Head Rush (The Disillusionists Trilogy, #3)

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Head Rush (The Disillusionists #3)

by Carolyn Crane (Goodreads Author)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 1,289 ratings · 248 reviews

JUSTINE JONES FACES HER ULTIMATE ENEMY: HERSELF!

In an attempt to put her unhappy past behind her, Justine Jones throws herself into nursing school and planning her wedding to Otto Sanchez, the man of her dreams. But something is off. Random details aren’t adding up, and is it her imagination, or are her friends and fiancé keeping secrets from her? And what’s with this str...more

ebook, 323 pages

Published December 6th 2011 by Samhain (first published October 25th 2011)

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Dec 09, 2011 MISS VAIN rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: carolyn-crane, series-that-i-m-obsessed-with

!!!!!!Gumby saves the day!!!!!!!!

With that I skate off from the man that was once my hero, leaving him there in the dark parking garage, with all his plans, hopes and dreams. This man I will attack and betray tonight. The man I just might die with.

One of the best series finales I have ever read........

I hate it when authors save the last 25 pages for one excitement and action to sum up the series, but no Carolyn Crane starts out with excitement from the very beginning! I was hook line and...more

20 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 Dija rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, read-in-2012, could-have-been-sooo-much-better, everyone-loved-but-dija, meh, why-do-i-even-bother, mini-reviews

This series lost its charm for me near the beginning of book 2, and while Head Rush wasn't a particularly bad ending to the trilogy, I'm just glad it's over. As for my predictions, I was 50% right. Yippee.
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My predictions for Head Rush:

1. A startling amount of scenes with Justine clutching her head because something isn't sitting well in there.
2. Justine will be about to say "I do" to Otto when Packard raids the wedding and abducts her. Then something li...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Regina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy-uf, favorite-authors, favorite-series, favorites

Absolutely amazing!!! Head Rush is a very satisfying end to this fun fun series. Each book in this trilogy is so special to me and they are just plain fun to read. The characters are unique, fun – and well as it has been said quite a bit about this series – quirky. In Head Rush, the characters are dealing with life and death situations, authoritian leaders, imprisonment of their friends and colleagues but in spite of these serious situations, the characters are funny, or maybe I should say FUNNY...more Absolutely amazing!!! Head Rush is a very satisfying end to this fun fun series. Each book in this trilogy is so special to me and they are just plain fun to read. The characters are unique, fun – and well as it has been said quite a bit about this series – quirky. In Head Rush, the characters are dealing with life and death situations, authoritian leaders, imprisonment of their friends and colleagues but in spite of these serious situations, the characters are funny, or maybe I should say FUNNY. For example, we also get some serious roller blading and a bendable gumby toy who plays a key part.

There is romance, but the story is not only romance it is filled with action and threat of death:

“It might even be romantic if the burly Brick Slinger wasn’t stuffed unconscious on the other side of Packard, head lolling on the window, and if there wasn’t a duffel bag of weapons crushing my feet.”

Because this is urban fantasy, each character has a paranormal talent and the talent of the main character is the ability to use her own personal weaknesses and fears and turn them into a weapon. She is a hypochondriac and never has it been so funny to read about a hypochondriac’s lamentations and worries. Justine, the main character, imagines herself a medical expert, for example at one point when responding to a medical problem she says,

“As a nurse, or almost nurse …”

..the funny part? Justine is NOT a nurse nor in nursing school. She just reads medical articles driven by her own internal fear. Yet she imagines that this knowledge she gains (purely fear driven knowledge) is equivalent to those in the medical field.

Like many urban fantasy books, this trilogy involves a love triangle – but before you close out this review and decide not to read this fabulous series let me say that the love triangle is very unlike anything in the other popular urban fantasy books. It is the best -- yes the best -- love triangle I have ever read. There is a true villain in these stories, a conflicted heroine (who at times does not understand she is conflicted, but her confusion results from the best reasons), and a dashing hero. I don’t want to give too much away, I want everyone to come to this series fresh and just let it unfold. These books are pure enjoyment, they will make you feel good and they will take you outside of the current confined box that most urban fantasy authors are writing. I highly recommend this entire trilogy and I urge you to run to your bookstore and buy them; all three.

And for those who have read the first two books, yes there is serious pay off for sticking with this fun series. Here is a touching quote from Packard

(view spoiler)

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May 19, 2012 Alkyoni rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, x-men, nobody-puts-baby-in-the-corner, if-i-were-stuck-on-a-desert-island, say-anything

It sucks so much when I really like the first book in a series and then everything goes downhill in the books to follow. Thank god that the disillusionists was not one of those.

