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Rise of the Hearts
Nathaniel’s always been a loser—his only friend is his sister, and girls don’t want anything to do with him. But when he’s given a miraculous gift that allows him to attract the girl of his dreams, he realizes that a gift can also be a curse.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2018
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32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
April 5, 2018
WOW! I'm really not sure how to review this one. It sounded a bit out of my preferred genre, but then again, I think it's good to break out of the box on occasion. This one made me run screaming back to my box.
I hate to dash any author's hopes, but this was frankly, just awful. The writing is juvenile, the story left a lot to be desired. I couldn't connect with the characters. I found myself turning through pages looking for something that might capture my interest. There was nothing there.
Netgalley shows it as a horror/humor. They did get the first part right .. this was a horror to try to read.
Many thanks to the author / BookBaby / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 2, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book for my honest review.
Rise of the Hearts follows main character Nathaniel as he... I don't even know. Do I even have words to explain this complete and utter disaster? Let's try.
I mentioned it before on a status update, but I feel like NetGalley duped me! The synopsis sounded intriguing and the cover is so pretty, but oh my God.. the writing! It's like a 12-year old wrote a story for his English class and decided to get it published.
Hardly anything made sense. It jumped all over the place, like it was just thrown together to meet a deadline or something. And then the ending was so abrupt!
The dialogue between the characters felt so forced and unnatural, especially from his sister, Kim. Perhaps counting all the times she called him "bro" would of been more entertaining.
I don't think I would of bothered to finish the book had I not received a free copy from NetGalley for my honest review, so I felt obligated to finish it.
Would NOT recommend this book to anyone. 1/5 stars
Rise of the Hearts follows main character Nathaniel as he... I don't even know. Do I even have words to explain this complete and utter disaster? Let's try.
I mentioned it before on a status update, but I feel like NetGalley duped me! The synopsis sounded intriguing and the cover is so pretty, but oh my God.. the writing! It's like a 12-year old wrote a story for his English class and decided to get it published.
Hardly anything made sense. It jumped all over the place, like it was just thrown together to meet a deadline or something. And then the ending was so abrupt!
The dialogue between the characters felt so forced and unnatural, especially from his sister, Kim. Perhaps counting all the times she called him "bro" would of been more entertaining.
I don't think I would of bothered to finish the book had I not received a free copy from NetGalley for my honest review, so I felt obligated to finish it.
Would NOT recommend this book to anyone. 1/5 stars
August 3, 2021
DNF at 15%.
I ordinarily don’t read books that I dislike, but because I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley, I forced myself to keep reading past the first couple of pages, when it became clear to me that I really didn’t like it. I lasted until the 15% mark. The writing choppy and inconsistent. The main character is unlikeable, two dimensional, and, the real kicker--transphobic.
1 star.
*I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley for an honest review*
I ordinarily don’t read books that I dislike, but because I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley, I forced myself to keep reading past the first couple of pages, when it became clear to me that I really didn’t like it. I lasted until the 15% mark. The writing choppy and inconsistent. The main character is unlikeable, two dimensional, and, the real kicker--transphobic.
1 star.
*I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley for an honest review*
March 17, 2018
This book really does not deserve a review. Enough time was wasted with the reading of this book that it feels wrong to throw more time away now.
This book was so poorly written it was offensive. The plot was terrible, if you could even say it had a plot. The characters were paper thin and nothing made sense.
I feel like this book was written by a thirteen year old with no writing experience. Everything that happens is just thrown together with no thought to reality. The main character finds his mom dead in a strip club, then comes home and starts flirting with the stripper that is waiting there. Sounds plausible!
Please, please, please, do not waste your time with this mess. Anything else you find would have to be a better read.
This book was so poorly written it was offensive. The plot was terrible, if you could even say it had a plot. The characters were paper thin and nothing made sense.
I feel like this book was written by a thirteen year old with no writing experience. Everything that happens is just thrown together with no thought to reality. The main character finds his mom dead in a strip club, then comes home and starts flirting with the stripper that is waiting there. Sounds plausible!
Please, please, please, do not waste your time with this mess. Anything else you find would have to be a better read.
March 19, 2018
i received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review
dear author: next time before you publish a book, please have other people read it. please, so they can tell you if it's realistic or not or just plausible in any sense of that word
edit: okay i think i owe the author an apology because idk what the fuck happened, but halfway through the book (say page 80, when nate revisited the strip club), the writing got 100% better. i felt sympathy for the guy, actual sympathy. it legit felt like i was reading an entirely different book.
see, i would have preferred the book to start at nearly that point. you could cut out 90% of the first 80 pages, keep the introductions but leave behind the non-stop forcefeeding of how terrible nate's life is, and i would actually like the book. at least, would give it 3 stars because the latter half still feels like it needs a beta reader or second rewrite to improve the characters, but it would have been sooooo much better.
i wouldn't have cared if a book was real short as long as it's quality. this book actually has potential, it is a very, VERY unpolished gem. not gonna lie, if the author rewrote this & cut down the forcefeeding of nate's terrible life, i would love to read it again because the horror scenes were actually done well. unfortunately, that was like 20% of the first 80 pages & the first 80 pages lost me as a reader.
-------------------------------------------------
self commentary during my read-through
i'm only 22 pages in the book & i'm not sure if i want to keep reading. already nate prematurely ejaculates in his pants, 2 girls are chatting him up instantly for no reason even though it's bombarded throughout the story that he's a dork, nerd, etc. & all the characters act like they're 15 instead of 21.
at this point, i'm not reading further to see how the plot will go, but more to see of how big of a trainwreck this book can be.
up to page 55 now, WHY THE FUCK IS EVERYONE CRYING ALL THE TIME HOLY SHIT. like i get people got problems, but i swear to god this book has people bawl their eyes out every 5 seconds.
it has got to be a crime for one guy to say "dude" in every other sentence. that's also something about this book, it keeps forcefeeding you shit. yes, we know he's a dudebro because he says dude a lot, has a six pack & is an asshole at the gym. chill the fuck down, we get it.
WHAT KIND OF 21 YEAR OLD WHO REGULARLY WATCHES PORN DOESN'T HAVE AD BLOCKER
jesus christ now a random stripper he met 5 seconds ago is crying. you can tell your sad life story without crying, just saying
dear author: next time before you publish a book, please have other people read it. please, so they can tell you if it's realistic or not or just plausible in any sense of that word
edit: okay i think i owe the author an apology because idk what the fuck happened, but halfway through the book (say page 80, when nate revisited the strip club), the writing got 100% better. i felt sympathy for the guy, actual sympathy. it legit felt like i was reading an entirely different book.
see, i would have preferred the book to start at nearly that point. you could cut out 90% of the first 80 pages, keep the introductions but leave behind the non-stop forcefeeding of how terrible nate's life is, and i would actually like the book. at least, would give it 3 stars because the latter half still feels like it needs a beta reader or second rewrite to improve the characters, but it would have been sooooo much better.
i wouldn't have cared if a book was real short as long as it's quality. this book actually has potential, it is a very, VERY unpolished gem. not gonna lie, if the author rewrote this & cut down the forcefeeding of nate's terrible life, i would love to read it again because the horror scenes were actually done well. unfortunately, that was like 20% of the first 80 pages & the first 80 pages lost me as a reader.
