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The Last City of Men #1
Imaginations
In the Club of the Unknown, where the music blares and the faces are hidden behind masks, Gwyn meets a boy. Not just any boy, but one she is certain she has met before.
Only that's not possible.
Gwyn lives in the last city of men, where memories are made through repetition and yesterday is forgotten with the reset.
The world has peace, what's left of it anyway. Peace that has been gained through sacrifice.
But as behavioural school ends and Gwyn is sent out into the work force, she discovers that not everyone resets. Not everything is as it seems. The peace they live in is as fake as the masks they wear in the clubs. She starts to see that the walls surrounding the city, to keep the monsters out, might actually be keeping them in.
And maybe the boy she thought she knew, isn't what he appeared to be at all.
Don't miss this exciting new Post-Apocalyptic Romance from the author of the bestselling series The Born Trilogy!
Only that's not possible.
Gwyn lives in the last city of men, where memories are made through repetition and yesterday is forgotten with the reset.
The world has peace, what's left of it anyway. Peace that has been gained through sacrifice.
But as behavioural school ends and Gwyn is sent out into the work force, she discovers that not everyone resets. Not everything is as it seems. The peace they live in is as fake as the masks they wear in the clubs. She starts to see that the walls surrounding the city, to keep the monsters out, might actually be keeping them in.
And maybe the boy she thought she knew, isn't what he appeared to be at all.
Don't miss this exciting new Post-Apocalyptic Romance from the author of the bestselling series The Born Trilogy!
235 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2013
253 people are currently reading
987 people want to read
About the author
Tara Brown
117 books2,378 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Pen names for Tara Brown
- Tara Brown for science fiction and fantasy (primary author name)
- Sophie Starr for darker books
- Amy March for romantic comedies
- A.E. Watson
- T.L. Brown
- Erin Leigh
- Meg Browne
Caution: Author uses multiple pen names on the same book (different releases/editions). GR policy dictates that the name on the first release remain primary on all subsequent releases. The secondary name would be whatever name is on the cover, if different.
Pen names for Tara Brown
- Tara Brown for science fiction and fantasy (primary author name)
- Sophie Starr for darker books
- Amy March for romantic comedies
- A.E. Watson
- T.L. Brown
- Erin Leigh
- Meg Browne
Caution: Author uses multiple pen names on the same book (different releases/editions). GR policy dictates that the name on the first release remain primary on all subsequent releases. The secondary name would be whatever name is on the cover, if different.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
May 7, 2015
This book was hard to rate. Up until about the middle I was sucked in - more like 5 stars. The middle was random and strange in parts, and then the ending was better. So I guess 4 stars? I definitely want to read the sequel and find out what happens.
December 31, 2015
Imagine that every day was a brand new day, you had no memories of what you did yesterday. The only memories you have are those which have been drummed into you for over 3 months, ensuring you retain the knowledge which allows you to 'remember' certain things.
No one is supposed to be able to retain information from day to day, their brains are 'reset' as they sleep each night. The reasoning behind this stems from the belief that if the population doesn't have their imaginations they can't cause problems among their community, and everyone will live in harmony, safe behind a wall which protects them from the destruction caused by man many years before.
Gwyn, however, appears to be different. She has remembered a boy with green eyes, a smell of apple orchards, and a feeling of déjà vu begins to come over her as she continues to see and feel these 'memories'.
This story is a strange one to start with, but once I got more into it i found myself really enjoying it. The way it is written makes it very easy to read.
The reader is seeing the world through Gwyn's eyes, feeling she knows things yet unable to figure out why or how she knows them. We also see the story which Gwyn doesn't remember, as the author takes us through her day to day life, repeating things constantly.
Gwyn's 'boy with the green eyes' is Bran, or Brandon, who appears to like her as they meet within the confines of the Club of the Unknown, and then on the tram to school.
But all is not as it appears. There is a reason Gwyn is remembering things she shouldn't, a reason why Bran wants her to remember these things, and as we find out those reasons the story begins to get a little confusing, and very interesting! This is definitely a story which makes the reader concentrate and think about what they are reading, as Gwyn discovers the truths and lies she has been told her whole life.