This series kept getting better and better. I don't know if the writing got better or I just got used to it, but everything else definitely did.

I liked all the characters in the first book, loved them in the second one and after the third one, I actually feel like they are my very messed up friends. I even have some twist...more

8 likes · like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Madame X rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: extra-gritty, favorites, paranormal-urban-fantasy, love-triangle, superior-worldbuilding, romance-spans-multiple-books

HEAD RUSH is the third and final book in the Disillusionist trilogy and, as a result, you can more or less predict what's going to happen in it. We know who the bad guy is. We know which of Justine's leading men is going to win the day. We know what needs to happen before she can make the right choice, and we know that she WILL make the right choice.

All of the above makes HEAD RUSH somewhat different from MIND GAMES and DOUBLE CROSS, each of which managed to throw me for a loop a time or two. I...more

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Dec 10, 2012 VampireNovelFan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, love-triangle

There was absolutely nothing interesting about the first half of this book and I pretty much predicted what was going to happen even before the half way point, which deflated my enthusiasm since that took the intrigue out of everything. It picks up eventually, but for me it was too little too late.

Justine's narrative was absolutely unbearable for me a lot of the time, and I think this book would have benefited from being in 3rd person and switching from multiple POVs because I really didn't care...more There was absolutely nothing interesting about the first half of this book and I pretty much predicted what was going to happen even before the half way point, which deflated my enthusiasm since that took the intrigue out of everything. It picks up eventually, but for me it was too little too late.

Justine's narrative was absolutely unbearable for me a lot of the time, and I think this book would have benefited from being in 3rd person and switching from multiple POVs because I really didn't care about her at all. Where's the fun in her playing catch up? I could see if it was for a chapter or two, but the first half of the book is spent on this. At least everybody else saw some action, but unfortunately we only hear about it in passing.

The atmosphere of this book was very different from the other two where there was more action, gore and grit. There is a "mystery", but it was solved in book 2, so Justine piecing it all together is tedious. I'm aware that I am in the minority, but the romance angle in this series does absolutely nothing for me so that didn't help matters. I would have rather had more disillusionist, high cap and cannibal action than to have seen her juggling between her feelings for Packard and Otto. Bo-ring. We knew where it was going to go, so I just wanted the story to get it over with so that it could move along. This was more about the melodrama with an ending that was too "perfect" for my tastes.

The first book is still my personal favorite. It was really fresh and original to me. This book just doesn't hold a candle to it since you could take out the UF and disillusioning aspect and it would still essentially be the same book.

Based on the merits of the other two books, I still think Carolyn Crane is talented and creative, but this entry makes me hesitant to immediately jump right into her next series. If you've read the other two books, then of course you should finish it out, but for me I probably would have been less annoyed by reading a summary so that I wouldn't have wasted my time.
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Dec 12, 2011 Felicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-paranormal

Soo if you've seen my other reviews of this author's work you know I ADORE this world she's created and her writing, starting with the first book Mind Games. She takes the idea of a world with comic book hero abilities and grounds it in a cool urban fantasy setting. It's truly unique and comes with an engaging set of characters you want to spend time with. The lead character, Justine, is fascinatingly neurotically funny as a dysfunctional hypochondriac, which make for great internal struggles an...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, girlies-i-would-take-for-a-tequila, funny-funny-har-har, hero-i-wanna-hug, pdf-kindle, quirky, romance, superheroes, urban-fantasy, author-carolyn-crane

What a terrific end to the series! This has been one the quirkiest Urban Fantasy books I have read, Carolyn Crane has created such an original world, full of bizarre and lovable characters, from the bad guy I just can't seem to hate to the villanious good guy. If you haven't started this series yet, I highley recommend that you rush out now and get Mind Games the first in the Disillusionist Trilogy.

