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anniedactyl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
elanna_g's review
5.0
Trigger warning: suicide, self harm (graphic)
WOW, this book was intense! It sucked me right in from the start and I couldn't put it down it was soooo all-consuming.
As someone who struggled with self harm in the past, I never felt more understood in that aspect, EVER. And the story was so intriguing I just needed to know what had happened. This book made me fell so many emotions, I cried a lot reading it. Although I saw the ending coming, it still felt right for some reason, Idk how to explain it.
This will stay in my head for a long time.
WOW, this book was intense! It sucked me right in from the start and I couldn't put it down it was soooo all-consuming.
As someone who struggled with self harm in the past, I never felt more understood in that aspect, EVER. And the story was so intriguing I just needed to know what had happened. This book made me fell so many emotions, I cried a lot reading it. Although I saw the ending coming, it still felt right for some reason, Idk how to explain it.
This will stay in my head for a long time.
annastarlight's review
4.0
Wow. It's been ages since I've read a book that packs such an emotional punch. Entangled isn't just a jab in the gut, it's a full-frontal assault that just keeps on going.
The worst about it, I think, is that the book is often quite humorous and sarcastic in tone. At the same time, troubles are boiling away below the surface. Grace wakes up and finds herself in a white room with nothing but a bed, a table, and writing materials. As she continues to write what happened leading up to her captivity, she slowly uncovers thoughts, feelings, happenings that she would rather forget.
To be very honest, I did not enjoy Entangled. Halfway through I decided to read something else, because it was just too heavy for me. I could not digest all that it describes, and I needed a break. It is a testament to Ms Clarke that I did pick it up again and finished it. I'm not entirely glad that I did. Unlike The Bell Jar, an equally bleak book, Entangled does not offer any kind of comfort, not even of the coldest sort.
Could've known, with this kind of opening sentence.
I met Ethan on the night I was planning to kill myself.
* Trigger warnings:suicide, graphic self-harm
The worst about it, I think, is that the book is often quite humorous and sarcastic in tone. At the same time, troubles are boiling away below the surface. Grace wakes up and finds herself in a white room with nothing but a bed, a table, and writing materials. As she continues to write what happened leading up to her captivity, she slowly uncovers thoughts, feelings, happenings that she would rather forget.
To be very honest, I did not enjoy Entangled. Halfway through I decided to read something else, because it was just too heavy for me. I could not digest all that it describes, and I needed a break. It is a testament to Ms Clarke that I did pick it up again and finished it. I'm not entirely glad that I did. Unlike The Bell Jar, an equally bleak book, Entangled does not offer any kind of comfort, not even of the coldest sort.
Could've known, with this kind of opening sentence.
I met Ethan on the night I was planning to kill myself.
* Trigger warnings:
onceuponabookcase's review
5.0
'The same questions whirl round and round in my head:
What does he want from me?
How could I have let this happen?
AM I GOING TO DIE?'
17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got there.
As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see?
Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here?
A story of dangerous secrets, intense friendships and electrifying attraction. From Amazon UK
When I received this book for review, I was extremely excited. Not only did it sound brilliant, but I've met Cat Clarke - she came along to the book bloggers meet up back in May, and is active enough in the blogosphere that many consider her "one of us". But I was also worried. What if I didn't like it? I pride myself on my honest reviews, but how could I possibly be negative about a book someone I know wrote. It scared me.
Fortunately, I was hooked from the very first page. Why was this girl locked in a room? Will she ever get out? What is her abductor planning? But after a while, I worried some more about negative review writing as it looked likely. I did not like Grace. She was too much of a typical teenager; she was loud and brash and had didn't seem to have a nice word to say about anything. She really wound me up, and I kept wanting to tell her to shut up. Yet I couldn't put the book down. Her circumstanced were just too strange, and I needed to know what was going on.
As the pages turned, my feelings towards Grace changed. As I got to know her better, understood her better, I liked her more - even if she did/said things that still annoyed me. But her story was so intriguing. The secrets, the strange behaviour. I read and read and read. Since I've started work, it has taken me well over a week to finish a book, but I was so caught up in Grace's story, it took four days. And now I'm finished, and I can really only say... wow.
