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Visions #2
Bang
Jules should be happy. She saved a lot of people’s lives and she’s finally with Sawyer, pretty much the guy of her dreams. But the nightmare’s not over, because she somehow managed to pass the psycho vision stuff to Sawyer. Excellent.
Feeling responsible for what he’s going through and knowing that people’s lives are at stake, Jules is determined to help him figure it all out. But Sawyer’s vision is so awful he can barely describe it, much less make sense of it. All he can tell her is there’s a gun, and eleven ear-splitting shots. Bang.
Jules and Sawyer have to work out the details fast, because the visions are getting worse and that means only one thing: time is running out. But every clue they see takes them down the wrong path. If they can’t prevent the vision from happening, lives will be lost. And they may be among the casualties…
Feeling responsible for what he’s going through and knowing that people’s lives are at stake, Jules is determined to help him figure it all out. But Sawyer’s vision is so awful he can barely describe it, much less make sense of it. All he can tell her is there’s a gun, and eleven ear-splitting shots. Bang.
Jules and Sawyer have to work out the details fast, because the visions are getting worse and that means only one thing: time is running out. But every clue they see takes them down the wrong path. If they can’t prevent the vision from happening, lives will be lost. And they may be among the casualties…
241 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2013
79 people are currently reading
4343 people want to read
About the author
Lisa McMann
59 books6,982 followersLisa McMann lives and writes in the Phoenix area. Her newest middle grade fantasy series is called The Forgotten Five. Book one, Map of Flames, was an instant NYT bestseller. It's about five supernatural kids, raised in a deserted hideout, who enter civilization for the first time to search for a hidden stash left behind by their missing, criminal parents.
Book two, The Invisible Spy, is on sale now! Book three, Rebel Undercover, is coming summer 2023, and book 4 will be out in spring of 2024.
Also out now: CLARICE THE BRAVE. It's a story of hope against all odds, about sibling mice who get separated in a mutiny and vow to find one another again.
Lisa's other books include the NYT bestselling THE UNWANTEDS and UNWANTEDS QUESTS series, the GOING WILD trilogy, the YA paranormal WAKE trilogy, the VISIONS trilogy, CRYER'S CROSS, DEAD TO YOU, and INFINITY RING: The Trap Door.
See what's new and where Lisa will be at her
LinkTree.
You can find more info at Lisa'a website, lisamcmann.com, interact with her on Facebook or Twitter, or ask questions on her Instagram.
Book two, The Invisible Spy, is on sale now! Book three, Rebel Undercover, is coming summer 2023, and book 4 will be out in spring of 2024.
Also out now: CLARICE THE BRAVE. It's a story of hope against all odds, about sibling mice who get separated in a mutiny and vow to find one another again.
Lisa's other books include the NYT bestselling THE UNWANTEDS and UNWANTEDS QUESTS series, the GOING WILD trilogy, the YA paranormal WAKE trilogy, the VISIONS trilogy, CRYER'S CROSS, DEAD TO YOU, and INFINITY RING: The Trap Door.
See what's new and where Lisa will be at her
LinkTree.
You can find more info at Lisa'a website, lisamcmann.com, interact with her on Facebook or Twitter, or ask questions on her Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 438 reviews
July 25, 2017
Once again I'm surprised by how much I liked this book...
September 25, 2013
******Spoilers if you haven’t read Crash******
I liked Crash, the first book in the Visions series, but it failed to “wow” me. It was entertaining and fun, but only just that. I’m happy to report that Bang was a much better read for me.
Bang takes up the story where Crash left us. Jules’ vision came to an end after she successfully thwarted the tragedy, (phew!) only to find out Sawyer is now having his own vision of tragedy! Any peace over her success is quickly replace by unease and worry for Sawyer. But with each other’s help and support they piece together the clues that are gradually revealed. Unfortunately, Sawyer’s vision is disturbing and dangerous!
One of the things I really loved about Bang was getting to witness Jules experiencing the joys of romance and love for the first time. Feeling all the overwhelming aspects: mental, emotional, and physical and realizing that until you experience it yourself no one can fully explain the intensity! So yes, there was some major swoon in this installment between Sawyer and Jules! Love it when the girl gets the guy she’s been pining over for years! I also loved the fact that they were a united couple throughout, facing all their troubles together.
The loving sibling relationship between Jules, Trey, and Rowan warmed my heart. Their parents have so many issues, primarily the father, so it’s nice to see how they lent support and strength to each other. I felt sorry for Sawyer who’s had to deal with all his family drama and dysfunction on his own, before he became close to the Demarco’s. He sort of becomes the 4th musketeer in their pack, fitting in easily with such a common background. I was so happy Sawyer finally had friends watching his back.
Bang’s suspenseful plot lent excitement to the story, but I would’ve been just as happy just to read about the personal relationships, as this interested me the most. I don’t know if there will be a third installment but it certainly seems that way even if the story wrapped up for the most part.
Bang was a solid follow-up surpassing Crash, IMO, and if there are more books in the series, I will happily pick them up!
Come visit The Readers Den for a chance to win both Crash and Bang (ARC copy)!
A copy was provided by Simon Pulse in exchange for an honest review.
I liked Crash, the first book in the Visions series, but it failed to “wow” me. It was entertaining and fun, but only just that. I’m happy to report that Bang was a much better read for me.
Bang takes up the story where Crash left us. Jules’ vision came to an end after she successfully thwarted the tragedy, (phew!) only to find out Sawyer is now having his own vision of tragedy! Any peace over her success is quickly replace by unease and worry for Sawyer. But with each other’s help and support they piece together the clues that are gradually revealed. Unfortunately, Sawyer’s vision is disturbing and dangerous!
One of the things I really loved about Bang was getting to witness Jules experiencing the joys of romance and love for the first time. Feeling all the overwhelming aspects: mental, emotional, and physical and realizing that until you experience it yourself no one can fully explain the intensity! So yes, there was some major swoon in this installment between Sawyer and Jules! Love it when the girl gets the guy she’s been pining over for years! I also loved the fact that they were a united couple throughout, facing all their troubles together.
The loving sibling relationship between Jules, Trey, and Rowan warmed my heart. Their parents have so many issues, primarily the father, so it’s nice to see how they lent support and strength to each other. I felt sorry for Sawyer who’s had to deal with all his family drama and dysfunction on his own, before he became close to the Demarco’s. He sort of becomes the 4th musketeer in their pack, fitting in easily with such a common background. I was so happy Sawyer finally had friends watching his back.
Bang’s suspenseful plot lent excitement to the story, but I would’ve been just as happy just to read about the personal relationships, as this interested me the most. I don’t know if there will be a third installment but it certainly seems that way even if the story wrapped up for the most part.
Bang was a solid follow-up surpassing Crash, IMO, and if there are more books in the series, I will happily pick them up!
Come visit The Readers Den for a chance to win both Crash and Bang (ARC copy)!
A copy was provided by Simon Pulse in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2014
Jules got the guy... but she also gave him her visions. Once she saved Sawyer and his family from the snow plow disaster, Jules thought everything would go back to normal. But that didn't happen. Soon after the big save, Sawyer comes to her and tells her that he's now seeing a vision. And it's not as simple as stopping a crash. This vision involves eleven loud bangs... gunshots. Sawyer doesn't know where this shooting is going to take place and he doesn't recognize any of the people either. In order to get Sawyer's sanity back and save innocent lives, they're going to have to decipher the clues AGAIN and try to find a way to stop it without getting themselves killed.
My Thoughts:
Ok so I just finished this book and I'm so happy to say that I loved it. Most of the time when I read a sequel to a book I really really liked, I'm disappointed by it. This was SO not the case here. Bang is an awesome continuation of Crash with all the same characters and even more intensity.
Jules and Sawyer are trying to have a relationship and figure out this whole crazy vision thing. The vision that Sawyer is seeing is some kind of school shooting. What school and when it's going down is the big mystery. He also can't see what the shooter looks like, so there's no clues there either. Jules is destroyed that Sawyer is seeing this stuff, and she can't help but feel responsible. After all he did "catch" it from her. She starts doing everything she can think of to help him, but it's hard when she can't see the vision. She's also dealing with her parents who are trying to keep her on a short leash after all her antics and the whole canoodling with an Agnotti issue.