Everytime Justine remember Avery, her best friend Shelby's boyfriend being shot she get a poundin...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Ferdy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: whiny-annoying-blah-heroine, love-triangle

3.5 stars
Justine and her fellow disillusionists are back of the final instalment in the Disillusionists trilogy.
Justine is trying to move on with her life after the events that occured in Double Cross she is planning her wedding to Otto and preparing for her nursing degree but she can't help thinking about Packard. Justine having being 'revised' in Double Cross to think Packard killed their mutual friend Avery is feeling betrayed, hurt and also confused that she could have fallen in love with a...more 3.5 stars
Justine and her fellow disillusionists are back of the final instalment in the Disillusionists trilogy.
Justine is trying to move on with her life after the events that occured in Double Cross she is planning her wedding to Otto and preparing for her nursing degree but she can't help thinking about Packard. Justine having being 'revised' in Double Cross to think Packard killed their mutual friend Avery is feeling betrayed, hurt and also confused that she could have fallen in love with a 'killer'. However Justine starts to become suspicious, her car disappeared and also her clothes and passport were stolen from her apartment. Her friends and fellow disillusionists Shelby and Simon are there to help her with the wedding and also to help her piece together the truth.
Justine is still very much a hypochondriac but not as much as in the earlier books, she still believes that she will die from Vein Star but it doesn't come up as much due to other pressing matters. Justine's blindness at the beginning was very frustrating - even if she was revised to believe something she should have have still suspected that something wasn't right because the clues were right there in front of her. My feelings for Otto kept changing as I read, his adoration of Justine was sweet but his hatred of Packard and the lengths he went to destroy him made me despise him.. I ended up feeling sorry for Otto, it was odd to root for him and Justine to work out one minute and then the next minute to want Justine to take him down.. I enjoyed the role play between Otto and Justine at the beginning, it was soo funny and that whole scene of them role playing other people oddly gave me more of an insight into Justine and Otto's character. I felt more attached to Otto rather than Packard by the end of the book.. Packard said and did all the right things but he seemed to fall flat in comparison to Otto.
Simon and Shelby were great characters.. both dark, twisted and funny. I believe there will be a novella about Simon in the coming months.. I'm hoping something happens between him and Fawna.. they would make a great couple.(less)

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Nov 21, 2011 Day rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full Review NOW up on http://paperbackdolls.com/?p=8357 PLUS a giveaway of audio version of HEAD RUSH.

This long awaited conclusion brings a very satisfying ending to a helluva cliffhanger. The only drawback is the limited availability of the book. Due to a switch in publisher and other circumstances, the book was released to audio first and will be followed by e-book then print a few weeks after. Now, for audio lovers (like myself) that's not too big of a problem, however for several fans who wo...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2011 Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, uf-or-paranormal, faves-highly-recommend

I've been waiting so patiently for Head Rush since finishing Double Cross. The wait was definitely worth it. I won't indulge on the details of the story without giving things away but I will say that I will never think of Gumby as a meaningless little soft clay creature again!
Also, this is one of my favorite UF series! I'm in awe of the creativity & uniqueness of the world that Carolyn Crane has envisioned. I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone looking for a UF that is different & r...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 29, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Carolyn Crane just gets better all the time.

I spent the duration of this book vacillating between tense anxiety and swoony relief, which is precisely what I'm meant to have done. Crane does an exquisite job of creating a cathartic experience as Justine Jones' adventures continue. This was the first in the series in which I really connected to Justine, who has always interested me less than her supporting cast of characters. If you've read the first two, you'll be doing yourself a disservice if y...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Lindsey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books

(view spoiler)

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Jan 02, 2013 T.S. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Man, Justine Jones can’t seem to catch a break. In the previous installment in the Disillusionists series, Justine had finally made her peace with Packard, her former boss and the guy she loved to smooch (and hated herself for doing so). All the miscommunication and lies had been resolved and she came to the conclusion, shocking to her as it was, that she loved him. Then, her mind was wiped by Otto Sanchez, her boyfriend, when she tried to sever their relationship.

Now Justine, with no real clue...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

As the conclusion to a really interesting trilogy, I found this book enjoyable, but less impressive than I'd hoped.

Don't get me wrong -- it was exciting and action-packed. The questions were answered, the loose ends tied up, and the Chekhov's gun fired. The world of the disillusionists was as fantastically rendered as always, the highcaps were both scary and interesting, and the disillusionists themselves all and more I expected them to be. But there were too many times when the man behind the...more As the conclusion to a really interesting trilogy, I found this book enjoyable, but less impressive than I'd hoped.

Don't get me wrong -- it was exciting and action-packed. The questions were answered, the loose ends tied up, and the Chekhov's gun fired. The world of the disillusionists was as fantastically rendered as always, the highcaps were both scary and interesting, and the disillusionists themselves all and more I expected them to be. But there were too many times when the man behind the curtain were in evidence.

One of the great strengths of this series has always been the world-building. Crane delivers a well-realised and vivid world, one where even the strangest oddities are authentic. In this book, we finally get to enter into the Tangle, and to come face to face with some of the less desirable Highcaps operating in Midcity.