The plot is just fantastic! Such a great way to tell a story, having Grace write it all down almost like a journal. The twist is just awesome, I didn't entirely see it coming. I had theories and assumptions, but they weren't completely correct, and I was just blown away with the actual outcome; just why Grace was abducted. But the story of all that happened before she was abduted really touched me. I laughed, I cried, I sympathised, I fell in love, I got mad, I had fun. It was just fantastic!
In total, there were seven characters in the book, but the three main ones are Grace, Sal, and Nat. Sal is Grace's best friend, and as nice enough as she seemed, I never really liked her. Not that I disliked her, I just didn't feel I knew her well enough to base an opinion on. Grace is the narrator, so we only know what she tells us, and as she's writing months after most of the events happen, so we don't get every detail. We don't need every detail, I just didn't feel enough of a connection to Sal to like her, though there was enough for me to care what happened to her.
Nat on the other hand you couldn't ask for me detail on. And I think I might just have to say, move over every other fictional guy I've ever read about, I have a new fic-guy to have a lit crush on. It's like Clarke crawled into my head, saw who my perfect guy would be - well, pretty much - and put him in her book. He was just so lovely! He was just awesome! The only thing I can complain about really, is not having enough conversations with him about nothing. They're not necessary for the story, but I would have enjoyed them!
Then came the end. Oh my god, the end. When everything fell into place, and we knew what was what. Some of it I was hoping desperatly wouldn't turn out like I thought it would, but it did, and there were tears, and a whole lot of anger. And the actual end! Simply amazing, but I wish it hadn't ended there! I wanted more! What happens next, Cat?
Entangled is simply fantastic! I loved it! I want to pick it up and read it over. I want to climb into the pages. Seriously, this book is just amazing, a stunning debut, and if you don't get yourself to a bookshop in January and grab yourself a copy, well, I suggest you go see a doctor. Another to add to the list of favourites. I can't wait to read whatever Clarke brings us next!
From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog
What does he want from me?
How could I have let this happen?
AM I GOING TO DIE?'
17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got there.
As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see?
Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here?
A story of dangerous secrets, intense friendships and electrifying attraction. From Amazon UK
When I received this book for review, I was extremely excited. Not only did it sound brilliant, but I've met Cat Clarke - she came along to the book bloggers meet up back in May, and is active enough in the blogosphere that many consider her "one of us". But I was also worried. What if I didn't like it? I pride myself on my honest reviews, but how could I possibly be negative about a book someone I know wrote. It scared me.
Fortunately, I was hooked from the very first page. Why was this girl locked in a room? Will she ever get out? What is her abductor planning? But after a while, I worried some more about negative review writing as it looked likely. I did not like Grace. She was too much of a typical teenager; she was loud and brash and had didn't seem to have a nice word to say about anything. She really wound me up, and I kept wanting to tell her to shut up. Yet I couldn't put the book down. Her circumstanced were just too strange, and I needed to know what was going on.
As the pages turned, my feelings towards Grace changed. As I got to know her better, understood her better, I liked her more - even if she did/said things that still annoyed me. But her story was so intriguing. The secrets, the strange behaviour. I read and read and read. Since I've started work, it has taken me well over a week to finish a book, but I was so caught up in Grace's story, it took four days. And now I'm finished, and I can really only say... wow.
The plot is just fantastic! Such a great way to tell a story, having Grace write it all down almost like a journal. The twist is just awesome, I didn't entirely see it coming. I had theories and assumptions, but they weren't completely correct, and I was just blown away with the actual outcome; just why Grace was abducted. But the story of all that happened before she was abduted really touched me. I laughed, I cried, I sympathised, I fell in love, I got mad, I had fun. It was just fantastic!
In total, there were seven characters in the book, but the three main ones are Grace, Sal, and Nat. Sal is Grace's best friend, and as nice enough as she seemed, I never really liked her. Not that I disliked her, I just didn't feel I knew her well enough to base an opinion on. Grace is the narrator, so we only know what she tells us, and as she's writing months after most of the events happen, so we don't get every detail. We don't need every detail, I just didn't feel enough of a connection to Sal to like her, though there was enough for me to care what happened to her.
Nat on the other hand you couldn't ask for me detail on. And I think I might just have to say, move over every other fictional guy I've ever read about, I have a new fic-guy to have a lit crush on. It's like Clarke crawled into my head, saw who my perfect guy would be - well, pretty much - and put him in her book. He was just so lovely! He was just awesome! The only thing I can complain about really, is not having enough conversations with him about nothing. They're not necessary for the story, but I would have enjoyed them!
