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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 12, 2021
2 STARS
I read this back in 2020, but it wasn't on goodreads back then, so this review would be short since I don't remember a lot about the plot.
From what I do remember was that, Deactivate was one of the few stories on wattpad that I actually enjoyed. It has a unique format. Instead of a traditional narrative, it uses different media styles like text messages, game interfaces etc. With these, it's an easy and accessible read that you can plough through in one sitting.
I appreciated the idea of the author, taking a dating app and turning it into a whole new different app that could destroy one's life. It's a reflection of our current society and how numerous social media users expose themselves to danger just to gain something for themselves.
But, even with such a unique concept, the author didn't really do anything unique with the twists and reveals, especially at the end. I admit, I did not predict the ending, but it doesn't mean it's an effective one. I've read and watched twists like that so many times already and the moment I read it, my surprise was short-lived.
The characters were nothing new. They were interesting enough for me to follow them, but sometimes their actions were never justified. I like morally grey characters, but make me understand and sympathize with them. I just felt like there were missing pieces here and there.
It was a good book overall. And one of the few that I would actually recommend to people along with Montello High: School of Gangsters and The Rain in España.
I read this back in 2020, but it wasn't on goodreads back then, so this review would be short since I don't remember a lot about the plot.
From what I do remember was that, Deactivate was one of the few stories on wattpad that I actually enjoyed. It has a unique format. Instead of a traditional narrative, it uses different media styles like text messages, game interfaces etc. With these, it's an easy and accessible read that you can plough through in one sitting.
I appreciated the idea of the author, taking a dating app and turning it into a whole new different app that could destroy one's life. It's a reflection of our current society and how numerous social media users expose themselves to danger just to gain something for themselves.
But, even with such a unique concept, the author didn't really do anything unique with the twists and reveals, especially at the end. I admit, I did not predict the ending, but it doesn't mean it's an effective one. I've read and watched twists like that so many times already and the moment I read it, my surprise was short-lived.
The characters were nothing new. They were interesting enough for me to follow them, but sometimes their actions were never justified. I like morally grey characters, but make me understand and sympathize with them. I just felt like there were missing pieces here and there.
It was a good book overall. And one of the few that I would actually recommend to people along with Montello High: School of Gangsters and The Rain in España.
July 3, 2023
(3/5) I MISS MY WATTPAD DAYSSS, but anyway, It was interesting to see this kind of story and concept— especially to Wattpad ph, where all Filipino stories are mostly cliche romance stories.
First of all, I was only gonna give this book 2 stars, but I figured I genuinely enjoyed this book due to the nostalgia of reading local books again, haha… So, I guess that’s 3 stars for this book.
I just randomly found this book in the bookstore, and the introduction intrigued me (that's a lie, I mainly picked this book because of the stunning artwork). I appreciated the idea of this book, it’s a unique concept for me. But, even with a such unique story— the story overall wasn’t good. I predicted almost half of the whole story, although I admit that there were a few parts that I didn’t expect, but that was it. My surprise was short-lived. Additionally, in the first chapter—the moment Colleen made the protagonist download the app, I knew what her character would be.
And, the characters— I had a hard time connecting with them. Especially with Zero, who is our typical Filipino cold boy, good at beating people, and only has a soft spot for you. I did not like him. I don’t understand the characters at all, and that’s probably because the author didn’t let us get to know them.
Overall, the story was predictable, but with many improvements with the story because this has a good concept— it might just get better— and maybe make the plot much better, because the plot twists were so predictable. Also, the characters are just pretty bland and cliche.
First of all, I was only gonna give this book 2 stars, but I figured I genuinely enjoyed this book due to the nostalgia of reading local books again, haha… So, I guess that’s 3 stars for this book.