The story between Packard and Otto really heats up here as well, and the past really does come back to haunt them. The layering and symbolism of past events and present problems is done really well, and I enjoyed getting to more fully understand what it was like to grow up as a Highcap.

As with the previous books, Justine's insecurities and arguments of conscience drove me crazy at times -- especially when she was in the dark about things that we, as readers, already knew -- but I've gotten used to skimming over those parts of the book, so they didn't worry me too much.

The plot itself was exciting and action-packed, as I said. The action starts right at the beginning, and really dosn't let up. It's not lying to say that I couldn't put the book down. In fact, I read this entire book in one sitting.

However, as I mentioned above, the man behind the curtain was a bit too evident. In many ways, I felt the ending wrapped up the loose ends too well. The actions of some of the supporting characters seemed more about pushing the plot forward than really representing the character's goals and personality (Ez was a prime example of this), and I found the ending too 'perfect' to be satisfying.

That being said, I really enjoyed the series and would recommend it to any Urban Fantasy afficianado who enjoys something a little bit quirky and darkly superheroic. And I'll definitely look forward to reading more from Carolyn Crane in the future.

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Oct 03, 2012 Zee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.

After the events at the end of Double cross I could not wait to crack this one open! I just was looking forward to see what would happen with Justine/Otto/Packard and although the story was good I was a just a bit disappointed.

The reason why I took away 1.5 stars is the complete flip of Otto's character. He went from being someone conflicted to uber-villain in 1.5 seconds. Although I hated what happened at the end of Double Cross I expected to still see the Otto...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Gulliblei rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointing

How should I describe what I feel right now after finishing this book? I guess I would have to say that I'm content with the ending but also kind of let down.

The way Ms. Crane ends this trilogy is logical and really everything makes sense. From what I can remember it seems that most of the loose ends are tied up. But it's not a very satisfying ending. I'm not left in awe or feeling empty because it's now over. Nothing about this book makes me miss the characters or this ingenious world that Ms....more How should I describe what I feel right now after finishing this book? I guess I would have to say that I'm content with the ending but also kind of let down.

The way Ms. Crane ends this trilogy is logical and really everything makes sense. From what I can remember it seems that most of the loose ends are tied up. But it's not a very satisfying ending. I'm not left in awe or feeling empty because it's now over. Nothing about this book makes me miss the characters or this ingenious world that Ms. Crane has created and that's quite disappointing because the first two books really drew me into this world of high caps and disillusionists. I cannot say I was not warned since I read reviews but I am still disappointed nonetheless.

(view spoiler)[One of the main problems I've had with this book and well really with this entire trilogy is the main character. I liked Justine in the first book. She was calm and confident when she wasn't filled with fear about her her possible vein star illness. She wasn't annoying and she just did her own thing. In the second book it seems she's become more bratty and childish. Although I thought the Gumby thing was cute, for some reason I couldn't picture her fussing over and playing with Gumby. And in this book her childishness was just through the roof. Her reactions to things and the things that she said made her seem like a 5 year old girl.

Second thing I'm disappointed with is Packard. His character became very inconsistent as well through the last two books. I understand that he had a lot of time to think through his actions and all but by the end of this book he seemed too soft? Everything about him changed. He no longer seemed like that confident, charming, and manipulative Packard we all loved in Mind Games. And I guess I'm just upset that he changed so much--practically unrecognizable--at the end of Head Rush.

I never liked Otto to begin with. Even before we found out he was Henji and Justine just knew him as Chief Otto Sanchez. No matter how much Justine described him as an idol I always felt this discomfort whenever he was mentioned and I was extremely disgusted the entire time he was acting like nothing was wrong in Head Rush. Especially in the beginning, before Justine realized her memories were revised, and they were intimate. Which made the HEA ending all the more unsatisfying for me. I think at the rate he was going, with all the horrible things he did, he should've been just as evil right before he died. It would make more sense I suppose.

The ending was way too happy for a story like this. I'm glad it was a happy ending but disappointed. In the end everyone recovered fully or were heading in that direction. Which wouldn't make sense. Things just worked out too well in the end. Maybe I'm being too much of a realist.

Now to things that I did enjoy about this book. It would've been too much of a cliche to have Shelby thinking Packard was the killer the entire time or to have Justine realize her memories were revised during the last few pages of the book and I cannot even begin to describe how glad I am that Ms. Crane chose a different route. I loved that Simon and Shelby waited for Justine to come around instead of constantly trying to convince her that her memories were revised.

