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No Safety in Numbers #2
No Easy Way Out
It's Day 7 in the quarantined mall. The riot is over and the senator trapped inside is determined to end the chaos. Even with new rules, assigned jobs, and heightened security, she still needs to get the teen population under control. So she enlists Marco's help--allowing him to keep his stolen universal card key in exchange for spying on the very football players who are protecting him.
But someone is working against the new systems, targeting the teens, and putting the entire mall in even more danger. Lexi, Marco, Ryan, and Shay believe their new alliances are sound.
They are wrong. Who can be trusted? And who will be left to trust?
The virus was just the beginning.
Fans of Life As We Knew It and those who love apocalyptic plots will love this modern Lord of the Flies. The sequel to No Safety in Numbers is a pounding, relentless rush that will break your heart and keep you guessing until the end.
But someone is working against the new systems, targeting the teens, and putting the entire mall in even more danger. Lexi, Marco, Ryan, and Shay believe their new alliances are sound.
They are wrong. Who can be trusted? And who will be left to trust?
The virus was just the beginning.
Fans of Life As We Knew It and those who love apocalyptic plots will love this modern Lord of the Flies. The sequel to No Safety in Numbers is a pounding, relentless rush that will break your heart and keep you guessing until the end.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published July 16, 2013
197 people are currently reading
2643 people want to read
About the author
Dayna Lorentz
13 books167 followersDayna is a writer of children's, young adult, and adult literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
December 18, 2015
Interminably boring. I felt like I was stuck in the mall's monotony for as long as the characters (all flat, all characterless, all mere stereotypes of someone who doesn't know any teenagers and doesn't remember what it was like being one would write), and with as little mental stimulation. Ugh.
January 16, 2016
This book was excruciatingly long. I probably picked a bad week to read it, it being the first week of school and work, but even if I did have more free time it would have taken me a while to finish. It took me a week. The first book was pretty good (No Safety in Numbers, I gave it 4 stars) and about half the length and had way more interesting things happen in it. Not much really happened in this book that was even notable. It was so dragged.
There was some romance between Ryan and Shy, and Lexi and Marco, but not enough to qualify it as sexy. It was awkward, and a bit unnecessary. The characters seemed very flat, even with their diversity.
I was looking for a sci-fi thriller. The fear that was in the first book. This one lacked the thrill. I always have a hard time with books written in 3rd person, and even more trouble if the mind-jump. The first book was split up into chapters by the character’s perspective. This one was split up by time of day, and the chapters jumped between perspectives. It was confusing and annoying.
I did enjoy the setting still. A dystopia/quarantine in a mall? That would be way cooler than one in a school. This series does have similarities to other books. It’s most like the Quarantine series by Lex Thomas, but with a setting more similar to Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne. The Gone series by Michael Grant also shares some similarities. If you liked any of those books, I suggest you read No Safety in Numbers, the first book in this series, and try to read No Easy Way Out right after. Make such you have the time to get into them.
Cover Art Review: Boring cover. Too simple and I don’t like the colors or textures. It’s newspaper/magazine like. Cheesy, bad typography.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
There was some romance between Ryan and Shy, and Lexi and Marco, but not enough to qualify it as sexy. It was awkward, and a bit unnecessary. The characters seemed very flat, even with their diversity.
I was looking for a sci-fi thriller. The fear that was in the first book. This one lacked the thrill. I always have a hard time with books written in 3rd person, and even more trouble if the mind-jump. The first book was split up into chapters by the character’s perspective. This one was split up by time of day, and the chapters jumped between perspectives. It was confusing and annoying.
I did enjoy the setting still. A dystopia/quarantine in a mall? That would be way cooler than one in a school. This series does have similarities to other books. It’s most like the Quarantine series by Lex Thomas, but with a setting more similar to Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne. The Gone series by Michael Grant also shares some similarities. If you liked any of those books, I suggest you read No Safety in Numbers, the first book in this series, and try to read No Easy Way Out right after. Make such you have the time to get into them.
Cover Art Review: Boring cover. Too simple and I don’t like the colors or textures. It’s newspaper/magazine like. Cheesy, bad typography.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
July 18, 2019
Amazing follow up to the first book!
August 25, 2013
I haven't read the first book, but I enjoyed this as a stand alone (kind of).
It was really interesting up to a point. Then, it seemed like it was put on repeat and the same thing kept happening over and over.
My biggest complaint are the characters. There was no character development. They were the same from beginning to end and they barely had a back story.
I couldn't empathize with any of the characters. Mike and Drew seemed like the same person and I gave up trying to remember who did what.
Lexi's character seemed completely irrelevant to the story. Her only interesting quality was that she's the senator's daughter. All she did the entire book was worry about Marco who didn't even like her that much.
Ryan was alright. He was my favorite character only because he took care of Ruthie and Jack (for the most part).
Shay is ughhh..... I do not like her. Sure she was decently developed, but she was extremely unlikable and she frustrated me to no end. Booo!
Marco was tolerable. In fact, I would have rather read the entire book from his POV. He seemed to be the only one aware that they are all trapped in a friggen mall with a psycho flu virus in the air.
Aside from maybe 2 chapters, the flu wasn't even the main concern. Nobody really cared that they could get it (throwing parties? all the unnecessary kissing? really?). It was mostly about the guys trying not to get caught by security and trying to escape. The girls just moped and fawned over the guys.
I only give it 3 stars because somehow, I couldn't put it down. It's a love-hate relationship.
It was really interesting up to a point. Then, it seemed like it was put on repeat and the same thing kept happening over and over.
My biggest complaint are the characters. There was no character development. They were the same from beginning to end and they barely had a back story.
I couldn't empathize with any of the characters. Mike and Drew seemed like the same person and I gave up trying to remember who did what.
Lexi's character seemed completely irrelevant to the story. Her only interesting quality was that she's the senator's daughter. All she did the entire book was worry about Marco who didn't even like her that much.
Ryan was alright. He was my favorite character only because he took care of Ruthie and Jack (for the most part).
Shay is ughhh..... I do not like her. Sure she was decently developed, but she was extremely unlikable and she frustrated me to no end. Booo!
Marco was tolerable. In fact, I would have rather read the entire book from his POV. He seemed to be the only one aware that they are all trapped in a friggen mall with a psycho flu virus in the air.
Aside from maybe 2 chapters, the flu wasn't even the main concern. Nobody really cared that they could get it (throwing parties? all the unnecessary kissing? really?). It was mostly about the guys trying not to get caught by security and trying to escape. The girls just moped and fawned over the guys.
I only give it 3 stars because somehow, I couldn't put it down. It's a love-hate relationship.
May 19, 2021
After a week of being quarantined in the mall, everyone starts feeling a bit on edge.
The food sucks and the rations are cut down, everyone is assigned work orders and security guards begin using tasers and batons to keep everyone in line.
The teens however are sick of following the rules and choose to fight back.
I really didn't like Shay in this one. She's really selfish, manipulative and continues to make impulsive, bad decisions every chance she gets.
Marco is a pretty selfish and crappy guy personality wise as well, but not quite as bad as Shay.
Onto the actual story…
No Easy Way Out is not only almost twice as long as the first book but also has quite a bit more action and drama. There was more death, more violence and even a new flu strain making its way through the mall.
Things become very similar to the pandemic restrictions we're facing now in real life with everyone having to wear masks, use hand sanitizer and disinfect surfaces.
All hell really did break loose in this one and I'm excited to see how it all ends.
The food sucks and the rations are cut down, everyone is assigned work orders and security guards begin using tasers and batons to keep everyone in line.
The teens however are sick of following the rules and choose to fight back.
I really didn't like Shay in this one. She's really selfish, manipulative and continues to make impulsive, bad decisions every chance she gets.
Marco is a pretty selfish and crappy guy personality wise as well, but not quite as bad as Shay.
Onto the actual story…
No Easy Way Out is not only almost twice as long as the first book but also has quite a bit more action and drama. There was more death, more violence and even a new flu strain making its way through the mall.
Things become very similar to the pandemic restrictions we're facing now in real life with everyone having to wear masks, use hand sanitizer and disinfect surfaces.
All hell really did break loose in this one and I'm excited to see how it all ends.
August 6, 2014
I wasn't excited going in to this book because the first one wasn't that good.
I was only excited when the book was ending because people started shooting and/or dying.
Lol, I was on a high with good books.
Bad crash. bad crash.
This book was just a mess for the most part. It just seemed like a waste of time to write and definitely a waste of time to read. The first one wasn’t that good and could have been executed better but it wasn’t as bad as this one. Below I’m going to pan out my thoughts as I read with text from the book and gifs as well as my thoughts.
But Shay liked him. He was sure of it. Marco had to be stand-in at best. Ryan would win her back. A part of him wanted to shake her awake right then and demand that she dump Marco and run away with him. They would hide out in some corner together. But he didn't let himself do it.
In the first book, these boys were all of a sudden head over heels for Shay. But they didn’t even fucking know her! It was the most pathetic romantic connection I’ve ever been exposed to. And still, in this book, they are both obsessed over a girl they don’t know when they have bigger problems to be focused on.
Lexi felt a warmth spread over her cheeks. Real friends. She didn't want to show Maddie how much those words meant.
What in the hell?? For one thing, Lexi is supposed to be black. I didn't know this little fact until the third book when people were looking for her and they described her. For another thing, why the fuck are you so concerned about having friends when some serious shit is going down? No time for this shit! Get it together!
Marco kissed her? No, that was against the rules. If she had kissed him on the cheek, that was only to be friendly. He was taking things out of context. He was reading into her actions. Not that she could really blame him. She had been, in essence, leading him on. But what choice did she have? She had a sister to protect. She needed an ally. And to keep him, she would do whatever she had to.
This is the only thing that made sense to me. She's doing what she has to do because she knows she's in a sticky, shitty situation and she's doing what she can.
Blah blah blah, went to camp one time and was picked on At least this time, it didn't matter. He would not be at the mercy of these assholes. He had the key to the entire mall.
He was picked on when he was younger and is fairly an outcast now. In this situation, he finds a key that unlocks all the rooms and that power immediately goes to his head and stays there for the rest of the series.
After lexi meets Marco, she becomes obsessed and this is part of the conversation between her and her friends.
