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jodielo's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I have ever read a book like this before. Don't let the cover mislead you to believe this is a happy novel because it is a deep, dark and thrilling murder mystery- not for the faint hearted! Initially I found this book very hard to get into, but the pace eventually picked up. The author made you ask questions inside your head about who was killing these girls and why. The book seemed to be written very realisticly and I can imagine something like this happening in real life. The author lead you to believe right through the book that one of the two certain suspects had killed her sister, but in the end it turned out to be the person you least expected. The characters were very well detailed and it was interesting to see how their relationship changed throughout the book and how the two sisters grew gradually further and further apart. It was a great and thrilling book to read!
elleneam's review
3.0
An all right book about a girl called Ruby and her big sister Jinn. It's a bit slow for the first half of the book, and you know from reading the first chapter how it is going to end. Saying this, there is a rather good twist near the end, and the plot is quite good.
beetective's review
4.0
For the longest time I’ve always thought this was a non-fiction book, I had received it
from my sister with a handful of psychology-based books, so I had just assumed it had something to do with that without reading the blurb. I still wished I had kept this idea of it in my head without reading the blurb, as it actually made my experience worse.
I’m getting ahead of myself.
To be honest, I was very surprised at how much I liked this book and was saddened to see it really had hardly any GoodRead reviews. The writing drew me in, I liked the main character and sympathized with her struggle and trauma. It’s honestly a hard feat to do, especially given the fact that Ruby had being complicate in another’s suicide attempt. Even so, I couldn’t help but be engaged with her struggle. She felt unique from a lot of other protagonists, mostly given the fact that she feels human. Ruby has her quirks, her personality is rounded with both good and bad traits, which is pretty hard to balance. When the murders kept piling up, I couldn’t help but hold concern for her as I didn’t want her to become one of those unfortunate victims.
But it was never really that serious because of one thing, and I don’t really think this is Philip’s fault. I’ve heard generally that the book's cover, and the blurb, are chosen by the marketing department of the publishing house, and this is the second time I’ve seen it happen on a book, the first being Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance.
The blurb gives away the story, essentially ruining whatever build-up you have.
Every chapter I had the same thought – when is Jinn going to disappear? As the pages and pages kept growing, I kept getting more and more concerned until finally, three-quarters through the book, she does. Three quarters in. While I had that niggling feeling of something bad happening to Ruby at the back of my mind, it was always brushed away. Nothing bad will happen to Ruby because her sister dies. It took away all the tension and spoils the biggest turning point of the book. If it wasn’t there, I would have enjoyed it better.
It doesn’t stop the ending from being enjoyable, but I do think it takes away from it somewhat. There is another positive here though – you don’t genuinely know who is behind the murders. It throws red herrings and twists at you, but not enough of them to become annoying. Overall, just very well written! Definitely one of the better books I read this year.
I give this book a: 8/10
from my sister with a handful of psychology-based books, so I had just assumed it had something to do with that without reading the blurb. I still wished I had kept this idea of it in my head without reading the blurb, as it actually made my experience worse.
I’m getting ahead of myself.
To be honest, I was very surprised at how much I liked this book and was saddened to see it really had hardly any GoodRead reviews. The writing drew me in, I liked the main character and sympathized with her struggle and trauma. It’s honestly a hard feat to do, especially given the fact that Ruby had being complicate in another’s suicide attempt. Even so, I couldn’t help but be engaged with her struggle. She felt unique from a lot of other protagonists, mostly given the fact that she feels human. Ruby has her quirks, her personality is rounded with both good and bad traits, which is pretty hard to balance. When the murders kept piling up, I couldn’t help but hold concern for her as I didn’t want her to become one of those unfortunate victims.
But it was never really that serious because of one thing, and I don’t really think this is Philip’s fault. I’ve heard generally that the book's cover, and the blurb, are chosen by the marketing department of the publishing house, and this is the second time I’ve seen it happen on a book, the first being Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance.
The blurb gives away the story, essentially ruining whatever build-up you have.
Every chapter I had the same thought – when is Jinn going to disappear? As the pages and pages kept growing, I kept getting more and more concerned until finally, three-quarters through the book, she does. Three quarters in. While I had that niggling feeling of something bad happening to Ruby at the back of my mind, it was always brushed away. Nothing bad will happen to Ruby because her sister dies. It took away all the tension and spoils the biggest turning point of the book. If it wasn’t there, I would have enjoyed it better.
