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thekarpuk's review
3.0
I find this series deeply problematic on some levels.
The premise strains my suspension of disbelief pretty consistently. It's the tale of a girl growing up in a poor neighborhood who masks her intelligence throughout school to fly under the radar, all the while building a criminal empire that she intends to use to attempt a revolt against American society.
It reminds me of the character Dexter, in that its a series of traits that don't seem to jive too well together. She has the controlled demeanor and willingness to deceive that I would associate with a psychopath. But she has the high ideals and sympathy required for a revolutionary.
I think the reason many revolutions start from the middle class is that a certain sense of entitlement is required in order to rouse others to defy their government. Those from lower economic tiers are often given an intensely negative view of authority and are taught to not expect anything and be grateful to get anything. It doesn't seem conducive to a Che Guevara type.
Not that plenty of smart people don't come out of economically disadvantaged situations, I've met plenty of them to know better, but most of them seemed to want to escape their circumstances. This is what leads to some countries getting brain-drain. It's hard to fix your problems if all your smartest people are trying desperately to get the hell away.
If this book's scenario made sense, this sort of thing would be happening all over America. But it doesn't, and I think it says something. I think there's a smarter book that could have been made of this premise, discussing how utterly unusual Destiny's behavior is.
It's nice to see a power fantasy that's geared towards someone other than white guys, but it feels like some opportunities for more cutting observations could have been inserted between guns blazing.
The premise strains my suspension of disbelief pretty consistently. It's the tale of a girl growing up in a poor neighborhood who masks her intelligence throughout school to fly under the radar, all the while building a criminal empire that she intends to use to attempt a revolt against American society.
It reminds me of the character Dexter, in that its a series of traits that don't seem to jive too well together. She has the controlled demeanor and willingness to deceive that I would associate with a psychopath. But she has the high ideals and sympathy required for a revolutionary.
I think the reason many revolutions start from the middle class is that a certain sense of entitlement is required in order to rouse others to defy their government. Those from lower economic tiers are often given an intensely negative view of authority and are taught to not expect anything and be grateful to get anything. It doesn't seem conducive to a Che Guevara type.
Not that plenty of smart people don't come out of economically disadvantaged situations, I've met plenty of them to know better, but most of them seemed to want to escape their circumstances. This is what leads to some countries getting brain-drain. It's hard to fix your problems if all your smartest people are trying desperately to get the hell away.
If this book's scenario made sense, this sort of thing would be happening all over America. But it doesn't, and I think it says something. I think there's a smarter book that could have been made of this premise, discussing how utterly unusual Destiny's behavior is.
It's nice to see a power fantasy that's geared towards someone other than white guys, but it feels like some opportunities for more cutting observations could have been inserted between guns blazing.
meetyouineveryplace's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rubybastille's review
3.0
Trying to think of a better word to describe reading these than "intense." Teen military genius Destiny leads a war against the (ostensibly) corrupt LAPD (and apparently secedes from the US, although this is never actually mentioned in the books), after uniting all of the LA gangs under her Game-of-Thrones brutal rule. This suburban white girl could have used a little more setup, but the graphical art, tense plot, and Destiny's brilliance made it an interesting read.
hikaoru's review
5.0
That was a hell of a ride. Definitely action packed and realistic.
The ending was like the start of H.I.V.E (Higher Institute of Villanous Education)
The ending was like the start of H.I.V.E (Higher Institute of Villanous Education)
emmylee04's review
4.0
I actually read issues 1-5, though this is the only one listed here on GR. I went into this one not knowing exactly what to expect and being pretty blown away by the depth. You're not sure who to cheer for here and it feels incredibly timely. I loved the concept of this one and thought it was carried out incredibly well -- but man, that ending. I want more!
mekeisha's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
redbecca's review against another edition
3.0
This felt very 90's to me - revolution as brought on by gang truce vs. LAPD. It was nice to see a woman as the leader.
seawarrior's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
nightxade's review against another edition
4.0
This is a gritty and violent story about a young girl who claws her way to the top of the food chain within her gang-infested L.A. neighbourhoods. And when she gathers all of the gangs under her command, she turns their disenfranchised rage on their oppressors. This isn't simply about gang warfare. Because Destiny is, as the title implies, a genius. And her strategy goes well beyond the bullets on the streets.
This book pulls zero punches. It doesn't pander to any one side. Instead, it points out the simple fact: humans, like all animals, will do whatever it takes to survive. And if you keep beating an animal into a corner, it will eventually fight back.
Destiny is a cold and calculating commander, but she is not immune to emotions that Bernardin lets sneak in with obvious, and less obvious moments. But what really impressed me was the final page, filled with panels that promise a truly intriguing future for Destiny, and ask the question, was this her move all along?
www.BiblioSanctum.com
This book pulls zero punches. It doesn't pander to any one side. Instead, it points out the simple fact: humans, like all animals, will do whatever it takes to survive. And if you keep beating an animal into a corner, it will eventually fight back.
Destiny is a cold and calculating commander, but she is not immune to emotions that Bernardin lets sneak in with obvious, and less obvious moments. But what really impressed me was the final page, filled with panels that promise a truly intriguing future for Destiny, and ask the question, was this her move all along?
www.BiblioSanctum.com