Hey there everyone, I skipped last week’s update so I’m going to mix it in with this week’s one. I didn’t have much progress last week (or this week, for that matter) but here is how much I’ve read so far:
So, in these two weeks, I read 1 book for the challenge, so it puts me at 32/52. (Week 1: 5 books, Week 2: 4 books, Week 3: 7 books, Week 4: 3 books, Week 5: 9, Week 6: 3) Yeah… not the progress I was looking for. In my defence, I was reading other books. But still. I’m aiming to finish more Popsugar challenge books this week and afterwards. Obviously I’m going to need more time than my planned goal of approximately end of June/start of July, but oh well. Fingers crossed!
A book with more than 500 pages: Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern
Published: March 1st 2003 (Originally published in 1813)
Synopsis/Blurb from Goodreads:
Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work “her own darling child” and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, “as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print.” The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen’s radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.
This review should’ve been posted way before, but for some reason never was. Somehow I completely forgot I had already written this review and remembered about this as I was searching through my finished drafts. So without further ado, my review on Pride and Prejudice! (Note: This is written in the same format as usual, and I will not be ANALYZING this book. It is simply a review judged by my Review Policy.
So, I’ve never been big on classics, I’ll admit that. However when I first read Pride and Prejudice (in middle school I believe, Grade 6 or around that time) I really started getting into classics. When I started being assigned classics in high school my interest in classics grew further, and so did my love for Pride and Prejudice. As I read it for the Popsugar challenge once again, my feelings didn’t change.Read More »
Reality TV meets a chillingly realistic version of America—and the fame game is on!
Amy had dreams of going to college, until the Collapse destroyed the economy and her future. Now she is desperate for any job that will help support her terminally ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. When she finds herself in the running for a slot on a new reality TV show, she signs on the dotted line, despite her misgivings. And she’s right to have them. TLN’s Who Knows People, Baby—You? has an irresistible premise: correctly predict what the teenage cast will do in a crisis and win millions. But the network has pulled strings to make it work, using everything from 24/7 hidden cameras to life-threatening technology to flat-out rigging. Worse, every time the ratings slip, TLN ups the ante. Soon Amy is fighting for her life—on and off camera.
Hey there! Glad I’m finally reviewing this. I finished this sooner, but hadn’t gotten the chance to review it yet, but I got some time now so here I go!
I had this on my TBR list and started reading it a bit before I officially started the Popsugar Challenge. I finished it after a few days of my challenge, and let me just say this: It was a disappointment. A flop. As you can see from my rating, this wasn’t the best book I’ve read. I had such high hopes for this one, but it just didn’t click for me.
The only reason it does not have a 2 star or even 1.5 star rating was because I was able to finish the book without hating it, as well as the writing style helped make the book more enjoyable. It was only afterwards where my opinions changed.
Quick Summary
Our protagonist, Amy, would’ve had a comfortable life if it wasn’t for the Collapse. Now she’s desperate to keep up with financial problems while taking care of her younger sister and sickly grandmother. When she gets the chance for good pay with medical benefits by being in the running for the new TV show Who Knows People, Baby–You?, Amy is quick to audition, ignoring her misgivings. When Amy ends up being one of the people starring in the show, she realizes the show isn’t as fun and simple as it seems when her life (and the lives of the people with her) is put in jeopardy.
Plot
So starting with the plot. The concept itself was really interesting, however Nancy Kress made it fall flat. I mean, it was a super cool story line, with the whole TV show risking lives, and the Hunger Games-ish idea, but Nancy Kress just wasn’t able to pull it off.
The main point of the story is about how the TV producers are risking the lives of Amy and the other stars on the show for the sake of having good ratings from viewers. The problem however is that while there were a few scenes where it was interesting, the actual ‘flash point’ or, climax kind of flopped. It reminded me a bit of The Maze Runner, except done worse.
Another thing that added to that problem is that although in the synopsis it is said that every time the ratings slipped, the TV producers ‘up the ante’ of the scenes the stars go through, really, the scenes weren’t all that great, to be honest. There were maybe a few select scenarios that were decent and mostly interesting, but not that many.
And finally, the last problem I had with the plot is the unnecessary and confusing ‘phantoms.’ Apparently Amy is some kind of clairvoyant, and gets these ‘phantoms’ that lets her see through the scenarios set up by the producers?For something so crucial (or so Kress makes it seem) to the story, you’d expect an explanation. The true story of what was happening to Amy in those moments was not explained at all throughout the entire book, and that really annoyed and frustrated me.
Overall, there were some parts I enjoyed, such as a couple of plot twists, but the plot definitely did not live up to its full potential.