Then came the end. Oh my god, the end. When everything fell into place, and we knew what was what. Some of it I was hoping desperatly wouldn't turn out like I thought it would, but it did, and there were tears, and a whole lot of anger. And the actual end! Simply amazing, but I wish it hadn't ended there! I wanted more! What happens next, Cat?
Entangled is simply fantastic! I loved it! I want to pick it up and read it over. I want to climb into the pages. Seriously, this book is just amazing, a stunning debut, and if you don't get yourself to a bookshop in January and grab yourself a copy, well, I suggest you go see a doctor. Another to add to the list of favourites. I can't wait to read whatever Clarke brings us next!
From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog
bookwormreflections's review
2.0
What worked: Entangled is a very difficult book to review. If it weren't for my stubborn streak, I would have ditched it but I had to find out how everything unraveled.
You know when you're doing a giant puzzle and you're working on the big blue sky? Imagine you find a piece that doesn't quite fit but from afar looks perfectly fine. But you can't leave it, you need to find that piece because if you don't, you'll always wonder what it would have looked like as a completed puzzle on your floor. Entangled was that kind of book for me. I had a vague idea of what would happen but all of the story threads were so tangled I wanted to know exactly how it worked out.
The only thing I enjoyed about Entangled was the big question of why Grace was in that room and that it kept me guessing.
What irked: I couldn't connect with Grace at all, I mean I knew that she was a bit broken but I didn't exactly know why. She's incredibly manipulative and cruel without even realising it. She has to gain something from every conversation, whether that's praise or a secret from someone. It's like other people owe her. Grace is selfish and destructive but when push comes to shove, she'd rather bury her head in the sand and pretend everything's peachy keen.
Yes I did feel awful for her during some parts of Entangled but the vast majority of the time, I wanted her to give her a bad ass papercut.
It was obvious fairly early on what would happen with Grace and another character. What I don't understand is that if Cat Clarke had gone to such great lengths to hide the reality of how Grace came to be in that room, why wasn't the same mystery applied to the run-up? When you're skimming through the bulk of a book just to find out the solution of one plot line, that doesn't make for a happy Rebekah.
Recommended to: Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book because it frustrated me and the main character drove me up the wall. The main mystery is the only thing making me give Entangled... ***2 Stars - It was ok I suppose but I won't read it again.***
You know when you're doing a giant puzzle and you're working on the big blue sky? Imagine you find a piece that doesn't quite fit but from afar looks perfectly fine. But you can't leave it, you need to find that piece because if you don't, you'll always wonder what it would have looked like as a completed puzzle on your floor. Entangled was that kind of book for me. I had a vague idea of what would happen but all of the story threads were so tangled I wanted to know exactly how it worked out.
The only thing I enjoyed about Entangled was the big question of why Grace was in that room and that it kept me guessing.
What irked: I couldn't connect with Grace at all, I mean I knew that she was a bit broken but I didn't exactly know why. She's incredibly manipulative and cruel without even realising it. She has to gain something from every conversation, whether that's praise or a secret from someone. It's like other people owe her. Grace is selfish and destructive but when push comes to shove, she'd rather bury her head in the sand and pretend everything's peachy keen.
Yes I did feel awful for her during some parts of Entangled but the vast majority of the time, I wanted her to give her a bad ass papercut.
It was obvious fairly early on what would happen with Grace and another character. What I don't understand is that if Cat Clarke had gone to such great lengths to hide the reality of how Grace came to be in that room, why wasn't the same mystery applied to the run-up? When you're skimming through the bulk of a book just to find out the solution of one plot line, that doesn't make for a happy Rebekah.
Recommended to: Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book because it frustrated me and the main character drove me up the wall. The main mystery is the only thing making me give Entangled... ***2 Stars - It was ok I suppose but I won't read it again.***
andrez's review
3.0
I have to admit, I didn't get what I was expecting, and I really, really appreciated that. But... the story was quite boring and that's why i give it 3 stars
_bookishbella's review
5.0
Wow. This book was amazing. Not what I was expecting, at all, but still it was awesome. Don't let the pretty cover fool you though. (I know, it's gorgeous) It's definitely not a pretty story.