-------------------------------------------------
self commentary during my read-through
i'm only 22 pages in the book & i'm not sure if i want to keep reading. already nate prematurely ejaculates in his pants, 2 girls are chatting him up instantly for no reason even though it's bombarded throughout the story that he's a dork, nerd, etc. & all the characters act like they're 15 instead of 21.
at this point, i'm not reading further to see how the plot will go, but more to see of how big of a trainwreck this book can be.
up to page 55 now, WHY THE FUCK IS EVERYONE CRYING ALL THE TIME HOLY SHIT. like i get people got problems, but i swear to god this book has people bawl their eyes out every 5 seconds.
it has got to be a crime for one guy to say "dude" in every other sentence. that's also something about this book, it keeps forcefeeding you shit. yes, we know he's a dudebro because he says dude a lot, has a six pack & is an asshole at the gym. chill the fuck down, we get it.
WHAT KIND OF 21 YEAR OLD WHO REGULARLY WATCHES PORN DOESN'T HAVE AD BLOCKER
jesus christ now a random stripper he met 5 seconds ago is crying. you can tell your sad life story without crying, just saying
August 2, 2018
First of all, I'd like to thank NetGalley and the author for a free copy of this book in change of an honest review.
So, I'll be honest.
I truly think that the plot itself has something interesting. But.
1) For at least the first twelve chapters I thought it was awful, with no doubt and no possibility of getting better, and this is not a minor flaw, since this part represents 60% of the total amount of pages. Basically more than half the book is an unreadable turmoil. The author here should have refined his work, maybe with some help from a good editor: it is poorly written, and while I was reading I felt like some sentences didn't fit, like they weren't 100% grammatically correct. (Could it be that the author's mother language isn't English?)
2) The narration is a big mess, many parts just don't make sense - starting from the dialogues with the sister, who seems to have no plans of life, no duties during her day a part from suggesting her brother how to act, how to talk, how to dress,... I couldn't really empathize with the occurrences. Expecially after Nathaniel dates Tonya, it goes worse, and truly becomes horrible until he meets Heart. The only OK parts are those about Nathaniel's nightmares, the horror scenes. Excluding those ones, there's only vomit and feces all over - literally.
3) Unfortunately, while the events grow more interesting, the characters never get better over the 145 pages. They're all typical figures you can find in every YA novel: everybody seems indestructible, flat, in one word: unrealistic - even Nathaniel, who is a total loser, an underdog, incredibly hapless. Even if it's a sort of "paranormal" work, that doesn't convince. Add their language, their repeated use of the same words: many people in this book are particularly irritating. For example, I couldn't stand Kim at all. Were I the editor, I would have tried to find a way to soon get rid of her.
Characters are fundamental in a book, and if you can't fancy anyone, at the end you can't really appreciate the other features that compose a literary work.
That said, I think many people who stopped reading the book would have better enjoyed the second part, as I did, because if you can overcome the bad chapters the last 50 pages are quite a good work, although it's impossible to forget the previous ones. I have to admit that if I weren't born with a stubborn nature, after the third - of a hundred - vomit chrysis I wouldn't have gone ahead either.
In conclusion, the idea isn't bad, and also has something original, but the execution left a bit to desire.
So, I'll be honest.
I truly think that the plot itself has something interesting. But.
1) For at least the first twelve chapters I thought it was awful, with no doubt and no possibility of getting better, and this is not a minor flaw, since this part represents 60% of the total amount of pages. Basically more than half the book is an unreadable turmoil. The author here should have refined his work, maybe with some help from a good editor: it is poorly written, and while I was reading I felt like some sentences didn't fit, like they weren't 100% grammatically correct. (Could it be that the author's mother language isn't English?)
2) The narration is a big mess, many parts just don't make sense - starting from the dialogues with the sister, who seems to have no plans of life, no duties during her day a part from suggesting her brother how to act, how to talk, how to dress,... I couldn't really empathize with the occurrences. Expecially after Nathaniel dates Tonya, it goes worse, and truly becomes horrible until he meets Heart. The only OK parts are those about Nathaniel's nightmares, the horror scenes. Excluding those ones, there's only vomit and feces all over - literally.
3) Unfortunately, while the events grow more interesting, the characters never get better over the 145 pages. They're all typical figures you can find in every YA novel: everybody seems indestructible, flat, in one word: unrealistic - even Nathaniel, who is a total loser, an underdog, incredibly hapless. Even if it's a sort of "paranormal" work, that doesn't convince. Add their language, their repeated use of the same words: many people in this book are particularly irritating. For example, I couldn't stand Kim at all. Were I the editor, I would have tried to find a way to soon get rid of her.
Characters are fundamental in a book, and if you can't fancy anyone, at the end you can't really appreciate the other features that compose a literary work.
That said, I think many people who stopped reading the book would have better enjoyed the second part, as I did, because if you can overcome the bad chapters the last 50 pages are quite a good work, although it's impossible to forget the previous ones. I have to admit that if I weren't born with a stubborn nature, after the third - of a hundred - vomit chrysis I wouldn't have gone ahead either.
In conclusion, the idea isn't bad, and also has something original, but the execution left a bit to desire.
November 16, 2021
First of all - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-book copy of Rise of the Hearts in exchange for an honest review.
Secondly - I apologize but there is no nice way to review the book.
I love horror, fantasy, and young adult novels. I wasn't expecting literary genius but I was anticipating a fun read. At 9% into the book, I was ready to quit. This is the point where Nathanial (main character) has just met new friends Tonya and Amanda. Tonya is so attractive (insert numerous lame breast comments) that he gets an erection and ends up going off in his pants. Next day he agrees to meet Tonya at a restraunt thinking it to be a date. Instead, he arrives to also meet Tonya's boyfriend Mike. Mike and Tonya immediately begin tongue wresting and groping at each other's penises. Yes - you read that correctly. This is the first (but not the last) sex scene and is enough to tell any intelligent reader that the YA rating is not correct. Nathanial now runs to the rest room to vomit but instead finds the public men's room covered in feces. No explanation - it is just covered in shit. "I am the almighty author and I don't have to make sense or explain anything to you."