What I liked about this book was that I felt like we got to know Sawyer better... and find out why Jules was so into him. I also liked that the family drama was still there, but the scary vision was much more the main focus, unlike Crash where the two feuding families had a much bigger role. Trey and Rowan were still awesome and Jules is definitely still Jules, but she's more toned down and focused.
If you liked Crash or were even a little ehhh about it, you should definitely try this one. In my opinion this second book was even better than the first. It doesn't have as many cute little moments that the first book had, and I missed those parts, but it's much more intense and I think I liked that even better. Now I just have to wait for book 3 (Gasp June 3rd) to find out why all this stuff is happening!!!
OVERALL: YES!!! Loved this sequel to Crash even more than I loved Crash. The intensity in this book is much higher, but the cuteness of the characters is still there. It's definitely a series worth reading!
My Blog:
My Thoughts:
Ok so I just finished this book and I'm so happy to say that I loved it. Most of the time when I read a sequel to a book I really really liked, I'm disappointed by it. This was SO not the case here. Bang is an awesome continuation of Crash with all the same characters and even more intensity.
Jules and Sawyer are trying to have a relationship and figure out this whole crazy vision thing. The vision that Sawyer is seeing is some kind of school shooting. What school and when it's going down is the big mystery. He also can't see what the shooter looks like, so there's no clues there either. Jules is destroyed that Sawyer is seeing this stuff, and she can't help but feel responsible. After all he did "catch" it from her. She starts doing everything she can think of to help him, but it's hard when she can't see the vision. She's also dealing with her parents who are trying to keep her on a short leash after all her antics and the whole canoodling with an Agnotti issue.
What I liked about this book was that I felt like we got to know Sawyer better... and find out why Jules was so into him. I also liked that the family drama was still there, but the scary vision was much more the main focus, unlike Crash where the two feuding families had a much bigger role. Trey and Rowan were still awesome and Jules is definitely still Jules, but she's more toned down and focused.
If you liked Crash or were even a little ehhh about it, you should definitely try this one. In my opinion this second book was even better than the first. It doesn't have as many cute little moments that the first book had, and I missed those parts, but it's much more intense and I think I liked that even better. Now I just have to wait for book 3 (Gasp June 3rd) to find out why all this stuff is happening!!!
OVERALL: YES!!! Loved this sequel to Crash even more than I loved Crash. The intensity in this book is much higher, but the cuteness of the characters is still there. It's definitely a series worth reading!
My Blog:
January 13, 2024
3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this one!! I think Crash is still my favorite, but I love Sawyer and getting to see more of him in this one. <3
Just a fyi to my Christian friends: This one had quite a bit of cussing/"adult humor"(if ykyk lol)/LGBTQ characters/talks about God in a negative way, so just a heads up! :)
Jules' pov: die first by Nessa Barrett
Sawyer's pov: Ordinary Human by One Republic
(I'm trying really hard not to put *that one song* here XDD)
Rowan's pov: Welcome to New York by Taylor Swift
Shout out to my friend Grace for getting me to read this one!! Love ya, girl *huggos*
I really enjoyed this one!! I think Crash is still my favorite, but I love Sawyer and getting to see more of him in this one. <3
Just a fyi to my Christian friends: This one had quite a bit of cussing/"adult humor"(if ykyk lol)/LGBTQ characters/talks about God in a negative way, so just a heads up! :)
Jules' pov: die first by Nessa Barrett
Sawyer's pov: Ordinary Human by One Republic
(I'm trying really hard not to put *that one song* here XDD)
Rowan's pov: Welcome to New York by Taylor Swift
Shout out to my friend Grace for getting me to read this one!! Love ya, girl *huggos*
April 13, 2018
Short and to the point and I loved it. No frills or extra fillers, just a good story told in a clear manner with extremely likable characters. Very well distributed and easy to enjoy. Great continuation of book 1 and flawless flow into book 3. Looking forward to finishing Gasp, though already hoping for more after that. Sometimes it’s never enough.
Want to read
January 14, 2013I love the cover.
And I need this book.
Thank the dogs this is coming out this year.
But October's not early enough. :'(
And I need this book.
Thank the dogs this is coming out this year.
But October's not early enough. :'(
February 1, 2014
4.5/5 stars
Bang is book two in the Visions series. There will be spoilers from book 1, Crash.
I'm trying to decide what category to put this book in. It is a YA contemporary, with some romance. It is also part mystery. I've seen some people classify it as paranormal. Although that makes me think more of vampires, werewolves and angels. This book is definitely not that. But one of the characters sees visions of an accident.
In Crash Jules (Julia the narrator) had to race against time to stop a crash from happening. In the follow-up book Bang it is Sawyer who is having visions. And he and Jules have to work together to try to put the pieces together.
This book was rather short (240 pages). I would consider it a fairly youngish YA book (maybe for a 15 or 16 year old).
My favorite parts of this book are the mystery element. The visions. And the family aspect. Jules is so close to her brother and sister. And both Jules and Sawyer have very complex families (their parents own rival pizza stores).
I definitely enjoyed how the story concluded. And I definitely look forward to book three.
March 3, 2016
Bang! The book wears its title quite well.
After saving Sawyer from an explosion, Jules passes her superpower futuristic visions onto him. But what exactly is Sawyer supposed to do now? Does he have to stop a school shooting before it occurs, or can he simply ignore the visions because no one he knows gets hurt?
I'm exited to say that this sequel doesn't hold the same amount of curses as its predecessor. This time, McMann devoted herself more to the story. The characters didn't appear as shy or troubled. And no repetitive scenes, where the vision just plays on and on were written. The author also did a better job at balancing the secondary characters and added LGBT themes to the plot.
After saving Sawyer from an explosion, Jules passes her superpower futuristic visions onto him. But what exactly is Sawyer supposed to do now? Does he have to stop a school shooting before it occurs, or can he simply ignore the visions because no one he knows gets hurt?
I'm exited to say that this sequel doesn't hold the same amount of curses as its predecessor. This time, McMann devoted herself more to the story. The characters didn't appear as shy or troubled. And no repetitive scenes, where the vision just plays on and on were written. The author also did a better job at balancing the secondary characters and added LGBT themes to the plot.
January 16, 2018
I love Lisa McMann's writing, I found myself laughing out loud at the MCs banter and her wit. I loved it and I am just going to finish the series because I don't want to wait!
Totally my guilty pleasure, but the psychic ability plus the forbidden love, plus a bump up in scarier visions really made for a better novel than the first.
Great Read!
Totally my guilty pleasure, but the psychic ability plus the forbidden love, plus a bump up in scarier visions really made for a better novel than the first.
Great Read!
April 27, 2023
AUDIO. No:2 of a trilogy. Carries on well from the first but with increased family dramas and romance.
February 9, 2017
Honestly? I had to lower the rating on this book because I'm fucking pissed. I had it at three stars, but no. This was
not
a story that a straight person had the right to write. And if McMann is actually lgbtq+, then I am sincerely sorry. But I have reasons to believe that McMann is straight, because the events that happened towards the lgbtq+ community in this novel were
not
handled well. There will be spoilers beyond this point, so do not continue if you haven't read this novel and are planning to. And if you are lgbtq+, I recommend staying far, far away from this book. There's better rep out there for us.
-
-
-
Let me tell you this straight: straight and cisgender people have no idea how hurtful a hate crime is towards the lgbtq+ community. In this book, there is a shooting during an lgbtq+ group. And you know how this is handled? Do you know how the gay brother feels the next day after being shot? He feels fine. He is not scared. He is not upset. The only thing he feels is the pain from his wound. I know this was written before the terrible tragedy in Orlando, but do you know how I, an lgbtq+ teen, felt after the Orlando shooting? I was terrified. I was hurt. And I was angry.I wasn't even in the same country and my heart ached. Can you imagine how it would feel to be a victim/witness to a shooting? It would be horrifying. Can you imagine how it feels for the lgbtq+ people to know that not only was someone a disgusting enough person to shoot people, but that those people were targeted for being themselves? It was not just some random attack. It was a hate crime. The same thing happens in this book. And this character is written as if that event barely phased him. I wasn't even in Orlando, or the United States, and I was terrified. How was he not terrified after being shot? How did his heart not ache with the fact that there are still people who aren't accepting? It's unrealistic. And I'm pissed.This was not a story that a cishet gets to write (and, again, I'm sorry if the author truly is part of the lgbtq+ community. In that case: your writing is trash because there's no way anyone would be over a shooting in a day.) This was also not a story that should have been told from the POV of a cishet character.
