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Bad Bloods #1
November Rain
Her very existence is a crime… Seventeen-year-old Serena isn't human. She’s a bad blood, and in the politically corrupt city of Vendona, bad bloods aren’t allowed to live. When Serena is aided in an escape moments before her execution, a revolution is sparked. While on the run, she’s forced to put her trust in a man she knows little about.
Daniel will do anything to stop the twelve-year war that has killed so many of his own. When Serena falls into his life, he sees the opportunity to fight back and stop the eradication of all bad bloods. But there’s more to Serena than meets the eye. They share a connection to his tragic and mysterious past, and the two of them united together might just be Vendona’s only hope.
United or not, a city will fight, rain will fall, and all will be threatened by star-crossed love and political corruption.
Daniel will do anything to stop the twelve-year war that has killed so many of his own. When Serena falls into his life, he sees the opportunity to fight back and stop the eradication of all bad bloods. But there’s more to Serena than meets the eye. They share a connection to his tragic and mysterious past, and the two of them united together might just be Vendona’s only hope.
United or not, a city will fight, rain will fall, and all will be threatened by star-crossed love and political corruption.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2016
251 people are currently reading
1273 people want to read
About the author
Shannon A. Thompson
22 books318 followersShannon A. Thompson is an author, speaker, and habitual chatterbox. She is represented by Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency.
Thompson is the best-selling author of the Timely Death trilogy and the Bad Bloods series. When she is not writing, she is climbing rooftops, baking cookies, or watching KDramas in the middle of the night, often done with her cats by her side. Between writing and befriending cats, Thompson graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing, and her work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies.
Visit her blog for writers and readers at www.ShannonAThompson.com.
Thompson is the best-selling author of the Timely Death trilogy and the Bad Bloods series. When she is not writing, she is climbing rooftops, baking cookies, or watching KDramas in the middle of the night, often done with her cats by her side. Between writing and befriending cats, Thompson graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing, and her work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies.
Visit her blog for writers and readers at www.ShannonAThompson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
December 31, 2017
I started this as an audiobook, and I just could not get into it. I'm sorry, but the narrator was completely wrong for the book! After putting it to the side for a while, I tried it again, but this time on Kindle. And you know what? I LOVED IT. Just shows how important choosing the right narrator is.
I'll post a full review soon, but I need to say that this was great. The characters were awesome, the world was believable, the powers were cool. My biggest criticism? The ending. The duology could have been one book without leaving us hanging in the middle of the climax. There was no real ending in this book. But I guess it did serve its purpose, as now I'll be needing the second book!
I'll post a full review soon, but I need to say that this was great. The characters were awesome, the world was believable, the powers were cool. My biggest criticism? The ending. The duology could have been one book without leaving us hanging in the middle of the climax. There was no real ending in this book. But I guess it did serve its purpose, as now I'll be needing the second book!
September 12, 2016
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August 28, 2016
review original posted on https://bookwormwholived.wordpress.co...
First of all I would like to say a big thank you Shannon so much for sending me this book!
When I started this I had no idea what to expect. I had never read anything by Shannon before and I had only very briefly skimmed the premise of the book. I can now say that I came out of this book so pleasantly surprised. This story hooked me so fast and I really enjoyed it.
This book is set in the future in a dystopian world with some fantasy elements added to it. I often find a lot of the dystopia books I read cliche and boring, but that wasn't the case with this book at all! I found the world Shannon has created so awesome to read about.
I had just finished reading Maus, a story about World War II, before starting this book and the way the society treated the bad bloods, people with special powers, in this book reminded me so much of the way the germans treated the jews. I dont know if Shannon found this as an inspiration, but it was a similarity I found rather nice.
November Rain is told in a dual perspective. Almost every chapter switches between our protagonists Daniel and Serena and I really enjoyed hearing about both of them.
Serena and Daniel meet a couple of times throughout the book and my favorite moments were definitely each time they met and interacted. They do develop some romantic feelings towards each other and at first I felt it was a little too sudden but then it turned out to develop quite slow and nicely.
Both Serena and Daniel lives with a huge group of kids, which mean this book has a huge cast of characters. They all were so sweet and adorable and I really came to love so many of them.
The huge cast of characters, however, was also a thing I found rather confusing. The groups Daniel and Serena lived in each consisted of over 10 members. You were introduced to them all. Each time the story switched perspective it therefore also switched group of children so I kept mixing the groups together and that confused me so many times. I wished we had been introduced to a fewer cast of characters, so we had time to hear more about them all. The characters Shannon has created are all so unique and I would have like more time to focus on them as individuals.
The writing was good and it flowed nicely and I overall really liked this book. The dystopian world with fantasy elements were so intriguing and I am already really attached to the characters. I'm so hooked on this story and I am excited to start November Snow as soon as I’m done writing this review. I definitely recommend this book!
First of all I would like to say a big thank you Shannon so much for sending me this book!
When I started this I had no idea what to expect. I had never read anything by Shannon before and I had only very briefly skimmed the premise of the book. I can now say that I came out of this book so pleasantly surprised. This story hooked me so fast and I really enjoyed it.
This book is set in the future in a dystopian world with some fantasy elements added to it. I often find a lot of the dystopia books I read cliche and boring, but that wasn't the case with this book at all! I found the world Shannon has created so awesome to read about.
I had just finished reading Maus, a story about World War II, before starting this book and the way the society treated the bad bloods, people with special powers, in this book reminded me so much of the way the germans treated the jews. I dont know if Shannon found this as an inspiration, but it was a similarity I found rather nice.
November Rain is told in a dual perspective. Almost every chapter switches between our protagonists Daniel and Serena and I really enjoyed hearing about both of them.
Serena and Daniel meet a couple of times throughout the book and my favorite moments were definitely each time they met and interacted. They do develop some romantic feelings towards each other and at first I felt it was a little too sudden but then it turned out to develop quite slow and nicely.
Both Serena and Daniel lives with a huge group of kids, which mean this book has a huge cast of characters. They all were so sweet and adorable and I really came to love so many of them.
The huge cast of characters, however, was also a thing I found rather confusing. The groups Daniel and Serena lived in each consisted of over 10 members. You were introduced to them all. Each time the story switched perspective it therefore also switched group of children so I kept mixing the groups together and that confused me so many times. I wished we had been introduced to a fewer cast of characters, so we had time to hear more about them all. The characters Shannon has created are all so unique and I would have like more time to focus on them as individuals.
The writing was good and it flowed nicely and I overall really liked this book. The dystopian world with fantasy elements were so intriguing and I am already really attached to the characters. I'm so hooked on this story and I am excited to start November Snow as soon as I’m done writing this review. I definitely recommend this book!
June 9, 2017
I received this book in return for my honest review:
It was a fantastic book. I could not put it down. I instantly felt the chemistry between Serena and Daniel. I enjoyed reading from the vision of the two main characters. The details the authors gave in the book made it perfect to visualize their world. I can not wait to read more from this author. I would be suggesting this book to my friends.
It was a fantastic book. I could not put it down. I instantly felt the chemistry between Serena and Daniel. I enjoyed reading from the vision of the two main characters. The details the authors gave in the book made it perfect to visualize their world. I can not wait to read more from this author. I would be suggesting this book to my friends.
July 8, 2016
4.5 stars
I was sent this book from the author herself for an honest review. I wanted to firstly thank the author for sending me this. Second, if you look on Goodreads, it says that it’s a series but it’s technically not. The author told me that this is one big book divided into two parts: November Rain and November Snow. It’s meant to be read together which makes complete sense because after the ending of November Rain I am so left wanting more!!
If you’re into x-men and corrupt government then pick this up!!
When I first started reading this book I was kind of on my tip toes because it just jumped straight into the story of Serena escaping and I was like “what the heck is going on? I don’t even know this world” BUT THE QUESTION GOT ANSWERED!! While reading the book I was asking myself a lot of questions of how things came to be, what happened in this world, why the attack on Bad Bloods, etc. Usually stories like this just get info dump but I liked how the author was just answering each of my questions through dialogue or story telling of a character. I thought that was very well done.
The story is told in the year 2089 through two point of views (I adore more than one point of view because I love being in everyones head): Serena and Daniel which are the main characters in the story.
Oh before I forget, I want to give another thank you to the author for giving every character really simple names rather than extravagant names that some of us readers can’t pronounce half the time.
Currently there’s an election that is about to go on and depending on who wins then things can go either really bad for the Bad Bloods which result in death/extinction or it can rather well but it all depends on who wins. Bad Bloods are already being executed and when Daniel meets Serena, he believes she has the fate to change this corrupt government where the Blooded have to hide and survive on their own. The problem with Serena and Daniel collaborating together is that even within the Bad Bloods, there is separation of groups.
I liked how Shannon touched upon the subject of separation and not coming together as one within a minority group because I feel like that’s something we see in day to day life.
I like how even though we know from the synopsis that Serena and Daniel play a key part to maybe changing what’s going to happen in their world, while reading the story you don’t get the sense of that “person doesn’t know they’re supposed to save the world” trope.