The story is told by Grace, who has been kidnapped, and is trapped in a white room with only paper and pens in it. There is nothing else she can do, so she writes. She's forced to remember everything, and we find out along with her.
Grace is a strong, well thought out and complex character. I really enjoyed reading about her, but I couldn't really relate to her all that well. I could relate to her friendship troubles with Sal, as I've experienced friendship troubles too, but I couldn't understand why she cuts herself, and why she enjoys going out and getting wasted every day. It's never happened to me before, but I felt sorry for her, and I just wanted to give her a big hug, and tell her everything is going to be okay, even though I knew she thought it wouldn't. Although I couldn't really relate to her all that well, I loved her narrative, and I was glued to the page.
The plot wasn't too complex, but wasn't really simple. A lot happened in a short space of time, but I didn't feel that the book had been rushed at any point, I felt it was well-paced and well-written. I think there may have been a little too much drinking and talking about drinking for me, but I can see why it's there, and I'm pretty sure the story wouldn't be quite the same without it.
The last 10 pages or so really made the book for me, the bit where the book is summed up and it's revealed as to why Grace had been kidnapped. I didn't see it coming at all, and it was a really great way to find out what happened, and who did things and why. It was a great way to finish, and I couldn't imagine the ending any other way.
Overall, Entangled was a really good book. I read it all in one day. There were times I hated it, but there were more times I loved it, and that's what I think makes a good book, one that makes you feel things, and one that will stay with you for a long time after you've finished. I'll never forget Grace's story, and it definitely left a mark on me, which is how I know it was so good. It was powerful and emotional, and I was glued to the pages. It has everything, secrets, love, betrayal, and at the end, there is a little glimpse of hope. It's awesome, and I recommend it to everyone.
Originally published at www.cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com
The story is told by Grace, who has been kidnapped, and is trapped in a white room with only paper and pens in it. There is nothing else she can do, so she writes. She's forced to remember everything, and we find out along with her.
Grace is a strong, well thought out and complex character. I really enjoyed reading about her, but I couldn't really relate to her all that well. I could relate to her friendship troubles with Sal, as I've experienced friendship troubles too, but I couldn't understand why she cuts herself, and why she enjoys going out and getting wasted every day. It's never happened to me before, but I felt sorry for her, and I just wanted to give her a big hug, and tell her everything is going to be okay, even though I knew she thought it wouldn't. Although I couldn't really relate to her all that well, I loved her narrative, and I was glued to the page.
The plot wasn't too complex, but wasn't really simple. A lot happened in a short space of time, but I didn't feel that the book had been rushed at any point, I felt it was well-paced and well-written. I think there may have been a little too much drinking and talking about drinking for me, but I can see why it's there, and I'm pretty sure the story wouldn't be quite the same without it.
The last 10 pages or so really made the book for me, the bit where the book is summed up and it's revealed as to why Grace had been kidnapped. I didn't see it coming at all, and it was a really great way to find out what happened, and who did things and why. It was a great way to finish, and I couldn't imagine the ending any other way.
Overall, Entangled was a really good book. I read it all in one day. There were times I hated it, but there were more times I loved it, and that's what I think makes a good book, one that makes you feel things, and one that will stay with you for a long time after you've finished. I'll never forget Grace's story, and it definitely left a mark on me, which is how I know it was so good. It was powerful and emotional, and I was glued to the pages. It has everything, secrets, love, betrayal, and at the end, there is a little glimpse of hope. It's awesome, and I recommend it to everyone.
Originally published at www.cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com
kriscq's review
4.0
General Comments
Wow. That’s what I thought when I closed the book. Just wow. The first half of the book or so was a little confusing. As Grace writes down her story she jumps around a bit, between the past and the present and at times it’s extremely confusing. But as I read further on and stopped trying to figure out where she was from, the story got steadily better. There were a few points where I wanted to just shake her but overall I quite liked it.
Critical Review
Author’s POV/ Voice:
The author chose to use the first person POV and in all honesty, I found it hard to sink into at the beginning. This was mostly because I couldn’t figure out where the protagonist was from purely from her dialogue. It felt slightly inconsistent to me as though Grace’s persona was a suit the author was trying on for the first time, and she wasn’t quite sure how it fit. However, after a little while it got smoother and I was able to let myself go and enjoy the story.