What I found to be most surprising was how much I liked Simon in this book. Prior to Head Rush I was pretty annoyed with him because he just seemed a bit ungrateful to me. Although Packard was really manipulative (but I'm bias when it comes to Packard). But in this book Simon was just awesome in every way. I'm sad it didn't work out for him and Ez but not all that sad. I could see him and Fawna getting together. It would be really hilarious actually. Perhaps a spin-off book for them? Probably not possible but one can dream.

Throughout the book I kept thinking about Shelby and Avery. The fact that Avery is dead didn't quite sink in until the end of this book. I hate that Avery had to die. I really kept hoping there would be some miraculous way for him to be alive but that's just impossible.

Justine's dad was just so cute! I kept picturing his exoskeleton suit and couldn't stop cracking up. Also, I kept picturing Bryan Cranston as her dad. He definitely looks the part.

Sophia sucks.

The wedding. I really thought that Carter would've been Packard's best man. It was odd that Simon was his best man. But I guess it's cause they went through all that stuff maybe? Whatever. Just a miniscule detail.

I'm not going to go into detail about the prophecy and how Otto was defeated. There is just so much that was wrong. It really felt like a copout to me. It was such a let down. That's mostly why I gave this book 3 stars. One because the characters were inconsistent. And another because of the cliche ending.

This trilogy was good even with this last book. I'd still recommend it to people but it would have to come with a warning that they'd be disappointed at the end. For people who really enjoy HEA endings, they'd probably love this trilogy but I am not one of those people. (hide spoiler)](less)

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Aug 11, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-with-romance

Disappointing. The plot and events were not well thought out.

You need to read books 2 and 3 together. The plot starts in book 2 and finishes in book 3 (this book). Sadly I had trouble staying interested in book 3. I skimmed a few times to get to the action. What I liked best in book 1 was Justine zinging people. I don’t think she zinged anyone in this book, although she tried once. The plot didn’t do anything for me. Two significant things happen in one day to Justine. Then a bad guy had her min...more Disappointing. The plot and events were not well thought out.

You need to read books 2 and 3 together. The plot starts in book 2 and finishes in book 3 (this book). Sadly I had trouble staying interested in book 3. I skimmed a few times to get to the action. What I liked best in book 1 was Justine zinging people. I don’t think she zinged anyone in this book, although she tried once. The plot didn’t do anything for me. Two significant things happen in one day to Justine. Then a bad guy had her mind erased for that day with substitute thoughts placed in her head. As a result she is a witness claiming A killed B, which was not true. Then A was on the run. A lot of the story is Justine having internal conflicts because her emotions weren’t erased, just her thoughts. She is frustrated and ponders because something doesn’t feel right inside her head.

The best part was that Justine had a happy romantic ending which had been developing on and off through the three books. Also, I liked her Gumby toy. Gumby was fresh and fun.

(view spoiler)

DATA:
Narrative mode: first person Justine. Kindle count story length: 4901 (476 KB). Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 2. Setting: the near future in Midcity on Lake Michigan (similar to Chicago). Copyright: 2011. Genre: urban fantasy with romance.

OTHER BOOKS:
The Disillusionists series:
4 stars. Mind Games
3 stars. Double Cross
2 stars. Head Rush
(not read) “Kitten-Tiger and the Monk” in the anthology “Wild & Steamy”. Novella about Sophie and Monk, other disillusionist characters.(less)

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Mar 03, 2012 Tori [Book Faery] rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, highly-recommended, read-in-2012, reviewed

Did you ever have a bad experience with a publisher (probably because of an editor, or because of a couple of authors) that ultimately left you with a rotten taste in your mouth? I'm sure we've all gotten burnt at one point, and likewise, I'm sure there are some publishers and/or authors whom we refuse to support due to that very experience.

I start off with that question because I have been burnt, which is why it was somewhat difficult for me to (initially, like, before I finished MIND GAMES) ju...more Did you ever have a bad experience with a publisher (probably because of an editor, or because of a couple of authors) that ultimately left you with a rotten taste in your mouth? I'm sure we've all gotten burnt at one point, and likewise, I'm sure there are some publishers and/or authors whom we refuse to support due to that very experience.

I start off with that question because I have been burnt, which is why it was somewhat difficult for me to (initially, like, before I finished MIND GAMES) justify purchasing HEAD RUSH. I don't want drama by stating this, because honestly, it's quite simple for me to refrain from purchasing e-books from this publisher (not that I really buy e-books that often, anyway); however, I wanted to briefly mention my... aversion--if you will--to prove how utterly amazing Carolyn Crane's Disillusionists Trilogy is. I do not buy books, and my frantic rush to not only buy, but to also finish reading DOUBLE CROSS and HEAD RUSH attests to how this series is pretty much the best urban fantasy I've read in a LONG time.

