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kayjaybeereads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
emilyhutchi's review against another edition
3.0
It was a really good book but at the end when people started to die i got confused on why the proxy would do that
wwiillddeerr's review against another edition
4.0
this series should be way more popular for the YA dystopian kiddos — i’m so obsessed
missmary98's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this, despite the fact that a) I didn't understand half of the stuff that happened, b) lots of blood and goryish stuff that just about made me vomit, and c) it basically ripped my heart out of my chest.
geomarie2k04's review against another edition
1.0
"I start to smile but it's a bruised, powerless thing that crumples and falls." -128
fictionalkate's review against another edition
5.0
See my blog for guest post with author Rachael Craw!
After anticipating the release of Stray for so long I was anxious to see if it would meet my rather high expectations.
Truth is it doesn’t meet them – it exceeds them in every way possible.
Spark ended with Evie starting a relationship with Jamie, neutralizing the threat against Kitty and generally being a bit of a bad-arse. So where does a story with such a strong beginning go from here?
To a fancy dress party of course!
Craw does a fantastic job at combining the futuristic DNA altered superhuman storyline with the real life Evie tries to maintain. For all her specialness, she is still a teenage girl with many of the same pressures and issues teens face. There’s family drama (although Evie’s family is anything but traditional), boyfriend problems and balancing her new life as a super protector with being a good friend.
And there’s the fast paced action and adventure I loved from the first novel. Stray will keep you guessing just what will happen right up until the end.
One of the things I like most about Stray (and this series in general) is the action and reactions. Evie is not someone who will just sit around when someone she cares about is in trouble. She will do what she thinks is necessary even if it’s dangerous and will land her in trouble. And what’s what I like – there are consequences. Some books you read and it seems that as long as the hero/heroine saves the day then all is forgotten. Not the case for Evie. Her actions all have a cost. After the events in Spark, Affinity are on the scene and Evie is forced to face up to her actions. I loved reading about the somewhat shady Affinity and how their organization works.
Evie’s relationships evolve in Stray. She’s still coming to terms with the secret about her mother and how to deal with her identity. Other members of her family cause Evie much emotional turmoil and it is interesting to see just how Evie deals with it all. I love her interactions with Kitty. Despite everything that has changed in Evie’s life I like that Kitty remains strong as her BFF and encourages Evie to maintain a somewhat typical teenage existence.
And then there’s Jamie. Okay, so I still have issues with his name but I have to admit I adore the boy. He’s a great match for Evie and not just because of their connection on a purely genetic level. Their relationship was a pleasure to read and not just because of the romance. There is romance but there’s also so much more. Their relationship hasn’t changed them as people nor has it fixed all which is wrong with their world. The fact that everything isn’t just sunshine and rainbows because they kissed adds to the realism in this book.
I liked Spark but I absolutely LOVED Stray. This is a series which keeps getting better with each instalment. The characters evolve and the plot gets more exciting with each chapter. After reading this book I can say I’m definitely a lifelong Rachael Craw fan and I can’t wait for the release of Shield (Spark #3).
Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy.
After anticipating the release of Stray for so long I was anxious to see if it would meet my rather high expectations.
Truth is it doesn’t meet them – it exceeds them in every way possible.
Spark ended with Evie starting a relationship with Jamie, neutralizing the threat against Kitty and generally being a bit of a bad-arse. So where does a story with such a strong beginning go from here?
To a fancy dress party of course!
Craw does a fantastic job at combining the futuristic DNA altered superhuman storyline with the real life Evie tries to maintain. For all her specialness, she is still a teenage girl with many of the same pressures and issues teens face. There’s family drama (although Evie’s family is anything but traditional), boyfriend problems and balancing her new life as a super protector with being a good friend.
And there’s the fast paced action and adventure I loved from the first novel. Stray will keep you guessing just what will happen right up until the end.
One of the things I like most about Stray (and this series in general) is the action and reactions. Evie is not someone who will just sit around when someone she cares about is in trouble. She will do what she thinks is necessary even if it’s dangerous and will land her in trouble. And what’s what I like – there are consequences. Some books you read and it seems that as long as the hero/heroine saves the day then all is forgotten. Not the case for Evie. Her actions all have a cost. After the events in Spark, Affinity are on the scene and Evie is forced to face up to her actions. I loved reading about the somewhat shady Affinity and how their organization works.
Evie’s relationships evolve in Stray. She’s still coming to terms with the secret about her mother and how to deal with her identity. Other members of her family cause Evie much emotional turmoil and it is interesting to see just how Evie deals with it all. I love her interactions with Kitty. Despite everything that has changed in Evie’s life I like that Kitty remains strong as her BFF and encourages Evie to maintain a somewhat typical teenage existence.
And then there’s Jamie. Okay, so I still have issues with his name but I have to admit I adore the boy. He’s a great match for Evie and not just because of their connection on a purely genetic level. Their relationship was a pleasure to read and not just because of the romance. There is romance but there’s also so much more. Their relationship hasn’t changed them as people nor has it fixed all which is wrong with their world. The fact that everything isn’t just sunshine and rainbows because they kissed adds to the realism in this book.
I liked Spark but I absolutely LOVED Stray. This is a series which keeps getting better with each instalment. The characters evolve and the plot gets more exciting with each chapter. After reading this book I can say I’m definitely a lifelong Rachael Craw fan and I can’t wait for the release of Shield (Spark #3).
Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy.
abbeyclawrey's review against another edition
4.0
F***. WHY WHY WHY. I am crying so damn much. WHYYYY. I think I'm going to cry myself to sleep now. This book, this series far out, are amazing. But ughhh why I was so happy for Evie and 'A' and then... the unspeakable, unthinkable-happens. I am so thoroughly ruined because of this and yet I've given it 5 stars. I am praying PRAYING that 'A' comes back because I miss him and he's so amazing. And mind blowing. He has such an important role. PLEASE LET HIM COME BACK.
dani_bugz's review against another edition
4.0
The beginning on Stray was slow and full of angst, making me wonder what I really saw in Spark to begin with. But the tension slowly builds, and halfway through I realised I couldn't put it down! The ending was marvellously dark and very well done.
Now, while our MCs aren't especially deep and there are more than a few tropes, I still liked them. And my goodness, the Proxy is pretty freaking great character! You can definitely see her motivation!
All in all it was a brilliant YA action novel and a pretty stand up sequel.
Now, while our MCs aren't especially deep and there are more than a few tropes, I still liked them. And my goodness, the Proxy is pretty freaking great character! You can definitely see her motivation!
All in all it was a brilliant YA action novel and a pretty stand up sequel.
mollys_bookshelves's review against another edition
5.0
This book was truly amazing.
Could barely find the time to put it down.
It made me cry…a lot and there were many plot twists. Some more surprising than others.
Overall 10/10 book would 100% recommend
Could barely find the time to put it down.
It made me cry…a lot and there were many plot twists. Some more surprising than others.
Overall 10/10 book would 100% recommend
dani005's review against another edition
5.0
The second book in this series was even better than the last.
The first book was a just a spark to what Rachael Craw wrote in her second book, and I practically burned through these pages in whatever spare time I could get.
I love love loved getting to know the characters on such deeper levels. FINALLY I was seeing not as much of the cutesy romance, but the angst and frustration that comes with being in a relationship. No matter how perfect you might think you are for someone, your values may not always line up perfectly, especially when push comes to shove. I love seeing this strong, protective loyalty Jamie exhibits towards his sister in this novel as well as his flaws, the exposure of Jamie's need to have control in order to feel as though he can protect all of those he loves. I felt as though Jamie's character was further fleshed out in this novel. I may have already loved Evie from the resilience and fierce spirit from the last book, but my love for Jamie now is equally matched with Evie, if not more so. Because of this growing respect and adoration for these two main characters, watching their relationship take on such strenuous tests is even more intoxicating because I actually CARE for what happens between them. The lines aren't so clear anymore of what's wrong and what's right. These two love birds are finding out just what it means to love someone despite clashing values and priorities and it's this aspect that I find grounding, bring more depth to the story over all. I also loved how the politics of the affinity project shadowed all of the hard decisions that Evie and Jamie have to make. Society doesn't make any decision easy. There are always status quos to maintain, bureaucratic rules to uphold despite seeming pointless, and expectations that our protagonists would otherwise not listen too if it weren't for what was at stake.
The plot line moved so fast in this book, the twists and turns were engineered with such brilliant care. Craw developed these plot twists so subtly into her novel that they didn't necessarily seem outlandish but rather were thrilling exhilarating twists that had me staring at the pages in utter shock; I never saw half of what occurred in this book coming.
The ingenuity in incorporating such powerful characters both literally and figuratively in this novel allowed for such growth in this book's character over all. I enjoyed this story so much more for its depth, pace, and thrilling action. The ending was both so devastating and insanely EXCITING and it only left me wanting so much more. Rachael Craw PLEASE PLEASE hurry and write the third novel!
The first book was a just a spark to what Rachael Craw wrote in her second book, and I practically burned through these pages in whatever spare time I could get.
I love love loved getting to know the characters on such deeper levels. FINALLY I was seeing not as much of the cutesy romance, but the angst and frustration that comes with being in a relationship. No matter how perfect you might think you are for someone, your values may not always line up perfectly, especially when push comes to shove. I love seeing this strong, protective loyalty Jamie exhibits towards his sister in this novel as well as his flaws, the exposure of Jamie's need to have control in order to feel as though he can protect all of those he loves. I felt as though Jamie's character was further fleshed out in this novel. I may have already loved Evie from the resilience and fierce spirit from the last book, but my love for Jamie now is equally matched with Evie, if not more so. Because of this growing respect and adoration for these two main characters, watching their relationship take on such strenuous tests is even more intoxicating because I actually CARE for what happens between them. The lines aren't so clear anymore of what's wrong and what's right. These two love birds are finding out just what it means to love someone despite clashing values and priorities and it's this aspect that I find grounding, bring more depth to the story over all. I also loved how the politics of the affinity project shadowed all of the hard decisions that Evie and Jamie have to make. Society doesn't make any decision easy. There are always status quos to maintain, bureaucratic rules to uphold despite seeming pointless, and expectations that our protagonists would otherwise not listen too if it weren't for what was at stake.
The plot line moved so fast in this book, the twists and turns were engineered with such brilliant care. Craw developed these plot twists so subtly into her novel that they didn't necessarily seem outlandish but rather were thrilling exhilarating twists that had me staring at the pages in utter shock; I never saw half of what occurred in this book coming.
The ingenuity in incorporating such powerful characters both literally and figuratively in this novel allowed for such growth in this book's character over all. I enjoyed this story so much more for its depth, pace, and thrilling action. The ending was both so devastating and insanely EXCITING and it only left me wanting so much more. Rachael Craw PLEASE PLEASE hurry and write the third novel!