What Gwyn finds out changes her life forever, and also the lives of some of her close friends and family. It sends her on a journey which pushes her to the limits, and beyond. She sees things, and does things, she never thought possible.
I normally go into the story a bit more, but in the case of this book I don't want to do that. I haven't read anything like it before and for that reason it is hard to elaborate on the storyline without giving secrets away.
What I will say is that if you give this story a chance you will read something quite unique, quite surprising, the ending of which will leave you desperate for more.
No one is supposed to be able to retain information from day to day, their brains are 'reset' as they sleep each night. The reasoning behind this stems from the belief that if the population doesn't have their imaginations they can't cause problems among their community, and everyone will live in harmony, safe behind a wall which protects them from the destruction caused by man many years before.
Gwyn, however, appears to be different. She has remembered a boy with green eyes, a smell of apple orchards, and a feeling of déjà vu begins to come over her as she continues to see and feel these 'memories'.
This story is a strange one to start with, but once I got more into it i found myself really enjoying it. The way it is written makes it very easy to read.
The reader is seeing the world through Gwyn's eyes, feeling she knows things yet unable to figure out why or how she knows them. We also see the story which Gwyn doesn't remember, as the author takes us through her day to day life, repeating things constantly.
Gwyn's 'boy with the green eyes' is Bran, or Brandon, who appears to like her as they meet within the confines of the Club of the Unknown, and then on the tram to school.
But all is not as it appears. There is a reason Gwyn is remembering things she shouldn't, a reason why Bran wants her to remember these things, and as we find out those reasons the story begins to get a little confusing, and very interesting! This is definitely a story which makes the reader concentrate and think about what they are reading, as Gwyn discovers the truths and lies she has been told her whole life.
What Gwyn finds out changes her life forever, and also the lives of some of her close friends and family. It sends her on a journey which pushes her to the limits, and beyond. She sees things, and does things, she never thought possible.
I normally go into the story a bit more, but in the case of this book I don't want to do that. I haven't read anything like it before and for that reason it is hard to elaborate on the storyline without giving secrets away.
What I will say is that if you give this story a chance you will read something quite unique, quite surprising, the ending of which will leave you desperate for more.
June 25, 2013
TEAM BRAN!
June 23, 2013
What can I say but I love Imaginations!
How can I review without giving away anything??? Let me try =)
Amazingly different, definitely futurist and totally addicting, Tara is my all-time favorite author. Imaginations adds to her long list of incredible books.
Living life day after day, without any memory of the day before, that's the life Gywn leads. But she's always had vivid imaginations of things she's certain have happened.
Green eyes haunt her dreams and quickly become reality and they show her the truth about the world she lives in. Will she accept it and do something about it or will she close her eyes and let sleep claim her?
OH how I wish I had someone to talk to about this amazing start of this series! SO please pick up your copy of Imaginations and let's talk!
How can I review without giving away anything??? Let me try =)
Amazingly different, definitely futurist and totally addicting, Tara is my all-time favorite author. Imaginations adds to her long list of incredible books.
Living life day after day, without any memory of the day before, that's the life Gywn leads. But she's always had vivid imaginations of things she's certain have happened.
Green eyes haunt her dreams and quickly become reality and they show her the truth about the world she lives in. Will she accept it and do something about it or will she close her eyes and let sleep claim her?
OH how I wish I had someone to talk to about this amazing start of this series! SO please pick up your copy of Imaginations and let's talk!
August 31, 2015
Actual Rating: 1.5/5
Holy moly. Was this a book or a train wreck?
Imaginations really doesn't know what it wants to be. Romance, dystopian, post-apocalypse, sci-fi, . To give you a better picture, it's a little bit of Matched, a dash of Possession, and a pinch of , and wah-la! You now have Imaginations!! It honestly is the jack of all trades, except you normally use that phrase with a something that's positive. This.. This isn't positive..
Let me start of with the writing. The writing didn't allow this story to flow. The sentences were very simple and consequently felt choppy. However, ironically enough, I had a hard time getting the full picture as the writing lacked useful details and understandable clarification. The sentence structure in general was a mess. Brown would try to be clever or emotional with wording and such (and sometimes it worked!), but it mostly would end up being confusing and failed. A few examples:
We hadn't been touching much, as he hadn't been touching me much.
