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The Pentrals #1
The Pentrals
Picture your life without free will.
No choice. No voice. No personal direction.
For 17 years, it's the only path I've known. Always a follower, never in control, I am an afterthought, burying my impulses as I bend to the whims of another. I dream of someone taking notice-of falling in love and being kissed. But I probably never will.
My name is Antares. I am a Shadow.
Deep in a secluded canyon lies Talline, a metropolis of mirrors filled with forces called Pentrals that outline our very existence. Antares, Pentral Class Two, took an oath to act without influence—to echo without opinion. But in a cruel twist of fate, she must watch as Violet, her person, encounters a tragedy that will change both their lives forever. When Violet starts making careless choices, Antares can no longer remain a silent silhouette. She won’t allow lost friendships, broken hearts, or those mysterious menaces looking out from the glass to tear apart Violet’s very being. In doing so, Antares unknowingly crosses forbidden boundaries and ends up illuminating a darkness much deeper than her own.
No choice. No voice. No personal direction.
For 17 years, it's the only path I've known. Always a follower, never in control, I am an afterthought, burying my impulses as I bend to the whims of another. I dream of someone taking notice-of falling in love and being kissed. But I probably never will.
My name is Antares. I am a Shadow.
Deep in a secluded canyon lies Talline, a metropolis of mirrors filled with forces called Pentrals that outline our very existence. Antares, Pentral Class Two, took an oath to act without influence—to echo without opinion. But in a cruel twist of fate, she must watch as Violet, her person, encounters a tragedy that will change both their lives forever. When Violet starts making careless choices, Antares can no longer remain a silent silhouette. She won’t allow lost friendships, broken hearts, or those mysterious menaces looking out from the glass to tear apart Violet’s very being. In doing so, Antares unknowingly crosses forbidden boundaries and ends up illuminating a darkness much deeper than her own.
246 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2013
2 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
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February 9, 2014
This book was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Real rating: 1.5 stars. Rounded up.
This review is brought to you by: Kittens! ! For all your boring book needs, think Kittens!
This book and I started out alright. The setting of Talline is pretty much Sedona if Sedona was a city of glass and mirrors, and I love Sedona like I love no other place that I've been to. But then it went bad pretty fast.
The Pentrals is the story of a shadow named Antares who is following her Person around, Violet. Violet is sad because her best friend Mary was put into a coma in a carpod accident. Violet blames herself because she was supposed to be Mary's ride home, but Violet just loves Thomas so much that she can't pull herself away from him. So Violet's feeling sad and one day this girl Samantha comes up to her and offers her a Lift!, which is a small little white pill that makes you ridiculously happy. Problem is, Antares doesn't remember anything from the second that Violet takes a Lift! until it finally wears off. Antares gets really mad and somehow trips Violet and then Violet falls on Antares and they switch places.
Then there's a nefarious scheme between the Pentrals of the mirror and some pretty obvious villains that make it seem like everyone is hideous in the mirror. Then there's an unnecessary love triangle because dear God it must be against literature rules nowadays to NOT have one of those. And that's....it for the last 70% of the book.
Listen, I don't like to dislike books and I definitely don't like to dislike books by a first time author. It makes me feel like I'm kicking someone for trying. But there were a ton of problems that I had with this book.
This idea had a lot of potential, but it felt unnatural and forced. I mean, I went into this not expecting a dystopian and then all of the sudden it was a dystopian and not a good one. Now, I am a connoisseur of dystopians. It takes a lot to impress me with a dystopian and trust me, this book would have been better off had it been set in our world.
For one thing, we already had to deal with learning the Pentrals's rules, then on top of that I had to learn about this dystopian world too. Neither one of these aspects was handled well at all. Like, the fuck did Antares do in her past life to deserve being a shadow? Is everyone a shadow? How do you get to level four? What are level fours? Why the hell are level threes needed? Why do shadows sometimes need to interact and how the hell did they switch spots?!
Then we have the dystopian aspect which is lazy. There's mirrors and people with monsters as reflections and then some weird anti-depressant parallel with Lifts! No, but seriously. All that makes people really fucking depressed and I mean super depressed, is their reflections because apparently NO ONE thinks to ask someone about it except our main characters.
But seriously, isn't that strange? If you started to get bruising on your face, you wouldn't see a doctor? Ask someone about it? I've asked my husband twice how big my zit was on my nose today and if it was noticeable. So yes, there's still a thriving make-up industry, but why does no one ask?
Luckily one thing the author did do was cover up some plot holes. But by doing that, she made the story and world even more unrealistic.
"Now, there are no more traditional cameras let. Even holopanes, with all their advanced technology, don't have any built-in cameras. Persons have no way to take a picture of one another."
You're telling me that somehow society went from the selfie capital of time to no pictures of anything anywhere?
This I could all deal with if the characters weren't absolutely lifeless. Want to know the difference between Antares and Violet? There's none. How about Samantha and Mary? Nope. In fact, line all those chicks up side by side and I'm absolutely positive that they would all give the same exact answer to any question because they are the same character.
Difference between Ben and Thomas? Ben is a little bit funny. Thomas is nice and...nope, that's it. Seriously.
And the dialogue, oh dear God the flat dialogue. The writer doesn't know show versus tell, but knows that the easiest way to tell is through dialogue. Unfortunately, it's not camouflaged at all.
"'Of course, Dad. Teenagers love anniversary parties for major pharmaceutical companies. Wouldn't miss it!'"
Of course, all our characters talk exactly the same, so this type dialogue is everywhere.
Oh, did I mention that there's a really bizarre love triangle between Violet and her boyfriend Thomas and then Antares when she's in Violet's body with Ben?
I'm going to say this once, and I'm going to do it on behalf of ALL Young Adult readers to ALL Young Adult writers.
*clears throat*
DO NOT WANT LOVE TRIANGLES!!!
The writing isn't solid either. It's filled with the traditional TSTL heroine and cliched love lines and then a villain that fucking everyone knew about the second that the name pharmaceutical was mentioned.
Also, I gotta say that I disliked the themes that the book shoved down your throat. Yes, self image is a huge thing. I'm not saying it isn't. The make-up and fashion industry are a ridiculous part of our economy. Appearance means a lot to people and everyone is comparing themselves to photos of celebrities that have had some major photoshop and work done to them.
However, I dislike the implications that after thirty or forty years of looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing a monster you wouldn't ask anyone. Because of that, this whole thing gets unrolled really quick. Also, these people literally stop living.
Yeah, because they perceive some physical deformity, they apparently have no desire to live. Academics no longer feel passionate about their subjects, artists no longer paint. All that matters is how you look.
Yeah.
I'm sorry, what? You're really telling me that everyone hates life completely and utterly because they look crappy in the mirror? Yeah, maybe the theme is exaggerated for a reason, but to me, it went to a place that focused on physical appearance too much. It made me dislike the characters because it was all about looks all the time and none of them made the realization that they had more to offer than their looks.
No, instead of self-realization, they decided that they had to make the mirrors show how attractive everyone is. Because the entire point of the book is not to say that people have more to offer than looks, no, it's to say 'Don't worry, you're attractive anyway.'
Also, the Lifts! pissed me off too. I understand drug usage in dystopians. In fact, I think it's the most plausible way to make a dystopian ala Soma in Brave New World. However, this doesn't sound like it's a way to keep the public in check because the reflections are doing that. These just sound like anti-depressants.
No, really. They're really just anti-depressants. As someone with an anxiety disorder and depression, this kind of pisses me off and by kind of, I mean a fuck ton. Because the drugs really weren't explored passed their jobs as an anti-depressant.
Anyway, the only reason why this was rounded up was because it was the author's first book and I was mildly interested in what happened in the last 12% of the book.
Other than that, I'm out.
Real rating: 1.5 stars. Rounded up.
This review is brought to you by: Kittens! ! For all your boring book needs, think Kittens!
This book and I started out alright. The setting of Talline is pretty much Sedona if Sedona was a city of glass and mirrors, and I love Sedona like I love no other place that I've been to. But then it went bad pretty fast.
The Pentrals is the story of a shadow named Antares who is following her Person around, Violet. Violet is sad because her best friend Mary was put into a coma in a carpod accident. Violet blames herself because she was supposed to be Mary's ride home, but Violet just loves Thomas so much that she can't pull herself away from him. So Violet's feeling sad and one day this girl Samantha comes up to her and offers her a Lift!, which is a small little white pill that makes you ridiculously happy. Problem is, Antares doesn't remember anything from the second that Violet takes a Lift! until it finally wears off. Antares gets really mad and somehow trips Violet and then Violet falls on Antares and they switch places.
Then there's a nefarious scheme between the Pentrals of the mirror and some pretty obvious villains that make it seem like everyone is hideous in the mirror. Then there's an unnecessary love triangle because dear God it must be against literature rules nowadays to NOT have one of those. And that's....it for the last 70% of the book.
Listen, I don't like to dislike books and I definitely don't like to dislike books by a first time author. It makes me feel like I'm kicking someone for trying. But there were a ton of problems that I had with this book.
This idea had a lot of potential, but it felt unnatural and forced. I mean, I went into this not expecting a dystopian and then all of the sudden it was a dystopian and not a good one. Now, I am a connoisseur of dystopians. It takes a lot to impress me with a dystopian and trust me, this book would have been better off had it been set in our world.
For one thing, we already had to deal with learning the Pentrals's rules, then on top of that I had to learn about this dystopian world too. Neither one of these aspects was handled well at all. Like, the fuck did Antares do in her past life to deserve being a shadow? Is everyone a shadow? How do you get to level four? What are level fours? Why the hell are level threes needed? Why do shadows sometimes need to interact and how the hell did they switch spots?!
Then we have the dystopian aspect which is lazy. There's mirrors and people with monsters as reflections and then some weird anti-depressant parallel with Lifts! No, but seriously. All that makes people really fucking depressed and I mean super depressed, is their reflections because apparently NO ONE thinks to ask someone about it except our main characters.
But seriously, isn't that strange? If you started to get bruising on your face, you wouldn't see a doctor? Ask someone about it? I've asked my husband twice how big my zit was on my nose today and if it was noticeable. So yes, there's still a thriving make-up industry, but why does no one ask?
Luckily one thing the author did do was cover up some plot holes. But by doing that, she made the story and world even more unrealistic.
"Now, there are no more traditional cameras let. Even holopanes, with all their advanced technology, don't have any built-in cameras. Persons have no way to take a picture of one another."
You're telling me that somehow society went from the selfie capital of time to no pictures of anything anywhere?
This I could all deal with if the characters weren't absolutely lifeless. Want to know the difference between Antares and Violet? There's none. How about Samantha and Mary? Nope. In fact, line all those chicks up side by side and I'm absolutely positive that they would all give the same exact answer to any question because they are the same character.
Difference between Ben and Thomas? Ben is a little bit funny. Thomas is nice and...nope, that's it. Seriously.
And the dialogue, oh dear God the flat dialogue. The writer doesn't know show versus tell, but knows that the easiest way to tell is through dialogue. Unfortunately, it's not camouflaged at all.
"'Of course, Dad. Teenagers love anniversary parties for major pharmaceutical companies. Wouldn't miss it!'"
Of course, all our characters talk exactly the same, so this type dialogue is everywhere.
Oh, did I mention that there's a really bizarre love triangle between Violet and her boyfriend Thomas and then Antares when she's in Violet's body with Ben?
I'm going to say this once, and I'm going to do it on behalf of ALL Young Adult readers to ALL Young Adult writers.
*clears throat*
DO NOT WANT LOVE TRIANGLES!!!
The writing isn't solid either. It's filled with the traditional TSTL heroine and cliched love lines and then a villain that fucking everyone knew about the second that the name pharmaceutical was mentioned.
Also, I gotta say that I disliked the themes that the book shoved down your throat. Yes, self image is a huge thing. I'm not saying it isn't. The make-up and fashion industry are a ridiculous part of our economy. Appearance means a lot to people and everyone is comparing themselves to photos of celebrities that have had some major photoshop and work done to them.
However, I dislike the implications that after thirty or forty years of looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing a monster you wouldn't ask anyone. Because of that, this whole thing gets unrolled really quick. Also, these people literally stop living.
