Kindle edition:
Paperback edition:
⭐ out of 5
If you've read any other recent book reviews by me, you'll already know that I start every review in the same way: that they all start off with the full 5 stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place when I close the book too. This book ain't no different ;-)
OK, so the author is American, so I won't knock a star off for not spelling words with u's and using z's all over the place too ;-)
It's only taken 3 dull and boring pages to finally have some speech. I realise that backstory is needed, but not 3 pages of dratted boredom!!
The first 8 pages have been soo dull - it might be how things are written for teens in America, but it's been so overwhelmingly boring that the first star is coming off before I start reading page 9... will I be skipping more than I read with this book? Haven't had to do that for a while, thankfully, but it's already looking likely with this book.
The second star is coming off because of the totally unnecessary swearing... I get that swearing is allowed in Young Adult books, but this was a totally unnecessary swear so the second star is already coming off and we're down to 3 stars in under 10 pages.
Another 2 swears on the next page too, which is again totally unnecessary. If the author is so determined to swear in her books then she should stick to adult fiction IMNSHO.
Now the author is using big brand name drinks, probably without written permission, which is Trademark infringement, so the third star drops off at page 12. I was really looking forward to reading this book, but now I'm regretting ever requesting it and wasting my time on it so far.
Four swears in three pages is horrible and I really don't know how or why the publisher has approved it for publication over here in the UK. I'm gonna skip ahead and hope beyond hope that things improve in a few pages' time.
OK, I'm now at Chapter Two on page 19, so lets see if things have improved, shall we?
I'm on page 20 and things have definitely improved now. The author has used a big brand name again, but I've already knocked a star off for that, so I'll let it go again.
Oh yes, the second chapter was soo much better than the first! If the story had started at chapter two then this would be making me feel so much warmer towards it.
Blimey! I'm now up to chapter nine and haven't found anything to bitch about. The author is really in her stride now and her words are flowing like a river!
Over the last 10 chapters (and the entire book so far, in all honesty) have been sooo dull and boring 'cos there has been so little speech between the characters, so a star is coming off for that, so there are only two left and I can't leave a zero star review, so if just one more star comes off, I'm not reading any further.
Skipped ahead to chapter 24 now... I really wanted to believe the description on Amazon and was looking forward to an awesome book, but this is the exact opposite of that unfortunately.
*sigh* I've skipped ahead to chapter 28 now... this really is the final chance - if I manage to trawl through this chapter without skipping any farther then the star stays in place, but if it's so dull that I can't bear it then the final star will come off and I'll stop reading.
Oh dear, the use of brand names that even I've heard of means that, like with other books I've read and reviewed, the star is coming off and I'm officially giving up on this book, unfortunately.
I'm just mightily relieved that I didn't have to pay for this book and that I got it for free from Net Galley.