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Devolution: No One Is Innocent
Ava McHenry and her beautiful neighbor, Lucy, are kidnapped and tortured for several days. Over the course of the nightmare, Ava and Lucy are forced to challenge their own willpower and conscience, fighting to the bitter end just to escape. Both of them hold a dangerous secret and it's a gut-wrenching test to find who will come out of this brutal awakening alive.
Which of them really deserves to be there? Both of them? Expect a major twist you will never see coming.
Book one of the trilogy.
Read more reviews at Goodreads.com.
Which of them really deserves to be there? Both of them? Expect a major twist you will never see coming.
Book one of the trilogy.
Read more reviews at Goodreads.com.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 13, 2012
This book blew me away! For a first time writer, she hits all the right notes. I became invested in the characters quickly and felt like I was along for the ride. This book isn't just a thriller, to my surprise, it also has elements of romance and dark comedy. I am definitely anxious to see how the next book turns out.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read! It was a joy and I think readers who enjoy any genre will like this one. I am very impressed with this author.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read! It was a joy and I think readers who enjoy any genre will like this one. I am very impressed with this author.
October 2, 2012
I was the lucky winner of this book from Goodreads! Thank you much Goodreads and author Christy Alexander.
This book was an interesting read. A dark twisted thriller with plenty of suspense. The ending definitely had a nice twist to it. I only wish there was more to the end as I felt it just kind of ended without closure but if I remember correctly there will be a book two to this so the abrupt ending makes sense in that aspect. I don't think this book would be acceptable for someone with a weak stomach. If you enjoy dark thriller, horror, and such then you would enjoy this :-)
This book was an interesting read. A dark twisted thriller with plenty of suspense. The ending definitely had a nice twist to it. I only wish there was more to the end as I felt it just kind of ended without closure but if I remember correctly there will be a book two to this so the abrupt ending makes sense in that aspect. I don't think this book would be acceptable for someone with a weak stomach. If you enjoy dark thriller, horror, and such then you would enjoy this :-)
September 13, 2012
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway
I couldn't put book down!!! I had no idea who was the bad guy. Very good can't wait for the second book. Thank you goodreads and Christy Alexander
I couldn't put book down!!! I had no idea who was the bad guy. Very good can't wait for the second book. Thank you goodreads and Christy Alexander
September 12, 2012
I won this in a First Reads Giveaway.
I enjoyed this book. I finished it in one sitting and didn't even notice the time going by. I was hooked wanting to know more about the characters, what was going to happen to them and who was behind it all. I do plan on reading the next books am are looking for it. The characters were interesting. We didn't go much in-depth with them though. All the character information was strictly plot related so we are left a shadow cast on bare bones. This sounds bad, but it's not. It works. The novel is kept so tight together, winding quickly around, the tension keeps it taut, and the twist at the end is the bow on top. A wonderful, albeit not pleasant, present for those who like the thriller genre.
The ending I wasn't expecting that's for sure. There was the mini-reveal and then the BIG reveal. The mini-reveal went off like a charm for me. I was surprised and really felt it. The BIG reveal I didn't see it coming and thought "Wait,what?". It didn't make sense at first given the beginning. I began digging through it to pick out specifics to what felt wrong and found that I could find excuses or reasons for things to make it work. But I wished they had been addressed in the book itself, that would have felt more complete to me. So I didn't really get the full effect of the ending how it was intended. I'm the nit-picky, can't stop wondering, can't just let it go to enjoy it type, so obviously take it as you will. I'll put the specific things about below a spoiler tag beneath, in case people don't see what problems I had with it.
I don't enjoy reading about torture, even though it's been used in books I've read and liked. I, being the nit-picky type, don't like it when things are omitted to be convenient or aren't realistic. The thing about torture being used in books and movies is that the picture being shown is incomplete. I mean there was plenty of blood spray and loss but humans do have other bodily fluids. No mention of characters throwing up due to the gore or needing to use the bathroom. We're perfectly fine with blood all over the place and being drenched in it, but mention the characters threw up or gagged, pissed or shat themselves and it becomes gross. Yeah, it's gross, that's what torture is. Torture is a terrible inhuman thing, don't gloss it over. Let people know what they are really getting into. I think this portrayal of torture, in general, is part of the problem with people supporting it in real life. At least the issue of hunger and lack of sleep came up. It did also bring up how the characters being tortured where just coming up with anything, anything at all to say to appease the torturers and get free of the predicament. Torture is horribly unreliable, with people just saying or doing whatever the torturer wants, whether is true or right.It's just in this case what they wanted from Lucy was true.
