Melancholy: Book Two of The Cure by Charlotte McConaghy

Apr 15, 2015 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommended, read-in-a-day-couldnt-put-down, worth-a-look, received-via-netgalley, favourites

So for me, Fury was one of the stand out books I read last year in that it stayed with me for ages after reading it and when I noticed Melancholy (Episode One) available on Netgalley I immediately remembered everthing about Fury including all the nuances. So to say I was excited to read the next part would be putting it mildly.

Melancholy is great. Really great. At the end of Fury, Luke was down and Josephine was in a difficult positon - having survived the Blood Moon she ends up away from the ci So for me, Fury was one of the stand out books I read last year in that it stayed with me for ages after reading it and when I noticed Melancholy (Episode One) available on Netgalley I immediately remembered everthing about Fury including all the nuances. So to say I was excited to read the next part would be putting it mildly.

Melancholy is great. Really great. At the end of Fury, Luke was down and Josephine was in a difficult positon - having survived the Blood Moon she ends up away from the city living with a group of supposedly like minded individuals, desperately hoping for Luke to recover.

I love the absolutely gorgeous flow of the story - I was hooked back into it immediately, no waiting and as we hear from Josephine, Luke and others, exploring this new situation Josephine is in, it is completely gripping. I especially liked Raven who is a highly engaging character, enigmatic, seemingly not that nice but occasionally showing flashes of somebody you may like to know. Quinn, the head of the community I really did not like at all - he is cleverly drawn, difficult to get a handle on his motivations. So characterisation wise this has a very high standard with plenty to love and hate.

The concept for Fury was highly intriguing - what if we could cure emotions. You would think it might be a good thing, but with "Melancholy" Charlotte McConaghy has explored that theme further, with Josephine being a bit of an emotional mess, questioning everything and even considering taking the cure herself to stop the desperate level of feeling she is having. This layer of the plot was beautifully woven and very compelling.

Of course this is just Episode One - with Fury I did not read until it was released as a complete novel - I did consider doing that here but you know me I HATE waiting. And in fact when I came to the end of this part I did curse the author for where she left it but also found a delight in looking forward to Part Two, and the idea of episodic narration is actually one I quite like.

Overall this was excellent then, keeping up the pace and passion of Fury yet adding some great new layers and plot developments and I for one cannot wait to get my teeth into the next part.

Highly Recommended.

Happy Reading Folks!

...more

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May 04, 2015 Lekeisha The Booknerd rated it it was amazing

Shelves: new-adult, netgalley, 5-star-books-i-read-in-2015

I think I need to go to the hospital and get my heart checked. This book just ripped it to shreds and put it back together. Jesus Christ!! *full review to come*

*update*
This review was originally posted on my blog

My heart was ripped to shreds and put back together while I was reading this book. I can’t even explain the emotions that I went through – there are just no words. I love this book even more than the first book, which I didn’t think was possible. Needless to say, I need the next book rig I think I need to go to the hospital and get my heart checked. This book just ripped it to shreds and put it back together. Jesus Christ!! *full review to come*

*update*
This review was originally posted on my blog

My heart was ripped to shreds and put back together while I was reading this book. I can’t even explain the emotions that I went through – there are just no words. I love this book even more than the first book, which I didn’t think was possible. Needless to say, I need the next book right now. I do not think that I can wait a whole year to find out what happens to my friends!! Yes, I have claimed them all!

I jumped right back in at the point that I stopped on Episode One, so I went all in. What I didn’t see coming was the death of a character that I came to love. Just…. what in the name of God??? Still, I kept on reading, even through the tears. This book is waaaaayy better than the first one, and that book is AMAZING. Here, we get more characters, more action, more romance, more more more! I am still going through each scene in my head, and trying to figure out what the heck did I just read. This resistance camp has turned into something worse than the outside world. I’d rather live in the city and be cured, than to live in a camp run by Raven and Quinn. Asking for permission to procreate just seems ridiculous.

Josi and Luke had me swooning left and right. Seriously, those two are just the perfect couple. I’m so glad that they had those stolen moments together, when their interactions were being scrutinized by Raven and Quinn. Quinn is Raven’s little faithful minion, and it disgusted me how he went along with all of her devious plans. They didn’t deserve their positions, especially after that little stunt with accusing an innocent and exiling him to his death. WTH did they think? That he’d get away from the Furies?!!! I screamed so loud that my ears started ringing. Not freaking cool!