Yeah, because they perceive some physical deformity, they apparently have no desire to live. Academics no longer feel passionate about their subjects, artists no longer paint. All that matters is how you look.
Yeah.
I'm sorry, what? You're really telling me that everyone hates life completely and utterly because they look crappy in the mirror? Yeah, maybe the theme is exaggerated for a reason, but to me, it went to a place that focused on physical appearance too much. It made me dislike the characters because it was all about looks all the time and none of them made the realization that they had more to offer than their looks.
No, instead of self-realization, they decided that they had to make the mirrors show how attractive everyone is. Because the entire point of the book is not to say that people have more to offer than looks, no, it's to say 'Don't worry, you're attractive anyway.'
Also, the Lifts! pissed me off too. I understand drug usage in dystopians. In fact, I think it's the most plausible way to make a dystopian ala Soma in Brave New World. However, this doesn't sound like it's a way to keep the public in check because the reflections are doing that. These just sound like anti-depressants.
No, really. They're really just anti-depressants. As someone with an anxiety disorder and depression, this kind of pisses me off and by kind of, I mean a fuck ton. Because the drugs really weren't explored passed their jobs as an anti-depressant.
Anyway, the only reason why this was rounded up was because it was the author's first book and I was mildly interested in what happened in the last 12% of the book.
Other than that, I'm out.
August 13, 2013
1.5/5
remember how peter pan fruitlessly tries to put his shadow back in its proper place and in the end wendy sews it on to make it behave properly? keep that in mind.
now imagine a world in which people who committed an unforgivable error find themselves in the form of a shadow where they are divided into different ranks. they are tied to a human or object and have to replicate their every movement and only if they do everything to the fullest satisfaction can they redeem themselves and hope of getting into a higher shadow ranking.
the pretty package with the bow proved to have disappointing contents: a love triangle i could have done without, the evil corporation that is fooling humankind and poorly drawn characters including the mustache twirling villain.
... and in the end the storytelling may be flawed, but the narration is immensely readable (if that makes any sense). and while i may not be a fan of this book or continue to read this series, i'll be on the lookout for what crystal mack's imagination will bring to us readers next.
this arc copy has been kindly provided by the publisher through netgalley
remember how peter pan fruitlessly tries to put his shadow back in its proper place and in the end wendy sews it on to make it behave properly? keep that in mind.
now imagine a world in which people who committed an unforgivable error find themselves in the form of a shadow where they are divided into different ranks. they are tied to a human or object and have to replicate their every movement and only if they do everything to the fullest satisfaction can they redeem themselves and hope of getting into a higher shadow ranking.
* * *the pentrals is told from a very unusual pov --that of a shadow. and for that alone the book had my curiosity and attention, because the premise was calling to me like my neighbor calling her cat for some delicious snacks "come kitty, kitty!". alas, i'm afraid that it did not deliver.
though i'm never by myself, i'm always alone.
[arc, 10%]
* * *
being a shadow, devoting my life to another, is suppose to prove my worth. a sense of selflessness. it's a chance at redemption.
[arc, 26%]
* * *
the pretty package with the bow proved to have disappointing contents: a love triangle i could have done without, the evil corporation that is fooling humankind and poorly drawn characters including the mustache twirling villain.
... and in the end the storytelling may be flawed, but the narration is immensely readable (if that makes any sense). and while i may not be a fan of this book or continue to read this series, i'll be on the lookout for what crystal mack's imagination will bring to us readers next.
this arc copy has been kindly provided by the publisher through netgalley
May 31, 2015
*Received in exchange for an honest review*
There's no question that this is a unique book.
In the mirrored world of Talline, everyone has a Shadow. Shadows have rankings, One through Four, and each ranking has a separate duty to fulfill. Class Two Shadows are with their Person from birth to death, following them and mimicking their actions (though humans are unaware of this). Class One Shadows stay in place, impersonating the actions of inanimate objects--therefore, staying in one position forever, as inanimate objects do not move. Violet's Shadow, Antares, is an active shadow who strives to follow Violet as best as she possibly can. But when Violet falls and she and Antares swap roles--Violet becoming a shadow, Antares becoming the Person she has always strived to be--they discover a world much darker than either of them had realized.
I dove right into the book. We get a glimpse of the new world almost immediately without giving too much away--which is helpful, considering the numerous other fantasy novels that left me confused until halfway through the story. The next thing I noticed was the interesting perspective we get from The Pentrals. The entire story is told from the point of view of Antares, Violet's Shadow. It's such an intriguing angle to read from, mainly because I've never read anything like it before, but also because it's depicted so well. For a debut novel, Crystal Mack has done extremely well.
Aside from the point of view, the writing itself is excellent. Mack has done a beautiful job with imagery and descriptions. When she described food at the banquet, it was almost as if I could taste it.
With that said, there were points where the writing didn't feel natural. I couldn't tell if it was because I wasn't accustomed to reading from such a different vantage point, or if the writing itself was flawed. Still, these sections were easily overlooked.
The characters were well-developed, which was surprising--considering how difficult it must have been to make them seem real while writing from the vantage point of a Shadow, someone who hadn't experienced the characters firsthand.
The plot twists were excellent--I didn't see any of them coming. I may have even let out a dramatic gasp here and there while reading!
Overall, this was an excellent debut and I'm extremely excited that there will be a sequel--I can't wait to read more from Crystal Mack!
There's no question that this is a unique book.
In the mirrored world of Talline, everyone has a Shadow. Shadows have rankings, One through Four, and each ranking has a separate duty to fulfill. Class Two Shadows are with their Person from birth to death, following them and mimicking their actions (though humans are unaware of this). Class One Shadows stay in place, impersonating the actions of inanimate objects--therefore, staying in one position forever, as inanimate objects do not move. Violet's Shadow, Antares, is an active shadow who strives to follow Violet as best as she possibly can. But when Violet falls and she and Antares swap roles--Violet becoming a shadow, Antares becoming the Person she has always strived to be--they discover a world much darker than either of them had realized.
I dove right into the book. We get a glimpse of the new world almost immediately without giving too much away--which is helpful, considering the numerous other fantasy novels that left me confused until halfway through the story. The next thing I noticed was the interesting perspective we get from The Pentrals. The entire story is told from the point of view of Antares, Violet's Shadow. It's such an intriguing angle to read from, mainly because I've never read anything like it before, but also because it's depicted so well. For a debut novel, Crystal Mack has done extremely well.
Aside from the point of view, the writing itself is excellent. Mack has done a beautiful job with imagery and descriptions. When she described food at the banquet, it was almost as if I could taste it.
With that said, there were points where the writing didn't feel natural. I couldn't tell if it was because I wasn't accustomed to reading from such a different vantage point, or if the writing itself was flawed. Still, these sections were easily overlooked.
The characters were well-developed, which was surprising--considering how difficult it must have been to make them seem real while writing from the vantage point of a Shadow, someone who hadn't experienced the characters firsthand.
The plot twists were excellent--I didn't see any of them coming. I may have even let out a dramatic gasp here and there while reading!
Overall, this was an excellent debut and I'm extremely excited that there will be a sequel--I can't wait to read more from Crystal Mack!
August 20, 2013
NetGalley ARC
So thankful for the opportunity to read this one. What a wonderful debut from Crystal Mack. The Pentrals is unlike anything that I have read before. It is a story told from the point of view of a shadow, but with a dystopian twist. Crystal Mack's writing style is very unique, and at first I was afraid I wouldn't like viewing the world from the point of view of a shadow. Just 3 chapters in, and I was hooked. Mack's plot is flooded with intrigue,beautiful relationships, betrayal- you name it, it's probably there. This book even comes complete with a bittersweet ending: It ends well, allowing the reader to feel at peace about all of his beloved characters, but leaves just enough unanswered to have the reader hooked for the long haul.
I finished this one very quickly, and now that it's over, all I can think is- When is the next one coming out?!
So thankful for the opportunity to read this one. What a wonderful debut from Crystal Mack. The Pentrals is unlike anything that I have read before. It is a story told from the point of view of a shadow, but with a dystopian twist. Crystal Mack's writing style is very unique, and at first I was afraid I wouldn't like viewing the world from the point of view of a shadow. Just 3 chapters in, and I was hooked. Mack's plot is flooded with intrigue,beautiful relationships, betrayal- you name it, it's probably there. This book even comes complete with a bittersweet ending: It ends well, allowing the reader to feel at peace about all of his beloved characters, but leaves just enough unanswered to have the reader hooked for the long haul.
I finished this one very quickly, and now that it's over, all I can think is- When is the next one coming out?!
November 4, 2013
So let me clarify one thing - this book is about a Shadow. An actual Shadow, not a being living unseen, but those dark blobs that follow your body around at every moment of the day. I was so blown away by that fact when I finally realized what I was reading. How many other books are out there about a Shadow? Every book out there in the YA world lately is about the same dystopian-related things and it can get old. This book was so refreshing and unique, I absolutely could not put it down.
While I was reading it, it kind of reminded me of The Host by Stephenie Meyer, how those aliens take over bodies, except this time, Shadows can take over bodies.. It also reminded me of Across the Universe by Beth Revis because of the Xanax-like drug called Lifts! that most of the community had taken to using - not by force but through manipulation, similar to the Phydus being used aboard the Godspeed in AtU, though that one is given by force. Anyhow, it didn't take away from the story, it was just interesting to see some of the concepts I loved in other books used in this one in completely different and creative ways.
And aside from absolutely needing to know more about Talline and the Pentrals, Mack touched on some real deep topics in this book without being cheesy or overbearing. It makes you want to reevaluate what it is you hold dear in your life - your looks? Your popularity? Are they really so important, such that when you don't have them, you would resort to medicating yourself or to taking drugs/alcohol? Must we use these weak points to bring others down when we feel down ourselves? Yeesh, this book has me getting all philosophical!
Anyway, my point is, in this very short book, Mack has managed to hook me with her plot, characters, world-building and all of the deeper messages not-so-hidden in this book. I am absolutely dying to read the next book which she says will be out some time next year. I don't know if I can wait that long.
If you're looking for a refreshing, meaningful yet quick YA read, this one is for you. I enjoyed it so much, and am looking forward to new things from Crystal Mack.
The full review for this book can be found at http://www.isolemnlyswear.com/2013/11...
While I was reading it, it kind of reminded me of The Host by Stephenie Meyer, how those aliens take over bodies, except this time, Shadows can take over bodies.. It also reminded me of Across the Universe by Beth Revis because of the Xanax-like drug called Lifts! that most of the community had taken to using - not by force but through manipulation, similar to the Phydus being used aboard the Godspeed in AtU, though that one is given by force. Anyhow, it didn't take away from the story, it was just interesting to see some of the concepts I loved in other books used in this one in completely different and creative ways.
And aside from absolutely needing to know more about Talline and the Pentrals, Mack touched on some real deep topics in this book without being cheesy or overbearing. It makes you want to reevaluate what it is you hold dear in your life - your looks? Your popularity? Are they really so important, such that when you don't have them, you would resort to medicating yourself or to taking drugs/alcohol? Must we use these weak points to bring others down when we feel down ourselves? Yeesh, this book has me getting all philosophical!
Anyway, my point is, in this very short book, Mack has managed to hook me with her plot, characters, world-building and all of the deeper messages not-so-hidden in this book. I am absolutely dying to read the next book which she says will be out some time next year. I don't know if I can wait that long.
If you're looking for a refreshing, meaningful yet quick YA read, this one is for you. I enjoyed it so much, and am looking forward to new things from Crystal Mack.
The full review for this book can be found at http://www.isolemnlyswear.com/2013/11...
October 11, 2013
Update: If you'd like to win an autographed ARC of The Pentrals, here's your chance! http://wp.me/p3O1da-72
Holy grail. This book. I don’t even know how to describe it. I was super excited about the premise of reading a book told from a shadows point of view. We all have a shadow but I really doubt any of us have taken the time to stop and wonder what our shadows are thinking. There is a whole society and class system for shadows in this book and delving into “shadow culture” was really fun. Once Violet and Antares switch places the book started to remind me a bit of The Host by Stephanie Meyer because in both there is a foreign sentient being stuck inside the body of a human while the human mind is trapped off to the side unable to control their body or actions. The difference here is that Violet is trapped in shadow form and can only talk to Antares when the two overlap. One of the small things that bothered me about the book was that Violet seemed to disappear a bit when she became the shadow. She really took a backseat to her own life where I would have like to see her be a bit more vocal about getting her body back.
