JesJes

no plot and lots of confusion, + some sprinkles of “spice”

Revisado: 12-09-21

I could go on a whole tangent about why I didn’t like this book but basically there’s no plot, there’s too many theories and too much internal dialogue with no follow-through or clarity, I don’t even think the main character knows what’s going on. The author has a very weird way of writing the spicy scenes which end up feeling forced an awkward. The main character is extremely unlikable and hard to follow as her motivations change from page to page. She has a laundry list of things that she wants to accomplish but basically doesn’t end up doing anything. And her hot and cold relationship with her love interest was all for build up and tiresome. If I was him I would’ve kicked her to the curb.
Maybe the specific author isn’t for me but I would say don’t waste your time or your credit or money. I’m not really sure what the author is trying to accomplish I don’t know where her editor was. I stopped about an hour before the ending because I couldn’t take anymore.

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Age and consent matters. Even in fantasy books.

Revisado: 11-14-21

SPOILERS.


Before I get into the nitty-gritty of it I think this book had a lot of potential and I liked the overall storyline. The narrator did a good job. I saw that other people Had said she broke the fourth wall and was straight out speaking to the audience at a certain point in the book but I honestly did not hear that. So they must have fixed it before I got this audibook. I think the narrator did a really good job at distinguishing between different characters and kept the pace of the book pretty well. She did not sound monotonous and was very engaging. So honestly the majority of the stars go to the narrator.


Now on to why this book is problematic.

Long story short this would’ve been a great book If the author had not treated the female leads age so insignificantly. You pair her up with a guy that’s a literally hundreds of years older than her and he can’t even wait until she’s well past the age of 18 before trying to do stuff? That seems very problematic to me. Age matters and real consent matters even in fantasy books!! It weirds me out that the male lead has basically known her since she was a baby And then waited for her to fall I love with him as a teenager?
If the author would’ve just waited and set the story in her 20s it would’ve made more sense and Would have definitely been less cringe. She should have set the story in the female leads college years NOT high school.
And again the two leads literally bang within seconds of her turning 18. And you can’t use the whole soulmate trope to make it OK. It is NOT OK.
If you can’t understand why that’s problematic then … yikes.

Unfortunately as much as I like the narration and overall concept of the book I don’t know if I can continue reading the series. The relationship between the two leads left a really bad taste in my mouth and I don’t know if it’s something that I can support even on the written page. I wish authors And their agentswe have a little bit more foresight when

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LOVED it. The end. 🦊❤️

Revisado: 07-02-21

The only thing I can say about this book is that I loved EVERYTHING. (Except the narrator-but I’ll get to that later). I love this series so much that I’m actually writing this review after my second time listening/reading it!!
First of all I don’t know if the author is of Japanese descent and I’m no expert but it sure looks like she spent a lot of time crafting the characters and the world with respect and authenticity. She was very intentional and specific when she wrote this book by incorporating specific vernacular and staying consistent. For example it could be very easy to use the word “sash” instead of “obi”. But she didn’t and made sure to call many things by the appropriate name.
Second, The characters were fantastic. I did not come across one character that was not well developed or that I didn’t like. Even the “bad guys” show range and have emotions and reasons for what they do. I love authors that create dynamic characters that show change as a series goes on and this series beautifully crafted all of them to perfection. It’s great to see characters that question their beliefs and that grow from the experiences they face. (Also, Shiro and Yumei….. I love them both.)
Third, The storyline was absolutely stunning and absolutely captivating. You really get pulled in Because the world is so rich and well explained. Especially for those of us That might have a “basic” understanding of Japanese culture -as seen through media- this book goes into deeper specifications about Japanese Shinto religion and mythology and how big of a part these aspects play in the overall storyline.
The only thing I Was not 100% pleased with was the narrator. I don’t think the narrator did a bad job per se but she made Emi sound much older than what she really was and could be a bit dramatic at times with the emphasis placed on certain words and parts. I do give her props for the pronunciation tho!! I do think she tried to express a lot of the characters emotions which is good but sometimes it was just a little too much for me. In the end she was OK. I’m picky when it comes to tone and if it’s fits a specific character or story. So if a person sounds older than the 18-year-old character they’re trying to portray it’s going to bug me…

Anywhoooo
Overall this series is fantastic. 9/10 ⭐️
I will definitely be coming back to this!

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Super anticlimactic. So disappointing and confusing.

Revisado: 12-01-20

I’m 20 min away from finishing and I’m so dissatisfied and disappointed. What a waste of a credit.
The main character is supposed to be the smart chick but somehow she’s confused throughout the entire book. The dialogue seems forced and predictable. The rest of the characters are either super manipulative or emotionally messed up. I’m not sure if this book is supposed to have a romance but if it did I would describe as a super toxic love triangle with no definitive ending (or beginning)?