We meet diverse characters who are all younger than 18 years old with very different powers and I loved all of them. They all have such distinct stories about them and I loved how the author touched on their stories briefly. I felt like it added to the story and Serena’s power. I liked that there was a sense of family and protection among the kids although they aren’t related but still have one thing in common.
The writing is awesome and super easy. The story is fast paced and you will fly through November Rain. The plot is easy to understand and once you’re into the story you just get everything that’s going on.
I took a .5 off because I thought dividing one book into two parts wasn’t exactly necessary. I would’ve loved the continuation of the story. So the ending of the story was abrupt in my opinion. Other than that, if you want something fast paced in a urban fantasy futuristic setting that’s not complicated then please pick this up! I am definitely going to read more from this author.
I was sent this book from the author herself for an honest review. I wanted to firstly thank the author for sending me this. Second, if you look on Goodreads, it says that it’s a series but it’s technically not. The author told me that this is one big book divided into two parts: November Rain and November Snow. It’s meant to be read together which makes complete sense because after the ending of November Rain I am so left wanting more!!
If you’re into x-men and corrupt government then pick this up!!
When I first started reading this book I was kind of on my tip toes because it just jumped straight into the story of Serena escaping and I was like “what the heck is going on? I don’t even know this world” BUT THE QUESTION GOT ANSWERED!! While reading the book I was asking myself a lot of questions of how things came to be, what happened in this world, why the attack on Bad Bloods, etc. Usually stories like this just get info dump but I liked how the author was just answering each of my questions through dialogue or story telling of a character. I thought that was very well done.
The story is told in the year 2089 through two point of views (I adore more than one point of view because I love being in everyones head): Serena and Daniel which are the main characters in the story.
Oh before I forget, I want to give another thank you to the author for giving every character really simple names rather than extravagant names that some of us readers can’t pronounce half the time.
Currently there’s an election that is about to go on and depending on who wins then things can go either really bad for the Bad Bloods which result in death/extinction or it can rather well but it all depends on who wins. Bad Bloods are already being executed and when Daniel meets Serena, he believes she has the fate to change this corrupt government where the Blooded have to hide and survive on their own. The problem with Serena and Daniel collaborating together is that even within the Bad Bloods, there is separation of groups.
I liked how Shannon touched upon the subject of separation and not coming together as one within a minority group because I feel like that’s something we see in day to day life.
I like how even though we know from the synopsis that Serena and Daniel play a key part to maybe changing what’s going to happen in their world, while reading the story you don’t get the sense of that “person doesn’t know they’re supposed to save the world” trope.
We meet diverse characters who are all younger than 18 years old with very different powers and I loved all of them. They all have such distinct stories about them and I loved how the author touched on their stories briefly. I felt like it added to the story and Serena’s power. I liked that there was a sense of family and protection among the kids although they aren’t related but still have one thing in common.
The writing is awesome and super easy. The story is fast paced and you will fly through November Rain. The plot is easy to understand and once you’re into the story you just get everything that’s going on.
I took a .5 off because I thought dividing one book into two parts wasn’t exactly necessary. I would’ve loved the continuation of the story. So the ending of the story was abrupt in my opinion. Other than that, if you want something fast paced in a urban fantasy futuristic setting that’s not complicated then please pick this up! I am definitely going to read more from this author.
June 22, 2016
Fresh and alluring
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing with a copy of the book to read and trusting my reviews again and again that she has gladly made me part of her new series
Let me begin with saying that Shannon A Thompson is one of my favourite authors and I would be partial to her books. Always. I have read almost every book she has written and I am yet to read a book of hers that I haven’t liked because each of her book has conveniently found itself in my favourite book shelf and rules in there.
One of the factors that I admire in her writing is that she keep her narration and story track clear and simple and avoids any kind of distraction. It follows a smooth path
November Rain is an amazing treat and for me personally I felt it was sort of fresh and alluring in its treatment and narration. I loved it and can’t wait to be an avid fan of the series
Though I would say that I found the book to be a preview to the main event. Either that or I couldn’t simply get enough of the book. Language and narration is simple and crystal clear making it a thoroughly enjoyable read. The series is definitely going to be worth drooling over.
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing with a copy of the book to read and trusting my reviews again and again that she has gladly made me part of her new series
Let me begin with saying that Shannon A Thompson is one of my favourite authors and I would be partial to her books. Always. I have read almost every book she has written and I am yet to read a book of hers that I haven’t liked because each of her book has conveniently found itself in my favourite book shelf and rules in there.
One of the factors that I admire in her writing is that she keep her narration and story track clear and simple and avoids any kind of distraction. It follows a smooth path
November Rain is an amazing treat and for me personally I felt it was sort of fresh and alluring in its treatment and narration. I loved it and can’t wait to be an avid fan of the series
Though I would say that I found the book to be a preview to the main event. Either that or I couldn’t simply get enough of the book. Language and narration is simple and crystal clear making it a thoroughly enjoyable read. The series is definitely going to be worth drooling over.
July 18, 2016
I had the privilege to recieve an advanced ebook copy of this book! Big thanks for this wonderful reading experience Shannon A. Thompson!
After reading Take Me Tomorrow (highly recommend it!) I was so excited to start the Bad Blood duology and the first book didn't disappoint one bit!
It's a fast paced fantasy, sci-fi story full of exciting characters with their own fascinating abilities and background stories. Didn’t disappoint one bit! For fans of Red Queen and Shatter Me: this one is definitely something you should check out!
Also something I want to mention that I haven't felt with a book in a while: I love the way even the minor characters can create such intense emotions while reading. The background story for each character is so interesting and you immediately feel connected with their pasts and everything they went through.
So ... let's get to the next one and see how this captivating duology ends!
After reading Take Me Tomorrow (highly recommend it!) I was so excited to start the Bad Blood duology and the first book didn't disappoint one bit!
It's a fast paced fantasy, sci-fi story full of exciting characters with their own fascinating abilities and background stories. Didn’t disappoint one bit! For fans of Red Queen and Shatter Me: this one is definitely something you should check out!
Also something I want to mention that I haven't felt with a book in a while: I love the way even the minor characters can create such intense emotions while reading. The background story for each character is so interesting and you immediately feel connected with their pasts and everything they went through.
So ... let's get to the next one and see how this captivating duology ends!
July 9, 2016
See my full review at:
https://betweenfoldedpages.wordpress....
The author contacted me and asked if I would like to read her novel(s) and I was thrilled. I appreciate getting requests. The book is split into two parts November Rain and November Snow, but it’s meant to be read together.
This story was different, a very good kind of different. This is a character driven story, which is my favorite kind of story. The pacing of the book was quick . This is a great book! The ending came up fast I didn’t even realize I was that close to finishing .I believe that the book could have been left as a continuation of the story not split into two.
You’ll need to pick this one up if you’re looking for a great quick read about wonderful characters in a corrupt world.
https://betweenfoldedpages.wordpress....
The author contacted me and asked if I would like to read her novel(s) and I was thrilled. I appreciate getting requests. The book is split into two parts November Rain and November Snow, but it’s meant to be read together.
This story was different, a very good kind of different. This is a character driven story, which is my favorite kind of story. The pacing of the book was quick . This is a great book! The ending came up fast I didn’t even realize I was that close to finishing .I believe that the book could have been left as a continuation of the story not split into two.
You’ll need to pick this one up if you’re looking for a great quick read about wonderful characters in a corrupt world.
November 13, 2017
Narrated by, Jonathan Johns
The story was a pretty good except the ending which is a huge cliffhanger like it ended in the middle of a sentence type cliffhanger. The world building was good but I wanted a bit more and thought maybe we would get to that in the coming books but I’ll be honest if I had any clue on that ending I would have waited till this series is done before reading.
That being said I am curious, I do plan to read the next book I need to know how this story ends up. I am curious to see what other powers everyone has and if the flocks can be friends instead of enemies and of course will the outcome of the election change the way the Bad Bloods have to live. This has a bit of an X-men feel a little Miss Peregrine and of course they are hunted by the government for their Bad Blood hence the name. I found the different groups interesting and really, really want to know what the deal is with Daniel and Robert and more back story on everyone.
The story was told from 2 different perspectives and they were hard to tell apart, if this story is going to continue being told from Daniel and Serena’s perspective I would suggest adding a female narrator for her chapters. I did like Jonathan Johns narration for the most part I just didn’t feel there was enough difference between the two perspectives.
I do look forward to the next book in this series.
I received this book from the narrator for a fair and honest review.
3 Stars
The story was a pretty good except the ending which is a huge cliffhanger like it ended in the middle of a sentence type cliffhanger. The world building was good but I wanted a bit more and thought maybe we would get to that in the coming books but I’ll be honest if I had any clue on that ending I would have waited till this series is done before reading.
That being said I am curious, I do plan to read the next book I need to know how this story ends up. I am curious to see what other powers everyone has and if the flocks can be friends instead of enemies and of course will the outcome of the election change the way the Bad Bloods have to live. This has a bit of an X-men feel a little Miss Peregrine and of course they are hunted by the government for their Bad Blood hence the name. I found the different groups interesting and really, really want to know what the deal is with Daniel and Robert and more back story on everyone.
