I Wish I Hadn't Bothered
359263
I had a lot of hope for this book based on the number of positive reviews. However, it was a complete waste of time to read. Since some of the reviews said it redeemed itself in the last few chapters, I continued reading, but the book fell flat.

Violet is possibly the dumbest protagonist that I've ever read about. From the very beginning I found myself rolling my eyes at her behavior. When she is recruited for a special mission (which makes zero sense, put someone with no self control into a clandestine situation because she killed people before makes no sense at all) her lack of understanding that this would be dangerous had me putting down the book for several days. A lack of other reading options found me picking it up again. Usually a book like this might take me a day or two to read, it took me two weeks to get through this just because my frustration wouldn't let me continue.

Once she finds herself in a world where women are punished or killed for the mildest infractions, she ignores the rules and does what she wants with no regard to the mission or to herself. She doesn't get upset when she should, she doesn't question things that she should and she does things petulantly. And, her inability to see that her own country is as bad as the one run by men just made me wonder what the heck the author was trying to do.

The end of the book wasn't surprising to me, the character that betrays everyone was acting suspiciously all the way through, making Violet extra stupid in my eyes.

I think the premise had promise, but the book itself failed to deliver. Flat writing, incongruous statements, odd timing, one dimensional characters and no one to root for makes this a one book read for me - the rest of the series I'll leave alone.
4502418
i didn't have the patience nor cared about these characters.
3166334
I do not wish comment on these reviews,!! I will not do them in the future because of this pain in the ass
1653670
...and I still wish I hadn't. It's a vapid teen romance novel which has no endearing characters and an uninteresting plot. Please save yourself the time. The romantic courtship consists of the boy spending a lot of money on the girl.... how ... innovative. Not really the stuff of which my fantasies are made.
727906
I've read other books my Luanne Rice and I enjoy them, but I couldn't make myself read the whole book, I skipped to the end and I have to say I was glad I did and didn't waste my time with it, A mother that pushes her daughter to leave with a man for and doesn't even bother to come back after she knows her daughter is injured was too much for me specially after everyone tries to came up with excuses as to why she did it and that she loves Sari so much (really), it just made me want to toss the book in the garbage. There is not a good enough excuse for this kind of treatment of a child

waste of time
3992781
Really?? If my mother hadn't instilled "finish what you start" in me, I would have put it down after 10% . Thank goodness I didn't pay for it.
3391739
Wish I hadn't wasted time or the $1.00 on it. Would have enjoyed a burnt cup of coffee more.
732010
I didn't bother to read more than 10 pages before I gave up in disgust.  This is not funny, it is hateful, condescending and prejudiced.  I guess watching a comedienne is very different from reading her patter in a book.  I couldn't stomach this.
1328094
Let me get one thing out of the way...I understand and know that depression is a serious matter.  I know that there are a number of different ways to cope with it.  I am sympathetic to it especially when it is genuine...enough said for now.

However, I did not care for this book at all.  I did not think it was beautifully or thoughtfully written.  I thought it was very self-centered and I didn't care for the author's lack of accountability for her own thoughts, feelings and behaviors--everything had an excuse attached to it.  It wasn't the understanding of the "why" of something so much as it was events, actions and thoughts that couldn't be controlled or contributed to--she was always acted upon by things outside of her control--never taking ownership.

Because this is non-fiction, and the author is expressing her own story from her own point of view and experience, there is not a lot of room to dispute the "feelings and thoughts of the characters" --because your feelings are valid in that they are your own--they are what they are.  What I do feel inclined to say though is this: get over yourself.

The whining, the simpering, the lack of personal accountability--all of it turned the story to tedium and blather.

It would have been nice to see the author, at some point, turn the tone of her tale into something upbeat--because the true story was one of hope and the bond of human kindness that turned to friendship and service.  All of this instead gets muddled and mired down as you get dragged through "x" number of pages of her personal therapy.

What could have been interesting and insightful was turned into whiny, mundane drivel that lost the validity and purity of the original message.

As a final note, if you are inclined to read this book, pay close attention to the woman Raina--now there is someone that I would have liked to have known.  She is the true heroine--the real story--and because of her, the author was able to touch something, become something more than just herself as she was.

If you are going to read it, read it for Raina.
241060
I really feel that I do not want to purchase things of little importance again when I  have to do these comments.
1531881
When I saw this I realised I had made a terrible, terrible mistake. Over the last decade I've wasted almost exactly the same amount of money seeing all the penguins species of the world. Across to antarctica twice, galapagos, sub-antarctic New Zealand, South Africa, when you tot it all up.. I could have bought this tv set instead. I wouldn't even have had to sort the colour out, as penguins and ice are just black and white. I feel such a fool.
3855698
Sorry, but there is nothing about this book that I liked. I finished it only because I try and finish every book I start, but it was arduous and I wished I hadn't when I was done. Sorry, FW, but this wasn't good....
3733360
I am normally a very forgiving reader and tend to have a compulsion to, "see how it ends." It takes a pretty sad book for me to actually abandon a story AND remember to write a review. I didn't feel a connection to any of the myriad of characters nor was I made to care how the story would continue, much less end. I'm just glad I only spent 99 cents.
4708166
Thought it would relax me, but instead it annoyed me to death....but that is just me!
2931454
Not worth my time. I turned it off so I wouldn't waste anymore of my life. Not funny at all just crude.
3521612
I knew this was going to be short, but it's too short. My fault to not think it through, but it's just annoying and I don't use it.
1661833
I finished this book because that's just what I do.  I wish I'd read ALL the reviews before I bought it, though.  It wasn't shocking, thrilling or otherwise very interesting.  Pathetic attempt at psychological fright that didn't scare me in the slightest nor add insight into any condition.