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stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
5.0
4 1/2 stars, but I'm rounding it up for the sake of pure entertainment.
I never set out to be a thief. I suppose I once had something grander in mind. But when you live on the streets, you find that your career options are limited. You can be one of the kids who disappear with the strangers who cruise through every night. You can sell the stuff that helps those kids forget what they’ve seen. Or you can be a thief. If those choices don’t suit you, you can always be dead.
How to lead a life of crime depicts the hard life on the streets of New York and a boarding school that appears to be a safe haven but is much more than that.
The plot slowly grows darker and I was surprised by its complexity.
None of them (the kids) are old enough to watch R-rated movies, but most have seen things in their own lives that would never make it past any censor.
It’s a thriller with heart-stopping pacing. There wasn’t a single boring moment in this book, and the action and plot twists had me at the edge of my seat.
Flick is our main character. If you liked Cassel from [b:White Cat|6087756|White Cat (Curse Workers, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1358274572l/6087756._SY75_.jpg|6264661], you’ll love this guy!
He’s a phenomenal actor, manipulator and survivor. Flick may pretend to be an asshole but is deep down so caring and brave. He would do anything for the people he loves. Not to mention he’s hilarious and always quick with his sarcastic replies. He rises to the top of his class at Mandel Academy, and it's because he's so confident and quick to catch on.
I usually have trouble connecting with male POV, but no such problem here.
The characters, oh the characters.. We have a wonderful cast of secondary characters. There are about 50 students at Mandel Academy, roughly 15 of them are more focused on and Miller somehow manages to flesh them all out. I kid you not, EVERY single character is important. The character descriptions and extra background at the back shows how much thought was put into them,
In case you’re wondering about my new shelf called Peter Pan syndrome - no I’m not referring to people who don’t want to grow up, it’s because this book is about lost kids who have to fight on their own, like in the story.
Kids who do not know better. The first chapters we are introduced to a group of children who live on the street.
That's why the contrast is so effective; we go from poverty and helplessness to a glamorous yet harsh world of elegant, discreet crime.
It reads like a great action movie, but with better characters and a less rushed plot. It is an adventure through and through.
There's murder, lies, tests and hardcore training. It's one of my favorites of the year. I loved it. You should read it, if you're not convinced by now.
_____________
P.S I originally wrote a much longer and more detailed review for this but accidentally deleted it and 10 other half-finished reviews off my phone. LOVELY. I'm upset because it was one of my favorite ones I’ve written.
I never set out to be a thief. I suppose I once had something grander in mind. But when you live on the streets, you find that your career options are limited. You can be one of the kids who disappear with the strangers who cruise through every night. You can sell the stuff that helps those kids forget what they’ve seen. Or you can be a thief. If those choices don’t suit you, you can always be dead.
How to lead a life of crime depicts the hard life on the streets of New York and a boarding school that appears to be a safe haven but is much more than that.
The plot slowly grows darker and I was surprised by its complexity.
None of them (the kids) are old enough to watch R-rated movies, but most have seen things in their own lives that would never make it past any censor.
It’s a thriller with heart-stopping pacing. There wasn’t a single boring moment in this book, and the action and plot twists had me at the edge of my seat.
Flick is our main character. If you liked Cassel from [b:White Cat|6087756|White Cat (Curse Workers, #1)|Holly Black|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1358274572l/6087756._SY75_.jpg|6264661], you’ll love this guy!
He’s a phenomenal actor, manipulator and survivor. Flick may pretend to be an asshole but is deep down so caring and brave. He would do anything for the people he loves. Not to mention he’s hilarious and always quick with his sarcastic replies. He rises to the top of his class at Mandel Academy, and it's because he's so confident and quick to catch on.
I usually have trouble connecting with male POV, but no such problem here.
The characters, oh the characters.. We have a wonderful cast of secondary characters. There are about 50 students at Mandel Academy, roughly 15 of them are more focused on and Miller somehow manages to flesh them all out. I kid you not, EVERY single character is important. The character descriptions and extra background at the back shows how much thought was put into them,
In case you’re wondering about my new shelf called Peter Pan syndrome - no I’m not referring to people who don’t want to grow up, it’s because this book is about lost kids who have to fight on their own, like in the story.
