Tuesday 26 September 2017

ARC: Ringer by Lauren Oliver

Replica was a book that I'd been meaning to read since it had come out but hadn't gotten around to. So when I saw that Ringer was on offer and how good the plots looked, I knew I had to finally read this duology. So I requested Ringer, grabbed Replica from the library and got started on this series!

Oh and I should say that my copy of Ringer was provided to me by Book Bridgr in return for an honest review.



Ringer is set a few months after Replica with both Lyra and Gemma having to get used to how their lives have changed. When Gemma overhears something she goes to warn Lyra to get out but the other girl was already leaving to follow after Caelum. Both of these stories are a lot more action-packed than the first book and they can be read either one after the other or in alternating chapters.

What I Liked

As I just said, this book was pretty action-packed. I love how this book dealt with people and reactions. You get nasty replicas that you can't trust, protests getting out of hand, successful kidnapping and even murder. All the action in this book just made me want to turn page after page and I could barely put the book down. I liked the first book but this one was just so much better. What's with sequels topping the first books this year?

I also liked the character growth we got in this one. I wasn't a huge fan of Gemma in book one. I think it was maybe because she felt whiny and normal when you had Lyra who had really gone through so much. I still liked Gemma but I didn't really feel her. But in Ringer I just loved her, I understood why she was acting the way she did and the decisions she made. I also found her half of the plot a little more interesting generally but I still enjoyed Lyra's part.

Finally, I quite enjoyed the world building. It can be difficult to write sci-fi that's set in the here and now. But Lauren Oliver made it work, she made it believable that this company had made these leaps and kept it secret and that now it was seeping out into the open, more companies wanted it and students protested it. It makes sense with the way the world is now and I like that.

What I Didn't Like

Once again I wasn't hugely feeling the romance. Every now and then there were hints that maybe they aren't as in love as they claim but it still felt a little quick. With Lyra it makes sense as she hasn't had much experience to feel things like attraction and she knows her time is limited. But she's also the one who questions her feelings more and I don't know. It just wasn't my favourite thing about the book but it didn't annoy me so much that I didn't adore the book.

I also felt like the endings were maybe a little open. I don't think there's supposed another book so I'd have liked a few more things to be settled definitively. But they also work well when you consider the fact you don't want to spoil the ending for the entire book if you read them as separate parts.

Overall Thoughts

Ringer was such an enjoyable book and such a good sequel. I don't know what it is about 2017 but every second book I've read this year has surpassed the original. Gemma and Lyra are both interesting characters with their own, individual voices and strong plot lines.

If you're looking for an interesting sci-fi book set in the now then this duology could be for you. Just let me know what way you choose to read the book as I'm curious! 


5/5 Stars

No comments:

Post a Comment