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outoftheblue14's review against another edition
4.0
E-galley received for review through Netgalley.
Riley Carver is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in the small town of Harwich, in the rural south. Once a year, in her town, mysterious creatures that people call angels come from the sky and take people away. Last year, they took Chris, Riley's best friend and first kiss. People in town have started to worship these angels in the Church of Angels, led by Pastor Warren. Riley's is very angry with these so-called angels, so when one of them comes for her in her backyard, she shoots him in the face with her mother's shotgun. Only that he doesn't die. In his place, Riley finds a very hot, very naked guy her age. He says his name is Gabe; he lives in her same town, and think it's still 1956.
I found Outcast a very good read. It's funny and quirky, and once you pass the first half of the book, you can't put it down. The romance is very sweet and slow-burning, which is a very good thing (I can't stand insta-love... too much of it in YA books). The concept of angels coming down from the sky to take people away is original. I'd recommend this book; I liked it a lot. Plus, the cover is gorgeous.
Riley Carver is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in the small town of Harwich, in the rural south. Once a year, in her town, mysterious creatures that people call angels come from the sky and take people away. Last year, they took Chris, Riley's best friend and first kiss. People in town have started to worship these angels in the Church of Angels, led by Pastor Warren. Riley's is very angry with these so-called angels, so when one of them comes for her in her backyard, she shoots him in the face with her mother's shotgun. Only that he doesn't die. In his place, Riley finds a very hot, very naked guy her age. He says his name is Gabe; he lives in her same town, and think it's still 1956.
I found Outcast a very good read. It's funny and quirky, and once you pass the first half of the book, you can't put it down. The romance is very sweet and slow-burning, which is a very good thing (I can't stand insta-love... too much of it in YA books). The concept of angels coming down from the sky to take people away is original. I'd recommend this book; I liked it a lot. Plus, the cover is gorgeous.
bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
There was a lot I liked about this book, but I wasn't entirely over the moon about it because there were some weaker points to it as well. It was very refreshing to read something that had a voice so different from most contemporary YA, though, which was a big part of what I liked about the book. Some spoilers to follow.
One of the high points of the book for me is Riley. She's very different from the typical YA character in that when she claims to be socially awkward, she is socially awkward. She's also smart, spunky, and not afraid of speaking her mind, even when it gets her into trouble. I liked her spark a lot, and I liked that she was so flawed because she felt like a real human being. Even though she tries to do the right thing, Riley also has moments of pure selfishness, especially at the end, and that made me like her all the more. It's nice to read a YA book with a very feisty main character.
Though I liked Gabe, I wasn't over the moon about him. The bad boy thing has been overplayed in YA, in my opinion. Yes, there are depths to Gabe, but those were kind of stereotypical as well, in the bad-boy-seeking-redemption sense. I did like how things went at the end, though.
As with most YA, the parental involvement is pretty minimal here (and unbelievable at times--especially when it comes to the living arrangements), but Riley's mother does a few key things that I was very happy to see. When she calls Riley on her behavior late in the book, I wanted to stand up and cheer. Riley's feelings are serious and are treated in a serious way, but it was fantastic to see her mother help her gain some perspective, and it's sad that it's such a rare occurrence in the genre.
Most of my issues with the book stemmed from the pacing. I loved they style and found it refreshing, but there were things in the book that just felt too superfluous to me, like the scene at Lacy's pool party. I think the same amount could have been accomplished with fewer words. I liked what I read, but there were times when I wondered when the book was going to get to the point, and that tempers my enjoyment. I don't mind long books, but I need to feel like all the detail needs to be there, but I didn't get that sense from this book.
The biggest wild card about this book, I think, is the ending. I can see where it might enrage a lot of fans of the genre. I wasn't entirely happy with it, but then again I thought it was the most realistic ending I've read in a YA book--if you can call anything about a paranormal book like this realistic. It's not the ending I would have liked to see, but it was one that made sense to me. In fact, it made a lot of sense, and I admired where Kress chose to go with it because there's a good message embedded in that choice. However, the ending also left me unsatisfied because it felt like there were some things up in the air that I wanted resolved, and it makes me wonder if maybe there will be a sequel or something. The arc of this story is pretty well tied up, but there are some rather loose plot threads. I'm sometimes okay with an ending that's left open, but I found it unsatisfying in this book.