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The thing about the twist ending is...and please keep in mind, if you read this spoiler before you read the book, it will completely and utterly ruin the whole book for you, it's like finding out who the Psycho was so only continue if you have read the book or don't ever plan on reading it....
I enjoyed this book. I finished it in one sitting and didn't even notice the time going by. I was hooked wanting to know more about the characters, what was going to happen to them and who was behind it all. I do plan on reading the next books am are looking for it. The characters were interesting. We didn't go much in-depth with them though. All the character information was strictly plot related so we are left a shadow cast on bare bones. This sounds bad, but it's not. It works. The novel is kept so tight together, winding quickly around, the tension keeps it taut, and the twist at the end is the bow on top. A wonderful, albeit not pleasant, present for those who like the thriller genre.
The ending I wasn't expecting that's for sure. There was the mini-reveal and then the BIG reveal. The mini-reveal went off like a charm for me. I was surprised and really felt it. The BIG reveal I didn't see it coming and thought "Wait,what?". It didn't make sense at first given the beginning. I began digging through it to pick out specifics to what felt wrong and found that I could find excuses or reasons for things to make it work. But I wished they had been addressed in the book itself, that would have felt more complete to me. So I didn't really get the full effect of the ending how it was intended. I'm the nit-picky, can't stop wondering, can't just let it go to enjoy it type, so obviously take it as you will. I'll put the specific things about below a spoiler tag beneath, in case people don't see what problems I had with it.
I don't enjoy reading about torture, even though it's been used in books I've read and liked. I, being the nit-picky type, don't like it when things are omitted to be convenient or aren't realistic. The thing about torture being used in books and movies is that the picture being shown is incomplete. I mean there was plenty of blood spray and loss but humans do have other bodily fluids. No mention of characters throwing up due to the gore or needing to use the bathroom. We're perfectly fine with blood all over the place and being drenched in it, but mention the characters threw up or gagged, pissed or shat themselves and it becomes gross. Yeah, it's gross, that's what torture is. Torture is a terrible inhuman thing, don't gloss it over. Let people know what they are really getting into. I think this portrayal of torture, in general, is part of the problem with people supporting it in real life. At least the issue of hunger and lack of sleep came up. It did also bring up how the characters being tortured where just coming up with anything, anything at all to say to appease the torturers and get free of the predicament. Torture is horribly unreliable, with people just saying or doing whatever the torturer wants, whether is true or right.It's just in this case what they wanted from Lucy was true.
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The thing about the twist ending is...and please keep in mind, if you read this spoiler before you read the book, it will completely and utterly ruin the whole book for you, it's like finding out who the Psycho was so only continue if you have read the book or don't ever plan on reading it....
August 30, 2016
So, so, SO bad.
Edited to add: The sentence above was the sum total of my original review. The author contacted me to ask for some additional feedback which was both fair and brave, so my response:
Fair question about my review. First, I found the book through the goodreads giveaways. It sounded interesting to me and when I saw that it was/is self-published, so I thought I would buy a copy rather than entering for a free one, so good for you for including it in the giveaways, because not only have you gotten copies out there, you've also sold at LEAST one as a direct result.
OK, now my thoughts, and I don't have my copy in front of me, so forgive me if I struggle with the names of the characters. First, I wasn't buying the introspection of the characters as they sat in the room, bleeding and tortured. I thought the characters (well, really just Lucy. Was Ava supposed to be an unreliable narrator? I, like many, realized that she must be in on it, given her relative lack of injury. However, why is she trying to think about what she has done. Perhaps it would have worked better if solely from Lucy's point of view). Anyway, Lucy, at least has been kidnapped - I would think that sheer, stark terror would be her only thoughts. In addition, her injuries were so severe that eventually the pain would have blocked out most anything else. And wouldn't she be bleeding out? And the characters are HUNGRY? Thirst I can imagine, but hunger doesn't seem like it would enter the equation here.
You may wonder what I'm basing these thoughts on....I've been in several horrible car accidents requiring weeks of hospitalization because of injuries, so I'm recalling how I felt then - and that was with the benefit of being in the hospital and with painkillers. As to the fear, I was in New York City on 9/11. My hotel was partially destroyed. Trust me when I say that hunger was not a sensation I felt until late that night, despite the fact that last time I ate was dinner on 9/10.