The last book that had my heart pounding and my stomach churning was ENCLAVE by Ann Aguirre. HEAD RUSH's final showdown elicited an even stronger reaction.

I felt this huge discomfort while reading, and I found myself spamming Karen with texts as I freaked out about scene after scene. She stated it perfectly well when she said how this book made her squirm. I squirmed. A lot.

There is tension. Oh boy, you could cut the tension with a knife because it got progressively more and more... tense.

Packard is a sexy beast, that is all.

One thing that annoyed me, once again, though not as much as the other two books, was Justine's sense of defending those who are being blamed for something. Sometimes, I wish she would just open her eyes, instead of deluding herself. But hey, if she did that, then there would be less tension!

Secondary characters have all squirmed their way into my heart. I love them all, and wish I knew them.

I can't say much more about this book/trilogy without spoiling some important things, so I will end my review with this: MIND GAMES, DOUBLE CROSS, and HEAD RUSH are all huge mind fucks. Expect the unexpected while reading this UF series, and enjoy every single page while you can... because once you finish, those refreshingly magical surprises that you don't find in any regular UF won't be such a brand-new-slap-in-the-face surprise anymore.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED series. Read it, like, now! (less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, review-on-blog

*Head Rush is the final book of a trilogy, there will be some spoilers for the earlier books in this review*

Head Rush picks up 2 months after Double Cross, book 2 in the Disillusionist series. Justine is preparing for her upcoming wedding to Otto, who she believes that she loves, but all is not perfect in paradise, or Midcity. Otto has enforced a type of marshall law, complete with a curfew for the citizens, he has a bodyguard for Justine, and he has been tracking her every move. Justine hates t...more *Head Rush is the final book of a trilogy, there will be some spoilers for the earlier books in this review*

Head Rush picks up 2 months after Double Cross, book 2 in the Disillusionist series. Justine is preparing for her upcoming wedding to Otto, who she believes that she loves, but all is not perfect in paradise, or Midcity. Otto has enforced a type of marshall law, complete with a curfew for the citizens, he has a bodyguard for Justine, and he has been tracking her every move. Justine hates that Otto is tracking her, but she believes she loves Otto, and she overlooks many of his faults. Meanwhile, Simon and Shelby are their usual Disillusionist selves. Simon is hilarious and has weaseled his way into the wedding as a bridesmaid and Shelby has vowed revenge for Avery’s killer. Once Justine learns the truth about her fiancé and a pre cog predicts Otto’s demise, it’s up to Justine and the gang to save Midcity.

I really liked this final installment in the Disillusionist series. I was rooting for Justine to put the pieces together and learn the truth. I felt for Packard for much of the book for having to deal with Justine’s ups and downs. But, I was proud of how Packard seemed to have changed and grew to put others before himself for a change. Otto is a great villain because he is not wholly bad, he is just a really mis-guided, very powerful person. However, when it comes to Otto, it’s his way or nothing. Simon provided much of the humor in this book. His character can always be counted on for a laugh and crazy antics. Other than Shelby, Simon, Packard, and Jordan, the rest of the Dillusionist gang is not really in the book, and I did miss them.

I classified this book as an Urban Fantasy, but there is romance in this installment, some pretty hot moments too. Justine learns what love is, and she really comes into her own in Head Rush. The love triangle between Justine, Otto, and Packard is very messed-up in this book, and it takes awhile for Justine to sort everything out.

I hate to give spoilers away, so I don’t want to say too much more here. I leave you with this. The Disillusionist series by Carolyn Crane is a new, fresh read with quirky characters, and a story line that keeps you guessing. Head Rush is the satisfying conclusion to this amusing and excellent series. Urban Fantasy readers, or readers who like supernatural books will enjoy this series. It is a series not to be missed.
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Jan 29, 2012 Mimi Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 stars

I've decided I'm not going to write an extensive review for this. I've said most in the reviews of the previous books. I will just say...

I loved Packard.

I think Justine has developed a lot throughout the series.

I loved the ending.

This book is my favorite of the series.

I don't know if it's the writing or the theme, but this book isn't one of my favorites, but I enjoyed reading about Justine very much. I'm looking forward to more books by Carolyn Crane.

And finally some quotes...