One of the high points of the book for me is Riley. She's very different from the typical YA character in that when she claims to be socially awkward, she is socially awkward. She's also smart, spunky, and not afraid of speaking her mind, even when it gets her into trouble. I liked her spark a lot, and I liked that she was so flawed because she felt like a real human being. Even though she tries to do the right thing, Riley also has moments of pure selfishness, especially at the end, and that made me like her all the more. It's nice to read a YA book with a very feisty main character.
Though I liked Gabe, I wasn't over the moon about him. The bad boy thing has been overplayed in YA, in my opinion. Yes, there are depths to Gabe, but those were kind of stereotypical as well, in the bad-boy-seeking-redemption sense. I did like how things went at the end, though.
As with most YA, the parental involvement is pretty minimal here (and unbelievable at times--especially when it comes to the living arrangements), but Riley's mother does a few key things that I was very happy to see. When she calls Riley on her behavior late in the book, I wanted to stand up and cheer. Riley's feelings are serious and are treated in a serious way, but it was fantastic to see her mother help her gain some perspective, and it's sad that it's such a rare occurrence in the genre.
Most of my issues with the book stemmed from the pacing. I loved they style and found it refreshing, but there were things in the book that just felt too superfluous to me, like the scene at Lacy's pool party. I think the same amount could have been accomplished with fewer words. I liked what I read, but there were times when I wondered when the book was going to get to the point, and that tempers my enjoyment. I don't mind long books, but I need to feel like all the detail needs to be there, but I didn't get that sense from this book.
The biggest wild card about this book, I think, is the ending. I can see where it might enrage a lot of fans of the genre. I wasn't entirely happy with it, but then again I thought it was the most realistic ending I've read in a YA book--if you can call anything about a paranormal book like this realistic. It's not the ending I would have liked to see, but it was one that made sense to me. In fact, it made a lot of sense, and I admired where Kress chose to go with it because there's a good message embedded in that choice. However, the ending also left me unsatisfied because it felt like there were some things up in the air that I wanted resolved, and it makes me wonder if maybe there will be a sequel or something. The arc of this story is pretty well tied up, but there are some rather loose plot threads. I'm sometimes okay with an ending that's left open, but I found it unsatisfying in this book.
kyleechris's review against another edition
5.0
After seeing a friend of mine on Goodreads add this to her TBR I had to check it out. Right after that I found out that she got it from Netgalley so I immediately requested it and impatiently waited for an email response. Thankfully Diversion Books accepted my request and I downloaded the book right after, diving into this angel story.
"Sixth year, I shot an angel in the face."
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Riley Carver. The badass angel shooting girl we get to take this awesome adventure with. Now reading the description I had a feeling I'd fall in love with Riley but oh my gosh. Adrienne managed to create this awesome heroine but make her feel so real and human as well. She was strong and kick ass, I mean who shoots an angel in the face, but she could be vulnerable too. I loved seeing her character grow, she made mistakes but when she realized it she would try to fix it. For example, her relationship with Lacy, the snobby cheerleader. We watch Riley go from not liking Lacy at all to becoming best friends. Her growth and maturity throughout this book was amazing and I loved it. Whenever stuff needed to get done for the sake of her safety and the others she would get it done. Chris, Riley's first love and best friend, got taken by an angel and that's what starts this entire thing. Riley misses him and after shooting an angel in the face, why not use him to find Chris? Turns out this angels name is Gabe. At first he comes off as this smart ass guy, who by the way is hilarious. To say Gabe turns out to be swoon worthy is an understatement. I loved him, so hard. He was sweet and helpful, even though sometimes he acted like a perverted teenage boy, the relationship building between Riley and Gabe was beautiful. I'm Team Gabe all the way.
An angel book is nothing without action and some unique spin on it. Half the time you pick up an angel book and it can feel like you've read it before because a lot of the time authors fail to make it something new or unique. Adrienne definitely didn't fail on making Outcast unique, her own, and action packed. The mythology behind the angels was sort of a mystery for awhile, all we got to know was what Pastor Warren had told the town. Pastor Warren is batshit crazy to say the least and I didn't like him from the start. Slowly we began to learn what the angels were and where they came from and I loved that. I loved not knowing and I loved being surprised with something I didn't expect at all. I loved how Adrienne included so many action scenes and didn't just focus on the love story aspect of Outcast. We get to see Riley and the Gang kick some major angel/villain ass and it was awesome. It kept me hooked and entertained throughout the entire book, not one time did I feel bored or ready to put Outcast down.
The ending just about killed me. Have you scene that gif that says "I'm in a glass case of emotion."? That's me. I don't even know how to feel, it was so bittersweet, heartbreaking, and just WAH. I wanted it to happen the way it did because the other way would have just been too predictable and dumb but I didn't all at once because I didn't get everything I wanted and it sucked. It was so emotional, I still feel emotional about it and it's been two weeks since I finished the book!
If you haven't already picked up on it, I absolutely loved Outcast and I can not wait for the next book. If you're looking for a sweet love story and action packed book, Outcast is perfect for you. As a lover of angel books, when they're done right, I can tell you that Adrienne Kress has blessed this world with an amazing story and I highly recommend everyone to read this. Go get yourself a copy, right now, and read it. No, I'm not kidding.
"Sixth year, I shot an angel in the face."
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Riley Carver. The badass angel shooting girl we get to take this awesome adventure with. Now reading the description I had a feeling I'd fall in love with Riley but oh my gosh. Adrienne managed to create this awesome heroine but make her feel so real and human as well. She was strong and kick ass, I mean who shoots an angel in the face, but she could be vulnerable too. I loved seeing her character grow, she made mistakes but when she realized it she would try to fix it. For example, her relationship with Lacy, the snobby cheerleader. We watch Riley go from not liking Lacy at all to becoming best friends. Her growth and maturity throughout this book was amazing and I loved it. Whenever stuff needed to get done for the sake of her safety and the others she would get it done. Chris, Riley's first love and best friend, got taken by an angel and that's what starts this entire thing. Riley misses him and after shooting an angel in the face, why not use him to find Chris? Turns out this angels name is Gabe. At first he comes off as this smart ass guy, who by the way is hilarious. To say Gabe turns out to be swoon worthy is an understatement. I loved him, so hard. He was sweet and helpful, even though sometimes he acted like a perverted teenage boy, the relationship building between Riley and Gabe was beautiful. I'm Team Gabe all the way.
An angel book is nothing without action and some unique spin on it. Half the time you pick up an angel book and it can feel like you've read it before because a lot of the time authors fail to make it something new or unique. Adrienne definitely didn't fail on making Outcast unique, her own, and action packed. The mythology behind the angels was sort of a mystery for awhile, all we got to know was what Pastor Warren had told the town. Pastor Warren is batshit crazy to say the least and I didn't like him from the start. Slowly we began to learn what the angels were and where they came from and I loved that. I loved not knowing and I loved being surprised with something I didn't expect at all. I loved how Adrienne included so many action scenes and didn't just focus on the love story aspect of Outcast. We get to see Riley and the Gang kick some major angel/villain ass and it was awesome. It kept me hooked and entertained throughout the entire book, not one time did I feel bored or ready to put Outcast down.
The ending just about killed me. Have you scene that gif that says "I'm in a glass case of emotion."? That's me. I don't even know how to feel, it was so bittersweet, heartbreaking, and just WAH. I wanted it to happen the way it did because the other way would have just been too predictable and dumb but I didn't all at once because I didn't get everything I wanted and it sucked. It was so emotional, I still feel emotional about it and it's been two weeks since I finished the book!
If you haven't already picked up on it, I absolutely loved Outcast and I can not wait for the next book. If you're looking for a sweet love story and action packed book, Outcast is perfect for you. As a lover of angel books, when they're done right, I can tell you that Adrienne Kress has blessed this world with an amazing story and I highly recommend everyone to read this. Go get yourself a copy, right now, and read it. No, I'm not kidding.
galexiscollective's review against another edition
3.0
So I (finally!) finished reading the story, and well, it was ok. In terms of how interesting it was, it went along like this: ok, ooo this is cool, ok, ok ok, omg, ok here we go, WHAT.tf. It dragged along a lot towards the middle, and while it got better towards the end, I'm not satisfied with the ending. I didn't want Gabe to gloriously return (which I expected, I won't lie), but so much is missing. What do the circle of seven do? Was there any purpose to creating thralls other than slavery? Why was Gabe chosen to lead the recruitment, and why were his memories and the thralls so separated? I honestly would've liked to see the thralls and archangels go to war, see that develop. Also, Chris as a character could have been more developed within Riley's memories. Being her best friend is pretty much all we know of him. I have so many questions. But to conclude, I thought it was ok: dragged a little bit, needed a little more story, Gabe was great and deserved better, a few other characters were a bit too flat, perhaps a little cliche, but it wasn't bad.
jenacidebybibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
I LOVE a good adolescent fantasy story, as I am sure a lot of you can relate with. This story centers around angelic creatures, an angel-crazed town, a young man with a lost memory, and a young girl who wants to find the truth behind it all. This is another one of those books that just hooks you in, and one you can’t put down until you have read the last word.