"Is he here?" Ginger looked around at other tables. "Is that him?"
Lexi tried not to be insulted by the fact that the guy she picked looked like a loser. "No way," she said. "Not in his dreams."
How are you going to be "Oh, I'm so timid and oh, no one likes me" and the first boy that talks to you, you all of a sudden think you're a dime piece and too good for a "loser." Bitch. Bye.
(I just want to interrupt all this 'reviewing' to say that Kris was the only decent character in this whole book. Wow. Just one.)
[Kris] nudged her, like this was a funny joke, then lifted his mask to splash water on his face.
His lips were nice. Full, smooth.
Shay ripped off her mask and pressed her lips to his."<.i>
Okay. I have no fucking clue what the fuck just happened here. She was just so happy and filled with "static" after she kissed Ryan and was pro Ryan and then all of a sudden, she's in a panic to kiss Kris? Like What in the hell? What does this mean? This was never even fucking explain??? Was it because she was never kissed and liked it so felt the need to kiss another guy? I have no fucking clue and never will.
"Do you like me?" [Marco] asked [Lexi]
She was taken aback...she swallowed, and lacking a better plan, decided she would go with the truth. "Yes."
He looked like he might cry. "You wouldn't if you knew me."
"You're funny, and smart. And you're nice...You're nice to me. We both like movies, and I can tell you're a gamer. Why wouldn't I like you?"
Uhhh, maybe because you've had one conversation with this dude? Maybe that's a reason not to like him? Because...you don't fucking know him?? Maybe that's good enough? Lexi was probably the character that I liked least.
Marco jammed the pole into the asshat's groin. The guy equaled like a girl. One of his pals scrambled to his feet and fled for the doors out into the mall. Marco climbed onto Goatee's chest..Marco let all the years of crap fill his fists and just unloaded on the guy's face. Every insole, every shove, every time some asshole pissed on his life, from elementary school to the present, he unleashed them all onto this guy, his arms slinging over and over, hitting bone, then not.
I want to talk about this for a moment. (Even though I used that gif, I don't hate this part.) I'm totally not mad at this. This was one of the realest things he had done throughout the story. He wailed on this guy because he had just had enough of everything. He was always turning a cheek to jabs from other people but he lost it at that moment, and it's like, people can only take so much before they explode. And he exploded, and this started a chain reaction. This was one thing I did like.
Ryan couldn't believe he ruined everything...he fumbled for a shirt to clean her skin off.
"I wanted this to be perfect," he said. He would not cry.
She placed her hands on his chest, wrapped her body around him. "This is perfect."
Excuse me? Excuse me? Did they...did they have sex? Or what? I mean I'm confused? And again, What the fuck are you doing??? There is no time for this shit! People are dying inside a mall they've been trapped in and this is what you two are doing?? Omfg.
"I think we've locked them in," she said, trying to catch her breath.
"Let's not wait and find out," Ryan said grabbing her hand.
Adrenaline rushed through her body and she felt and undeniable need to kiss him and so she did. He kissed her back."
You know, I don't know if these people want to die, but at this point, I honestly think they do.
That's my last note, but as you can see, I wasn't having fun reading this, but I sure am having fun as I "review" it.
Overall
This was one of the longest and and one of the worst books I've ever read. And it's because the characters are all shit! The story was boring and shit because the characters were shit and I'm so proud of myself for getting through this!
Is it worth a read?
God no, and I feel bad if you've read the first one and want to find out what happens. This was a complete waste of time.
I was only excited when the book was ending because people started shooting and/or dying.
Lol, I was on a high with good books.
Bad crash. bad crash.
This book was just a mess for the most part. It just seemed like a waste of time to write and definitely a waste of time to read. The first one wasn’t that good and could have been executed better but it wasn’t as bad as this one. Below I’m going to pan out my thoughts as I read with text from the book and gifs as well as my thoughts.
But Shay liked him. He was sure of it. Marco had to be stand-in at best. Ryan would win her back. A part of him wanted to shake her awake right then and demand that she dump Marco and run away with him. They would hide out in some corner together. But he didn't let himself do it.
In the first book, these boys were all of a sudden head over heels for Shay. But they didn’t even fucking know her! It was the most pathetic romantic connection I’ve ever been exposed to. And still, in this book, they are both obsessed over a girl they don’t know when they have bigger problems to be focused on.
Lexi felt a warmth spread over her cheeks. Real friends. She didn't want to show Maddie how much those words meant.
What in the hell?? For one thing, Lexi is supposed to be black. I didn't know this little fact until the third book when people were looking for her and they described her. For another thing, why the fuck are you so concerned about having friends when some serious shit is going down? No time for this shit! Get it together!
Marco kissed her? No, that was against the rules. If she had kissed him on the cheek, that was only to be friendly. He was taking things out of context. He was reading into her actions. Not that she could really blame him. She had been, in essence, leading him on. But what choice did she have? She had a sister to protect. She needed an ally. And to keep him, she would do whatever she had to.
This is the only thing that made sense to me. She's doing what she has to do because she knows she's in a sticky, shitty situation and she's doing what she can.
Blah blah blah, went to camp one time and was picked on At least this time, it didn't matter. He would not be at the mercy of these assholes. He had the key to the entire mall.
He was picked on when he was younger and is fairly an outcast now. In this situation, he finds a key that unlocks all the rooms and that power immediately goes to his head and stays there for the rest of the series.
After lexi meets Marco, she becomes obsessed and this is part of the conversation between her and her friends.
"Is he here?" Ginger looked around at other tables. "Is that him?"
Lexi tried not to be insulted by the fact that the guy she picked looked like a loser. "No way," she said. "Not in his dreams."
How are you going to be "Oh, I'm so timid and oh, no one likes me" and the first boy that talks to you, you all of a sudden think you're a dime piece and too good for a "loser." Bitch. Bye.
(I just want to interrupt all this 'reviewing' to say that Kris was the only decent character in this whole book. Wow. Just one.)
[Kris] nudged her, like this was a funny joke, then lifted his mask to splash water on his face.
His lips were nice. Full, smooth.
Shay ripped off her mask and pressed her lips to his."<.i>
Okay. I have no fucking clue what the fuck just happened here. She was just so happy and filled with "static" after she kissed Ryan and was pro Ryan and then all of a sudden, she's in a panic to kiss Kris? Like What in the hell? What does this mean? This was never even fucking explain??? Was it because she was never kissed and liked it so felt the need to kiss another guy? I have no fucking clue and never will.
"Do you like me?" [Marco] asked [Lexi]
She was taken aback...she swallowed, and lacking a better plan, decided she would go with the truth. "Yes."
He looked like he might cry. "You wouldn't if you knew me."
"You're funny, and smart. And you're nice...You're nice to me. We both like movies, and I can tell you're a gamer. Why wouldn't I like you?"
Uhhh, maybe because you've had one conversation with this dude? Maybe that's a reason not to like him? Because...you don't fucking know him?? Maybe that's good enough? Lexi was probably the character that I liked least.
Marco jammed the pole into the asshat's groin. The guy equaled like a girl. One of his pals scrambled to his feet and fled for the doors out into the mall. Marco climbed onto Goatee's chest..Marco let all the years of crap fill his fists and just unloaded on the guy's face. Every insole, every shove, every time some asshole pissed on his life, from elementary school to the present, he unleashed them all onto this guy, his arms slinging over and over, hitting bone, then not.
I want to talk about this for a moment. (Even though I used that gif, I don't hate this part.) I'm totally not mad at this. This was one of the realest things he had done throughout the story. He wailed on this guy because he had just had enough of everything. He was always turning a cheek to jabs from other people but he lost it at that moment, and it's like, people can only take so much before they explode. And he exploded, and this started a chain reaction. This was one thing I did like.
Ryan couldn't believe he ruined everything...he fumbled for a shirt to clean her skin off.
"I wanted this to be perfect," he said. He would not cry.
She placed her hands on his chest, wrapped her body around him. "This is perfect."
Excuse me? Excuse me? Did they...did they have sex? Or what? I mean I'm confused? And again, What the fuck are you doing??? There is no time for this shit! People are dying inside a mall they've been trapped in and this is what you two are doing?? Omfg.
"I think we've locked them in," she said, trying to catch her breath.
"Let's not wait and find out," Ryan said grabbing her hand.
Adrenaline rushed through her body and she felt and undeniable need to kiss him and so she did. He kissed her back."
You know, I don't know if these people want to die, but at this point, I honestly think they do.
That's my last note, but as you can see, I wasn't having fun reading this, but I sure am having fun as I "review" it.
Overall
This was one of the longest and and one of the worst books I've ever read. And it's because the characters are all shit! The story was boring and shit because the characters were shit and I'm so proud of myself for getting through this!
Is it worth a read?
God no, and I feel bad if you've read the first one and want to find out what happens. This was a complete waste of time.
August 2, 2018
Luckily, I got this book for free at a used bookstore instead of buying it at Barnes and Noble. While the first book in the series, No Safety in Numbers, was entertaining and face-paced, the second installment in the series is slow-moving and boring.
After being quarantined in a mall with a flu virus spreading in the first book, teens Lexi, Shay, Ryan, and Marco are struggling to survive among sick friends and family members while being stuck in a mall. There is little to no plot in the second book, making this summary very short. Basically, Lexi runs errands her mother while having a threesome with Maddie and Ginger (I'm kidding), Ryan saves two kids while trying to be friendly with Mike and Drew and sustaining a relationship with Shay, Shay wants to be with Ryan and save her sister, and Marco is also working with the senator to keep the teen population controlled.
I really liked No Safety in Numbers, which is the first book in the series. I read it fairly quickly, enjoyed all the characters, and loved the concept of being stuck in a mall. However, the second book falls flat. None of the characters are likable, their relationships don't have the same feelings as the first book, and the plot is slow and confusing. It took me several days to even get through the first hundred pages.
The first thing that bothered me was the fact that Dayna Lorentz changed the chapter titles. Instead of each chapter following a specific character, it's changed to the time of day. It made the chapters much longer, which really slows down a book like this. The author finally came to her senses when she changed the chapter titles back to the character names in the last section. I'm hoping the next book follows this same set-up because it makes the book much more enjoyable to read.
The plot is very paper-thin. There felt like there were no stakes. In the first book (drink every time I compare this book to the first one) people got sick at anytime, and relationships were built. This book included no character growth (surprising because this book is so hella long) and no stakes. I literally didn't give a shit about any of the characters. In the first book, I liked Shay and Ryan's relationship, and this time I just had to roll my eyes at them.
The writing just made the plot even worse. I admire the author for trying to make the writing sound like a teen is saying it, but it all just came off as amateur writing. And why was the author so scared of saying "fuck"? She kept using "crap" and "frak" like the characters are ten.
That's another problem; the characters are supposed to be fourteen or fifteen (about my age) and they sound like they're either ten or seventeen. I have major problems with characters who don't sound or act their age, which I think made me hate these characters even more.
I do like how all the characters are very diverse, but I still didn't like them. I did manage to enjoy Ryan's little plot where he tried to help the kids, and it would've provided some great character growth if it wasn't forgotten halfway through the book. Lexi would probably be my favorite, but she's so much of a wet blanket that I can't root for her at all. Marco is a straight-up boring character (always has been), and I was disappointed in Shay. She had such strong potential in the first book and seemed like an interesting character, but is instead dropped to the side.
Do not even get me started on Mike and Drew. I couldn't even keep track of them half of the time, and I was so happy when Drew was killed off (yay!) I like Ginger and Maddie, and I'm hoping for more of them in the third book.
Back to the plot problems. Since the author's favorite word to describe something was "thing", it was hard to imagine where the characters were, which made the plot and action very hard to follow. Most of the fight and runaway scenes were confusing, and I mostly just skimmed over them.
The only good thing about the writing is the verb choice. All the verbs are very strong and well-used.
I'm giving this book 2/5 stars, but I will be reading the last book. It's shorter, which should improve it since this book's main downfall was how drawn out it was.
I'm also starting something new for all my book reviews. I'm keeping track of all the things I liked and didn't like in the book, then totaling all the points. The points don't really count for the final score (out of five stars) because the lowest score is 2/5 stars and the highest is 5/5. Below is the point system for this book:
No Easy Way Out by Dayna Lorentz
Points:
-got published (+100)
-amazing verbs (+50)
-switch from teen to adult perspective in terms of writing style (+25)
-Ryan's side plot with Ruthie and Jack (+50)
-changed the chapter titles from time to characters for the last day (+25)
-Maddie and Ginger (+25)
-Drew dying (+25)
-Maddie, Lexi, and Ginger all having gay crushes on each other (+25)
-diversity (+25)
Total Positive Points: 350 (out of 500)
-really bad writing (-100)
-confusing plot, didn't really know what was going on (-50)
-long and drawn out (-50)
-Mike and Drew (-50)
-Marco and Shay's unnessary relationship (-50)
-Marco and Lexi's unnessary relationship (-50)
-the ninth grade characters not seeming their age (-25)
-didn't care about any of the characters (-25)
-awful sequel (-50)
Total Negative Points: 450 (out of 500)
Total (out of 500): -100
So yeah, my point system isn't super valid, but I like it. Anyway, this book gets 2/5 stars.
After being quarantined in a mall with a flu virus spreading in the first book, teens Lexi, Shay, Ryan, and Marco are struggling to survive among sick friends and family members while being stuck in a mall. There is little to no plot in the second book, making this summary very short. Basically, Lexi runs errands her mother while having a threesome with Maddie and Ginger (I'm kidding), Ryan saves two kids while trying to be friendly with Mike and Drew and sustaining a relationship with Shay, Shay wants to be with Ryan and save her sister, and Marco is also working with the senator to keep the teen population controlled.
I really liked No Safety in Numbers, which is the first book in the series. I read it fairly quickly, enjoyed all the characters, and loved the concept of being stuck in a mall. However, the second book falls flat. None of the characters are likable, their relationships don't have the same feelings as the first book, and the plot is slow and confusing. It took me several days to even get through the first hundred pages.
The first thing that bothered me was the fact that Dayna Lorentz changed the chapter titles. Instead of each chapter following a specific character, it's changed to the time of day. It made the chapters much longer, which really slows down a book like this. The author finally came to her senses when she changed the chapter titles back to the character names in the last section. I'm hoping the next book follows this same set-up because it makes the book much more enjoyable to read.
The plot is very paper-thin. There felt like there were no stakes. In the first book (drink every time I compare this book to the first one) people got sick at anytime, and relationships were built. This book included no character growth (surprising because this book is so hella long) and no stakes. I literally didn't give a shit about any of the characters. In the first book, I liked Shay and Ryan's relationship, and this time I just had to roll my eyes at them.
The writing just made the plot even worse. I admire the author for trying to make the writing sound like a teen is saying it, but it all just came off as amateur writing. And why was the author so scared of saying "fuck"? She kept using "crap" and "frak" like the characters are ten.
That's another problem; the characters are supposed to be fourteen or fifteen (about my age) and they sound like they're either ten or seventeen. I have major problems with characters who don't sound or act their age, which I think made me hate these characters even more.
I do like how all the characters are very diverse, but I still didn't like them. I did manage to enjoy Ryan's little plot where he tried to help the kids, and it would've provided some great character growth if it wasn't forgotten halfway through the book. Lexi would probably be my favorite, but she's so much of a wet blanket that I can't root for her at all. Marco is a straight-up boring character (always has been), and I was disappointed in Shay. She had such strong potential in the first book and seemed like an interesting character, but is instead dropped to the side.
Do not even get me started on Mike and Drew. I couldn't even keep track of them half of the time, and I was so happy when Drew was killed off (yay!) I like Ginger and Maddie, and I'm hoping for more of them in the third book.
Back to the plot problems. Since the author's favorite word to describe something was "thing", it was hard to imagine where the characters were, which made the plot and action very hard to follow. Most of the fight and runaway scenes were confusing, and I mostly just skimmed over them.
The only good thing about the writing is the verb choice. All the verbs are very strong and well-used.
I'm giving this book 2/5 stars, but I will be reading the last book. It's shorter, which should improve it since this book's main downfall was how drawn out it was.
I'm also starting something new for all my book reviews. I'm keeping track of all the things I liked and didn't like in the book, then totaling all the points. The points don't really count for the final score (out of five stars) because the lowest score is 2/5 stars and the highest is 5/5. Below is the point system for this book:
No Easy Way Out by Dayna Lorentz
Points:
-got published (+100)
-amazing verbs (+50)
-switch from teen to adult perspective in terms of writing style (+25)
-Ryan's side plot with Ruthie and Jack (+50)
-changed the chapter titles from time to characters for the last day (+25)
-Maddie and Ginger (+25)
-Drew dying (+25)
-Maddie, Lexi, and Ginger all having gay crushes on each other (+25)
-diversity (+25)
Total Positive Points: 350 (out of 500)
-really bad writing (-100)
-confusing plot, didn't really know what was going on (-50)
-long and drawn out (-50)
-Mike and Drew (-50)
-Marco and Shay's unnessary relationship (-50)
-Marco and Lexi's unnessary relationship (-50)
-the ninth grade characters not seeming their age (-25)
-didn't care about any of the characters (-25)
-awful sequel (-50)
Total Negative Points: 450 (out of 500)
Total (out of 500): -100
So yeah, my point system isn't super valid, but I like it. Anyway, this book gets 2/5 stars.
May 25, 2022
See…it took me months to finish this book because I fell into a reading slump. BUT the other day I actually finished it and it was really good. Now I gave it three stars because I lost the last book and so now I’m left on a cliff hanger. And I have no access to the next book. So mhm yea. I guess that has more to do with me than the book but it made me angry and no one makes me angry and doesn’t pay for it so. Yea. Enjoy.
June 3, 2023
This one got really intense really fast I feel like. The flu was all the sudden killing enough people to fill up a hockey rink and like everyone was forming factions for war and stuff. Curious to see how the third one ends it
July 22, 2024
Marco-
In the book, Marco's character took a troubling turn, as he became what he hated in the first book—a bully. I understand that he liked Shay, but the fact that he was trying to completely keep her to himself, and isolate her from Ryan was very fucked up. I did pity him when he knew that Shay wouldn’t choose him over Ryan, but that still didn’t justify his actions. In my last review, I mentioned how I wanted him to get a girl, but I take that back. Once he FINALLY got someone who liked him for him (kind of), he just completely manipulated her. Yes, I hated Lexi, but she didn’t deserve that. He was also a jerk because of the fact that he bailed on Lexi SO MANY TIMES. To make things worse, he was being a literal baby about the fact that Shay had manipulated him, yet he did the same thing later on. “‘You think Shay is all truth and love? Well, she cozied up to me when she needed something and dropped me like a bag of dirt when I couldn't help her anymore. So just watch your back, loverboy. You might find a knife in it.’”SHUT UP DUDE. Additionally, Marco’s character started to feel like the author hated him too, since she just kept on piling so much shit on him. This included the scheme with the senator, the alliance with Mike, trying to “protect” Shay, etc. It was to the point where I was beginning to wonder when everything would fall apart for this man. Also, it was just so messy and difficult to keep up with what he was trying to achieve that I couldn’t sympathize with him, since 99% of the time, I was just confused. I feel like he was a bad person, and I can’t see how he’s gonna be able to have a redemption arc. Going back to his relationship with Shay, I was upset about how quickly he decided to give away the card that he had worked so hard on protecting. Sure Mike came up with a way to survive without it, but being able to open all the doors was a huge advantage. I would’ve liked to see him make Shay do something in return, so we could’ve seen her earn the card. I also would’ve liked if they had talked things out before she left with Ryan. This could’ve potentially led to an alliance later on, but instead, we just got more loose ends that need to be tied up. Overall, I understand they tried making Marco this whole nerd-turned-badass kind of character, but it was so over the top that he wasn’t a badass, just a bad person.
Lexi-
I had already disliked Lexi in the first book, but she was somehow worse the second time around. This girl had so many freaking chapters for no reason. It was so annoying that I would groan audibly when it was her perspective. Her storyline was the epitome of uneventful and dull, making her, in my opinion, the most boring character. The only pity I felt for her was when Marco was clearly manipulating her, but that’s it. She was STILL complaining about the whole, “I have no friends,” stuff…SO WHAT ARE MADDIE AND GINGER? Instead, it became “I have ‘friends’,” but she would put friends in quotation marks, like…GET A GRIP. It was basically the same constant complaining as the first book, just in a different font. I understand that she felt left out, and it was difficult to make more friends, but she was just being a wet blanket. The only scenes where she was remotely positive were the scenes with Marco, but she wasn’t being genuinely positive, just DELUSIONAL. I understand that they’re young, but she was so desperate to get with him that it got irritating real fast. To make things worse, I didn’t like how she talked to Marco ONCE, and she immediately fell for him. Shay and Ryan were kinda the same, but at least they had more bonding time, making their connection feel more genuine. I feel like rather than actually liking Marco, she was just trying to shift her attention to something easier, like a crush. Going back to Lexi’s not-friends, I hated Maddie and Ginger. They were both super irrelevant, and they were just there to make Lexi feel bad, be a bad influence, and give her a “glow up”(which lasted approximately 2 seconds). Moreover, Lexi was giving me MAJOR pick me vibes too. It felt like the author wanted her to be quirky, but her actions were cringe at best. This happened more than once, whether it was the whole, “Omg I don’t know how they wear heels, I’m a sneaker type of girl,” or, “I don’t know about these girly magazines, I’ve never even read one of them.” Furthermore, her constant fixation on her physical attributes, particularly her chest, became uncomfortably obsessive. Like, WE GET IT, she has big boobs, I understood the first 1000000 times it was brought up. It literally started to become creepy at that point. One thing I did like about her chapters was when they ended (just kidding…kind of). I did appreciate the mystery surrounding her fate, wondering if she'd succumbed to the disease or faced some other fate. All in all, I heavily disliked Lexi as a result of her numerous uneventful chapters, repetitive complaints about friendship, and a delusional fixation on a manipulative relationship, all while her attempts at quirky charm fell flat and her physical attributes were overly emphasized.
Ryan-
Ryan had so much potential, and I was so disappointed at how much he flopped. I did like that we got to see him start to break away from his old friends a little bit. This is because Mike and Drew weren’t the best people, so getting to see him setting boundaries when he felt they had gone too far was really empowering. I also really liked his side plot with Jack and Ruthie. My problem with it was that it was established at the start of the book, but it was neglected for most of the book. They still got mentioned from time to time, but I feel like it wasn’t enough. Although mentioned sporadically, it needed more development to truly contribute to his character growth. Also, the kids were pissing me off a little bit. I know they were really young, but it made me upset how ungrateful they were at everything Ryan was doing for them. “He wasn’t a pervert or anything, but still, seeing a picture like that, all air-brushed and whatever, got a guy going. He wondered if it was too early to visit Shay. He wondered if she wore stuff like these models had on—not here obviously, but like at home.” GIRL WHAT. WHY WAS THIS EVEN NECESSARY? For some context, this was his immediate thought when passing by an abandoned Victoria’s secret. I only have one thing to say: Red fucking flag.
Shay-
As for Shay, I didn’t know how to feel about her. Like Marco, she was just all over the place. Sometimes I liked her and sometimes I hated her. She was just really manipulative and she just kept on making so many bad decisions, to the point where it got so annoying. It was established in the first book that she was a very intelligent character, so I don’t understand why the author made her make so many terrible decisions the second time around. It felt like she was very dependent on others in this book, which is understandable, but I would’ve loved a moment where she snapped out of it and focused on herself for a bit. Even though in the first book she was already kinda taken, she still had a sense of self-love, while in this one, it felt like she was always on the sidelines and waiting for someone to rescue her. I did like how we began to see a toll on her mental health, as it showed how hopeless the situation was beginning to feel for her. I wish we could’ve seen a discussion with her and Ryan about her declining mental state. Also, I would’ve loved to see her write some kind of poetry, since it would’ve shown a glimpse of a revival of the old version of herself. I know technically it was mentioned that she had lost inspiration, but seeing a poem about her difficult times could’ve played a bigger role in her slow recovery, rather than everything being somewhat resolved when Ryan kissed her. Talking about Ryan, I felt like there was something lacking in every interaction she had with both him and Marco. It felt like both of them were so focused on protecting her that they didn’t take the time to ask her how she was holding up. On the topic of interactions, I did enjoy seeing her interactions with Kris. He was the only one besides Ryan who made her begin to be more optimistic, and he definitely played a huge role in her little character development. Going back to Marco, I felt like she was really rude to him. I’m not justifying anything he did, since he was completely in the wrong too. The thing is, HE SAVED HER LIFE, and yet she never even tried to thank him. Like, he did all these things to keep her safe, yet as soon as Ryan showed up, she completely ditched him. I think her and Marco should’ve at least stayed as friends. Lastly, I didn’t like how in the first book she had made this big fuss about saving her Nani and Preeti, but in this book, when she had the opportunity to be there for her sister, she just completely abandoned her. In summary, she was a mix of admirable traits and frustrating behaviors, showing smarts but making bad decisions and relying on others instead of growing independently.
Kris-
Kris was my absolute favorite character in the book. He honestly deserved being brought up more than he was. It was nice having a character who wasn’t completely gloomy all the time. I think Kris’s contrast was the reason he stood out to me the most. On top of that, you gotta admit, he was the golden retriever boy that we all desperately needed. My only concern about his character didn’t even have to do with him, it had to do with Shay. “Shay ripped off her mask and pressed her lips to his. They did not respond. Kris pushed her back gently, hands gripping her shoulders like she was a little girl, a look of shock on his face like she’d bit him.” Like, that kiss made me have to stop reading and take a break. HE WAS TWENTY FIVE. Also, why did Shay act so weird after she kissed Ryan? Like, was she THAT desperate to get another kiss? That whole scene was just embarrassing, and I disliked that it caused her to avoid Kris, further taking away from his appearances.
More Complaints-
*There was so much manipulation happening that I began to doubt that any of them would actually have any development.
*This book turned really dark really fast, which wasn’t necessarily bad, but it maintained very simple writing, which clashed with the harsh topics.
*This book felt like a fever dream, and not in an abstract way. It was more of a fever dream in a the-author-just-threw-words-and-called-it-a-day type of way (Biting a chicken head? Really?).
*I pretty much hated every single character (except for Kris and Preeti).
*I didn’t like the whole party scheme, like it made no sense. I understand the senator wanted to keep the teenagers from causing trouble and making the government seem powerless, but how is making them all party gonna solve anything? Also, wouldn’t that just make the disease spread faster? Encouraging teenagers to spread the disease among themselves to make the government seem like they still had power was a TERRIBLE IDEA. You would think Marco would’ve fought back, but HE JUST WENT WITH IT!? I know he had his own reasons, but come on. He didn’t even enjoy throwing the parties in the first place. It was probably added to advance the story and add a cause for the new mutation, but I feel like there are better ways to do so.
*The book just felt like one long ramble rather than one consecutive plot.
*The amount of PDA in this book was downright questionable. I don’t mind reading books with kissing and whatever the fuck THAT chapter was (I’ll bring that up later), but you would think they would avoid it due to, I don’t know, THE DEADLY VIRUS SPREADING???
*Why was the post sex scene even there? It added absolutely nothing to the plot. I think it was meant to strengthen their relationship, but I feel like there were better ways of doing so.
*Why, if it was very gory and it touched upon numerous serious topics, did we still had to deal with “Frak,” and, “Heck.” It was so dumb how the characters avoided cursing, yet they were okay with drinking and sex.
*I didn’t love the new format of the book. Without each chapter clearly indicating whose perspective I was reading, it made it a hassle having to figure it out every single time.
Things I Kinda Liked-
*I liked how we saw Mike’s weaknesses, especially when Drew died. He was originally established as a very headstrong and tough guy, but seeing cracks in his armor made him seem more realistic. Also, it made me begin to sympathize for him, which is more than I can say for a couple of the others.
*I liked the new mutation of the virus that arose. I do wish we could’ve seen more of it, besides the symptoms. I hope the next book answers the question as to why only teenagers to young adults were affected.
*I thought it was kinda cute how Marco and Lexi had their first kiss together, but once again, that whole relationship felt forced.
*I did think that the book had some really cute romantic moments. The scene when Marco hugged Shay when she was having a panic attack was downright adorable, and it even made me ship them for a bit. Also, it was so cute seeing just how in love Ryan was with her. Even though they did feel a bit random at times, those moments kept me sane in the sea of confusion.
*I’m excited to see who’s going to end up taking over, since the last few chapters made it clear that it won’t be the senator.
*I did enjoy the introduction of the postal office gang, and I hope we learn a bit more about their origin story in the next book. Also, if they could access the mall’s internet, could they potentially access the outside world?
*I can’t wait to see if the cure works and how everything will be resolved.
*It was surreal seeing a huge correlation between COVID and the way the disease in the mall was being dealt with, especially since it was written in 2013. That isn’t a complaint, just a fun detail that I wanted to bring up.
Summary-
Once again, this book just felt ehhh. For some reason, Marco transformed into a bully and was consumed by possessiveness towards Shay. His treatment of Lexi and frequent abandonment further complicated his portrayal. Lexi, whom I disliked from the start, was dull and self-pitying, with her storyline feeling uneventful. Ryan, despite early promise, disappointed with underdeveloped subplots and questionable decisions. Shay's intelligence was thrown out the window, as a result of her manipulative tendencies and dependency on others, leading to my mixed feelings about her. Kris, someone who was mentioned in 4 chapters max, ended up being my favorite due to his refreshing optimism. Overall, the book explored dark themes amidst a narrative that felt disjointed, with occasional bright spots in its romantic moments and intriguing subplots.
In the book, Marco's character took a troubling turn, as he became what he hated in the first book—a bully. I understand that he liked Shay, but the fact that he was trying to completely keep her to himself, and isolate her from Ryan was very fucked up. I did pity him when he knew that Shay wouldn’t choose him over Ryan, but that still didn’t justify his actions. In my last review, I mentioned how I wanted him to get a girl, but I take that back. Once he FINALLY got someone who liked him for him (kind of), he just completely manipulated her. Yes, I hated Lexi, but she didn’t deserve that. He was also a jerk because of the fact that he bailed on Lexi SO MANY TIMES. To make things worse, he was being a literal baby about the fact that Shay had manipulated him, yet he did the same thing later on. “‘You think Shay is all truth and love? Well, she cozied up to me when she needed something and dropped me like a bag of dirt when I couldn't help her anymore. So just watch your back, loverboy. You might find a knife in it.’”SHUT UP DUDE. Additionally, Marco’s character started to feel like the author hated him too, since she just kept on piling so much shit on him. This included the scheme with the senator, the alliance with Mike, trying to “protect” Shay, etc. It was to the point where I was beginning to wonder when everything would fall apart for this man. Also, it was just so messy and difficult to keep up with what he was trying to achieve that I couldn’t sympathize with him, since 99% of the time, I was just confused. I feel like he was a bad person, and I can’t see how he’s gonna be able to have a redemption arc. Going back to his relationship with Shay, I was upset about how quickly he decided to give away the card that he had worked so hard on protecting. Sure Mike came up with a way to survive without it, but being able to open all the doors was a huge advantage. I would’ve liked to see him make Shay do something in return, so we could’ve seen her earn the card. I also would’ve liked if they had talked things out before she left with Ryan. This could’ve potentially led to an alliance later on, but instead, we just got more loose ends that need to be tied up. Overall, I understand they tried making Marco this whole nerd-turned-badass kind of character, but it was so over the top that he wasn’t a badass, just a bad person.
Lexi-
I had already disliked Lexi in the first book, but she was somehow worse the second time around. This girl had so many freaking chapters for no reason. It was so annoying that I would groan audibly when it was her perspective. Her storyline was the epitome of uneventful and dull, making her, in my opinion, the most boring character. The only pity I felt for her was when Marco was clearly manipulating her, but that’s it. She was STILL complaining about the whole, “I have no friends,” stuff…SO WHAT ARE MADDIE AND GINGER? Instead, it became “I have ‘friends’,” but she would put friends in quotation marks, like…GET A GRIP. It was basically the same constant complaining as the first book, just in a different font. I understand that she felt left out, and it was difficult to make more friends, but she was just being a wet blanket. The only scenes where she was remotely positive were the scenes with Marco, but she wasn’t being genuinely positive, just DELUSIONAL. I understand that they’re young, but she was so desperate to get with him that it got irritating real fast. To make things worse, I didn’t like how she talked to Marco ONCE, and she immediately fell for him. Shay and Ryan were kinda the same, but at least they had more bonding time, making their connection feel more genuine. I feel like rather than actually liking Marco, she was just trying to shift her attention to something easier, like a crush. Going back to Lexi’s not-friends, I hated Maddie and Ginger. They were both super irrelevant, and they were just there to make Lexi feel bad, be a bad influence, and give her a “glow up”(which lasted approximately 2 seconds). Moreover, Lexi was giving me MAJOR pick me vibes too. It felt like the author wanted her to be quirky, but her actions were cringe at best. This happened more than once, whether it was the whole, “Omg I don’t know how they wear heels, I’m a sneaker type of girl,” or, “I don’t know about these girly magazines, I’ve never even read one of them.” Furthermore, her constant fixation on her physical attributes, particularly her chest, became uncomfortably obsessive. Like, WE GET IT, she has big boobs, I understood the first 1000000 times it was brought up. It literally started to become creepy at that point. One thing I did like about her chapters was when they ended (just kidding…kind of). I did appreciate the mystery surrounding her fate, wondering if she'd succumbed to the disease or faced some other fate. All in all, I heavily disliked Lexi as a result of her numerous uneventful chapters, repetitive complaints about friendship, and a delusional fixation on a manipulative relationship, all while her attempts at quirky charm fell flat and her physical attributes were overly emphasized.
Ryan-
Ryan had so much potential, and I was so disappointed at how much he flopped. I did like that we got to see him start to break away from his old friends a little bit. This is because Mike and Drew weren’t the best people, so getting to see him setting boundaries when he felt they had gone too far was really empowering. I also really liked his side plot with Jack and Ruthie. My problem with it was that it was established at the start of the book, but it was neglected for most of the book. They still got mentioned from time to time, but I feel like it wasn’t enough. Although mentioned sporadically, it needed more development to truly contribute to his character growth. Also, the kids were pissing me off a little bit. I know they were really young, but it made me upset how ungrateful they were at everything Ryan was doing for them. “He wasn’t a pervert or anything, but still, seeing a picture like that, all air-brushed and whatever, got a guy going. He wondered if it was too early to visit Shay. He wondered if she wore stuff like these models had on—not here obviously, but like at home.” GIRL WHAT. WHY WAS THIS EVEN NECESSARY? For some context, this was his immediate thought when passing by an abandoned Victoria’s secret. I only have one thing to say: Red fucking flag.
Shay-
As for Shay, I didn’t know how to feel about her. Like Marco, she was just all over the place. Sometimes I liked her and sometimes I hated her. She was just really manipulative and she just kept on making so many bad decisions, to the point where it got so annoying. It was established in the first book that she was a very intelligent character, so I don’t understand why the author made her make so many terrible decisions the second time around. It felt like she was very dependent on others in this book, which is understandable, but I would’ve loved a moment where she snapped out of it and focused on herself for a bit. Even though in the first book she was already kinda taken, she still had a sense of self-love, while in this one, it felt like she was always on the sidelines and waiting for someone to rescue her. I did like how we began to see a toll on her mental health, as it showed how hopeless the situation was beginning to feel for her. I wish we could’ve seen a discussion with her and Ryan about her declining mental state. Also, I would’ve loved to see her write some kind of poetry, since it would’ve shown a glimpse of a revival of the old version of herself. I know technically it was mentioned that she had lost inspiration, but seeing a poem about her difficult times could’ve played a bigger role in her slow recovery, rather than everything being somewhat resolved when Ryan kissed her. Talking about Ryan, I felt like there was something lacking in every interaction she had with both him and Marco. It felt like both of them were so focused on protecting her that they didn’t take the time to ask her how she was holding up. On the topic of interactions, I did enjoy seeing her interactions with Kris. He was the only one besides Ryan who made her begin to be more optimistic, and he definitely played a huge role in her little character development. Going back to Marco, I felt like she was really rude to him. I’m not justifying anything he did, since he was completely in the wrong too. The thing is, HE SAVED HER LIFE, and yet she never even tried to thank him. Like, he did all these things to keep her safe, yet as soon as Ryan showed up, she completely ditched him. I think her and Marco should’ve at least stayed as friends. Lastly, I didn’t like how in the first book she had made this big fuss about saving her Nani and Preeti, but in this book, when she had the opportunity to be there for her sister, she just completely abandoned her. In summary, she was a mix of admirable traits and frustrating behaviors, showing smarts but making bad decisions and relying on others instead of growing independently.
Kris-
Kris was my absolute favorite character in the book. He honestly deserved being brought up more than he was. It was nice having a character who wasn’t completely gloomy all the time. I think Kris’s contrast was the reason he stood out to me the most. On top of that, you gotta admit, he was the golden retriever boy that we all desperately needed. My only concern about his character didn’t even have to do with him, it had to do with Shay. “Shay ripped off her mask and pressed her lips to his. They did not respond. Kris pushed her back gently, hands gripping her shoulders like she was a little girl, a look of shock on his face like she’d bit him.” Like, that kiss made me have to stop reading and take a break. HE WAS TWENTY FIVE. Also, why did Shay act so weird after she kissed Ryan? Like, was she THAT desperate to get another kiss? That whole scene was just embarrassing, and I disliked that it caused her to avoid Kris, further taking away from his appearances.
More Complaints-
*There was so much manipulation happening that I began to doubt that any of them would actually have any development.
*This book turned really dark really fast, which wasn’t necessarily bad, but it maintained very simple writing, which clashed with the harsh topics.
*This book felt like a fever dream, and not in an abstract way. It was more of a fever dream in a the-author-just-threw-words-and-called-it-a-day type of way (Biting a chicken head? Really?).
*I pretty much hated every single character (except for Kris and Preeti).
*I didn’t like the whole party scheme, like it made no sense. I understand the senator wanted to keep the teenagers from causing trouble and making the government seem powerless, but how is making them all party gonna solve anything? Also, wouldn’t that just make the disease spread faster? Encouraging teenagers to spread the disease among themselves to make the government seem like they still had power was a TERRIBLE IDEA. You would think Marco would’ve fought back, but HE JUST WENT WITH IT!? I know he had his own reasons, but come on. He didn’t even enjoy throwing the parties in the first place. It was probably added to advance the story and add a cause for the new mutation, but I feel like there are better ways to do so.
*The book just felt like one long ramble rather than one consecutive plot.
*The amount of PDA in this book was downright questionable. I don’t mind reading books with kissing and whatever the fuck THAT chapter was (I’ll bring that up later), but you would think they would avoid it due to, I don’t know, THE DEADLY VIRUS SPREADING???
*Why was the post sex scene even there? It added absolutely nothing to the plot. I think it was meant to strengthen their relationship, but I feel like there were better ways of doing so.
*Why, if it was very gory and it touched upon numerous serious topics, did we still had to deal with “Frak,” and, “Heck.” It was so dumb how the characters avoided cursing, yet they were okay with drinking and sex.
*I didn’t love the new format of the book. Without each chapter clearly indicating whose perspective I was reading, it made it a hassle having to figure it out every single time.
Things I Kinda Liked-
*I liked how we saw Mike’s weaknesses, especially when Drew died. He was originally established as a very headstrong and tough guy, but seeing cracks in his armor made him seem more realistic. Also, it made me begin to sympathize for him, which is more than I can say for a couple of the others.
*I liked the new mutation of the virus that arose. I do wish we could’ve seen more of it, besides the symptoms. I hope the next book answers the question as to why only teenagers to young adults were affected.
*I thought it was kinda cute how Marco and Lexi had their first kiss together, but once again, that whole relationship felt forced.
*I did think that the book had some really cute romantic moments. The scene when Marco hugged Shay when she was having a panic attack was downright adorable, and it even made me ship them for a bit. Also, it was so cute seeing just how in love Ryan was with her. Even though they did feel a bit random at times, those moments kept me sane in the sea of confusion.
*I’m excited to see who’s going to end up taking over, since the last few chapters made it clear that it won’t be the senator.
*I did enjoy the introduction of the postal office gang, and I hope we learn a bit more about their origin story in the next book. Also, if they could access the mall’s internet, could they potentially access the outside world?
*I can’t wait to see if the cure works and how everything will be resolved.
*It was surreal seeing a huge correlation between COVID and the way the disease in the mall was being dealt with, especially since it was written in 2013. That isn’t a complaint, just a fun detail that I wanted to bring up.
Summary-
Once again, this book just felt ehhh. For some reason, Marco transformed into a bully and was consumed by possessiveness towards Shay. His treatment of Lexi and frequent abandonment further complicated his portrayal. Lexi, whom I disliked from the start, was dull and self-pitying, with her storyline feeling uneventful. Ryan, despite early promise, disappointed with underdeveloped subplots and questionable decisions. Shay's intelligence was thrown out the window, as a result of her manipulative tendencies and dependency on others, leading to my mixed feelings about her. Kris, someone who was mentioned in 4 chapters max, ended up being my favorite due to his refreshing optimism. Overall, the book explored dark themes amidst a narrative that felt disjointed, with occasional bright spots in its romantic moments and intriguing subplots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2017
I loved book 1 No safety in numbers but for some odd reason I couldn't get into book 2. it just seemed like it rambled on and on. I was rather disappointed. It seemed like book 2 was more play then action.
The storie is set in a mall where a deadly disease breaks out and soldiers quarantine the Mall.
over 2,000 people are stuck in the mall trying to make the best of a bad situration.
The storie is set in a mall where a deadly disease breaks out and soldiers quarantine the Mall.
over 2,000 people are stuck in the mall trying to make the best of a bad situration.
August 15, 2020
I honestly thought that the author just could have left off at book 1. This book feels slow, dull, and boring compared to the first. The action is minimal and the whole book seems rushed in a desperate attempt to profit off the first book.
February 13, 2024
I don’t know how to feel about this sequel, because it’s pretty bad. Don’t get me wrong, the theme of the whole book is uniquely done. But just have an interesting plot and nothing else going for you, makes the book fall so short! I won’t give any spoilers away, but my thoughts are below.
Marco alone makes this book terrible. He is such a miserable little prick. He knows Shay likes Ryan and chose Ryan, but he is a crybaby douche. He uses everyone and gets mad when they’ve also used him. He gets mad at Shay and then turns around and does it to Lexi, he’s a tool. Like it makes it unbearable to read his parts because he’s got nothing going for him it’s just the same grouchy parts.
Shay is kind of a terrible big sister to Preeti. Like Shay is so selfish and this book definitely ruins any good she had going for her. Like she kisses some random dude, what?
Reading the parts about Lexi are also so annoying. Every single time it comes to her scene, it’s got to add some weird comments about her body or other people talking about it or touching it.
This book starts to introduce some more of the main 4 characters together, which is cool! But it also changes themes and instead of each section being one specific character, it goes by time of the day it is. And it reads so very choppy, with a bunch of back and forth and no indication of who it is a lot of the times. And then more people get paragraphs who aren’t the main 4 and it all just seems like way too much on a page it gets you lost.
Just a heads up during day 10 of the book, Lexi follows her mom (the senator), while she addresses something in the mall. That something ends up being bodies hanging from a climbing wall in a sports store, where they hung themselves. So there is a brief mention of suicide in that part of the book, but really only that part.
Marco alone makes this book terrible. He is such a miserable little prick. He knows Shay likes Ryan and chose Ryan, but he is a crybaby douche. He uses everyone and gets mad when they’ve also used him. He gets mad at Shay and then turns around and does it to Lexi, he’s a tool. Like it makes it unbearable to read his parts because he’s got nothing going for him it’s just the same grouchy parts.
Shay is kind of a terrible big sister to Preeti. Like Shay is so selfish and this book definitely ruins any good she had going for her. Like she kisses some random dude, what?
Reading the parts about Lexi are also so annoying. Every single time it comes to her scene, it’s got to add some weird comments about her body or other people talking about it or touching it.
This book starts to introduce some more of the main 4 characters together, which is cool! But it also changes themes and instead of each section being one specific character, it goes by time of the day it is. And it reads so very choppy, with a bunch of back and forth and no indication of who it is a lot of the times. And then more people get paragraphs who aren’t the main 4 and it all just seems like way too much on a page it gets you lost.
Just a heads up during day 10 of the book, Lexi follows her mom (the senator), while she addresses something in the mall. That something ends up being bodies hanging from a climbing wall in a sports store, where they hung themselves. So there is a brief mention of suicide in that part of the book, but really only that part.
October 12, 2013
Lord of the Taylor
(Full disclosure: I received a free ARC of this book through Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program. Also, trigger warning for rape and animal abuse.)
After a biological bomb is found strapped to the HVAC system at the Shops of Stonecliff, the mall’s quickly quarantined, with thousands of hapless shoppers and employees (not to mention a few police officers and research scientists) trapped inside. In the aftermath, a new society forms. Led by Senator Ross – on the authority of the US president, no less – the official government forces attempt to provide for the needs of the mall’s residents: food, water, clothing, hygiene, and safety – both from one another, as well as the lethal flu strain ripping a path of destruction through the captive population. Naturally, not everyone accepts the power of this autocracy: rebellion, coups, conspiracy theories, and general mayhem ensues.
Book one in the series ( No Safety in Numbers ) introduced us to four protagonists – Lexi, Shay, Ryan, and Marco – through whose eyes we saw the story unfold. Each section of the book equaled one day in the mall; each chapter alternated between a different character’s perspective. As with No Safety in Numbers, No Easy Way Out also covers a week’s worth of the quarantine: in this case, days 7 through 14. However, Lorentz breaks with the structure she introduced in the first book: sections are divided by day, chapters by time period, with shifting character perspectives throughout. Initially I wasn’t I thrilled with this change, but it quickly won me over: it helps move the story along at a quicker pace.
That said, No Easy Way Out is rather hefty at 470 pages (for the ARC; the “real” copy will run 480 pages); No Safety in Numbers is a slim 263 pages in comparison. By no means do I shy away from thick books (Stephen King is one of my favorites, so.), but in this case I felt like the story was slow and a bit bloated, particularly in the first half. Much of the focus in No Easy Way Out is on relationships: love triangles, shifting alliances, back-stabbing, and the like. The action doesn’t really pick up until the last third of the book, when a second flu strain begins dropping teenagers like flies.
(In an unsurprising twist, one of the teens unleashes the disease on his own people: dumb jock Drew breaks into a pet store and steals a goose – along with some fishes – for food. Ultimately he bites the goose’s head from her still-living body in a drunken rage and then consumes the corpse raw. Bird flu, anyone? Needless to say, I did not mourn his passing.)
This wouldn’t be a problem, except that so many of the characters are unsympathetic and/or downright unlikable: Ginger and Maddie are almost too vapid to be believable, while football players Drew and Mike are stereotypes right out of Jersey Shore (or whatever the kids are watching nowadays).
This criticism extends to the male protagonists as well. In his previous life, skinny, scrawny Marco was either invisible or a target of bullies. His time in the mall – particularly his alliance with Mike – transforms him from prey to predator. With his first taste of power, he becomes intoxicated (“psycho,” in Lorentz’s words). As with Shay’s descent into trauma-induced anxiety, the reader might emphasize with Marco’s breakdown, save for one thing: he was already a rather noxious “nice guy” misogynist at story’s outset. His attitude toward Shay is appalling; consistently Marco talks about her as though she’s a piece of property to which he can lay claim or win in a contest of skills. Shay’s desires are irrelevant; what matters most is who can better provide for her, as though she’s an infant. When she rejects his advances or shows a preference for Ryan, he instantly becomes cold and dismissive. Classic “nice guy” behavior. (To paraphrase: “I’m a nice guy, why don’t b@#$%es like me?”)
“But wait!” you’re saying. “She totally led him on!” While it’s true that Shay acted friendly to gain favors from Marco, he can hardly fault her for this, seeing as he did the same to Lexi. (Hypocrite much?) That, and women are socialized to believe that their greatest source of power is their sexuality – but should they choose to exercise it, they’re automatically labeled “sluts,” “teases,” and the like. Women don’t automatically surrender keys to their person upon flirting with someone of the opposite sex. Rape culture 101, people.
And “good guy” Ryan isn’t much better. While he at least allows Shay to choose her own mate, Ryan engages in casual sexism just the same: chastising himself for crying “like a girl,” for example.
While I guess you could argue that such portrayals are realistic, the lack of positive models of masculinity is disappointing. Save for minor character Kris, the actor-turned-teacher, and Lexi’s father Mr. Ross, absent from most of No Easy Way Out, the men in this world are mostly violent thugs.
Along these lines, the book comes with a trigger warning for several scenes of sexual assault (nonconsensual kissing and groping), though rape is notably absent (especially significant given my point above). Perhaps it’s because No Easy Way Out is aimed at a younger audience – ages 12 and up – and thus teen sexuality is mostly limited to heavy kissing, along with the occasional allusion to off-screen sex. This isn’t really a complaint so much as an observation: if realism is the goal, rape would be rampant in this chaotic, Lord of the Flies society - particularly men in positions of power (guards included) abusing their authority to sexually assault women.
All in all, No Easy Way Out is an enjoyable enough read; not quite as good as No Safety in Numbers, but a passable follow-up. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 on Amazon.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2013/07/17/...
(Full disclosure: I received a free ARC of this book through Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program. Also, trigger warning for rape and animal abuse.)
After a biological bomb is found strapped to the HVAC system at the Shops of Stonecliff, the mall’s quickly quarantined, with thousands of hapless shoppers and employees (not to mention a few police officers and research scientists) trapped inside. In the aftermath, a new society forms. Led by Senator Ross – on the authority of the US president, no less – the official government forces attempt to provide for the needs of the mall’s residents: food, water, clothing, hygiene, and safety – both from one another, as well as the lethal flu strain ripping a path of destruction through the captive population. Naturally, not everyone accepts the power of this autocracy: rebellion, coups, conspiracy theories, and general mayhem ensues.
Book one in the series ( No Safety in Numbers ) introduced us to four protagonists – Lexi, Shay, Ryan, and Marco – through whose eyes we saw the story unfold. Each section of the book equaled one day in the mall; each chapter alternated between a different character’s perspective. As with No Safety in Numbers, No Easy Way Out also covers a week’s worth of the quarantine: in this case, days 7 through 14. However, Lorentz breaks with the structure she introduced in the first book: sections are divided by day, chapters by time period, with shifting character perspectives throughout. Initially I wasn’t I thrilled with this change, but it quickly won me over: it helps move the story along at a quicker pace.
That said, No Easy Way Out is rather hefty at 470 pages (for the ARC; the “real” copy will run 480 pages); No Safety in Numbers is a slim 263 pages in comparison. By no means do I shy away from thick books (Stephen King is one of my favorites, so.), but in this case I felt like the story was slow and a bit bloated, particularly in the first half. Much of the focus in No Easy Way Out is on relationships: love triangles, shifting alliances, back-stabbing, and the like. The action doesn’t really pick up until the last third of the book, when a second flu strain begins dropping teenagers like flies.
(In an unsurprising twist, one of the teens unleashes the disease on his own people: dumb jock Drew breaks into a pet store and steals a goose – along with some fishes – for food. Ultimately he bites the goose’s head from her still-living body in a drunken rage and then consumes the corpse raw. Bird flu, anyone? Needless to say, I did not mourn his passing.)
This wouldn’t be a problem, except that so many of the characters are unsympathetic and/or downright unlikable: Ginger and Maddie are almost too vapid to be believable, while football players Drew and Mike are stereotypes right out of Jersey Shore (or whatever the kids are watching nowadays).
This criticism extends to the male protagonists as well. In his previous life, skinny, scrawny Marco was either invisible or a target of bullies. His time in the mall – particularly his alliance with Mike – transforms him from prey to predator. With his first taste of power, he becomes intoxicated (“psycho,” in Lorentz’s words). As with Shay’s descent into trauma-induced anxiety, the reader might emphasize with Marco’s breakdown, save for one thing: he was already a rather noxious “nice guy” misogynist at story’s outset. His attitude toward Shay is appalling; consistently Marco talks about her as though she’s a piece of property to which he can lay claim or win in a contest of skills. Shay’s desires are irrelevant; what matters most is who can better provide for her, as though she’s an infant. When she rejects his advances or shows a preference for Ryan, he instantly becomes cold and dismissive. Classic “nice guy” behavior. (To paraphrase: “I’m a nice guy, why don’t b@#$%es like me?”)
“But wait!” you’re saying. “She totally led him on!” While it’s true that Shay acted friendly to gain favors from Marco, he can hardly fault her for this, seeing as he did the same to Lexi. (Hypocrite much?) That, and women are socialized to believe that their greatest source of power is their sexuality – but should they choose to exercise it, they’re automatically labeled “sluts,” “teases,” and the like. Women don’t automatically surrender keys to their person upon flirting with someone of the opposite sex. Rape culture 101, people.
And “good guy” Ryan isn’t much better. While he at least allows Shay to choose her own mate, Ryan engages in casual sexism just the same: chastising himself for crying “like a girl,” for example.
While I guess you could argue that such portrayals are realistic, the lack of positive models of masculinity is disappointing. Save for minor character Kris, the actor-turned-teacher, and Lexi’s father Mr. Ross, absent from most of No Easy Way Out, the men in this world are mostly violent thugs.
Along these lines, the book comes with a trigger warning for several scenes of sexual assault (nonconsensual kissing and groping), though rape is notably absent (especially significant given my point above). Perhaps it’s because No Easy Way Out is aimed at a younger audience – ages 12 and up – and thus teen sexuality is mostly limited to heavy kissing, along with the occasional allusion to off-screen sex. This isn’t really a complaint so much as an observation: if realism is the goal, rape would be rampant in this chaotic, Lord of the Flies society - particularly men in positions of power (guards included) abusing their authority to sexually assault women.
All in all, No Easy Way Out is an enjoyable enough read; not quite as good as No Safety in Numbers, but a passable follow-up. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 on Amazon.
http://www.easyvegan.info/2013/07/17/...
June 21, 2021
Hm. Read a book that's uncomfortably prescient and fairly terrifying, given our current situation. Gave me some solid secondhand anxiety, again, reasonable given the world in 2021. I enjoyed it, but was glad to close the book and return to the slightly-less-terrifying real world.
Oh there's a sequel? Well now I gotta read it!
Great character development, terrifying story, and I am very worried about how this is all going to end, because of course there's another book, and of course I'm going to read it.
Oh there's a sequel? Well now I gotta read it!
Great character development, terrifying story, and I am very worried about how this is all going to end, because of course there's another book, and of course I'm going to read it.
November 24, 2024
This book had some potential, but the ending sucked and it felt like this book took too long to read. I didn't like it right off the bat because of how boring it was. I wanted to finish it to see how it ended, and it just ended in chaos. Don't waste your time.
July 18, 2017
So amazing up until the end;( overall a great sequel and has me pumped for the final book
Read
February 4, 2019Not a fan of the book, just way too slow paced and just couldn't find a reason to keep reading the book.
September 26, 2021
i am going to beat marco's taco pendejoejoe bitchass
September 3, 2020
While I liked No Easy Way Out more than I liked No Safety in Numbers, I still feel like it can only be 3.5 stars. The plot is amazing. So amazing. Kept me on the edge of my seat. But the characters are too inconsistent and hard to bond with for this book as a whole to be considered "amazing".
November 6, 2015
From bad to WORSE. This book was torture, excluding the two well written and exciting parts. This review may contain some spoilers, though I won't go into detail.
The chapter division is completely different from the first book. Instead of each chapter focusing on a different character, it focused on the time of day. At first, I didn't mind this. But about halfway through the book, things got really confusing and it was irritating to have these column breaks and then jump to a different character. I think it would have been clearer to focus on two or three instead of four. Also, if they all would have intertwined at the end, it would have made things a lot more interesting. Now for the things that really bothered me. In the first book, we notice that Shay is a flirt and clearly uses people. She continues to do this with Marco and Ryan. It get so annoying and she continues to leave her sister. It is impossible to think a girl would abandon her five-year-old sister. Then Marco starts using Lexi. Lexi is an idiot, I really expected so much more out of her character. I think this book is just too far fetched. Sure, there is a flu outbreak that is killing thousands of people in the mall! Wait! Let's throw these stupid freaking teenagers a party every night, so they can continue to spread disease!! In reality, Mike an Drew would have been shot or even worse. This stupid Senator would have never allowed these parties. I don't understand how there are NO adults helping keep order. If there are thousands of people still alive, and there is a small group of teenagers creating chaos, how hard is it to keep that under control? Also, I really don't believe the whole "Sam's Club" thing. Why wouldn't the Senator just use that food? It's not like the VP of the company is there saying no. And these mall entrances and key cards are so irritating.
This book lacks a strong and believable plot. It needs more relatable and likable characters. I hate all of them! We needed more panic about the sickness that is killing all of these people and fewer scenes about getting drunk and forgetting to get plastic cups. It needed to cut out about 200 pages and just focus on a clear and concise story. I am giving it two stars because at least there were some well written scenes. I am dragging my feet towards the final book...
The chapter division is completely different from the first book. Instead of each chapter focusing on a different character, it focused on the time of day. At first, I didn't mind this. But about halfway through the book, things got really confusing and it was irritating to have these column breaks and then jump to a different character. I think it would have been clearer to focus on two or three instead of four. Also, if they all would have intertwined at the end, it would have made things a lot more interesting. Now for the things that really bothered me. In the first book, we notice that Shay is a flirt and clearly uses people. She continues to do this with Marco and Ryan. It get so annoying and she continues to leave her sister. It is impossible to think a girl would abandon her five-year-old sister. Then Marco starts using Lexi. Lexi is an idiot, I really expected so much more out of her character. I think this book is just too far fetched. Sure, there is a flu outbreak that is killing thousands of people in the mall! Wait! Let's throw these stupid freaking teenagers a party every night, so they can continue to spread disease!! In reality, Mike an Drew would have been shot or even worse. This stupid Senator would have never allowed these parties. I don't understand how there are NO adults helping keep order. If there are thousands of people still alive, and there is a small group of teenagers creating chaos, how hard is it to keep that under control? Also, I really don't believe the whole "Sam's Club" thing. Why wouldn't the Senator just use that food? It's not like the VP of the company is there saying no. And these mall entrances and key cards are so irritating.
This book lacks a strong and believable plot. It needs more relatable and likable characters. I hate all of them! We needed more panic about the sickness that is killing all of these people and fewer scenes about getting drunk and forgetting to get plastic cups. It needed to cut out about 200 pages and just focus on a clear and concise story. I am giving it two stars because at least there were some well written scenes. I am dragging my feet towards the final book...
October 24, 2013
-No Easy Way Out by: Dayna Lorentz
-Main Characters: Lexi, Ryan, Marco, and Shay
-Seven days have past since a busy suburban mall was quarantined after a biological bomb was found in the air duct. Everyone is in a raging panic after having no information, no showers, and little food. On top of that, the unknown virus is spreading quickly killing more people everyday. Four teenagers, Lexi, Ryan, Marco, and Shay have their own stories that occur while trapped in the mall. We see the characters evolve throughout the story as they face death, love, trust, struggle, and rebellion. In the end, it all comes down to who you should trust, and who can be trusted to get out of the mall alive.
-A week ago, a biological bomb was placed in the air duct of the Stonecliff mall. An infectious mystery virus from the bomb is spreading quickly. The people that are left are running on limited food, poor hygiene, no information, and no safety. From riots to attempting to break out, the mall is overwhelmed with chaos and the senator whom is also quarantined, has to take charge. She figures out a plan to group people accordingly. Unfortunately, rebellious teens formed their own groups outside of the plan and they start stealing and causing much larger problems. Although there are many more issues to solve, the senator gets all the essential supplies everyone needs and gets people organized. She also hires a man to come in and figure out a cure. In order to find out if it ends in chaos or peace, you will have to read the book.
