Scan barcode
sam_hartwig's review
DNF
I got to 100 pages and realised I wasn't really getting into it. I didn't have the need to pick it up, which is usually a sign that I'm not interested. I'm sure it's my mood at the moment, I've had a few books lately that have been a bit of a let down so I think I probably would've enjoyed it any other time.
It's this month's book club book so I'm looking forward to what the others think.
I got to 100 pages and realised I wasn't really getting into it. I didn't have the need to pick it up, which is usually a sign that I'm not interested. I'm sure it's my mood at the moment, I've had a few books lately that have been a bit of a let down so I think I probably would've enjoyed it any other time.
It's this month's book club book so I'm looking forward to what the others think.
barefootmegz's review against another edition
1.0
Oh, I really didn’t enjoy this book! I always feel like saying “great in concept but failing in execution” is such a cop-out, but in this case it’s so true.
Mayo presents a truly horrific concept – being punished for the crimes of your parents – which has the makings of a great dystopia. It’s actually not such a foreign concept in broad strokes. It’s something that is often discussed, just in different terms. In South Africa, for example, many families that were disenfranchised by the legacy of Apartheid are campaigning for land.
But he really never delves into the grit of the story. There are a few soap-box moments that are fairly ineffective, but as a whole the novel does not manage to address any pertinent issues.
The characters are all fairly flat and stereotypical – the rebellious girl and her kind-hearted brother from a broken home, the gentle foster parents, the resentful biological son, the cruel prison governor… none of them show any development throughout the novel and none of them elicit any form of empathy.
The dialogue is stilted and ineffective, and the action scenes are poorly choreographed. Not to mention highly improbable. Someone’s leg going instantly numb after a single shot of local anaesthetic? That’s not how local agents work!
Really not the most enjoyable book for me.
I received a free eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mayo presents a truly horrific concept – being punished for the crimes of your parents – which has the makings of a great dystopia. It’s actually not such a foreign concept in broad strokes. It’s something that is often discussed, just in different terms. In South Africa, for example, many families that were disenfranchised by the legacy of Apartheid are campaigning for land.
But he really never delves into the grit of the story. There are a few soap-box moments that are fairly ineffective, but as a whole the novel does not manage to address any pertinent issues.
The characters are all fairly flat and stereotypical – the rebellious girl and her kind-hearted brother from a broken home, the gentle foster parents, the resentful biological son, the cruel prison governor… none of them show any development throughout the novel and none of them elicit any form of empathy.
The dialogue is stilted and ineffective, and the action scenes are poorly choreographed. Not to mention highly improbable. Someone’s leg going instantly numb after a single shot of local anaesthetic? That’s not how local agents work!
Really not the most enjoyable book for me.
I received a free eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
carolineroche's review
5.0
I loved this book. Simon Mayo's writing gets better and better. He is a writer despite being a celebrity - he can't be put into the same bracket as the other celebrity 'writers'. The book is a dystopian vision of a not to far in the future Britain where whole families go to prison for 'heritage crime'. Someone in your family was a criminal and so you all suffer. Ant and Mattie are in prison with their foster parents, but Ant is desperate to escape and will do anything to achieve this. When it happens, there are no holds barred. A very exciting book, well worth reading like all of Simon Mayo's books, and a must for your library shelves.
ashleighmacro's review against another edition
3.0
While Blame didn't blow me away, I enjoyed reading it. It kept me hooked and the concept is an intriguing one. The characters are great to hang out with - I particularly liked Mattie and loved reading about his relationship with his sister Ant. It's a bit slow going to begin with but it manages to ramp up towards the end, resulting in a four star rating from me.
paperbackmo's review
3.0
Dragged a bit in places, but good action. Slightly abrupt ending.
A good read though.
A good read though.
xvicesx's review against another edition
It's a readable book with a nice concept and quite possible, I'd say, with the circumstances of the world we live in, but I really don't feel anything for the main character. I'm not invested in her fight and in all fairness, I don't really like her either. So I'm calling quits. Good luck to anyone else who finds it more palpable.
chlo_19's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
juliet_j17's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting concept / Loved the family dynamic
"They were all strutters, all on the same side, but apart from her brother and maybe her foster parents, she had faith in no one."
agsztyl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75