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dcgu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant series was a fantastically dark read for primary students. Here he moves up to the teenage market, keeps the dark humour and tone and seamlessly adapts his writing to an older market.
With one of the most startling and exciting opening chapters, the scene is set for a new fantasy series that brings in almost all the main mythological creatures you know - demons and vampires for starters.
Amber has always felt her parents were a little different. At sixteen, she undergoes a traumatic experience and the nature of her family is revealed. What starts as a horror story turns into a road movie, as Amber gots on the run, meeting a series of bizarre and dangerous individuals as she seeks to save herself from the danger chasing her...
From the first chapter onward, the excitement and pace never let up. Amber makes a very sympathetic lead - she's not the usual pretty and thin teen, she's more than once taunted for her looks. But she has a different side... you'll see what I mean. Her companions are mysterious, they have their own stories (hopefully to be developed in further books), and play significant roles.
This is dark, dangerous and funny as Hell (pun intended). Amber faces threat after threat, and even though people get hurt, Landy manages to keep the tone light enough for you to laugh and enjoy the witty dialogue his characters banter about.
Adults as well as teenagers will enjoy this. It bodes well for further instalments, would make a fabulous film. I'll be recommending this in my library work.
I love Landy's world, it's our world but the darker side that lives around mortals, sometimes they meet here. Amber has to accept a lot very quickly, and her reactions are realistic and she comes across as a regular teenager put in an unexpected situation and trying to keep her moral compass intact.
Such a good writer for young people - a different take on the fantasy genre. One for ages 12 and above.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant series was a fantastically dark read for primary students. Here he moves up to the teenage market, keeps the dark humour and tone and seamlessly adapts his writing to an older market.
With one of the most startling and exciting opening chapters, the scene is set for a new fantasy series that brings in almost all the main mythological creatures you know - demons and vampires for starters.
Amber has always felt her parents were a little different. At sixteen, she undergoes a traumatic experience and the nature of her family is revealed. What starts as a horror story turns into a road movie, as Amber gots on the run, meeting a series of bizarre and dangerous individuals as she seeks to save herself from the danger chasing her...
From the first chapter onward, the excitement and pace never let up. Amber makes a very sympathetic lead - she's not the usual pretty and thin teen, she's more than once taunted for her looks. But she has a different side... you'll see what I mean. Her companions are mysterious, they have their own stories (hopefully to be developed in further books), and play significant roles.
This is dark, dangerous and funny as Hell (pun intended). Amber faces threat after threat, and even though people get hurt, Landy manages to keep the tone light enough for you to laugh and enjoy the witty dialogue his characters banter about.
Adults as well as teenagers will enjoy this. It bodes well for further instalments, would make a fabulous film. I'll be recommending this in my library work.
I love Landy's world, it's our world but the darker side that lives around mortals, sometimes they meet here. Amber has to accept a lot very quickly, and her reactions are realistic and she comes across as a regular teenager put in an unexpected situation and trying to keep her moral compass intact.
Such a good writer for young people - a different take on the fantasy genre. One for ages 12 and above.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
teeggzz's review against another edition
2.0
*2.5
My only thought is, wtf did I just read? This book was my first ever attempt at annotating and a lot of the moments I marked were times where I was simply angry. Demon Road had been on my shelf for about 3 or so years and the synopsis sounded really good but I was just left with a bitter taste in my mouth. Which is unfortunate because I started off the reading year with two amazing books and it just seems to be going down hill from here.
Let's start off with the characters. There wasn't any particular character that I cared for. I hated the main character Amber for many reasons. Mainly her over all stupidity and inconsideration towards others. She was greatly unfeeling towards Glen and I felt that her common sense was well below average. She was a bitch AND she was dumb and those two traits together are just a recipe for disaster. Some examples include one on page 67 where Imelda is sending her away with Milo to PROTECT her and yet she refuses to leave, saying she wants to stay? What da fuq? You've just been told your parents are demons and are trying to kill you and you're worried about leaving with a stranger? Ugh. She was just so stubborn for no god damn reason.
Another scene that drove me up the wall was after their first stop at the gas station and she beats up that lady in the bathroom. After this incident she then proceeds to run away and SKINNY DIP in a nearby river. SKINNY DIP IN DEMON FORM. You just fucked up an old woman, threw her against a wall and now you have the audacity to laugh and swim around? Did you ever consider that somebody's watching you? She's literally on the run and she doesn't even make an attempt to be careful!
And yet ANOTHER thing I found super annoying about Amber is that she would always refer to herself as ugly in human form but in Demon form she was suddenly amazingly pretty? Literally everyone she came across says this as well! But why?! In my opinion she would be pretty fucking terrifying as a demon, beautiful isn't the first word that comes to mind. Also there was literally no defining feature that showed us that Amber was ugly and yet every guy she came across (minus Glen) basically called her an ugly, fat pig. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE FAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE UGLY. This drove me up the wall.
And Glen...*sighs* This guy was just insanely annoying. He could never seem to stop talking and not only that, he was ALSO stupid. He just thought it would be a good idea to take something called the 'death-mark' from a random old man because, hey why not?! Although in saying that he was the only character that really made the story feel alive. There are a few lines and moments where I thought he was actually funny but over all I think the author was trying far too hard and after a while the humor felt forced and cringey. Especially the moment where Glen admits his feelings for Amber. Just whyyyy?? Why did that need to happen?
But to be fair I did think Glen got the short end of the stick. Amber and Milo never really cared about him. Yes, he was exceedingly annoying at times but that's no excuse to treat someone that way. He wasn't mean or cruel in any way and I think he deserved better. On multiple occasions Amber just simply left him for dead. When he was kidnapped by vamps and half dead she just simply RAN AWAY! There were like three vampires that she easily could've torn down in demon form because ya know she's always saying how strong she is and then she doesn't even try to grab Glen before running. Another time was in the vamp hotel when her parents show up she literally just drops an unconscious Glen on the ground and leaves him. She's the shittiest person ever oh my god. Half the time I wished that her parents actually would just kill her. And then when Glen actually did die she didn't even go up to his body or say any kind words she just left. Although I don't think Glen actually is dead, I believe he'll actually turn out to be a vampire. But I guess I won't find out because I don't care enough to continue.
Over all the plot line didn't really draw me in. At times I felt like I wanted to just give up all together because I got so bored. The book quickly got very repetitive, as the group would turn up to a troubled town and defeat a foe, have a run in with the parents and drive away again. I just felt like there was no depth to the story. What was the point, where is it going? Also there were SO many useless scenes and pieces of dialogue that could've been cut out. It just made the story drag and bored me half to death. This was a 500 page book of stupid characters and a repetitive plot that did not grip me in the slightest. I will not be continuing with this trilogy and to be fair I wish I hadn't wasted my time with it. Not even the endless amount of action could make up for the lack of character development and boring plot. I didn't find it witty and didn't find it that entertaining. Sorry?
My only thought is, wtf did I just read? This book was my first ever attempt at annotating and a lot of the moments I marked were times where I was simply angry. Demon Road had been on my shelf for about 3 or so years and the synopsis sounded really good but I was just left with a bitter taste in my mouth. Which is unfortunate because I started off the reading year with two amazing books and it just seems to be going down hill from here.
Let's start off with the characters. There wasn't any particular character that I cared for. I hated the main character Amber for many reasons. Mainly her over all stupidity and inconsideration towards others. She was greatly unfeeling towards Glen and I felt that her common sense was well below average. She was a bitch AND she was dumb and those two traits together are just a recipe for disaster. Some examples include one on page 67 where Imelda is sending her away with Milo to PROTECT her and yet she refuses to leave, saying she wants to stay? What da fuq? You've just been told your parents are demons and are trying to kill you and you're worried about leaving with a stranger? Ugh. She was just so stubborn for no god damn reason.
