I only read two books in May, Insurgent and Evermore, and I gave them both 4 out of 5 stars. And since they were both so different but equally enjoyable, I'm going to cheat and pick them both! Here are the reviews I wrote for Goodreads:
Insurgent by Veronica RothMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read! The writing was smooth and polished and not a word was wasted, allowing me to completely immerse myself in the story and never reminding me that I was actually reading. Veronica Roth is a very talented writer!
But...maybe that also means that I hold her stories to higher standards than I would hold other stories. And I have to say, there were some things about Insurgent that I didn't like. The pacing was too intense, imo. I felt slammed with plot point after plot point and didn't have a moment to catch my breath and really think about what had just happened and what it meant before the next bit of action was thrown at me. This might actually be a point of praise for other readers, but for me, Divergent set up this amazing world full of possibilities and I was looking forward to really digging deeper into the world in Insurgent. We did get a look at the other factions in Insurgent, but the surface was just scratched before moving on to the next faction of society and the depth we got with Dauntless in Divergent was missing.
That being said, I still honestly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series!
Evermore by Alyson NoelMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. At first, I wasn't sure where exactly things were heading and was worried that this was going to be a Twilight rehash - but it wasn't! And I was so relieved (don't get me wrong, I love Twilight. But it can never be redone, imo). The unique take on the immortal + mortal love story was a lot of fun, the pacing was perfect (nice and quick), and the writing was smooth and never pulled me out of the story. Still though, the overall story structure and plot seemed familiar and that held be back from giving this all 5 stars.
View all my reviews
What about you? What was the best book(s) you read in May?
I understand your comment about INSURGENT, but that pace didn't bother me as much. Given the way it ended, I expect there will be a lot more exploration of this world in the final book.
ReplyDeleteYes, the ending was a total hook and even though I didn't like Insurgent as much as I liked Divergent, I can't wait for the third book :D I'm crossing my fingers that it doesn't disappoint!
DeleteI agree about the pacing with INSURGENT--it just sort of barrelled forward with no room for reflection. It was almost desensitizing after a while.
ReplyDeleteExactly how I felt while reading it! It kind of made these ridiculously difficult decisions and moments in the story less dramatic because I knew there was something even worse just around the corner.
DeleteInsurgent was incredibly hectic! But I liked it. It fitted nicely into the situation of the second book where we're right in the middle of a war. It was character development and relationship development that I found a little off in this one. Great read though!
ReplyDeleteThat's true - the hectic flow of the story did match the situation - I hadn't really considered that for some reason (maybe because it's not an average war).
DeleteI loved both those books. I never felt the pacing of Insurgent was frantic! If anything, I felt like there was a lot more Tris inner dialogue going on, but maybe not. I barely remember Divergent, just the basic plot points.
ReplyDeleteI read Divergent just a couple of months ago so it was still fresh in my mind :) Maybe that was the problem - I was expecting Insurgent to be more similar to Divergent I suppose.
DeleteI agree with you 100% about INSURGENT. It was a fantastic read, but there were things I was wanting from it that I didn't quite get. It was a 4-star read for me, with DIVERGENT coming in as a 5. I loved the first book, so I had pretty high expectations for this one.
ReplyDeleteI rated Divergent a 5 too - I almost feel bad dinging Insurgent because really, it's so much better than a lot of other books I've read, but I think the first book just set a higher standard for the whole series.
DeleteI never felt the pacing of INSURGENT was too fast. I enjoyed the slightly in-depth look into Divergence and also the view of Amity. I agree with Colin that it felt like it was leading into more exploration in D3.
ReplyDeleteAs for EVERMORE, I read that a few years ago and loved it. Unfortunately, as the series went on, I felt like it began to drag and quickly lost interest.
Yeah, I think the pacing issue is definitely a personal preference and probably has more to do with me than it does with the actual book, haha. I guess an author can't please everyone and what will be perfectly paced for one person can be too slow/fast for someone else.
DeleteAs for Evermore, oh no - I was planning on getting further into the series so I don't like to hear that! I'm sure I'll still give it a try, but thanks for the heads up :)
I haven't read EVERMORE, so thanks for sharing it with me. I LOVED Insurgent and gave it 5 out of 5.
ReplyDeleteYay :) Hope you like it! And I'm glad you were able to enjoy Insurgent just as much as Divergent - I'm hoping the next book will be the one to fully satisfy me and round out the series :)
DeleteI haven't read EVERMORE, didn't even know what it was about. But I love your review - I'll def be checking it out!
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it! And if you do - it's a series ;)
DeleteDivergent and Insurgent are waiting for me.... I read Evermore a couple of years ago. I enjoyed it but didn't care for the rest of the series.
ReplyDeleteSo many people are loving Insurgent today - I hope I don't run into any spoilers! :)
I can definitely recommend moving Divergent and Insurgent to the top of your TBR pile :)
Delete