It's a shame, because if it hadn't been for that, this book could have been enjoyable. Instead, I felt like punching something. The more I think about this novel, the angrier I get.
April 12, 2013
Seen at Scott Reads It!
I am a huge fan of Lisa McMann, her books are my guilty pleasure. I haven't read all of her books yet but the ones I have read have been pretty entertaining. There is just something so addicting about Lisa McMann's books.
Bang is such a simple but powerful novel. Lisa McMann takes something as ordinary as star-crossed lovers and turns into an extremely original book. This definitely isn't your average paranormal YA book. Lisa McMann talks about alot of controversial topics like bipolar disease, hoarders, and mass shootings in Bang. All of these controversial topics are dealt with in such interesting ways.
Bang moves at a fast pace and the pages really just flew by. This book was really entertaining but certain plot elements felt reused from Crash. Just when I thought something was going to happen, *BANG* Lisa McMann threw in a plot twist that completely surprised me. Honestly the ending of this book is spectacular, it was such a gut-wrenching and intense scene.
Jules and Sawyer are such a fantastic couple, personally I feel like they are perfect for each other. Why can't star-crossed lovers end up happy? Why do they have to experience tragedy? Maybe I'm just realistic but it upset me every single time there was an obstacle in the way of their relationship. McMann does a great job at making their romance interesting to read about. Sometimes the romance was a bit cheesy but for the most part it was really sweet. I really hope everything ends well for Jules and Sawyer because they have been through so much and they deserve to be happy.
This book is one slender book and I just wish it was a bit longer. I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want it to end. I desperately need book #3 right now, I'm happy there was no cliffhanger. If there was a cliffhanger, I would probably be so upset. I have a feeling that there will be such a long wait till book #3.
Bang is an extremely engrossing and addicting novel that I'd definitely reccommend. I'm pretty psyched for book #3, I just wish it's release date wasn't so far away. Now I definitely need to read The Unwanteds and Dead To You by Lisa McMann. Thank you Simon Pulse for providing me with an ARC of Bang, in exchange for a honest review.
I am a huge fan of Lisa McMann, her books are my guilty pleasure. I haven't read all of her books yet but the ones I have read have been pretty entertaining. There is just something so addicting about Lisa McMann's books.
Bang is such a simple but powerful novel. Lisa McMann takes something as ordinary as star-crossed lovers and turns into an extremely original book. This definitely isn't your average paranormal YA book. Lisa McMann talks about alot of controversial topics like bipolar disease, hoarders, and mass shootings in Bang. All of these controversial topics are dealt with in such interesting ways.
Bang moves at a fast pace and the pages really just flew by. This book was really entertaining but certain plot elements felt reused from Crash. Just when I thought something was going to happen, *BANG* Lisa McMann threw in a plot twist that completely surprised me. Honestly the ending of this book is spectacular, it was such a gut-wrenching and intense scene.
Jules and Sawyer are such a fantastic couple, personally I feel like they are perfect for each other. Why can't star-crossed lovers end up happy? Why do they have to experience tragedy? Maybe I'm just realistic but it upset me every single time there was an obstacle in the way of their relationship. McMann does a great job at making their romance interesting to read about. Sometimes the romance was a bit cheesy but for the most part it was really sweet. I really hope everything ends well for Jules and Sawyer because they have been through so much and they deserve to be happy.
This book is one slender book and I just wish it was a bit longer. I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want it to end. I desperately need book #3 right now, I'm happy there was no cliffhanger. If there was a cliffhanger, I would probably be so upset. I have a feeling that there will be such a long wait till book #3.
Bang is an extremely engrossing and addicting novel that I'd definitely reccommend. I'm pretty psyched for book #3, I just wish it's release date wasn't so far away. Now I definitely need to read The Unwanteds and Dead To You by Lisa McMann. Thank you Simon Pulse for providing me with an ARC of Bang, in exchange for a honest review.
June 4, 2013
4.5 STARS
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Crash, and it left off with a cliffhanger ending that I wasn't really sure of. Thankfully, this sequel delivers on the intensity of the first book.
Events pick up a few weeks after the crash Julia saw, and she's healing and returning to school while dealing with her angry parents who don't know the whole truth. While Julia is extremely close to her siblings Trey and Rowan, there's such a disconnect between her and her parents, more so than the other two children. Julia has learned some ugly things about her father's past, and she's resenting her mother for being so passive when it comes to him. Not much more is revealed when it comes to Julia's father, but she begins to formulate some interesting theories about him which I hope come to fruition more in the next books.
Julia and Sawyer's relationship is lovely even though they have very very few moments of getting to act like normal 16 year olds. They're either trying to dissect visions, or trying to stay out of sight of both of their families. Neither of their home lives are perfect, and there are so many things that the two have in common that it's just touching to see how well they fit together. There is some boyfriend/girlfriend stuff happening, but the lack of mushy moments is really refreshing to see in young adult literature.
While I didn't feel this storyline packed quite as hard a punch of that in the first book, it was still a page-turner. The action just felt kind of slower because the reader was getting it secondhand, and we don't get to see what Sawyer sees because the book is told from Julia's point of view. The end events moved really fast, and although I thought that was a shame it all came together nicely.
I'd definitely recommend this book if you've read the first--the story of Julia and Sawyer continues flowing beautifully and I believe things will only escalate from here.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Crash, and it left off with a cliffhanger ending that I wasn't really sure of. Thankfully, this sequel delivers on the intensity of the first book.
Events pick up a few weeks after the crash Julia saw, and she's healing and returning to school while dealing with her angry parents who don't know the whole truth. While Julia is extremely close to her siblings Trey and Rowan, there's such a disconnect between her and her parents, more so than the other two children. Julia has learned some ugly things about her father's past, and she's resenting her mother for being so passive when it comes to him. Not much more is revealed when it comes to Julia's father, but she begins to formulate some interesting theories about him which I hope come to fruition more in the next books.
Julia and Sawyer's relationship is lovely even though they have very very few moments of getting to act like normal 16 year olds. They're either trying to dissect visions, or trying to stay out of sight of both of their families. Neither of their home lives are perfect, and there are so many things that the two have in common that it's just touching to see how well they fit together. There is some boyfriend/girlfriend stuff happening, but the lack of mushy moments is really refreshing to see in young adult literature.
While I didn't feel this storyline packed quite as hard a punch of that in the first book, it was still a page-turner. The action just felt kind of slower because the reader was getting it secondhand, and we don't get to see what Sawyer sees because the book is told from Julia's point of view. The end events moved really fast, and although I thought that was a shame it all came together nicely.
I'd definitely recommend this book if you've read the first--the story of Julia and Sawyer continues flowing beautifully and I believe things will only escalate from here.
September 16, 2016
I read a book called Bang, by Lisa McMann. This book is the second book in a series I have been reading. The major characters in this book are Sawyer, Trey, and Jules. This book takes place present day, in Florida. In the previous book, Jules had a vision. Now it's Sawyer's turn. Sawyer has a vision about a school shooting. He sees new things everyday. It is very had for him to focus because he sees the visions everywhere such as, on billboards, in peoples eyes, he hears gunshots daily ringing in his head. He is scared for life. Jules and Sawyer do a ton of secret hanging out in order to figure out more about this vision and when exactly it is going to occur. Jules asks him many questions. Soon, her brother Trey wants in and starts to help them also.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I am really loving this series and I cannot wait to start the third book. The thing I disliked was that Jules got in trouble with her dad when he found out Jules and Sawyer were hanging out. He almost found out they were dating too. The families have a historical rivalry that gets in the way of almost everything. The things I liked and loved about the book was that Sawyer and Jules were able to finally figure out Sawyer's vision in the end. They were once again hero's.
I love series like this. I would recommend this book to other teens who love genres such as romance, action, and mystery. This book could be classified as a few categories. If you love reading a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, I would definitely recommend this book and series to you.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I am really loving this series and I cannot wait to start the third book. The thing I disliked was that Jules got in trouble with her dad when he found out Jules and Sawyer were hanging out. He almost found out they were dating too. The families have a historical rivalry that gets in the way of almost everything. The things I liked and loved about the book was that Sawyer and Jules were able to finally figure out Sawyer's vision in the end. They were once again hero's.
I love series like this. I would recommend this book to other teens who love genres such as romance, action, and mystery. This book could be classified as a few categories. If you love reading a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, I would definitely recommend this book and series to you.
July 10, 2016
First read: November 2013
Re-read: April 2016
These books are seriously fantastic and so underrated. I beg you, please just give them a try. Not only is the plot suspenseful, the narration hilarious and the characters relatable, but there is a perfect portrayal of sibling relationships, a beautiful romance with no love triangle in sight and so much more amazing content. Plus, Sawyer exists and he is probably my favorite love interest/main character ever.
I'm not joking. What are you waiting for? Read this series ASAP.
(Though, I should leave a warning for those triggered by school shootings or related violence. So, if you're triggered by that sorta thing, I'd look into McMann's other books first.)
Re-read: April 2016
These books are seriously fantastic and so underrated. I beg you, please just give them a try. Not only is the plot suspenseful, the narration hilarious and the characters relatable, but there is a perfect portrayal of sibling relationships, a beautiful romance with no love triangle in sight and so much more amazing content. Plus, Sawyer exists and he is probably my favorite love interest/main character ever.
I'm not joking. What are you waiting for? Read this series ASAP.
(Though, I should leave a warning for those triggered by school shootings or related violence. So, if you're triggered by that sorta thing, I'd look into McMann's other books first.)
July 8, 2014
I'm sorry but this was awful. She should have just ended the series after the first book and had it be a stand alone. I didn't like Jules in this book and I didn't like Sawyer either. The drama with Roxi was dumb and over dramatic. Also, the "hate" shooter. I just didn't buy it. Yes I know hate crimes go on, but this book just made a mockery of it. Stupid. Waste of time.
February 11, 2016
If you've read the first then you've read this one. Literally eons pass before anything happens. I bought the trilogy in one book and man i should have only bought the first.
November 10, 2017
Jules has settled the mystery of her vision, even though she doesn't know why it happened in the first time. Sawyer and her begin a relationship even though the fight between their families is worse than the Hatfields and Mccoys. Sadly the vision issue has jumped to Sawyer. This vision is a school shooting and with limited time and very slow internet and limited access to computer this is harder to figure out than the first one.
This was a quick read for me, since it had no love triangle, no drama and parents that were present through out the book. Though Jules parents have issues, her dad is a hoarder and suffers from depression while her mother is there but absent since she is in the restaurant so much or dealing with their father's mood. Sawyer's parents especially his dad is abusive and it all comes to a head when Jules and Sawyer refuse to end their relationship ove an old grudge of who did who wrong. It would get 5 stars except Rowan's behavior was over the top.
This was a quick read for me, since it had no love triangle, no drama and parents that were present through out the book. Though Jules parents have issues, her dad is a hoarder and suffers from depression while her mother is there but absent since she is in the restaurant so much or dealing with their father's mood. Sawyer's parents especially his dad is abusive and it all comes to a head when Jules and Sawyer refuse to end their relationship ove an old grudge of who did who wrong. It would get 5 stars except Rowan's behavior was over the top.
February 6, 2025
Not much of a review, but how I feel about this book
You can't help but feel like a spirit observing and wandering around in this siblings' house when you read Lisa McMann's Visions series. I first read the book during the first year of the military coup in my country, with very limited electricity and internet access, so books were all I had. The detailed depiction of the rooms, the family drama, and the bond between the siblings, each with their distinct personalities, made the first book unforgettable for me. Years passed, and I was able to move out of my war-torn country and settled temporarily elsewhere. I still couldn't forget and wanted to continue Jules' journey. So, I picked up the series again, starting from the first book, and now I've finished the second. The book is very grounded, focusing on the teenagers' lives, the weather and the environment around them, and their school and family struggles. It almost feels like a 'slice-of-life' anime. Damn, I really like these books.
You can't help but feel like a spirit observing and wandering around in this siblings' house when you read Lisa McMann's Visions series. I first read the book during the first year of the military coup in my country, with very limited electricity and internet access, so books were all I had. The detailed depiction of the rooms, the family drama, and the bond between the siblings, each with their distinct personalities, made the first book unforgettable for me. Years passed, and I was able to move out of my war-torn country and settled temporarily elsewhere. I still couldn't forget and wanted to continue Jules' journey. So, I picked up the series again, starting from the first book, and now I've finished the second. The book is very grounded, focusing on the teenagers' lives, the weather and the environment around them, and their school and family struggles. It almost feels like a 'slice-of-life' anime. Damn, I really like these books.
February 18, 2020
.5-1 Stars
Wow where to start?
May have some spoilers and A LOT OF RANTING!!!!
So disappointed. How did this one get a better rating than book 1????? This one was just terrible and a complete waste of time. It should have been told from Sawyers POV and not Jules (tired of her already). I mean first of all the "romance" was just flat out annoying and I liked it much better when Jules and Sawyer were in the friendish zone. I don't understand why YA books have to be so basic, it's always the same thing when there is a series- girl can't have guy for whatever reason and it's just great, but then by book 2 girl gets guy and the romance ruins everything and all she can think about is either kissing him or getting into his pants for the whole entire book. I just can't stand it! More imagination PLS...
Also, there just seemed to be too much going on in this book. We have the romance, the vision, Rowan running off, the on going rivary and abuse, the hoarding and depression. I don't know it just seemed a bit much even though once again the only actual action that took place was of course during the last 3 chapters.
Speaking of Rowan, when you thought she was a really good respectable daughter, you find out that she has been putting on an act the whole time! What?
And what good big sister really sits there and drops her little 15 yro sister at an airport to go to another state to be with some strangers that she just "met" once ONLINE!!!!. When I read that I was like Mcmann what were you thinking? Jules thought it was ok to sneak Rowan off because she thought the one time she met the strangers ONLINE they seemed "normal". WHAT?!!! Don't just about all serial killers seem some what "normal" at first --- Ted Bundy ring a bell?
I just couldn't stand all the constant lying to the parents about EVERYTHING. I understand that their dad had cheated years before, but that was the past and he still is their father and I didn't like the lack of respect that was shown to him and their mother. Especially since not one of the 3 kids were perfect themselves (especially JULES).
Honestly, not one of the characters in this were likeable. I hated the way Jules said that she didn't care about saving the other people, she only cared about getting Sawyer out of there, but then in the end she says she just can't sit back knowing that the visions have passed on to someone else so she has to find them and help them regardless of what's at stake. OH OK, all of a sudden because Sawyer is safe, now she wants to act like she actual cares about someone outside of her little circle? She was so self righteous at the end I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Not to mention how she just always acted like she was better than her mom, her dad...even GOD!
Which brings me to my major complaint about this book. Listen, the LGBT theme was no surprise to me (you could see that one coming miles away), it is pretty obvious, but I thought it was an interesting add instead of it being just your typical high school (YA book) shooting. However, what I didn't appreciate was how it was mentioned that a crazed "preacher" was "hating" against the LGBT... Um... why does it have to be a crazed "Preacher". Why would you even go there? I thought that was such stereotyping.
Also, some people need to just GROW the heck UP (Mrs. Mcmann) and understand something. Just because someone doesn't "agree" with a lifestyle or lifestlye choice doesn't mean that they are full of "HATE" I am so tired of people using the word "hate" just because someone might actually have a mind and think DIFFERENTLY from you. Now, just because I might not agree doesn't give me the right to do physical harm to anyone, but if you call me a "hater" for saying I don't agree with the homosexual lifestyle, then that makes you a hypocrite and the real hater for calling me one.
Jules says some stupid crap about why would I believe in a God that hates blah blah blah... Ummmm, so because God says don't steal I guess He "hates" all thieves and better yet, because God says don't sin, I guess He "hates" all sinners. Yep, that's why He actually wasted His time dying for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. OKKKKKK... That's right Jules knows better than God because she basically puts God on the chopping block and then paints herself to be the righteous one, again so very typical.