The narrator should have gone with no accents. All her male voices sound whiny but also somehow sounds monotone through out the whole thing.
The story goes round in circles, all to finish so anticlimactically and so confusingly.

Update:
Just finished it and yeah. Still confused. And the characters are still boring.
It ends in a way that makes me believe there’s going to be a second book but even if there is I’m not sure how much more that the author could write? ....

Basically I don’t recommend and save your credit for something else.

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Dank. Really? Sums up the book

Revisado: 09-24-20

I’ve read other books with a similar story line and although, full of clichés, it’s what you expect. But this version is a hard pass. I couldn’t even finish it.

First of all- never name ANYONE Dank. Especially when he’s main love interest.
Second-cheating is ok in this book I guess?
Third- the main character is beyond annoying. Stringing along a nice guy and trying to jump another’s bones.
Fourth- not trying to be rude but the narration was terrible.

Don’t waste the credit or your money.

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Better than I imagined and my inner teen is so happy!

Revisado: 08-12-20

First of all the narrator was EVERYTHING.
I’m obsessed with his voice- this is the Edward I pictured all those years ago

To be honest I was a bit skeptical going into this audiobook. The twilight series has been a guilty pleasure of mine since my teenage years. If we’re honest there’s a reason why the movies have spawned so many Memes and jokes throughout the years. The storyline is clichéd to the point of nausea.

HOWEVER, listening to Edwards perspective is like coming into something completely new. Even though I know it’s the same story and for those of us that read the twilight series we know what happens- it feels like I’m reading the story for the first time. I can imagine that this is in large part due to Stephanie‘s development as a writer over the years. You can clearly see her writing style and voice have matured and immensely improved since the original.

Although the majority of the book happens inside Edwards head, I couldn’t help but feel sucked in and compelled to listen to his side of things. This is a completely different Eduard than the one we know from the original books and the movies. Here we find a complicated and nuanced individual filled with flaws, insecurities, fears, but with an immense yearning for meaning and hope. We encounter an individual who truly believes he’s a monster in every sense of the word but has chosen to dedicate himself to fight against his nature and live with the burden of a conscience. I would dare to say he has a lower self-esteem and a more twisted view of himself than Bella ever had of herself.

But besides Eduard’s got a deeper look into the rest of the surrounding characters- which was amazing. We got to see the sides of them that were never explain before and they just feel so much more real and fleshed out in this version than in the original. They are dynamic and compelling in their own right and I would honestly love to have more time with them.

I thought that the way Stephanie introduced elements of the other books into the story was masterfully done. From us finally being able to see inside of Alice’s visions, to the interaction that she and Eduard have- different from any of the other Cullen siblings, to the introduction ofJacob and the eventual conflict that they will have. She just tied in the other books so incredibly well!!

This isn’t to say that the book isn’t full if angst-that’s integral part of the storyline no matter who’s perspective you’re taking into account. But I found it to be less annoying than in the original twilight series.

I do hope she continues the story from Edwards perspective. Book 2 was the one that annoying me the most from Bella’s perspective so I’m curious to see what Eduard (and the rest of the Cullens) was up to during the time that Bella was developing her relationship with Jacob and the wolf pack. It would be interesting to see where his mind was at and see the internal struggle and pain that ultimately leads him to Italy and sets into motion the rest of the storyline.

Like I’ve said before many of us know the story however this is a fresh new take on it and I would dare to say it’s better than the original.

Thanks Stephanie for finishing it!

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Not super disappointed but not super thrilled ....

Revisado: 07-02-20

Before I say anything about this book, let me just state that every book has something that is not 100% "enjoyable" according to each readers personal preference. It could be an issue with the narrator, an aspect of a character or the story line that is annoying or questionable, etc. Now, 98% of the time, its not even noticeable, and most of the time easily ignored and doesn't affect the enjoyment of the story.
This is not one of those times.
What I do have to say about this book:

The narrator is decent and I have no major issues with the exception of how she decided to be a bit dramatic on certain parts. Again, nothing terrible. Have I heard better? yes. Is this the worst? no. Personally, I think 3/5 stars is fair.

The story was a bit different and I had high hopes for it. The world building was decent and I enjoyed the details of her vision for New Orleans. I think think there is something so captivating and magical about that city. The pacing was well done. I didn't feel rushed or that things were happening at the speed of light. I love Fabian and I loved Tink with Fabian. He feels like he's the only character that knows who he is and what he's all about. Its always great to come across characters that are unapologetic about being themselves.