Characters:
Grace is not perfect. Actually, she’s quite far from it. She’s one of those girls. You know the kind I mean, the kind that you raise your eyebrows at and judge not so secretly. The kind who drinks too much, is much too loose with herself, and who has no filter between her brain and her mouth. But she was real. I found myself being able to understand how she got that way and my heart went out to her. At some points I wanted to shake her. Honestly, she was more than a little naive and I felt like it was a less than realistic device employed by the author to make her story work. But overall, I could relate to Grace.
Storyline/ Plot:
The story was extremely interesting. I found myself asking questions at every turn. Why did he kidnap her? Why is he so odd? What happened to Sal? Why can’t Grace see what’s so clear to me? I felt like the particular issue that Grace had was interestingly handled. I could actually believe she couldn’t stop, that somehow she didn’t really know why she did it, and I was satisfied with that. I must say, the ending came as a bit of a surprise. I realised that as the story wound down that something weird was going on and I was waiting for it to take an unexpected twist possibly into the paranormal. But it didn’t. And once I reached those last words, my heart went out to Grace, and to Sal, and to Grace’s mother. And I hoped.
Cover & Blurb:
This was a stunning cover. The picture alone made me want to pick it up. Forget the blurb. Honestly, that’s how I felt. This cover just overshadowed everything. This girl just drew me in with her messy nails, her red hair, and the look in her eye. Pleading, sad, and beautiful. It just worked.
Rating Conclusion
Entangled gets 4.25 stars out of 5. Honestly, it was a good read even if it did take a while to pick up. I loved the way the characters interacted and I loved how raw they could get. It was refreshing to see the less than pleasant side of the teenage life. Not everyone’s biggest problems come from them having some great talent. The beauty in this novel could be found in the very human flaws it sought to portray, and I loved it.
For more reviews check out my book blog Words That Fly.
Wow. That’s what I thought when I closed the book. Just wow. The first half of the book or so was a little confusing. As Grace writes down her story she jumps around a bit, between the past and the present and at times it’s extremely confusing. But as I read further on and stopped trying to figure out where she was from, the story got steadily better. There were a few points where I wanted to just shake her but overall I quite liked it.
Critical Review
Author’s POV/ Voice:
The author chose to use the first person POV and in all honesty, I found it hard to sink into at the beginning. This was mostly because I couldn’t figure out where the protagonist was from purely from her dialogue. It felt slightly inconsistent to me as though Grace’s persona was a suit the author was trying on for the first time, and she wasn’t quite sure how it fit. However, after a little while it got smoother and I was able to let myself go and enjoy the story.
Characters:
Grace is not perfect. Actually, she’s quite far from it. She’s one of those girls. You know the kind I mean, the kind that you raise your eyebrows at and judge not so secretly. The kind who drinks too much, is much too loose with herself, and who has no filter between her brain and her mouth. But she was real. I found myself being able to understand how she got that way and my heart went out to her. At some points I wanted to shake her. Honestly, she was more than a little naive and I felt like it was a less than realistic device employed by the author to make her story work. But overall, I could relate to Grace.
Storyline/ Plot:
The story was extremely interesting. I found myself asking questions at every turn. Why did he kidnap her? Why is he so odd? What happened to Sal? Why can’t Grace see what’s so clear to me? I felt like the particular issue that Grace had was interestingly handled. I could actually believe she couldn’t stop, that somehow she didn’t really know why she did it, and I was satisfied with that. I must say, the ending came as a bit of a surprise. I realised that as the story wound down that something weird was going on and I was waiting for it to take an unexpected twist possibly into the paranormal. But it didn’t. And once I reached those last words, my heart went out to Grace, and to Sal, and to Grace’s mother. And I hoped.
Cover & Blurb:
This was a stunning cover. The picture alone made me want to pick it up. Forget the blurb. Honestly, that’s how I felt. This cover just overshadowed everything. This girl just drew me in with her messy nails, her red hair, and the look in her eye. Pleading, sad, and beautiful. It just worked.
Rating Conclusion
Entangled gets 4.25 stars out of 5. Honestly, it was a good read even if it did take a while to pick up. I loved the way the characters interacted and I loved how raw they could get. It was refreshing to see the less than pleasant side of the teenage life. Not everyone’s biggest problems come from them having some great talent. The beauty in this novel could be found in the very human flaws it sought to portray, and I loved it.
For more reviews check out my book blog Words That Fly.