.. Thanks for the clarifying how that works.
Our hands were filthy from wiping tears away.
Tell me, please, what are your tears made of? Because mine don't do that..
And goodness gracious, was this proofread before it was released? The grammar, punctuation, and spelling is awful. Folks, the main character's name, Gwyn, was even spelt wrong. Multiple times it was spelt like Gwen rather than Gwyn.
Since I'm on the topic of Gwyn, let me tell you a little about her. I couldn't connect with her and she was all over the place. She'd be defenseless, scared, and cowardly one moment. Then brave, leader-like, and a fighter the next and vis versa. She'd flip flop so often, it was hard to follow and get a clear picture of who she was and what she stood for. I was really disappointed with Gwyn. I felt that she didn't embrace her ability to remember enough, despite the reset. She came across as content to just walk around not knowing anything. When she did learn anything, she would freak out, complain, and wished she knew nothing. *face palm* I understand her fear and brainwashing may factor in on this, but it was still so frustrating to watch. I give her a little credit, since there was a little character development toward the end. She wasn't as annoying. However, that doesn't excuse the fact at throughout most of the book, she irritated me. She was mostly cowardly, a follower, a walking, brainless Barbie doll, and very indecisive. Don't even get me started on her love interests. She flip flopped with that, too. She would lead them both on at the same time, basically, and her feelings changed about these two boys constantly. She led my poor Bran on, but then would choose the creepy, untrustworthy Lyle.
Lyle gave me a sense of creepiness and seemed controlling and manipulative. I didn't trust or believe him. I still don't, even after finishing this book. He just didn't sit well with me and he felt off. Bran, on the other hand, was adorable. He was one of the only reasons I continued on with this book, only to find out he got screwed over majorly and wasn't in it for the last half at all. It was such a shame I didn't get to read and learn more about him. He held much promise, but instead was held back from us.
The other characters unfortunately were held back and fell flat or were plain and uninteresting. Greg, Gwyn's older brother, seemed interesting but there was nothing offered to learn about him. The same with Gwyn's parents, especially her dad. Michael was just an uninteresting, fill-in character. Amber was alright, but she was like Gwyn; a walking, brainless, red-headed version of a Barbie doll, except more extreme.
The plotline was simply drawn by a toddler. It was very jumpy and didn't flow nicely. The plot twist toward the end was ridiculous, an eye-rolling moment, and vague. It was presented to us in such a cheesy way, I think I may have chuckled at it's ridiculousness. The world building was unimpressive, as well. What I learned about this society and what dirty secrets I later learned about said society didn't add up. We're supposedly 200-300 years in the future and what technology and advancements you learn about disappoints. When you add in the little plot twist and secret, you're more disappointed.
Imaginations has an interesting premise and held a lot of promise. But with it's indecisive main character, untrustworthy love interest, jumpy plotline, and disappointing world building, you're left just sitting here. Sitting in your disappointment. Will I read on with this series? No. Just no..
Holy moly. Was this a book or a train wreck?
Imaginations really doesn't know what it wants to be. Romance, dystopian, post-apocalypse, sci-fi, . To give you a better picture, it's a little bit of Matched, a dash of Possession, and a pinch of , and wah-la! You now have Imaginations!! It honestly is the jack of all trades, except you normally use that phrase with a something that's positive. This.. This isn't positive..
Let me start of with the writing. The writing didn't allow this story to flow. The sentences were very simple and consequently felt choppy. However, ironically enough, I had a hard time getting the full picture as the writing lacked useful details and understandable clarification. The sentence structure in general was a mess. Brown would try to be clever or emotional with wording and such (and sometimes it worked!), but it mostly would end up being confusing and failed. A few examples:
We hadn't been touching much, as he hadn't been touching me much.
.. Thanks for the clarifying how that works.
Our hands were filthy from wiping tears away.
Tell me, please, what are your tears made of? Because mine don't do that..
