Title: Love Me Never
Series: Lovely Vicious #1
Author: Sara Wolf
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: April 5, 2015
Pages: 304
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Source: ARC from publisher
My Rating: 4 stars
Previously published as Lovely Vicious, this fully revised and updated edition is full of romance, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud moments.
Don’t love your enemy. Declare war on him.
Seventeen-year-old Isis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, nine weeks, and five days, and after what happened last time, she intends to keep it that way. Since then she’s lost eighty-five pounds, gotten four streaks of purple in her hair, and moved to Buttcrack-of-Nowhere, Ohio, to help her mom escape a bad relationship.
All the girls in her new school want one thing—Jack Hunter, the Ice Prince of East Summit High. Hot as an Armani ad, smart enough to get into Yale, and colder than the Arctic, Jack Hunter’s never gone out with anyone. Sure, people have seen him downtown with beautiful women, but he’s never given high school girls the time of day. Until Isis punches him in the face.
Jack’s met his match. Suddenly everything is a game.
The goal: Make the other beg for mercy.
The game board: East Summit High.
The reward: Something neither of them expected.
Links:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing
Excerpt:
“Who are you waiting for?” Knife Kid asks.
“That obvious, huh?”
“Jack, then. Screaming at him wasn’t enough?”
“He was the one who put the pictures of me all over school. Hell no, screaming isn’t enough.”
Knife Kid nods. “I saw the pictures. I had fun slashing them with my protractor. Nobody should be made fun of like that, I think.”
I don’t know whether to smile at how sweet he sounds or become extremely concerned at how creepy he sounds. I settle for a little of both just as Jack comes in. He walks right by and settles in his desk behind me. I turn and watch him take off his backpack.
“Hi.” I wave.
It takes him a moment to recognize me. Or a million. He focuses his gaze on me, then looks boredly to the window. He puts his chin in his hand, studies a pigeon in a tree with utmost intensity, and then all at once his eyes go wide. He swivels his head slowly back to me.
“You,” he murmurs.
“Me!” I chirp.
“What the hell are you doing in that?” he asks, eyes sweeping down to my chest, my legs, and up again.
“Damage control.” I smile. “Do you like it?”
“I’ve seen pigs dressed better.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that, considering you see one in the mirror every morning.”
This book DREW. ME. IN. It was amazing. I started the first chapter and it sucked me right in and wouldn't loosen its grip on me. I finished this book in 24 hours. I couldn't stop reading it!
What I liked
The thing about this book that drew me in, and that I love most, is the personality of the main character, Isis. She is sassy, charismatic, bold, brave, daring, and she doesn't take shit from anyone. She sticks up for other people. She was easy to like. So much so that I instantly connected with her.
I love the air of mystery surrounding the characters in this book. So many of the characters have secrets that come out, or somewhat come out, in this book. The suspense leading up to the reveal of the dark secrets is awesome. These characters have their own demons and their own wounds that they are licking. This not only adds mystery and suspense to the book, but it makes the characters more human. Everyone has issues. Some are really messed up. I like that the author wasn't afraid to show them as real.
Picking up from the last point, I also loved that the author touched upon some serious issues. Not enough authors are brave enough to write about such delicate issues. And some authors simply cant write about them well. Sara Wolf not only writes about real issues, but she does it extremely well. Mad props! I love reading about realistic characters. There are so many different issues in the book that come up for the different characters and it adds so much more diversity to the book.
I liked how evident it was that something traumatic happened to Isis in her past. This event, or time in her life, has shaped who she is. You get to see it in all that she says and does, the way that she treats others, and the way that she puts on a second skin. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and see if she comes to terms with her past.
The chemistry between the two main characters, Isis and Jack, is written incredibly well. The dialogues were not awkward. The scenes were drafted beautifully. I loved watching the two of them go through their feelings towards one another.
What I didn't like
The ending is just...WHAT?!? Seriously, this book is the Cliffhanger King! It wasn't even really an ending, just an abrupt stop. To be continued... I needed something with more finality. Even just a small conclusion. It didn't feel right to me.
The book mainly consists of Isis and Jack and the war that they are waging against one another. I would have liked to see more things happen in the story. There are some parties that are attended and a few isolated events, but they seemed mashed together. I would have either liked more distinction between the events and the time that passes, or more events to make it seem like more is going on.
Would I Recommend It
I would, yes! I don't typically like romances, but this one was quite refreshing. It grabbed me, sucked me in, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
“Who are you waiting for?” Knife Kid asks.
“That obvious, huh?”
“Jack, then. Screaming at him wasn’t enough?”
“He was the one who put the pictures of me all over school. Hell no, screaming isn’t enough.”
Knife Kid nods. “I saw the pictures. I had fun slashing them with my protractor. Nobody should be made fun of like that, I think.”
I don’t know whether to smile at how sweet he sounds or become extremely concerned at how creepy he sounds. I settle for a little of both just as Jack comes in. He walks right by and settles in his desk behind me. I turn and watch him take off his backpack.
“Hi.” I wave.
It takes him a moment to recognize me. Or a million. He focuses his gaze on me, then looks boredly to the window. He puts his chin in his hand, studies a pigeon in a tree with utmost intensity, and then all at once his eyes go wide. He swivels his head slowly back to me.
“You,” he murmurs.
“Me!” I chirp.
“What the hell are you doing in that?” he asks, eyes sweeping down to my chest, my legs, and up again.
“Damage control.” I smile. “Do you like it?”
“I’ve seen pigs dressed better.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that, considering you see one in the mirror every morning.”
Review:
I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked
The thing about this book that drew me in, and that I love most, is the personality of the main character, Isis. She is sassy, charismatic, bold, brave, daring, and she doesn't take shit from anyone. She sticks up for other people. She was easy to like. So much so that I instantly connected with her.
I love the air of mystery surrounding the characters in this book. So many of the characters have secrets that come out, or somewhat come out, in this book. The suspense leading up to the reveal of the dark secrets is awesome. These characters have their own demons and their own wounds that they are licking. This not only adds mystery and suspense to the book, but it makes the characters more human. Everyone has issues. Some are really messed up. I like that the author wasn't afraid to show them as real.
Picking up from the last point, I also loved that the author touched upon some serious issues. Not enough authors are brave enough to write about such delicate issues. And some authors simply cant write about them well. Sara Wolf not only writes about real issues, but she does it extremely well. Mad props! I love reading about realistic characters. There are so many different issues in the book that come up for the different characters and it adds so much more diversity to the book.
I liked how evident it was that something traumatic happened to Isis in her past. This event, or time in her life, has shaped who she is. You get to see it in all that she says and does, the way that she treats others, and the way that she puts on a second skin. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and see if she comes to terms with her past.
The chemistry between the two main characters, Isis and Jack, is written incredibly well. The dialogues were not awkward. The scenes were drafted beautifully. I loved watching the two of them go through their feelings towards one another.
What I didn't like
The ending is just...WHAT?!? Seriously, this book is the Cliffhanger King! It wasn't even really an ending, just an abrupt stop. To be continued... I needed something with more finality. Even just a small conclusion. It didn't feel right to me.
The book mainly consists of Isis and Jack and the war that they are waging against one another. I would have liked to see more things happen in the story. There are some parties that are attended and a few isolated events, but they seemed mashed together. I would have either liked more distinction between the events and the time that passes, or more events to make it seem like more is going on.
Would I Recommend It
I would, yes! I don't typically like romances, but this one was quite refreshing. It grabbed me, sucked me in, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
About the author:
Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.She also writes under the pseudonym R.R. Smythe.
My name is Vanessa a.k.a. Queen Alchemy. I am a 30-something-year-old mother of four nerdy, fantastic children. We live in the Midwest. I have a reading addiction, and I hope that I never recover! I'm the hugest nerd you can find with interests not limited to the following: comics (Batman and Captain America for the win!), science, computers, zombies, unicorns, Harry Potter, cartoons from the 80's & 90's, Frankenstein, history, crafting, cooking & baking, Star Wars, digital scrapbooking, D&D, Minecraft, Hello Kitty, horror, metalcore, royalty, tattoos & piercings, bright colors, and so much more!
Enjoyed the review and clearly you liked the book especially the main character Isis. Now you got me curious. Thank you, Darlene Cruz aka Read Book.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the review and clearly you liked the book especially the main character Isis. Now you got me curious. Thank you, Darlene Cruz aka Read Book.
ReplyDelete