The torturers - OK, maybe the business partner, but someone she rebuffed in high school? Seems a bit far-fetched. And why would they reveal themselves to Lucy? And how could Ava trust them? They really should have killed Ava, so there were no witnesses....Ava wasn't in a position to stop them. And she's just going to let Lucy go? Anyone who has watched CSI knows that it would take the police about five minutes to put both torturers and Ava in that room. Can Ava beat a lie detector test?
OK, there you go. I appreciate that you are brave enough to ask for honest feedback. Good luck with your writing.
Edited to add: The sentence above was the sum total of my original review. The author contacted me to ask for some additional feedback which was both fair and brave, so my response:
Fair question about my review. First, I found the book through the goodreads giveaways. It sounded interesting to me and when I saw that it was/is self-published, so I thought I would buy a copy rather than entering for a free one, so good for you for including it in the giveaways, because not only have you gotten copies out there, you've also sold at LEAST one as a direct result.
OK, now my thoughts, and I don't have my copy in front of me, so forgive me if I struggle with the names of the characters. First, I wasn't buying the introspection of the characters as they sat in the room, bleeding and tortured. I thought the characters (well, really just Lucy. Was Ava supposed to be an unreliable narrator? I, like many, realized that she must be in on it, given her relative lack of injury. However, why is she trying to think about what she has done. Perhaps it would have worked better if solely from Lucy's point of view). Anyway, Lucy, at least has been kidnapped - I would think that sheer, stark terror would be her only thoughts. In addition, her injuries were so severe that eventually the pain would have blocked out most anything else. And wouldn't she be bleeding out? And the characters are HUNGRY? Thirst I can imagine, but hunger doesn't seem like it would enter the equation here.
You may wonder what I'm basing these thoughts on....I've been in several horrible car accidents requiring weeks of hospitalization because of injuries, so I'm recalling how I felt then - and that was with the benefit of being in the hospital and with painkillers. As to the fear, I was in New York City on 9/11. My hotel was partially destroyed. Trust me when I say that hunger was not a sensation I felt until late that night, despite the fact that last time I ate was dinner on 9/10.
The torturers - OK, maybe the business partner, but someone she rebuffed in high school? Seems a bit far-fetched. And why would they reveal themselves to Lucy? And how could Ava trust them? They really should have killed Ava, so there were no witnesses....Ava wasn't in a position to stop them. And she's just going to let Lucy go? Anyone who has watched CSI knows that it would take the police about five minutes to put both torturers and Ava in that room. Can Ava beat a lie detector test?
OK, there you go. I appreciate that you are brave enough to ask for honest feedback. Good luck with your writing.
November 7, 2012
I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads.
This book is in BAD need of an editor, every couple of pages there is either a simple spelling or grammatical mistake!
I felt absolutely nothing as I read this book, no sadness or pity for those being tortured, not even the slightest bit of nausea when their torture began. (Sure, torture is sickening, but the way it is written here... not at all!)
I knew from the beginning where this emotionless book would lead and it could have been good, it just seemed like the author didn't give this book her best effort, she rushed through writing it and the result is a blah book that few will read more than once.
And come on... does a weak man who couldn't refuse temptation, continue to keep his affair a secret or let them cut off his leg?! Oh... he lets them cut off his leg while he baits them as they saw at it... and forget about going into shock from all that pain! He continues to think clearly while having phantom sensations in the lost leg! WHATEVER!
And another thing! (This came to me in the middle of the night) You cannot go to Ava's point of view and have her do a complete change at the end. Oh no, what do they want, what did I do, I'm so innocent... and at the end... ha! I planned it Bitch and I wanted him dead, guess I'm not so innocent after all!!!!
This book is in BAD need of an editor, every couple of pages there is either a simple spelling or grammatical mistake!
I felt absolutely nothing as I read this book, no sadness or pity for those being tortured, not even the slightest bit of nausea when their torture began. (Sure, torture is sickening, but the way it is written here... not at all!)
I knew from the beginning where this emotionless book would lead and it could have been good, it just seemed like the author didn't give this book her best effort, she rushed through writing it and the result is a blah book that few will read more than once.
And come on... does a weak man who couldn't refuse temptation, continue to keep his affair a secret or let them cut off his leg?! Oh... he lets them cut off his leg while he baits them as they saw at it... and forget about going into shock from all that pain! He continues to think clearly while having phantom sensations in the lost leg! WHATEVER!
And another thing! (This came to me in the middle of the night) You cannot go to Ava's point of view and have her do a complete change at the end. Oh no, what do they want, what did I do, I'm so innocent... and at the end... ha! I planned it Bitch and I wanted him dead, guess I'm not so innocent after all!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2012
I received this book through a first reads giveaway. I read this book very quickly and I think that it was very ambitious, however, I think that for the content and the type of story it was I think it would have gotten more stars if it was about 100 pages longer. I'm not denying the fact that I was hooked and it was a good book, but it was lacking indepth details that would have taken it over the top making it receive more stars.