And goodness gracious, was this proofread before it was released? The grammar, punctuation, and spelling is awful. Folks, the main character's name, Gwyn, was even spelt wrong. Multiple times it was spelt like Gwen rather than Gwyn.
Since I'm on the topic of Gwyn, let me tell you a little about her. I couldn't connect with her and she was all over the place. She'd be defenseless, scared, and cowardly one moment. Then brave, leader-like, and a fighter the next and vis versa. She'd flip flop so often, it was hard to follow and get a clear picture of who she was and what she stood for. I was really disappointed with Gwyn. I felt that she didn't embrace her ability to remember enough, despite the reset. She came across as content to just walk around not knowing anything. When she did learn anything, she would freak out, complain, and wished she knew nothing. *face palm* I understand her fear and brainwashing may factor in on this, but it was still so frustrating to watch. I give her a little credit, since there was a little character development toward the end. She wasn't as annoying. However, that doesn't excuse the fact at throughout most of the book, she irritated me. She was mostly cowardly, a follower, a walking, brainless Barbie doll, and very indecisive. Don't even get me started on her love interests. She flip flopped with that, too. She would lead them both on at the same time, basically, and her feelings changed about these two boys constantly. She led my poor Bran on, but then would choose the creepy, untrustworthy Lyle.
Lyle gave me a sense of creepiness and seemed controlling and manipulative. I didn't trust or believe him. I still don't, even after finishing this book. He just didn't sit well with me and he felt off. Bran, on the other hand, was adorable. He was one of the only reasons I continued on with this book, only to find out he got screwed over majorly and wasn't in it for the last half at all. It was such a shame I didn't get to read and learn more about him. He held much promise, but instead was held back from us.
The other characters unfortunately were held back and fell flat or were plain and uninteresting. Greg, Gwyn's older brother, seemed interesting but there was nothing offered to learn about him. The same with Gwyn's parents, especially her dad. Michael was just an uninteresting, fill-in character. Amber was alright, but she was like Gwyn; a walking, brainless, red-headed version of a Barbie doll, except more extreme.
The plotline was simply drawn by a toddler. It was very jumpy and didn't flow nicely. The plot twist toward the end was ridiculous, an eye-rolling moment, and vague. It was presented to us in such a cheesy way, I think I may have chuckled at it's ridiculousness. The world building was unimpressive, as well. What I learned about this society and what dirty secrets I later learned about said society didn't add up. We're supposedly 200-300 years in the future and what technology and advancements you learn about disappoints. When you add in the little plot twist and secret, you're more disappointed.
Imaginations has an interesting premise and held a lot of promise. But with it's indecisive main character, untrustworthy love interest, jumpy plotline, and disappointing world building, you're left just sitting here. Sitting in your disappointment. Will I read on with this series? No. Just no..
May 23, 2015
Oh how I wish I could rate this lower. I am shocked that this is a Tara Brown book. I was obsessed with the Born trilogy-loved every second of it & thought 'how could I go wrong? It's Tara Brown!' I was so so wrong.
This book reads like a teenager wrote it & it's their rough draft, never before edited. It feels so rough & jumbled.. Like ideas thrown together. The premise was so awesome, so full of promise-every day you wake up is a completely new day, every night you fall asleep you 'reset' & forget all the events of that day. HOW COOL. But the book quickly went south. I don't even think you can call it a love triangle? Half the time neither Lyle or Bran even respected Gwyn. & she didn't have her own natural thought in her head, every idea she thought was given to her by someone else. What a wimp of a main character.
The story tried to be every genre of young adult & succeeded in being a hot mess instead. It jumped all over the place & there were never explanations of things-they occurred & you moved on.
This wasn't a story. This was a disappointment & a straight up mess.
NO I do NOT recommend, NO I will NOT read the next book.
This book reads like a teenager wrote it & it's their rough draft, never before edited. It feels so rough & jumbled.. Like ideas thrown together. The premise was so awesome, so full of promise-every day you wake up is a completely new day, every night you fall asleep you 'reset' & forget all the events of that day. HOW COOL. But the book quickly went south. I don't even think you can call it a love triangle? Half the time neither Lyle or Bran even respected Gwyn. & she didn't have her own natural thought in her head, every idea she thought was given to her by someone else. What a wimp of a main character.