I know that getting Raven’s POV is crucial to this story, but that Wicked Witch of the West got on my last freaking nerve. She is evil and miserable, and she wants everyone else to feel that way. I can’t explain how much I hate her!! And boy, does my man Luke know how to push her buttons. Josi grows so much as a character in this book, and it’s great to see her change. She was filled with so much pain at the beginning of Episode One, but she finally realized that Luke is a very great man, and that he has loved her and fought for her from the beginning. She finally let it go, and became a stronger character through and through. What she did for Pace touched my heart. Pace finding out that the boy she loves, loves another. And not just another, another of the same sex. Yes, there are LGBT characters in this story. Which, actually made it even more mysterious when it came down to figuring out who killed a certain character. The addition of Claire and Tobias, Luke’s parents, was great. I like how they both loved Josi so much. But when things got down to the wire, that was when all hell broke loose. I couldn’t put my finger on it until it was too late. I just knew that something wasn’t right!

I won’t spoil this book, but if you have read book one, then you are in for a wild ride. My suggestion is to strap in and hold on tight because you may just fall off. It’s so freaking good and you will not put it down until you reach the end; and then you will be ranting and raving just as I am. If you love Dystopia and Science-Fiction, this is the series for you to read. It has everything that you need, I guarantee it. Highly, without a doubt, recommend this book!!!

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Feb 02, 2016 Tonyalee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, e-book, 2016-read, new-adult, blog-tours, creeeeeeeepy, 2016-rock-my-tbr

t's been some time since I had read Fury, and honestly, I was nervous about heading into book two without a re-read. There was a lot that happened in Fury and I was hoping I would be able to remember the small details. Especially since Charlotte does such amazing work at foreshadowing, I didn't want to feel left behind and blind. But fear not, because things came back to me quickly and again, thanks to Charlotte's amazing writing, she intricately weaved in the details without a huge recap. It wa t's been some time since I had read Fury, and honestly, I was nervous about heading into book two without a re-read. There was a lot that happened in Fury and I was hoping I would be able to remember the small details. Especially since Charlotte does such amazing work at foreshadowing, I didn't want to feel left behind and blind. But fear not, because things came back to me quickly and again, thanks to Charlotte's amazing writing, she intricately weaved in the details without a huge recap. It was brilliant.

Melancholy started right where Fury left off. Josi has unconscious Luke and they're on their way to the West where rumor has it the resistance camp is. We meet so many new characters; some good and some not so good. It's nonstop action and the twisty plot will keep you on your toes!

One of my favorite things about Charlotte's books is her ability to not only create these amazing characters but her ability to paint the world so sad and so dissolute yet challenges you as the reader in your beliefs of right and wrong. What sounds like a good thing; lack of anger and now sadness, really makes you wonder if you could experience the opposite emotion and had me question a few times if I would be willing to do it. I was challenged on RIGHT vs WRONG many times. You don't want to root for murder and mayhem, but at the same time, you do.

Again, the character's are nothing short of amazing. Josi was and still is my favorite. She has so much growth as a person throughout the book, and my respect and love for her grew. She made a few decisions early on that had my heart hurting, simply because I just wanted her to be HAPPY. But there was a lot she had to come to terms with on her own before she was able to move on. Once she does, though, she is an unstoppable force and one to be reckoned with.

Josi aside, each character is written unique and complex. Even the evil ones! I just don't know how she does it. We get 3 POVs in the story, all first person, and they're all written with distinct voices. Luke continues to be my next favorite, not just because his relationship with Josi, but because he's smart, cunning and his devotion to right all the wrongs that not only he has committed but the Government he works for, has my respect for him grow.

Plot wise - there is a lot going on. Besides the new mandate for the sadness cure, I honestly don't even want to get into many details, as with the first book, because one leads to another and spoilers are inevitable. It's action packed, gory, thought-provoking and full of heart-stopping twists. There were a few revelations that had my gasping; in horror, excitement, and heartbreak. This series is not good for my health!

I'll go back to the characters and mention the romance(s). It's very important to the story, not only for the characters individually but because you see such love, devotion and sweet moments it makes the hardships and journey worth it.

And that ending! AH!!!!

All in all - I loved Melancholy. Charlotte's breathtaking writing, amazing characters, and nonstop action make this series a MUST READ. If you haven't started this series yet, PLEASE DO!

I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ...more

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Mar 05, 2016 Chelsea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, best-of-2016, new-adult, indie-books

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts When I Finished:

After devouring the first book I immediately went on to reading this one. I think this might be one of those rare case where book two is better than the first book because I couldn't put it down!

What I Loved:

I love how great the author is at character development. Josi can be strong minded sometimes but she's mostly weak. Physically and mentally. Her fury is the only thing that drives her. She grows so ...more

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May 27, 2015 Sasha Hibbs rated it it was amazing

Thank you Pan Macmillin for sending me Melancholy!