Another scene that drove me up the wall was after their first stop at the gas station and she beats up that lady in the bathroom. After this incident she then proceeds to run away and SKINNY DIP in a nearby river. SKINNY DIP IN DEMON FORM. You just fucked up an old woman, threw her against a wall and now you have the audacity to laugh and swim around? Did you ever consider that somebody's watching you? She's literally on the run and she doesn't even make an attempt to be careful!
And yet ANOTHER thing I found super annoying about Amber is that she would always refer to herself as ugly in human form but in Demon form she was suddenly amazingly pretty? Literally everyone she came across says this as well! But why?! In my opinion she would be pretty fucking terrifying as a demon, beautiful isn't the first word that comes to mind. Also there was literally no defining feature that showed us that Amber was ugly and yet every guy she came across (minus Glen) basically called her an ugly, fat pig. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE FAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE UGLY. This drove me up the wall.
And Glen...*sighs* This guy was just insanely annoying. He could never seem to stop talking and not only that, he was ALSO stupid. He just thought it would be a good idea to take something called the 'death-mark' from a random old man because, hey why not?! Although in saying that he was the only character that really made the story feel alive. There are a few lines and moments where I thought he was actually funny but over all I think the author was trying far too hard and after a while the humor felt forced and cringey. Especially the moment where Glen admits his feelings for Amber. Just whyyyy?? Why did that need to happen?
But to be fair I did think Glen got the short end of the stick. Amber and Milo never really cared about him. Yes, he was exceedingly annoying at times but that's no excuse to treat someone that way. He wasn't mean or cruel in any way and I think he deserved better. On multiple occasions Amber just simply left him for dead. When he was kidnapped by vamps and half dead she just simply RAN AWAY! There were like three vampires that she easily could've torn down in demon form because ya know she's always saying how strong she is and then she doesn't even try to grab Glen before running. Another time was in the vamp hotel when her parents show up she literally just drops an unconscious Glen on the ground and leaves him. She's the shittiest person ever oh my god. Half the time I wished that her parents actually would just kill her. And then when Glen actually did die she didn't even go up to his body or say any kind words she just left. Although I don't think Glen actually is dead, I believe he'll actually turn out to be a vampire. But I guess I won't find out because I don't care enough to continue.
Over all the plot line didn't really draw me in. At times I felt like I wanted to just give up all together because I got so bored. The book quickly got very repetitive, as the group would turn up to a troubled town and defeat a foe, have a run in with the parents and drive away again. I just felt like there was no depth to the story. What was the point, where is it going? Also there were SO many useless scenes and pieces of dialogue that could've been cut out. It just made the story drag and bored me half to death. This was a 500 page book of stupid characters and a repetitive plot that did not grip me in the slightest. I will not be continuing with this trilogy and to be fair I wish I hadn't wasted my time with it. Not even the endless amount of action could make up for the lack of character development and boring plot. I didn't find it witty and didn't find it that entertaining. Sorry?
loiereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-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? Yes
2.5
This was a little disappointing. It had a premise that intrigued me, and I haven't read a YA supernatural book for a while so it seemed like a good pick. It started off pretty strong and had me captivated, but then it just seemed to go a little flat, and wasn't all that enticing and gripping. It felt a little predictable and not really that interesting the more it went on.
The characters were OK, some of the dialouge was a little cringe and unrealistic. Glen was my favourite out of all the characters and he definitely deserved better.
Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked, it has made me want to continue reading more books in the supernatural genre, so I'll now be on the hunt for something else to read, but don't think I'll pick up the other books in this series.
The characters were OK, some of the dialouge was a little cringe and unrealistic. Glen was my favourite out of all the characters and he definitely deserved better.
Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked, it has made me want to continue reading more books in the supernatural genre, so I'll now be on the hunt for something else to read, but don't think I'll pick up the other books in this series.
thebooklender's review against another edition
3.0
3 and a half stars. I enjoyed it, didn't love it. Will read the sequels at some point.
uwah_ip's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0