I just wish it had more to it. The plan in the end was made to seem elaborately put together by Ava, but it was it short and cut to the point in only a few pages. Like I said earlier, if the book was longer and contained more details I think the plan could have been more elaborate and closed the book very well by making your jaw drop and be completley taken back by what just happened instead of cutting to the chase and ending suddenly.
I feel horrible for writing a review that isn't as nice as I wish it to be, but I think writing can only get better from someone sharing their opinion about it.
Christy, thank you for the signed copy I really appreciate it. I did enjoy the book, but I felt like I needed more to be satisfied with the type of story that was written.
I just wish it had more to it. The plan in the end was made to seem elaborately put together by Ava, but it was it short and cut to the point in only a few pages. Like I said earlier, if the book was longer and contained more details I think the plan could have been more elaborate and closed the book very well by making your jaw drop and be completley taken back by what just happened instead of cutting to the chase and ending suddenly.
I feel horrible for writing a review that isn't as nice as I wish it to be, but I think writing can only get better from someone sharing their opinion about it.
Christy, thank you for the signed copy I really appreciate it. I did enjoy the book, but I felt like I needed more to be satisfied with the type of story that was written.
August 18, 2012
I really enjoyed this novel. Interesting (and twisted) characters, some likeable, others not so much. This is a very dark, disturbing, and gruesome story about human behaviour; just how far one will go to keep a secret, or how far one is willing to punish another. It's not a long, drawn out story. It moves at a good pace, going back and forth between past and present told by the protagonists. It works very well as the author's writing style is succinct and to the point.
Do I condone what and why it happened? Of course not. But I happen to agree "that human nature is to be capable of both love and hate."
A quick read that I highly recommend to those who enjoy dark and disturbing stories. I can't wait for the next installment. It should be interesting to see what new dark and twisted scenarios the author will unleash.
Do I condone what and why it happened? Of course not. But I happen to agree "that human nature is to be capable of both love and hate."
A quick read that I highly recommend to those who enjoy dark and disturbing stories. I can't wait for the next installment. It should be interesting to see what new dark and twisted scenarios the author will unleash.
September 2, 2012
I actually liked this one. I wasn't so sure when I first read the synopsis, but I'm glad I took the chance. It's a quick read, which I was glad about since I couldn't put it down once I got absorbed in it. I really enjoyed the romantic elements intertwined with the torture, it gave the story more heart.
The real twist wasn't the ending for me, it was a revelation about the nature of Jackson & Ava's marriage. I was more shocked by that than who the culprit turned out to be, but I still felt like the story wasn't super predictable.
I'm not denouncing the quality of the over-all book, but it was pretty obvious that the writer is new. Regardless, I feel like this author shows a natural talent for weaving a plot-line and creating characters you care about.
The real twist wasn't the ending for me, it was a revelation about the nature of Jackson & Ava's marriage. I was more shocked by that than who the culprit turned out to be, but I still felt like the story wasn't super predictable.
I'm not denouncing the quality of the over-all book, but it was pretty obvious that the writer is new. Regardless, I feel like this author shows a natural talent for weaving a plot-line and creating characters you care about.
June 2, 2012
I was lucky enough to get an early copy, so here's my review:
Alexander's first published work under her married name is gripping, sexy, thrilling, and definitely NOT the novel you think it is. Twisted. Devilishly twisted. She takes her knowledge of human behavior and psyche and pushes it to its limits. Then, she pushes it further.
I loved the twists and turns. I wasn't expecting the ending! I have already recommended this to my friends and family. It reminds me of the movie Saw, but with more humanity. Awesome!
Alexander's first published work under her married name is gripping, sexy, thrilling, and definitely NOT the novel you think it is. Twisted. Devilishly twisted. She takes her knowledge of human behavior and psyche and pushes it to its limits. Then, she pushes it further.
I loved the twists and turns. I wasn't expecting the ending! I have already recommended this to my friends and family. It reminds me of the movie Saw, but with more humanity. Awesome!
August 18, 2012
The book was good... I'm not going to say it was the best book I've ever read, but it was entertaining. Surprised to see that it's going to be a trilogy.
September 3, 2012
I loved this! It had the romance element that I usually enjoy, but it was also exciting and I didn't feel that the torture/gore was too over-the-top. A good, quick read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews