Scan barcode
kebreads's review
4.0
I've been looking forward to reading this book since I finished the first. It had been awhile since I read the first book, though, so I reread parts of it to get back into the groove of the story and remind myself what exactly was going on. In this book, Treena and Vance have some more incredible adventures. The story was suspenseful. And there is still more story to go. I am interested to see how things turn out in the third book. I also liked the new characters that showed up in this book. I think the characters in this series are well-written.
Content: clean - some violence, reference to sexual assault/abuse
Source: Review Copy
Content: clean - some violence, reference to sexual assault/abuse
Source: Review Copy
gnidaer_ekil_i's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
rgyger's review
4.0
It seems like forever since I've read a dystopian novel (outside of A Time to Speak by Nadine Brandes) which I've actually liked. Like most YA dystopians, Numbers Ignite is the story of a teenage girl who fights against the system and (hopefully) leads her people to freedom. It has some of the normal tropes: Treena's so awesome that she is actually the highest ranking citizen, all the boys really like her, and NORA wants her to be the face of... well anything that they can have her be the face of really.
What makes this series standout is that most of these tropes are handled differently than in other YA dystopians. Treena, while fighting against the "system", is fighting against one that ultimately favors her. In this sequel, Treena doesn't have to fight and doing so gets her nothing. She also doesn't let her popularity with the boys and NORA go too much to her head. What could have been just another awful love triangle is instead a girl who by the end of book one has decided which guy she loves and doesn't let the addition of the third guy change her mind.
Numbers Ignite is in many ways better than a lot of YA dystopians and even its own prequel. Vance and Treena are able to stand on their own as characters and, for most of the book, Rode avoids a lot of the cliches present in other novels.
The end could have used some work. Honestly, this was my least favorite part, as most of the conflicts ended up being resolved by secondary and tertiary characters, with Vance and Treena only looking on. Then, once the dust had settled, the other characters simply made Vance and Treena their spokespersons with NORA, even though neither of them had shown any aptitude for diplomacy. This felt a bit forced to me and I would have preferred a different outcome. But though I can't say the book was perfect, I will say it was totally worth it.
I received this book through I'm a Reader, Not a Writer in exchange for an honest review.
What makes this series standout is that most of these tropes are handled differently than in other YA dystopians. Treena, while fighting against the "system", is fighting against one that ultimately favors her. In this sequel, Treena doesn't have to fight and doing so gets her nothing. She also doesn't let her popularity with the boys and NORA go too much to her head. What could have been just another awful love triangle is instead a girl who by the end of book one has decided which guy she loves and doesn't let the addition of the third guy change her mind.
Numbers Ignite is in many ways better than a lot of YA dystopians and even its own prequel. Vance and Treena are able to stand on their own as characters and, for most of the book, Rode avoids a lot of the cliches present in other novels.
The end could have used some work. Honestly, this was my least favorite part, as most of the conflicts ended up being resolved by secondary and tertiary characters, with Vance and Treena only looking on. Then, once the dust had settled, the other characters simply made Vance and Treena their spokespersons with NORA, even though neither of them had shown any aptitude for diplomacy. This felt a bit forced to me and I would have preferred a different outcome. But though I can't say the book was perfect, I will say it was totally worth it.
I received this book through I'm a Reader, Not a Writer in exchange for an honest review.
lauraew333's review
5.0
Thank you to the author, Rebecca Rode, and to Olivia (who organizes the review chain) for gifting me with a copy of Numbers Ignite in exchange for an honest review!
I read the first book in this series a little while ago and loved it so I was expecting great things out of the sequel. Luckily, it didn't let me down!
1. The characters. I really enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, especially as we're introduced to more as Vance and Treena meet more people. The alternating POV's between Vance and Treena really helped with this and kept everything so connected and present. While I wouldn't say this book really dives into the inner psyche, the characters are all well-thought out, each with their own background and personality. Sometimes, there were moments where there was a particularly odd thought or decision but those moments are few and far between. This is such a good middle-of-the-road dystopian novel, walking the line between too little and too much.
2. The plot. The plot is equally good. The structure follows the typical hero's journey (dystopian edition) and it really works for this book. It may seem repetitive for a book to follow the path of so many before it but why fix what isn't broken? The author threw in some really nice plot twists and in true trilogy fashion, we get a little bit of a more comprehensive peek at the outside world which supplements the plot nicely. The pacing is quite good as well and it kept going at a steady clip throughout with the usual variances.
3. The romance. To be quite honest, there isn't much romance in this book at all compared with the first one. I really did appreciate that choice made by the author, though. There were opportunities for her to start up multiple love-triangles but she kept it simple and normal. Treena has the potential for relationships when she's away from Vance and vice versa but they know who they want and that's that. I think this is a much more accurate interpretation of human nature and I loved that the author recognized that romance isn't the only secondary plot line available.
4. The writing. As I've mentioned before, this book is a good middle-of-the-road dystopia and the writing reflects that. There's nothing too fancy about it but it does the job in a very adequate and even exemplary fashion. There are moments where the world felt a little far from reach and fuzzy but for the most part, the author kept the feelings of the book intact throughout.
The Final Verdict:
A solid dystopian sequel with an engaging plot and characters.
4.5 stars
I read the first book in this series a little while ago and loved it so I was expecting great things out of the sequel. Luckily, it didn't let me down!
1. The characters. I really enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, especially as we're introduced to more as Vance and Treena meet more people. The alternating POV's between Vance and Treena really helped with this and kept everything so connected and present. While I wouldn't say this book really dives into the inner psyche, the characters are all well-thought out, each with their own background and personality. Sometimes, there were moments where there was a particularly odd thought or decision but those moments are few and far between. This is such a good middle-of-the-road dystopian novel, walking the line between too little and too much.
2. The plot. The plot is equally good. The structure follows the typical hero's journey (dystopian edition) and it really works for this book. It may seem repetitive for a book to follow the path of so many before it but why fix what isn't broken? The author threw in some really nice plot twists and in true trilogy fashion, we get a little bit of a more comprehensive peek at the outside world which supplements the plot nicely. The pacing is quite good as well and it kept going at a steady clip throughout with the usual variances.
3. The romance. To be quite honest, there isn't much romance in this book at all compared with the first one. I really did appreciate that choice made by the author, though. There were opportunities for her to start up multiple love-triangles but she kept it simple and normal. Treena has the potential for relationships when she's away from Vance and vice versa but they know who they want and that's that. I think this is a much more accurate interpretation of human nature and I loved that the author recognized that romance isn't the only secondary plot line available.
4. The writing. As I've mentioned before, this book is a good middle-of-the-road dystopia and the writing reflects that. There's nothing too fancy about it but it does the job in a very adequate and even exemplary fashion. There are moments where the world felt a little far from reach and fuzzy but for the most part, the author kept the feelings of the book intact throughout.
The Final Verdict:
A solid dystopian sequel with an engaging plot and characters.
4.5 stars
erikadawnbraham's review
3.0
3/5 Stars ⭐️
The beginning of the book felt disjointed from the first one and lacking in explanation of what happened. Had there been even 50 pages more at the start, I would have rated it higher. As the story continues with more characters and nations being introduced, I actually felt the overall story line improved. I am looking forward to reading the third book now!
The beginning of the book felt disjointed from the first one and lacking in explanation of what happened. Had there been even 50 pages more at the start, I would have rated it higher. As the story continues with more characters and nations being introduced, I actually felt the overall story line improved. I am looking forward to reading the third book now!
brit0817's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
momloves2read's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
laughing_penguin's review
4.0
Solid
A solid second novel. It took a couple turns I didn't expect, but it was good. Thanks to the author for making it available on Kindle Unlimited.
A solid second novel. It took a couple turns I didn't expect, but it was good. Thanks to the author for making it available on Kindle Unlimited.
sstarke's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book overall, but it is definitely not as compelling as the first one. I believe the book suffers from what I call second in a series syndrome - the reader is coming off of the high from book 1, and this book serves as a background and setup for the series finale.
There are strong moments and I was never bored, but it just doesn't quite have the same spark as the first one. I still find myself sucked into the world and enjoying the characters. This book just felt a little more generic than the first one. I am pumped to read the next book, though, because I think this one sets it up to be a really explosive one!
The narration of this book was solid. I do feel like some of the voices aren't distinct enough, so I sometimes had to rewind to make sure I knew who was talking. This is especially true for the male characters. While I appreciate that there aren't false, cheesy, overly-manly voices for male characters, they are also too generic and feminine. I wish there was a little more something that differentiated them. Other than that small complaint, this is an excellently narrated book that kept me engaged throughout.
I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review. The free copy did not influence my review in any way.
There are strong moments and I was never bored, but it just doesn't quite have the same spark as the first one. I still find myself sucked into the world and enjoying the characters. This book just felt a little more generic than the first one. I am pumped to read the next book, though, because I think this one sets it up to be a really explosive one!
The narration of this book was solid. I do feel like some of the voices aren't distinct enough, so I sometimes had to rewind to make sure I knew who was talking. This is especially true for the male characters. While I appreciate that there aren't false, cheesy, overly-manly voices for male characters, they are also too generic and feminine. I wish there was a little more something that differentiated them. Other than that small complaint, this is an excellently narrated book that kept me engaged throughout.
I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review. The free copy did not influence my review in any way.