The story tried to be every genre of young adult & succeeded in being a hot mess instead. It jumped all over the place & there were never explanations of things-they occurred & you moved on.
This wasn't a story. This was a disappointment & a straight up mess.
NO I do NOT recommend, NO I will NOT read the next book.
November 22, 2015
I think I just read a young adult book and loved it. Wow.... What a UNIQUE type of story. By the reviews either people absolutely love this book or hate it. Note to author, You really need to change the book cover on here to the one you have on Amazon). The cover on Amazon is what snagged my attention and made me give your story the one click purchase.
I can't help it but I like weird stuff and this book fits into the weird category in a good way. I have to find out more about the lady in the blue water.
Anyway, in this world the teenagers are told that they are the last people on earth. Every single day they wake up they have no memories of anything that happened in their past, or do they?
they have no real control over their lives and they don't have a clue what goes on outside the walls, or do they?
Everything is not as it seems. I like the touch of mystery to this story and the slight paranormal feel to the story. I'm hoping the heroine ends up having real magic in her.
I'm going to start on the second which is the final book to learn the ending to these peoples story. It's all so strange, and I like it.
I can't help it but I like weird stuff and this book fits into the weird category in a good way. I have to find out more about the lady in the blue water.
Anyway, in this world the teenagers are told that they are the last people on earth. Every single day they wake up they have no memories of anything that happened in their past, or do they?
they have no real control over their lives and they don't have a clue what goes on outside the walls, or do they?
Everything is not as it seems. I like the touch of mystery to this story and the slight paranormal feel to the story. I'm hoping the heroine ends up having real magic in her.
I'm going to start on the second which is the final book to learn the ending to these peoples story. It's all so strange, and I like it.
June 22, 2013
Oh wow!! I thought Born was weird....LOL (I loved Born) :) This book was different on so many levels. It makes you think long and hard about the world we live in. Tara Brown is a talented Author. I love Gwyn's character in this story. She is stuck in a life that she can't remember and in love with 2 different guys. Who will she choose? Bran, with his beautiful green eyes? Or Lyle with his friendship? You have to read this book!!!! The Cliffhanger UGH!!! I need book 2 already!! This is a must read....
June 27, 2015
Great
I read a lot of dystopian style books and the plot for this one is unique. The story was interesting since I read it in one sitting. The author did OK with character development. Since they don't remember the day be for its a lot of repetitive thought in the first half of the book for the main character. Got a little violent in the last quarter and it looks like the sequel will have more. Over all 4* good beach day read. Makes you think what would happen if we forgot yesterday everyday
I read a lot of dystopian style books and the plot for this one is unique. The story was interesting since I read it in one sitting. The author did OK with character development. Since they don't remember the day be for its a lot of repetitive thought in the first half of the book for the main character. Got a little violent in the last quarter and it looks like the sequel will have more. Over all 4* good beach day read. Makes you think what would happen if we forgot yesterday everyday
March 7, 2016
Trying to decide if it's worth my time to detail just how awful this book was. I might add more later, but the one thing sticking out in my mind is the awful sentence choices and structure, e.g., "My friend's face is cut badly and it looks bad." There are several instances of these type of repetitive sentences that you'd expect to see in a middle schooler's story, as well as truly awful syntax that required me to reread certain sentences at least five times to figure out what on earth the author was trying to say.
August 21, 2013
In the interest of full disclosure I will say it took me longer to get into this book than other books by Tara Brown. I stuck with it though and I wasn't disappointed. I really loved Gwen's character and I like how her character developed and changed throughout the story. The plot reminded me a little of the giver a bit but not the the point where I felt I was reading the same book. I'm excited for the next book. Also since we seem to be picking teams, I'm for team Lyle.
June 10, 2014
I like the plot of the story because it is interesting and kept me focused. However there were missing parts that should not have been left out. For example the scene with the river people seemed short and not detailed just sort of glossed over. I see Gwynn going back but what is going to happen with the love triangle. How will she deal with it? The violent aspect is interesting and the situation with Greg and Amber. Just little things that would have made the story more believable.