For all of you who swoon for a good love story, the romance in the book was riveting. I’m usually not a fan of love triangles or squares or any other weird love shapes but the romance between Violet and her boyfriend Thomas and Antares and Thomas’ friend Ben was excellently executed. Antares fights with her feelings for Ben because she knows that the body she occupies is not her own and she does not have a right to jeopardize Violet’s relationship with Thomas in order to pursue her own feelings for Ben. I found the internal struggle to be very believable and was sucked into really caring about Antares and what would happen next.
There are so many different facets to The Pentrals that I could go on for quite awhile and still not cover everything so I’ll just suffice to say that I really liked this book and will be wholeheartedly recommending it to all my friends.
Holy grail. This book. I don’t even know how to describe it. I was super excited about the premise of reading a book told from a shadows point of view. We all have a shadow but I really doubt any of us have taken the time to stop and wonder what our shadows are thinking. There is a whole society and class system for shadows in this book and delving into “shadow culture” was really fun. Once Violet and Antares switch places the book started to remind me a bit of The Host by Stephanie Meyer because in both there is a foreign sentient being stuck inside the body of a human while the human mind is trapped off to the side unable to control their body or actions. The difference here is that Violet is trapped in shadow form and can only talk to Antares when the two overlap. One of the small things that bothered me about the book was that Violet seemed to disappear a bit when she became the shadow. She really took a backseat to her own life where I would have like to see her be a bit more vocal about getting her body back.
For all of you who swoon for a good love story, the romance in the book was riveting. I’m usually not a fan of love triangles or squares or any other weird love shapes but the romance between Violet and her boyfriend Thomas and Antares and Thomas’ friend Ben was excellently executed. Antares fights with her feelings for Ben because she knows that the body she occupies is not her own and she does not have a right to jeopardize Violet’s relationship with Thomas in order to pursue her own feelings for Ben. I found the internal struggle to be very believable and was sucked into really caring about Antares and what would happen next.
There are so many different facets to The Pentrals that I could go on for quite awhile and still not cover everything so I’ll just suffice to say that I really liked this book and will be wholeheartedly recommending it to all my friends.
September 17, 2013
The Pentrals by Crystal Mack is one of those books that finds you immersed in a fantasy world long after you read the last page. While a YA novel, the story should entice all ages with its futuristic society, unique perspective on all things shadow, and its core tale of love, friendship, and intrigue. Mack's keen ability to set the scene and create multidimensional characters left me feeling like I've been to Talline, the story's fictional city of people haunted by their own reflections and followed by shadows with lives of their own. The story is well-paced, with each chapter ending on a note of suspense and drawing the reader in more and more with each turn of the page. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this budding series is the empowerment experienced by the central female characters and the focus on inner confidence and strength. The Pentrals is a great read for the YA fans in your life -- I highly recommend Mack's debut novel and anxiously await book two in the series.
October 29, 2013
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the author through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.*
I really loved the overall feel of the novel: light with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in. Learning about the Pentrals and their world was intriguing! I really hope there is a sequel or three so I can keep reading about Antares and her fellow Pentrals. What an amazing novel! I am thrilled that I got the chance to read The Pentrals.
I really loved the overall feel of the novel: light with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in. Learning about the Pentrals and their world was intriguing! I really hope there is a sequel or three so I can keep reading about Antares and her fellow Pentrals. What an amazing novel! I am thrilled that I got the chance to read The Pentrals.
October 3, 2013
A sci-fi fantasy that will stay with you long after you've turned that last page. This bookfull of wonder , and so unique that I've never read anything like this. Not even Peter Pan and his recalcitrant shadow have nothing on The Pentrals!
December 27, 2020
*NetGalley ARC*
THE Low Down...
Do you ever get that feeling that someone or something is watching you, even when you know you are completely alone? What if someone were to tell you that aren't actually alone? That someone really IS always watching you? Though most do not know it, that is the reality of life for the residents to Talline, a city built of glass and mirrors surrounded by towering red rock canyon walls, where every shadow and reflection is in fact it's own sentient being. These "Pentrals" are former People, who have sworn themselves to a "life" of observation without interaction in hopes of gaining redemption for past crimes and indiscretions. May it be as vibrant reflection or a gray scale shadow, they must focus their energy on remaining true to their person's essence. Antares is one such Shadow, having spent the past 17 years serving as Violet's shadow since the day she was born. Once a vibrant, loving and creative young girl, Violet's 17th birthday and a tragic life-changing event have sent her spiraling into herself, cutting herself off from those she loves and making drastic choices that leave Antares at a loss for what is to become of Violet's once seemingly bright future. In an act of fury Antares did not know she was even capable of, or does not understand how she even accomplished it, she turns both of their worlds upside down. Despite the heavy consequences that she thinks must be impending though, Antares' love for Violet and duty to serve her Person compel her to help Violet get back on track. Unbeknownst to both of them though, their separate paths to redemption to will uncover more layers of their world than either of them thought possible.
MY Low Down...
I will be the first to admit that anything in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy realm needs to grab me right away or I will probably never finish. This one toed the line, but caught me just in time and did not let go. Using the unique perspective of a person's shadow rather than that of the actual person, the perception of the world is thrown askew, essentially forcing one to paint their own picture of the story from a perspective they are not used to. From there, the city of mirrors creates a world where one cannot escape their own reflection, a constant reminder of their outward appearance. Through these mediums, Violet, Antares and others are forced to face the role that appearances play in one's feelings of self-worth, and how those feelings can be manipulated. How do you know that what you see in the mirror is what others see? Will you ever be able to know the difference? Who has the power to control such things? These are questions that can and should come up in the "real" world, and Crystal Mack uses a unique and very creative approach to bring them to light.
There were a few areas that were a bit lacking such as general character development and a bit of a cliche in the villain-figure department, but the overall story construction, writing and creativity were deserving of praise. While I certainly would have liked to feel at least a little more connected to the characters, I was connected to their story and as the first in a series, there is plenty of room for growth as the story progresses.
THE Low Down...
Do you ever get that feeling that someone or something is watching you, even when you know you are completely alone? What if someone were to tell you that aren't actually alone? That someone really IS always watching you? Though most do not know it, that is the reality of life for the residents to Talline, a city built of glass and mirrors surrounded by towering red rock canyon walls, where every shadow and reflection is in fact it's own sentient being. These "Pentrals" are former People, who have sworn themselves to a "life" of observation without interaction in hopes of gaining redemption for past crimes and indiscretions. May it be as vibrant reflection or a gray scale shadow, they must focus their energy on remaining true to their person's essence. Antares is one such Shadow, having spent the past 17 years serving as Violet's shadow since the day she was born. Once a vibrant, loving and creative young girl, Violet's 17th birthday and a tragic life-changing event have sent her spiraling into herself, cutting herself off from those she loves and making drastic choices that leave Antares at a loss for what is to become of Violet's once seemingly bright future. In an act of fury Antares did not know she was even capable of, or does not understand how she even accomplished it, she turns both of their worlds upside down. Despite the heavy consequences that she thinks must be impending though, Antares' love for Violet and duty to serve her Person compel her to help Violet get back on track. Unbeknownst to both of them though, their separate paths to redemption to will uncover more layers of their world than either of them thought possible.
MY Low Down...
I will be the first to admit that anything in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy realm needs to grab me right away or I will probably never finish. This one toed the line, but caught me just in time and did not let go. Using the unique perspective of a person's shadow rather than that of the actual person, the perception of the world is thrown askew, essentially forcing one to paint their own picture of the story from a perspective they are not used to. From there, the city of mirrors creates a world where one cannot escape their own reflection, a constant reminder of their outward appearance. Through these mediums, Violet, Antares and others are forced to face the role that appearances play in one's feelings of self-worth, and how those feelings can be manipulated. How do you know that what you see in the mirror is what others see? Will you ever be able to know the difference? Who has the power to control such things? These are questions that can and should come up in the "real" world, and Crystal Mack uses a unique and very creative approach to bring them to light.
There were a few areas that were a bit lacking such as general character development and a bit of a cliche in the villain-figure department, but the overall story construction, writing and creativity were deserving of praise. While I certainly would have liked to feel at least a little more connected to the characters, I was connected to their story and as the first in a series, there is plenty of room for growth as the story progresses.
September 3, 2013
My Thoughts:
The cover! It's so amaze balls! It's so simple and it's got everything I like in a cover! So pretty... And that's how I decided I wanted to read the book. Why can I say, I'm vain when it comes to book covers.
When I read the blurb, I was really excited for it. I've never really read anything about shadows, and I admit that I used to spend ridiculous amounts of time talking to my shadow in my head when I was little at night. It also reminded me of Peter Pan, and that's always a plus. The whole thing sort of intrigued me so I decided to request it on NetGalley.
It's written from Antares' POV. It starts out with her being the shadow. I found Antares to be glum and lonely, I guess that's what I should expect from a shadow. It was all drab and frankly, boring. Nothing really happened until Violet took a Lift, a drug, and Antares finally acted out and somehow tripped Violet and their roles got switched. Violet became the shadow and Antares became the person. That's when I started liking the book. Everything sort of picked up then. Antares got to try food and felt emotions for the first time. It's been Antares dream to feel something and be able to be in control of something instead of admiring from afar. Violet was a minor character, which I didn't expect. I thought she would actually be a lot more involved in the book.
Ben, Antares' love interest, was a lot nicer than I thought. When Violet was talking to him, I thought he was a huge asshat. I could somewhat sympathize with him since his sister was in a coma. But when Antanres talked with him, I finally felt like I actually felt him. He was actually funny and my favorite character in the book. The book really made me realize how much narration affects (or is it effects) how I view a character. But anyway, Ben was amazing, I would really like him as a boyfriend... I thought Violet's boyfriend was so clingy. He was constantly checking up on her, and ohmygodijustcouldn'thandelit. HE WAS SO ANNOYING!
So, when Antares becomes human, she sees a grotesquely manipulated version of herself. Green splotches, bruising, the whole lot. Nobody can see what she sees in the mirror. She's not the only one that this has happened to, Everyone who experiences the same thing gets their self esteem shattered. They all become a shadow of what they used to be. It reminded me of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. It makes you realize how much looks matter to people. It was sad in that sort of way. Looks really shouldn't bring someone down that much, but that's what society has shaped itself into.
The plot itself was pretty straight forward, no huge plot twist or anything of that sort. It was fairly predictable, but that wasn't that bad. Sometimes a complex plot takes away from a book rather than add.
My Rating: 4 Stars
The cover! It's so amaze balls! It's so simple and it's got everything I like in a cover! So pretty... And that's how I decided I wanted to read the book. Why can I say, I'm vain when it comes to book covers.
When I read the blurb, I was really excited for it. I've never really read anything about shadows, and I admit that I used to spend ridiculous amounts of time talking to my shadow in my head when I was little at night. It also reminded me of Peter Pan, and that's always a plus. The whole thing sort of intrigued me so I decided to request it on NetGalley.
It's written from Antares' POV. It starts out with her being the shadow. I found Antares to be glum and lonely, I guess that's what I should expect from a shadow. It was all drab and frankly, boring. Nothing really happened until Violet took a Lift, a drug, and Antares finally acted out and somehow tripped Violet and their roles got switched. Violet became the shadow and Antares became the person. That's when I started liking the book. Everything sort of picked up then. Antares got to try food and felt emotions for the first time. It's been Antares dream to feel something and be able to be in control of something instead of admiring from afar. Violet was a minor character, which I didn't expect. I thought she would actually be a lot more involved in the book.
Ben, Antares' love interest, was a lot nicer than I thought. When Violet was talking to him, I thought he was a huge asshat. I could somewhat sympathize with him since his sister was in a coma. But when Antanres talked with him, I finally felt like I actually felt him. He was actually funny and my favorite character in the book. The book really made me realize how much narration affects (or is it effects) how I view a character. But anyway, Ben was amazing, I would really like him as a boyfriend... I thought Violet's boyfriend was so clingy. He was constantly checking up on her, and ohmygodijustcouldn'thandelit. HE WAS SO ANNOYING!