"I want to...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Kylie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I apologize to the 1 random person who may actually have read it. (It was quite eloquent and profanity free)

I'll summarize for that 1 random person's benefit in modern layman's terms:

--This book should have been kick-ass like the first two, but it was not
--Justine's a self-rightous bitch who whines too much (Not sure why two guys love her other than that she's *cough, cough* easy..)
--Packard and Justine's romance is melodramatic and disgusted-snort-worthy
--Otto deserved better from the author (I...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Naomi Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've absolutely loved this series and I felt pretty emotional about it all coming to an end. Head Rush is jam-packed with action, emotion, and revelations, although it lacks the brutal twists and turns of Mind Games and Double Cross. That's not really to it's detriment though - by book three, we know what's at stake and we know where we stand; the story is more about straightening out those twists than adding more.

Justine, as always, is wonderful, and I loved more in Head Rush than ever before....more

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Dec 12, 2011 MandyM rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy, kindle-lendables

My review of the first book here and the second book here.

What a fantastic finale! Much tighter, with less focus on the psychological and more on the action. Justine quickly realises what happened to her and the race is on to save the day. The showdown at the wedding is set up perfectly. All the players and past evil doers are there. I love the bridal party lol! Justine's Dad in his Hazmat suit and the gorgeous and wild Simon in his fur cape, belt and chains (RAWR!). I also love that Justine, ev...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Dc13 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I WON THE A.R.C. FOR THIS BOOK!!!!! WOOT! WOOT! WOOT!

Now having said that....I'm not gonna do this book (or this series) the justice that it deserved with this review....I blazed through it and the only things I can think to say at the moment are laced with "Holy Shit..." and "Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..." and "Hells Yeah!..........." and would be very spoilery!
So!
I'm gonna calm my silly...immature.....excited self down....read it again this weekend...and try and come back for a GOOD, coherent, unders...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Justine rated it 5 of 5 stars

So, so good. An amazing ending to a totally original story. Apparently the author was dropped by her original publisher after the first two books in the series didn't sell well and picked up by a much smaller one which led to the delay in publication. Which is just pathetic and sad, because plenty of really awful books in this genre sell like crazy. I've read that the rights to the series have been optioned for television and I would LOVE for them to make a series out of this. The characters are...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Ash Wednesday (Cupcake Ninja) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome-heroines, favorites, head-trip, campy, heartwarming, heroes-literally, something-different, urban-fantasy, review

"Do you want anymore cookies?" (Otto)
"No."
Hell no.

Favorite-shelved.

I dove right into this one after the last book's ending because I didn't want to end up killing my e-reader. As the conclusion to Carolyn Crane's acid trip of a series, Head Rush kind of blew my mind in the most unexpected manner. It got a bit... Normal.

I'll always have a soft spot for this series because its the weird, quirky, funny kid in the playground that tells crazy stories and expresses his emotions through clay.

That...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Gabriela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, je-ne-sais-pas, power-play, romance

Finally, my happy end! And enough romance too!

(view spoiler)

Overall, I was finally happy...more

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May 31, 2012 Flail Around rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, uf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As I think back on this series, I can see a reoccurring theme. In Mind Games, Justine is a woman trapped by her own fear. Packard is a man trapped in a prison. Justine ends up being a “minion” of Packard and trapped by her need to zing her fear into acceptable targets. Targets that can only be chosen by Packard. Packard is struggling toward his freedom, using any means necessary, even people – bypassing his morals to get what he wants. Justine struggles under the yoke of being someone else’s pup...more As I think back on this series, I can see a reoccurring theme. In Mind Games, Justine is a woman trapped by her own fear. Packard is a man trapped in a prison. Justine ends up being a “minion” of Packard and trapped by her need to zing her fear into acceptable targets. Targets that can only be chosen by Packard. Packard is struggling toward his freedom, using any means necessary, even people – bypassing his morals to get what he wants. Justine struggles under the yoke of being someone else’s puppet, being controlled by her fear/her need to get rid of her fear – and she struggles with the morality of what Packard wants her to do.

Freedom ranks high on both Packard’s and Justine’s list of motivations and this freedom theme is present throughout the entire Disillustionists Trilogy. I really enjoyed the subtext present throughout each book. Crane definitely had something to say outside of just telling us a great story. The messiness of life is really present in this series. The reality that you think you know a person, but unless you know their true motivations – you really don’t. Pesky things like morals were really only convenient for people when they coincided with their needs/wants/desires – and I think this is true to life for most people, no matter how much we might wish otherwise. For Packard and Justine – they found out that for them, freedom was first. Everything else came after. It made me question – what would come first for me? For my family? For my friends? Who are we really, when it comes to being put to the test? And does being put to the test really change who we are, and if so for how much?