Anyway, this book even without the LGBT/God stuff was just terrible. Once again, this always seem to happen when Ya books are series---the first starts out strong and then it's all down hill from there. Oh and one more thing, Wow the cursing and sexual content. Why was it necessary to have all that cursing in this one. I am reading a 500+ page YA book right now that I am almost done with it and it doesn't have HALF the cursing that this little 200+ page book has. Very annoying and the thing is the cursing didn't even fit the characters, it just felt so random. The sexual content was just so very inappropriate I cringed--no words.
And oh my gosh, if I have to hear one more .com joke---can't roll my eyes enough.........
Content: no actual sex, but very inappropriate sexual content
Language: A LOT--- too much
Recommended: No, as a matter of fact skip and just go to 3 (or be safe and just stop at 1?). (waste of time.)
Wow where to start?
May have some spoilers and A LOT OF RANTING!!!!
So disappointed. How did this one get a better rating than book 1????? This one was just terrible and a complete waste of time. It should have been told from Sawyers POV and not Jules (tired of her already). I mean first of all the "romance" was just flat out annoying and I liked it much better when Jules and Sawyer were in the friendish zone. I don't understand why YA books have to be so basic, it's always the same thing when there is a series- girl can't have guy for whatever reason and it's just great, but then by book 2 girl gets guy and the romance ruins everything and all she can think about is either kissing him or getting into his pants for the whole entire book. I just can't stand it! More imagination PLS...
Also, there just seemed to be too much going on in this book. We have the romance, the vision, Rowan running off, the on going rivary and abuse, the hoarding and depression. I don't know it just seemed a bit much even though once again the only actual action that took place was of course during the last 3 chapters.
Speaking of Rowan, when you thought she was a really good respectable daughter, you find out that she has been putting on an act the whole time! What?
And what good big sister really sits there and drops her little 15 yro sister at an airport to go to another state to be with some strangers that she just "met" once ONLINE!!!!. When I read that I was like Mcmann what were you thinking? Jules thought it was ok to sneak Rowan off because she thought the one time she met the strangers ONLINE they seemed "normal". WHAT?!!! Don't just about all serial killers seem some what "normal" at first --- Ted Bundy ring a bell?
I just couldn't stand all the constant lying to the parents about EVERYTHING. I understand that their dad had cheated years before, but that was the past and he still is their father and I didn't like the lack of respect that was shown to him and their mother. Especially since not one of the 3 kids were perfect themselves (especially JULES).
Honestly, not one of the characters in this were likeable. I hated the way Jules said that she didn't care about saving the other people, she only cared about getting Sawyer out of there, but then in the end she says she just can't sit back knowing that the visions have passed on to someone else so she has to find them and help them regardless of what's at stake. OH OK, all of a sudden because Sawyer is safe, now she wants to act like she actual cares about someone outside of her little circle? She was so self righteous at the end I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Not to mention how she just always acted like she was better than her mom, her dad...even GOD!
Which brings me to my major complaint about this book. Listen, the LGBT theme was no surprise to me (you could see that one coming miles away), it is pretty obvious, but I thought it was an interesting add instead of it being just your typical high school (YA book) shooting. However, what I didn't appreciate was how it was mentioned that a crazed "preacher" was "hating" against the LGBT... Um... why does it have to be a crazed "Preacher". Why would you even go there? I thought that was such stereotyping.
Also, some people need to just GROW the heck UP (Mrs. Mcmann) and understand something. Just because someone doesn't "agree" with a lifestyle or lifestlye choice doesn't mean that they are full of "HATE" I am so tired of people using the word "hate" just because someone might actually have a mind and think DIFFERENTLY from you. Now, just because I might not agree doesn't give me the right to do physical harm to anyone, but if you call me a "hater" for saying I don't agree with the homosexual lifestyle, then that makes you a hypocrite and the real hater for calling me one.
Jules says some stupid crap about why would I believe in a God that hates blah blah blah... Ummmm, so because God says don't steal I guess He "hates" all thieves and better yet, because God says don't sin, I guess He "hates" all sinners. Yep, that's why He actually wasted His time dying for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. OKKKKKK... That's right Jules knows better than God because she basically puts God on the chopping block and then paints herself to be the righteous one, again so very typical.
Anyway, this book even without the LGBT/God stuff was just terrible. Once again, this always seem to happen when Ya books are series---the first starts out strong and then it's all down hill from there. Oh and one more thing, Wow the cursing and sexual content. Why was it necessary to have all that cursing in this one. I am reading a 500+ page YA book right now that I am almost done with it and it doesn't have HALF the cursing that this little 200+ page book has. Very annoying and the thing is the cursing didn't even fit the characters, it just felt so random. The sexual content was just so very inappropriate I cringed--no words.
And oh my gosh, if I have to hear one more .com joke---can't roll my eyes enough.........
Content: no actual sex, but very inappropriate sexual content
Language: A LOT--- too much
Recommended: No, as a matter of fact skip and just go to 3 (or be safe and just stop at 1?). (waste of time.)
June 20, 2017
Another 3.5 star book.
September 13, 2018
Having a significant other can be great right? Not if they are having visions about a murder in a school. Bang is a book about a girl named Jules who recently had a vision and was able to stop it and rescue the people that were in danger. Now her significant other Sawyer is having visions about a school shooting downtown. They have to figure out how to stop it before time runs out. I loved this book it had a lot of suspense and drama. I would recommend this book to people who like drama and a little bit of fantasy.
September 20, 2013
Lisa McMann has officially become one of my favorite authors.
I read her Dream Catchers series (not the last book because apparently it was disappointing) last year and fell in love with her unique writing style and the way she could create characters that I just loved. When I found out she had a new book at the beginning of this year I became really excited and read it as soon as I could. I loved Crash and Lisa didn’t disappoint with the sequel, Bang.
I got approved for this earlier this year but I waited a long time to read it because I didn’t want to have an enormously long wait for the next book in the series.
I actually have no idea where to start with this review, there are so many things I could talk about and I cannot seem to be able to put my feelings down on paper. I really do hope this review is at least coherent.
As I mentioned before, Lisa writes the most amazing characters. You cannot help but become involved in their lives and eventually fall in love with them. I think this is one of the few books with somewhat bad parents that I don’t mind because Lisa presents them in such a way that you cannot really resent them (except Sawyer’s parents… them I do not like but I’ll get back to them later). Jules’ father is a very interesting character. At the end of the last book we found out his big secret. It actually helped me understand him better. I just couldn’t seem to dislike him in this book. I just wish we got to learn more about him. I feel like he could be a great parent once he gets over his own guilt. Jules’ mother is an equally complicated character and I feel for her. She is stuck in a mess where her children don’t understand her (it’s complicated) and she doesn’t really have anyone to support her and tell her it’s okay to take a break once in a while.
Now to Sawyer’s family. I really do not understand them, this is probably because they author didn’t spend too much time talking about them but I am curious as to why they are such assholes. Why they treat Sawyer the way they do and why the hell they would abuse their own child because of someone else.
I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about the other characters because we all know about how awesome they were from the previous book, but I just want to say that I am just so happy that Lisa can write teens that are relateable, they act like real teens yet they are smart. They all come with their set of insecurities but they work together in such a way that you just want to hug them and tell them how proud you are. I also love how none of them actually want to be heroes that go out and save the world, they don’t want to be dumped with this responsibility, but they do it anyway because they have to. I am also glad that Lisa didn’t create a cliché for Trey’s character (since he is gay).
The relationships are pretty strong too. Like the one between the three siblings? Golden. They help each other out but they also act like real siblings. They aren’t all lovey dovey. They love to mess with each other (and manipulate ;)).
The one relationship that I was looking forward to seeing more of was Sawyer and Jules’. I mean they just got together at the end of the last book. I’ll admit to being a tad bit disappointed (for reasons I don’t fully comprehend), I mean they had a great relationship but something seemed to be missing. They were supportive and their worlds’ didn’t completely revolve around each other. Their relationship wasn’t completely based on love or lust but a mix of both and I was glad for that because it seemed like a realistic teenage relationship. As for the relationships between parents, they are a little iffy but I am pretty sure we’ll see more development there in the next books.
One thing that did manage to surprise me was the fact that I wasn’t very curious about the science behind the visions. I am curious being and I tend to question things a lot and the fact that I didn’t really question this speaks for how captivating the plot of the book was. I love how they break down details from the visions and try to piece together the clues. It’s really entertaining to see the whole thing unfold and then the actual scene, those always make my heart beat a little (a lot) faster.