It has been one year since Riley Carver lost her best friend and almost boyfriend, Chris, to the Taking. It has been six years since the first angels came from the sky and took people from her town, and this year it’s about to happen again. One day per year, everyone in Riley’s town gathers for a celebration called the Taking; which is when angelic creatures come down from above and take whom they please. But this year, Riley decides to stay home and not partake in the town’s delusional festivities; in which they think being taken by the angels is a good thing. Unfortunately for Riley, an angel comes for her. So naturally, she shoots the angel in the face with a shotgun. Now, all that is left of the angel is a naked boy, Gabe, with no recollection of being an angel. But to make matters worse, he thinks it’s 1956 still. Now Riley must get to the bottom of what is really going on in her town, and why so many people are being taken and never returned.
I highly enjoyed this read, and wish there was about fifteen more to accompany it! The story-line does spin off of the typical good/bad angel vibe, and the Nephilim idea works into it as well, but I really liked what the author did with those ideas to make this read creative and different. The character of Riley is living in a town that has, over the years, become crazed worshipers of the angels that come and basically kidnap their loved ones. Of course, Riley and her family don’t think the angels are something to worship or to love. The character of Riley is very interesting. She is just sixteen, and has only been kissed once in her life. She is the epitome of innocence and awkward adolescence, but this girl has spunk! After a year of her best friend and almost boyfriend being taken, Riley starts to get back into the life she had put on hold. But when Gabe comes into the picture, it changes everything, and she finds out about a lot more than what the angels are there for. Speaking of Gabe. GOODNESS GRACIOUS! Ladies, we have a James Dean clone on our hands! Gabe is one of those male characters that you can just imagine as being dreamy and making your knees weak. I was constantly smirking at his wit and sarcasm, this character is AWESOME! If you can’t get into the character of Riley, you will definitely be obsessing over Gabe and his charming yet eye roll worthy self.
There were a few things about the writing style that got on my nerves though. Though, as most books go, I stopped noticing it as I continued to read and got sucked into the story. This author took on a style where she was speaking through the character, but not giving complete sentences. Sort of like a train of thought, because as we know, sometimes they just aren’t complete. However, in a book I am NOT too keen on reading that. It was just bugging me to no end! Here is an example:
"We still looked at the angels like they were a bad thing, like those that were taken had died opposed to being chosen. Didn’t like the media taking advantage of that.”
I figured maybe this was a typo, as there are a few tiny mistakes throughout the story. But this happens quite a few times, so I came to the conclusion that it was quite on purpose. For me, I NEED complete sentences. Unless the entire story is going to be random thoughts and discombobulation, DO NOT give me uncompleted sentences. Please. ;)
Overall, I really really LOVED this book. The romance isn’t completely in your face the entire story, so it really focuses on the plot. I thought the characters were well-developed, and the idea was executed perfectly. I think this author could totally through in another few books (PLEASE) because I am addicted!
It has been one year since Riley Carver lost her best friend and almost boyfriend, Chris, to the Taking. It has been six years since the first angels came from the sky and took people from her town, and this year it’s about to happen again. One day per year, everyone in Riley’s town gathers for a celebration called the Taking; which is when angelic creatures come down from above and take whom they please. But this year, Riley decides to stay home and not partake in the town’s delusional festivities; in which they think being taken by the angels is a good thing. Unfortunately for Riley, an angel comes for her. So naturally, she shoots the angel in the face with a shotgun. Now, all that is left of the angel is a naked boy, Gabe, with no recollection of being an angel. But to make matters worse, he thinks it’s 1956 still. Now Riley must get to the bottom of what is really going on in her town, and why so many people are being taken and never returned.