The atmosphere in Head Rush is grim. The city is under martial law. Dream-controlled cannibals roam the streets at night, and crime is yet again at an all-time high. Otto has saddled Justine with body guards and electronic trackers – for her protection, of course. She is again trapped – just in a different way. Crane puts Justine to the test again – and Justine finds she is a different person than she thought she was.

In my review of Double Cross, I’d said that I was so happy that this series didn’t follow the formulaic plots of normal UFs/PNRs. I should have bit my tongue. I felt a bit let down with Head Rush. Mostly because of the ending – a place where I felt Crane has previously excelled. I didn’t expect that after two great endings for Mind Games and Double Cross, Crane would go for the formula. I expected one thing – and emotionally the book prepares you for that, and then I didn’t get it. I do think that the majority of people will like this ending – and maybe that’s why Crane chose to go with that. But for myself … (Major SPOILER) I expected the “life is messy” ending. I expected a surprise. I expected Justine would die with Otto – or Packard and Otto would fight to the death. Or … I expected tragedy. The book prepared you for it! All the tension was leading up to it! Otto always had to die. He had to die when he killed Avery in front of Justine. His death for me was sealed, Shelby swore it. So I knew, because this was Crane writing, that there would be something else – some other twist I should prepare for.

In no way did I expect the HEA. I did not expect the easy ending.

And the Epilogue…ugh. Really, like Cubby would go to her wedding!? Puhleaz. We never saw him past book one because he served his purpose! Having him appear now felt like one of those Clip Shows from Stargate SG:1 when they were trying to still churn out episodes but stay within their budget.

Also, I thought the pacing, flow, tension, etc. was great until about 2/3rds of the way through the book. Then the ending is sprung on you and there are NO CLUES as to what Otto plans to do at the wedding – just that it’s clear he plans for something to go down. Readers only find out why the cannibals come from AFTER the fact, via dialogue/inner monologue/exposition. Wouldn’t it have been so much better to have Justine know/witness evidence of Otto’s plans before hand? Wouldn’t the tension have been so much more at the wedding had she guessed/had intel on something horrid that he was going to do? Instead it just feels very much like he plans to show up and get married and any plans to play the hero again will come after – his plans are so vague that they don’t even feel like a threat. We get that he’s acting the dictator – but we don’t fully understand the scope of what he plans/how diabolical he will be because we never find out. Thus they really don’t have any impact.

Still, over all – this book is good. The ending just fell flat for me. I’m still giving it four stars and I’m looking forward to seeing what Crane comes up with outside the Disillustionist world. She’s definitely an author to watch.

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Apr 30, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, love-triangle, betrayal, angsty-read, adultery-or-infidelity, 2012-read, mental-deficiency-or-disorder, psychic, major-character-death, hooked-up-with-villain, major-illness-or-injury, revenge-plot

Gah I wish I had time to actually review books that I read for my own personal pleasure rather than for the review queue, but I could spend all night trying to craft the perfect way to sum up my feelings for this series and still fail.

I'm so, so torn on this series as a whole, and most especially on this book.

As a general rule, I don't like love triangles, and I don't like infidelity, no matter the justification for it.

I can't really say more without giving spoilers, but while I LOVE the way M...more

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About Carolyn Crane

Hi! Though I'm an author, I'm mostly here on Goodreads as a writer/reader, to focus on my fave books, sometimes to rave about them, other times go under the hood and think about what was really working for me. Thinking about what works in books is a way I improve as a writer. (Well, hopefully, anyway! LOL.)

So, I may seem like a pushover reviewer what with all 4 and 5 stars, but that's because I te...more

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Books by Carolyn Crane

Mind Games (The Disillusionists Trilogy, #1)

Double Cross (The Disillusionists Trilogy, #2)

Devil's Luck (The Disillusionists, #3.5)

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Quotes from Head Rush

“Love is a state of the heart, but also, an activity. And quite an awesome one.” — 8 people liked it

“Up ahead stands the fun house, which you enter through a clown’s smiling mouth.
“I would kill myself if I was prisoner here,” Shelby says.
“No, you wouldn’t, just out of courtesy,” I say, “because your body would be trapped in there after you die, and your friends would have to watch your corpse rot.”
“Hmm,” Shelby says. “Smell it too.”
“Well, now we’re looking on the bright side,” Packard says.” — 6 people liked it

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Head Rush (The Disillusionists #3)

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