I don't know what to say. I finished this last night at 3AM. I just couldn't stop. Ms. McConaghy has such a way with her prose. It's lyrical. It's beautiful. It's poetic. And I truly cannot write a review great enough to do her work justice.

Is it the Dystopian society she builds that holds me captive? No. While I love it, it's the characters Ms. McConaghy writes that captures me and will not let me go. I cannot emphasize enough the amazing leve Thank you Pan Macmillin for sending me Melancholy!

I don't know what to say. I finished this last night at 3AM. I just couldn't stop. Ms. McConaghy has such a way with her prose. It's lyrical. It's beautiful. It's poetic. And I truly cannot write a review great enough to do her work justice.

Is it the Dystopian society she builds that holds me captive? No. While I love it, it's the characters Ms. McConaghy writes that captures me and will not let me go. I cannot emphasize enough the amazing level and depth she captures in her characters, and the talent it takes to do so.

Josie is so beautiful. In all that she has endured. Surrounded in a world full of emotionless people when she's so overwhelmed with emotions herself and not at liberty to feel with others because they are incapable of it and she's marked if she does so.

Luke whose past haunts him day and night, forced to watch the ruin of his family through the Cure. It's the beauty of Luke and Josie together that captures my heart. There was a subtle beauty in Luke taking Josie to see the ocean and to pretend that she sat in front of her cello. I could hear the music pouring out of that cello set against the backdrop of the ocean. It's so pure, so fundamental and that the writer can convey such depth is something so magical and rare.

To read both of their dreams for a future that seems too impossible a task to accomplish, but their passion, their emotions, their belief that there is still something good and green out in the world, a world that still exists where there are no Furies, there is no cure, a world where people can live free of a Cure that has ultimately led to their damnation...Ms. McConaghy makes me believe through Luke and Josie, that yes, yes, there is the world they dream of out there somewhere and someday they will find it together.

I remember vividly getting my hands on the Fury ARC, and remember reading it while at Myrtle Beach. At times I would stop and pause only for a moment and ask myself, "Am I really reading this?" Only to say that Fury was so good, I was stunned that I stumbled across something so beautiful. Same thing happened when I read Fury. I stayed up so late in the night, but it was so good, I had to purchase the second episode and stay up even later. It was so good I couldn't wait for the ARC of the second episode. I had to know what happened! It was infectious, addicting, so good that nearly a year later, I did not struggle one bit to recall the cast of beautifully flawed characters. Nope. I remembered them well, because the author wrote them so well, they were real to me. Luke. Josie. Ben. Luke's brother and parents. And I nearly jumped out of my skin when Melancholy landed in my in-box. I called my sister the minute I received the ARC, so excited was I. And now at the finish, I can say there is no disappointment.

Melancholy was as beautiful as Fury. The world is scary. The characters real, flawed, tragic. But the emotional depth and hope the author weaves leaves the reader on the edge of their seat, glued to each page, devouring each word like there is no tomorrow.

If you are a fan of Dystopian themed novels, it doesn't get much better than Ms. McConaghy. Truly, her novels are the contemporary version of Mr. Aldous Huxley's. This is literary beauty at it's best. ...more

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Mar 09, 2016 Maureen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian, romance

After I read the first book in the Cure series called ‘Fury’, I knew I needed to start reading the second book ‘Melancholy’ as fast as I could. I loved ‘Fury’ and I really wanted to know what would happen next with Josephine and Luke. So I cleared my reading schedule and began reading as fast as I could.

‘Melancholy’ is another great book by Charlotte McConaghy. Men.. I really love this series! I devoured the pages of ‘Fury’, and with ‘Melancholy’ it was really the same. From the moment I started After I read the first book in the Cure series called ‘Fury’, I knew I needed to start reading the second book ‘Melancholy’ as fast as I could. I loved ‘Fury’ and I really wanted to know what would happen next with Josephine and Luke. So I cleared my reading schedule and began reading as fast as I could.

‘Melancholy’ is another great book by Charlotte McConaghy. Men.. I really love this series! I devoured the pages of ‘Fury’, and with ‘Melancholy’ it was really the same. From the moment I started reading I didn’t want to stop. ‘Melancholy’ begins right where ‘Fury’ ended. Josephine and Luke have escaped and are now with the resistance in the west. Everything is different there. The people are different, the food is different and above all the rules are different. But Josephine had no choice about where to go with Luke being comatose. And now there are new treads and dangers. Luke isn’t the same guy anymore and Josephine has to try to find the strength to make a new life for herself.

I don’t know what it is with this series but it’s just so good. I was hooked to every single page and I didn’t want to stop reading until the end. But when I was at the end, I was just so frustrated because I really wanted to know more. Yep, that’s how good this story is.

The characters in this series are all very different, but Charlotte McConaghy describes them all in a way I feel like I know each and every one of these characters. And Josephine and Luke are definitely my favorite ones.
Josephine really is a very strong character, although she really doesn’t think so herself. She doesn’t agree with the rules of the resistance and although she tries to fit in at first, everyone knows what she really thinks. I really admired that about her. Josephine also wasn’t afraid to fight for every person out there. She just wants to make the world a better place and forget all the horrible things that were done to her.
And Luke.. Well, Luke is a great guy. Everybody likes him. Luke is tough, nice and just really a good person. In this second book we get to learn more about Luke and although he changes a little, he is still an amazing character.

If you’re a fan of the Hunger Games and Divergent, you will definitely also love this series. It’s just so good and really makes you want to read until you finished all three books. The story is intriguing and the world is just ‘normal’ enough that you can actually believe a world like this would be a possibility. That is if the world went really crazy!

And I really love the covers of these books. They are just so pretty and I really need to get my hands on some paperback copies!
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Mar 09, 2015 Lekeisha The Booknerd rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: new-adult, netgalley, 5-star-books-i-read-in-2015

What a cliff hanger! I'm not reading another episode. I just want the omnibus edition next month. 4.5 Stars *full review to come*

*Update*
Find this review and others on my Blog

It’s so great to get back into this story! I love Josi and Luke, even though they aren’t seeing eye to eye right now. This episode ends with a major cliff hanger, which was expected. I’m just not going to read the other episodes, I’ll wait for the omnibus edition to release next month.

This story picks right back up at the e What a cliff hanger! I'm not reading another episode. I just want the omnibus edition next month. 4.5 Stars *full review to come*

*Update*
Find this review and others on my Blog

It’s so great to get back into this story! I love Josi and Luke, even though they aren’t seeing eye to eye right now. This episode ends with a major cliff hanger, which was expected. I’m just not going to read the other episodes, I’ll wait for the omnibus edition to release next month.

This story picks right back up at the end of Fury. Josi and Luke are being taken to the Resistance camp, and Luke is still not conscious. Will, Hal and Pace are some great characters to add to this story – especially Pace. Love her wry sense of humor, and the girl can spot BS a mile away. Quinn and Raven on the other hand, I distrust. It was nice to get Raven’s POV, because the woman is truly sinister. I don’t like her because of the way she thinks every man should want her. And the fact that Luke isn’t interested in her, pisses her off something fierce. Josi is right to keep her true identity a secret, because there’s no telling what Quinn and Raven will do to her.

I didn’t like the tension between Luke and Josi, but I knew to expect it. He lied to her, and it’s hard to admit that you love someone who would do that. I’m not sure what to expect from Luke with that virus in his blood. Will he go on a murdering rampage every blood moon? I hope not, but surely Josi will see the signs and lock him in a cell until it’s over. I think if they manage to get Dr. Ben, he and Dodge could put those genius brains together and find a cure.

I enjoyed this episode, but I’m waiting to read the whole book next month. I highly recommend this series, especially for Dystopia lovers. Do Not, I repeat, Do Not read this episode (or the omnibus edition) before reading book 1. You will not know what is going on with these characters, trust me. Charlotte has created a great world and awesome characters with this series. I can’t wait to read more.

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May 09, 2015 Liz Barnsley rated it really liked it

Shelves: received-via-netgalley, favourites, ya-dystopia-favourites

I love this series. Melancholy has also been released in episodes and I had actually read Episode One so when I received the omnibus edition via netgalley I was so excited - skipping past the part I had already read I jumped straight back into the story and re-entered Josie and Luke's world.

The basic idea behind The Cure series is a world in which the government have erased our anger, creating a society of drones who gently go about their business. Things have inadvertantly arisen because of thi ...more

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Apr 18, 2015 Dana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, australian-author, 2015-read, dystopian

I think I should have waited for the omnibus edition, now having read the other two episodes I would rate the omnibus edition 5 stars. I found this episode slower to get into but by the end of all three I was just as blown away as I was after Fury.... Read on people.

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Apr 04, 2018 Tim Mercer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: april-may-2018-challenge

Solid 4 stars. This expands and explains Raven's behaviour in the previous book which finally makes sense however I have some unresolved questions around Luke but I will have to read the next for that answer. Dammit I love and hate cliffhangers!

...more

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Mar 12, 2016 Melissa (thereaderandthechef) rated it liked it

Actual rating 3.5 stars. Review to come soon!!!

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Apr 23, 2015 Sasha Hibbs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-from-publisher-to-read-and-rev

Thank you Pan Macmillin for sending me Melancholy!

I don't know what to say. I finished this last night at 3AM. I just couldn't stop. Ms. McConaghy has such a way with her prose. It's lyrical. It's beautiful. It's poetic. And I truly cannot write a review great enough to do her work justice.

Is it the Dystopian society she builds that holds me captive? No. While I love it, it's the characters Ms. McConaghy writes that captures me and will not let me go. I cannot emphasize enough the amazing leve Thank you Pan Macmillin for sending me Melancholy!

I don't know what to say. I finished this last night at 3AM. I just couldn't stop. Ms. McConaghy has such a way with her prose. It's lyrical. It's beautiful. It's poetic. And I truly cannot write a review great enough to do her work justice.

Is it the Dystopian society she builds that holds me captive? No. While I love it, it's the characters Ms. McConaghy writes that captures me and will not let me go. I cannot emphasize enough the amazing level and depth she captures in her characters, and the talent it takes to do so.

Josie is so beautiful. In all that she has endured. Surrounded in a world full of emotionless people when she's so overwhelmed with emotions herself and not at liberty to feel with others because they are incapable of it and she's marked if she does so.

Luke whose past haunts him day and night, forced to watch the ruin of his family through the Cure. It's the beauty of Luke and Josie together that captures my heart. There was a subtle beauty in Luke taking Josie to see the ocean and to pretend that she sat in front of her cello. I could hear the music pouring out of that cello set against the backdrop of the ocean. It's so pure, so fundamental and that the writer can convey such depth is something so magical and rare.

To read both of their dreams for a future that seems too impossible a task to accomplish, but their passion, their emotions, their belief that there is still something good and green out in the world, a world that still exists where there are no Furies, there is no cure, a world where people can live free of a Cure that has ultimately led to their damnation...Ms. McConaghy makes me believe through Luke and Josie, that yes, yes, there is the world they dream of out there somewhere and someday they will find it together.

I remember vividly getting my hands on the Fury ARC, and remember reading it while at Myrtle Beach. At times I would stop and pause only for a moment and ask myself, "Am I really reading this?" Only to say that Fury was so good, I was stunned that I stumbled across something so beautiful. Same thing happened when I read Fury. I stayed up so late in the night, but it was so good, I had to purchase the second episode and stay up even later. It was so good I couldn't wait for the ARC of the second episode. I had to know what happened! It was infectious, addicting, so good that nearly a year later, I did not struggle one bit to recall the cast of beautifully flawed characters. Nope. I remembered them well, because the author wrote them so well, they were real to me. Luke. Josie. Ben. Luke's brother and parents. And I nearly jumped out of my skin when Melancholy landed in my in-box. I called my sister the minute I received the ARC, so excited was I. And now at the finish, I can say there is no disappointment.

Melancholy was as beautiful as Fury. The world is scary. The characters real, flawed, tragic. But the emotional depth and hope the author weaves leaves the reader on the edge of their seat, glued to each page, devouring each word like there is no tomorrow.

If you are a fan of Dystopian themed novels, it doesn't get much better than Ms. McConaghy. Truly, her novels are the contemporary version of Mr. Aldous Huxley's. This is literary beauty at it's best. ...more

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May 20, 2015 Amy Softa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received this book from the publisher through Net Galley for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Fury, book one in this series, and was so excited when I stumbled across book two being offered over at Net Galley that I instantly put in a request despite the several other reviews I had waiting. Melancholy is a great second book, and while my affections for this one have not diminished, the pacing was a bit off in the first half and is reflected in my star count. There are still the great questi I received this book from the publisher through Net Galley for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Fury, book one in this series, and was so excited when I stumbled across book two being offered over at Net Galley that I instantly put in a request despite the several other reviews I had waiting. Melancholy is a great second book, and while my affections for this one have not diminished, the pacing was a bit off in the first half and is reflected in my star count. There are still the great questions about society vs government and control vs freedom that are being explored in the second book. It too is not just a thrilling ride, but a study of human nature and what is lost when we give up a part of what makes us human.

Book two picks up shortly after we left off in Fury, and in this book we get to explore the resistance to the domineering and controlling society Josi and Luke fled. There is a new third narrator, who is both horrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. I’m still processing how I feel about her, but man she was interesting to be in the head of for those few brief sections. This book has more supporting characters and we soon have a band of heroes that I became quite attached to. Of course being a dystopian novel not everyone makes it and that attachment lead to some heartbreaking moments, but also some touching ones as well.

Having been a good while since I read the last book I struggle with how I felt about Josi in the beginning. She just didn’t seem like the same heroine that I fell for in book one. Luke spent most of those sections comatose, but after he rejoins the story we get a chance to know him better than we did in the last story. While Fury focused more on setting up the world and Josi’s past, this book focuses on building the relationship between Luke and Josi. Such a juicy love story this angle of the plot is! I really enjoyed watching them come together, they compliment it other so nicely. We also get to watch as Josi decides and sorts out who she really is and what she wants. She is now free of the nightmare of the blood moon and has reached freedom with Luke. But has she?

Most of this book is set in the West among the resistance, but we quickly learn that this other society in this world in not much different from the one they were fleeing. We get to see how twisted and power-hungry people can become when the world has collapse. It is almost as if Josi and Luke trade one prison for another. With no place that is truly free, it pushes them to step up and demand change. It pushed them to find the strength to fight back start working to build the world they want and deserve.

The writing is quite good, just a little slow in the beginning, plenty of action and intrigue and Ms. McConaghy does an excellent job of not giving everything away at once. We are again left with a freaking cliffhanger, but I am most definitely hooked! I need to know what happens next and I have such hope that Ms. McConaghy will do right by these characters and deliver us a satisfying end. I can’t wait to see how things play out and to learn what happen to several key players and see other to get what’s coming to them! ...more

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May 10, 2015 Online Eccentric Librarian rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, dystopian, new-adult

More reviews at the Online Eccentric Librarian http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Book One, Fury, was a surprising favorite for me last year. The story was full of mystery, different in an interesting way, and certainly the antidote to the rash of saccharine dystopians popular at the time. Book Two, Melancholy, eschews the mystery and worldbuilding in favor of humorous snark and a larger cast of (for the most part) interesting characters. But at the same time, it feels very much like the sophomore
More reviews at the Online Eccentric Librarian http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Book One, Fury, was a surprising favorite for me last year. The story was full of mystery, different in an interesting way, and certainly the antidote to the rash of saccharine dystopians popular at the time. Book Two, Melancholy, eschews the mystery and worldbuilding in favor of humorous snark and a larger cast of (for the most part) interesting characters. But at the same time, it feels very much like the sophomore in the series - a 'between' book padded with a few extra side plots in order to prepare for a third book. I enjoyed the read but missed the world building and mystery of the first book.

Story: Josephine is free from her transformation but has a comatose Luke in tow and a rebel camp to win over. As she makes new friends and enemies there, she finds that things are not quite as white washed as she was led to believe. It soon becomes apparent that the camp may be no better than the City she just left.

Most problematic is that the storyline reads very familiar: unique snowflake girl flees dystopian city to rebel camp - only to find that the rebels are just as bad as the city folk. Haven't we seen that in nearly every recent dystopian from Hunger games to Divergent? A very long subplot of murders happening at the camp felt unnecessary and forced; they could have been extricated and we'd have a more streamlined story. By the time discussion comes back to stopping the Cure, it felt like no one even cared any more.

The first book had a great narrator in Anthony - his pathos was a great counterbalance to Josephine's reticence and gave the story heart. But with book two, we're given a new narrator in the form of catty Raven - she wants Josephine's Luke and is not afraid to get annoying about it. Her motivations felt shallow and petty; she's meant to be flawed and conflicted but somehow felt like every mean girl in high school instead. Her drama queen antics got old fast and she just didn't feel real at all. Certainly, she was no foil for Josephine.

Josi's insecurity and Luke's resilience in book one are traded for a comatose Luke and a cautious Josi in this book. The cast of new characters at the camp were welcome - the banter and snark was amusing and several times I smiled or chuckled while reading. But the inert plot didn't make up for the great dialogue and especially by the middle, it felt like the book wouldn't end. Fury defied so many expectations and felt so original; I just didn't get that impression from Melancholy.

The third portion of the book (episode three) ends on a cliffhanger - so I am going to assume we will get a book 3. I am hoping the story steamlines a bit and doesn't fall into cliche territory as much as this book did. In all, I enjoyed it but admittedly felt the first book was much better. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher. ...more

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Mar 10, 2016 Bobbie Stanley rated it really liked it

As excited as I was to get started with the second installment in the series, I felt like it took a long time for the story to really get started in this one. On one hand, I totally get it. Melancholy, by definition, is pensive, slow, and lethargic. In essence, the start of the novel embodied the feeling it was named after. However, that doesn't mean that part of it was great fun to read. I felt like it dragged quite a lot and it took me longer to get through the first half of this one than it d As excited as I was to get started with the second installment in the series, I felt like it took a long time for the story to really get started in this one. On one hand, I totally get it. Melancholy, by definition, is pensive, slow, and lethargic. In essence, the start of the novel embodied the feeling it was named after. However, that doesn't mean that part of it was great fun to read. I felt like it dragged quite a lot and it took me longer to get through the first half of this one than it did to read the entire first book in this series. Even so, McConaghy's vivid writing style drew me in and I could really feel what Josi was going through. That takes talent and I applaud her abilities.

Once things got started, though, I was every bit as invested in this book as the first. Again, there were plot twists that totally shocked me. I fell right into the trap that McConaghy set for readers, and I absolutely loved being surprised by things. The second half of this book more than made up for the first half as far as action goes.

Probably my favorite thing in this book was the feel of a dystopia within the dystopia. I don't think I've ever actually seen that done in a novel before, and I absolutely love it. I couldn't get enough of the parallels between the society these people were living in and the one they'd run from. I also love the way that McConaghy wove mythological references and gave nods to other dystopian literature in this one. I also love the fact that they banned the very book that I compared the series to in the first review. It makes complete sense. This book gave so much more detail to the exact situations that people in both groups were living in, and that made the societies so much more real. It also made them a great deal more terrifying. The thing I love most about dystopian literature is the feeling of fear that comes along with it when you recognize that our world could so easily become this fictional creation. The world that McConaghy has created with this series is one of the easiest for me to see coming to life, which is part of what kept me so invested in the series, even when the book started off slow.

The suicide triggers in this book are much more pronounced than they were in the first, so I would caution readers to consider that when picking this one up.

I didn't note this before because it wasn't as noticeable in the first one, but the author is plainly Australian. Definitely not a bad thing at all, but a lot of the casual language and slang reflects her culture. I did find myself pausing to look things up every now and again. Because a singlet is a completely different thing in my Americanized head than it is in this book. But that's okay. Just be prepared to think outside the box and make friends with google if you're not also Australian.

Again, the ending of this novel was perfect. It left me excited and eager to dive right into the third installment. I can't wait to see what happens next! ...more

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Jun 21, 2015 Online Eccentric Librarian rated it liked it · review of another edition

Book One, Fury, was a surprising favorite for me last year. The story was full of mystery, different in an interesting way, and certainly the antidote to the rash of saccharine dystopians popular at the time. Book Two, Melancholy, eschews the mystery and worldbuilding in favor of humorous snark and a larger cast of (for the most part) interesting characters. But at the same time, it feels very much like the sophomore in the series – a ‘between’ book padded with a few extra side plots in order to Book One, Fury, was a surprising favorite for me last year. The story was full of mystery, different in an interesting way, and certainly the antidote to the rash of saccharine dystopians popular at the time. Book Two, Melancholy, eschews the mystery and worldbuilding in favor of humorous snark and a larger cast of (for the most part) interesting characters. But at the same time, it feels very much like the sophomore in the series – a ‘between’ book padded with a few extra side plots in order to prepare for a third book. I enjoyed the read but missed the world building and mystery of the first book.

25331577

Story: Josephine is free from her transformation but has a comatose Luke in tow and a rebel camp to win over. As she makes new friends and enemies there, she finds that things are not quite as white washed as she was led to believe. It soon becomes apparent that the camp may be no better than the City she just left.

Most problematic is that the storyline reads very familiar: unique snowflake girl flees dystopian city to rebel camp – only to find that the rebels are just as bad as the city folk. Haven’t we seen that in nearly every recent dystopian from Hunger games to Divergent? A very long subplot of murders happening at the camp felt unnecessary and forced; they could have been extricated and we’d have a more streamlined story. By the time discussion comes back to stopping the Cure, it felt like no one even cared any more.

The first book had a great narrator in Anthony – his pathos was a great counterbalance to Josephine’s reticence and gave the story heart. But with book two, we’re given a new narrator in the form of catty Raven – she wants Josephine’s Luke and is not afraid to get annoying about it. Her motivations felt shallow and petty; she’s meant to be flawed and conflicted but somehow felt like every mean girl in high school instead. Her drama queen antics got old fast and she just didn’t feel real at all. Certainly, she was no foil for Josephine.

Josi’s insecurity and Luke’s resilience in book one are traded for a comatose Luke and a cautious Josi in this book. The cast of new characters at the camp were welcome – the banter and snark was amusing and several times I smiled or chuckled while reading. But the inert plot didn’t make up for the great dialogue and especially by the middle, it felt like the book wouldn’t end. Fury defied so many expectations and felt so original; I just didn’t get that impression from Melancholy.