The story was told from 2 different perspectives and they were hard to tell apart, if this story is going to continue being told from Daniel and Serena’s perspective I would suggest adding a female narrator for her chapters. I did like Jonathan Johns narration for the most part I just didn’t feel there was enough difference between the two perspectives.
I do look forward to the next book in this series.
I received this book from the narrator for a fair and honest review.
3 Stars
June 9, 2017
Bad bloods would be the love child of Miss Peregrine's peculiar children and a west side story if meet in shadow alley. It was a book that had me sitting at the edge of my seat more than once. The story follows two main characters and bounces between the two point of views. They pull you into a world that bad blood are hunted and extinguished from existence, forcing them to hide who they are from the outside eyes. They live in what they refer to as flocks as far as they know there are only the north and south flocks still in the vicinity. They don't associate with each other until the leader of the Northern flock saves Serena a member of the southern flock from death. We get to go on an adventure of self conflict as neither can find why they can't stay away. For Daniel he truly things Serena is their savior based off of a vision of fellow flock member and Serena's power. Serena hasn't figured out exactly what the pull is the drive to see him once more for she is always saying goodbye but coming back. Just a warning it ends in the biggest cliff hanger I have hit in a long time can not wait to start on book two because well I just have to know what happens next!!! I received this book for an honest review all opinions are my own and how I personally felt about the book!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2017
I got this book as an ARC for my honest review. Once I got into the book, I couldn't put it down. it reminds me so much of the hunger games and other books of the same type although if o had to pick I would pick this one all over again. I can't wait to read the second one and the rest of the series!!
October 7, 2016
Cliffhanger ending. :-(
Okay idea, though I did have a little bit of trouble keeping track of the characters. Disappointed in the non-ending.
Okay idea, though I did have a little bit of trouble keeping track of the characters. Disappointed in the non-ending.
September 26, 2017
4.25★ Audiobook⎮ At first glance, Bad Bloods probably looks familiar. A dystopian world that shuns youth with supernatural abilities sounds like it could be any number of other YA tales, some from big-name publishers. I was a bit cynical going into this one because of it. But what separates Bad Bloods from those super hyped books is Shannon A. Thompson’s magnificent character development and overall writing ability. That’s why I’m calling Bad Bloods a Hidden Gem.
Bad Bloods was only a little over 5 hours long, but I would have sat through much more of it than that. I actually wish it would have been a couple of hours longer and not just because of the cliffhanger ending. Getting to know Thompson’s characters was like slowly lowering into a hot bath. Intense, but at the same time oh-so-enjoyable.
The story was fast-paced, but not action-packed. This installment was driven more by character development than plot. Thompson introduced the world through her characters. There’s political turmoil going on, but we only hear of it as it affects the characters. It’s clearly something that will come more into focus in future installments.
Daniel and Serena were equally compelling protagonists. Both with heartbreaking backstories, there’s still so much about them to be revealed. Even the secondary characters were intriguing and dynamic in their own rights.
Bad Bloods is a series that I look forward to following. This installment was obviously only the tip of the iceberg and I’m practically salivating for more. Published by Clean Teen Publishing, it’s perfect for fans of all ages. It’s particularly well suited for those who’ve enjoyed work by Marie Lu, Victoria Schwab, Lauren Oliver, and Veronica Roth. I only wish it had been a bit longer or had provided a little more closure at the end. Still, I hope Thompson plans on expanding the series on audiobook soon!
Narration review: Jonathan Johns has a very distinct tone to his voice. It’s somehow simultaneously soothing and intense. He handled the characters’ wide range of emotions beautifully, showing just how dynamic his voice can be. I was particularly impressed with his interpretations of the secondary characters.
However, I do wish there had been a more significant distinction between the two primary characters’ voices, especially when reading prose. The story frequently switched POVs between Daniel and Serena. My only real struggle with the story came from my inability to consistently grasp which of them was speaking. This made listening somewhat frustrating at times, but I still completely recommend this audiobook. The production quality was fantastic and it made for an overall enjoyable listening experience. ♣︎
➜This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its narrator, Jonathan Johns, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Jonathan!
Bad Bloods was only a little over 5 hours long, but I would have sat through much more of it than that. I actually wish it would have been a couple of hours longer and not just because of the cliffhanger ending. Getting to know Thompson’s characters was like slowly lowering into a hot bath. Intense, but at the same time oh-so-enjoyable.
The story was fast-paced, but not action-packed. This installment was driven more by character development than plot. Thompson introduced the world through her characters. There’s political turmoil going on, but we only hear of it as it affects the characters. It’s clearly something that will come more into focus in future installments.
Daniel and Serena were equally compelling protagonists. Both with heartbreaking backstories, there’s still so much about them to be revealed. Even the secondary characters were intriguing and dynamic in their own rights.
Bad Bloods is a series that I look forward to following. This installment was obviously only the tip of the iceberg and I’m practically salivating for more. Published by Clean Teen Publishing, it’s perfect for fans of all ages. It’s particularly well suited for those who’ve enjoyed work by Marie Lu, Victoria Schwab, Lauren Oliver, and Veronica Roth. I only wish it had been a bit longer or had provided a little more closure at the end. Still, I hope Thompson plans on expanding the series on audiobook soon!
Narration review: Jonathan Johns has a very distinct tone to his voice. It’s somehow simultaneously soothing and intense. He handled the characters’ wide range of emotions beautifully, showing just how dynamic his voice can be. I was particularly impressed with his interpretations of the secondary characters.
However, I do wish there had been a more significant distinction between the two primary characters’ voices, especially when reading prose. The story frequently switched POVs between Daniel and Serena. My only real struggle with the story came from my inability to consistently grasp which of them was speaking. This made listening somewhat frustrating at times, but I still completely recommend this audiobook. The production quality was fantastic and it made for an overall enjoyable listening experience. ♣︎
➜This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its narrator, Jonathan Johns, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Jonathan!
November 23, 2017
In the year 2089 bad bloods are hunted and killed in the electric chair. They live in groups called flocks, but from the initial four, only two remain: the Northern and the Southern flocks. Serena is one of these bad bloods who, helped by a stranger, gets to escape the electric chair. She will be decisive in the future of all the bad bloods.
The premises of this book were really interesting. Young people with special powers, chased and outcasted by the society. We have two main characters in this story: Serena and Daniel. Both are strong willed, courageous, and strong. And they put their flocks’ well-being over their own.
There are quite a great amount of secondary characters, which totally blended into each other for me. We got some brief information about each one, but not enough to make them distinguishable.
The book is written in first person, with alternating POV. Each chapter is narrated from the point of view of either Serena or Daniel, and it is mentioned which one at the beginning of the chapter, something that helped.
It is a character driven story, something I usually enjoy, but I missed some world building. We are in the year 2089, but we have no information about the technology available to the regular people or the bad bloods. We also don’t know how the city of Vendona is, whether people live in houses or large buildings. We essentially know nothing apart from the fact that there is political tension due to the bad bloods. Even this ‘war’ between flocks is not even explained. It is clear that it is an important fact in the story, but I have no idea why. Somebody would think that it would be useful to join each other, or at least try not to kill each other.
Unfortunately all this questions are not answered, because the book is in fact just half of the story. It is not that the book ends on a cliffhanger, it is just that it feels unfinished, like if the book was divided in two.
Jonathan Johns delivered a wonderful narration, subtle but also loaded with emotion. His characters’ interpretations were masterful, and his tone kept my attention throughout the book. It would have been perfect if the book was not written with changing POV. This book would have benefited from dual narration, since one of the characters is male and the other is female. Somehow it was confusing having both parts narrated by the same person, and I had to pay extra attention to know who was talking. It was good that the chapters started with the character’s name, but if I paused my player in the middle of a chapter, whenever I came back it took me some time to realize who was talking.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Clean Teen Publishing. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
The premises of this book were really interesting. Young people with special powers, chased and outcasted by the society. We have two main characters in this story: Serena and Daniel. Both are strong willed, courageous, and strong. And they put their flocks’ well-being over their own.
There are quite a great amount of secondary characters, which totally blended into each other for me. We got some brief information about each one, but not enough to make them distinguishable.
The book is written in first person, with alternating POV. Each chapter is narrated from the point of view of either Serena or Daniel, and it is mentioned which one at the beginning of the chapter, something that helped.
It is a character driven story, something I usually enjoy, but I missed some world building. We are in the year 2089, but we have no information about the technology available to the regular people or the bad bloods. We also don’t know how the city of Vendona is, whether people live in houses or large buildings. We essentially know nothing apart from the fact that there is political tension due to the bad bloods. Even this ‘war’ between flocks is not even explained. It is clear that it is an important fact in the story, but I have no idea why. Somebody would think that it would be useful to join each other, or at least try not to kill each other.
Unfortunately all this questions are not answered, because the book is in fact just half of the story. It is not that the book ends on a cliffhanger, it is just that it feels unfinished, like if the book was divided in two.
