So, this book was a bit of a wild ride. In some respects I enjoyed it more than the first book and in some less. I enjoyed the development of the characters and introduction of the new characters. Some times I got a bit lost. I felt there was a lot more info dumping about society in this book and I had to go back and read a second time. Then there was the ending, it left me scratching my head. What happened to the two so desperate to be together? They just suddenly walked away without a fight or even a goodbye. I lost faith in the main female character because even though she didn't give in, I found her fickle and and uncommitted. A lot of what happened wasn't explained at all and left the reader completely hanging.
I still gave it three stars because I did enjoy reading it despite the above and I enjoyed Ky's POV. I expect more from the next book. I expect, given the strength of the first book, all questions will be answered.
Wow! I actually finished this several days ago but I needed to let it sit before reviewing.This book is heartfelt and heart wrenching. It's a powerful piece of writing, filled with the complex and diverse characters I have come to expect from Jennifer Lane. At times, I honestly felt like shouting and other times I cried, real fat tears, complete with red face and running make-up.
The book centers on three families and how abuse, both physical and mental, carries through and affects each of them. Then in turn, spreads out like a stain to touch anyone who comes in contact with the abuser either directly or indirectly. There were times where the story highlights how there isn't always a hero to come rushing in and sweeping the bad guy away, sometimes people need to battle through and create their own happy ending of some kind.
A love story with a basis in harsh reality. I highly recommend this book for older teens and adults.
I read a lot about this book before I read it. It took me a while to get to it and I was glad to move onto the second book straight away. I really enjoyed the world building. It was a complex society that still reminded me of the present in some respects. I enjoyed how information was paced, allowing the reader to absorb aspects the world building a little at a time. It sort of reminded me a little of 'Logan's run' in the beginning. I half expected there to be no old people at all. I'm glad it was at least one thing this society recognized, the value of age, even if they curtailed experience.
Over all, a very enjoyable read. Slight cliff ending, I don't think it would be possible to read this book as a stand alone as with some books at the beginning of a series. This didn't bother me too much since I wanted to know more about the characters anyway.
ETA: On second reading I'm bumping this up to four star. I am still digesting it. The opening pages were so familiar that I couldn't get over the feeling I've read them before. Which was bizarre since I'm positive I haven't. Anyway, as I moved along I got caught up in the story. I did enjoy it very much until right at the end. After the games I felt it became very rushed as if it was a sudden need to get to the next book. Maybe it was intentional to show the head spinning drop back into the real world for the main characters. It did leave me feeling a little dissatisfied and I'm glad I have the next book here to move on to straight away. I think if I had to wait for the next installment I wouldn't have kept reading.
An excellent book, not quite as good as the first. Evie was a little whiny. Still, a great read and I'm looking forward to the next one.
I enjoyed this book and the combination of the different paranormals. It sucked me in early on and held my interest right to the very end. A great read.
I wanted to love this book, I really did. I've been doing a lot of reading on Jack the Ripper and Victorian London and thought I would sink right into it. It didn't happen. Basically it took me almost a month to get through because I couldn't get into it at all. I gave it 3 stars because I was glad I stuck with it and enjoyed the end scenes. I also found the details of history and the area excellent. I plan to keep reading the series. That's just my personal preference and I probably ruined it for myself by reading while reading non-fiction on the same subject. I would still recommend to others as I think there are lots of people who would love it.
After I read a few reviews comparing this to The Hunger Games, I was expecting something different to what I got. The training is similar but I didn't find many more similarities than that. I consumed this book in one day. A great read for those who love kick-ass female leads with heart.
I seem to be on another run of good luck with books I pick up to read. The world building in Open Minds was wonderful. From the first page, I felt as if I'd been picked up and dropped into the future. It is our world but everything ,including the people, is more advanced... well sort of. Human nature hasn't changed much. Teens still want to fit in, there is still bullies and the hotties guys in High School. There is still the very human fear of what we don't understand.
The author has done a wonderful job. I wasn't sure how it would work in the beginning. Where's the element of surprise when everyone is reading minds? Susan Kaye Quinn created a fantastic read from first to last page. I can't wait for the next in the series.
I enjoyed Carrier of the Mark very much. I found it had a very authentic Irish voice as a book set in Ireland, something a little lacking from a few other YAs I've read. I admit, as an Irish person, I'm a stickler for Irish slang and terms for books set here. The writing is beautiful and I found myself swept away in many of the descriptions. I love descriptive writing and this author certainly did a great job at placing me, as a reader, in the story helping me visualize the special talents of the characters.
I found the mythology complicated at times and needed to re-read a few places to get it straight in my head. Complicated is by no means bad, I like complicated and I'm interested to see where it goes. Many reviews have talked about the similarities to Twilight, sadly that's par for the course with YA. It seems every book gets compared to other books. Yes, there were similarities, the book follows girl meets boy, throw in supernatural element and some conflict. That's not unique to Twilight. There were enough differences to allow this book to stand apart from other YAs I've read and I'm looking forward to seeing where Leigh Fallon takes this story and her unique take on traditional Irish mythology.
I'm giving 4stars. I was leaning to 5 but I do feel there is much more to this story and we have barely scratched the surface, I'm looking forward to more.
Amazing. I started reading last night and planned to read only one chapter. I ended up reading straight through the night. Debra Anastasia is a masterful wordsmith. She has a way of sucking the reader deeply into the story and leaving them panting for more. I can't wait to read anything else this author puts out.
 - Jess Bowen)
My second time reading this book. As a non-believer reading about Saints may not seem an obvious multiple reading choice to some. For a long time I've been fascinated by St. Augustine, his struggles and his thoughts on time, evolution and the Bible. This is the type of book to read slowly and mull over. There's quite a bit to absorb but I'm glad to say it was no less interesting this time round.