October 28, 2015
A world where no one remembers their yesterdays, there is no violence, crime, hate, etc. Children go to school and only remember what the school deems important for their history. When they get their jobs they will only remember enough to do their jobs. Sounds perfect doesn't it? Gwyn thinks so until she gets picked for a job, along with her friend Lyle that requires her to maintain her memories.
July 25, 2013
I should have loved it but it just left me feeling meh. I didn't hate it, or dislike it even, I was just eager to finish it. Maybe I've had my fill of dystopian for awhile. That said? I WILL continue with book two, so we'll see.
June 23, 2015
I enjoyed this book but...
I was really flying throw this book until about 70% through and then it started to lag a bit but it picked up at the very end so book two may still be on my radar!
I was really flying throw this book until about 70% through and then it started to lag a bit but it picked up at the very end so book two may still be on my radar!
March 11, 2016
Great book and series! I loved the characters and felt connected to the heroine. After reading this book I couldn't wait to start on the second book. The writing painted such a great picture of this world. Highly recommend!
July 3, 2015
I don't usuaolly write reviews, but I read these first two novels and i beg the author to write more in this serios.
September 18, 2015
This book took me a really long time to get through. I really just wasn't feeling the story until about 3/4s through. I did like the last of the story so I bought the next book.
October 20, 2015
Had the spelling and grammar mistakes been rectified this would've been a 5! I love the topic, the storyline and the characters and I cannot wait to read Duplicities!
November 29, 2015
Definitely not what I expected
I read. A lot. Not many books can surprise me but this one did. I wasn't expecting where the book ended up. Great story.
I read. A lot. Not many books can surprise me but this one did. I wasn't expecting where the book ended up. Great story.
August 1, 2018
Damn another awesome book by Tara. I really think this could be a tv series. This book is that great. I'm starting the second book tomorrow. Or tonight because I really want to know what happens. Btw I'm so #TeamBran and probably others like Lyle which thats cool. But I still think he has way too many secrets. Anyhow In this city everyone is under some kind of med through the water to make you forget what happened yesterday. So basically everyday is a new day. No memories of the days past. The only thing they can remember is how to do their jobs and sometimes family. However some people remember things anyhow, either its in their DNA or they keep a forbidden memory journal. Gywn is a young female who starts to remember the boy with green eyes and she doesnt know why or how? Its forbidden to have memories or imaginations. You are suppose to report those who remember things outside of school, work, family.
Gywn doesn't know why or how she has memories, but when everything she was told is a lie and she learns that she is a pawn in a deadly game things get crazy outside of the city over the wall.
Gywn doesn't know why or how she has memories, but when everything she was told is a lie and she learns that she is a pawn in a deadly game things get crazy outside of the city over the wall.
September 9, 2018
I have to say I enjoyed this book. The premise is unique, and the writing keeps your interest until the end.
That being said, I think it could use a little more editing to make the analogies more clear. I often found them a little redundant or wondering where the comparison came from. The descriptions and dialogue tended to be simplistic, but I think that may have been intentional based on the plot of the story. The memories of the characters were reset on a daily basis, so they had to start every day with new eyes, like a child - interacting and learning their surroundings as if for the first time.
I think this book would make a great movie and has immense potential. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 to see the progression in the writing and the character developments.
That being said, I think it could use a little more editing to make the analogies more clear. I often found them a little redundant or wondering where the comparison came from. The descriptions and dialogue tended to be simplistic, but I think that may have been intentional based on the plot of the story. The memories of the characters were reset on a daily basis, so they had to start every day with new eyes, like a child - interacting and learning their surroundings as if for the first time.
I think this book would make a great movie and has immense potential. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 to see the progression in the writing and the character developments.
October 18, 2020
No Yesterdays
This series must be read in order.This is the first book. I can't wait to read "Duplicates"!
In The Last City Of Man the past has been left behind. No One has any yesterdays. Instead when they go to sleep every night they reset. Only things they have been trained for 6 months to remember make it into their memories. If people were disappearing no-one would know. If the world was ending no-one would know. How can people live without memories? What kind of society would have chosen such an existence? Can the Planners be trusted? What do the Memory Makers do?