This book was a great sequel and I am glad it didn’t disappoint. I definitely recommend this to the fans and if you haven’t read the first book? What the hell are you waiting for? GO READ IT! I command you to.
This review has also been posted on my blog
I read her Dream Catchers series (not the last book because apparently it was disappointing) last year and fell in love with her unique writing style and the way she could create characters that I just loved. When I found out she had a new book at the beginning of this year I became really excited and read it as soon as I could. I loved Crash and Lisa didn’t disappoint with the sequel, Bang.
I got approved for this earlier this year but I waited a long time to read it because I didn’t want to have an enormously long wait for the next book in the series.
I actually have no idea where to start with this review, there are so many things I could talk about and I cannot seem to be able to put my feelings down on paper. I really do hope this review is at least coherent.
As I mentioned before, Lisa writes the most amazing characters. You cannot help but become involved in their lives and eventually fall in love with them. I think this is one of the few books with somewhat bad parents that I don’t mind because Lisa presents them in such a way that you cannot really resent them (except Sawyer’s parents… them I do not like but I’ll get back to them later). Jules’ father is a very interesting character. At the end of the last book we found out his big secret. It actually helped me understand him better. I just couldn’t seem to dislike him in this book. I just wish we got to learn more about him. I feel like he could be a great parent once he gets over his own guilt. Jules’ mother is an equally complicated character and I feel for her. She is stuck in a mess where her children don’t understand her (it’s complicated) and she doesn’t really have anyone to support her and tell her it’s okay to take a break once in a while.
Now to Sawyer’s family. I really do not understand them, this is probably because they author didn’t spend too much time talking about them but I am curious as to why they are such assholes. Why they treat Sawyer the way they do and why the hell they would abuse their own child because of someone else.
I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about the other characters because we all know about how awesome they were from the previous book, but I just want to say that I am just so happy that Lisa can write teens that are relateable, they act like real teens yet they are smart. They all come with their set of insecurities but they work together in such a way that you just want to hug them and tell them how proud you are. I also love how none of them actually want to be heroes that go out and save the world, they don’t want to be dumped with this responsibility, but they do it anyway because they have to. I am also glad that Lisa didn’t create a cliché for Trey’s character (since he is gay).
The relationships are pretty strong too. Like the one between the three siblings? Golden. They help each other out but they also act like real siblings. They aren’t all lovey dovey. They love to mess with each other (and manipulate ;)).
The one relationship that I was looking forward to seeing more of was Sawyer and Jules’. I mean they just got together at the end of the last book. I’ll admit to being a tad bit disappointed (for reasons I don’t fully comprehend), I mean they had a great relationship but something seemed to be missing. They were supportive and their worlds’ didn’t completely revolve around each other. Their relationship wasn’t completely based on love or lust but a mix of both and I was glad for that because it seemed like a realistic teenage relationship. As for the relationships between parents, they are a little iffy but I am pretty sure we’ll see more development there in the next books.
One thing that did manage to surprise me was the fact that I wasn’t very curious about the science behind the visions. I am curious being and I tend to question things a lot and the fact that I didn’t really question this speaks for how captivating the plot of the book was. I love how they break down details from the visions and try to piece together the clues. It’s really entertaining to see the whole thing unfold and then the actual scene, those always make my heart beat a little (a lot) faster.
This book was a great sequel and I am glad it didn’t disappoint. I definitely recommend this to the fans and if you haven’t read the first book? What the hell are you waiting for? GO READ IT! I command you to.
This review has also been posted on my blog
November 14, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: A sequel much better than the first!
Opening Sentence: It’s been over a week since Sawyer kissed me and told me he was seeing a vision now, and it’s all I can think about.
The Review:
Lisa McMann did it again. In the sequel to the amazing Crash, Bang is the sequel of all sequels. Not only does the story evolve, but it further catapults my love for these characters. There’s a lot of talent to complete a story in two books. While Crash could have been a stand-a-lone (minus the ending), Bang compliments the story, never changing the integrity of story’s goal. Now before I begin, a warning that I will be talking about spoilers that happened in Crash. It’s inevitable, and I apologize if I ruin anything for you.
Bang begins immediately after Crash. Sawyer is experiencing visions, and Jules believes she must have transferred something from a single, first kiss. Sawyer doesn’t understand how it happened, nor can he comprehend the meaning of the vision. What he does know is that there are many dead people from a deadly shooting. Fortunately, Jules has experience and will do anything to help Sawyer in any way that she can.
I cannot begin to express how much more involved Bang was. As a reader, I was fully immersed into the vivid imagery and details. I paid more attention to each clue for the vision, and I firmly credit McMann’s descriptive writing that allowed me to paint a clear picture.
I must admit that at first I couldn’t wrap my head around the transfer of visions from one character to another. But, I was interested in how McMann would tell the tale from a different point of view; how she would bring the experience to a new light. And let me tell you, it was much different, but amazingly so.
Bang is told in an alternating point-of-view style. I found this method more engaging and perfect for how the story played out. The details, thoughts, and emotions from each Sawyer and Jules added to the excitement and anticipation of the varying moments. Observing Sawyer’s experience of severe de-realization versus Jules thoughts of organized chaos served as a good balance. In their situation, where time is ticking against a catastrophic event, the calm before the chaos was terrifying.
While I usually individually discuss the characters in my reviews, I chose not to this time. Each character has their own pros and cons, but I’ll leave their growth for you to discover. I enjoyed them both and fell in love with who they became. Their voices were realistic, and not once did I question what was going on.
Lisa McMann is one of my favorite authors, and Bang has solidified that as fact. I highly urge you to read Bang, because it is a wonderful and an engaging read.
Notable Scene:
I close my eyes, feeling defeat. “We’ll get it. I just need to figure out how to get out of here. I’m suffocating.”
“We both are.”
We’re quiet for a minute.
“Stay on the phone with me,” he says. “Please?”
“I will.” I climb back into bed and pull the blankets over me, keeping the phone to my ear. I’ve never slept with a boy before,” I say.
He laughs a little and it makes me feel better for him. We whisper a little bit, and soon we’re quiet. My eyelids droop.
In an instant, it’s morning.
FTC Advisory: Simon Pulse provided me with a copy of Bang. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A sequel much better than the first!
Opening Sentence: It’s been over a week since Sawyer kissed me and told me he was seeing a vision now, and it’s all I can think about.
The Review:
Lisa McMann did it again. In the sequel to the amazing Crash, Bang is the sequel of all sequels. Not only does the story evolve, but it further catapults my love for these characters. There’s a lot of talent to complete a story in two books. While Crash could have been a stand-a-lone (minus the ending), Bang compliments the story, never changing the integrity of story’s goal. Now before I begin, a warning that I will be talking about spoilers that happened in Crash. It’s inevitable, and I apologize if I ruin anything for you.
Bang begins immediately after Crash. Sawyer is experiencing visions, and Jules believes she must have transferred something from a single, first kiss. Sawyer doesn’t understand how it happened, nor can he comprehend the meaning of the vision. What he does know is that there are many dead people from a deadly shooting. Fortunately, Jules has experience and will do anything to help Sawyer in any way that she can.
I cannot begin to express how much more involved Bang was. As a reader, I was fully immersed into the vivid imagery and details. I paid more attention to each clue for the vision, and I firmly credit McMann’s descriptive writing that allowed me to paint a clear picture.
I must admit that at first I couldn’t wrap my head around the transfer of visions from one character to another. But, I was interested in how McMann would tell the tale from a different point of view; how she would bring the experience to a new light. And let me tell you, it was much different, but amazingly so.
Bang is told in an alternating point-of-view style. I found this method more engaging and perfect for how the story played out. The details, thoughts, and emotions from each Sawyer and Jules added to the excitement and anticipation of the varying moments. Observing Sawyer’s experience of severe de-realization versus Jules thoughts of organized chaos served as a good balance. In their situation, where time is ticking against a catastrophic event, the calm before the chaos was terrifying.
While I usually individually discuss the characters in my reviews, I chose not to this time. Each character has their own pros and cons, but I’ll leave their growth for you to discover. I enjoyed them both and fell in love with who they became. Their voices were realistic, and not once did I question what was going on.
Lisa McMann is one of my favorite authors, and Bang has solidified that as fact. I highly urge you to read Bang, because it is a wonderful and an engaging read.
Notable Scene:
I close my eyes, feeling defeat. “We’ll get it. I just need to figure out how to get out of here. I’m suffocating.”
“We both are.”
We’re quiet for a minute.
“Stay on the phone with me,” he says. “Please?”
“I will.” I climb back into bed and pull the blankets over me, keeping the phone to my ear. I’ve never slept with a boy before,” I say.
He laughs a little and it makes me feel better for him. We whisper a little bit, and soon we’re quiet. My eyelids droop.
In an instant, it’s morning.
FTC Advisory: Simon Pulse provided me with a copy of Bang. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
June 15, 2014
I really do like the story in these books. Honestly. But then I still have that little issue with how it is written. Ack. But I also love the writing, so it's a bit complicated for me. But for the most part I really enjoyed Bang so I'm giving it a four star. It was an exciting book. It's not perfect, but I really enjoyed reading it.
This book is also told from the point of view of Jules. Whom I still adore. She's pretty awesome, hih. And her family. Sigh. I loved getting to read more about Trey and Rowan. They are both amazing. Love them all so much. And their dad? Hating him more and more for each book. Ack. Worried about book three.
Then there is Sawyer. Who is now officially Jules's boyfriend. I still love him like crazy. Though I do think many of their scenes together are a bit cheesy and weird yet I loved every moment of them, hih. And Sawyer. Sigh. My heart breaks for him. His stupid family. Her stupid family. I do not approve! It better get resolved in book three. Sigh. Though my way of making it okay? Killing off his family, lol. But that's probably not happening :)
I don't have too much to say about Bang. Just that it is an amazing book. Yet too short. Ack. But at the same time I love that the books are short. I love that I don't have to wait forever for things to happen. That I don't have to worry for eternity, lol. But I still worry, I do. Because this is an exciting book. A little bit normal at times, and a lot of un-normal at different times. This book is different. And I love that about it. I love that we get to meet some new characters as well. Excited to read more about Ben.
Then there is the romance in this book. Sigh. There is more than there were in Crash. Which is good. The romance is sweet and hot and just all kinds of awesome. Though, yeah, a bit silly, hih. But I couldn't help but loving it even so. Because it do seem honest and real. And Sawyer and Jules are just too adorable together. And I cannot wait to read more about their romance. Sigh. I'm hoping it will be even more awesome in Gasp. So fingers crossed for that. <3 They are just so cute and adorable together.
We see more of the visions in this book. Okay, there was only one vision in book one. That played for Jules over and over again. And there is one in this book too. That Sawyer is seeing. And I found that very interesting to read about. Weird, yes, but also kind of awesome. I loved getting to know more about the vision and reading about them finally figuring things out about it. It was fun. And a bit creepy. I loved how it all ended. Though yeah. A bit awful. But I loved it even so. Excited for the next book.
I'm not saying more about Bang. Just that I thought it was a great book. Not perfect, but still amazing. I'm glad I finally started reading this series, hih. And I will be reading Gasp in a moment. <3 I cannot wait. Anyway. I do think you should all read Bang. Especially if you have already read Crash. Because it is an amazing sequel. It is short and fun and sweet and a bit sad too. And I just adore all the characters. Sigh. Jules and Sawyer. And Trey. Who is just too adorable. I'm excited to read more about him, lol.
This book is also told from the point of view of Jules. Whom I still adore. She's pretty awesome, hih. And her family. Sigh. I loved getting to read more about Trey and Rowan. They are both amazing. Love them all so much. And their dad? Hating him more and more for each book. Ack. Worried about book three.
Then there is Sawyer. Who is now officially Jules's boyfriend. I still love him like crazy. Though I do think many of their scenes together are a bit cheesy and weird yet I loved every moment of them, hih. And Sawyer. Sigh. My heart breaks for him. His stupid family. Her stupid family. I do not approve! It better get resolved in book three. Sigh. Though my way of making it okay? Killing off his family, lol. But that's probably not happening :)
I don't have too much to say about Bang. Just that it is an amazing book. Yet too short. Ack. But at the same time I love that the books are short. I love that I don't have to wait forever for things to happen. That I don't have to worry for eternity, lol. But I still worry, I do. Because this is an exciting book. A little bit normal at times, and a lot of un-normal at different times. This book is different. And I love that about it. I love that we get to meet some new characters as well. Excited to read more about Ben.
Then there is the romance in this book. Sigh. There is more than there were in Crash. Which is good. The romance is sweet and hot and just all kinds of awesome. Though, yeah, a bit silly, hih. But I couldn't help but loving it even so. Because it do seem honest and real. And Sawyer and Jules are just too adorable together. And I cannot wait to read more about their romance. Sigh. I'm hoping it will be even more awesome in Gasp. So fingers crossed for that. <3 They are just so cute and adorable together.
We see more of the visions in this book. Okay, there was only one vision in book one. That played for Jules over and over again. And there is one in this book too. That Sawyer is seeing. And I found that very interesting to read about. Weird, yes, but also kind of awesome. I loved getting to know more about the vision and reading about them finally figuring things out about it. It was fun. And a bit creepy. I loved how it all ended. Though yeah. A bit awful. But I loved it even so. Excited for the next book.
I'm not saying more about Bang. Just that I thought it was a great book. Not perfect, but still amazing. I'm glad I finally started reading this series, hih. And I will be reading Gasp in a moment. <3 I cannot wait. Anyway. I do think you should all read Bang. Especially if you have already read Crash. Because it is an amazing sequel. It is short and fun and sweet and a bit sad too. And I just adore all the characters. Sigh. Jules and Sawyer. And Trey. Who is just too adorable. I'm excited to read more about him, lol.
March 6, 2018
This was a super amazing book! I cant wait to read the last book and finish the series. the characters seem so realistic and the book itself just draws me in and I can't seam to put down the book! McMann is an amazing author. If you enjoy this book series I would suggest the Unwanteds series which is also by her!
December 13, 2013
You can find more of my reviews at Forever 17 Books.
4.5 stars!
Lisa McMann has an amazing talent of making a story filled with thriller and paranormal elements so fun and hilarious. I think that is a large reason I enjoy this series so much.
In the first book of the series, Crash, our main character, Jules, starts seeing visions of a terrible accident which appeared to take the lives of others, including the boy she has had a forbidden crush on for forever. This time around, the visions have spread to Sawyer, and of a shooting. BANG!
I found hearing about these visions from a perspective other than the main character was a nice change of pace to the storyline. Of course Jules offers a lot of help and it’s like a mystery evolving for these two, with the help of a couple others. Jules was an amazing support system, knowing what it felt like to be consumed with these visions herself. And I enjoyed the pacing of how it all unraveled because unlike how it was for Jules, this time around the location and events are much more broad and unknown. And probably a little more terrifying. As we got closer to the event, I found myself nervous and on the edge of my seat with just the right amount of tension and excitement.
What I probably enjoy the most about this series are the relationships. First off, the sibling dynamic between Jules, her brother Trey and her sister Rowan is perfection for me. I love strong family connections and even though there are issues with the parents, these three stick together through thick and thin. They’d do just about anything for each other yet also have no problem throwing in a few sibling jabs here and there. Some of my favorite scenes are between them hanging out at home together. It was great to see more of Rowan this time around and I found her just as sarcastic and fun a character and Jules and Trey. Oh and let’s not forget the return of the meatball truck jokes! They crack me up!
Then there is the growing romance between Jules and Sawyer. They are too adorable for words. Jules is so dedicated to helping him with his vision, it’s almost like it belongs to her all over again. Everything is so new between them – the kisses, the hand holding, the general attachment to each other. There is one chapter in particular where Jules is thinking about ‘sexy times’ and I was in stitches the whole time. I read this part while sitting in a waiting room and I think it earned me some looks from the people around me. She’s processing this new connection and the changes it means and I love her for the honesty. Her thoughts were valid for teens new to the physical elements of love, and not just sex but the overall lust and attraction they go through. She compared a penis to a barnacle... I cannot. lol It really toned down the seriousness of the other events happening around them.
