The book was praised so much, and I expected a lot from it. Well, the beginning was good. Then it fizzled out and became boooooooring. I dunno. Maybe The book was praised so much, and I expected a lot from it. Well, the beginning was good. Then it fizzled out and became boooooooring. I dunno. Maybe it's the kind of book teenagers love (I don't think I would when I was a teen). But i really thought I was the only one bothered and disgusted with Ruth/Susie situation. I'm sooooo happy I'm not! I'd hate to live in the world where people justify things like this....more
I don't know under what rock the author found her opinions. Like, in a gay couple one is always "the man", the other is "the bitch" (yep, exactly in tI don't know under what rock the author found her opinions. Like, in a gay couple one is always "the man", the other is "the bitch" (yep, exactly in this terminology). Or, if someone gives you a ride in an expensive car, you gotta put out for that. Or, if someone says "no" to sex, it really means "yes, but I'd like it a little rough". Or, it is not rape if in the end he/she enjoyed it physically. It would be almost funny but it's just too disgusting....more
Ah well, I didn't notice it was a prequel to The Wages of Sin, which I didn't like; I thought it was some new series. Anyway, I didn't like this one eAh well, I didn't notice it was a prequel to The Wages of Sin, which I didn't like; I thought it was some new series. Anyway, I didn't like this one either....more
I'm done, I can't read this book any more, too disgusted. There is so much wrong with this book. Both main characters are extremely unlikable. What BeI'm done, I can't read this book any more, too disgusted. There is so much wrong with this book. Both main characters are extremely unlikable. What Bennett did when they were kids was a betrayal, nothing more nothing less; you can forgive many things but not a thing like this - so his playing a victim, I'm-trying-so-hard-feel-sorry-for-me-poor-Bennett doesn't make me feel sympathetic towards him in the least. On the other hand, I find it disturbing that someone can hold the grudge with such intensity as Xander did - for fifteen years. I mean no matter how it hurt, feelings fade, you can feel nothing to this guy but to hate him as if it happened yesterday - it's kinda OTT. Not to mention that the whole I-hate-you thing suddenly turns into calling him "baby" as soon as they're having sex. And most of all, I can't believe they're doing all that shit in front of the kids! As if they don't know the kids notice everything. Oh well, and then Aiden shames them for that - after he was no better than them, talking dirty all the time, sharing his experiences in fucking Bennett, setting them against each other. All three of them are disgusting. I don't want to see Xander and Bennett happy ever after, I actually want a bear to come and eat both of them. Enough is enough, DNF....more
Gorgeous cover but the book itself is seriously meh. With a blurb like that, you'd expect a lot more passion - but no. Characters have no personality.Gorgeous cover but the book itself is seriously meh. With a blurb like that, you'd expect a lot more passion - but no. Characters have no personality. Everything flat and drab. DNF at 32%....more
I think I'd better DNF it now. I loved two other books by MJ Pearson and I don't want to hate this one. But it is so like many, many other average m/mI think I'd better DNF it now. I loved two other books by MJ Pearson and I don't want to hate this one. But it is so like many, many other average m/m historicals. I guess it is comfortably predictable but I'm not in the mood for this kind of reading right now....more
I knew there was a reason why I tried it before and couldn't get through it even when m/m books were few and far between. It isn't any less mind-numbiI knew there was a reason why I tried it before and couldn't get through it even when m/m books were few and far between. It isn't any less mind-numbingly boring the second time. The writing is so monotone and dense; if it were a real memoir written like that, I'd probably made myself finish it. But as it isn't, I don't have to....more
Whoa, what is it, m/m romance for five-year-olds? Not only everything is delivered in the most elementary way but every thought is repeated until it iWhoa, what is it, m/m romance for five-year-olds? Not only everything is delivered in the most elementary way but every thought is repeated until it is hammered into the reader's head. Yeah, I know it's free. But my time isn't free. Well, DNF....more
I read the first 20% moderately enjoying it. It wasn't great but many fantasy books start slowly, so I was ready to be patient. Then, when it was suppI read the first 20% moderately enjoying it. It wasn't great but many fantasy books start slowly, so I was ready to be patient. Then, when it was supposed to get better, instead it started falling apart. Or maybe I just stopped feeling charitable. I couldn't feel any inner logic in what the characters did. It just seemed they were doing things because the author had a plan for them; and they were doing annoyingly stupid things because, oh well, it wasn't the best thought-out plan. Quite a predictable one, too. I actually cringed at the big "reveal" and everything that followed. All right, it wasn't a bad book. It just... it failed to give me any pleasure while I was reading it. I liked that it was fantasy with m/m element, not the other way round, and I liked (view spoiler)[Emen and Vedek's romance (hide spoiler)]. Everything else - not really :(...more
I forgot I was reading it until I saw it in my "currently-reading" list (two items long). So I picked it up again. But wait, wasn't it about a deaf guI forgot I was reading it until I saw it in my "currently-reading" list (two items long). So I picked it up again. But wait, wasn't it about a deaf guy called Shawn? Not that he was terribly memorable. And now there's this Jordie and he's a mess... what's going on? Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn't like neither first nor second half this book was stitched of. Shawn felt boring, and Jordie felt like... a beggar who grabs your hand and loudly demands your sympathy. And I was particularly not fond of the main character's "voice". There was no moment it felt natural for me, it always grated. But I understand why this book can be liked very much. I just think Z.A.Maxfield is not the right author for me; it's the second book of hers I read and both were a miss for me....more