***This series is suitable for mature young adult through adult readers who enjoy futuristic dystopian societies set in a post post apocalyptic world :)
This series must be read in order.This is the first book. I can't wait to read "Duplicates"!
In The Last City Of Man the past has been left behind. No One has any yesterdays. Instead when they go to sleep every night they reset. Only things they have been trained for 6 months to remember make it into their memories. If people were disappearing no-one would know. If the world was ending no-one would know. How can people live without memories? What kind of society would have chosen such an existence? Can the Planners be trusted? What do the Memory Makers do?
***This series is suitable for mature young adult through adult readers who enjoy futuristic dystopian societies set in a post post apocalyptic world :)
July 10, 2017
This was a great read and finding out who you are and what you're willing to live with, and what you're not. Even the weakest of characters have the ability to become strong. I cannot wait to continue this series!!
April 2, 2018
#NotWorthIt
June 10, 2018
Quick, interesting read
It starts a little slow but it is worth hanging in there. Overall a really good book. Thanks for writing it!
It starts a little slow but it is worth hanging in there. Overall a really good book. Thanks for writing it!
May 19, 2019
I liked the premise. I hated how it was written. I think it skipped too quickly from one plot to the next and didnt flow well.
April 15, 2020
Some parts I was a little confused but I enjoyed this one a lot. I’m over Bran though. He bugs me. I’m excited to read the second one!
Read
March 15, 2017Can someone please tell me how this ends? Actually, can someone tell me what happens after 32% of the book?
A friend wanted to do a buddy read with this book. She made it to 19%, I made it to 32%. I just can't manage to keep reading.
From the reviews, I see all sorts of weird things are going on. Someone please spoil us and tell us what happens? Thanks.
A friend wanted to do a buddy read with this book. She made it to 19%, I made it to 32%. I just can't manage to keep reading.
From the reviews, I see all sorts of weird things are going on. Someone please spoil us and tell us what happens? Thanks.
May 5, 2015
I'm not sure wtf I'm reading, but this writing is a far cry from the author's "Born" series.
Disney writing
The writing caliber isn't YA. It's more preteen Disney - way too simple; way too stiffly Pollyanna; and way too childish in context, structure, and grammar. Examples...
"It was the strangest hallway ever." "Frank clapped his hands." "I shook my head." "I blinked again." "He was being very forward with me." "I shall ensure my vest matches."I swallowed." "She laughed." "I frowned." "She smiled." "She nodded." "I shook my head." "I will keep you safe." "Don't hurt me."
There are multiple places where the author starts 10 or more sentences in a row with "I." I smiled. I nodded. I looked. I wanted. I thought. I followed. I would also guess that the number of times "nodded" was used would rival the "the" and "I" usages.
Emotions are told with freaking smiles, nods, stomach aches, glittering eyes, etc verses shown within the story and dialogue.
This could've easily been composed by a 12-year-old.
Nonsensical, incongruent writing
The character actions, logic, and words often don't make any sense and just aren't congruent with the rest of the storyline. Example..,
• Major plot point- we are told that society has reset. People live a day, go to bed, and forget the previous day; everyday is a new day and only vital info is retained, and only after constant repeat.
• Storyline - We are then told about a secret, masked club. Students have told their teacher about it (eye roll) and the teacher has helped them retain sparse details about the club so they can continue to go to it once a month.
• Character actions and feelings - Enter or MC and her bf. They're headed to this secret club, decide to back out, then see a couple of friends coming.
"I don't want them to think I'm scared." "Me either."
• Nonsensical - if NO ONE IS GOING TO REMEMBER this shit the next day, then wtf do they care what their friends think?
This is just one example, but nearly every element of the story through the 33% I read has a similar problem with character actions and thoughts being far, far, far out of line with what's supposed to be going on plot wise and incongruent with the world building.
Speaking of world building, I can deal with limited info if that limited info gives me at least some clue as to wtf happened to get the world to it's current state. It can be vague, but it's got to hit the nuts and bolts and be plausible. Here, were just told the world went to shit, a wall was built to keep monsters out, and everyday is a new day to keep all the bad thoughts out. Laughable! I can't care about the characters or wth is happening if I can't fathom how it came to be or even remotely envision their world.