All in all, this was a great sequel. I like the twist the storyline is taking at the end that has me excited for the adventure the third book, Gasp, will take us on.
4.5 stars!
Lisa McMann has an amazing talent of making a story filled with thriller and paranormal elements so fun and hilarious. I think that is a large reason I enjoy this series so much.
In the first book of the series, Crash, our main character, Jules, starts seeing visions of a terrible accident which appeared to take the lives of others, including the boy she has had a forbidden crush on for forever. This time around, the visions have spread to Sawyer, and of a shooting. BANG!
I found hearing about these visions from a perspective other than the main character was a nice change of pace to the storyline. Of course Jules offers a lot of help and it’s like a mystery evolving for these two, with the help of a couple others. Jules was an amazing support system, knowing what it felt like to be consumed with these visions herself. And I enjoyed the pacing of how it all unraveled because unlike how it was for Jules, this time around the location and events are much more broad and unknown. And probably a little more terrifying. As we got closer to the event, I found myself nervous and on the edge of my seat with just the right amount of tension and excitement.
What I probably enjoy the most about this series are the relationships. First off, the sibling dynamic between Jules, her brother Trey and her sister Rowan is perfection for me. I love strong family connections and even though there are issues with the parents, these three stick together through thick and thin. They’d do just about anything for each other yet also have no problem throwing in a few sibling jabs here and there. Some of my favorite scenes are between them hanging out at home together. It was great to see more of Rowan this time around and I found her just as sarcastic and fun a character and Jules and Trey. Oh and let’s not forget the return of the meatball truck jokes! They crack me up!
Then there is the growing romance between Jules and Sawyer. They are too adorable for words. Jules is so dedicated to helping him with his vision, it’s almost like it belongs to her all over again. Everything is so new between them – the kisses, the hand holding, the general attachment to each other. There is one chapter in particular where Jules is thinking about ‘sexy times’ and I was in stitches the whole time. I read this part while sitting in a waiting room and I think it earned me some looks from the people around me. She’s processing this new connection and the changes it means and I love her for the honesty. Her thoughts were valid for teens new to the physical elements of love, and not just sex but the overall lust and attraction they go through. She compared a penis to a barnacle... I cannot. lol It really toned down the seriousness of the other events happening around them.
All in all, this was a great sequel. I like the twist the storyline is taking at the end that has me excited for the adventure the third book, Gasp, will take us on.
October 13, 2013
Lisa McMann's follow up to her Visions series didn't lack for suspense. Aided by the mysterious curse that seemed to have been passed down from Jules, Sawyer is gifted with the same frightening visions. His, however, is infinitely worse due to the inherent violence of a direct-from-the-news school shooting.
Sawyer's frustration leaps off the pages as he tries to grasp what it was he was supposed to do with the recurring nightmares that he keeps seeing. While Jules have fought tooth and nail to save the boy she loves in the first book, Sawyer flounders to figure things out. Jules shared his frustration as well and at times it had put a strain in their burgeoning relationship. But the process in which they try to piece together the clues is only half the fun in this book.
There's no new developments or resolution in terms of the family feud - which is probably the only thing that concerned me with this series. I was also hoping to have Jules finally clear the air with her parents but to no avail. She did finally tell her dad that . Sawyer also finally gets himself out of the toxic environment that was his home - which is a relief because his situation was heartbreaking. The feud is pretty preposterous, but so did the Montague-Capulet's. I'm hoping things will finally be better in the next book.
As usual, the Demarco siblings' dynamic is one of the best things about this book. Their support system is quite a novelty, actually. You can sense the loyalty and the love in everything that they do. Slowly but surely, Trey and Rowan are finally getting a piece of the pie and I love, love, love these two. If there's something that I can sort of complain about (in a backhanded kind of way) is the sometimes misplaced humour when things get a bit serious. The balls jokes, especially, gets me snickering at the most inconvenient of times. I wouldn't say it's a complaint but it feels silly just the same.
Lisa McMann keeps delivering with whatever book she writes. I have a feeling that I will not be able to resist her MG series, even though it's not really my cup of tea. Over all, Visions have readily become one of those series that I've eagerly anticipated. Short as they are, these books are easily digestible and potently addictive.
Sawyer's frustration leaps off the pages as he tries to grasp what it was he was supposed to do with the recurring nightmares that he keeps seeing. While Jules have fought tooth and nail to save the boy she loves in the first book, Sawyer flounders to figure things out. Jules shared his frustration as well and at times it had put a strain in their burgeoning relationship. But the process in which they try to piece together the clues is only half the fun in this book.
There's no new developments or resolution in terms of the family feud - which is probably the only thing that concerned me with this series. I was also hoping to have Jules finally clear the air with her parents but to no avail. She did finally tell her dad that . Sawyer also finally gets himself out of the toxic environment that was his home - which is a relief because his situation was heartbreaking. The feud is pretty preposterous, but so did the Montague-Capulet's. I'm hoping things will finally be better in the next book.
As usual, the Demarco siblings' dynamic is one of the best things about this book. Their support system is quite a novelty, actually. You can sense the loyalty and the love in everything that they do. Slowly but surely, Trey and Rowan are finally getting a piece of the pie and I love, love, love these two. If there's something that I can sort of complain about (in a backhanded kind of way) is the sometimes misplaced humour when things get a bit serious. The balls jokes, especially, gets me snickering at the most inconvenient of times. I wouldn't say it's a complaint but it feels silly just the same.
Lisa McMann keeps delivering with whatever book she writes. I have a feeling that I will not be able to resist her MG series, even though it's not really my cup of tea. Over all, Visions have readily become one of those series that I've eagerly anticipated. Short as they are, these books are easily digestible and potently addictive.
December 2, 2013
“Bang” is the second book to the Visions sequel. It was Sawyer’s time to experience the horrific visions Jules had in the first book “Crash.” Sawyer’s visions were worse than Jules because he would hear and see 11 gunshots and people’s brains on the floor. Jules and eventually her brother Trey help Sawyer figure out when and where this was going to happen. Jules the entire time feels hopeless and angry at herself for passing on the vision to Sawyer.
Jules is the main girl character of this book. She passed down the vision to the only guy she had ever liked and she felt horrible about it. Jules is a reserved, caring, but very low tempered girl. She has a very crazy family that is always mad about something. Sawyer is the main guy character that now has the horrific visions. He is a very liked and well known boy in his school and community.
The main setting of “Bang” is Sawyer’s mind because it is the only place that can see the vision. Everywhere he goes, scenery he looks at, and items he touches contains some visual of his vision. It may be Sawyer’s worst nightmare but he is saving the lives of others that don’t know anything about what’s going to happen. The second setting is the University of Chicago because it is where the shootout is going to happen. There are people that disagree with some of the clubs that are held and the take their anger a little too far.
The theme of this book is to never doubt what your gut tells you. Most of the time we are correct about what we think and it shouldn’t matter what others think. Sawyer learned the hard way because he had to experience the horrific vision that would take innocent lives.
I would recommend this book to high school students because it’s an easy read to understand fast. Adults wouldn’t fully understand the concept behind what teens experience.
Jules is the main girl character of this book. She passed down the vision to the only guy she had ever liked and she felt horrible about it. Jules is a reserved, caring, but very low tempered girl. She has a very crazy family that is always mad about something. Sawyer is the main guy character that now has the horrific visions. He is a very liked and well known boy in his school and community.
The main setting of “Bang” is Sawyer’s mind because it is the only place that can see the vision. Everywhere he goes, scenery he looks at, and items he touches contains some visual of his vision. It may be Sawyer’s worst nightmare but he is saving the lives of others that don’t know anything about what’s going to happen. The second setting is the University of Chicago because it is where the shootout is going to happen. There are people that disagree with some of the clubs that are held and the take their anger a little too far.
The theme of this book is to never doubt what your gut tells you. Most of the time we are correct about what we think and it shouldn’t matter what others think. Sawyer learned the hard way because he had to experience the horrific vision that would take innocent lives.
I would recommend this book to high school students because it’s an easy read to understand fast. Adults wouldn’t fully understand the concept behind what teens experience.
February 21, 2017
3.5 The visions are now the boyfriend's and they are even more intense. The action scenes are very good, as is the mystery, trying to figure out where and when, but I got a little bored during some of the teen angsty family drama parts.
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