Jonathan Johns delivered a wonderful narration, subtle but also loaded with emotion. His characters’ interpretations were masterful, and his tone kept my attention throughout the book. It would have been perfect if the book was not written with changing POV. This book would have benefited from dual narration, since one of the characters is male and the other is female. Somehow it was confusing having both parts narrated by the same person, and I had to pay extra attention to know who was talking. It was good that the chapters started with the character’s name, but if I paused my player in the middle of a chapter, whenever I came back it took me some time to realize who was talking.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Clean Teen Publishing. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
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March 25, 2019Name: Bryna Boettcher
Book title: Bad Bloods: November Rain
Personal response
Bad Bloods: November Rain is an exciting book. Serena was the first ever bad blood to escape. None ever escaped, and most never even made it to their eighteenth birthday. Bad Bloods don’t have human rights. Now Serena is on the run and she needs to decide which flock she will side with. The Southern flock, the one she grew up in. Or the Northern flock, the one that saved her life and offers a place for her to feel welcome and safe. It is up to her to save the blooded, but she needs to choose her side wisely. I really enjoyed this book because the characters have powers. I thought that was very cool. I got sucked into this book right away and had the hardest time ever putting it down. In any free time that I had, the book would be in my hand and I would be absorbing as much from the book as possible.
Plot summary
As Serena weighed the decision that will set the course of the rest of her life, the election continues. She and her flock leader are arguing about what to do about the other flock and the upcoming final election. Robert, the Southern flock leader, has some dark past with the leader (Daniel) of the Northern flock. This is straining Serena’s ability to see Daniel and figure out what to do about the election and what seems to be the end of their race. While Serena is still on the run from the authorities since her prison escape. She is torn with responsibilities of taking care of her flock, what to do about the election and the new technology that reveals blooded-ness in a test, and which flock to choose-- essentially she is choosing Robert or Daniel.
Recommendation
This book would appeal to anyone looking for some excitement and non-human powers. I recommend Bad Bloods: November Rain to anyone in the older age group, at least thirteen. It has such good content in it that will make you breeze through the series.
Book title: Bad Bloods: November Rain
Personal response
Bad Bloods: November Rain is an exciting book. Serena was the first ever bad blood to escape. None ever escaped, and most never even made it to their eighteenth birthday. Bad Bloods don’t have human rights. Now Serena is on the run and she needs to decide which flock she will side with. The Southern flock, the one she grew up in. Or the Northern flock, the one that saved her life and offers a place for her to feel welcome and safe. It is up to her to save the blooded, but she needs to choose her side wisely. I really enjoyed this book because the characters have powers. I thought that was very cool. I got sucked into this book right away and had the hardest time ever putting it down. In any free time that I had, the book would be in my hand and I would be absorbing as much from the book as possible.
Plot summary
As Serena weighed the decision that will set the course of the rest of her life, the election continues. She and her flock leader are arguing about what to do about the other flock and the upcoming final election. Robert, the Southern flock leader, has some dark past with the leader (Daniel) of the Northern flock. This is straining Serena’s ability to see Daniel and figure out what to do about the election and what seems to be the end of their race. While Serena is still on the run from the authorities since her prison escape. She is torn with responsibilities of taking care of her flock, what to do about the election and the new technology that reveals blooded-ness in a test, and which flock to choose-- essentially she is choosing Robert or Daniel.
Recommendation
This book would appeal to anyone looking for some excitement and non-human powers. I recommend Bad Bloods: November Rain to anyone in the older age group, at least thirteen. It has such good content in it that will make you breeze through the series.
December 11, 2017
This was the kind of book that I could take it or leave it because I really felt like something was missing. It's very much a character driven story, which I like, but I also like a bit of world building too. I felt like this was missing a big bit of the world building. We know there is political turmoil going on but we don't know why. We know that there is only two "flocks" of bad bloods left but we don't know why. We also don't know why the two flocks are separate and why they don't really talk. There was too much missing for me to get fully invested in the story,
Character wise, while there are two main ones, Serena or Daniel, we also get to see some of the flocks they belong to. Each chapter of this is told from either Daniel or Serenas POV, which I liked. I also liked thee concept of the story, I just wish there was more depth to it!!
I don't know what else to say about this, because even though I liked it, I just have a lot of negative thoughts about it!! I'm on the fence with regards reading the next in the series because I'd need to make sure the world building is better and we get some answers first!!
The narrator was ok. I did find that he didn't differentiate the characters enough and it was only the fact that the chapters said who was talking that I could follow along. Other than that, he read it ok.
I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
Character wise, while there are two main ones, Serena or Daniel, we also get to see some of the flocks they belong to. Each chapter of this is told from either Daniel or Serenas POV, which I liked. I also liked thee concept of the story, I just wish there was more depth to it!!
I don't know what else to say about this, because even though I liked it, I just have a lot of negative thoughts about it!! I'm on the fence with regards reading the next in the series because I'd need to make sure the world building is better and we get some answers first!!
The narrator was ok. I did find that he didn't differentiate the characters enough and it was only the fact that the chapters said who was talking that I could follow along. Other than that, he read it ok.
I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
June 6, 2017
I really enjoy books that get right into the action. This book kept me reading from page one. Though complex, each character was easy to get to know. The authors words painted a vivid enough picture to really see what these kids are capable of as well as their surroundings. I'm looking forward to reading part two.
October 25, 2018
Personal Response:
November Rain is an interesting book because it grabs my attention. With many parts of the novel being a mystery, Shannon A. Thompson get readers interested in what will happen next. This, personally, was on of my favorite books because of how each chapter was filled with a new mystery.
Plot Summary:
*Spoiler Alerts* This book takes place where there's 2 different types of people. Their is the bad blooded and the not. The government is against all people who are blooded, but when a pro blooded person gets in office, Valdona’s people are outraged. As Selena escapes from a bad blooded camp, she meets Daniel. As the government goes to catch them, Daniel and Selena start to fall for eachother. Now they must escape the government and stay together. Selena, after being in a camp her whole life, must learn to trust a bad blood and a person in general.
Recommendation :
I recommend this book to people who like mystery and love storys. I say that because this book will take you on a adventure that will keep you interested.
November Rain is an interesting book because it grabs my attention. With many parts of the novel being a mystery, Shannon A. Thompson get readers interested in what will happen next. This, personally, was on of my favorite books because of how each chapter was filled with a new mystery.
Plot Summary:
*Spoiler Alerts* This book takes place where there's 2 different types of people. Their is the bad blooded and the not. The government is against all people who are blooded, but when a pro blooded person gets in office, Valdona’s people are outraged. As Selena escapes from a bad blooded camp, she meets Daniel. As the government goes to catch them, Daniel and Selena start to fall for eachother. Now they must escape the government and stay together. Selena, after being in a camp her whole life, must learn to trust a bad blood and a person in general.
Recommendation :
I recommend this book to people who like mystery and love storys. I say that because this book will take you on a adventure that will keep you interested.
May 19, 2016
Original review posted http://thebookforums.blogspot.com/201...
I want to begin by saying thank you to Shannon for giving me a copy of this amazing book and being so awesome! With that said, November Rain was an AMZAZING book that all of you should check out as soon as it comes out! It was full of strong characters each with their own background and an interesting world.
One thing to know about November Rain is that it is a character driven novel! This might turn off a few people but don’t be nervous, it is a good thing. The novel is made of an ensemble cast of characters with two main leads and Shannon Thompson finds a way to give background and meaning to all of these characters. There are entire scenes devoted to simply showing how these characters interact with each other and how they are like a family. These scenes were probably some of my favorite in the entire book because they remind the reader that, even though these characters are in this SCIFI/ dystopian future, they are still kids and do still act like it. It was a great chance for Thompson to humanize the characters and make them more relatable, and she took it.
The world of Bad Bloods is very intriguing and I can’t wait to read more about it! Like every good dystopian world, I want to know everything about it. I want to know how the world got like this, what is going to happen to this world, what are the politics like in this world— I’m invested. Thompson went a little into politics in November Rain but I hope that we get more information about the political system in the next book. I would also love to see more people outside the flock, since not all adults are evil; it could give insight into how the rest of the world thinks.
My one downside with November Rain is with the conflict. The conflict is very personal and not as large scale as one would expect. It reminds me a lot of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer how November Rain is more a struggle between characters than a struggle with a looming antagonist. This is good because characters have a chance to be developed but also bad because it feels like build up to a bigger conflict to happen at a later time. But this feeds into the fact that it is more of a character based novel that a plot driven novel. There are mentions of outside threats, but the book mostly leaves those to be explored in the second book, and I am excited to see where it goes.
Overall, I am very glad I read November Rain! It is a great novel for anyone looking for a more character centered and grounded SCIFI story. It is a quick read, so prefect for anyone looking for something to get them out of a reading slump. I recommend November Rain for EVERYONE but especially fans of dystopian and SCIFI.
Keep Reading…
Meagan!