-I loved this book. It had all the elements an interesting story should have, action, adventure, romance, sci-fi, and horror. This book cannot be put in a category, it has a little bit of each genre put into it. It is brilliant and original, this book is like nothing I have ever read before. Although some parts were slow, it all tied together in the end. The suspense would have me reading 50 pages a night. I couldn't put this book down. In addition, I felt very attached to the characters and I really felt the emotions they expressed. I felt empathy towards them. I thought this book was overall excellent and now one of my favorites.
-Main Characters: Lexi, Ryan, Marco, and Shay
-Seven days have past since a busy suburban mall was quarantined after a biological bomb was found in the air duct. Everyone is in a raging panic after having no information, no showers, and little food. On top of that, the unknown virus is spreading quickly killing more people everyday. Four teenagers, Lexi, Ryan, Marco, and Shay have their own stories that occur while trapped in the mall. We see the characters evolve throughout the story as they face death, love, trust, struggle, and rebellion. In the end, it all comes down to who you should trust, and who can be trusted to get out of the mall alive.
-A week ago, a biological bomb was placed in the air duct of the Stonecliff mall. An infectious mystery virus from the bomb is spreading quickly. The people that are left are running on limited food, poor hygiene, no information, and no safety. From riots to attempting to break out, the mall is overwhelmed with chaos and the senator whom is also quarantined, has to take charge. She figures out a plan to group people accordingly. Unfortunately, rebellious teens formed their own groups outside of the plan and they start stealing and causing much larger problems. Although there are many more issues to solve, the senator gets all the essential supplies everyone needs and gets people organized. She also hires a man to come in and figure out a cure. In order to find out if it ends in chaos or peace, you will have to read the book.
-I loved this book. It had all the elements an interesting story should have, action, adventure, romance, sci-fi, and horror. This book cannot be put in a category, it has a little bit of each genre put into it. It is brilliant and original, this book is like nothing I have ever read before. Although some parts were slow, it all tied together in the end. The suspense would have me reading 50 pages a night. I couldn't put this book down. In addition, I felt very attached to the characters and I really felt the emotions they expressed. I felt empathy towards them. I thought this book was overall excellent and now one of my favorites.
January 28, 2015
No Easy Way Out is the sequel to No Safety in Numbers, and god help us, there’s a third book in the series. The first one was terrible. Somehow, this second one was worse. I can only imagine how awful the third one will be. No, scratch that—I don’t think I can imagine that at all. I have post-traumatic stress from reading this. I've been through the five stages of grief. I literally had bad dreams while reading this book.
And to think that, in addition to an author, this book had an editor, and a publisher, proof-readers, consulting doctors even. There really are people out there who thing young adults are idiots. I mean, the only people I can think of who would buy this nonsense are the unrealistic, unlikable, uninteresting characters in the book itself.
The book is a muddled mess. It has no semblance of self-cohesion, starting not even on the last page of the prequel, but a few pages before the prequel’s ending. And the ending of No Easy Way Out? It just ends. Like the publishers decided to arbitrarily chop a big fat stack of pages into thirds.
But wait, there’s more mess. Here’s a book for young adults, and so, it can’t say, for example the F-word. Instead, the word “fark” is used. There’s cold-blooded, violent murder, torture, even a scene involving premature ejaculation (no, it’s not a scene written to be humorous), but we can’t harm the teen-reader's mind with the F-word, can we.
No, instead, we’ll just bludgeon them with stupidity. With situations that would never occur, people saying and doing things they would never do. I’m not talking about people being jerks, I’m talking about wishy-washiness, changes in attitude that follow, at best, the cadence of a new sentence. Whatever’s convenient for the author to create conflict, she puts in. A whole mall shut-down, and somehow there’s a team of security guards with riot gear and stun-batons? A you farking kidding me?
I really don’t know what else to say. This was one of the most difficult reviews for me to write. I might be brain damaged. Don’t read this book.
And to think that, in addition to an author, this book had an editor, and a publisher, proof-readers, consulting doctors even. There really are people out there who thing young adults are idiots. I mean, the only people I can think of who would buy this nonsense are the unrealistic, unlikable, uninteresting characters in the book itself.
The book is a muddled mess. It has no semblance of self-cohesion, starting not even on the last page of the prequel, but a few pages before the prequel’s ending. And the ending of No Easy Way Out? It just ends. Like the publishers decided to arbitrarily chop a big fat stack of pages into thirds.
But wait, there’s more mess. Here’s a book for young adults, and so, it can’t say, for example the F-word. Instead, the word “fark” is used. There’s cold-blooded, violent murder, torture, even a scene involving premature ejaculation (no, it’s not a scene written to be humorous), but we can’t harm the teen-reader's mind with the F-word, can we.
No, instead, we’ll just bludgeon them with stupidity. With situations that would never occur, people saying and doing things they would never do. I’m not talking about people being jerks, I’m talking about wishy-washiness, changes in attitude that follow, at best, the cadence of a new sentence. Whatever’s convenient for the author to create conflict, she puts in. A whole mall shut-down, and somehow there’s a team of security guards with riot gear and stun-batons? A you farking kidding me?
I really don’t know what else to say. This was one of the most difficult reviews for me to write. I might be brain damaged. Don’t read this book.
August 3, 2013
I read the first book in this series having no idea what it was about (I admit, I was expecting zombies) and was amazingly surprised by how good the book was. So the other day I was checking the mail and I was like, “Aww man, there is a book shaped package, wonder what is inside?” So as we all know I immediately disregarded all the “important” mail and opened up my package to find a paperback of the second book form the Librarything Early Reviewer program. I immediately dove right in to discover how the residents of the mall were fairing in their second week of quarantine from the outside world. In an effort not to spoiler I shall use the “super vague comment mode” that we all know from reviews of sequels. I felt like this installment had a lot more character development than the first on, although some characters’ development moved them from my “favorites “ category to my “needs a got punch of common sense”. Marco went from being the kid who just wanted to survive to a master manipulator who treated Shay like an object that he had the right to control. Lexi was still one of my favorites and her and Marco’s interactions had me loving her even more and simply wanting to kick him in the nuts in anger. The Lord of the Flies vibe is thicker in this book than the first one and I foresee some serious shit hitting the fan in the third one. If you haven’t read the first novel in this series I highly recommend it and if you love that one as much as I did, why not check this one out as well?
November 26, 2014
I actually didn't finish this book and won't finish the series. I think I stopped 2 or 3 chapters or so before the end of the book. I just lost all interest it.
I don't remember what grade they were all supposed to be in, but from the way they act they seem more like they are in middle school rather than high school. Because what person in high school doesn't know that you can't create a virus in a mall(unless this magical mall happens to have a high tech laboratory hidden somewhere). Even if it did have a lab, a senator would not know enough about virology to create it herself. That would take someone who has a degree in virology. So when the idiots decided that the senator had magically created this new strain of the virus just to kill off all the teenagers, I was done with the book.
Also, none of the teenagers seemed at all concerned about the deadly virus in the first place, they just wanted to party and have sex, screw the fact that people are dropping dead left and right. To me that seemed completely unrealistic.
Idiots in real life annoy me plenty, I don't need to put up with it in the books I read as well.
I don't remember what grade they were all supposed to be in, but from the way they act they seem more like they are in middle school rather than high school. Because what person in high school doesn't know that you can't create a virus in a mall(unless this magical mall happens to have a high tech laboratory hidden somewhere). Even if it did have a lab, a senator would not know enough about virology to create it herself. That would take someone who has a degree in virology. So when the idiots decided that the senator had magically created this new strain of the virus just to kill off all the teenagers, I was done with the book.
Also, none of the teenagers seemed at all concerned about the deadly virus in the first place, they just wanted to party and have sex, screw the fact that people are dropping dead left and right. To me that seemed completely unrealistic.
Idiots in real life annoy me plenty, I don't need to put up with it in the books I read as well.
January 6, 2016
Technically I want to give this 2.5 stars. There was a ton of character development in this book but most of it was more aggravating then productive. I like the changes made in that chapters are divided up by time periods instead of different characters viewpoints. It certainly helped the book flow better and marking each day was a nice help as well.
But still the author could have dropped at least 200 pages off this book. It's way too long and the extra length adds absolutely nothing to the series. The most interesting and plot advancing chapters happen in the last 250 to 300 pages of the book.
And do not get me started on the totally unnecessary romance. The Shay-Marco, Marco-Lexi, Shay-Ryan drama was so aggravating. I want to know more about the virus not read about how Lexi is all aglow over her first kiss.
While I did enjoy the first book immensely I find it hard to recommend the second novel to anyone.
But still the author could have dropped at least 200 pages off this book. It's way too long and the extra length adds absolutely nothing to the series. The most interesting and plot advancing chapters happen in the last 250 to 300 pages of the book.
And do not get me started on the totally unnecessary romance. The Shay-Marco, Marco-Lexi, Shay-Ryan drama was so aggravating. I want to know more about the virus not read about how Lexi is all aglow over her first kiss.
While I did enjoy the first book immensely I find it hard to recommend the second novel to anyone.
September 12, 2014
The writing is just as bad as the first one, the format of the book is awful... The first one was separated by viewpoints, this one switches to days and times, switch point of view within the sections but then switches back to overall characters... Still easy to read and follow, the reason it is an issue is that it is insane to think that things would become so chaotic in 2 weeks. Also the way that the different characters are written is very bland. One character who is Hispanic never speaks a word of Spanish but "he thinks" in random Spanish words that are itialized... The idea of the story is good but the overall production is subpar, I'll read the last one as I don't like to not finish a trilogy; however, I'll be finding it in a library to read for free...
March 14, 2016
@Mrs.Smith
It was an ok book, but it wasn't as good as the first one. This book was so slow to me that it bored me at least 50% of the time. I did like the fact that I didn't just read the 4 main kids agian. They were in the book, but I got to read from other characters point of view.
It was an ok book, but it wasn't as good as the first one. This book was so slow to me that it bored me at least 50% of the time. I did like the fact that I didn't just read the 4 main kids agian. They were in the book, but I got to read from other characters point of view.
August 14, 2022
I couldn't last that long in a mall. I loved the characters and all the point of views. It was a fast read.
July 21, 2023
dnf 7/21
ughgfhfggghhh i dont think the first book wouldve made this any better. dayna needs to get back to law bc wtf was this......
ughgfhfggghhh i dont think the first book wouldve made this any better. dayna needs to get back to law bc wtf was this......
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