I just randomly found this book in the bookstore, and the introduction intrigued me (that's a lie, I mainly picked this book because of the stunning artwork). I appreciated the idea of this book, it’s a unique concept for me. But, even with a such unique story— the story overall wasn’t good. I predicted almost half of the whole story, although I admit that there were a few parts that I didn’t expect, but that was it. My surprise was short-lived. Additionally, in the first chapter—the moment Colleen made the protagonist download the app, I knew what her character would be.
And, the characters— I had a hard time connecting with them. Especially with Zero, who is our typical Filipino cold boy, good at beating people, and only has a soft spot for you. I did not like him. I don’t understand the characters at all, and that’s probably because the author didn’t let us get to know them.
Overall, the story was predictable, but with many improvements with the story because this has a good concept— it might just get better— and maybe make the plot much better, because the plot twists were so predictable. Also, the characters are just pretty bland and cliche.
July 28, 2021
Interesting premise, subpar characters.
To be fair, this was written way back 2017, at medyo nagsisimula pa lang ang author sa pagsusulat. Back then, ang story niya ang nag-push sa akin as a writer to think outside the box and to use unique ideas.
But sadly, (and I learned this the hard way), a unique plot simply isn't enough. Gusto ko ang premise niya with the app and chatroom. It employed an epistolary style since mostly digital ang mga scenes. Medyo similar sa Nerve but without the money. Unique siya for using a dating app and making it different and dangerous in a sense na it could cost them their lives and their morals.
In the Wattpad landscape, the story was a breath of fresh air and it inspired many to do "glitch-type" stories as well. It was thrilling. It was dark. It was twisted.
However, I had a hard time connecting with the characters.
Hindi gaanong na-flesh out ang personality and motivations ng two main characters. This is unfortunate. Characters ang nagbubuhat sa isang kuwento. Sino ba sila bilang tao? Natapos na ang story, pero hindi ko pa rin sila kilala. They merely existed just to experience all the thrills brought by the app, and of course, para ma-in love sa isa't isa.
Nakulangan din ako sa romance aspect ng story kasi ambilis nilang nagkaroon ng pakialam sa isa't isa/na-inlove. Another problem ng mga stories na sinisingitan ng romance kahit na hindi romance ang genre. There's no chemistry whatsoever. Nagiging one-dimensional ang dating ni Zero dahil isa na naman siyang classic male lead na cold, magaling makipag-away, but for some reason ay selfless at gagawin ang lahat para sa female lead. I literally rolled my eyes when they said they care so much for each other.
It was nice though. And it's important to note that the author's latest works have improved drastically compared to Deactivate. If you want to consume something thrilling in one sitting, this is a nice read. But don't expect too much.
To be fair, this was written way back 2017, at medyo nagsisimula pa lang ang author sa pagsusulat. Back then, ang story niya ang nag-push sa akin as a writer to think outside the box and to use unique ideas.
But sadly, (and I learned this the hard way), a unique plot simply isn't enough. Gusto ko ang premise niya with the app and chatroom. It employed an epistolary style since mostly digital ang mga scenes. Medyo similar sa Nerve but without the money. Unique siya for using a dating app and making it different and dangerous in a sense na it could cost them their lives and their morals.
In the Wattpad landscape, the story was a breath of fresh air and it inspired many to do "glitch-type" stories as well. It was thrilling. It was dark. It was twisted.
However, I had a hard time connecting with the characters.
Hindi gaanong na-flesh out ang personality and motivations ng two main characters. This is unfortunate. Characters ang nagbubuhat sa isang kuwento. Sino ba sila bilang tao? Natapos na ang story, pero hindi ko pa rin sila kilala. They merely existed just to experience all the thrills brought by the app, and of course, para ma-in love sa isa't isa.
Nakulangan din ako sa romance aspect ng story kasi ambilis nilang nagkaroon ng pakialam sa isa't isa/na-inlove. Another problem ng mga stories na sinisingitan ng romance kahit na hindi romance ang genre. There's no chemistry whatsoever. Nagiging one-dimensional ang dating ni Zero dahil isa na naman siyang classic male lead na cold, magaling makipag-away, but for some reason ay selfless at gagawin ang lahat para sa female lead. I literally rolled my eyes when they said they care so much for each other.