The blurb sounded so good. All the elements I love. Running away from an abusive lover - great! Finding a new love - yum! A ghost and a mystery from tThe blurb sounded so good. All the elements I love. Running away from an abusive lover - great! Finding a new love - yum! A ghost and a mystery from the past - yes-give-me-more! And it was all there, everything promised, but for some reason the result was... dull. Everything was somehow disappointing. Michael keeps repeating he was in abusive relationship for five years, like, every two paragraphs - maybe because you don't actually see any effects of this abusive relationship at all. It was subtly annoying. It made him sound whiny and I didn't feel like sympathizing with him. And all this drama around Kevin-the-abusive-ex just to fizzle out like this? Why to bother? The new love was as smooth a road as possible. Practically they met, they kissed, everything was awesome. Oh yeah, Trey smokes - that's the extent of the conflict. Perhaps it was all so easy because the focus was meant to be on Cole and Bryan's story. I don't know. I'm not sure. I read similar stories before: where the characters undig a tragedy from the past and help ghosts find their peace. Some of those stories were great; some weren't. When reading this one, all I could think of was "I read similar stories before". Nothing new, nothing deep, nothing memorable for me here. Sorry :( Not impressed....more
I have VERY conflicted feelings about this book. It had such a strong, beautiful, brilliant start. I was sure I would love it beyond words and it woulI have VERY conflicted feelings about this book. It had such a strong, beautiful, brilliant start. I was sure I would love it beyond words and it would be one of the best reads of 2017 for me. The theme of a misfit, oppressed and abused by everyone, suddenly changing and becoming something different and better, triumphing over their enemies - is one of my favorites. And it was so wonderful to watch Geoff's transformation. He was in such a bad place in the beginning of the book and yet such a sympathetic character, I was rooting for him like mad. The nature of his changes was fascinating, too, and the side-effects, and oh, the possibilities they carried for the development of the book! I was looking at how long the book was - and looking forward to it becoming deeper, richer, more intellectually stimulating. So many questions to be asked and answered! What is the price of becoming someone stronger, better, more capable than an average human? How does it affect the one changed? How does the possibility of doing virtually anything without fear of punishment affect a person? Can Seuthers be trusted? His speeches are pretty and sound right but any - ANY - ideas can be wrapped into beautiful and seemingly inarguable words to enlist new recruits for a cause. And how about experimenting on people without warning them about the result, basically lying to them and using them blindly? Oops. It was not the direction the book took. Instead it turned into something that really, really bothered me. I'm not a nice, all-forgiving, turn-the-other-cheek person. 'I spit on your grave' are my favorites movies. I totally rejoice when the evil is punished. But - the evil really must be that: evil. It needs to DESERVE its punishment. And this is where I feel that my understanding of right and wrong is vastly different from the author's. I don't feel a bit of problem reading about pedophiles, child rapists and bombers killed by the "good" guys. They deserve it. But does a person deserve to be killed for voicing his opinion in a private conversation, no matter how ugly this opinion is? Is it all right to kill the sitting protesters because they have some hostile things written on their streamers? I just can't accept the answer the book gives. If you think it is all right to kill a person for having different political views - you yourself are no better than those you call evil. As I was reading this book, with its endless preaching how the bad guys are full of hate to those who are different and spread their hate around, I wanted to yell: but it's exactly what this book is doing! It is so full of hate to those who think differently, it keeps repeating over and over that they don't deserve to live, they can't be redeemed, they don't deserve compassion, they don't have personalities, they are just evil, evil and should be killed. It was very disturbing. I was really struggling with the last third of the book. I was disgusted and lost all the connection with the characters but I wanted to finish it because I hoped... maybe it somehow would turn all right in the end. Maybe all this hatred and murders and the characters' self-righteousness are exactly the question: is there any difference between the so-called "evil" the main characters fight - and them themselves? Aren't they just as evil, cruel, brainwashed and used by someone who just chose prettier words to convince them? Nope, really. That's all was at face value. Seuthers is a genius, he is fighting for saving the Earth, and the main characters are really bringing "love" to this world by killing hordes of people. Actually, there was one thing I loved about this book unquestioningly - it was Geoff and Chris's romance. It was so beautiful in so many ways. Chris was beautiful beyond words. From the beginning there was this fragile, outworldly, incredibly appealing quality about him. He was not just easy to like - you were falling into him straight away and hopelessly. And his relationship with Geoff, their first love, every moment they spent together was precious to read about. In the beginning, when I was meeting a sex scene in the book (like Shane masturbating, or watching 110 in the club) I was always wondering why it was there because it was giving nothing to the book. Well, it made sense later when the love between Geoff and Chris was described in the way that didn't need erotic scenes, so chaste and tender and strong. And Chris's transformation made sense so much, and even the way he was dealing with "the evil"... right, avenging angels don't discriminate between more guilty and less guilty. But people do. And being stronger, faster, more capable to blend, etc. doesn't free you from human morality. If anything, it puts on you more responsibility. And I'm afraid the book carries exactly the opposite message. I would have given the first half of the book five shining stars, and everything Chris - too. But I feel the message this book sends is so wrong and disturbing that I can barely rate it as "it was okay". That's why the rating....more
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