Having said that, I'm 3 hours and 15 min from finishing the audiobook and all I can say is that more and more the little discrepancies and annoyances are getting to me and actually affecting my enjoyment of the actual story. Specifically because they are so obvious. Characters have random name changes (really? in the THIRD BOOK?), relationships that I shipped turned boring and flat. The intimate scenes added nothing to the story and were in some parts awkwardly written, placed, and even unnecessary. I know that Jennifer's books are meant to be be steamy and romance-y but this is feeling more and more like a chore to finish. Unfortunately, I am one of those people that feels committed to finishing a series once I have started it. Ren and Ivy's relationship is very carnal (which is fine) but I dont see how it benefits their character development. It feels like Ivy cant even look at Ren without wanting to jump him, regardless of any serious situations they might be in. Basically, at this point it feels a bit over the top.
Lastly, I cringe at forced humor and this book had a lot of it. Whether it was certain parts of conversations, or character traits, if it cant happen organically then it shouldn't happen. Tink was probably my favorite character and I feel like he didn't get the justice he deserved. He turned into the jester of the story and i just think that is so sad.

Anyway, I hope that the last 3 hours become more pleasant and hopefully the story can pull through and end with satisfaction.

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From sassy to mousy -and i havent even finished it

Revisado: 08-07-19

*Disclaimer- I have NOT finished reading this book- only on Chapter 50*

The fact that I haven't finished this book and felt the need to review it already. This is so frustrating. I LOVED the first book. I was so excited to see what would happen further into the story.

First off, the narration for Jessica is SO TERRIBLE it makes me want to skip all her parts. (the author decided to do different points of view.) It is SO OVER THE TOP dramatic its actually distracting from the story. I found myself hoping that her parts would end and that we could finally switch POV to Mindy or ANYONE ELSE. I do have to say that I did love the narration of Mindy. In my opinion, Jennifer Ikeda is one of the best narrators on audible.

Second, everything you love about Jessica as the main character- forget it. Gone is the funny, independent, sure-footed Jess that I loved from the first book. She become so WHINY and ANNOYING. (I feel very strongly about this because its rare that as a reader I can actually identify with a protagonist. I loved that Jessica wasn't this skinny, size 2, golden haired, supermodel. She specifically said in the first book that she is a size 10). The girl who flew across the world to confront her vampire fiancé is gone, at least that's what it looks like so far. She literally cant handle ordering food by herself. Her c-dependency on Luc is sad and unhealthy.

Third, I feels like we jumped way ahead. The book literally opens with Jess and Luc married. We don't get to live the wedding and all that with them. They allude to those parts as the story goes on but it honestly feels like we are missing really important parts as readers.

Basically, I honestly felt I was reading a totally different story, with totally different characters. if it wasn't for the name I would doubt that its the sequel to a great first book.

The good parts so far: Mindy and her boo.


I just hope that the rest of the book makes up for it.

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Logical but not as developed as I️ would have liked

Revisado: 11-09-17

Let me start by saying that I felt obligated to finish this book. I figured since I had already gone through all five novels I might as well finish the last. I didn’t know it was going to be so difficult. The first vampire academy book had me hooked from the start. It was a perfect blend of sass, action and romance. I really felt like there was a lot of potential in the plot, and there was enough material to keep expanding this universe. As I continued to read the novels I️ felt that the characters were dynamic and could see their change as the story progressed. That all came to a startling halt with the main character, Rose, in this last installment. She was the reason I found it so hard to continue. Whereas in the other books she was impulsive but logical, in this one she was just brash and uncaring about the consequences of her actions. In the past installments, when things didn’t go her way she found a way to understand and even except that not everything is controllable. In this installment, I felt like the maturity and wisdom she gained throughout the last five books suddenly vanished and we were left with a volatile selfish whiny immature 15-year-old. I found it so completely out of character from the Rose that I had been following all this time. I understand that for tthe stories sake she had to take certain actions. But I feel like her actions could have been portrayed in a way where she didn’t seem so annoying. I’m also a bit disappointed in Dimitri’s character and his development in this last book. I felt like he was much more involved, and we got to see more of him than in any other installment but in a different way than what we had seen or expected from him in the past. To be honest there were moments that I felt the story rushed and sloppy.
However my negative sentiments do not extend to other characters. Particularly, Adrian and Lisa’s characters matured a lot throughout this last book. I felt like their storylines gained some closure and ended in logical ways. I feel like I got to see sides of Adrian and Lissa That I had not seen before. I know that there is a spinoff series that has Adrian a bit more and I am curious to find out how the author wove that particular plotline.

Overall I’m just glad that I was able to finish the series, and while I’m not happy about some things, I do feel a sense of peace and closure. It ended and the most logical way possible.

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