It doesn’t stop the ending from being enjoyable, but I do think it takes away from it somewhat. There is another positive here though – you don’t genuinely know who is behind the murders. It throws red herrings and twists at you, but not enough of them to become annoying. Overall, just very well written! Definitely one of the better books I read this year.
I give this book a: 8/10
bitterindigo's review
4.0
Reminded me a little of A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews -- the same kind of smart, funny, lost adolescent female character, but the sister is still around, sort of. Less a mystery than a sort of sad coming-of-age story.
rebeccaebrown's review
5.0
The Opposite of Amber follows two sisters, Ruby and Jinn, and what happens when outside influences interfere with their close and loving relationship. Ruby is the narrator, and her very distinctive voice touched me very deeply. It's described as a thriller, and on one level it is, but it's much more than that too. I'd also say that although Gillian writes for Young Adults, this is easily a cross-over book and likely to appeal to just as many Not-So-Young Adults.
I found that pace-wise there was a distinction between a slower, beautifully-written first half, in which I got to know and love the main characters. All the characters were incredibly well-done - individual and unique and intensely human. If you want to know how to write good characters, read a few of Gillian's books. The language as well was very evocative; there was one piece in particular when Ruby and Jinn were at the ice rink at the same time but separate that made me fill up a bit. In the second half the pace really picks up. It reminded me of a roller coaster where you are almost lulled into a false sense of security when the coach trundles along leisurely then dives at top speed making your stomach leap. My heart was actually racing when I finished the book, with a few scenes I never saw coming.
Highly recommended.
I found that pace-wise there was a distinction between a slower, beautifully-written first half, in which I got to know and love the main characters. All the characters were incredibly well-done - individual and unique and intensely human. If you want to know how to write good characters, read a few of Gillian's books. The language as well was very evocative; there was one piece in particular when Ruby and Jinn were at the ice rink at the same time but separate that made me fill up a bit. In the second half the pace really picks up. It reminded me of a roller coaster where you are almost lulled into a false sense of security when the coach trundles along leisurely then dives at top speed making your stomach leap. My heart was actually racing when I finished the book, with a few scenes I never saw coming.
Highly recommended.
vicki_cosy_books's review
4.0
The Opposite Of Amber is a surprising book. Firstly, I presumed from the publishers blurb on the back it was going to be a murder mystery, tense and full of suspense. It isn't like that at all really, although there is an element of mystery about it. It's really about the relationship between two sisters, Ruby and Jinn and their lives in a run down Scottish seaside town and the traumas which haunt both them and their fellow residents. The second surprising thing was how hooked I actually became to this book. It started off quite slow and I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it, yet before I knew it the story of Ruby and Jinn had crept right under my skin and didn't let go.
Told in the first person from Ruby, Gillian Philips places the reader directly in this character's head. Ruby's had a lot to deal with over the years and as a result doesn't talk much, so her thoughts are particularly important to the story. They are written so well it's impossible not to become fully involved and care for her and I found her love for Jinn, the sister who brought her up, very touching.
The setting also came across beautifully through both the characters and descriptions. I know towns and people like the ones in The Opposite Of Amber and Philip's portrays them with shocking truth.
The Opposite Of Amber is brutally honest both in language and themes and isn't the easiest book to read but it is a worthwhile one. It's beautifully written using enough dialect and slang to make the characters and setting believable without alienating those who may be unfamiliar with it. This is a book which will open your eyes, make you think and whose main characters Ruby and Jinn will haunt you long after the last page.
Told in the first person from Ruby, Gillian Philips places the reader directly in this character's head. Ruby's had a lot to deal with over the years and as a result doesn't talk much, so her thoughts are particularly important to the story. They are written so well it's impossible not to become fully involved and care for her and I found her love for Jinn, the sister who brought her up, very touching.
The setting also came across beautifully through both the characters and descriptions. I know towns and people like the ones in The Opposite Of Amber and Philip's portrays them with shocking truth.
The Opposite Of Amber is brutally honest both in language and themes and isn't the easiest book to read but it is a worthwhile one. It's beautifully written using enough dialect and slang to make the characters and setting believable without alienating those who may be unfamiliar with it. This is a book which will open your eyes, make you think and whose main characters Ruby and Jinn will haunt you long after the last page.
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