I want to begin by saying thank you to Shannon for giving me a copy of this amazing book and being so awesome! With that said, November Rain was an AMZAZING book that all of you should check out as soon as it comes out! It was full of strong characters each with their own background and an interesting world.
One thing to know about November Rain is that it is a character driven novel! This might turn off a few people but don’t be nervous, it is a good thing. The novel is made of an ensemble cast of characters with two main leads and Shannon Thompson finds a way to give background and meaning to all of these characters. There are entire scenes devoted to simply showing how these characters interact with each other and how they are like a family. These scenes were probably some of my favorite in the entire book because they remind the reader that, even though these characters are in this SCIFI/ dystopian future, they are still kids and do still act like it. It was a great chance for Thompson to humanize the characters and make them more relatable, and she took it.
The world of Bad Bloods is very intriguing and I can’t wait to read more about it! Like every good dystopian world, I want to know everything about it. I want to know how the world got like this, what is going to happen to this world, what are the politics like in this world— I’m invested. Thompson went a little into politics in November Rain but I hope that we get more information about the political system in the next book. I would also love to see more people outside the flock, since not all adults are evil; it could give insight into how the rest of the world thinks.
My one downside with November Rain is with the conflict. The conflict is very personal and not as large scale as one would expect. It reminds me a lot of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer how November Rain is more a struggle between characters than a struggle with a looming antagonist. This is good because characters have a chance to be developed but also bad because it feels like build up to a bigger conflict to happen at a later time. But this feeds into the fact that it is more of a character based novel that a plot driven novel. There are mentions of outside threats, but the book mostly leaves those to be explored in the second book, and I am excited to see where it goes.
Overall, I am very glad I read November Rain! It is a great novel for anyone looking for a more character centered and grounded SCIFI story. It is a quick read, so prefect for anyone looking for something to get them out of a reading slump. I recommend November Rain for EVERYONE but especially fans of dystopian and SCIFI.
Keep Reading…
Meagan!
August 16, 2016
November Rain was a short, yet entertaining read, and after the last book I'd written a review for disappointed me, I was so glad to have this one to mak up for it!
In the city of Vendona, there are two types of citizens that inhabit it. Humans and those called Bad Bloods. Bad Bloods are hated and despised because of the extraordinary (albeit unnatural) abilities they posses, and because of these abilities, they are imprisoned then executed. On the day of Serena's scheduled execution, she escapes, and is saved by a fellow Bad Blood, Daniel. The two go their separate ways after he helps her, but Daniel soon realizes Serena's importance, and the fact that he'll need her if he wants to see Bad Bloods regain their rights to be considered humans once again.
I enjoyed that were so many characters, yet each were there to serve a purpose. They were given stories to explain where they came from and how they came to be in either Daniel's or Serena's flocks (flocks are the Bad Bloods who live together in hiding and consider one another family). I loved see how much they cared for one another in both flocks and how they maintained the need for safety in a world out to get them. (I would also like to add that the many characters can get a bit overwhelming, and I had to go back a few times to remember who was who, so that was a bit taxing).
Daniel and Serena are both the MCs of this book (the story is told in their dual perspectives), but the other characters feature so heavily, that it almost seems wrong to give them labels. I appreciated both for their love of their flocks, and the fact that they weren't annoying to me, which definitely made me enjoy this book way more.
On to the thing I'll say I didn't like - it's a teensy thing, but to me it was a wee bit annoying - which was the fact that we're constantly being reminded of the age of pretty much every character mentioned. Or they were being described as 'young girl/young boy', 'the teenager', 'the child', etc. along those lines... I GET IT!!! THEY'RE ALL YOUNG!!! Anyway, like I said, that was something I didn't care for, but it wasn't enough to make me stop reading this book and for me to not enjoy it.
It definitely leaves off on a cliffhanger, but as long as you're aware that it's part 1 0f 2 of a duo logy, then all should be golden.
This e-book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
In the city of Vendona, there are two types of citizens that inhabit it. Humans and those called Bad Bloods. Bad Bloods are hated and despised because of the extraordinary (albeit unnatural) abilities they posses, and because of these abilities, they are imprisoned then executed. On the day of Serena's scheduled execution, she escapes, and is saved by a fellow Bad Blood, Daniel. The two go their separate ways after he helps her, but Daniel soon realizes Serena's importance, and the fact that he'll need her if he wants to see Bad Bloods regain their rights to be considered humans once again.
I enjoyed that were so many characters, yet each were there to serve a purpose. They were given stories to explain where they came from and how they came to be in either Daniel's or Serena's flocks (flocks are the Bad Bloods who live together in hiding and consider one another family). I loved see how much they cared for one another in both flocks and how they maintained the need for safety in a world out to get them. (I would also like to add that the many characters can get a bit overwhelming, and I had to go back a few times to remember who was who, so that was a bit taxing).
Daniel and Serena are both the MCs of this book (the story is told in their dual perspectives), but the other characters feature so heavily, that it almost seems wrong to give them labels. I appreciated both for their love of their flocks, and the fact that they weren't annoying to me, which definitely made me enjoy this book way more.
On to the thing I'll say I didn't like - it's a teensy thing, but to me it was a wee bit annoying - which was the fact that we're constantly being reminded of the age of pretty much every character mentioned. Or they were being described as 'young girl/young boy', 'the teenager', 'the child', etc. along those lines... I GET IT!!! THEY'RE ALL YOUNG!!! Anyway, like I said, that was something I didn't care for, but it wasn't enough to make me stop reading this book and for me to not enjoy it.
It definitely leaves off on a cliffhanger, but as long as you're aware that it's part 1 0f 2 of a duo logy, then all should be golden.
This e-book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2018
Personal Response
*Spoiler alert*
I really enjoyed this book because it was intense and thrilling in my opinion. This book was very different from the books I usually read because it changes point of view between two main characters. I liked how in the two main characters, Serena and Daniel, have their own families, it seems, even though there are no adults, they survive on their own.
Plot Summary
In the beginning Serena is locked up in the cell about to die but then someone helps her to escape and tells her that she won’t die. Then in Daniel’s point of view he finds her running from the cops injured. He directs the cops in a different direction and then brings Serena to his adoptive fathers house and heals her. In this story there are two different flocks the northern flock and the southern flock these flocks are sworn enemies and their two leaders Daniel and Robert hate each other. Daniel is in the northern flock and Serena is in the southern flock. When Robert finds out Daniel was the one who helped Serena he decides to go kill him and Serena goes out after him with two others. Robert never kills Daniel and when Serena talks with Daniel he convinces her to go back to her parents house. When she does, they leave a note for her but she can’t read so she just keeps it. When she is walking back she finds Daniel stumbling along sick and dazed she grabs him and brings him to his father's house and then she leaves. When Daniel finds her again he introduces her to his flock, but when one member sees her, he starts a big fight and just when he was about to say some secret information to Serena, she runs out the door and doesn’t come back.
Recommondations
I recommend this book to people who like fiction and fantasy books. If you like books that are exciting and intense then this would be a good book for you. If you're looking for a book that wouldn’t take you that long to finish these books aren’t very long.
*Spoiler alert*
I really enjoyed this book because it was intense and thrilling in my opinion. This book was very different from the books I usually read because it changes point of view between two main characters. I liked how in the two main characters, Serena and Daniel, have their own families, it seems, even though there are no adults, they survive on their own.
Plot Summary
In the beginning Serena is locked up in the cell about to die but then someone helps her to escape and tells her that she won’t die. Then in Daniel’s point of view he finds her running from the cops injured. He directs the cops in a different direction and then brings Serena to his adoptive fathers house and heals her. In this story there are two different flocks the northern flock and the southern flock these flocks are sworn enemies and their two leaders Daniel and Robert hate each other. Daniel is in the northern flock and Serena is in the southern flock. When Robert finds out Daniel was the one who helped Serena he decides to go kill him and Serena goes out after him with two others. Robert never kills Daniel and when Serena talks with Daniel he convinces her to go back to her parents house. When she does, they leave a note for her but she can’t read so she just keeps it. When she is walking back she finds Daniel stumbling along sick and dazed she grabs him and brings him to his father's house and then she leaves. When Daniel finds her again he introduces her to his flock, but when one member sees her, he starts a big fight and just when he was about to say some secret information to Serena, she runs out the door and doesn’t come back.
Recommondations
I recommend this book to people who like fiction and fantasy books. If you like books that are exciting and intense then this would be a good book for you. If you're looking for a book that wouldn’t take you that long to finish these books aren’t very long.
September 13, 2016
November Rain takes you on a run with its characters as they battle the outside world and themselves.
It drags you in emotionally, and you connect with the characters deeply. Their stories, their bond and how they handle the future. Bad Bloods has a great focus on relationships and the curiosity to know more kept me reading into the early morning hours.
This book takes hold, giving you a bundle of hope but dangles it out of reach. You can't predict the outcome of what's in store. As I continued to read I was flooded with questions and concerns for my favorite characters. I became invested in the story and where it was taking these well developed characters.
