I really wanted to read this book...
585500
But have to agree with a prior reviewer - the typos are killing me.  I'm slogging thru though, I've certainly read worse but I do wish this was properly proofed prior to release.  I'd gladly pay for a Kindle version of the book released by a proper publisher.
4898198
I wanted so desperately to like this book more. It physically hurts that I can't give it a higher review, but it just has a couple vital things missing that keeps me from absolutely loving it.

Beginning was good. I liked how the story really got going almost instantly. No fumbling around and building up the main characters in a couple slow, awkward first chapters here. I will say that about this book too: character development was ON POINT. By the end of the book I KNEW these people. Every single character I got to see different sides and perspectives. No one was a crazy evil villain or a goody-goody. Even the main character, Cara, had her faults. Stealing away the crush of your sister is not exactly a slap on the wrist kind of move.

Then the middle comes along. I'm invested by now. I DESPERATELY want to know all about the past between Cara and Boone, but naturally the author kept me on my toes. And this was okay for a while. Like I said, it definitely kept me intrigued while I struggled through the endless insults and cat fights and ugly outfits. When I say struggled, I mean I sort of enjoyed the tense and nerve-wracking scenes at the beginning but then got over them for several reasons. First, the number of incidents just became too much. It really started to feel unrealistic. Second, I couldn't understand how Cara could have an honestly touching and realistic heart-to-heart with her ex, only to be in a screaming match with him the next morning. If they settled things so well--he said sorry, she said sorry kind of thing--why is he back to insulting her and her date like that never happened? Finally, they bothered me because I felt they were starting to take up "screen time" between Cara and Boone.

**Sorry, some spoilers**

That brings me to my last big issue with this book. I could feel the sexual tension. It, again, kept my on the edge of my seat like all the other things going on. I waited. And waited. And waited some more. BUT NOTHING REALLY HAPPENED! I hated that I became this fiend who NEEDED to read some action, but it wasn't fair that the authored made these characters so sexually charged and kept alluding to sexual incidents but never really followed through with a big moment. Even a fade-to-black kind of scene would have satisfied my thirst. But, unfortunately, I know exactly why the author didn't have a sweaty and gasping moment between Cara and Boone. This book really wasn't about that. The history we're shown implies that they've already had plenty of those moments. This week between them was about healing and forgiving. Sadly, sex does complicate things and I give them credit and the author for not going that far. Of course that still does not make me any happier about the fact that it didn't happen.

Overall, this book did give a satisfyingly happy ending. Would I have liked an epilogue? Umm, YES! But it wasn't really needed. Cara and Boone knew where they were headed and weren't going to make the same mistakes they did before. I got that. Do I think the ending was almost a little too perfect after everything? Yes, again. But I liked it all and that goes along with my general feel of this book: I did like it. Like I said before, I wanted to like it so much more, but that's obviously just my opinion. The author still did great work and I look forward to her next book.
173995
...I was reading it for school.  While this book is a compelling tale about the atrocities committed against the Indians by the white Americans, it is very difficult to retain the information contained in it for testing or quizzing.
My enjoyment (or horror) in reading this, however, was severely hindered by my goal:  To read for the information.  This is just not that kind of a book.  I am writing this mainly for the benefit of teachers who are considering using this book for a curriculum tool.  Perhaps it should be used for recommended outside reading to give students a feel for the treatment that the American Indians endured at the hands of the intrusive white government, but not as a textbook.
All in all, I did enjoy the book.  I only wish I had been reading for pleasure, and not work.
4621933
I really wanted to like this book! It was part of my June LGBT reads and I had so much expectation for it and it let me down. The title of the book kind of doesn't fit with the story. It's pretty much a secret for most of the book. The one thing I have to give to this book is that the intersectionality was fantastic, and the representation was so diverse. I think we need more books with this sort of representation in YA today and it is so important to have that for not only young adults, but adults as well.
4914848
It was ok.
I  really did want to like this book.
I  thought it was  an overload of information.  And I  had a hard time following  her thought patterns. Also I am not sure who the audience in particular  was...to the feminists or to well-intentioned Christian women?
There were a handful of things that I  did find helpful and that I  wish could have been GRACIOUSLY  expounded  upon. Like the teaching in 1 Corinthians  where Paul expains the chain of command from women to God. She uses Christ as our example for submission and still being equal with God.(I kea2n, I  know that and understand and agree with it. Just her particular  wording of  it would be nice to read more on.)
Or she talked about womens' roles being that of translating the abstract  and putting flesh on things, on life. Its something I found interesting.
There ye have it! And that's  all I have to  say about that.

Although, my thoughts on the book as a whole remain the same. Since  I've  had time to mull it over in my mind. I noticed that I spent time thinking about  things she said. And they stuck with me for a while  and were an encouragment to  me.

Its probably still worth a  read.  What book isn't?
3370015
I really wanted to like this book. I thought about stopping several times while reading it but I always want to finish reading a book I start. It really has a great story to be told. But it lacks the ability to hold ur attention.  Something just seemed off with the book. :( Some of the reviews state that they really enjoyed it so maybe you should try it.  Maybe I shouldn't have expected more.
3695391
I really wanted to love this book.  I thought the second half was great, but the first was filled with unnecessary and distracting historical and background information on people and places that just weren't relevant.  This made it difficult to have any connection to the women or the story until much later in the book.  This was a book club selection for me, which I am grateful for because I likely wouldn't have finished it otherwise.
4542906
But maybe I am seeing as I have scored this book so much lower than most of the other readers.

From the start of this book I found the writing very clumsy.  Luckily the story was good enough for the first third that I could see past the desperate need for a good editor.  Unfortunately the incessant repetition and drawn out story and dialogue in the second third meant that I did not even finish the book.  This is quite rare for me and tells you a lot about how frustrating I found this book.

Reflecting on the book as I write this review, I think there is a lot of potential in the ideas and story behind it; it just needs lots of work on execution.
3706537
I really wanted to like this book! Natural childbirth is so amazing. Obviously a memoir is going be fairly self-centered, but this one felt self-absorbed. Uggggh. It got so annoying to read paragraph after paragraph with "I did" and "I thought" and any number of variations on the I, I, I theme. Sure, she has been successful and has taken an interesting path to getting there. She is good at her job, and even better at telling her readers how awesome she is.
4916833
I really wanted to like this book.  In fact, I looked forward to getting a chance to read it and review it through the vine program.  Perhaps my expectations were too high.  The main character, Peter, is a sweet and well fleshed out character.  Unfortunately, something in the writing style was just missing for me.  The premise here is great, looking at a Chinese young man, the only son in his family, who is living a lie....he believes that he should have been born a girl.  The writing is free of that "preachy" or outmoded view of the trans life.  Just not enough to rate it higher, the style is just lacking something.
191632
I wanted to love this book. I really did. But about halfway through, I just lost steam. I always finish my books though and Grayland is no different.

Marina Magaa lost her sister to suicide. She's trying to cope in the world after finding out this heart wrenching news. She randomly finds a "magical" necklace that allows her to talk to her sister and see a "Gray Man" when she's asleep. Her sister tells her this man can give her 3 wishes, but to be careful how she words those wishes; the Gray Man doesn't do do-overs.

So, Marina smokes. A lot. Seriously, every chapter talks about her smoking at least a few times ("So I went and smoked." "So I went outside and smoked" "I grabbed my cigarettes and took a walk and smoked"). It seems like there's quite a bit of filler in the book as well; things that are inferred and don't need to be said; describing a whole restaurant/bar ordering session; side stories that add nothing to the book (going to the beach house with her sister and cousin, the cousin talks about a story with a coworker and the dynamics of her job and how it's related to getting the beach house for a night).

The author does a good job with relating the hopelessness of depression. Marina's brain is constantly fluttering from one thought to the next, and almost every thought is covered with the incessant stickiness of loss, weariness and confusion. This could be a great book, a wonderful story. It needs some editing to make it truly stand among the greats, though. Like I said, I wanted to love this book. The ideas in it are unique and the author has talent. The fire is missing, the hook that drags readers in and doesn't let them go isn't set.

For those that enjoy reading stories that are gritty but uplifting and have a touch of fantasy, this may be the story for you. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
2587098
eh.... I wanted to like this book, but it's really not my tastes
3339817
*I received a copy of this book for an honest review*

I really, REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this book! I received three books to write an honest review for and I was BY FAR the most excited about this one.

I liked the premise of the book a lot. I liked the overall story of the book. I liked Awan, Pan, Abran and Senon. I think the author has a lot she can do with these characters in the future.

Here is the honest part - if I had not agreed to give a review for this book I would have stopped reading it after chapter 5. That is usually my limit for books - I have to like it by the 5th chapter - if not, then I usually can not get into it. With that being said, I did finally begin to get interested in the book about chapter 10.

I did not like the slang the characters used - it was weird. I think the first couple of chapters are VERY confusing....I kept thinking, "ok, what is the point of this?". Another reviewer stated that they felt the author plopped you in the middle on purpose - what ever it was - I did not like it.

But, BUT....

Once I finally got into the book and into the characters it was good! I like the premise and the story, I just didn't like the beginning. I'm not sure if I will continue the series. I might give one more book a try because I did like the characters.
2354662
I really wanted to LOVE this book. The fact is I couldn't finish it. It was good, but there is something that drags in the writing. One day I may try and pick it up again - like I said, I want to LOVE this book - the premise of it really tickles the senses.

The cover art is fantastic, the banter that we get in the beginning of the book kept me going - then the banter stopped and the ultimate deceptions begin...

If you like characters who lie, deception to the max, and to be strung along until the last moment - this book is for you.

Apparently I'm just not up to the task of dealing with this spy thriller at the moment. The deception seems to drag on a bit after where the curtain should have closed and the next act should have began.
704542
This book had so much potential. I wanted to like it. I really did. Unfortunately, I just didn't like it at all. The idea is great, but the writing and flow need a lot of work.

I would have liked a lot more information on the world before everyone disappeared. The description mentions the soaring population and the outlawing of birth control. I would have liked to know why and how this happened; it sounded so interesting.

I've read several reviews that said the beginning of the book was slow. Yes, in a way it was, but the beginning was really the only part I liked. Once Darrel and Felix met up with Maggy, things went way downhill for me. I struggled to finish, and if I didn't have the nice personality quirk of having to finish books I start, I probably would not have finished this book after Maggy came into the picture. I didn't like her a bit. The nicknames were cruel, and in Felix's case, racist. She seemed very annoying in general. I also, honestly, just despised the "alion" thing and how she pushed it on everyone they met. I'm sorry, but I find it hard to believe a 17 year old would correct a military official on something so superficial, and even more unbelievable that these adults would just accept this and not wave her away like the pest she is. I mentally corrected it to alien.

Darrel is really not much better. The...sound...he makes all the time is just annoying. Every time the group stops for a few minutes, it seems he's eating or thinking about eating or wanting to eat...it gets old, fast. And really, I don't need to know every time he wets himself. Ick. I get that they're scared, but some things are better left unsaid. Also, the "bromigo" thing was just irritating as all get out. Apparently, when I got the book, it had been edited to remove 75% of the bromigo/bramiga's. I am so thankful for this. The 25% that were left were still WAY too many, though. I found myself rolling my eyes eventually.

The main characters are supposed to be 16/17. If this had not been stated outright, I would have put their ages at about 13. They act younger and more immature than their ages. This really took away from the story for me.

Honestly, there were very few characters I liked in this book, and one of those few ended up dead. Though, since the book is VERY "video game"-y, I can say I seriously would not have been surprised one bit if he had re-spawned. Seriously. "Xxxxxx screamed as the massive paws and powerful jaws of the feline extraterrestrial ripped into his body. Our faces went slack with shock as we simultaneously wet our pants. I reached for my inhaler, sucking on it like a crackhead trying to get as much of the last hit as possible. We sighed in relief a few minutes later, when he re-spawned several yards away." *not an actual quote, though had it been, I wouldn't have been even mildly surprised* I'm not even joking: it wouldn't have shocked me one bit.

The book really does read like a sub-par first-person shooter. Maybe this would make a decent video game; I don't know. What I do know is, in my opinion, it does not make a very good book. The ending seemed completely unrealistic and rushed. It seemed like it needed a little more thought, a little more time.

I won't harp on the spelling/grammar issues. Others have done this already and probably did a better job than I would. It did get a little distracting, though. The book needs more editing, to catch those mistakes.

Again, I really wanted to like this book. The summary made it sound so interesting. However, the writing style was just not something I enjoy, and the plot went in an entirely different direction than I'd expected, and unfortunately, I did not like that direction.

Oh, important information: I am WAY out of the target demographic for this book. I read it because I just flat-out love YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction. Perhaps if I were still in junior high I would enjoy it. Younger readers may enjoy it; I, however, did not.

This review originally appeared on GoodReads.
4714217
I really wanted to love this book.  The sample read so much like the beginning of Gabriel's Inferno, which I loved!  The grammatical errors were distracting and there were points throughout that didn't really make sense/were confusing.  It was hard to imagine the characters because of the lack of depth.  I didn't feel like I knew them, which I normally do when I read a book.  The character descriptions weren't detailed which made it challenging to imagine the story unfolding. I feel like the surface of these incredibly complex characters was lightly skimmed.  The potential was there and hopefully with time the author's writing will come together better.  Again, I really appreciated the plot.  I hope to read more of this author's improved work in the future.
3805853
This book has SO much potential, plot and story wise, and I really wish that I enjoyed it more than I did. But I just couldn't get into it. Second chance romances are great and I love reading them, but I couldn't connect with the characters at all and Arya was really wishy-washy, which sucked because she had way more potential as a heroine than that! I did finish the book though and there is just enough interest in there to make me want to read the next book. Hopefully that one is better!

* I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.*