Kids who do not know better. The first chapters we are introduced to a group of children who live on the street.
That's why the contrast is so effective; we go from poverty and helplessness to a glamorous yet harsh world of elegant, discreet crime.
It reads like a great action movie, but with better characters and a less rushed plot. It is an adventure through and through.
There's murder, lies, tests and hardcore training. It's one of my favorites of the year. I loved it. You should read it, if you're not convinced by now.
_____________
P.S I originally wrote a much longer and more detailed review for this but accidentally deleted it and 10 other half-finished reviews off my phone. LOVELY. I'm upset because it was one of my favorite ones I’ve written.
iyaa's review against another edition
5.0
5 astounding stars.
This was such a unique take on a book and i am left speechless. The ending was so beautiful and the whole concept and plot was entertaining and captivating.
Flick was a great main character and I loved his sense of humor that came naturally to him. He was a strong character from the very start and I related to him so much in a way that I understood every thought, feeling, and notion he had. Reading the book from his perspective was such a delight and I had no complains from start to finish
Joi was also a really badass and affectionate character who I’ve come to love a lot throughout the book. I admired her wit and intelligence, as well as her bravery and how she naturally puts others before herself.
Every single character including the antagonists were so well developed and unique in their own ways. The buildup of this book was well executed and I could not have been happier enough to have been able to read this book.
At first, I was confused with the Peter Pan references but warmed up to it immediately after realizing what it symbolizes.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s willing to read a beautiful, well executed book that dives into real life problems that aren’t often portrayed in books. This was dark, enthralling and captivating from start to finish.
This was such a unique take on a book and i am left speechless. The ending was so beautiful and the whole concept and plot was entertaining and captivating.
Flick was a great main character and I loved his sense of humor that came naturally to him. He was a strong character from the very start and I related to him so much in a way that I understood every thought, feeling, and notion he had. Reading the book from his perspective was such a delight and I had no complains from start to finish
Joi was also a really badass and affectionate character who I’ve come to love a lot throughout the book. I admired her wit and intelligence, as well as her bravery and how she naturally puts others before herself.
Every single character including the antagonists were so well developed and unique in their own ways. The buildup of this book was well executed and I could not have been happier enough to have been able to read this book.
At first, I was confused with the Peter Pan references but warmed up to it immediately after realizing what it symbolizes.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s willing to read a beautiful, well executed book that dives into real life problems that aren’t often portrayed in books. This was dark, enthralling and captivating from start to finish.
pearcactus3's review
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
The characters were interesting, the style and the plot had me hooked from the start. I would’ve loved to have Joi in it more. She was awesome.
magikspells's review against another edition
4.0
I would give this book a very strong 4.5 stars.
Admittedly, I'm not sure where to begin with talking about this book because I honestly had know idea about the ride that this book was going to take me on. I picked up this book on a whim from a few good reviews I saw. The description for this book does not do justice for the tour this book takes you on in such a short time frame.
This book isn't so much a story about criminal kids, it's a story about haves and have not's in society. It's a story about predators and prey. It's a story about how good people sometimes don't win.
The story centers around the Martel Academy, a unique prestigious school that polishes disadvantaged students into CEOs, lawyers, politicians, and various other affluent members of elite society. But this school is much more complicated than that. Enter Flick, a disadvantaged (a debatable description being that his father is one of the richest men in the country) boy living on the street who volunteers to enter the school on the promise of material to blackmail his father who he believes to have been responsible for killing his little brother. Still with me?
Flick is forced to leave behind the girl he loves, Joi (pronounced Joey) in a failed attempt to protect her from the world he was delving back into. Joi runs a home for homeless teens on the streets and is much more than meets the eye.
The story is told from Flick's point of view. Flick is cryptic and not particularly likeable initially. As the story moves on, you as a reader realize how smart and adaptable he really is. Which is probably why the surprising turns in the story are that much more surprising because they also catch Flick off guard. This book went in so many directions I did not expect, yet in the end, everything came back together. I didn't know what to expect with this book and I was taken by surprise several times.
