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a_strix_named_strix's review against another edition
1.0
Death-zone oxygen concentrations cannot be survived. Full stop. Also, how do they repair those glass domes? How do they measure the oxygen intake? How do the people outside survive when their equipment failing even for a bit means rapid death? Why are things like running considered normal if only 5% of the population can pay for it?
But set this aside for a second. Even then, the characters are flat and lack depth. I legitimately hated Alina.
But set this aside for a second. Even then, the characters are flat and lack depth. I legitimately hated Alina.
maximum_moxie's review against another edition
4.0
Quite a ripping read, filled with the usual YA tropes: “not like other girls” heroines, woke bougie male protagonist, and lots of soft romance. But it also has a lot to say about corporations and complicity and trauma, as do other dystopian novels.
bookph1le's review
2.0
This wasn't a terrible book, but I didn't think it was a very good one either. It's always hardest for me to review books that are just "meh", and this was one of those books. Some spoilers to follow.
The first problem is the characters. They say the right things, they think the right things, but not one of them had that spark that made me feel like they were living, breathing (haha, see what I did there?) beings. It's not even that they're wooden, it's that they're just there, like indifferent actors going through the motions. This is especially true of the main characters, all of whom I found flat and not the least bit compelling.
There was one character about whom I felt strongly, and that was Petra. I was incredulous at the thought of her being a leader, given how bad she seems to be at it. A good portion of the time, she seemed unhinged, and I kept wondering why anyone trusted her enough to do her bidding.
The concept was mildly interesting, but at no time did I buy it. The world-building felt shaky at best, which is never good in a dystopian. The author tells us why the despotic regime exists, but it felt like it had been plopped down. I never understood why anyone found it necessary to their survival. I mean, sure, there's the problem with a lack of oxygen, but there was no sense of people being coerced into believing in the regime. I also think the author needed to spend more time establishing what happened to all the oxygen in the first place.
The plot and pacing were often plodding. Long stretches of the book felt like serieses of events strung together for no ostensible purpose other than to advance the plot's inevitable march to the ending. I spent a lot of the book eondering what was going on, and found the episode with Quinn on the building roof so egregious. All that section did was set up Quinn's dad as a bad guy, making it lack all impact for me. It was the equivalent of the Star Trek red shirts.
In the end, this isn't a poorly written book, but one where all the pieces are there, but do poorly stitched together that you can tell that the whole is functional but not of very good quality.
The first problem is the characters. They say the right things, they think the right things, but not one of them had that spark that made me feel like they were living, breathing (haha, see what I did there?) beings. It's not even that they're wooden, it's that they're just there, like indifferent actors going through the motions. This is especially true of the main characters, all of whom I found flat and not the least bit compelling.
There was one character about whom I felt strongly, and that was Petra. I was incredulous at the thought of her being a leader, given how bad she seems to be at it. A good portion of the time, she seemed unhinged, and I kept wondering why anyone trusted her enough to do her bidding.
The concept was mildly interesting, but at no time did I buy it. The world-building felt shaky at best, which is never good in a dystopian. The author tells us why the despotic regime exists, but it felt like it had been plopped down. I never understood why anyone found it necessary to their survival. I mean, sure, there's the problem with a lack of oxygen, but there was no sense of people being coerced into believing in the regime. I also think the author needed to spend more time establishing what happened to all the oxygen in the first place.
The plot and pacing were often plodding. Long stretches of the book felt like serieses of events strung together for no ostensible purpose other than to advance the plot's inevitable march to the ending. I spent a lot of the book eondering what was going on, and found the episode with Quinn on the building roof so egregious. All that section did was set up Quinn's dad as a bad guy, making it lack all impact for me. It was the equivalent of the Star Trek red shirts.
In the end, this isn't a poorly written book, but one where all the pieces are there, but do poorly stitched together that you can tell that the whole is functional but not of very good quality.
picketfences's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
this was okay. i won’t be seeking out other stories by this author for a long timethe ending was dismal and disheartening
adelle_bookworm's review
4.0
3,5*
Špatné to nebylo, vlastně jsem od toho čekala podstatně míň. Ten nápad je super, bohužel to zpracování... když už konečně došlo na akci, nebylo to vypsané. Netuším, zda se jedná o prvotinu, ale dost to kazilo můj celkový dojem, a ten konec taky nic moc. Emocionálně naprosto na nule. Jinak to bylo vtipné a ano, chtěla jsem vědět, jak to skončí, takže lepší průměr.
Špatné to nebylo, vlastně jsem od toho čekala podstatně míň. Ten nápad je super, bohužel to zpracování... když už konečně došlo na akci, nebylo to vypsané. Netuším, zda se jedná o prvotinu, ale dost to kazilo můj celkový dojem, a ten konec taky nic moc. Emocionálně naprosto na nule. Jinak to bylo vtipné a ano, chtěla jsem vědět, jak to skončí, takže lepší průměr.
book_leo's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
celjla212's review against another edition
2.0
*Below is a review that will most probably make people mad at me...*
Quinn, Alina, and Bea are teenagers in a dystopian future where the atmosphere has been depleted of oxygen, making it impossible for anyone to breathe. As a result, The small population of survivors from The Switch now lives in a structure called The Pod, where air is pumped in and pretty much every aspect of life is controlled by an oppressive government (any of this sounding familiar yet?).
Quinn is the oldest son in a prominent family, and happens to be best friends with Bea, a brilliant but poor girl who has high aspirations. Alina is a member of a resistance group that plans to bring Breathe (the government) down. When Quinn meets Alina, he immediately becomes interested in her, and soon all three of the kids' lives are intertwined, for better or worse.
Breathe was one of the most anticipated releases of Fall 2012. I was one of those bloggers who heard about it ages ago and immediately put it on my TBR list. But unfortunately, the book description that roped me into wanting to read this book was just about the only compelling thing about it.
I was so excited to start reading this book, but once I started, the many shortcomings I found made me not want to finish it. First off, maybe it's just me having dystopian overload, but I feel like I have read this story. So. Many. Times. Pure by Julianna Baggott comes to mind, countless others. It's kinda like the author went down a dystopian novel checklist:
-Oppressive Government: CHECK
-World changing event THAT IS NEVER TRULY EXPLAINED: CHECK
-Resistance group with a crazy leader: CHECK
Then there was a YA checklist:
-Love triangle: CHECK
-Non-existent/non-caring parents: CHECK
-Whiny girl, idiot boy, kickass (but not quite) heroine: CHECK
So many things about this book didn't make sense to me. Just for example: the kids find a drifter, an older lady named Maude. She explains that before The Switch, she was training in the medical field. That would take a person with fairly high intelligence, correct? Well, in this book she talks as if she just stepped out of 1870's Appalachia. "I weren't no threat." and such. Maybe I picked things apart, but hey, I'm a reviewer so things like this catch my attention.
Characterization was severely lacking in this novel, and I'd be hard pressed to say I found redeeming qualities in any of the characters. Quinn made me want to punch him several times, Alina just wasn't the smartest, and Bea had no backbone. The sort-of-but-not-quite love triangle was very annoying.
There are several other things I had issues with, but honestly, I am tired of talking about this book and I'm ready to get it out of my mind. I only finished it because I started it...and I kind of wish I hadn't.
Quinn, Alina, and Bea are teenagers in a dystopian future where the atmosphere has been depleted of oxygen, making it impossible for anyone to breathe. As a result, The small population of survivors from The Switch now lives in a structure called The Pod, where air is pumped in and pretty much every aspect of life is controlled by an oppressive government (any of this sounding familiar yet?).
Quinn is the oldest son in a prominent family, and happens to be best friends with Bea, a brilliant but poor girl who has high aspirations. Alina is a member of a resistance group that plans to bring Breathe (the government) down. When Quinn meets Alina, he immediately becomes interested in her, and soon all three of the kids' lives are intertwined, for better or worse.