Next Nathanial is meeting with Amanda. Amanda initially hates Nathanial but less than 24 hours later she offers to throw his little sister, Kim, a surprise party. At the party and 25% into the book, I know that if I see Amanda call Nathanial "my nig" one more time I am going to throw the book in rage. I decided that isn't good for my Kindle so I chose to quit reading.
I don't like not finishing books. Being a NetGalley book, this compulsion to finish was all the stronger. Luckily I respect myself too much to continue reading.
The author writes like a 13 year old, reclusive boy who gathered his view on what the world must be like based on bad movies and wet dreams. One example, Nathanial is in college but he is broke because his long missing mother hasn't given him his allowance yet. What world does this author live in?! The characters are one dimensional, the story ridiculous and rushed, and the conversations shockingly immature, unrealistic and forced.
I must place this novel among the worst three I have ever read. Do not waste your time.
Secondly - I apologize but there is no nice way to review the book.
I love horror, fantasy, and young adult novels. I wasn't expecting literary genius but I was anticipating a fun read. At 9% into the book, I was ready to quit. This is the point where Nathanial (main character) has just met new friends Tonya and Amanda. Tonya is so attractive (insert numerous lame breast comments) that he gets an erection and ends up going off in his pants. Next day he agrees to meet Tonya at a restraunt thinking it to be a date. Instead, he arrives to also meet Tonya's boyfriend Mike. Mike and Tonya immediately begin tongue wresting and groping at each other's penises. Yes - you read that correctly. This is the first (but not the last) sex scene and is enough to tell any intelligent reader that the YA rating is not correct. Nathanial now runs to the rest room to vomit but instead finds the public men's room covered in feces. No explanation - it is just covered in shit. "I am the almighty author and I don't have to make sense or explain anything to you."
Next Nathanial is meeting with Amanda. Amanda initially hates Nathanial but less than 24 hours later she offers to throw his little sister, Kim, a surprise party. At the party and 25% into the book, I know that if I see Amanda call Nathanial "my nig" one more time I am going to throw the book in rage. I decided that isn't good for my Kindle so I chose to quit reading.
I don't like not finishing books. Being a NetGalley book, this compulsion to finish was all the stronger. Luckily I respect myself too much to continue reading.
The author writes like a 13 year old, reclusive boy who gathered his view on what the world must be like based on bad movies and wet dreams. One example, Nathanial is in college but he is broke because his long missing mother hasn't given him his allowance yet. What world does this author live in?! The characters are one dimensional, the story ridiculous and rushed, and the conversations shockingly immature, unrealistic and forced.
I must place this novel among the worst three I have ever read. Do not waste your time.
May 14, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Writing 1-star reviews is the thing I dread most. I have been postponing it, but I do believe every book deserves to get a review, even if I didn't like it. This book... It started out okay, the conversations felt a bit forced but I wanted to give it a try. I didn't really like it, but the book was "only" 195 pages so why not finish it? It became a WTF book very fast for me, I couldn't read it anymore..
A longer review can be found at Bite Into Books
I don't mean to disrespect anybody but this book feels so weird. I didn't understand the story, the characters, the plot... It didn't make sense at all, it didn't feel natural it felt forced and I just don't know? I don't want to discourage anybody, especially a new author, but I couldn't force myself to finish this book. So sorry.
Writing 1-star reviews is the thing I dread most. I have been postponing it, but I do believe every book deserves to get a review, even if I didn't like it. This book... It started out okay, the conversations felt a bit forced but I wanted to give it a try. I didn't really like it, but the book was "only" 195 pages so why not finish it? It became a WTF book very fast for me, I couldn't read it anymore..
A longer review can be found at Bite Into Books
I don't mean to disrespect anybody but this book feels so weird. I didn't understand the story, the characters, the plot... It didn't make sense at all, it didn't feel natural it felt forced and I just don't know? I don't want to discourage anybody, especially a new author, but I couldn't force myself to finish this book. So sorry.
March 29, 2018
I picked up Rise Of The Hearts by Antoine Bonner when I got an email from Netgalley promoting it. It seemed to be a book that was up my alley since it sounded like it fit into the paranormal genre. It’s centered on a character named Nathanial who has no luck with women and his only friend is his sister. Then something odd happens and he is given the gift to attract any girl he wants but he soon finds out it can also be a curse. This sounded like a good story idea to me but sadly I couldn’t get through this book.
For starters I have to say I love books and anyone who is a writer. I have respect for anyone who publishes a book especially for people who self-publish. That being said this is a book that doesn’t feel like it was ready to be published. It felt like the author wrote this book in a hurry and just wanted to get it out there. It has bad characters, bad dialogue and the story felt weak. I got the feeling that this is a brand new writer who had no help from an editor or beta-readers.
At first from the writing I thought it was meant to be a y.a. novel. Though as I came to a part where the lead character ejaculated in his pants I realized that this wasn’t the case. I hope Antoine keeps writing because he at least had a good idea here but you should never rush to put out a novel that needs so much work.
For starters I have to say I love books and anyone who is a writer. I have respect for anyone who publishes a book especially for people who self-publish. That being said this is a book that doesn’t feel like it was ready to be published. It felt like the author wrote this book in a hurry and just wanted to get it out there. It has bad characters, bad dialogue and the story felt weak. I got the feeling that this is a brand new writer who had no help from an editor or beta-readers.
At first from the writing I thought it was meant to be a y.a. novel. Though as I came to a part where the lead character ejaculated in his pants I realized that this wasn’t the case. I hope Antoine keeps writing because he at least had a good idea here but you should never rush to put out a novel that needs so much work.
March 23, 2018
I tired to read and review this book voluntarily but didn't get too far. The book starts way too dialogue driven. There's no context given to the characters, time or location and there is literally no world building whatsover.
By page 14 the protagonist is fantasizing about a girl he met 24hrs ago, is grossly talking about her body and even ejaculates in his pants from walking near the girls. I can't actually believe I'm reading this and this is starting to feel like a strong DNF.
Got to page 19 and gave up. Don't know why I bothered. No context to anything. Absolutely disgusting writing? I'm not even sure what to call it... Abysmal depiction of LGBTQ individuals and the most disappointed I've been in a book in a LONGGGG time.
It's incredibly rare for me to write negative reviews but I wouldn't want anyone to waste their time on this. So sorry.
By page 14 the protagonist is fantasizing about a girl he met 24hrs ago, is grossly talking about her body and even ejaculates in his pants from walking near the girls. I can't actually believe I'm reading this and this is starting to feel like a strong DNF.
Got to page 19 and gave up. Don't know why I bothered. No context to anything. Absolutely disgusting writing? I'm not even sure what to call it... Abysmal depiction of LGBTQ individuals and the most disappointed I've been in a book in a LONGGGG time.
