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Samantha Ostrander

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It's got me

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-19-23

I am hooked. This is a refreshing fun dystopian/paranormal YA series with relatable characters, excellent world building. and gives a burning desire to muscle straight through. Any/all pacing concerns I had in book 1 are nearly gone here, and the world is starting to expand. The FMC is battling her way through an angsty love/hate triangle, while getting more accustomed to her magic and doing her best to evade the ever problematic unholy reign Duo during the Parkour games. She is navigating how to be obediently disobedient, accomplishing her many tasks while remaining on the good side of the (headmaster? warden?) Seor Jensen to ensure she doesn't get thrown in max with a 30 year sentence. That ending slayed me and I'm chomping at the bit for more.

There are some points where I find the fmc's actions towards a potential love interest a bit predatory, considering the extreme inequality between the two. she is trained in defense and martial arts which gives her an obvious physical advantage, so using force to pressure him into ... anything really .. is problematic, which he repeatedly tells her. I usually wouldn't address something like that but this IS a YA series and representing respect and consent is important for the target audience.

Beyond that one point I'm obsessed. Great book.

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I'd recommend

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-18-23

Okay so my thought and feelings about this book have changed several times throughout the duration. Initially I thought it was a little weak and the characters were hard to connect with. As the beginning progressed, I found myself charmed by the MC, and softening to the fmc. She is constantly berated and punished by those in authority unfairly, humiliated, and just generally mistreated. The way it is written made me want to protect her, building the connection that I had been missing.

Throughout the progression, you see various characters do the same, some coming to her defense when they were the very ones causing her distress just a few chapters before. It's a pretty good representation of people in general, and how everyone has the capability to be bad or good, act with malice or compassion. Did I mention the introduction of a second potential love interest that shakes up the story and presents you with that conflict you have all been missing? Yes folks, a good old fashioned love triangle, a trope I LIVE for.

This is a technologically advanced world, with forbidden magic and aggressively imposed authority. It's giving dystopian and I'm excited for more. The author even pokes fun at our infrastructure, noting how silly it is to have roads that can't clear themselves in the snow, something that irritates me for 3 to 4 months every year. I'd give anything for the "glass and lights" they seem to have perfected in this new world. The story is interesting, although it does feel like I've read it before. I won't draw specific comparisons, it's just a deja vu feeling I couldnt shake. It didnt turn me off tho, since a lot of dystopian YA share commonalities. I wish the book was longer, as in flushed out a bit more. The pacing felt off and rushed at times, forcing character development that could have been done a bit more naturally.

With all of that said, this is a great start to a new YA series. It definitely exceeded my expectations for a debut novel and I will 100% be jumping headfirst into the next one.

specific to the narrator - I wish she was able to differentiate between the male and female characters a little better. occasionally the dialogue got a little bit confusing. overall pretty good.

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Story was a 5 star read, narration was horrible

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-19-23

I loved this story. the character building, the foreshadowing, and the story arc were all great. 100% recommend. the narration on the other hand was gross. she clearly had a cold or something and you could HEAR the phlegm in her throat. she was constantly swallowing and it made me want to gag. this narrator would have been a 4 star narrator if not for the disgusting cold. this should be re-recorded. It's a disservice to the author and the book to leave it as is.

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knock off Fifty Shades of Grey

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-07-22

without giving to many spoilers, this. book was just the light beer version of the fifty shades books. practically the exact same, but with rushed character development and such nearly immediate love connection. 🤮

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I've read better

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-20-22

I want to be clear by saying I am not a stranger to this type of genre, dub con/non con/high school bully/torment is something I have read plenty of so that is not what is causing my lower rating. This just wasn't a particularly well written story. The plot was very juvenile, the mc was bullying/torturing the fmc after he was Fred for a crime he suspected her of setting up .... but he was also doing it because she ended him of something horrible he did as a child? The tormenting was more just angsty sexual tension that the fmc was conflicted about enjoying, he forced her virginity from her which she (not really) resisted but also welcomed... idk it just all felt so inconsistent. I have read others like this where an author was able to better express this type of dynamic. Also, side note, this felt like two separate books that were mashed together ... he went from "tormenting" her to this possessive but weirdly endearing love interest... it just didn't vibe properly, left it all feeling disconnected. oh well, better luck next time I suppose.

