciting, well written, and well finished. Highly recommended!
SUMMARY: In a Dystopian world, every sixteen year old receives a mind scan, which determines their future jobs and life. But when Eve, the short teenager with the strange mom, takes the mind scan she fails the test. Immediately Eve is taken away to a government facility. Starved and drugged, Eve is repeatedly tested by multiple government scientists. Eventually Eve is moved to the guard program at the request of her instructor Will. Can Eve survive with the intense guard program? Can Eve thwart the government? Can she expose their corruption? What are Will's intentions? Is he part of the corrupt government?
the not-so-good parts: The book was very good and engaging, until the end. The story seemed to lose its independent theme and it's focus on the main character. The relation between the main caracter and a certain individual also seemed a little under developed. Also, there were quite a few loose ends (who is her father? How did they take control of the government?), yet the end of the book left a generally satisfying feeling.
the best parts: The epilogue was excellent: we saw a little more of the main character, and really filled out the holes in the story. Additionally, the main character was AWESOME. Independent, strong, and discovered herself. The action within the book was also very exciting, well placed and well thought out. The guard program was really intricate and intriguing. I do have to say that Will was a great character. All in all, the story left me with a good feeling, and was an excellent story. Definitely one of the best Dystopian books I've read.
If you like Dystopian books, independent characters, and strong character development, this is your book! It's exciting, well written, and well finished. Highly recommended!
March 28, 2013
3 Stars for Defect by Ryan Kerekes
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
First I should say that the cover of this book is a bit misleading. It says more hey this could be a hot read. And well it was more on the dystopian/survivialist side of the spectrum. I liked the core of this story, I felt that the this was really a story of survival if anything else. It was gritty in Eve's pursuit to not only survive but to become a solider. Kane was a fun character that was full of evil. He pushes Eve and makes her understand the world she is trying to get into. And then there is Will, quiet strong Will who seems to be always looking out for Eve. The small glimpse of Will in the beginning was so sweet. The romance in this book is quite with brief moments of the characters. I think my favorite part of this book is actually the second part, and I fell in love with a character that we dont see until the last bit of this book.
I really liked the idea of this story, but I also was left wanting a bit more. It was hard for me to connect to some of the characters and I felt like I was missing details. But I prefer books with a lot of detail, it helps me visualize and connect more with the story so it is possible that this writing style just didn't jibe with me. The second part of the book I loved and I could have read a whole novel about that section. I felt that I got to see a bit more of the person Eve was. And then the ending, man like I said this book could have easily been written into three full length novels. But it was nice to see the HEA as well, to see it put together.
Final Say: If you like dystopians that are about the survival of a person go read this book :)
Check out this review on my blog,
http://caitontheroad.blogspot.com/201...
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
First I should say that the cover of this book is a bit misleading. It says more hey this could be a hot read. And well it was more on the dystopian/survivialist side of the spectrum. I liked the core of this story, I felt that the this was really a story of survival if anything else. It was gritty in Eve's pursuit to not only survive but to become a solider. Kane was a fun character that was full of evil. He pushes Eve and makes her understand the world she is trying to get into. And then there is Will, quiet strong Will who seems to be always looking out for Eve. The small glimpse of Will in the beginning was so sweet. The romance in this book is quite with brief moments of the characters. I think my favorite part of this book is actually the second part, and I fell in love with a character that we dont see until the last bit of this book.
I really liked the idea of this story, but I also was left wanting a bit more. It was hard for me to connect to some of the characters and I felt like I was missing details. But I prefer books with a lot of detail, it helps me visualize and connect more with the story so it is possible that this writing style just didn't jibe with me. The second part of the book I loved and I could have read a whole novel about that section. I felt that I got to see a bit more of the person Eve was. And then the ending, man like I said this book could have easily been written into three full length novels. But it was nice to see the HEA as well, to see it put together.
Final Say: If you like dystopians that are about the survival of a person go read this book :)
Check out this review on my blog,
http://caitontheroad.blogspot.com/201...
