I thought this book was very overrated. The first ...
588125
I thought this book was very overrated. The first couple of chapters were very interesting, but over all I was not impressed with the book.
4548245
Perhaps JD Salinger should have gone into hiding before he wrote this book, because I found it to be overrated and one of the worst books I have ever read. I can appreciate the coming of age novel, and even a novel where not much happens, but this book is just plain God awful.

I did not care a lick for Holden and his journey. He keeps going on about how he hates phonies, but did it ever occur to him that HE IS A PHONY? His whining and rants against everyone in society got old fast.

Many people I know who have also read this book say that it changed their lives, but I honestly don't see how. I recommend avoiding this book altogether, if possible. Nothing happens. It did not change my philosophy on life. I did not have a huge catharsis at the end. This book is total crap.
638572
I picked up this 2nd book in the Dark Hunter series after reading her first one: Fantasy Lover.  The first book was great!  This one just isn't.  I've read the reviews and am surprised by the high score.  I tend to usually agree with the majority of reviews out there.

My main reason for disliking this book were the reactions between the characters.  It felt like a forced attraction, lacking any genuine feelings.  Every other paragraph they're staring longingly at each other on the inside but every external actions happening around them don't match with the internal monologues.  Instead of creating depth and conflict, to me, it only rings untrue.

It's like the author keeps reminding herself that it's a romance book and therefore it must be time to throw in some romance-type dialogue.  Overall, I was very disappointed.
1688055
I love sci-fi but it's an overrated book unfortunately.

Instead try: Old Man's War, The Forever War, Dune, or Ender's Game.
3337282
I thought the novel was very overrated. Too cumbersome and redundant. Certainly not in the same class as PD James, Ruth Rendell, Ngaio Marsh, and Dame Christie. Became a real burden to finish. GH
1412177
Perks of Being a Wallflower is an extremely over-hyped book. Sure, it had its parts but the way people talked about it you'd think it was the Bible or something. Some parts were funny, but other parts I just didn't get. I don't think that it is an accurate portrayal of adolescence. Another thing that bothered me about this book was that sometimes the situations Charlie gets himself into are so embarrassing that you yourself feel embarrassed for him. I've also seen that the people who tend to read/like this book aren't very well read. This book is not equal to those of literary merit by any standards.
643233
After reading some of the reviews, I thought I would really like it, but I really didn't. I liked the story line, but the book was WAY too cliche and over the top. A lot of the book just felt really unrealistic. I like cliche/cute books, but I actually had to stop reading this one. I really felt like the guy's point of view was just too fake and unbelievable. I wouldn't recommend this book.
2769109
I think this is one of the most overrated books I've ever read.

The idea of it and the detail put into it is admirable, but it lacks that special 'something' that can make such serious/scary subject-matter hold my attention.

I can understand the importance of the story, but Winston Smith wasn't a character I cared for or found any interest in whatsoever. And although the boook made me dislike Big Brother and The Party--the fact that the proles and even the disagreeing members of the Party didn't care enough to attempt an uprising meant that I really didn't care about any of them.
3273162
Despite many comments stating otherwise, I found this to be a terrible book and easily the worse of the series so far. This book is extremely over rated. It is likely one of my least favorite books and easily my least favorite from this author. I am honestly offended that she would publish something like this and I feel as if I just burned my money, time and sanity over a book which I would even describe as disgusting at times.

Here are few points which may elucidate my position
  1. She seems to have oversexualized this book in a way in which it is at many times awkward, distasteful, unnecessary, or making very little. I'm not a prude or anything, I have read and enjoyed books with far more sexualized in nature, however in those books there was reason behind the author's choices. In this book, it seems as if the author is attempting to sexualize every single moment which can possibly be sexualized and it makes it seem like very obviously forced pandering.
  2. This criticism is along the lines of point 1. the inclusion of graphic rape and pedophilia throughout the book is really disgusting and distasteful. One of the main relationships in the novel which Karin pushes is between a 13 year old and a 22 year old. Just like point 1, she makes it unnaturally and unnecessarily saturate the entirety of the story. It seems as if every single person in the story is either a rapist or a rape victim. If any bad thing happened in a character's past there is a 90% chance that it was rape.
  There are just so many pedos throughout the books that it grows from disturbing to tiresome very quickly. It is as if this is Karin's only tool for story progression. Want to train to be a ship captain? Karin makes half of the training involve learning how to be a child sex slave. Want to perform a weapon deal? Karin closes the deal with child rape. Want a host too keep you from spending the night off the street? Karin requires you to have sex with the host every other night. Want to maintain order on your ship? Karin makes a massive class of child and adult prostitutes for no real reason.
  It is really painful to get through with all of this.
  3. The story is very flat and lackluster. if you were looking for something exciting then you chose wrong. There is almost nothing unexpected. The overall plot is very weak. this is not helped by the fact that 50% of the book is a lengthy backstory. character development is great except when it pushes the main plot to the margins of the story. There is not much in terms of meaningful resolution. You get to the end of the book and notice that the characters did not really accomplish anything at all.
  4. The pacing is very slow, especially at the end of the book.
  5.  There are many plot holes and more questions raised than answered. It seems as if the entire purpose of this book is to set up for a sequel. setup is fine so long as it doesn't cause neglect the the plot of the current book. This books does not seem to move the plot of the series much at all.
  6. Bad editing which in many parts results in sentences which don't even make sense.

Overall, if this is the route that this series will continue on and if Karin is proud of this sad work, than I would say that this book may be the end of this series for me. Not by plot resolution, but rather through unexpectedly bad writing. This book was a painful read but a very quick one. The only reasoned I managed to finish it is because I hate leaving even terrible books half read.

If you care at all for your money, your time, or your sanity then you should not waste any of it on this book.
1527652
I read the first book in this series and I was very intrigued as to how the story would continue.  Needless to say, I was very disappointed, so much that I could not finish the book.  The beginning picks up where the last one finished but there are some loose ends until you read further into the book, which I felt should have been addressed immediately.  The beginning was also very choppy and at times confusing.  The characters were well developed in the first book and I thought that would continue in this book but I didn't like the characters as much in the continuation.  They were very wishy-washy and would change their whole idea of thinking in a matter of seconds.  Like I said, I dd not finish the book because I was so frustrated with how the plot was proceeding.  I would not recommend this book to anyone.  Sorry!
2048700
I didn't like the "first person" writing style. I thought the book was overrated, and I couldn't wait until I finished it. I feel that it has a decent storyline, but it just didn't hold my interest.
278771
I think the book is over rated.. I got bored with too many descriptionsvof places
4877360
It wasn't as good as the first at all.

I hate how the author had to bring in Catholicism and insult the religion so much. I know I'll get down votes like crazy on saying that, but whatever. It's my opinion and as a woman of faith, it annoys me. I don't mind when people write about religion from a standpoint of disbelief. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. However, in this day in age when we know how hurtful cultural appropriation is and people are expected to write about different beliefs with delicacy and understanding, I think there is little excuse for the disrespectful and stereotyped handling of the Catholic faith in this book. Seriously,  the Catholic church as the big bad has been done. And done. And done again. (And no. I'm not Catholic. It's just annoying.)

Further more, the characters fell flat. I thought in the first book they seemed more well-rounded and diverse than in this book. In this one, they all seem to have the same personality- men, women, aliens, whatever, they are all exactly the same.

Other silly plot holes exist. The supposedly intelligent, watchful alien race doesn't think that perhaps Two wasn't really the one who posted the message and it is the human boy who has to think of that, years later? Please. My first thought was "Hm. Why would they assume it was really her?" And yet, these super-smart, genius aliens need 3 years and a foreign kid to spell it out for them? That's just silly.

Another issue for me was that suddenly new plot devices were employed seemingly because the author wrote herself (himself?) Into a hole and needed to invent a new way of making life more challenging. (Suddenly there are bad guys who look just like people, so it's even harder for our protagonist! But, whereas twenty felt real concern for Six in book one, we now know that if anyone tries to kill her, they will just be committing suicide.)

Finally, it seems like the author was spoon feeding a lot of information to the reader. I hate that.
In all, the book was a major let down. I wasn't impressed.
1604279
Too be honest, this is only my opinion! This was the WORST book I ever read EVER!! (...)I thought it was confusing and boring! This book talks about this spoiled, rude super brat! I honestly don't know if I just didn't like the book because I was confused or just couldn't relate! But this is my opinion, please don't let me stop you from reading this book! But, I do have to give the author some credit, (...)this book is always on TV! Talking about how great the book is! Good luck!
2624845
I should say that the first book is way better than this one. This book didn't live up to my expectations since I expected more based on my impressions with the first book. The second book should make you keep going and impressed a reader so that s/he would buy and read the next one but this just didn't do it for me. It is a little bit dry and boring, in my opinion.
720166
I was looking for a good read for a spate of airline travel and saw this in the airport bookstore.  I remembered that it had been on the New York Times Book Review best of 2006 list, and the subject suited my mood, so I purchased it.

I cannot agree more with the other reviewers.  Very disappointing.  Supremely overhyped.  I think this is a case of the publishing cognoscenti getting too into a depiction of themselves.  I did not care about the characters, thought that they were narcissistic with no redeeming qualities.  Thought that the 9/11 piece of it was superficial and shallow.
4696427
I wanted to like this book. I really did especially when I saw I the great reviews it got but I did not like it. I did not find the hero/heroine likable. The H was over the top w/ her reactions to some things and things that should have got a genuine heartfelt reaction, was watered down.  I was really waiting for the book to reveal she maybe be "manic because of her over the top emotions to certain situations". The hero started off ok but that opinion did not last long. *Spoiler alert *The fact the hero even considered for a split 2nd leaving current GF for ex-wife all bc of their shared past pissed me off. Then you have the heroine absentee father appear back into her life and her moms life like it was nothing because he's throwing money around was wtf. Everyone reactions to certain things held no weight imo and was simple (dumb). This was the first book I read by this author and I have to really think hard about reading her other stories.