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Yikes and Yum

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-23-22

Okay guys, here's the thing ... this might be the worst book I have ever read, while also being one of the most interesting stories I have ever heard. Granted, im speaking of the first 3 books together, not just this one. This author is unique in that she has a VERY creative mind, but is lacking the technical skills for execution. Her dialog is very very repetitive, childish in nature, and truly cringeworthy. Its filthy, but in a laughable and uncomfortable way. Some of these characters are supposed to be thousands of years old, but it's impossible to differentiate speech and mannerisms from the 25 year old (and frankly very immature) fmc. A lot of the first book is crude and gratuitous. I'm reading this as a reread before the 4th book release, and I'm honestly not sure how I ever got through this book the first time around. That being said, I'm glad I did. It took a really long time to get past the poor writing and dialog but the story underneath is genius (at least I really hope it maintains its complex genius through the conclusion). This is a TRUE enemies to lovers story and the "touch her and I'll kill you vibes" are off the charts. Knox is someone you HATE throughout the entire damn series (thus far) but somehow you are rooting for him anyway. This isn't even a real miscommunication trope because they both know exactly what's going on, they are just so damn stubborn.

Anyway, the book is BAD but I couldn't put it down and I'm itching for the next installment.

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Much much better

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-24-21

I'm glad I have stuck with this series as long as I have. This is the first book so far that I have truly enjoyed. the character development is a lot better and the story is getting really interesting. I hope the rest are as good as this one.

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Sadly disappointed *mild spoilers*

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-23-21

Much like the first book in this series, the FMC seems to find herself repeatedly as a damsel in distress, despite her constant assurances that she isn't one. Additionally, unlike the many other RH series I have read, the FMC's relationships feel a little forced and sluttier than I hoped for. The only genuine connections I have felt were for the unexpected captor and the nerd who is too polite for his own good, both whom the FMC hasn't been intimate with thus far. I have heard really great things about this series and plan to continue for that reason only, but if the next story doesn't improve I'm afraid I'm going to have to DNF (something I have only done once before in my history of reading).

I like the female narrator but the male narrator is eh. He doesn't differentiate that well, which makes the 6 or 7 male leads he is voicing a bit difficult to tell apart.

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A little underwhelming

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-21-21

This book followed the standard outline for an initial book in a reverse harem series, including 5 guys: the stuffy leader, the oversized macho man, the flirt, the nerd, and the one who pretends he isnt interested. It's also action packed with hints of supernatural that aren't thoroughly addressed until the very end. Unfortunately the portions of the story that were supposed to be the climax were .. well .. a little anticlimactic. I would have liked to see them better worked out.

The relationships were a little forced and rushed, the action scenes fell a bit flat, and the end didn't really leave me wanting to continue on. I have heard really great things about this series so I'll be continuing, I hope it works itself out in the upcoming book.

Side note: the female narrator was good but overacted a little bit. Overall I enjoyed her performance. The male narrator wasn't my favorite, not differentiating between characters very well which is interesting since the author built in accents that should have helped him out.

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Drive Audiobook By Kate Stewart cover art

Easiest 5 stars I have given in a while

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-19-21

"Take any song from the Rolodex of your life and you can pin it to a memory. It translates, resonates, and there it will remain."

This book was an unexpected treat. The story follows Stella, a young aspiring entertainment journalist and her journey of love, passion, and self discovery via specific song induced flashbacks. While she drives across the country, each chapter is a new memory, triggered by a different song on her Playlist. As the story plays out, Stella takes you through the major milestones of her young life, ultimately leading to the her happily ever after. I found her journey to be anything but predictable, leaving me guessing the outcome from beginning to end. I changed my expectations countless times and was not disappointed at the conclusion.

The quality of writing and the narration was great as well. This is getting a very well deserved 5 stars.

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