Then I hit the last page... The saddest moment ever in a reader's life when their reading a compelling story. November Rain has so many great little details that made me smile and admire Shannon, as an author for. I loved the photograph scene especially, I can still picture it even weeks later. It's stuck with me so much, it really showcases important pieces of November Rain for me. The growth, and change within characters. The level headed decisions, the support between them, and how important family is.
She brought diverse characters to life in their dying world, and gave us a gift with this book which is far from over.
It drags you in emotionally, and you connect with the characters deeply. Their stories, their bond and how they handle the future. Bad Bloods has a great focus on relationships and the curiosity to know more kept me reading into the early morning hours.
This book takes hold, giving you a bundle of hope but dangles it out of reach. You can't predict the outcome of what's in store. As I continued to read I was flooded with questions and concerns for my favorite characters. I became invested in the story and where it was taking these well developed characters.
Then I hit the last page... The saddest moment ever in a reader's life when their reading a compelling story. November Rain has so many great little details that made me smile and admire Shannon, as an author for. I loved the photograph scene especially, I can still picture it even weeks later. It's stuck with me so much, it really showcases important pieces of November Rain for me. The growth, and change within characters. The level headed decisions, the support between them, and how important family is.
She brought diverse characters to life in their dying world, and gave us a gift with this book which is far from over.
September 3, 2020
Student Name: Kaitlyn Appleby Date Submitted: 4/29/19
Book Title: Bad Bloods Lexile: ?
Personal Response: This was a very interesting book. I liked how the author made all the characters have their own personal powers it made me want to learn more about who they where, what they were, and what happened to their families. I would love to read the next book of the series.
Plot Summary: Serena was able to escape from the blood camp which no bad blood has ever been able to do before. She also carries a huge secret that could affect the lives of all bad bloods for ever. She runs into Daniel who was able to bring her into his home and heal her so she could return to her flock. Throughout the book you learn about both flocks and their backgrounds and in the end Daniel asked Serena a huge question that we will not find out how she answered until the next book.
Recommendation: I Recommend this book to anyone who likes to read Utopian books and like books that have weird and twisted parts. I think you would really enjoy this book too if you need to quickly get a book done because not only is it short but it is also really interesting. Lastly you would love this book if you are into reading about people with powers because you will read a lot about those kind of people in this book.
Book Title: Bad Bloods Lexile: ?
Personal Response: This was a very interesting book. I liked how the author made all the characters have their own personal powers it made me want to learn more about who they where, what they were, and what happened to their families. I would love to read the next book of the series.
Plot Summary: Serena was able to escape from the blood camp which no bad blood has ever been able to do before. She also carries a huge secret that could affect the lives of all bad bloods for ever. She runs into Daniel who was able to bring her into his home and heal her so she could return to her flock. Throughout the book you learn about both flocks and their backgrounds and in the end Daniel asked Serena a huge question that we will not find out how she answered until the next book.
Recommendation: I Recommend this book to anyone who likes to read Utopian books and like books that have weird and twisted parts. I think you would really enjoy this book too if you need to quickly get a book done because not only is it short but it is also really interesting. Lastly you would love this book if you are into reading about people with powers because you will read a lot about those kind of people in this book.
July 11, 2016
Read my full review at http://blackwords-whitepages1977.blog...
This author has yet to disappoint me. I have read a lot of this author's work before and when this book was published, I just knew I had to read it and would enjoy it.
This book is addicting and very fast paced. I loved the characters and the connection between them. I love how caring each character was. I love how the author started the story off and how each chapter focused on one character's thoughts. It's full of action and suspense.
Serena
She is strong, feisty, and I just want to cheer her on. She also has really cool powers too.
Daniel
He is a complicated character and I am curious to know more about where he came from and his background story.
I highly recommend this story to read this amazing story.
Crimson Tree Publishing provided me with a digital ARC copy of the book for review purposes only as part of the Clean Teen Publishing Elite Reviewers. No remuneration was exchanged.
This author has yet to disappoint me. I have read a lot of this author's work before and when this book was published, I just knew I had to read it and would enjoy it.
This book is addicting and very fast paced. I loved the characters and the connection between them. I love how caring each character was. I love how the author started the story off and how each chapter focused on one character's thoughts. It's full of action and suspense.
Serena
She is strong, feisty, and I just want to cheer her on. She also has really cool powers too.
Daniel
He is a complicated character and I am curious to know more about where he came from and his background story.
I highly recommend this story to read this amazing story.
Crimson Tree Publishing provided me with a digital ARC copy of the book for review purposes only as part of the Clean Teen Publishing Elite Reviewers. No remuneration was exchanged.
December 31, 2017
The Bad Bloods are like underground superheroes that haven’t been accepted by society yet. Each Bad Blood has one or more powers and as a group have been deemed undesirable by government and society. There are camps where Bad Bloods are sent to and eventually executed. This made the book feel like a near future scifi tale and also like a war time history story at the same time.
It’s a decent start to a series. Serena, Daniel, Calhoun, and Robert all get solid set ups for their characters. I was left with plenty of questions about the world building though. Serena doesn’t talk about her time in the Bad Bloods camp where she spent approximately 1 year. So I wonder quite a bit about what goes on behind those fences and walls and also why she was kept alive that long if all Bad Bloods are to be executed. The big bad nemesis of the story remains pretty far removed from the action and faceless. At first this intrigued me but then I was just frustrated at the lack of info as the book neared it’s end.
Then there’s these Flocks, which are basically Bad Bloods living and hiding together as large adopted families trying to pass as regular citizens. This was also a bit vague. I get that the kids have to keep their noise to a minimum and that most Bad Bloods can’t find legal work unless they obtained some fake IDs. Still, there were all sorts of questions about how so many living together keep the neighbors from asking questions and such.
Calhoun was the most interesting character for me. He’s a surrogate father for Daniel and he doesn’t have any superpowers himself. Yet he assists these Bad Bloods, putting his own life on the line. He has a history that’s hinted at and I really hope we get to know more about him in the next book in the series.
Serena and Daniel and Robert – a triangle. It might turn into a love triangle and it might not. I don’t really care for love triangles myself but I know it can up the drama for a book. So there’s this big election coming up and the outcome will have significant effect on the Bad Blood community. Somehow Serena is key in this election. Once again, it’s all just penciled in; there’s no details as to how or why. So, once again, this initially intrigued me but then just left me frustrated by the end of the book as we get nothing more.
Also, since Serena has this nebulous uber power, both Robert and Daniel are wanting her to side with one of them and not the other. I didn’t really care for this aspect as it turned Serena into an object to be won or taken instead of keeping her a character with personal motives. I hope the second book is more about Serena and what she wants. Also, as she’s the only main female character, I need her to be a whole character to stay interested in her. There’s plenty of minor female characters, but so far Serena is the only plot-relevant female in a cast of male characters getting important stuff done.
The book does end on a big fat cliff hanger with nothing resolved and just a jumble of questions. I am intrigued but also frustrated because Book 2 is not in audiobook format yet. There’s lots of potential here for this tale to be an awesome story and I really hope Book 2 does that for me. As a side note, I want Daniel’s aspartame addiction (which gives him speedy healing and needed nutrition – awesome!) 3.5/5 stars.
Narration: Jonathan Johns made a really good Daniel and an excellent Calhoun. I adored his performance of Calhoun. He also does little kid voices really well. However, his female character voices need some femininity. The ladies sounded like soft spoken males and that sometimes made it difficult to keep track of whose head I was in with the switching POV. Also, there were a few repeated sentences here and there. On the other hand, he really carried off the character emotions quite well and there were a variety of emotions, both subtle and stark, in this story. 4/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Clean Teen Publishing. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
It’s a decent start to a series. Serena, Daniel, Calhoun, and Robert all get solid set ups for their characters. I was left with plenty of questions about the world building though. Serena doesn’t talk about her time in the Bad Bloods camp where she spent approximately 1 year. So I wonder quite a bit about what goes on behind those fences and walls and also why she was kept alive that long if all Bad Bloods are to be executed. The big bad nemesis of the story remains pretty far removed from the action and faceless. At first this intrigued me but then I was just frustrated at the lack of info as the book neared it’s end.
Then there’s these Flocks, which are basically Bad Bloods living and hiding together as large adopted families trying to pass as regular citizens. This was also a bit vague. I get that the kids have to keep their noise to a minimum and that most Bad Bloods can’t find legal work unless they obtained some fake IDs. Still, there were all sorts of questions about how so many living together keep the neighbors from asking questions and such.
Calhoun was the most interesting character for me. He’s a surrogate father for Daniel and he doesn’t have any superpowers himself. Yet he assists these Bad Bloods, putting his own life on the line. He has a history that’s hinted at and I really hope we get to know more about him in the next book in the series.
Serena and Daniel and Robert – a triangle. It might turn into a love triangle and it might not. I don’t really care for love triangles myself but I know it can up the drama for a book. So there’s this big election coming up and the outcome will have significant effect on the Bad Blood community. Somehow Serena is key in this election. Once again, it’s all just penciled in; there’s no details as to how or why. So, once again, this initially intrigued me but then just left me frustrated by the end of the book as we get nothing more.