It was nice though. And it's important to note that the author's latest works have improved drastically compared to Deactivate. If you want to consume something thrilling in one sitting, this is a nice read. But don't expect too much.
August 6, 2023
4.2/5.0
Okay I need to let my rambling thoughts out.
I think the plot was pretty decent (I just don't know what to say but it's really...) There are times where I just feel like I just want them to kill each other 😭. I don't know how I 'completely' really feel about this book, one comment: THEY'RE CRAZY.
As for the characters, I would say it's complicated. I don't know if I should stay on hating them or think about it. The mc was not that bad though, I kinda don't like the love interest that much tbh. As a Filipino who reads taglish books, I'd say a guy named Zero either has a personality problem, lost or bad relationship with parents, or that guy who says 'f*ck' and goes on a rampage if someone messes with his girl. I've read some books and why do I always encounter this zero guy? (｡ŏ_ŏ)
I gave it a 4 cause it was sooo fast paced, very easy to read. It made me become a reader once again (Have not finished a book in my shelf for 1 month. -_-||)
And for the reason why I gave it a plus .2 is because it has a good/decent ending for a thriller story kind of thing??
Lastly, all I can say is 'read' it, it's not that long, finished it in a day. Good for those who want something short (It has more chat bubbles tbh.) (IT'S A TAGLISH BOOK- Tagalog and English.)
Okay I need to let my rambling thoughts out.
I think the plot was pretty decent (I just don't know what to say but it's really...) There are times where I just feel like I just want them to kill each other 😭. I don't know how I 'completely' really feel about this book, one comment: THEY'RE CRAZY.
As for the characters, I would say it's complicated. I don't know if I should stay on hating them or think about it. The mc was not that bad though, I kinda don't like the love interest that much tbh. As a Filipino who reads taglish books, I'd say a guy named Zero either has a personality problem, lost or bad relationship with parents, or that guy who says 'f*ck' and goes on a rampage if someone messes with his girl. I've read some books and why do I always encounter this zero guy? (｡ŏ_ŏ)
I gave it a 4 cause it was sooo fast paced, very easy to read. It made me become a reader once again (Have not finished a book in my shelf for 1 month. -_-||)
And for the reason why I gave it a plus .2 is because it has a good/decent ending for a thriller story kind of thing??
Lastly, all I can say is 'read' it, it's not that long, finished it in a day. Good for those who want something short (It has more chat bubbles tbh.) (IT'S A TAGLISH BOOK- Tagalog and English.)
October 29, 2022
This story is about a dating app called "Dorrem," and Iris downloaded it because of her best friend. It's like chatting on Omegle, but there's a twist. The longer she used the app, the more dangerous it became and it would risk her life. However, she can't deactivate it. The app won't deactivate.
I actually enjoyed reading this. I read this in one sitting. I love the plot twist. It was kind of predictable, but it's still good. I loved the text messages. Some were funny and inspiring (especially on page 11). The missions were thrilling. It makes me want to read more to find out what happened. The main leads need more development and chemistry. The ending felt like a cliffhanger. I would like it if there was a sequel to this. Overall, I recommend this!
I actually enjoyed reading this. I read this in one sitting. I love the plot twist. It was kind of predictable, but it's still good. I loved the text messages. Some were funny and inspiring (especially on page 11). The missions were thrilling. It makes me want to read more to find out what happened. The main leads need more development and chemistry. The ending felt like a cliffhanger. I would like it if there was a sequel to this. Overall, I recommend this!
September 2, 2022
I finished reading Deactivate yesterday and I wish i could read it again for the first time. The plot was superb. Some part of it was predictable and the end wasn't, but it didn't really shock me that much after knowing some part of the plot itself.