So, when Antares becomes human, she sees a grotesquely manipulated version of herself. Green splotches, bruising, the whole lot. Nobody can see what she sees in the mirror. She's not the only one that this has happened to, Everyone who experiences the same thing gets their self esteem shattered. They all become a shadow of what they used to be. It reminded me of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. It makes you realize how much looks matter to people. It was sad in that sort of way. Looks really shouldn't bring someone down that much, but that's what society has shaped itself into.
The plot itself was pretty straight forward, no huge plot twist or anything of that sort. It was fairly predictable, but that wasn't that bad. Sometimes a complex plot takes away from a book rather than add.
My Rating: 4 Stars
November 19, 2013
I requested this book on Netgalley on a whim. It sounded pretty interesting and quite a bit different to books I had read, but I had low expectations. A string of bad quality galleys left me a little disheartened towards this, so I put off reading it for a while. I really wish I hadn't.
The Pentrals is a brilliant mix of sci-fi and fantasy, with a completely new premise and compelling characters. Antares is a shadow. An actual shadow. She's followed Violet her entire life, but has never felt or experienced the actions and emotions she shadows - until an accident puts her inside Violet's body, with complete control over her actions, her speech, and with an opportunity to develop feelings of her own. But while Antares is a Person, Violet is a Shadow, and if anyone discovers what has happened it could mean danger for both of them.
It took a while for me to get into this book, but once I hit the 40% mark I was in love with Antares and her story. Her attraction to Ben felt natural and was very well written. I loved how Violet and Antares were clearly different people and how that was presented in their different reactions to Thomas and Ben. And the gradual friendship between Violet and Antares was enjoyable to read. Yay for ladies being supportive and appreciative of each other instead of being bitchy.
Antares was a character unlike any other. Despite being a Pentral, Antares is one of the most human characters I've read in a while. She was flawed but willing to grow as a person, scared yet determined to act in spite of it. I loved Antares and really can't wait to read more of her story. I felt like there wasn't enough of this book. I wanted to see her go to Violet at the end and for them to interact in a completely new way and to be friends without the Pentral barrier.
The Pentrals is imaginitive and impossible to forget. Can I have book two now?
The Pentrals is a brilliant mix of sci-fi and fantasy, with a completely new premise and compelling characters. Antares is a shadow. An actual shadow. She's followed Violet her entire life, but has never felt or experienced the actions and emotions she shadows - until an accident puts her inside Violet's body, with complete control over her actions, her speech, and with an opportunity to develop feelings of her own. But while Antares is a Person, Violet is a Shadow, and if anyone discovers what has happened it could mean danger for both of them.
It took a while for me to get into this book, but once I hit the 40% mark I was in love with Antares and her story. Her attraction to Ben felt natural and was very well written. I loved how Violet and Antares were clearly different people and how that was presented in their different reactions to Thomas and Ben. And the gradual friendship between Violet and Antares was enjoyable to read. Yay for ladies being supportive and appreciative of each other instead of being bitchy.
Antares was a character unlike any other. Despite being a Pentral, Antares is one of the most human characters I've read in a while. She was flawed but willing to grow as a person, scared yet determined to act in spite of it. I loved Antares and really can't wait to read more of her story. I felt like there wasn't enough of this book. I wanted to see her go to Violet at the end and for them to interact in a completely new way and to be friends without the Pentral barrier.
The Pentrals is imaginitive and impossible to forget. Can I have book two now?
March 6, 2014
I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to the author for generously sending me another copy when my original book got lost in the mail!
The concept of "The Pentrals" is extremely enticing to me. So often we go about our daily lives and pay no attention to our shadows, so it was refreshing to read a story about something that is so mundane, yet so often forgotten about. I enjoyed that the story was told from the perspective of Antares, the shadow, instead of Violet, her person. Very interesting and different, indeed!
Once I began reading the novel, I was hooked. The chapters are delightfully well-paced so that the plot progresses easily and quickly. Most of the characters are vivid and unique, though I had trouble connecting to some of them. I expect, if a sequel is to follow, this problem will right itself as the story progresses.
The only thing that really nagged me about the book was that I felt Mary and Sam's characters were out of place. I couldn't really put them anywhere, and often times they seemed to be stock characters used as plot devices - I couldn't really care about either of them like I cared for Antares, Violet, Benjamin, and Thomas. They weren't very memorable; in fact, I felt like they detracted from the plot rather than added to it.
I would recommend this book to friends, though it seems to be more appropriate for teenage to young adult females, if I had to place it. If sequels are to come, I will probably give them a read, too!
The concept of "The Pentrals" is extremely enticing to me. So often we go about our daily lives and pay no attention to our shadows, so it was refreshing to read a story about something that is so mundane, yet so often forgotten about. I enjoyed that the story was told from the perspective of Antares, the shadow, instead of Violet, her person. Very interesting and different, indeed!
Once I began reading the novel, I was hooked. The chapters are delightfully well-paced so that the plot progresses easily and quickly. Most of the characters are vivid and unique, though I had trouble connecting to some of them. I expect, if a sequel is to follow, this problem will right itself as the story progresses.
The only thing that really nagged me about the book was that I felt Mary and Sam's characters were out of place. I couldn't really put them anywhere, and often times they seemed to be stock characters used as plot devices - I couldn't really care about either of them like I cared for Antares, Violet, Benjamin, and Thomas. They weren't very memorable; in fact, I felt like they detracted from the plot rather than added to it.
I would recommend this book to friends, though it seems to be more appropriate for teenage to young adult females, if I had to place it. If sequels are to come, I will probably give them a read, too!
September 22, 2013
“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Boscombe Valley Mystery
It’s not everyday that you get a story that is told from the perspective of a shadow and its precisely the reason which made me request an ARC via Netgalley of the Pentrals. It did not turn out to be what I had expected, but I am not complaining, there is certainly no disappointment.
Crystal Mack’ debut offering – The Pentrals, is based in a city Talline, a metropolis of mirrors, where shadows and reflections are more than they appear to be. They aren’t just a part of you, they are individual sentinel beings called the Pentrals. Divided into four classes, these Pentrals have duties assigned to them as befitting their class. Though it has yet not been stated how the Pentrals came into existence or how they are divided into shadows and reflections. And while there is practically close to zilch info on the reflections, we do learn shadows are assigned classes based on the severity of their crimes as punishment. A class one pentral is assigned to any random object which, is basically a way to drive anyone crazy, a class two pentral is assigned the duty of being the shadow of a person. To perform any mistake while on duty may result in serious consequence to the Pentral concerned.
Antares’ a class two pentral, is the assigned shadow of a girl known as Violet. Needless to say Antares, has been with Violet from day one and has performed her duties to the best of her abilities.
At age 17, an incident causes Violet to spiral out of control, as she hits rock bottom. When Antares, who has always been the silent spectator of Violet’ life watches her destroy herself she cannot take it. Antares always found Violet a lovely girl and has been proud of her artistic abilities, of watching her grow each day into a talented young woman. She cannot mutely resign and allow Violet to throw away her life.
An incident finally allows Antares to voice her opinions to Violet, when they switch places and Antares finds herself, her essence/soul in Violet’ body as Violet takes her place and becomes the shadow.
What I had expected was a plot where Violet finally realizes how her self-destructive behavior was ruining her life, even a love triangle (quadrangle) of sorts.
What I had not anticipated where the themes Mack has used which become clear slowly page by page. And I must admit it definitely took me by surprise.
In a world that is obsessed with looks today, and especially with every girl trying to be as skinny as possible. oft-times at the cost of her health, Mack has woven the ill-effects of these body image issues by depicting not only shadows as sentient beings, but reflections as well.
While shadows suffer in the mute lost in their darkness, the reflections wreak havoc in The Pentrals, portraying grotesque monstrous images when anyone looks at their own reflection.
I have seen a few cases where image issues have led to depression as well, which is what Mack touches upon next in her book, as people start relying on drugs which are sold freely called Lift!, to help them tackle their anxiety and depression which stem from their body image issues.
Slowly but steadily, Mack reveals how an entire city is enslaved to the deviousness of one person.
Personally when it comes down to it, I prefer good old stories of wizards and witches, over anything sci-fi since it is kinda associated with my childhood. I love reading about dragons, wizards & witches and all sorts of fantastical creatures, over reading about aliens and stuff. But every once in a while I do get an urge to tread the road less taken, when the subject of a book, grabs my attention.
Having said that I am happy, that I gave a chance to the pentrals.
Though I have my share of grievances. To name a few – Violet’ annoying way too-clingy boyfriend Thomas, Antares repeating time and again how she has felt lonely. Not that I dont get it, but that thing is repeated one time too many. Also whenever Antares and her love interest Ben have any sort of physical contact it results in sparks. Literally. That I believe could have and should have been avoided. They have a connect and are soul mates, I get it but literal sparks really ?! Mack could have chosen a different approach in this regard to establish a romance between the characters. An approach which did not involve them zapping each other and leaving the reader utterly flummoxed, which should have been based on depicting the potential these characters have to become & make it as a couple.
The story is a slow burn, people looking for a pacy book will be disappointed. But if you can stick around and don’t mind the time ‘The Pentrals’ is a unique read, which could be worth a shot.
I was provided an advance readers copy for reviewing courtesy of Apologue Entertainment via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of the book. This review is in no way influenced and is solely based on my opinion.
This review can also be found at One reader A thousand lives
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Boscombe Valley Mystery
It’s not everyday that you get a story that is told from the perspective of a shadow and its precisely the reason which made me request an ARC via Netgalley of the Pentrals. It did not turn out to be what I had expected, but I am not complaining, there is certainly no disappointment.
Crystal Mack’ debut offering – The Pentrals, is based in a city Talline, a metropolis of mirrors, where shadows and reflections are more than they appear to be. They aren’t just a part of you, they are individual sentinel beings called the Pentrals. Divided into four classes, these Pentrals have duties assigned to them as befitting their class. Though it has yet not been stated how the Pentrals came into existence or how they are divided into shadows and reflections. And while there is practically close to zilch info on the reflections, we do learn shadows are assigned classes based on the severity of their crimes as punishment. A class one pentral is assigned to any random object which, is basically a way to drive anyone crazy, a class two pentral is assigned the duty of being the shadow of a person. To perform any mistake while on duty may result in serious consequence to the Pentral concerned.
Antares’ a class two pentral, is the assigned shadow of a girl known as Violet. Needless to say Antares, has been with Violet from day one and has performed her duties to the best of her abilities.
At age 17, an incident causes Violet to spiral out of control, as she hits rock bottom. When Antares, who has always been the silent spectator of Violet’ life watches her destroy herself she cannot take it. Antares always found Violet a lovely girl and has been proud of her artistic abilities, of watching her grow each day into a talented young woman. She cannot mutely resign and allow Violet to throw away her life.
An incident finally allows Antares to voice her opinions to Violet, when they switch places and Antares finds herself, her essence/soul in Violet’ body as Violet takes her place and becomes the shadow.
What I had expected was a plot where Violet finally realizes how her self-destructive behavior was ruining her life, even a love triangle (quadrangle) of sorts.
What I had not anticipated where the themes Mack has used which become clear slowly page by page. And I must admit it definitely took me by surprise.
In a world that is obsessed with looks today, and especially with every girl trying to be as skinny as possible. oft-times at the cost of her health, Mack has woven the ill-effects of these body image issues by depicting not only shadows as sentient beings, but reflections as well.
While shadows suffer in the mute lost in their darkness, the reflections wreak havoc in The Pentrals, portraying grotesque monstrous images when anyone looks at their own reflection.
I have seen a few cases where image issues have led to depression as well, which is what Mack touches upon next in her book, as people start relying on drugs which are sold freely called Lift!, to help them tackle their anxiety and depression which stem from their body image issues.
Slowly but steadily, Mack reveals how an entire city is enslaved to the deviousness of one person.
Personally when it comes down to it, I prefer good old stories of wizards and witches, over anything sci-fi since it is kinda associated with my childhood. I love reading about dragons, wizards & witches and all sorts of fantastical creatures, over reading about aliens and stuff. But every once in a while I do get an urge to tread the road less taken, when the subject of a book, grabs my attention.
Having said that I am happy, that I gave a chance to the pentrals.