The third portion of the book (episode three) ends on a cliffhanger – so I am going to assume we will get a book 3. I am hoping the story steamlines a bit and doesn’t fall into cliche territory as much as this book did. In all, I enjoyed it but admittedly felt the first book was much better. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher. ...more

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May 26, 2015 Erin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Melancholy picks up right where we left off in "Fury" with Josi having saved Luke from the asylum and taken him back to the resistance camp in the West. The story is beautifully told, and while book one was more focused on world building, this novel focuses more on the relationship of Luke and Josephine. While most teen angst novels bore me, this one had me devouring the book and becoming deeply invested in these two crazy kids w ...more

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Jul 13, 2015 Ria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: absolute-favorites, arc, blog-review, zcomp-2015-ebook-reading-challenge, zcomp-2015-netgalley-reviews

Full review @http://www.abookishescape.com/2015/07...

That ending!! My blood pressure rose to the top! I cannot recommend this series enough! We see some major character development. Both Luke and Josi go through a transformation. I don’t want to leave out the side characters though, they were all amazing. Even the “bad guy” was good! My heart broke for her situation. So many things happen and we learn so much about this misguided new world I gobbled up each and every word. No sophomore slump her ...more

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Apr 25, 2015 Krista rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved Fury... I loved Episode One of Melancholy. The ending of this.... my gosh. Cliffhanger, no doubt.

The tension between Luke and Josi somewhat grated my nerves a bit, but that was to be expected, given what he put her through. I love strong female characters, so I love Josi (Dual?) and her super human emotional sarcasti-assness but I wish we can start to see her really get into some of this badassery physical stuff that is there somewhere. (Maybe let lose on Raven or something?!) I had to l ...more

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Apr 09, 2015 Simon Vandereecken rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adults

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to review this book

Unfortunately I didn't get much into Melancholy. While the storyline seems a bit interesting, I was more than bored with the behavior of Josephine the main character who I found to be a bit whiny all the time. Having a woman as primary character is nice, but here she constantly whines all the time, complaints and basically well... sleeps all day.

I know it's only the part one, but still we wait during the whole book for something to ...more

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May 20, 2016 Marissa rated it liked it

i don't know how to describe what I'm feeling about this book and series really... there is a part of me that is not into all the swearing, just because, the vulgar nature of many of the scenes... I often just felt like rolling my eyes and walking away. But then the story, or rather, the lives of a few of the characters would gnaw at me and I had to go back to reading it... hmmm should I finish the series? ...more

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Apr 13, 2015 Shutupshabby rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

*** Copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review ***

I couldn't finish this book.

I tried hard, Really hard, but only got to 38 %. I was bored, so bored. By the story, by the characters, by all of it. And I wish this wasnt the case because the previous book had such good feedback, I wanted to love this. ...more

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Jul 24, 2016 Melinda Crumblin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh wow!! I thought I knew who the villain was but I was wrong. This book had me hooked, I read it in almost one sitting. Just as enjoyable as book 1 but made me a lot sadder I think. Taking a break before book 3 as its a bit heavy going. Loving the Aussie slang that features too, I wish it was clearly set in Australia.

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Mar 19, 2015 Cathryn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow! Is it possible that Melancholy, Book 2 of The Cure, will be better than Fury? Episode 1 had me hooked from the start. It was so great to be back in the world of Josi and Luke. Can't wait for the next episode!!!
...more

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Apr 22, 2015 Rhia Parker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Was so excited to see that the next in this amazing series has come out! And it's just as gripping and heart-aching as Fury... Set in the West with a focus on the resistance, it's ever more complex and refined plot kept me hooked. A must! ...more

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May 06, 2015 Angie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-and-sci-fi, arc

I love the concept of this world, but I haven't read any of hte previous Episodes and I don't recommend starting anywhere but the beginning. It's really interesting, but confusing having 0 knowledge of the characters backstories and plot.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jun 12, 2016 Jo Carey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Book one was good - but I have really enjoyed book 2!!

I was so much more invested in the characters and the story this time, and everything else this weekend has been put to the side.

Probably safe to say that should book 3 be as captivating, this week will also be put on hold!

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Sep 28, 2018 Iffet Burton added it · review of another edition

I loved it all the way through to the end and then I had to buy the next one immediately and start reading. Its sense of mystery through the unusual multiple perspectives style keeps you hooked just to try and figure out what's going on. ...more

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