I think my only complaint about this book was perhaps the simplistic descriptions. In retrospect, I understand the author's reasoning for this. This world is about a complex story with many strings that have to come together to form a knot. At times, descriptions about people or settings are glossed over. I think the idea of telling the story from Flick's point of view was smart in this aspect because these are things he didn't care to focus on. I didn't feel as if I suffered from these deficiencies, but some situations had me wanting more.
But this book was magical, I did not want to put it down. I think a lot of people are going to enjoy this unique story.
Admittedly, I'm not sure where to begin with talking about this book because I honestly had know idea about the ride that this book was going to take me on. I picked up this book on a whim from a few good reviews I saw. The description for this book does not do justice for the tour this book takes you on in such a short time frame.
This book isn't so much a story about criminal kids, it's a story about haves and have not's in society. It's a story about predators and prey. It's a story about how good people sometimes don't win.
The story centers around the Martel Academy, a unique prestigious school that polishes disadvantaged students into CEOs, lawyers, politicians, and various other affluent members of elite society. But this school is much more complicated than that. Enter Flick, a disadvantaged (a debatable description being that his father is one of the richest men in the country) boy living on the street who volunteers to enter the school on the promise of material to blackmail his father who he believes to have been responsible for killing his little brother. Still with me?
Flick is forced to leave behind the girl he loves, Joi (pronounced Joey) in a failed attempt to protect her from the world he was delving back into. Joi runs a home for homeless teens on the streets and is much more than meets the eye.
The story is told from Flick's point of view. Flick is cryptic and not particularly likeable initially. As the story moves on, you as a reader realize how smart and adaptable he really is. Which is probably why the surprising turns in the story are that much more surprising because they also catch Flick off guard. This book went in so many directions I did not expect, yet in the end, everything came back together. I didn't know what to expect with this book and I was taken by surprise several times.
I think my only complaint about this book was perhaps the simplistic descriptions. In retrospect, I understand the author's reasoning for this. This world is about a complex story with many strings that have to come together to form a knot. At times, descriptions about people or settings are glossed over. I think the idea of telling the story from Flick's point of view was smart in this aspect because these are things he didn't care to focus on. I didn't feel as if I suffered from these deficiencies, but some situations had me wanting more.
But this book was magical, I did not want to put it down. I think a lot of people are going to enjoy this unique story.
amesthechamp's review
2.0
I just couldn't get into this book. I tried multiple times, and I even set time aside, and I just couldn't. There were too many characters being introduced, some of them turning into extremely important , reoccurring characters while others seemed important, only to never be heard of again. The writing also seemed to jump around too much for me. There would be half a page describing a catwalk, vs nothing being mentioned about where the main character lives, or how the dorms he lives in are set up.
Also, I just couldn't care about the main character, Flick. He's just too cool for school for me.
Also, I just couldn't care about the main character, Flick. He's just too cool for school for me.
hbbanana's review
3.0
The concept was refreshing: a school to turn criminals into powerful sociopaths. But honestly, I am getting tured off the "let's force children to commit horrific violence" plot line. Don't let me wrong, I liked it. But I only liked it. I found myself getting bored and skimming. It never pulled me in; I was never itching to find out what happened next. There are parts of the story that are overly detailed and other parts that aren't really explained.
I did appreciate the character development of Flick, even if I got sick of his selfish attitude after the first few chapters. Joi was a delight and I wish the story was told from her point of view. Basically, this story is fine, but nothing special.
I did appreciate the character development of Flick, even if I got sick of his selfish attitude after the first few chapters. Joi was a delight and I wish the story was told from her point of view. Basically, this story is fine, but nothing special.
libraryladys's review
4.0
There is actually MUCH more to this book than I originally thought there would be. The characters were well-developed and the plot was more complex than I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
alboyer6's review
4.0
I didn't really expect tho like this book as much as I did. the maneuvering among the students reminded me of ender's game in some ways but then the author adds a twist I wasn't quite expecting that really sucked me in. For a book this size it was a fast paced read. good book.
ellenmc07's review
5.0
I'm not a mystery/thriller fan but, to label this as just that would be a disservice. It is a well woven journey with so many twists and turns, you don't know where to look anymore. It's just a good ride from beginning to end. No hesitation in recommending this to anyone who wants to know just "how to lead a life of crime..."