Though I have my share of grievances. To name a few – Violet’ annoying way too-clingy boyfriend Thomas, Antares repeating time and again how she has felt lonely. Not that I dont get it, but that thing is repeated one time too many. Also whenever Antares and her love interest Ben have any sort of physical contact it results in sparks. Literally. That I believe could have and should have been avoided. They have a connect and are soul mates, I get it but literal sparks really ?! Mack could have chosen a different approach in this regard to establish a romance between the characters. An approach which did not involve them zapping each other and leaving the reader utterly flummoxed, which should have been based on depicting the potential these characters have to become & make it as a couple.
The story is a slow burn, people looking for a pacy book will be disappointed. But if you can stick around and don’t mind the time ‘The Pentrals’ is a unique read, which could be worth a shot.
I was provided an advance readers copy for reviewing courtesy of Apologue Entertainment via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of the book. This review is in no way influenced and is solely based on my opinion.
This review can also be found at One reader A thousand lives
October 26, 2014
*Won on Goodreads giveaway*
The Story (Some Spoilers): The Story follows Antares, the shadow of Violet. For 17 years it has been Antares job to follow her Person. Antares is a "Pentral." Pentrals are split into four classes and the higher in rank you are the better. Antares is a Class Two Pentral, meaning she is allowed to be the shadow of a living being. The story starts after Violet goes through a tragic incident. Violet separates herself from her friends and begins making bad decisions that hurt her and even Antares. Antares has never been allowed to speak up. As a shadow, it is her job to simply mimic her Person, keep her opinions and thoughts to herself, and make sure not to give away the fact that Pentrals exist. Though she is not supposed to interfere with Violets life or choices, Antares eventually grows fed up and somehow finds herself switching places with Violet. From there, Antares realizes sinister things are going down in what is supposedly an amazing and beautiful city.
My Opinion: While the story has an interesting concept I felt that it could have had more to it. For a first time author, it is a good book but I thought it was very slow paced. Antares did need to spend time world-building and filling us in with Violet's back story but I thought it took too much time to do so. I was hoping it would move forward after a hundred pages but that was not the case. The book is only 243 pages but I feel that because it was in Antares perspective it made the story go a lot slower. She does a lot of thinking and that tended to drag the story out and make it duller. I liked the story and a big part of me feels like it has potential but at the same time I saw stuff that didn't satisfy me.
I liked the idea that it makes you rethink how you see yourself and others but at the same time I didn't think it was realistic enough. In the story, while Antares is in Violets body, she notices ugly splotches and marks on her face and even calls her reflection a monster. The people in this city are apparently being plagued with ugly, but false, images of themselves when they look into mirrors. I found it very strange that instead of being worried and asking a friend or family member, or even a doctor, what is going on with their face and body, people just kind of moped and gave up on life because they were distraught by what they saw in the mirror. In the book we see smart and energetic people be completely brought down by how they see themselves. While I'm sure this happens in real life to some people, the fact that a whole population of people is now completely depressed over their appearances just doesn't seem likely. I also thought it was silly that this world got rid of all the cameras and now nobody takes pictures because photos are "a thing of the past" in this technological advanced place.
Overall I did like it but there were some things I questioned. There were some questions left unanswered like How did they switch places? or Why did Antares become a Pentral? but I'm assuming that a lot of these questions will be answered in the next book. I'm also a little confused by what Pentral's are. I understand their jobs but I'm not sure about where the Pentrals come from. I guess they're what some humans become after death. I think they're higher beings that watch over the Earth. Hopefully things get cleared up. If I got my hands on the sequel I'd read it because I am interested in seeing where the story goes, but it definitely isn't one of my favorite books of all time. I think I'd rate it 3 out of 5 stars.
Review also up on my blog.
The Story (Some Spoilers): The Story follows Antares, the shadow of Violet. For 17 years it has been Antares job to follow her Person. Antares is a "Pentral." Pentrals are split into four classes and the higher in rank you are the better. Antares is a Class Two Pentral, meaning she is allowed to be the shadow of a living being. The story starts after Violet goes through a tragic incident. Violet separates herself from her friends and begins making bad decisions that hurt her and even Antares. Antares has never been allowed to speak up. As a shadow, it is her job to simply mimic her Person, keep her opinions and thoughts to herself, and make sure not to give away the fact that Pentrals exist. Though she is not supposed to interfere with Violets life or choices, Antares eventually grows fed up and somehow finds herself switching places with Violet. From there, Antares realizes sinister things are going down in what is supposedly an amazing and beautiful city.
My Opinion: While the story has an interesting concept I felt that it could have had more to it. For a first time author, it is a good book but I thought it was very slow paced. Antares did need to spend time world-building and filling us in with Violet's back story but I thought it took too much time to do so. I was hoping it would move forward after a hundred pages but that was not the case. The book is only 243 pages but I feel that because it was in Antares perspective it made the story go a lot slower. She does a lot of thinking and that tended to drag the story out and make it duller. I liked the story and a big part of me feels like it has potential but at the same time I saw stuff that didn't satisfy me.
I liked the idea that it makes you rethink how you see yourself and others but at the same time I didn't think it was realistic enough. In the story, while Antares is in Violets body, she notices ugly splotches and marks on her face and even calls her reflection a monster. The people in this city are apparently being plagued with ugly, but false, images of themselves when they look into mirrors. I found it very strange that instead of being worried and asking a friend or family member, or even a doctor, what is going on with their face and body, people just kind of moped and gave up on life because they were distraught by what they saw in the mirror. In the book we see smart and energetic people be completely brought down by how they see themselves. While I'm sure this happens in real life to some people, the fact that a whole population of people is now completely depressed over their appearances just doesn't seem likely. I also thought it was silly that this world got rid of all the cameras and now nobody takes pictures because photos are "a thing of the past" in this technological advanced place.
Overall I did like it but there were some things I questioned. There were some questions left unanswered like How did they switch places? or Why did Antares become a Pentral? but I'm assuming that a lot of these questions will be answered in the next book. I'm also a little confused by what Pentral's are. I understand their jobs but I'm not sure about where the Pentrals come from. I guess they're what some humans become after death. I think they're higher beings that watch over the Earth. Hopefully things get cleared up. If I got my hands on the sequel I'd read it because I am interested in seeing where the story goes, but it definitely isn't one of my favorite books of all time. I think I'd rate it 3 out of 5 stars.
Review also up on my blog.
December 29, 2014
Originally posted at Stay Bookish
What would it feel like to be a mere shadow? In reality, I’ve never given my shadow a slight thought before but having read The Pentrals’ plot had me more than just a little curious. Yet after finishing the book, I realized that the story wasn’t just about shadows. It had had so much more to offer and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I innately liked this one of a kind book.
The people of Talline, a city of glass and mirrors, don’t know it, but their every move is being watched, followed and imitated. The Pentrals, consisting of Shadows and Reflections in a certain hierarchy, are each assigned a person they need to silhouette. Antares, a Class 2 shadow, has been stuck to ground for the longest time, miming the actions of her person, Violet. Living a life where light and darkness determine her very being, Antares has longed for a life beyond the monotony of being a Pentral. That is until Antares discovers for herself that being a person isn’t as easy as she imagined, especially when other forces are manipulating your own perceptions.
Antares was a pretty good main character. I don’t know about you but connecting to a shadow or someone who’s been one for most of her life is pretty hard. Still, I found myself nodding along to Antares’ introspections several times. She was easily likeable and her interesting voice kept me attentive towards the narration. Having said that, there was a point where I felt the book was a bit dragging. I wanted more world building and I craved to go beyond the surface of the characters. I also wished for more participation on Violet’s side of things. These aren’t major issues, just some of my small apprehensions. Anyway, I feel these could be resolved in time, hopefully in the second book.
The aspects I very much appreciated and loved outweighed the trepidations I had with the book. First of all, I just really liked how unique The Pentrals world was, especially the class system of Shadows and Reflections. I welcomed the thought of this futuristic, fantasy setting quickly which was why I wanted to know more about it in the first place. Secondly, I liked the way it felt mysterious and intriguing but not complicated. Questions arise quickly and some have pretty evident answers but most are layered with enigma. Another thing I liked- the way the author used metaphors and buried meanings. The way Crystal Mack explored the reality of self-worth in relation to what we see in the mirrors was bewilderingly remarkable. It was obvious that the author put a lot of thought in her work and I really admired her clever writing. Also, I loved Ben and the way his character carried off. I actually didn’t think I’d like him so much the first time I encountered him in the story, but he then completely transformed into someone I am possibly having a fictional crush on.
Overall, the Pentrals was a great read. A mix of creative and perceptive, this is a book to look out for. I can’t wait for the sequel!
What would it feel like to be a mere shadow? In reality, I’ve never given my shadow a slight thought before but having read The Pentrals’ plot had me more than just a little curious. Yet after finishing the book, I realized that the story wasn’t just about shadows. It had had so much more to offer and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I innately liked this one of a kind book.
The people of Talline, a city of glass and mirrors, don’t know it, but their every move is being watched, followed and imitated. The Pentrals, consisting of Shadows and Reflections in a certain hierarchy, are each assigned a person they need to silhouette. Antares, a Class 2 shadow, has been stuck to ground for the longest time, miming the actions of her person, Violet. Living a life where light and darkness determine her very being, Antares has longed for a life beyond the monotony of being a Pentral. That is until Antares discovers for herself that being a person isn’t as easy as she imagined, especially when other forces are manipulating your own perceptions.
Antares was a pretty good main character. I don’t know about you but connecting to a shadow or someone who’s been one for most of her life is pretty hard. Still, I found myself nodding along to Antares’ introspections several times. She was easily likeable and her interesting voice kept me attentive towards the narration. Having said that, there was a point where I felt the book was a bit dragging. I wanted more world building and I craved to go beyond the surface of the characters. I also wished for more participation on Violet’s side of things. These aren’t major issues, just some of my small apprehensions. Anyway, I feel these could be resolved in time, hopefully in the second book.
The aspects I very much appreciated and loved outweighed the trepidations I had with the book. First of all, I just really liked how unique The Pentrals world was, especially the class system of Shadows and Reflections. I welcomed the thought of this futuristic, fantasy setting quickly which was why I wanted to know more about it in the first place. Secondly, I liked the way it felt mysterious and intriguing but not complicated. Questions arise quickly and some have pretty evident answers but most are layered with enigma. Another thing I liked- the way the author used metaphors and buried meanings. The way Crystal Mack explored the reality of self-worth in relation to what we see in the mirrors was bewilderingly remarkable. It was obvious that the author put a lot of thought in her work and I really admired her clever writing. Also, I loved Ben and the way his character carried off. I actually didn’t think I’d like him so much the first time I encountered him in the story, but he then completely transformed into someone I am possibly having a fictional crush on.
Overall, the Pentrals was a great read. A mix of creative and perceptive, this is a book to look out for. I can’t wait for the sequel!
November 24, 2013
I was quite intrigued when I read the blurb of The Pentrals in NetGalley so I decided to request it. I will try my best to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.
I have to say that despite not being a perfect read it didn't disappoint at all. The premise is quite unique since it is told from the perspective of a Shadow, a level 2 Pentral, that calls herself Antares. A Shadow is exactly what it sounds like, a dark mirror of our movements and shape, without details or colour. And they're assigned a Person on birth, a Person they have to Shadow in all their movements.
Violet is Antares person and she's been having a very hard time as of late, and Antares is not very sure as to why since her perspective doesn't allow her enough information. The setting of our story is in a utopian/dystopian city all covered in mirrors to make the most of the solar energy (or at least that's the official story). Then things do change when one day in a freak occurrence Violet and Antares swap places and Antares finds herself inside Violet's body.
We learn quite a few things about the Pentrals, that there are 4 levels, that there are two kinds of Pentrals, Shadows and Reflections and that Pentrals could have been humans before, which made me think of it equalling souls with Pentrals but it was never explained as such. There's still a lot of unexplained parts of this world, about the Pentrals and how they work and I'm hoping it will be expanded in the upcoming books. It still makes sense to have limited knowledge given we are seeing everything through Antares' perspective and as a Shadow her life was focused on working to match her Person's actions, nothing else.
The dystopian angle is given via a conspiracy and a puppet master pulling the strings behind all that's happening in the city. The controlling drugs, the mirripulation (that was a word that I couldn't help but think was not the best choice, it might fit but kept on sounding silly to me). We get some info on what and who might be behind it, but not enough on the why's. A proper villain needs a good motivation and get are given hints but not a strong justification. Again, I think it'll be explained and expanded on the next books but it gave the book a bit of an unfinished feel.
It was clearly a first book in a series, given us enough setting to get us started, but just with general big strokes and not enough detail. The world building is there but there are lot of questions unanswered and we get a bit of a rather limited look at the world. With the way the book ends we get a few answers and loads more questions, but it doesn't end with a throat-cutting cliffhanger, which is to be grateful for. The characters are well fleshed out, though some seem to have more life to them than others and the narrative is quite engaging.
All in all quite a good debut, deserving of 3.5 stars.
I have to say that despite not being a perfect read it didn't disappoint at all. The premise is quite unique since it is told from the perspective of a Shadow, a level 2 Pentral, that calls herself Antares. A Shadow is exactly what it sounds like, a dark mirror of our movements and shape, without details or colour. And they're assigned a Person on birth, a Person they have to Shadow in all their movements.
Violet is Antares person and she's been having a very hard time as of late, and Antares is not very sure as to why since her perspective doesn't allow her enough information. The setting of our story is in a utopian/dystopian city all covered in mirrors to make the most of the solar energy (or at least that's the official story). Then things do change when one day in a freak occurrence Violet and Antares swap places and Antares finds herself inside Violet's body.
We learn quite a few things about the Pentrals, that there are 4 levels, that there are two kinds of Pentrals, Shadows and Reflections and that Pentrals could have been humans before, which made me think of it equalling souls with Pentrals but it was never explained as such. There's still a lot of unexplained parts of this world, about the Pentrals and how they work and I'm hoping it will be expanded in the upcoming books. It still makes sense to have limited knowledge given we are seeing everything through Antares' perspective and as a Shadow her life was focused on working to match her Person's actions, nothing else.
The dystopian angle is given via a conspiracy and a puppet master pulling the strings behind all that's happening in the city. The controlling drugs, the mirripulation (that was a word that I couldn't help but think was not the best choice, it might fit but kept on sounding silly to me). We get some info on what and who might be behind it, but not enough on the why's. A proper villain needs a good motivation and get are given hints but not a strong justification. Again, I think it'll be explained and expanded on the next books but it gave the book a bit of an unfinished feel.
It was clearly a first book in a series, given us enough setting to get us started, but just with general big strokes and not enough detail. The world building is there but there are lot of questions unanswered and we get a bit of a rather limited look at the world. With the way the book ends we get a few answers and loads more questions, but it doesn't end with a throat-cutting cliffhanger, which is to be grateful for. The characters are well fleshed out, though some seem to have more life to them than others and the narrative is quite engaging.
All in all quite a good debut, deserving of 3.5 stars.
September 11, 2016
Originally posted here: http://alwayslostinbooks.wordpress.co...
The Pentrals won me over mostly for its writing. I think that the first chapter was simply brilliant. It opens with the narrator of the book just seeing things and watching. It talks about the beautiful place where they are situated. It talks about this girl, Violet. It simply warms you up and shows you all these things. And then it hits you hard at the end of the chapter. I’m not sure if I should expound more on this because the beauty of Crystal Mack’s writing lies in all the surprises within the book. I was glad I started it without reading the synopsis because I just loved how the whole thing progressed.
The Pentrals are all the shadows and reflections in the world. They used to be people, but when they die, they are stripped of all of their human life. And they are assigned to be a pentral. It can either be a punishment or a chance to redeem one’s self. Since the story revolves around a low class pentral, it’s quite hard to tell more about this world. But from what I have seen from this first book, I think that it has been thought out really well.
The conflict in this book lies on the mirripulation of the mirror pentrals. They are distorting the reflections of the people of Talline, which greatly affects the self-esteem of the citizens. The Pentrals particularly focuses on Antares, Violet’s shadow, who finds out that there is more to everything, and she must find out what is going on and fix the whole problem.
I think my favorite parts in the book are the talks about the beauty of the scenery and art. Violet is an artist and she incorporates a lot of color and vividness in her works, while Antares considers herself a performance artist to be able to form the right look. Talline is also set in the Grand Canyon, which is such a beautiful place even in pictures. I’d love to see it for real someday. Not only that, but the buildings and such are all made up of mirrors or reflective material, which gives off the impression that it is a beautiful and sparkling city.
**************************************************
OVERALL, The Pentrals is a brilliant book where shadows are more than shadows and reflections are more than reflections. Crystal Mack is a very sly writer because she made me want to keep on reading what happens next. There were a lot of surprises and cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. Even the end of this book leaves me wanting more. Sadly, we have to wait a lot longer for the sequel. Also, I love how the story was set in a sparkling city in the Grand Canyon. The whole concept and story of this book was really interesting, and I recommend it. It tells a tale of love, friendship, and conspiracies.
The Pentrals won me over mostly for its writing. I think that the first chapter was simply brilliant. It opens with the narrator of the book just seeing things and watching. It talks about the beautiful place where they are situated. It talks about this girl, Violet. It simply warms you up and shows you all these things. And then it hits you hard at the end of the chapter. I’m not sure if I should expound more on this because the beauty of Crystal Mack’s writing lies in all the surprises within the book. I was glad I started it without reading the synopsis because I just loved how the whole thing progressed.
The Pentrals are all the shadows and reflections in the world. They used to be people, but when they die, they are stripped of all of their human life. And they are assigned to be a pentral. It can either be a punishment or a chance to redeem one’s self. Since the story revolves around a low class pentral, it’s quite hard to tell more about this world. But from what I have seen from this first book, I think that it has been thought out really well.
The conflict in this book lies on the mirripulation of the mirror pentrals. They are distorting the reflections of the people of Talline, which greatly affects the self-esteem of the citizens. The Pentrals particularly focuses on Antares, Violet’s shadow, who finds out that there is more to everything, and she must find out what is going on and fix the whole problem.
I think my favorite parts in the book are the talks about the beauty of the scenery and art. Violet is an artist and she incorporates a lot of color and vividness in her works, while Antares considers herself a performance artist to be able to form the right look. Talline is also set in the Grand Canyon, which is such a beautiful place even in pictures. I’d love to see it for real someday. Not only that, but the buildings and such are all made up of mirrors or reflective material, which gives off the impression that it is a beautiful and sparkling city.
**************************************************
OVERALL, The Pentrals is a brilliant book where shadows are more than shadows and reflections are more than reflections. Crystal Mack is a very sly writer because she made me want to keep on reading what happens next. There were a lot of surprises and cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. Even the end of this book leaves me wanting more. Sadly, we have to wait a lot longer for the sequel. Also, I love how the story was set in a sparkling city in the Grand Canyon. The whole concept and story of this book was really interesting, and I recommend it. It tells a tale of love, friendship, and conspiracies.
September 22, 2013
This title was provided by Apologue Entertainment (via NetGalley) for review purposes.
Okay, okay. I'll admit it--I judged a book by its cover. The cover art caught my eye immediately, and once I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read The Pentrals. The concept is so unlike anything I've read, and I was really curious to see how the author pulled it off!
Right off the bat, I had a hard time connecting with this story until the switch took place. The narrative from Antares' point-of-view felt a little hollow (and rightly so, I guess--I mean, she is a shadow). There are only so many times that you can describe the way a shadow shadows someone before it gets a little stale.
Things pick up once Violet and Antares trade places, but my biggest problem with this book (and it's always a big problem with any book) is that I still wasn't able to connect with the characters. I didn't feel for Violet or Antares. The reader follows Violet for only a brief while before she's suddenly plastered to the floor beneath Antares' shoe, after which period of time we don't really get any taste for her personality again throughout the book.
As for Thomas... I couldn't love Thomas at all. The author doggedly enforces how wonderful he is--good-looking and beloved and a star athlete and a perfect boyfriend--and I just couldn't buy it. I was far more interested in Ben and Sam than most of the main cast of characters (though Ben's total 180° turn after his confrontation with Thomas and Violet bothered me, too).
Another thing that bothered me was the mirripulation concept. While I'm sure it would be horrible to see your face so horribly disfigured and grotesque (and I do appreciate what's going on, metaphorically), and we certainly have no reason to doubt what we see reflected in a mirror... didn't anyone think to, I don't know, touch their face and feel that they didn't have scabs and protruding veins and things? Or ask someone they trust, "Hey, does this look like a rash or something?" instead of just assuming that their family and friends were just not bringing it up for the sake of their ego? Because I certainly would have.
The end is where this book finally caught me. I was captivated by the details of Antares' previous life (and death?) and her connection to Ben. The culminating of all the events so far finally added up to something I could get into and honestly, despite some of the predictable plot devices sprinkled throughout, I am curious to know what happens next.
Okay, okay. I'll admit it--I judged a book by its cover. The cover art caught my eye immediately, and once I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read The Pentrals. The concept is so unlike anything I've read, and I was really curious to see how the author pulled it off!
Right off the bat, I had a hard time connecting with this story until the switch took place. The narrative from Antares' point-of-view felt a little hollow (and rightly so, I guess--I mean, she is a shadow). There are only so many times that you can describe the way a shadow shadows someone before it gets a little stale.
Things pick up once Violet and Antares trade places, but my biggest problem with this book (and it's always a big problem with any book) is that I still wasn't able to connect with the characters. I didn't feel for Violet or Antares. The reader follows Violet for only a brief while before she's suddenly plastered to the floor beneath Antares' shoe, after which period of time we don't really get any taste for her personality again throughout the book.
As for Thomas... I couldn't love Thomas at all. The author doggedly enforces how wonderful he is--good-looking and beloved and a star athlete and a perfect boyfriend--and I just couldn't buy it. I was far more interested in Ben and Sam than most of the main cast of characters (though Ben's total 180° turn after his confrontation with Thomas and Violet bothered me, too).
Another thing that bothered me was the mirripulation concept. While I'm sure it would be horrible to see your face so horribly disfigured and grotesque (and I do appreciate what's going on, metaphorically), and we certainly have no reason to doubt what we see reflected in a mirror... didn't anyone think to, I don't know, touch their face and feel that they didn't have scabs and protruding veins and things? Or ask someone they trust, "Hey, does this look like a rash or something?" instead of just assuming that their family and friends were just not bringing it up for the sake of their ego? Because I certainly would have.
The end is where this book finally caught me. I was captivated by the details of Antares' previous life (and death?) and her connection to Ben. The culminating of all the events so far finally added up to something I could get into and honestly, despite some of the predictable plot devices sprinkled throughout, I am curious to know what happens next.
September 10, 2016
Antares is the shadow of 17-year-old Violet, who, after a car accident leaves her best friend in a coma, goes into a self-sabotaging depression. Antares can only look on as Violet pushes friends away and turns to drugs, until an unexpected event makes the girls switch places. Violet becomes the shadow on the ground and Antares inhabits the body. This is when things start to get interesting. Besides trying to get a grasp on being a human, Antares gets wrapped up in an evil plot to make the whole city miserable so they’ll become addicted to the latest drug. OK, so it sounds kind of stupid written out, but while reading the book I was biting my nails as Antares solved the mystery and tried to stop the bad guy. It was good stuff!
The plot was great. The futuristic setting gave the story a dystopian, sci-fi twist and made me not only want to learn more about the shadow world but also this futuristic city of glass. It also separated the story from real life so it was a bit easier to buy the whole shadow purgatory thing. The characters though, were lacking. Violet kind of disappeared once she became the shadow.Thomas, Violet’s boyfriend, seemed too perfect and unreal (more so than the shadow!) and Ben’s sensitiveness and heartbreak was described instead of shown and came across as forced. I did like Antares though. She was so much more than a girl’s shadow. She was her own strong, independent character with emotions and opinions and a tragic past she was just beginning to remember.
The idea that shadows are sentient beings was hard to take seriously at first. This was children’s book stuff (Peter Pan, anyone?). But the more I read, the more I believed. Crystal Mack created an intricate society for the shadow world with different social rankings and responsibilities and even all-knowing shadow gods, or the Class Fours. If I can read books about ghosts why not shadows? They seemed to be pretty similar.