Rough chapter transitions
14% they're at this stupid club. The friend has a spiked drink and is being all but molested by a guy. MCs go outside, & he drops a bomb on the female MC by name dropping her brother and telling her he has been sent to help her.
Why would he ask you to help me? You don't know me." He nodded once. "I owed him for sparing me."
The chapter ends there without her asking questions any sane person would ask, without anyone getting home...nada, nothing!! Then the next chapter skips to the next morning. It's like a time machine that just gives you bits and pieces before fast forwarding. The reader is left feeling lost, incomplete, & highly frustrated.
DNF
I called it quits at 33%. The writing is just bad. The story is boring, grating, & inconsistent. The characters are bland, childish, and just not likable. If the female MC doesn't care about what she sees at the wall, then what act would be required for her to care or have some epiphany that she can't live in lala land any longer?!? Obviously, that must happen at some point, but I'm truly beyond caring. So, I'm done!
Disney writing
The writing caliber isn't YA. It's more preteen Disney - way too simple; way too stiffly Pollyanna; and way too childish in context, structure, and grammar. Examples...
"It was the strangest hallway ever." "Frank clapped his hands." "I shook my head." "I blinked again." "He was being very forward with me." "I shall ensure my vest matches."I swallowed." "She laughed." "I frowned." "She smiled." "She nodded." "I shook my head." "I will keep you safe." "Don't hurt me."
There are multiple places where the author starts 10 or more sentences in a row with "I." I smiled. I nodded. I looked. I wanted. I thought. I followed. I would also guess that the number of times "nodded" was used would rival the "the" and "I" usages.
Emotions are told with freaking smiles, nods, stomach aches, glittering eyes, etc verses shown within the story and dialogue.
This could've easily been composed by a 12-year-old.
Nonsensical, incongruent writing
The character actions, logic, and words often don't make any sense and just aren't congruent with the rest of the storyline. Example..,
• Major plot point- we are told that society has reset. People live a day, go to bed, and forget the previous day; everyday is a new day and only vital info is retained, and only after constant repeat.
• Storyline - We are then told about a secret, masked club. Students have told their teacher about it (eye roll) and the teacher has helped them retain sparse details about the club so they can continue to go to it once a month.
• Character actions and feelings - Enter or MC and her bf. They're headed to this secret club, decide to back out, then see a couple of friends coming.
"I don't want them to think I'm scared." "Me either."
• Nonsensical - if NO ONE IS GOING TO REMEMBER this shit the next day, then wtf do they care what their friends think?
This is just one example, but nearly every element of the story through the 33% I read has a similar problem with character actions and thoughts being far, far, far out of line with what's supposed to be going on plot wise and incongruent with the world building.
Speaking of world building, I can deal with limited info if that limited info gives me at least some clue as to wtf happened to get the world to it's current state. It can be vague, but it's got to hit the nuts and bolts and be plausible. Here, were just told the world went to shit, a wall was built to keep monsters out, and everyday is a new day to keep all the bad thoughts out. Laughable! I can't care about the characters or wth is happening if I can't fathom how it came to be or even remotely envision their world.
Rough chapter transitions
14% they're at this stupid club. The friend has a spiked drink and is being all but molested by a guy. MCs go outside, & he drops a bomb on the female MC by name dropping her brother and telling her he has been sent to help her.
Why would he ask you to help me? You don't know me." He nodded once. "I owed him for sparing me."
The chapter ends there without her asking questions any sane person would ask, without anyone getting home...nada, nothing!! Then the next chapter skips to the next morning. It's like a time machine that just gives you bits and pieces before fast forwarding. The reader is left feeling lost, incomplete, & highly frustrated.
DNF
I called it quits at 33%. The writing is just bad. The story is boring, grating, & inconsistent. The characters are bland, childish, and just not likable. If the female MC doesn't care about what she sees at the wall, then what act would be required for her to care or have some epiphany that she can't live in lala land any longer?!? Obviously, that must happen at some point, but I'm truly beyond caring. So, I'm done!
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