Also, since Serena has this nebulous uber power, both Robert and Daniel are wanting her to side with one of them and not the other. I didn’t really care for this aspect as it turned Serena into an object to be won or taken instead of keeping her a character with personal motives. I hope the second book is more about Serena and what she wants. Also, as she’s the only main female character, I need her to be a whole character to stay interested in her. There’s plenty of minor female characters, but so far Serena is the only plot-relevant female in a cast of male characters getting important stuff done.
The book does end on a big fat cliff hanger with nothing resolved and just a jumble of questions. I am intrigued but also frustrated because Book 2 is not in audiobook format yet. There’s lots of potential here for this tale to be an awesome story and I really hope Book 2 does that for me. As a side note, I want Daniel’s aspartame addiction (which gives him speedy healing and needed nutrition – awesome!) 3.5/5 stars.
Narration: Jonathan Johns made a really good Daniel and an excellent Calhoun. I adored his performance of Calhoun. He also does little kid voices really well. However, his female character voices need some femininity. The ladies sounded like soft spoken males and that sometimes made it difficult to keep track of whose head I was in with the switching POV. Also, there were a few repeated sentences here and there. On the other hand, he really carried off the character emotions quite well and there were a variety of emotions, both subtle and stark, in this story. 4/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Clean Teen Publishing. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
January 15, 2018
* Received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! This doesn’t affect the review in any way. My opinions are, as always, my own.*
Wow... I haven't read a dystopian in some time but it's definitely a genre I love, and this one was awesome!
November Rain is passed in 2089 in a world where some persons aren't entirely human. They are called bad bloods and in the city of Vendona, they are executed. Our main character Serena is a bad blood who got caught and almost killed. She was helped by a prison guard to escape. Followed by Daniel - our other main character - who is also a bad blood, who helped to save her life on the streets of Vendona.
The POVs are divided between them and we get to see their lives. Because although they are both bad bloods, even those are divided between them, which made it really interesting and realistic. The time when this book is passed there's an election going on and that will determine the fate of the bad bloods. Daniel believes Serena is important for that outcome.
I really liked this world, it was extremely gripping, realistic and just fantastic. It's really creative and full of interesting elements. We have persons with different paranormal gifts, we have the tense political aspects, a city full of danger and a lot of mysteries. With the additional romance, which I'm excited to see evolve!
The characters are also really awesome. I loved to follow both of the main characters, to see the differences in their life, to see them trying to survive and their interactions throughout the novel. They were full of life and personality and I am completely addicted to them. But we also have a lot more characters than those two and they are as special as these ones! They are all very young, with different abilities, personalities and overall stories.
I love how they all merged together. They all have in common being bad bloods, but I felt that it was even more than that. It really felt like family, the way they treated each other, and some of the characters were just a joy to be introduced to.
The writing felt really easy to follow, even tho the story is quite fast-paced and full of tension and action. It's really well put together and it's extremely interesting to read. I, of course, listened to the audiobook so I can't really say too much about the writing than that.
I loved this story, the only problem I had was that the audiobook was quite difficult to enter into. It was not the story itself but the actual voice. There's a lot going on, and to understand all the characters and different plots, it's not easy in an audiobook. And this one was definitely not easy for me to grab at first. But after some time I kinda got the hang of it, although I think I will actually read it someday because I really loved this world!
The book ends with a massive cliffhanger. It doesn't have much of an end... It really ends in the middle of an important part, which made me go mad and want the next book ASAP. So, at least book #2 is out already and I can get to it! definitely need to know what happens after that end!
Definitely recommended, especially if you are into dystopian books, awesome characters that will enter your heart, and some fantastic elements!
Wow... I haven't read a dystopian in some time but it's definitely a genre I love, and this one was awesome!
November Rain is passed in 2089 in a world where some persons aren't entirely human. They are called bad bloods and in the city of Vendona, they are executed. Our main character Serena is a bad blood who got caught and almost killed. She was helped by a prison guard to escape. Followed by Daniel - our other main character - who is also a bad blood, who helped to save her life on the streets of Vendona.
The POVs are divided between them and we get to see their lives. Because although they are both bad bloods, even those are divided between them, which made it really interesting and realistic. The time when this book is passed there's an election going on and that will determine the fate of the bad bloods. Daniel believes Serena is important for that outcome.
I really liked this world, it was extremely gripping, realistic and just fantastic. It's really creative and full of interesting elements. We have persons with different paranormal gifts, we have the tense political aspects, a city full of danger and a lot of mysteries. With the additional romance, which I'm excited to see evolve!
The characters are also really awesome. I loved to follow both of the main characters, to see the differences in their life, to see them trying to survive and their interactions throughout the novel. They were full of life and personality and I am completely addicted to them. But we also have a lot more characters than those two and they are as special as these ones! They are all very young, with different abilities, personalities and overall stories.
I love how they all merged together. They all have in common being bad bloods, but I felt that it was even more than that. It really felt like family, the way they treated each other, and some of the characters were just a joy to be introduced to.
The writing felt really easy to follow, even tho the story is quite fast-paced and full of tension and action. It's really well put together and it's extremely interesting to read. I, of course, listened to the audiobook so I can't really say too much about the writing than that.
I loved this story, the only problem I had was that the audiobook was quite difficult to enter into. It was not the story itself but the actual voice. There's a lot going on, and to understand all the characters and different plots, it's not easy in an audiobook. And this one was definitely not easy for me to grab at first. But after some time I kinda got the hang of it, although I think I will actually read it someday because I really loved this world!
The book ends with a massive cliffhanger. It doesn't have much of an end... It really ends in the middle of an important part, which made me go mad and want the next book ASAP. So, at least book #2 is out already and I can get to it! definitely need to know what happens after that end!
Definitely recommended, especially if you are into dystopian books, awesome characters that will enter your heart, and some fantastic elements!
November 21, 2017
In Bad Bloods: November Rain, readers jump in with main character Serena at the end of a year she's spent in a Bad Bloods detention camp. Readers get the gist of the horrors there, and I get why we needed to move forward from there, but OH HEY, PREQUEL material right here. I really want to know more about that world. Really, I want to know more about all the world in this book as it was a little foggy around the edges for me. This may be more a result of my reading with my ears than the author's actual world-building and writing.
Speaking of reading with my ears -- the audio book narrator, Jonathan Johns, has a delightful voice and pacing. He handled well the wide range of ages (from light hearted children to gruffer old men) and did an excellent job voicing the emotions of the characters. My only issue was that the story is told from alternating points of view, and I had some trouble distinguishing between the two main characters. Fortunately, readers are told who's narrating at the start of each chapter, but if you are not a careful listener, you will be confused.
"Like a flame that already flickered away, put out by the streets and only smoke remained. Daniel was a ghost of a person. I simply hadn't seen it before."
Author Shannon Thompson has some great sentences in the story, and she makes use of figurative language without overdoing it, so I think there is a lot to enjoy if you read this book in print, too. In her writing, Thompson has some interesting parallels between fictitious Vendona and the real world we live in. Many of the leaders in Serena's world focus on what makes us different from each other instead of what we have in common. The upcoming elections literally mean life and death to some of the citizens, and because of what makes them different, they are targeted by the government.
The end of this story. . .ARRRGH. It leaves me with more questions than answers. Instead, what readers get is an abrupt, cliffhanger ending. It's actually a short listen at just five hours, so I would have greatly appreciated just one resolution in the mix. But, on a positive note, the ending leaves a whole lot of potential for the next installment in this duology, November Snow, to be incredibly good. The book is out now but I am going to hold off for the audio book (which I hope is in production now).
Thank you to Audiobookworm Productions and Clean Teen Publishing for providing me a free audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. This review plus more features on Hall Ways Blog https://kristinehallways.blogspot.com...
Speaking of reading with my ears -- the audio book narrator, Jonathan Johns, has a delightful voice and pacing. He handled well the wide range of ages (from light hearted children to gruffer old men) and did an excellent job voicing the emotions of the characters. My only issue was that the story is told from alternating points of view, and I had some trouble distinguishing between the two main characters. Fortunately, readers are told who's narrating at the start of each chapter, but if you are not a careful listener, you will be confused.
"Like a flame that already flickered away, put out by the streets and only smoke remained. Daniel was a ghost of a person. I simply hadn't seen it before."
Author Shannon Thompson has some great sentences in the story, and she makes use of figurative language without overdoing it, so I think there is a lot to enjoy if you read this book in print, too. In her writing, Thompson has some interesting parallels between fictitious Vendona and the real world we live in. Many of the leaders in Serena's world focus on what makes us different from each other instead of what we have in common. The upcoming elections literally mean life and death to some of the citizens, and because of what makes them different, they are targeted by the government.
The end of this story. . .ARRRGH. It leaves me with more questions than answers. Instead, what readers get is an abrupt, cliffhanger ending. It's actually a short listen at just five hours, so I would have greatly appreciated just one resolution in the mix. But, on a positive note, the ending leaves a whole lot of potential for the next installment in this duology, November Snow, to be incredibly good. The book is out now but I am going to hold off for the audio book (which I hope is in production now).
Thank you to Audiobookworm Productions and Clean Teen Publishing for providing me a free audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. This review plus more features on Hall Ways Blog https://kristinehallways.blogspot.com...
December 20, 2017
Characters
Serena is an interesting girl who has clearly had to grow up too quickly in order to survive. Her experiences as a prisoner changed her and she is torn between her responsibilities and learning more about Daniel.
Daniel seems to be the typical sort of guy who wants to help everyone even if it is dangerous. He has a secret though, which makes his character feel quite elusive.
There are a lot of characters in this book and they are mentioned right from the start. I found it difficult to keep up with everyone and what they could do. I feel as though this also hindered my ability to form connections with the main characters. I would have liked a little more depth with them.
Plot
The set up of this story kept me interested and I was eager to see what was going to happen. It is a slow paced story and not a lot happens, but I enjoyed the trickle of information.
I was taken by surprise when the book just ended though. It is only book 1 in a series, and I expected there to be unanswered questions, but it seemed like an odd place to finish.
World
I liked the idea of the world and all the different abilities. I was keen to learn what each character could do and they seem to have flaws in their abilities as well, which makes them more realistic.
I found the harsh reality for the Bad Bloods quite devastating when I really thought about it. The government were sentencing children to death and parents were quick to abandon their own children.
Writing
This is another well written book by Shannon A. Thompson, and it was an easy read. I do not recall coming across any typos and the descriptions were easy to understand.
Overall
I struggled to come up with a rating for this book because I feel as though I have only read half of it. It does have a lot of potential though, and I definitely want to know what happens next. There was a note at the end that mentioned that Bad Bloods had originally been published as one novel and then taken off the market shortly after. I am curious as to why this happened.
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy easy to read YA books.
Serena is an interesting girl who has clearly had to grow up too quickly in order to survive. Her experiences as a prisoner changed her and she is torn between her responsibilities and learning more about Daniel.
Daniel seems to be the typical sort of guy who wants to help everyone even if it is dangerous. He has a secret though, which makes his character feel quite elusive.
There are a lot of characters in this book and they are mentioned right from the start. I found it difficult to keep up with everyone and what they could do. I feel as though this also hindered my ability to form connections with the main characters. I would have liked a little more depth with them.
Plot
The set up of this story kept me interested and I was eager to see what was going to happen. It is a slow paced story and not a lot happens, but I enjoyed the trickle of information.
I was taken by surprise when the book just ended though. It is only book 1 in a series, and I expected there to be unanswered questions, but it seemed like an odd place to finish.
World
I liked the idea of the world and all the different abilities. I was keen to learn what each character could do and they seem to have flaws in their abilities as well, which makes them more realistic.
I found the harsh reality for the Bad Bloods quite devastating when I really thought about it. The government were sentencing children to death and parents were quick to abandon their own children.
Writing
This is another well written book by Shannon A. Thompson, and it was an easy read. I do not recall coming across any typos and the descriptions were easy to understand.
Overall
I struggled to come up with a rating for this book because I feel as though I have only read half of it. It does have a lot of potential though, and I definitely want to know what happens next. There was a note at the end that mentioned that Bad Bloods had originally been published as one novel and then taken off the market shortly after. I am curious as to why this happened.
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy easy to read YA books.
May 28, 2017
** I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This in NO way affected my opinion of the book, or my review. **
I want to start out and say I want to give this book a 4.5 out of 5. Shannon A Thompson wrote a fast moving series that flows nicely. I like how the chapters switch from between the two characters Serena and Daniel. This book was originally to be one book, but it is now two separate ones making November Rain the first book and November Snow the second. And I know there are also two more. But I am not that far.
SO! As I said..
This book starts out with Serena on November 1, 2089.
Serena is about to be executed. Why? Because of her blood. She and many others have traits in their blood that make them different. And because of others fears they are all to be killed. But for some reason she is helped and escaped from this blood camp.
Then then meet Daniel, another Bad blood.
Who finds Serena after her escape from the blood camp. He takes her, heals her. Serena is now a wanted person by the government. After somewhat earning Serena's trust Daniel leaves her with his trusted friend to recover and he takes her to her "family".
Serena goes to her family and you learn about the different bad bloods and their abilities. But while there Serena is still haunted of her time at the blood camp. You meet Robert, Serena's flock leader who seem's to have an issue to with Daniel.
Both Daniel and Serena can't seem to forget one another. Daniel knows that Serena is important, but can't seem to figure out why. He just knows that he needs her. Especially with the election coming up.
Serena may be a bad blood, but her being one doesn't seem so bad. And she seems to be the key to something. And in the span of 10 days, she goes from almost executed, to meeting and sorta befriending a rival flock.
I wonder what is going to happen in the next book November Snow by Shannon A Thompson. I for one have to know, because I am the type that has to finish a series and know what happens!
I want to start out and say I want to give this book a 4.5 out of 5. Shannon A Thompson wrote a fast moving series that flows nicely. I like how the chapters switch from between the two characters Serena and Daniel. This book was originally to be one book, but it is now two separate ones making November Rain the first book and November Snow the second. And I know there are also two more. But I am not that far.
SO! As I said..
This book starts out with Serena on November 1, 2089.
Serena is about to be executed. Why? Because of her blood. She and many others have traits in their blood that make them different. And because of others fears they are all to be killed. But for some reason she is helped and escaped from this blood camp.
Then then meet Daniel, another Bad blood.
Who finds Serena after her escape from the blood camp. He takes her, heals her. Serena is now a wanted person by the government. After somewhat earning Serena's trust Daniel leaves her with his trusted friend to recover and he takes her to her "family".
Serena goes to her family and you learn about the different bad bloods and their abilities. But while there Serena is still haunted of her time at the blood camp. You meet Robert, Serena's flock leader who seem's to have an issue to with Daniel.
Both Daniel and Serena can't seem to forget one another. Daniel knows that Serena is important, but can't seem to figure out why. He just knows that he needs her. Especially with the election coming up.
Serena may be a bad blood, but her being one doesn't seem so bad. And she seems to be the key to something. And in the span of 10 days, she goes from almost executed, to meeting and sorta befriending a rival flock.
I wonder what is going to happen in the next book November Snow by Shannon A Thompson. I for one have to know, because I am the type that has to finish a series and know what happens!
October 20, 2017
I received a free copy of this story for an honest review.
Let me state that I take issue when an author or publishing company, depending on who chooses the narrator, decides to go with a male narrator when the main character is female or vice versa. Yes, in this case, the story was divided between the main characters, but Serena was the Main main character. Needless to say, I wasn't really a fan of this story. There were areas that just didn't make sense to me. Otherwise, this story didn't hold my attention which was surprising given what it was about.
I'm on the fence with this narrator. While he had a lovely voice, I'm not sure it's the right one for narrating. For example, there were times when his accent came across too strong and I was unable to understand what he was saying. Additionally, because his male and female voices were so similar there were many times when I wasn't even sure which character much less which main character (Robert, Daniel, or Serena) was speaking.
Questions/Comments:
Prior to really meeting...I don't remember her name...but the girl who had the premonitions in Daniel's flock, the reader is repeatedly told that she isn't always able to decipher her own visions. Yet, when she has a vision of Daniel and Serena and is unable to fully understand what it means Daniel is surprised.
When Serena goes home after being saved by Daniel and Calhoun, why doesn't she end up telling Robert, who wants to kill Daniel, that he was a bad blood like them? At this point, Serena doesn't know that Robert and Daniel know each other. Instead, she lets Robert go off, albeit she does follow him for a while, yet, ends up turning back for some random reason.
Why was Serena surprised that the other kids knew about Daniel's powers when she had dinner with them?
Let me state that I take issue when an author or publishing company, depending on who chooses the narrator, decides to go with a male narrator when the main character is female or vice versa. Yes, in this case, the story was divided between the main characters, but Serena was the Main main character. Needless to say, I wasn't really a fan of this story. There were areas that just didn't make sense to me. Otherwise, this story didn't hold my attention which was surprising given what it was about.
I'm on the fence with this narrator. While he had a lovely voice, I'm not sure it's the right one for narrating. For example, there were times when his accent came across too strong and I was unable to understand what he was saying. Additionally, because his male and female voices were so similar there were many times when I wasn't even sure which character much less which main character (Robert, Daniel, or Serena) was speaking.
Questions/Comments:
Prior to really meeting...I don't remember her name...but the girl who had the premonitions in Daniel's flock, the reader is repeatedly told that she isn't always able to decipher her own visions. Yet, when she has a vision of Daniel and Serena and is unable to fully understand what it means Daniel is surprised.
When Serena goes home after being saved by Daniel and Calhoun, why doesn't she end up telling Robert, who wants to kill Daniel, that he was a bad blood like them? At this point, Serena doesn't know that Robert and Daniel know each other. Instead, she lets Robert go off, albeit she does follow him for a while, yet, ends up turning back for some random reason.
Why was Serena surprised that the other kids knew about Daniel's powers when she had dinner with them?
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