I highly enjoyed this read, and wish there was about fifteen more to accompany it! The story-line does spin off of the typical good/bad angel vibe, and the Nephilim idea works into it as well, but I really liked what the author did with those ideas to make this read creative and different. The character of Riley is living in a town that has, over the years, become crazed worshipers of the angels that come and basically kidnap their loved ones. Of course, Riley and her family don’t think the angels are something to worship or to love. The character of Riley is very interesting. She is just sixteen, and has only been kissed once in her life. She is the epitome of innocence and awkward adolescence, but this girl has spunk! After a year of her best friend and almost boyfriend being taken, Riley starts to get back into the life she had put on hold. But when Gabe comes into the picture, it changes everything, and she finds out about a lot more than what the angels are there for. Speaking of Gabe. GOODNESS GRACIOUS! Ladies, we have a James Dean clone on our hands! Gabe is one of those male characters that you can just imagine as being dreamy and making your knees weak. I was constantly smirking at his wit and sarcasm, this character is AWESOME! If you can’t get into the character of Riley, you will definitely be obsessing over Gabe and his charming yet eye roll worthy self.
There were a few things about the writing style that got on my nerves though. Though, as most books go, I stopped noticing it as I continued to read and got sucked into the story. This author took on a style where she was speaking through the character, but not giving complete sentences. Sort of like a train of thought, because as we know, sometimes they just aren’t complete. However, in a book I am NOT too keen on reading that. It was just bugging me to no end! Here is an example:
"We still looked at the angels like they were a bad thing, like those that were taken had died opposed to being chosen. Didn’t like the media taking advantage of that.”
I figured maybe this was a typo, as there are a few tiny mistakes throughout the story. But this happens quite a few times, so I came to the conclusion that it was quite on purpose. For me, I NEED complete sentences. Unless the entire story is going to be random thoughts and discombobulation, DO NOT give me uncompleted sentences. Please. ;)
Overall, I really really LOVED this book. The romance isn’t completely in your face the entire story, so it really focuses on the plot. I thought the characters were well-developed, and the idea was executed perfectly. I think this author could totally through in another few books (PLEASE) because I am addicted!
pbarnes's review against another edition
3.0
That was one of THE worst endings I have ever read in my whole entire life! If I would have known it was like that I so wouldn't have read it. The ending took a four star book and turned it into 3 stars. I am so heavily disappointed right now I can't even deal. I was thinking to myself, the author wouldn't end a book that way. And I was looking for book number two, just to find out there wasn't one. Which led to me ranting to my mother for about fifteen minutes about how pissed I was. Another problem I had was, how are you going a bomb like that about Riley( main character) , then end the story like three chapters after. It was unnecessary. The author was just like , hey your not human and your a warrior but then Riley doesn't even do anything epic at the ending :(
mjguerrero's review
4.0
Fue un libro entretenido con muchos giros y una mitología interesante y no tan explotada, no tan cursi, pero no tiene ese "wow factor". No es nada fuera de lo común, sin embargo lo disfruté bastante.
La protagonista es una heroína fuerte, que nunca es la damisela en peligros, más bien es ella la que rescata a los demás, se defiende, ataca y es inteligente. Algo que me gustó mucho del libro es que cuando la protagonista pierde a los hombres a los que quiere, se deprime y deja de hacer las cosas que se se supone que debe hacer es reprendida y se aborda el hecho de que no es normal y no está bien, que no es sano, algo que no había visto en ningún otro YA libro.
Creo que a muchas personas puede no gustarle el final, pero aún tengo la esperanza de que haya un segundo libro.
La protagonista es una heroína fuerte, que nunca es la damisela en peligros, más bien es ella la que rescata a los demás, se defiende, ataca y es inteligente. Algo que me gustó mucho del libro es que cuando la protagonista pierde a los hombres a los que quiere, se deprime y deja de hacer las cosas que se se supone que debe hacer es reprendida y se aborda el hecho de que no es normal y no está bien, que no es sano, algo que no había visto en ningún otro YA libro.
Creo que a muchas personas puede no gustarle el final, pero aún tengo la esperanza de que haya un segundo libro.
booksherlocked's review
5.0
I cried with this book. No, not just a tear, a full cry on. And believe me... not every book makes me cry. But-
GABE DESERVED A SECOND CHANCE BUT NO! HE WAS PERFECT UNTIL THE END WHEN HE GAVE UP HIS CHANCE TO SAVE THOSE PEOPLE TO WHOM HE DID NOT OWE A THING.
Ooh, sorry. Got caught. But for real.. read this book. It's so great.
GABE DESERVED A SECOND CHANCE BUT NO! HE WAS PERFECT UNTIL THE END WHEN HE GAVE UP HIS CHANCE TO SAVE THOSE PEOPLE TO WHOM HE DID NOT OWE A THING.
Ooh, sorry. Got caught. But for real.. read this book. It's so great.