I honestly didn’t think I would like this book as much as I did. Although it had a slow start and it took me about 100 ages to become invested in the characters, the plot was compelling and I’ll be reading the second book to find out what happens to my new shadow friend.
To see more of my reviews, visit http://paperdollreview.tumblr.com/
The plot was great. The futuristic setting gave the story a dystopian, sci-fi twist and made me not only want to learn more about the shadow world but also this futuristic city of glass. It also separated the story from real life so it was a bit easier to buy the whole shadow purgatory thing. The characters though, were lacking. Violet kind of disappeared once she became the shadow.Thomas, Violet’s boyfriend, seemed too perfect and unreal (more so than the shadow!) and Ben’s sensitiveness and heartbreak was described instead of shown and came across as forced. I did like Antares though. She was so much more than a girl’s shadow. She was her own strong, independent character with emotions and opinions and a tragic past she was just beginning to remember.
The idea that shadows are sentient beings was hard to take seriously at first. This was children’s book stuff (Peter Pan, anyone?). But the more I read, the more I believed. Crystal Mack created an intricate society for the shadow world with different social rankings and responsibilities and even all-knowing shadow gods, or the Class Fours. If I can read books about ghosts why not shadows? They seemed to be pretty similar.
I honestly didn’t think I would like this book as much as I did. Although it had a slow start and it took me about 100 ages to become invested in the characters, the plot was compelling and I’ll be reading the second book to find out what happens to my new shadow friend.
To see more of my reviews, visit http://paperdollreview.tumblr.com/
November 1, 2013
The Pentrals by Crystal Mack
The Pentrals by Crystal Mack is about Antares who is a Pentral (Shadow) for Violet, a 17 yr. old high school girl. You find out that her best friend Mary is in a coma in the hospital because she was in an accident after a party that they attended. Violet blames herself and becomes extremely depressed. Violet decides to take “Lifts”, a pill that only someone 17 years old or older is allowed to take in Talline. Antares cannot remember much of her day with Violet after Violet took the Lifts, everything was hazy and confusing. After a while Antares finds a way to fight the effects of Lifts and becomes enraged at Violet for throwing her life away and while at school, Antares takes Violets physical form and Violet becomes the Shadow. They try to find a way to switch their bodies back but in the meantime Antares takes over Violets life and one of the first things she does is get back together with Violets boyfriend, Thomas. Antares just wants Violet to be the happy person she used to be.
One problem I do have with the story is there is very little to no background about the Pentrals and how they came into existence. I feel that the reader and story suffers because that information would help the reader to connect better with Antares.
I did like that the story was from the Pentrals (Antares) point of view. This is one way you get to know what the shadows life is like and what they do. However, I think if the author would have done alternating points of view with Violet and Antares, the reader would have a related to the characters and enjoyed the book more.
Mack’s writing style is wonderful and this was very descriptive. You definitely were able to visualize everything she wrote about. The story has a good pace and is easy to follow. Even with the one or two things I found a problem with, this story was still remarkable. Any fantasy lover would be a fool not to read the book since it is such a unique and well thought out storyline.
4 Stars
*I won this ARC through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book.*
The Pentrals by Crystal Mack is about Antares who is a Pentral (Shadow) for Violet, a 17 yr. old high school girl. You find out that her best friend Mary is in a coma in the hospital because she was in an accident after a party that they attended. Violet blames herself and becomes extremely depressed. Violet decides to take “Lifts”, a pill that only someone 17 years old or older is allowed to take in Talline. Antares cannot remember much of her day with Violet after Violet took the Lifts, everything was hazy and confusing. After a while Antares finds a way to fight the effects of Lifts and becomes enraged at Violet for throwing her life away and while at school, Antares takes Violets physical form and Violet becomes the Shadow. They try to find a way to switch their bodies back but in the meantime Antares takes over Violets life and one of the first things she does is get back together with Violets boyfriend, Thomas. Antares just wants Violet to be the happy person she used to be.
One problem I do have with the story is there is very little to no background about the Pentrals and how they came into existence. I feel that the reader and story suffers because that information would help the reader to connect better with Antares.
I did like that the story was from the Pentrals (Antares) point of view. This is one way you get to know what the shadows life is like and what they do. However, I think if the author would have done alternating points of view with Violet and Antares, the reader would have a related to the characters and enjoyed the book more.
Mack’s writing style is wonderful and this was very descriptive. You definitely were able to visualize everything she wrote about. The story has a good pace and is easy to follow. Even with the one or two things I found a problem with, this story was still remarkable. Any fantasy lover would be a fool not to read the book since it is such a unique and well thought out storyline.
4 Stars
*I won this ARC through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book.*
August 4, 2014
Antares is Violet's shadow. She has spent all her time for the past 17 years trying to mimic Violet perfectly. It was all fine until tragedy struck - Violet's best friend Mary was in a car accident. Violet blames herself, since she was supposed to be the one giving Mary a ride home. Wracked with guilt and depression, she hasn't been talking to anyone, especially not her two other best friends: her boyfriend Thomas and Mary's brother Ben. All Antares can do is watch and wish Violet felt better.
Both Shadows like Antares and Reflections are beings called Pentrals. Pentrals have different classes: class ones are attached to immobile objects like trees, class twos like Antares get to shadow or reflect people, class fours are the leaders who hold the power to punish a Pentral for wrongdoing and send them down to class one.
First of all, by the end this book is clearly meant to begin a series. So much is left open and undone that it's almost ridiculous. I felt like it would have been a better end to a chapter than to the whole book! What is in this book is pretty good. It took a chapter or two to get the shadow thing, and it seems confusing reading the description, but it makes sense once you get over the hump. Antares was a cool character, which is good since she's the narrator. Violet seemed like too much of a pushover. Thomas, the boyfriend, is kind of a non-character. Ben is better in that he actually seems to have emotions. The plot is a little crazy, but it gets more interesting when it goes from personal/romantic drama into a greater problem. There were some writing issues as well, though I had a pre-publication galley so maybe they were edited out. No contractions - that never works! It just sounds unnatural especially in dialogue.
Overall, I liked the story and it was a unique idea, but the abrupt ending disappointed me. I'd recommend this title for high school because of the complex plot, but there isn't any sexual content (a few kissing scenes) or violence.
I received a digital galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Both Shadows like Antares and Reflections are beings called Pentrals. Pentrals have different classes: class ones are attached to immobile objects like trees, class twos like Antares get to shadow or reflect people, class fours are the leaders who hold the power to punish a Pentral for wrongdoing and send them down to class one.
First of all, by the end this book is clearly meant to begin a series. So much is left open and undone that it's almost ridiculous. I felt like it would have been a better end to a chapter than to the whole book! What is in this book is pretty good. It took a chapter or two to get the shadow thing, and it seems confusing reading the description, but it makes sense once you get over the hump. Antares was a cool character, which is good since she's the narrator. Violet seemed like too much of a pushover. Thomas, the boyfriend, is kind of a non-character. Ben is better in that he actually seems to have emotions. The plot is a little crazy, but it gets more interesting when it goes from personal/romantic drama into a greater problem. There were some writing issues as well, though I had a pre-publication galley so maybe they were edited out. No contractions - that never works! It just sounds unnatural especially in dialogue.
Overall, I liked the story and it was a unique idea, but the abrupt ending disappointed me. I'd recommend this title for high school because of the complex plot, but there isn't any sexual content (a few kissing scenes) or violence.
I received a digital galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2013
I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Well, this one was an adventure.
Here were my reactions throughout:
About 10% done: Hmmm, this could be really good! Interesting concept.
About 35% done: This is ridiculous. I don't think I'm going to like this book. What a shame.
About 54% done: Okay, okay. I'll stick it out.
About 76% done: WHAT IS HAPPENING? TELL ME!!
99% done: This book is not seriously almost over. Seriously?
100% done: But...I want to know what happens next! Grrrrrr!
Thing that worked:
-Antares is very likable. I really enjoyed her voice and her perspective. Watching her adjust to Violet's body was very funny.
-The love triangle was present but understated until the end. I think the author did a good job with this--since Antares doesn't understand love or the physical sensations that accompany it, she doesn't realize that she has feelings for Ben. This helps stave off a lot of the boring love triangle stuff.
-Bonus for a character who is off stage almost the entire story being the one who solved the "mirripulation" problem.
-Double bonus for the word "mirripulation" which I thought was a joke until Antares kept repeating it. Whatever, it grew on me.
- I thought the author did a nice job keeping us guessing at who the real villain is.
Things that did not work (or just annoyed me):
-Parts of the plot are desperately predictable. I rolled my eyes multiple times (particularly around that 34% mark.)
-Ben is totally freezing Violet out, but then once the body switch happens he inexplicably is nice to her again. That's a little sloppy.
-Does Thomas have a flaw? He was so, so boring. So boring.
-Antares takes a lonnnggg time to figure some obvious things out. I know this was her first experience as a Person, but she's so quick with some things and way too slow with others.
-I did not really believe that no one ever asked anyone else about their reflections. That seemed a little too neat and tidy.
Overally, 3.5 stars for a very original concept but an overly predictable story.
Well, this one was an adventure.
Here were my reactions throughout:
About 10% done: Hmmm, this could be really good! Interesting concept.
About 35% done: This is ridiculous. I don't think I'm going to like this book. What a shame.
About 54% done: Okay, okay. I'll stick it out.
About 76% done: WHAT IS HAPPENING? TELL ME!!
99% done: This book is not seriously almost over. Seriously?
100% done: But...I want to know what happens next! Grrrrrr!
Thing that worked:
-Antares is very likable. I really enjoyed her voice and her perspective. Watching her adjust to Violet's body was very funny.
-The love triangle was present but understated until the end. I think the author did a good job with this--since Antares doesn't understand love or the physical sensations that accompany it, she doesn't realize that she has feelings for Ben. This helps stave off a lot of the boring love triangle stuff.
-Bonus for a character who is off stage almost the entire story being the one who solved the "mirripulation" problem.
-Double bonus for the word "mirripulation" which I thought was a joke until Antares kept repeating it. Whatever, it grew on me.
- I thought the author did a nice job keeping us guessing at who the real villain is.
Things that did not work (or just annoyed me):
-Parts of the plot are desperately predictable. I rolled my eyes multiple times (particularly around that 34% mark.)
-Ben is totally freezing Violet out, but then once the body switch happens he inexplicably is nice to her again. That's a little sloppy.
-Does Thomas have a flaw? He was so, so boring. So boring.
-Antares takes a lonnnggg time to figure some obvious things out. I know this was her first experience as a Person, but she's so quick with some things and way too slow with others.
-I did not really believe that no one ever asked anyone else about their reflections. That seemed a little too neat and tidy.
Overally, 3.5 stars for a very original concept but an overly predictable story.
January 13, 2014
I had high hopes for The Pentrals, with its gorgeous cover and intriguing premise - a novel told entirely from the point of view of a living shadow. Unfortunately, The Pentrals did not deliver the story I was hoping for and after months of attempting to wade through the disappointing middle to reach the ending, I’m conceding defeat. I’ll make this short, since I never like writing negative reviews.
Antares, a shadow bound to trail behind a human girl, mimicking her movements for the rest of their life, is given the chance to break free when she and her human, Violet, accidentally switch places. Complications arise when Antares and Violet begin to glimpse a monster reflected in the mirror - a monster mimicking Violet’s movements.
At times, Mack’s descriptions of life as a shadow were genuinely beautiful and moving, but the novel was let down by stilted dialogue, weak characterisation, and heavy-handed storytelling. I think I would have liked to read The Pentrals as a short story, but there wasn’t enough material here for an entire book, and my interest waned quickly. Mack’s explanations of the shadow world only raised more unanswered questions and left gaping plot holes. Antares adjusts surprisingly quickly to literally stepping into the shoes of Violet, the human she shadows, and the love story seemed clumsily tacked on. I didn’t empathise with any of the characters, and many felt like unnecessary additions. I wasn’t drawn in by the conflict in the book either; I was all too aware of the author pulling the strings behind the scenes. By about the halfway point, it seemed pointless to continue reading any further.
Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of The Pentrals in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher: Apologue Entertainment
Rating: 1 star | ★✰✰✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
Antares, a shadow bound to trail behind a human girl, mimicking her movements for the rest of their life, is given the chance to break free when she and her human, Violet, accidentally switch places. Complications arise when Antares and Violet begin to glimpse a monster reflected in the mirror - a monster mimicking Violet’s movements.
At times, Mack’s descriptions of life as a shadow were genuinely beautiful and moving, but the novel was let down by stilted dialogue, weak characterisation, and heavy-handed storytelling. I think I would have liked to read The Pentrals as a short story, but there wasn’t enough material here for an entire book, and my interest waned quickly. Mack’s explanations of the shadow world only raised more unanswered questions and left gaping plot holes. Antares adjusts surprisingly quickly to literally stepping into the shoes of Violet, the human she shadows, and the love story seemed clumsily tacked on. I didn’t empathise with any of the characters, and many felt like unnecessary additions. I wasn’t drawn in by the conflict in the book either; I was all too aware of the author pulling the strings behind the scenes. By about the halfway point, it seemed pointless to continue reading any further.
Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of The Pentrals in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher: Apologue Entertainment
Rating: 1 star | ★✰✰✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
July 25, 2016
After staring at the artistic and alluring cover, the concept of this story was what really caught my attention. A book narrated by a shadow? I was intrigued.
Antares spends her days mimicking her charge’s movements with all the precision and fluidity of an artist--she is a shadow, bound to her task as a form of punishment. Both part of, and not part of Violet’s life, she witnesses the tragedies that have prompted Violet’s downward spiral. But in one moment, their situations are reversed, and worlds collide.
The more I thought about Antares’ situation, though, the more horrified I became. What must it be like, I thought, to watch somebody constantly, to be there whether you like it, or not, and watch them slowly wither away? Admittedly the pacing and plot were at times slow, but the emotional grip that spawned in my imagination kept me reading.
The book has an interesting take on its dealings with image and human character. These days, with so much of our lives scattered about in cyberspace, we really do walk a fine line. Are we really in control of how others see us?
For me the plot became predictably dystopian, but I still enjoyed the concept presented in the story very much, and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel in the series. There is a whole lot to the world that Ms. Mack wrote into this book that will (I hope!) be explained in the second volume.
Teen readers who enjoy books with hints of magical realism, or light science fiction would probably enjoy the story; there is plenty within the pages about friendship and its meaning, not to mention the imaginative atmosphere.
**note: Thank you to Apologue Entertainment and Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review purposes.
Antares spends her days mimicking her charge’s movements with all the precision and fluidity of an artist--she is a shadow, bound to her task as a form of punishment. Both part of, and not part of Violet’s life, she witnesses the tragedies that have prompted Violet’s downward spiral. But in one moment, their situations are reversed, and worlds collide.
The more I thought about Antares’ situation, though, the more horrified I became. What must it be like, I thought, to watch somebody constantly, to be there whether you like it, or not, and watch them slowly wither away? Admittedly the pacing and plot were at times slow, but the emotional grip that spawned in my imagination kept me reading.
The book has an interesting take on its dealings with image and human character. These days, with so much of our lives scattered about in cyberspace, we really do walk a fine line. Are we really in control of how others see us?
For me the plot became predictably dystopian, but I still enjoyed the concept presented in the story very much, and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel in the series. There is a whole lot to the world that Ms. Mack wrote into this book that will (I hope!) be explained in the second volume.
Teen readers who enjoy books with hints of magical realism, or light science fiction would probably enjoy the story; there is plenty within the pages about friendship and its meaning, not to mention the imaginative atmosphere.
**note: Thank you to Apologue Entertainment and Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review purposes.
November 9, 2013
E-galley received through Netgalley for review.
In the metropolis of Talline, mirrors are everywhere. Antares is a Pentral Class Two and has agreed to spend her whole life as a shadow to her person, Violet: her job is to mirror Violet's action without interfering. When Violet experiences tragedy, she starts to make careless choice. Antares can no longer stand to watch and takes action. This changes both Violet's life and her own.
When I started reading this book, it wasn't clear to me that this was the firstbook in a new series. Yes, I could have figured it out, considering the world building (also, there seem to be no stand-alone books around any longer). Anyway, the ending being so open was an unwelcome surprise for me and I was disappointed.
The plot is quite interesting; the point of view of a shadow is original. In Antares's world, Pentrals can be of three different classes: Class One (those shadowing inanimate objects), Class Two (those shadowing people), and Class Three (those with higher powers). Antares wishes she could live her own life instead of mirroring someone else's. Especially since Violet has started taking drugs and this causes Antares to black out. When Antares takes the initiative, the unthinkable happens; and Antares is free for the first time in her life.
The plot also contains a complot-mystery element. It's not that hard to recognize it, but as for figuring it out, I guess it will be fodder for the next book(s). All in all, this was a good read. I just wish it had been a stand-alone novel.
In the metropolis of Talline, mirrors are everywhere. Antares is a Pentral Class Two and has agreed to spend her whole life as a shadow to her person, Violet: her job is to mirror Violet's action without interfering. When Violet experiences tragedy, she starts to make careless choice. Antares can no longer stand to watch and takes action. This changes both Violet's life and her own.
When I started reading this book, it wasn't clear to me that this was the firstbook in a new series. Yes, I could have figured it out, considering the world building (also, there seem to be no stand-alone books around any longer). Anyway, the ending being so open was an unwelcome surprise for me and I was disappointed.
The plot is quite interesting; the point of view of a shadow is original. In Antares's world, Pentrals can be of three different classes: Class One (those shadowing inanimate objects), Class Two (those shadowing people), and Class Three (those with higher powers). Antares wishes she could live her own life instead of mirroring someone else's. Especially since Violet has started taking drugs and this causes Antares to black out. When Antares takes the initiative, the unthinkable happens; and Antares is free for the first time in her life.
The plot also contains a complot-mystery element. It's not that hard to recognize it, but as for figuring it out, I guess it will be fodder for the next book(s). All in all, this was a good read. I just wish it had been a stand-alone novel.
July 19, 2014
The premise of this book is so different from anything I've ever read or heard of. It is deeply thought provoking and alarming in such a way that I may never be able to look at my shadow or reflection in the same way again.
This story is told from the vantage point of a Persons Shadow. seriously. So unique it works on a level I didn't expect.
I sometimes have a hard time reviewing books I absolutely LOVE - especially when my mind is still reeling from reading it ... so please forgive me for gushing. Just know that I loved it. I thought it was an out of the box idea and for a debut book, it was SO cleverly executed. So awesome I can not wait until the sequel comes out.
As I was getting toward the end and realizing I was quickly running out of pages, I wondered if there was going to be a cliff hanger involved and I was sooo right. (seriously literally)
The Pentrals makes me want to throw rocks at The Hunger Games. I want it to be the "Next BIG Thing". .. the new book series that everyone is talking and raving about and the idea that is blowing everyone's mind.
I recommend to ALL my YA/Dystopian reading friends. I hope you love it as much as I did!!
**I won this ARC edition in a GoodReads first-reads giveaway listed by the author, Crystal Mack, and http://www.apologueentertainment.com/ Thank you SO MUCH Goodreads and Crystal for the opportunity to read and review a new series I can fall head over shadows for!!
This story is told from the vantage point of a Persons Shadow. seriously. So unique it works on a level I didn't expect.
I sometimes have a hard time reviewing books I absolutely LOVE - especially when my mind is still reeling from reading it ... so please forgive me for gushing. Just know that I loved it. I thought it was an out of the box idea and for a debut book, it was SO cleverly executed. So awesome I can not wait until the sequel comes out.
As I was getting toward the end and realizing I was quickly running out of pages, I wondered if there was going to be a cliff hanger involved and I was sooo right. (seriously literally)
The Pentrals makes me want to throw rocks at The Hunger Games. I want it to be the "Next BIG Thing". .. the new book series that everyone is talking and raving about and the idea that is blowing everyone's mind.
I recommend to ALL my YA/Dystopian reading friends. I hope you love it as much as I did!!
**I won this ARC edition in a GoodReads first-reads giveaway listed by the author, Crystal Mack, and http://www.apologueentertainment.com/ Thank you SO MUCH Goodreads and Crystal for the opportunity to read and review a new series I can fall head over shadows for!!
December 2, 2013
I received this book free via NetGalley.
The Pentrals is about a shadow. A real shadow. This idea, while intriguing, made me a bit skeptical. I actually almost gave up entirely about six or seven chapters in, because listening to a shadow ramble about what her person does is not that interesting. I am glad I stuck with it though, because it improved significantly within one or two chapters of when I wanted to give it up.
The good: It's a unique concept and once the story picked up, I really wanted to keep reading to find out what the deal with the reflections was. The cover is pretty amazing, too.
The bad: It's kind of boring for the first bit, and I'm still not sure I buy this whole dual worlds and punishment as reflections and shadows thing. How did that come to be? How is it even possible? I would have liked some more info about that. Maybe it will come as the series continues.
In the end, I'd say this book is worth a shot if you're the kind of patient person who doesn't mind a boring beginning and who won't give up. If you expect a book to be exciting from the beginning, this is not for you. I gave it three stars because, while I did enjoy it after a point, I almost gave up on it (which I don't really ever do). Still, the concept is unique, it's relatively well-written, and the middle and end were pretty good.
The Pentrals is about a shadow. A real shadow. This idea, while intriguing, made me a bit skeptical. I actually almost gave up entirely about six or seven chapters in, because listening to a shadow ramble about what her person does is not that interesting. I am glad I stuck with it though, because it improved significantly within one or two chapters of when I wanted to give it up.
The good: It's a unique concept and once the story picked up, I really wanted to keep reading to find out what the deal with the reflections was. The cover is pretty amazing, too.
The bad: It's kind of boring for the first bit, and I'm still not sure I buy this whole dual worlds and punishment as reflections and shadows thing. How did that come to be? How is it even possible? I would have liked some more info about that. Maybe it will come as the series continues.
In the end, I'd say this book is worth a shot if you're the kind of patient person who doesn't mind a boring beginning and who won't give up. If you expect a book to be exciting from the beginning, this is not for you. I gave it three stars because, while I did enjoy it after a point, I almost gave up on it (which I don't really ever do). Still, the concept is unique, it's relatively well-written, and the middle and end were pretty good.
did-not-finish
October 30, 2013I wrote a post about negative reviews, and how I don't review if I don't finish, and a very wise blogger pointed out that knowing what a blogger doesn't like can be valuable to publishers and authors too. I think that it also helps my readers build trust that I am not just slapping good ratings on everything I read. I have a knack for picking what I will lack based on synopsis and reviews, but that even fails. Then another blogger mentioned she did a did not finish post and I thought it was a great idea. So, here we go:
The world building didn't work for me. And I didn't connect with Antares, understand her purpose or what exactly her role was. I liked that her and Violet were artists, but didn't really understand how that worked. I didn't know why shadows came to be.
I really enjoy the premise, I just didn't get into the narration.
Stopped at: 7%
That isn't to say that the writing is poor or the characters are poorly constructed, it's personal on my end.
I'd love to see if you have a great review of any of these books and what you loved about them.
The world building didn't work for me. And I didn't connect with Antares, understand her purpose or what exactly her role was. I liked that her and Violet were artists, but didn't really understand how that worked. I didn't know why shadows came to be.
I really enjoy the premise, I just didn't get into the narration.
Stopped at: 7%
That isn't to say that the writing is poor or the characters are poorly constructed, it's personal on my end.
I'd love to see if you have a great review of any of these books and what you loved about them.
December 10, 2013
This book had one of the most interesting premise that I've ever heard. Antares is a Pentral, a mere shadow who is assigned a living person and must simply watch the life of her person without ever interfering. Of course, this doesn't quite work out as Antares watches her person, Violet, begin to make some not-very-wise decisions and accidentally interferes. From there the stone is pushed down the hill and cannot be stopped and Antares finds that her actions having consequences she could not have foreseen. The plot is truly fascinating. When I began this book, the pages were flying. I do admit, however, that it lost its spark somewhere along the way. There was just something... missing. I wish there was more in depth into other characters that show up. As a shadow with no control, seeing everything from Antares' perception can seem a little slow at times. However, all in all, it was a beautifully written book. The plot was truly unique and anyone who can enjoy sitting and taking the time to read through this at a steady pace will find a unique and pleasing story.
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