Breathe was one of the most anticipated releases of Fall 2012. I was one of those bloggers who heard about it ages ago and immediately put it on my TBR list. But unfortunately, the book description that roped me into wanting to read this book was just about the only compelling thing about it.
I was so excited to start reading this book, but once I started, the many shortcomings I found made me not want to finish it. First off, maybe it's just me having dystopian overload, but I feel like I have read this story. So. Many. Times. Pure by Julianna Baggott comes to mind, countless others. It's kinda like the author went down a dystopian novel checklist:
-Oppressive Government: CHECK
-World changing event THAT IS NEVER TRULY EXPLAINED: CHECK
-Resistance group with a crazy leader: CHECK
Then there was a YA checklist:
-Love triangle: CHECK
-Non-existent/non-caring parents: CHECK
-Whiny girl, idiot boy, kickass (but not quite) heroine: CHECK
So many things about this book didn't make sense to me. Just for example: the kids find a drifter, an older lady named Maude. She explains that before The Switch, she was training in the medical field. That would take a person with fairly high intelligence, correct? Well, in this book she talks as if she just stepped out of 1870's Appalachia. "I weren't no threat." and such. Maybe I picked things apart, but hey, I'm a reviewer so things like this catch my attention.
Characterization was severely lacking in this novel, and I'd be hard pressed to say I found redeeming qualities in any of the characters. Quinn made me want to punch him several times, Alina just wasn't the smartest, and Bea had no backbone. The sort-of-but-not-quite love triangle was very annoying.
There are several other things I had issues with, but honestly, I am tired of talking about this book and I'm ready to get it out of my mind. I only finished it because I started it...and I kind of wish I hadn't.
laurenb's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the story. It was interesting and different . No insta-love either, which I appreciated！
bookishmadness's review against another edition
4.0
What it's about: In a world where tree's don't exist and oxygen is precious and expensive, Quinn and Bea get caught up with Alina on her trip to the resistance. Together, they learn that nothing is what it seems, and perhaps it's time to start fighting back.
What I thought: I love Dystopian books and with so many out on the market these days, it can be hard to find ones that capture your attention. At first, I struggled with Breathe. I had been so excited to read it, but I felt my attention dwindling rapidly. But I persevered and I am quite glad I did. While none of the characters really grabbed my heart individually, together as a whole they swept me away. Their combined personalities made for a interesting group. This dangerous adventure about fighting for the tree's and trying to change the future is a real eye-opener for our own world, and how we affect it.
This book has been left open perfectly for the next book and I for one can't wait to see what happens! I highly recommend going out and grabbing a copy of Breathe!
The Good: I loved this idea of tree's not existing, and living in a pod pumped with manufactured oxygen. Another fantastic take on a Dystopian world!
The Bad: The beginning was slow, and I had to force myself to keep reading, however it all worked out in the end.
Rating: 4 bookstacks
What I thought: I love Dystopian books and with so many out on the market these days, it can be hard to find ones that capture your attention. At first, I struggled with Breathe. I had been so excited to read it, but I felt my attention dwindling rapidly. But I persevered and I am quite glad I did. While none of the characters really grabbed my heart individually, together as a whole they swept me away. Their combined personalities made for a interesting group. This dangerous adventure about fighting for the tree's and trying to change the future is a real eye-opener for our own world, and how we affect it.
This book has been left open perfectly for the next book and I for one can't wait to see what happens! I highly recommend going out and grabbing a copy of Breathe!
The Good: I loved this idea of tree's not existing, and living in a pod pumped with manufactured oxygen. Another fantastic take on a Dystopian world!
The Bad: The beginning was slow, and I had to force myself to keep reading, however it all worked out in the end.
Rating: 4 bookstacks
ptothelo's review against another edition
2.0
it was OK. i might read the next book but I don't feel like i really have to. I'm not that invested in the characters and their journey