June 29, 2015
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
I really liked the "core" of this story, and the only reason it’s not getting a top mark from me is because of the ending, I mean WHAT happened!!!??!! The story had sooo much potential, and it was almost heartbreaking to watch as the author just rushed through the end. Part 2 was waaaaaaaaaaaay too short!!!!! She took her time introducing the story and the ending should have been just as thought through, if not much more so!!! It should be the masterpiece, the great closure, the gong gong at the end of the parade! What makes it worse is that the story started so great, and so I expected the end to be both scientifically and fictionally amazing! But alas, it sort of fell flat. Though I was intrigued, at first, that this was a stand alone book…having read it, I just feel that it might have had a part in why the author rushed through the end. Keeping such an intriguing story within the confines of one single book probably wasn’t a good idea. If she REALLY had taken her time with part 2, then maybe it would have worked. Though, I have to admit, with such an elaborate story I still feel she should have taken more time to really explore it to its fullest potential. Argh, I’m almost frustrated at that… because I really think this could have been an amazing piece!!! They really should have considered sequels for it (making it a trilogy or something), because now I feel like I was left wanting ALOT, and I hate this feeling……!
I really liked the "core" of this story, and the only reason it’s not getting a top mark from me is because of the ending, I mean WHAT happened!!!??!! The story had sooo much potential, and it was almost heartbreaking to watch as the author just rushed through the end. Part 2 was waaaaaaaaaaaay too short!!!!! She took her time introducing the story and the ending should have been just as thought through, if not much more so!!! It should be the masterpiece, the great closure, the gong gong at the end of the parade! What makes it worse is that the story started so great, and so I expected the end to be both scientifically and fictionally amazing! But alas, it sort of fell flat. Though I was intrigued, at first, that this was a stand alone book…having read it, I just feel that it might have had a part in why the author rushed through the end. Keeping such an intriguing story within the confines of one single book probably wasn’t a good idea. If she REALLY had taken her time with part 2, then maybe it would have worked. Though, I have to admit, with such an elaborate story I still feel she should have taken more time to really explore it to its fullest potential. Argh, I’m almost frustrated at that… because I really think this could have been an amazing piece!!! They really should have considered sequels for it (making it a trilogy or something), because now I feel like I was left wanting ALOT, and I hate this feeling……!
July 13, 2014
I knew the Mindscans were bad news, no one deserves to have their brain invaded and tampered with, then classified as a Sleeper, a Reject, or a Defect. That's tyranny! It's a good thing Eve had people to help her through her experience as a Defect, who's Mindscan was inconclusive. Will her instructor was a great help, he helped trained her in how to survive, plus there was some attraction between the two. When Will and Rena helped Eve to escape, it sucked Will couldn't go, but he had a rebellion to orchestrate. Then Eve met Kai, and it was clear he liked her, but he would have end up being her rebound guy and he deserves more than that, which he gets because we find out in the epilogue he does find his own happiness and gets married. Still, when the whole planning for the rebellion was going on and Eve and Will got back together, I thought there should have been more detail of the rebellion itself instead of a brief telling of what took place in the epilogue which I thought was okay, only because Eve and Will obviously end up together. >_<
April 15, 2014
When I started reading this book I thought that it might be quite good. It looked a bit like Divergent because there are 2 trainers, one is very scary and the other one is good to the principal character but no to the other trainees. Then some questions started to appear and you thought that you would find them in the end of the book or a part 2 but there wasn't one. I really enjoyed the 1st part of the book but suddenly everything took a huge turn of events.
The second part of the book that was about a 15% was horrible, and it looked as if the author just decided that he didn't want to finish the book and gave it a very bad ending.
At first you thought that you migth've skipped chapters and I started looking for them or that something wrong had happened to my book. I even went to the library to see if it only was my copy or if it was the book.
This book could've been really good but the ending really spoiled all of it.
The second part of the book that was about a 15% was horrible, and it looked as if the author just decided that he didn't want to finish the book and gave it a very bad ending.
At first you thought that you migth've skipped chapters and I started looking for them or that something wrong had happened to my book. I even went to the library to see if it only was my copy or if it was the book.
This book could've been really good but the ending really spoiled all of it.
May 9, 2013
I was sort of on the fence between three and four stars... I decided on four, because I really did enjoy reading this a lot. However, I wish that some parts had been drawn out more - especially the end. I feel like the author was trying to keep the book short and sweet, but there were some things that I would have liked to have actually seen more of. I feel like she ends up telling us "this" happened, "that" happened, but as readers we don't get to see it actually happening. It was really disappointing, considering what happens at the end would have been one of the most climactic parts of the book. I'm not even sure what went down for it to end like it did... But, oh well.
It was a good read. Very interesting, despite the flaws that I mentioned. Give it a try. :)
It was a good read. Very interesting, despite the flaws that I mentioned. Give it a try. :)
April 15, 2014
Another Dystopian World Book
This book was a great read, I will admit. Eve was a stunning character, and her drive and perseverance was really inspiring. Of course I loved Will as well, he was the strong mysterious man who could have steeped any girl off their feet. The plot was superb, and the development of certain characters was great.
The reason I gave this a 3/5 though was the ending. this book could have been the start to a trilogy, or even a series, but instead it is cut off so short at the end that I was left with a number of questions. The book basically ends in a few short pages! I would love to give this book a 3/5, believe me, but that ending will always haunt me and one of the worst endings I've ever read, point blank.
This book was a great read, I will admit. Eve was a stunning character, and her drive and perseverance was really inspiring. Of course I loved Will as well, he was the strong mysterious man who could have steeped any girl off their feet. The plot was superb, and the development of certain characters was great.
The reason I gave this a 3/5 though was the ending. this book could have been the start to a trilogy, or even a series, but instead it is cut off so short at the end that I was left with a number of questions. The book basically ends in a few short pages! I would love to give this book a 3/5, believe me, but that ending will always haunt me and one of the worst endings I've ever read, point blank.
June 28, 2014
This book was like the poor man's version of Divergent. I wasn't a huge fan of Divergent either but this book just didn't do it for me, whereas Divergent had more of a clear plot. It didn't do a good enough job on setting up the world. It relied more heavily on the romance than anything else. I thought the characters were bland and pretty much the generic version of the characters you find in most basic young adult dystopian novels. You have Eve that has something wrong with her, that is the weakling of the group, and had to be trained by the guy she finds ever so hot. Then you have Will that is in a position of power to protect and secretly train her and can't keep his hands off a chick he has just met because there is something just so different about her. Yawn...
July 17, 2013
SHOCKED. That is the best word I can use to describe how I felt about this book. This beautifully constructed dystopian read had me reeling. I was utterly impressed beyond words.
It was just that darn good.
In the end I was a bit upset that the author didn't make this into a trilogy, because she easily could have.And to some extent, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been a bit more drawn out. The ending rushes up on you far too soon. Despite that, I think this book is a must read. 4 stars.
September 24, 2013
Great book! I interviewed the author on my website because I was so interested in how she came up with the story world. From a purely non-biased standpoint, I think the novel would reach a broader audience if - since it IS marketed as YA on Amazon - the cover wasn't quite so steamy. Not that it's a bad thing...just for a YA audience, this looks like an adult romance based on the cover. But such a FUUUN story. I really enjoyed it!
*There's also a couple of uses of the F word, which kind of surprised me since the book would read like a YA novel, then all of the sudden: BAM! Haha, could have done without the swearing. :)
*There's also a couple of uses of the F word, which kind of surprised me since the book would read like a YA novel, then all of the sudden: BAM! Haha, could have done without the swearing. :)
November 20, 2013
A dystopian world, a strong male character and a weak skinny and slightly unique female protagonist. The start of so many YA books, right? Well, I don't mind. I understand that authors write popular themes and narratives. Kerekes, however, really messed this one up. The similarities to other popular books such as Divergent and The Hunger Games series are so disgustingly present it made me uncomfortable. At times I felt a glimmer of hope---only to be frustrated by shortcuts taken by the author such as time jumps. It almost felt as if the clarity, and the interesting characters were put to death by an author who simply wanted to finish writing this book.
August 31, 2016
(really a 3.5) I loved the characters and would've loved to see more side character development. This is definitely a love story because the book focuses most of its time on that part. The part I was the most interested in was completely skipped over. It was a good book and I enjoyed it, but I have no closure and wish I knew what happened to so many characters. In my opinion this book needed to be much longer - but for a love story it really was worth the read.
Also, if this book were a movie it would be rated R for language. Only because of 2 words, but still. I like to get that out there.
Also, if this book were a movie it would be rated R for language. Only because of 2 words, but still. I like to get that out there.
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