Characters
To be honest, most of the characters were pretty predictable, save for a couple which goes back to the plot twist I mentioned above. Most of the people I thought were kind of useless and bothersome. Amy herself I found annoying, someone who I couldn’t relate with at all. She came off as a bit whiny at times, easily falls for a pretty face, and although she’s supposed to be all smart and everything, the very first couple of decisions she made sucked. Overall, I didn’t find Amy that enjoyable, and she definitely wasn’t a strong female lead like I was hoping for. I don’t specifically hate her, but I’m not her biggest fan, that’s for sure.
There is some romance in here, or at least a love triangle. I’m usually fine with love triangles as long as they’re done well. Sadly, this was not done all that well. I honestly did not care for either of the interests much, especially not for the one Amy first thought herself to be in love with (the pretty face). It was so obvious who actually likes her and who has more common interest with her, that I literally felt like shaking Amy to tell her to wake up.
Writing Style
The writing style wasn’t phenomenal, however it was quite enjoyable. The writing style is one of the main things that made me decide on a 2.5 stars rating instead of something lower. It flowed nicely, and was descriptive enough when need be. Note: there is swearing multiple times. That bothered me, as it was unnecessary to use such language, however I did my best to simply ignore it.
Overall, I don’t particularly recommend this book. If you’ve read Nancy Kress’s other works and are interested in this, then by all means try it out. I actually would love to hear your opinions on it! Perhaps it will shape my perspective into a more favorable opinion.
Not that hungry? I understand, this review isn’t increasing you appetite, is it? But if you are hungry, go eat it! I’d love to hear what you think of its taste.
Hey there, this is just a quick post about the 2015 Popsugar Reading Challenge which I recently started. First of all, a huge thanks to the bloggers who cleared my confusion and contributed to having most of the spots on my list filled:
You guys helped a lot, and I hope you know that! ❤ If you already haven’t, check out the blogs of these amazing people! You won’t regret it.
Secondly, there are still a few spots that are still empty and are up for any of your suggestions! I posted a page with the list of books that you can check out HERE. Please check it out and comment your book suggestions thoughts either on that page or this post! I’d love to hear from you.
Oh, and a quick question: For ‘A book based entirely on its cover’ does that imply about how I chose to read it because its cover appealed to me? Or does it mean that we choose a book whose story is based on the cover, if there’s even such book like that (if anything it would be the cover based on the book…)?
Before the curse, there was a promise. A prequel to the bestselling Tiger’s Curse series, this much anticipated novella recalls the beginning of Ren and Kishan’s story. Before Kelsey there was a girl, raised by a villain, whose love for a hero changed the course of history.
Trapped under the thumb of her abusive and powerful father Lokesh, Yesubai struggles to keep her own magical abilities secret while evading his dark powers. When Lokesh promises Yesubai to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, she becomes the central pawn in his plot to destroy the ruling family and take power for himself. Yesubai is trapped by her father’s threats and desperate to protect the man she comes to love, but she knows that any decision she makes will have dire consequences. As dark forces gather around her, Yesubai must decide if she’s willing to reveal that somewhere deep within her she has the power to change everything.
My reading for the Popsugar Reading Challenge has begun! So, one of the requirements for the challenge is ‘A book set in a different country’. The book, or more accurately, the novella I’ve chosen for this one is Tiger’s Promise by Colleen Houck. Thanks to the wonderful bloggers who answered my questions surrounding novellas and re-reads! I wasn’t sure whether novellas or re-reads count, but I am now assured they do. 🙂 Read More »
When it comes to these type of things, I like to have things ready in advanced, so I’ve been trying to come up with books that apply to the requirements. I’ll be soon posting my choices. But first, I need your help! (Yes, I know that sounded like Dora the Explorer :))
I have a few questions that I’m hoping you, my fellow bloggers, will be able to answer! They are the following:
1. If there’s a novella that fulfills a requirement, does that count? Or does it have to be an actual book?
2. Do the books I read for the challenge have to be books I’ve never read, or are re-reads eligible?
3. For ‘A book that takes place in your hometown’ does the word hometown in that context refer to the town you were born in, or the town you were raised in? I searched Google, but I’m still at confusion. 🙂
4. I just finished re-reading Stone Cold Touch today, which applies for ‘A book with a love triangle’. Would this book count, although I started it a couple of days before I officially decided to commence this challenge? (This also relates to the second question, as this is not the first time I read this book.)
5. For ‘A book that made you cry’ I need recommendations! I basically NEVER cry while reading books, no matter how sad the scene is! And it’s not because I’m a cruel or heartless person, I swear. I love books and the characters like almost nothing else, but I rarely ever cry. I’ll be feeling heartbroken and everything, but I’m just not able to cry. The one time I had a couple of tears was reading Tiger’s Destiny by Colleen Houck! So please, I really need recommendations!!!
If you have answers to these questions, please comment below! I would greatly appreciate it!
Book Snacks 