It's incredibly rare for me to write negative reviews but I wouldn't want anyone to waste their time on this. So sorry.
April 19, 2018
Not really any words to be totally honest. I read it all because Netgalley gave me a copy. Awful
no-way-no-how
March 20, 2018In kindness to the author, I'm not going to keep going. I'm on page 67 and if I roll my eyes any harder, they might pop out of my head. If I keep going, I'm going to be unpleasant in my review, and I've decided to spare the author.
We'll call it my good deed of the month.
We'll call it my good deed of the month.
April 6, 2018
I started reading this book because the description made it look like an interesting romance-fantasy book. But it wasn't. It tried to be a horror-paranormal-teen drama book, but I've read tons of fanfictions better written.
Nathaniel is a 21 year-old (that behaves like a 13 year-old) freshman college student that has always been bullied. He's a chump, a pesimistic with no life, no self-esteem, no friends and has suicidal thoughts basically all the time. He lives with his sister, Kim (who he claims is his best friend, but he doesn't know anything about her life) and basically does nothing (we learn towards the end that he has never had a job). All he cares about is getting laid. That's why he makes 2 girl friends in his first day of college. But he gets involved emotionally too quickly. He met people less than 24 hours ago and he cares about them like they're family or something. (The scene in the strip club, with the hooker crying, was probably the worst I've ever read. "Love at first sight?", seriously?)
The characters are plain and simple. I couldn't relate to any one of them. Nathaniel's friends have catch phrases, which tries to compensate the lack of description or narration, but it doesn't get it. The situations are rushed, pushed, forced - sometimes I didn't know where the characters are talking or what they're doing while talking because there's barely no description.
I was expecting more. Real love and not the urge of getting laid and lust of a virgin boy. Fantasy and not this cheap horror ("the door makes noises"). The last part of the book, probably the last 2 or 3 chapters, the usable ones in my opinion, are too rushed.
The book left a lot of unanswered questions. But I guess it's better this way.
I don't usually give one star, unless the book was a total waste of time, and this one was, unfortunately.
Nathaniel is a 21 year-old (that behaves like a 13 year-old) freshman college student that has always been bullied. He's a chump, a pesimistic with no life, no self-esteem, no friends and has suicidal thoughts basically all the time. He lives with his sister, Kim (who he claims is his best friend, but he doesn't know anything about her life) and basically does nothing (we learn towards the end that he has never had a job). All he cares about is getting laid. That's why he makes 2 girl friends in his first day of college. But he gets involved emotionally too quickly. He met people less than 24 hours ago and he cares about them like they're family or something. (The scene in the strip club, with the hooker crying, was probably the worst I've ever read. "Love at first sight?", seriously?)
The characters are plain and simple. I couldn't relate to any one of them. Nathaniel's friends have catch phrases, which tries to compensate the lack of description or narration, but it doesn't get it. The situations are rushed, pushed, forced - sometimes I didn't know where the characters are talking or what they're doing while talking because there's barely no description.
I was expecting more. Real love and not the urge of getting laid and lust of a virgin boy. Fantasy and not this cheap horror ("the door makes noises"). The last part of the book, probably the last 2 or 3 chapters, the usable ones in my opinion, are too rushed.
The book left a lot of unanswered questions. But I guess it's better this way.
I don't usually give one star, unless the book was a total waste of time, and this one was, unfortunately.
March 22, 2018
I was under the impression that this was a YA horror although it did not specifically say so, it just sounded like it from the description. After reading it I must say it is not suitable for a younger audience, and I am hard pressed to think of anyone it may be suitable for. It is childish, but it is not for children.
The description of the book sounded appealing, but this story starts off poorly and gets worse as it goes on. The "miraculous gift" does not occur until halfway through the book, and the ending is so abrupt that I assume there will be a sequel that I will not be sticking around for. The characters are not likable and the dialogue is weak and unnatural. I can not recommend this to anyone. As a side note to the author... the effect you are attempting to describe is accomplished with a sip of hot coffee, or alternating hot coffee with ice water. Cigarettes don't heat up your mouth, they just give you bad breath.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
The description of the book sounded appealing, but this story starts off poorly and gets worse as it goes on. The "miraculous gift" does not occur until halfway through the book, and the ending is so abrupt that I assume there will be a sequel that I will not be sticking around for. The characters are not likable and the dialogue is weak and unnatural. I can not recommend this to anyone. As a side note to the author... the effect you are attempting to describe is accomplished with a sip of hot coffee, or alternating hot coffee with ice water. Cigarettes don't heat up your mouth, they just give you bad breath.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
June 8, 2018
**Thank you to NetGalley for a free e-book of Rise of the Hearts in exchange for an honest review.**
Frankly, I don't like writing negative reviews because even a "bad" book is way better than anything I could write. Unfortunately, I don't feel I can give this one more than 1-star. Rise of the Hearts just didn't do it for me. The main character, Nathaniel, is one of the most annoying, childish characters I've ever come across. He is so naive it's painful; he makes the same stupid mistakes over and over again.
At times I had trouble following the plot as it seemed to just meander around with no rhyme or reason. And the dialogue was unrealistic and quite juvenile.
I would like to say, I think there is potential here. A good editor could clean this up and it would be a good little story. Again, I really hate to give negative reviews, but I know that NetGalley wants honesty so... :(
Frankly, I don't like writing negative reviews because even a "bad" book is way better than anything I could write. Unfortunately, I don't feel I can give this one more than 1-star. Rise of the Hearts just didn't do it for me. The main character, Nathaniel, is one of the most annoying, childish characters I've ever come across. He is so naive it's painful; he makes the same stupid mistakes over and over again.
At times I had trouble following the plot as it seemed to just meander around with no rhyme or reason. And the dialogue was unrealistic and quite juvenile.
I would like to say, I think there is potential here. A good editor could clean this up and it would be a good little story. Again, I really hate to give negative reviews, but I know that NetGalley wants honesty so... :(
March 19, 2018
Nathaniel has led a pretty unremarkable life; unlucky in friends, unlucky in love and just plain unlucky in life. Between being bullied in high school and being used in collage it seems he will never be truly happy. Until he’s offered the chance to attract the girl of his dreams. He jumps at the chance before realizing that the consequences could be dire. Is this blessing really a curse?
Rise of Hearts held so much promise and the story line had great intent. However the writing was rushed, the dialog forced and the characters were impossible to relate with. The point of the story seemed to drag on for ages and never quite got there for me.
The writing jumped all over the place and left me wondering what the author was trying to achieve. There were moments of awkward sexual encounters that border sexual assault as well as a unbelievable suicide attempts. The authors veiled attempt at writing a thriller story very widely missed the mark.
I was offered a digital copy of Rise of Hearts in exchange for a fair review. These opinions are my own and no way influenced by the author, publisher, or anyone affiliated with this book.
Rise of Hearts held so much promise and the story line had great intent. However the writing was rushed, the dialog forced and the characters were impossible to relate with. The point of the story seemed to drag on for ages and never quite got there for me.
The writing jumped all over the place and left me wondering what the author was trying to achieve. There were moments of awkward sexual encounters that border sexual assault as well as a unbelievable suicide attempts. The authors veiled attempt at writing a thriller story very widely missed the mark.
I was offered a digital copy of Rise of Hearts in exchange for a fair review. These opinions are my own and no way influenced by the author, publisher, or anyone affiliated with this book.
April 17, 2018
On the cover we see women's hands holding a sort of jewel in the shape of a heart.
The story tells of the relationship between Nathaniel and his sister who are very close to each other. He is put aside wherever he goes by the girls. He has no friends. Until the day he receives a sort of miraculous gift and it will allow him to attract the girl he has always dreamed of except that it will not go as planned. He will realize that it is a poisoned gift.
I loved the script, the characters. The end is full of suspense, I did not expect that. I thank Netgalley for advising me on this book.
The story tells of the relationship between Nathaniel and his sister who are very close to each other. He is put aside wherever he goes by the girls. He has no friends. Until the day he receives a sort of miraculous gift and it will allow him to attract the girl he has always dreamed of except that it will not go as planned. He will realize that it is a poisoned gift.
I loved the script, the characters. The end is full of suspense, I did not expect that. I thank Netgalley for advising me on this book.
March 26, 2018
Thank you NetGalley for this ebook.,
I'm sorry to say I can't give a good or even mediocre review.
Everything about it was bad. Dialogue, characters, just everything. Seriously don't know how it made it to publishing.
I guess I can say one nice thing. The cover is great.
All in all, don't waste your time on this book.
I'm sorry to say I can't give a good or even mediocre review.
Everything about it was bad. Dialogue, characters, just everything. Seriously don't know how it made it to publishing.
I guess I can say one nice thing. The cover is great.
All in all, don't waste your time on this book.
Read
December 7, 2021I tried... but no.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review. #mildspoilersahead
Where do I begin? I feel like I was almost duped into reading this book. I received an email from "NetGalley Recommends" that was filled with absolutely glowing reviews for this book, and the brief description seemed interesting. So I figured, let me give it a shot. Wow... what a different book I ended up with.
I realized shortly after getting into the book that something was amiss, and going online to find a litany of other people's 1 and 2-star reviews made me realize I was not alone in this rationale. The book, despite having what feels like good intentions, is genuinely a train wreck. And I mean this in the same way that you feel watching "The Room"; that it's a hot mess, but yet you can't look away. And this is really my biggest critique and praise at the same time. That being, that I actually read through the entire book despite it's (many) shortcomings because after a time where you're waiting for it to pick up and get better, you eventually find yourself more drawn to seeing how bad it can ultimately get.
While some sections are nicely penned, overall the book is not well written. It flows almost like the author sat down one day, decided to write a book, and just started with some ideas, but no clear story or plan in mind. Characters come and go without much depth. Crazy things happen with barely a reaction from the characters or world around them. There's no real consistency or growth in any of the characters. And what I would consider to be the real start of the story we're promised in the description, doesn't happen until about 85% of the way through the book (according to my kindle). And at that, his supposed "gift" which the book's description says is, "...a miraculous gift that allows him to attract the girl of his dreams..." never even happens. The girl we're led to believe is the girl of his dreams wants nothing to do with him outside of being friends at any point in the book. In fact he never gets together with any girl before the end unless they were deliberately using him. So what the heck description?
The main character is quite possibly the dumbest, most naive, and disconnected from reality person that has ever been put to the page, both before and after his "change". Add in his irritating sister, who (extremely annoyingly) endlessly calls him "Bro" until you wish she had a bigger vocabulary or could at least remember his actual name. And then finally tack on the supporting characters who all pop in and out of the story willy-nilly and are all one-dimensional, broken record, cardboard set pieces for the main character to interact with (the jocky one, the funny one, the hot one, the forgettable one {whom I've forgotten}).
Take for example Tonya, a girl that sits behind Nathaniel in class. She shows some interest in him, which makes him ejaculate in his pants while walking with her because he realizes she has breasts, so she introduces him to her boyfriend (?), who then outs her to be a trans-woman, who then gets killed by said boyfriend because he's jealous and presumably because he had to clean a bathroom that was totally covered in feces for no discernible reason. Nathaniel feels bad for a hot minute for not doing anything, and then neither of them get mentioned again. This is the type of crazy off-the-rails writing that goes on throughout this book. By the end, the main character is directly and indirectly connected to umpteen murders and hospital visits, including a massacre at a strip club, and there is no police presence questioning why this is.
There's really a million frustrating things I could dive into. Not the least of which is the random cop out ending that felt like even the author didn't know where to go with it and should put it out to pasture before spending any more of their own time writing it. I think it boils down to this was probably a first time out of the gate try by the author that suffered from inexperience in writing, and lack of a cohesive plan going into it. Lines such as, "The semi-truck inches closer and closer to us at full speed." show this inexperience, and probably the lack of an editor to help patch it up. Although the whole thing comes off like an early first draft that got pushed to publishing before it was ready. Until the author takes another pass and cleans it up, I can't recommend it.
With all that said, I wish the author would take another stab at it. Because at its core, I think there's some good ideas and a book I'd like to read buried in the mire.
Where do I begin? I feel like I was almost duped into reading this book. I received an email from "NetGalley Recommends" that was filled with absolutely glowing reviews for this book, and the brief description seemed interesting. So I figured, let me give it a shot. Wow... what a different book I ended up with.
I realized shortly after getting into the book that something was amiss, and going online to find a litany of other people's 1 and 2-star reviews made me realize I was not alone in this rationale. The book, despite having what feels like good intentions, is genuinely a train wreck. And I mean this in the same way that you feel watching "The Room"; that it's a hot mess, but yet you can't look away. And this is really my biggest critique and praise at the same time. That being, that I actually read through the entire book despite it's (many) shortcomings because after a time where you're waiting for it to pick up and get better, you eventually find yourself more drawn to seeing how bad it can ultimately get.
While some sections are nicely penned, overall the book is not well written. It flows almost like the author sat down one day, decided to write a book, and just started with some ideas, but no clear story or plan in mind. Characters come and go without much depth. Crazy things happen with barely a reaction from the characters or world around them. There's no real consistency or growth in any of the characters. And what I would consider to be the real start of the story we're promised in the description, doesn't happen until about 85% of the way through the book (according to my kindle). And at that, his supposed "gift" which the book's description says is, "...a miraculous gift that allows him to attract the girl of his dreams..." never even happens. The girl we're led to believe is the girl of his dreams wants nothing to do with him outside of being friends at any point in the book. In fact he never gets together with any girl before the end unless they were deliberately using him. So what the heck description?
The main character is quite possibly the dumbest, most naive, and disconnected from reality person that has ever been put to the page, both before and after his "change". Add in his irritating sister, who (extremely annoyingly) endlessly calls him "Bro" until you wish she had a bigger vocabulary or could at least remember his actual name. And then finally tack on the supporting characters who all pop in and out of the story willy-nilly and are all one-dimensional, broken record, cardboard set pieces for the main character to interact with (the jocky one, the funny one, the hot one, the forgettable one {whom I've forgotten}).
Take for example Tonya, a girl that sits behind Nathaniel in class. She shows some interest in him, which makes him ejaculate in his pants while walking with her because he realizes she has breasts, so she introduces him to her boyfriend (?), who then outs her to be a trans-woman, who then gets killed by said boyfriend because he's jealous and presumably because he had to clean a bathroom that was totally covered in feces for no discernible reason. Nathaniel feels bad for a hot minute for not doing anything, and then neither of them get mentioned again. This is the type of crazy off-the-rails writing that goes on throughout this book. By the end, the main character is directly and indirectly connected to umpteen murders and hospital visits, including a massacre at a strip club, and there is no police presence questioning why this is.
There's really a million frustrating things I could dive into. Not the least of which is the random cop out ending that felt like even the author didn't know where to go with it and should put it out to pasture before spending any more of their own time writing it. I think it boils down to this was probably a first time out of the gate try by the author that suffered from inexperience in writing, and lack of a cohesive plan going into it. Lines such as, "The semi-truck inches closer and closer to us at full speed." show this inexperience, and probably the lack of an editor to help patch it up. Although the whole thing comes off like an early first draft that got pushed to publishing before it was ready. Until the author takes another pass and cleans it up, I can't recommend it.
With all that said, I wish the author would take another stab at it. Because at its core, I think there's some good ideas and a book I'd like to read buried in the mire.
June 21, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Well.
This was an odd one.
Rise of the Hearts has a great blurb, and a beautiful, striking cover. Unfortunately it reads like the stream of consciousness of an adolescent boy telling you his (unedited!) dreams from the previous night.
The style of writing is very basic and juvenile in construction, and the mixture of egotism and self-loathing permeating the narrative voice adds to the overall impression of immaturity fuelled by hormones and angst. These are not automatically negative points, as they can be very effective in a book aimed at teens. This, however, is not that book: the sudden shift from school shenanigans to explicit sexual content made that implicitly clear.
Trigger warning for casual references to domestic violence and rape at various points throughout.
I began by finding some of the characters and dialogue offensive, but quickly realised that there was little merit in taking offense as the author pebble-dashes offense over everything the narrative touches on: white, black, Asian, female, trans, gay, sex, drugs, bodily functions – all are introduced and handled in as insensitive a way as possible. Is there such a thing as being ‘everything-ist’?!
There is no character development and the relationships are frankly bizarre, as the main character makes instant best friends with characters he does not know (or even seem to like) and gathers enemies equally easily and quickly. Characters come and go in the narrative with no impact on the emotions or plot, and the plot itself makes little sense at any point.
Most of the story focuses on the slapstick adventures of Nate and his incompetence at every aspect of life. The one interesting and entertaining aspect of the plot is the horror thread (which appears to be heavily influenced by Ring), but it weaves inconsistently in and out of the narrative and comes to an abrupt end just as it starts to become engaging.
I cannot in all honesty recommend this book to anyone. I can find the positives in most books, but all I can manage here is that it was entertaining in the way that only very poorly written fiction can be. Sorry!
The girl turns to me and puts her face directly in front of mine. Even though her hair is still covering her face, I can see a glimpse of her eyes through the gaps. She has pink irises. I look harder, and it’s clear that her irises are also shaped like hearts. The girl swipes the pink pen off her desk, then begins aggressively writing on it. Chips of wood fly everywhere in an earsplitting way. I cover my ears and turn my face, avoiding the wood chips. Suddenly the noise stops. I slowly turn back to her, and the girl is pointing to her desk.
“You want me to read that?” I ask nervously.
She nods.
I lean forward, looking at her desk. In big letters, covering the entire desk, are the words: No one’s going to love you like I do!
– Antoine Bonner, Rise of the Hearts
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Well.
This was an odd one.
Rise of the Hearts has a great blurb, and a beautiful, striking cover. Unfortunately it reads like the stream of consciousness of an adolescent boy telling you his (unedited!) dreams from the previous night.
The style of writing is very basic and juvenile in construction, and the mixture of egotism and self-loathing permeating the narrative voice adds to the overall impression of immaturity fuelled by hormones and angst. These are not automatically negative points, as they can be very effective in a book aimed at teens. This, however, is not that book: the sudden shift from school shenanigans to explicit sexual content made that implicitly clear.
Trigger warning for casual references to domestic violence and rape at various points throughout.
I began by finding some of the characters and dialogue offensive, but quickly realised that there was little merit in taking offense as the author pebble-dashes offense over everything the narrative touches on: white, black, Asian, female, trans, gay, sex, drugs, bodily functions – all are introduced and handled in as insensitive a way as possible. Is there such a thing as being ‘everything-ist’?!
There is no character development and the relationships are frankly bizarre, as the main character makes instant best friends with characters he does not know (or even seem to like) and gathers enemies equally easily and quickly. Characters come and go in the narrative with no impact on the emotions or plot, and the plot itself makes little sense at any point.
Most of the story focuses on the slapstick adventures of Nate and his incompetence at every aspect of life. The one interesting and entertaining aspect of the plot is the horror thread (which appears to be heavily influenced by Ring), but it weaves inconsistently in and out of the narrative and comes to an abrupt end just as it starts to become engaging.
I cannot in all honesty recommend this book to anyone. I can find the positives in most books, but all I can manage here is that it was entertaining in the way that only very poorly written fiction can be. Sorry!
The girl turns to me and puts her face directly in front of mine. Even though her hair is still covering her face, I can see a glimpse of her eyes through the gaps. She has pink irises. I look harder, and it’s clear that her irises are also shaped like hearts. The girl swipes the pink pen off her desk, then begins aggressively writing on it. Chips of wood fly everywhere in an earsplitting way. I cover my ears and turn my face, avoiding the wood chips. Suddenly the noise stops. I slowly turn back to her, and the girl is pointing to her desk.
“You want me to read that?” I ask nervously.
She nods.
I lean forward, looking at her desk. In big letters, covering the entire desk, are the words: No one’s going to love you like I do!
– Antoine Bonner, Rise of the Hearts
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
March 23, 2018
3.37 to 4 stars
Rise of the Hearts is one huge creepy and weird story. The story started off with a guy named Nate and he's a certified nerd who jas been bullied all through out his childhood. Nate has a sister, Kim, and a neglectful mother. With everything that he's been through, the hero has been accepting of his circumstances in life, be it with friendship especially his love life that's actually, NADA. ZILCH. ZERO. But that has been okay with him because he has his younger sister with him, his champion. But everything changes from boring to full tilt one day.
From that day onwards, something slowly changes in his life. And he's left to deal with all of it because even Nate himself can't explain what's been happening.
Truth be told, I quite had a fun time reading this. I eventually conmected with the main character and I kind of symphatize him. But I was not, and I say I wasn't really keen on the first few chapters of this book. I understand that this is just a rough draft and everything else is yet to be edited and I'm really hoping for that. This book has quite a potential to make it because it's entertaining enough especially towards the final chapters that I am glad I finished this. Reading this was like watching a dumb movie. You know it's kind of stupid but hey, you're still enjoying yourself, so why quit? Hope you catch my drift.
Anyways, the content of the story was amazing but there were some scenes, especially on the first few chapters that was just not attention-grabbing. It would really spoil the story, the book itself, to it's potential readers. A little bit of retouch probably won't hurt.
Overall, a little on the side of weird and creepy, horror-ish as others have referred it, it's not a book for everyone who easily gets bored and iffed reading a main character being so naive and dumb-ish. But that's just the appeal of the character once you really get into the story. He's gullible but that's just because he's quite socially akward.
The ending though was not one that I expected. It's actually a swift turn of event that blindsided me, but it adds character to the story.
**I received an Advance Reader Copy thru #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rise of the Hearts is one huge creepy and weird story. The story started off with a guy named Nate and he's a certified nerd who jas been bullied all through out his childhood. Nate has a sister, Kim, and a neglectful mother. With everything that he's been through, the hero has been accepting of his circumstances in life, be it with friendship especially his love life that's actually, NADA. ZILCH. ZERO. But that has been okay with him because he has his younger sister with him, his champion. But everything changes from boring to full tilt one day.
"I'm not sure what I’m jotting down, but I feel my hand moving. In the middle of a nod, I’ve drawn a pink heart on my paper. I sit in my seat , confused, trying to figure out where I even got a pink pen from."
From that day onwards, something slowly changes in his life. And he's left to deal with all of it because even Nate himself can't explain what's been happening.
Truth be told, I quite had a fun time reading this. I eventually conmected with the main character and I kind of symphatize him. But I was not, and I say I wasn't really keen on the first few chapters of this book. I understand that this is just a rough draft and everything else is yet to be edited and I'm really hoping for that. This book has quite a potential to make it because it's entertaining enough especially towards the final chapters that I am glad I finished this. Reading this was like watching a dumb movie. You know it's kind of stupid but hey, you're still enjoying yourself, so why quit? Hope you catch my drift.
Anyways, the content of the story was amazing but there were some scenes, especially on the first few chapters that was just not attention-grabbing. It would really spoil the story, the book itself, to it's potential readers. A little bit of retouch probably won't hurt.
Overall, a little on the side of weird and creepy, horror-ish as others have referred it, it's not a book for everyone who easily gets bored and iffed reading a main character being so naive and dumb-ish. But that's just the appeal of the character once you really get into the story. He's gullible but that's just because he's quite socially akward.
The ending though was not one that I expected. It's actually a swift turn of event that blindsided me, but it adds character to the story.
**I received an Advance Reader Copy thru #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2018
Netgalley had a way of making this book sound so interesting in theory but in all honesty I couldn't read past the 4th chapter. Since I was unable i can't say much about the plot line, characters or overall theme of the story but none of that matters because the writing is terrible... like painfully awkward to read, terrible.
It reads as if it was written by a sociallly inept teenage boy who's never talked to a girl in his life. Dialogue between characters seemed really unnatural and forced like someone was writing a spoof but its sad because they were being dead serious. It was so unbearably uncomfortable.
Do yourself a favor and don't even try to read this, its too cringeworthy and painful. I'm not trying to be mean and I'd feel terrible if the author read this but at the same time I need to be honest and save my fellow book lovers some time.
There is no structure or flow or effort put into this book. Every sentence is an action of what the character is doing or thinking, there is no descriptive language, no explanations of motive no substance--NOTHING. Its just " I thought this, then I did that, then she said this, then i walked here, then....so on and so forth.
If you don't want to heed my warning and are still up for trying to read this disaster for yourself, good luck and have fun cringing with every sentence.
You've been warned!
It reads as if it was written by a sociallly inept teenage boy who's never talked to a girl in his life. Dialogue between characters seemed really unnatural and forced like someone was writing a spoof but its sad because they were being dead serious. It was so unbearably uncomfortable.
Do yourself a favor and don't even try to read this, its too cringeworthy and painful. I'm not trying to be mean and I'd feel terrible if the author read this but at the same time I need to be honest and save my fellow book lovers some time.
There is no structure or flow or effort put into this book. Every sentence is an action of what the character is doing or thinking, there is no descriptive language, no explanations of motive no substance--NOTHING. Its just " I thought this, then I did that, then she said this, then i walked here, then....so on and so forth.
If you don't want to heed my warning and are still up for trying to read this disaster for yourself, good luck and have fun cringing with every sentence.
You've been warned!
March 18, 2018
This is a NetGalley book.
I had a hard time getting into this one. The start of the book was her slow and seem to drag for me. Nothing interesting was happening. Nathaniel is the main character. He has a sister, Kim and his mom. They all live in the same home. Nathaniel is in college and is extremely gullible. He falls for any sob story a pretty girl tells him. Any "friend" he thinks he has just wants to use or manipulate him. His younger sister protected him from his high school bullies! He is the most naively trusting person. He had one person who he really liked, Treah, and he's pretty sure she felt the same, but he was to shy to find out before she moved away. Nathaniel keeps seeing eyes with pink hearts, he thinks he might be loosing his mind. He thinks maybe those pink hearts stop bad things from happening, he might be going crazy!
I think this book was well written. The story and concept were original. The characters were all quite different.
I think Nate was a bit to gullible to be believable. I would have liked to known more about Treah, like what she is. I didn't like the ending.
This book has it's good points and bass, but worth the read in my opinion.
I had a hard time getting into this one. The start of the book was her slow and seem to drag for me. Nothing interesting was happening. Nathaniel is the main character. He has a sister, Kim and his mom. They all live in the same home. Nathaniel is in college and is extremely gullible. He falls for any sob story a pretty girl tells him. Any "friend" he thinks he has just wants to use or manipulate him. His younger sister protected him from his high school bullies! He is the most naively trusting person. He had one person who he really liked, Treah, and he's pretty sure she felt the same, but he was to shy to find out before she moved away. Nathaniel keeps seeing eyes with pink hearts, he thinks he might be loosing his mind. He thinks maybe those pink hearts stop bad things from happening, he might be going crazy!
I think this book was well written. The story and concept were original. The characters were all quite different.
I think Nate was a bit to gullible to be believable. I would have liked to known more about Treah, like what she is. I didn't like the ending.
This book has it's good points and bass, but worth the read in my opinion.
January 31, 2019
I am having a difficult time writing a review for Rise of the Hearts by Antoine Bonner. The premise of this book is not new but the summary was worded well enough that I was looking forward to reading it. The cover caught my eye and made me want to read it even more.
Unfortunately, it was a challenge to finish it.
I did not relate to or care about any of the characters. The story did not flow well. I had trouble following the story and was confused about what was going on. I reread sections to see if I could figure out the story. I was never able to follow the plot.
This is NOT a young adult (YA) book. Based on the description, I had mistakenly thought it was appropriate for younger readers. It is not and it is marketed as an adult book. There are several passages that are not appropriate for young adults.
The book was only 198 pages. I was not very far in when I was considering stopping. I continued and struggled through the entire book. On the last few pages I allowed myself to just skim it because I was so lost.
Unfortunately, it was a challenge to finish it.
I did not relate to or care about any of the characters. The story did not flow well. I had trouble following the story and was confused about what was going on. I reread sections to see if I could figure out the story. I was never able to follow the plot.
This is NOT a young adult (YA) book. Based on the description, I had mistakenly thought it was appropriate for younger readers. It is not and it is marketed as an adult book. There are several passages that are not appropriate for young adults.
The book was only 198 pages. I was not very far in when I was considering stopping. I continued and struggled through the entire book. On the last few pages I allowed myself to just skim it because I was so lost.
June 8, 2019
This was one of the first books read from NetGalley. I didn't feel comfortable about reviewing it because I didn't want to be mean. I feel that the author is young and has potential but the editor should have maybe worked with him more and talked to him more before publishing this. I think if people around him had given him honest critiques and serious pointers he could have started over and came up with a whole different book that would have been better. I hope he continues writing and gets the solid support to direct his creativity to actually open up and gain more substance and expand. This read like a teenage boys runaway fantasy and we were along for the ride. It was uneven and the ending was both anticlimactic. The main character is not appealing enough and too self absorbed to really care for and the stipulations of him keeping his newfound gifts were on the rather extreme side. I made myself finish it because I felt there would be some redemption further on, which i didn't really find.
March 18, 2018
My thanks go out to #netgalley for allowing me to read and review this unique and wonderful story by Antoine Bonner. By the time I got to page 5, I was hooked and could not put it down. This is the story of Nathaniel, or Nate as he is later known. He is 21, a freshman in college, and has never had luck with the ladies. When he gets the opportunity to get the money, popularity and strength he never had, the cost to his sanity may be too high.
.
This novel is classified a horror, but Bonner's writing defies definition. There is some horror, some psychological thriller, supernatural, romance and a healthy helping of YA angst thrown in. This recipe created a novel that will have the reader going through the entire gamut of emotions: happy for Nate and Amanda, sorrow for Kim, anger at Elijah, perhaps even some confusion. At the end, you will feel joy for having read a new young author with a limitless future.
.
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
.
This novel is classified a horror, but Bonner's writing defies definition. There is some horror, some psychological thriller, supernatural, romance and a healthy helping of YA angst thrown in. This recipe created a novel that will have the reader going through the entire gamut of emotions: happy for Nate and Amanda, sorrow for Kim, anger at Elijah, perhaps even some confusion. At the end, you will feel joy for having read a new young author with a limitless future.
.
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
April 18, 2018
I have to be totally honest, this book was not good. I did not finish it. The premise sounded good, I love to read YA novels, but the writing for me was not great.
Even for a YA book this felt incredibly juvenile and a bit all over the place. There were so many events happening all at once, with not one pause of breath when jumping from one ridiculous story to another. It felt like the book was written in one big rush.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters, let alone enjoy them. I'm still struggling to understand what the plot actually was. I left this book at 43% in as I just couldn't spend anymore time reading something I had no love for. But I tried hard to get into it, I just couldn't.
I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Even for a YA book this felt incredibly juvenile and a bit all over the place. There were so many events happening all at once, with not one pause of breath when jumping from one ridiculous story to another. It felt like the book was written in one big rush.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters, let alone enjoy them. I'm still struggling to understand what the plot actually was. I left this book at 43% in as I just couldn't spend anymore time reading something I had no love for. But I tried hard to get into it, I just couldn't.
I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2018
I love the cover for this book. I was really pulled in and intrigued. Sadly, the book didn't live up to the cover.
Nathaniel starts college after being an outcast. After falling asleep in class, he realizes that girls actually like him. But this magic is also dangerous.
I love absurd comedy like Christopher Moore, but this book is just absurd without being funny. Nothing makes any sense and the story is never pulled together. I don't even know why anything happened. There was some great potential here but characters were flat and often didn't really add to the plot. The story seems to ramble, but it had been tightened and a true mythology added, this could have been a good story.
I received an ARC through NetGalley; all opinions are my own.
Nathaniel starts college after being an outcast. After falling asleep in class, he realizes that girls actually like him. But this magic is also dangerous.
I love absurd comedy like Christopher Moore, but this book is just absurd without being funny. Nothing makes any sense and the story is never pulled together. I don't even know why anything happened. There was some great potential here but characters were flat and often didn't really add to the plot. The story seems to ramble, but it had been tightened and a true mythology added, this could have been a good story.
I received an ARC through NetGalley; all opinions are my own.
June 19, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for my candid review.
This book is a mash up of an adolescent teen boy's wet dream, coupled with a slasher movie, and set in a supernatural world. And I honestly don't know what the author's point was. I know that I am supposed to start with something positive about the book, so.....I finished it. That is about the best that I can do.
It is written in an extremely amateurish, voyeuristic style of writing, with graphic, meaningless violence and unbelievable characters.
In good conscience, I cannot recommend it to anyone. I really deserves a zero.
This book is a mash up of an adolescent teen boy's wet dream, coupled with a slasher movie, and set in a supernatural world. And I honestly don't know what the author's point was. I know that I am supposed to start with something positive about the book, so.....I finished it. That is about the best that I can do.
It is written in an extremely amateurish, voyeuristic style of writing, with graphic, meaningless violence and unbelievable characters.
In good conscience, I cannot recommend it to anyone. I really deserves a zero.
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