I love how a simple dating app can risk someone's life in a short time. It's very realistic too, the players simply portrays the civilization now and how countless people in social media trust apps and other things in it without investigating about it.
I love the writing style too. I love how they added some pictures of the messages, missions and notifications. It made the read short but worth it.
I love how a simple dating app can risk someone's life in a short time. It's very realistic too, the players simply portrays the civilization now and how countless people in social media trust apps and other things in it without investigating about it.
I love the writing style too. I love how they added some pictures of the messages, missions and notifications. It made the read short but worth it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2021
It was interesting to see a novel with this kind of writing style—I enjoyed it! The whole concept was nice. But I felt like there should be many improvements in the story (I wanted for the school management and councils to be involved). And the plot twist was predictable for me. The use of mental illness as a plot twist was pretty boring from me, and the ending was . . . what? The characters were not outstanding, and it felt like they were pretty flat and cliché.
September 14, 2022
naread ko ata siya nung quarantine na, dollhouse yung na discover ko first (but since i finally bought the physical copy, naisip ko hanapin dito sa goodreads at nang masama sa read at marate) anyways, who cares about the writing rating and churvaluness? i enjoy this and dang the rest. i dont know sa last chap lang kung may continuations ba na sequel ganun or wala na. cliffhanger ba yun. i dont know. basta i enjoyed this and became one of my faves.
December 22, 2024
iris is so 2022 me 😭 a little bit of a pick me vibe but i can still stand it 😓 there were times that i'm cringing on zero but it was not that bad 🙌🏻 the plot twist is twisting! i honestly did not expect the ending but it was a good ending 🥹 and colleen??? hello??? she's INSANE 😨 the author did a great job at the kael thing, i really did not expect it 🤯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2024
sure, i like the ending but there are some scenes na cringe. i'm sorry.
July 13, 2025
This is one of the very few books I rated 5 stars. It's fast-paced, gripping, and exciting. Bonus is it's written in Filipino.
Love.
Love.
Read
August 4, 2025my epistolary lover awakening
January 4, 2024
I like the premise of the story: a dating app that turns into a hell. However, this story is also flawed.
It gave us a lot of thrilling scenes, violence, and scenes that make us feel uneasy, but one thing I noticed is despite all these, the main character didn't seem to show enough signs of distress, paranoia, anxiety, and other stuff. I feel like it's unrealistic how despite her reputation being tarnished, her getting beaten up, almost getting r'ed, being forced to violence, and other bad stuff, she still acts as if it's just a bad day. This is to also consider that this is not the lifestyle she lives, unlike the leading man who's cold and strong and hot and soft for her and only her. I mean if I were her, I'm not even going to go out anymore, and she competed on a beauty pageant while all of these are happening.
The characters are not fully fleshed out. The main character doesn't have a strong voice, the leading man is like any other strong cold-hearted man, the antagonists are just mean and nothing else.
Overall, I did enjoy reading. But I also acknowledge that this is not a perfect story.
It gave us a lot of thrilling scenes, violence, and scenes that make us feel uneasy, but one thing I noticed is despite all these, the main character didn't seem to show enough signs of distress, paranoia, anxiety, and other stuff. I feel like it's unrealistic how despite her reputation being tarnished, her getting beaten up, almost getting r'ed, being forced to violence, and other bad stuff, she still acts as if it's just a bad day. This is to also consider that this is not the lifestyle she lives, unlike the leading man who's cold and strong and hot and soft for her and only her. I mean if I were her, I'm not even going to go out anymore, and she competed on a beauty pageant while all of these are happening.
The characters are not fully fleshed out. The main character doesn't have a strong voice, the leading man is like any other strong cold-hearted man, the antagonists are just mean and nothing else.
Overall, I did enjoy reading. But I also acknowledge that this is not a perfect story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2025
gave me goosebumps
April 28, 2022
This book suprised me. So enjoyable and the plot is solid. I somehow predicted the twist but it's still a fun read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews