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Stolen Beauty #1
Stealing Infinity
These days, I’ve been killing it when it comes to letting people down. Now I’ve been kicked out of high school, arrested, and accepted into a remote, off-the-grid school owned and operated by an inscrutable billionaire tech guru.
Gray Wolf Academy is looking for a certain kind of student. Ones that no one will miss. Like me.
Then there’s Braxton. The beautiful, oddly anachronistic guy who showed up right when the trouble started. And he’s a total enigma—which means that I definitely can’t trust him, even if there’s something about him that makes me want to.
They all tell me I have a gift. A very rare gift. And Gray Wolf Academy wants me to learn it. To use it. Because if what they say is true, I have all the time in the world.
And that makes me the most dangerous high school student you’ll never know…
Gray Wolf Academy is looking for a certain kind of student. Ones that no one will miss. Like me.
Then there’s Braxton. The beautiful, oddly anachronistic guy who showed up right when the trouble started. And he’s a total enigma—which means that I definitely can’t trust him, even if there’s something about him that makes me want to.
They all tell me I have a gift. A very rare gift. And Gray Wolf Academy wants me to learn it. To use it. Because if what they say is true, I have all the time in the world.
And that makes me the most dangerous high school student you’ll never know…
473 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2022
About the author
Alyson Noel
52 books15.4k followers*Note to readers: I'm slowly adding to the long list of books I've read, books I'm reading, and books I want to read. I only add books I loved, hence all my ratings are 5 stars.
Alyson Noël is the #1 NYT best-selling author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed novels for readers of all ages.
With 9 NYT bestsellers and millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into 36 languages, and have topped the NYT, USA Today, LA Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, as well as several international bestsellers lists.
She is best known for THE IMMORTALS series, THE RILEY BLOOM series, and SAVING ZOË, which was adapted into a movie now available on Amazon.
Upcoming works include:
RULING DESTINY- book 2, in the STEALING INFINITY series
STEALING INFINITY- Optioned for TV by Valhalla Entertainment - available now!
FIELD GUIDE TO THE SUPERNATURAL UNIVERSE - Optioned for TV by producers Charles Matthau and Michael Zoumas with Andrew Orenstein and Matt Hastings attached as show runners
Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California. Learn more at www.alysonnoel.com.
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/alyson_noel
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AlysonNoel/
Facebook:
Official me: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyson...
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/alysonnoel/
Alyson Noël is the #1 NYT best-selling author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed novels for readers of all ages.
With 9 NYT bestsellers and millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into 36 languages, and have topped the NYT, USA Today, LA Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, as well as several international bestsellers lists.
She is best known for THE IMMORTALS series, THE RILEY BLOOM series, and SAVING ZOË, which was adapted into a movie now available on Amazon.
Upcoming works include:
RULING DESTINY- book 2, in the STEALING INFINITY series
STEALING INFINITY- Optioned for TV by Valhalla Entertainment - available now!
FIELD GUIDE TO THE SUPERNATURAL UNIVERSE - Optioned for TV by producers Charles Matthau and Michael Zoumas with Andrew Orenstein and Matt Hastings attached as show runners
Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California. Learn more at www.alysonnoel.com.
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/alyson_noel
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AlysonNoel/
Facebook:
Official me: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyson...
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/alysonnoel/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 707 reviews
June 24, 2022
DNF @44%
The book started on a bad note (for me), with excessive info dumping on numerology and some "facts" which I honestly could not careless for. This was done even before the prologue. The prologue was decent but when the tarot card stuff came in- it became a huge turn off for me.
Another point that made me dnf it was the slow pace. I can handle slow pace paired with time travel (I thought it was going to be similar to Outlander- boy was I wrong) but the pacing and narrative was so boring and dull I could feel it sucking the life out of me. I could not keep forcing myself to read it any further.
It's also YA- which I have no problem with; but this one seemed like Wattpad writing; heavily focused on the kind of clothes, hairstyle, etc etc which again annoyed me. I also didn't like any of the characters- they have no personality and are bland to the core!
eARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book started on a bad note (for me), with excessive info dumping on numerology and some "facts" which I honestly could not careless for. This was done even before the prologue. The prologue was decent but when the tarot card stuff came in- it became a huge turn off for me.
Another point that made me dnf it was the slow pace. I can handle slow pace paired with time travel (I thought it was going to be similar to Outlander- boy was I wrong) but the pacing and narrative was so boring and dull I could feel it sucking the life out of me. I could not keep forcing myself to read it any further.
It's also YA- which I have no problem with; but this one seemed like Wattpad writing; heavily focused on the kind of clothes, hairstyle, etc etc which again annoyed me. I also didn't like any of the characters- they have no personality and are bland to the core!
eARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
November 19, 2021so, um, is this cover on Tinder? Because holy hell, she do be lookin fine
July 9, 2022
that felt more like 800 pages than 400 tbh.
this is definitely gonna be a rant review 😀
this is definitely gonna be a rant review 😀
July 5, 2022
Did I plan to read this whole book in one go without ever taking a single breath? No, but that's exactly what happened my drear friends.
I knew I'd love this, which is why I requested it in the first place, but I was absolutely not ready for this book to steal my heart and make its way into my ultimate faves.
The pace of the book is pretty fast, I'd say it gets faster and faster as you go on. It's the "slowest" at the start when Natasha is whisked away to Gray Wolf Academy, and while she's learning how things work in that world, but when it gets to the training and actual time travel so many exciting things are going on, making it extremely hard to stop reading.
I loved just about everything in this book, except Braxton, but we'll get to him later. The art, the intrigue, the characters, the setting(s) and the whole vibe were perfect.
Natasha immediately grabbed my attention, she's my favourite character along with Killian and Jago. She's down on her luck, but is a fighter at the core and I loved seeing her come to those realisations on her own.
I was so mad at the others when they were upset with her for not letting go of her past the second she got there, or that she wasn't trying hard enough to improve when she'd only been there for two days at that point. LET MY GIRL BREATHE.
Fortunately, that all mellowed out. Or did it?
The romance with Braxton was a bit disappointing, not because it happened so fast (although that is also a factor), but because the two of them have no chemistry. And I never trusted him, not at the beginning, not in the middle and definitely not at the end.
She has more chemistry with Jago, although I would say that it's more of a friendly than romantic chemistry. Still, I was cheering for him to become a love interest until Killian stepped into the scene.
KILLIAN! I don't care if he has some huge secret too, he could have a billion of them and I'd love him anyway. He and Natasha have the best chemistry, and if they don't end up together I will riot.
PLEASE LET THIS BE ONE OF THOSE RARE FEW BOOK SERIES WHERE A HEROINE CHOOSES THE BLONDE GUY OVER THE DARK HAIRED ONE, I'M BEGGING, I'M ON MY KNEES. PLEASE.
Okay, moving on (but not really, this book has me in its clutches now, and it'll never let go) to the most exciting part, TIME TRAVEL. It's one of my favourite things and reading about it in Stealing Infinity was such a delight.
There's a really unique concept, and the reader gets clues as to how it works while Natasha is learning about it herself. And we get to experience the frustration of not knowing all the answers when the others refuse to talk about it with her, I love it.
Also, numerology, astrology, even tarot cards are tied in and HOW MANY MORE TIMES DO I NEED TO SAY I LOVE IT IN ORDER FOR YOU TO READ THIS BOOK??? HOPEFULLY NOT TOO MANY.
Apropos the numerology, I found what it said for my number (7) at the start of the book (before the prologue) completely accurate. Usually sevens are described a bit differently and I don't always relate to what I read, but this was IT.
And the ending...yes. But the betrayal...but YES...I'm so excited for what comes next, you have no idea. FEBRUARY, HURRY UP.
*Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I knew I'd love this, which is why I requested it in the first place, but I was absolutely not ready for this book to steal my heart and make its way into my ultimate faves.
The pace of the book is pretty fast, I'd say it gets faster and faster as you go on. It's the "slowest" at the start when Natasha is whisked away to Gray Wolf Academy, and while she's learning how things work in that world, but when it gets to the training and actual time travel so many exciting things are going on, making it extremely hard to stop reading.
I loved just about everything in this book, except Braxton, but we'll get to him later. The art, the intrigue, the characters, the setting(s) and the whole vibe were perfect.
Natasha immediately grabbed my attention, she's my favourite character along with Killian and Jago. She's down on her luck, but is a fighter at the core and I loved seeing her come to those realisations on her own.
I was so mad at the others when they were upset with her for not letting go of her past the second she got there, or that she wasn't trying hard enough to improve when she'd only been there for two days at that point. LET MY GIRL BREATHE.
Fortunately, that all mellowed out. Or did it?
The romance with Braxton was a bit disappointing, not because it happened so fast (although that is also a factor), but because the two of them have no chemistry. And I never trusted him, not at the beginning, not in the middle and definitely not at the end.
She has more chemistry with Jago, although I would say that it's more of a friendly than romantic chemistry. Still, I was cheering for him to become a love interest until Killian stepped into the scene.
KILLIAN! I don't care if he has some huge secret too, he could have a billion of them and I'd love him anyway. He and Natasha have the best chemistry, and if they don't end up together I will riot.
PLEASE LET THIS BE ONE OF THOSE RARE FEW BOOK SERIES WHERE A HEROINE CHOOSES THE BLONDE GUY OVER THE DARK HAIRED ONE, I'M BEGGING, I'M ON MY KNEES. PLEASE.
Okay, moving on (but not really, this book has me in its clutches now, and it'll never let go) to the most exciting part, TIME TRAVEL. It's one of my favourite things and reading about it in Stealing Infinity was such a delight.
There's a really unique concept, and the reader gets clues as to how it works while Natasha is learning about it herself. And we get to experience the frustration of not knowing all the answers when the others refuse to talk about it with her, I love it.
Also, numerology, astrology, even tarot cards are tied in and HOW MANY MORE TIMES DO I NEED TO SAY I LOVE IT IN ORDER FOR YOU TO READ THIS BOOK??? HOPEFULLY NOT TOO MANY.
Apropos the numerology, I found what it said for my number (7) at the start of the book (before the prologue) completely accurate. Usually sevens are described a bit differently and I don't always relate to what I read, but this was IT.
And the ending...yes. But the betrayal...but YES...I'm so excited for what comes next, you have no idea. FEBRUARY, HURRY UP.
*Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
June 20, 2022
Review coming soon.
July 27, 2022
Well i guess after a series of amazing books this was bound to happen. This was simply disappointing and i just want for every character 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐀 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲. 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲. 𝐃𝐢𝐞. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐝. I might be petty here but it's well deserved.
August 20, 2023
This was the best kind of soapy, entertaining trash. Is it incredibly well-written? No. Does it all make sense? Definitely not. Is the main character kind of an idiot who can't see past a cute boy? For sure. But man if it wasn't a page turner that kept me hooked! The Da Vinci Code meets Riverdale is a fairly accurate description. Lot's of messy teen drama combined with a secretive school involving time travel and questionable morality. I do appreciate the queer-norm approach to side characters and attempts at diversity, though I'm not sure it was always perfectly handled.
In general I don't condone Natasha's choices, but I had a good time being along for the ride. Four very soapy stars for keeping me entertained.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
In general I don't condone Natasha's choices, but I had a good time being along for the ride. Four very soapy stars for keeping me entertained.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
June 21, 2023
Kunst, Revierkämpfe und Geheimnisse - und nebenbei ein paar Zeitreisen
Eigentlich vertraut Außenseiterin Natasha ihrer neuen Freundin Elodie nicht wirklich, lässt sich dann aber doch sehr leicht überreden, die Schule zu schwänzen, um einen mysteriösen Club zu besuchen. Doch der Club ist anders als erwartet und plötzlich wird Natasha ein Diebstahl vorgeworfen und sie fliegt von der Schule. Und die Gray Wolf Academy ist mehr als bereit, Natasha aufzunehmen.
Die Vorwürfe stellen Natashas Leben auf den Kopf, denn sie muss nicht nur ihre Mutter und ihren besten Freund zurücklassen, auch ihre seltsamen Visionen kehren zurück. An der Gray Wolf Academy geht etwas vor sich, angefangen damit, dass Elodie auch dort ist und auch etwas mit dem erzwungenen Schulwechsel zu tun hatte. Die Unterrichtsfächer sind eher ungewöhnlich und Natasha bemerkt auch schnell, wie sehr ihr ihre Fähigkeiten im Rätsellösen und ihre Kenntnisse über Kunst und Numerologie helfen.
Natashas Erinnerungen an ihren Vater und ihr umfangreiches Wissen werden so oft erwähnt, doch trotzdem schafft man es nicht, daraus neue Schlüsse zu ziehen. Die Zeitreisen klingen so vielversprechend, aber dafür, dass sie eins der wichtigsten Elemente des Buches sein sollten, sind es nur sehr wenige. Dafür ist aber Elodie der heimliche Star des Buches: Sie ist die selbsternannte Königin der Gray Wolf Academy und schreckt angetrieben von Eifersucht und dem Wunsch nach mehr Aufmerksamkeit nicht vor vielseitigen Manipulationen zurück. Ihre Taten stellen sie immer wieder in den Mittelpunkt und auch in Natashas Gedanken ist sie allgegenwärtig.
Obwohl das Buch schon viele Seiten hat, hatte ich das Gefühl, das letztendlich nur sehr wenig passiert ist. Ich bin schon etwas enttäuscht, weil ich einfach mehr erwartet hätte. Die Zeitreisen kommen eher kurz, es gibt viele Wiederholungen und kaum Fortschritte. Auch sonst werden kaum Fragen beantwortet, es gibt nur sehr viele Geheimnisse, Pläne, komplizierte Beziehungen - und jede Menge Kunstwerke.
Eigentlich vertraut Außenseiterin Natasha ihrer neuen Freundin Elodie nicht wirklich, lässt sich dann aber doch sehr leicht überreden, die Schule zu schwänzen, um einen mysteriösen Club zu besuchen. Doch der Club ist anders als erwartet und plötzlich wird Natasha ein Diebstahl vorgeworfen und sie fliegt von der Schule. Und die Gray Wolf Academy ist mehr als bereit, Natasha aufzunehmen.
Die Vorwürfe stellen Natashas Leben auf den Kopf, denn sie muss nicht nur ihre Mutter und ihren besten Freund zurücklassen, auch ihre seltsamen Visionen kehren zurück. An der Gray Wolf Academy geht etwas vor sich, angefangen damit, dass Elodie auch dort ist und auch etwas mit dem erzwungenen Schulwechsel zu tun hatte. Die Unterrichtsfächer sind eher ungewöhnlich und Natasha bemerkt auch schnell, wie sehr ihr ihre Fähigkeiten im Rätsellösen und ihre Kenntnisse über Kunst und Numerologie helfen.
Natashas Erinnerungen an ihren Vater und ihr umfangreiches Wissen werden so oft erwähnt, doch trotzdem schafft man es nicht, daraus neue Schlüsse zu ziehen. Die Zeitreisen klingen so vielversprechend, aber dafür, dass sie eins der wichtigsten Elemente des Buches sein sollten, sind es nur sehr wenige. Dafür ist aber Elodie der heimliche Star des Buches: Sie ist die selbsternannte Königin der Gray Wolf Academy und schreckt angetrieben von Eifersucht und dem Wunsch nach mehr Aufmerksamkeit nicht vor vielseitigen Manipulationen zurück. Ihre Taten stellen sie immer wieder in den Mittelpunkt und auch in Natashas Gedanken ist sie allgegenwärtig.
Obwohl das Buch schon viele Seiten hat, hatte ich das Gefühl, das letztendlich nur sehr wenig passiert ist. Ich bin schon etwas enttäuscht, weil ich einfach mehr erwartet hätte. Die Zeitreisen kommen eher kurz, es gibt viele Wiederholungen und kaum Fortschritte. Auch sonst werden kaum Fragen beantwortet, es gibt nur sehr viele Geheimnisse, Pläne, komplizierte Beziehungen - und jede Menge Kunstwerke.
June 10, 2022
Stealing Infinity checked on quite a few pointers from my what-I-lookout-for-in-a-YA-book list (because it’s not a secret that I don’t enjoy YA anymore):
Gorgeous cover ✔️
Intriguing title ✔️
TIME-TRAVEL ✔️
An academy in the middle of nowhere unbeknownst to the world ✔️
Drool worthy descriptions of historical events and art ✔️
An author I had on my radar ✔️
So, basically, as soon as I saw the ARC was up for grabs, I requested for it and luckily was approved. Yay!
The story revolves around Nat, an eighteen year old who is forcibly brought to the Gray Wolf Academy (set up in a remote island harbouring a natural wormhole), run by the legendary, art collecting, tech trillionaire, Arthur Blackstone, who trains potential time travellers for an undisclosed agenda. As Nat settles down into the role of a full time tripper, she realises that Blackstone’s plans are far more sinister than she assumed. And in the middle of all of this, there are a few really hot guys, who do a fair job in distracting Nat from digging the mystery.
Being the opening book for the Stolen Beauty series, it didn’t quite live up to the first book in the series standards; opening books are usually the best books (aren’t they?), but this was far from being great. While the story boasts of some great modern YA fantasy elements, there’s nothing to tie those together. The peculiar academy of trippers makes up for a sturdy skeleton, but the one-dimensional character building fails to add flesh to it. However, I did enjoy the suspense, the art references, and of course, the thrill of time travelling.
Go for it if time travelling and mysterious academies make you ecstatic!
Thanks to Entagled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 28th, 2022.
3/5🌟.
TW: Graphic details of a rape scene, loss of a parent, and grief.
Gorgeous cover ✔️
Intriguing title ✔️
TIME-TRAVEL ✔️
An academy in the middle of nowhere unbeknownst to the world ✔️
Drool worthy descriptions of historical events and art ✔️
An author I had on my radar ✔️
So, basically, as soon as I saw the ARC was up for grabs, I requested for it and luckily was approved. Yay!
The story revolves around Nat, an eighteen year old who is forcibly brought to the Gray Wolf Academy (set up in a remote island harbouring a natural wormhole), run by the legendary, art collecting, tech trillionaire, Arthur Blackstone, who trains potential time travellers for an undisclosed agenda. As Nat settles down into the role of a full time tripper, she realises that Blackstone’s plans are far more sinister than she assumed. And in the middle of all of this, there are a few really hot guys, who do a fair job in distracting Nat from digging the mystery.
Being the opening book for the Stolen Beauty series, it didn’t quite live up to the first book in the series standards; opening books are usually the best books (aren’t they?), but this was far from being great. While the story boasts of some great modern YA fantasy elements, there’s nothing to tie those together. The peculiar academy of trippers makes up for a sturdy skeleton, but the one-dimensional character building fails to add flesh to it. However, I did enjoy the suspense, the art references, and of course, the thrill of time travelling.
Go for it if time travelling and mysterious academies make you ecstatic!
Thanks to Entagled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 28th, 2022.
3/5🌟.
TW: Graphic details of a rape scene, loss of a parent, and grief.
April 17, 2023
Anfangs war ich wirklich mehr als verwirrt, aber dran bleiben hat sich absolut gelohnt, denn ab einem gewissen Punkt hat mir das Buch unheimlich gut gefallen und viel Spaß gemacht. Die Grundidee und das Setting fand ich grandios und ich hab die durchweg sehr geheimnisvolle Atmosphäre geliebt. Besonders die zweite Hälfte war unglaublich spannend und ich kann Band Zwei nun kaum abwarten.
March 23, 2022
STEALING INFINITY is a mysterious and intriguing YA fantasy. Natasha's life was forever altered when her father disappeared, and she has barely been holding her head above water with trying to help her mother pay the bills and live her life the way she wants. When her glamorous friend Elodie convinces her to skip school to go to an exclusive club, she agrees - but everything from there changes her life forever.
Convicted of a crime she did not knowingly commit, Natasha feels backed into a corner - a corner that takes the shape of a secretive private school, Gray Wolf Academy, where everyone and everything is a lie. She finds herself without many friends and with more enemies than she would care to have. Braxton, the boy who helped with her recruitment, is someone she feels like could be someone she trusts - but it's clear he is keeping secrets too. As she becomes more entrenched into Gray Wolf, Natasha will have to decide how she is willing to move forward and the terrible things she is willing to do and endure to keep her place there.
What I loved: This was such an atmospheric and intriguing read. The story moves quickly with a plot that keeps the reader guessing and anticipating what could be next. It is easy to become enchanted by the school and mysterious people there, many of whom are full of lies, understanding why Natasha feels and acts the way she does, while also understanding why it is problematic. There are some cult-like elements to the school with the forced separation from past lives, levels of achievement for which different privileges are given, and inner circle/hazing rituals that ensure the inability of the person to want to leave. This journey was particularly fascinating as Natasha evolves during her stay at the Academy.
There are several themes around family, grief/loss, friendship, romance, memory, time, secrets, and morality that added to the intrigue of the story and gave the reader some deeper topics to consider. Family is a particularly challenging one, as Natasha has locked away her father in her grief and has also come to terms with her origin and her relationship with her mother that was broken after the loss with her father and again when she left for the Academy. Memory is a particularly slippery concept in this book, as others frequently lie, hypnosis is used as a tool to alter perspectives, and Natasha experiences what she calls Unraveling in witnessing the memory of something more vague.
The temperamental nature and sensitivity of time adds a sci-fi element to the story, which begins with the riveting prologue. The morality of everything is a fine balance that is frequently re-evaluated over time, as Natasha begins to reconsider some thing that she previously saw as more black-and-white. This was a theme that seems as though it will continue to develop in later books - the good and bad guys seems to change throughout the story and the reader is left wondering where the cards will fall as we learn more.
Natasha is a compelling character, who is ultimately trying to find her own place in the world, while protecting herself and her heart from disappointment. Her effort is expended towards these goals and leads to the situations and predicaments in which she finds herself as well as the ways in which she moves through them. While not all of her actions will be likable, they all seemed understandable in her own context. She is still evolving and growing as a character, and her growth will likely continue along with her knowledge and experience in later books.
Final verdict: STEALING INFINITY is a highly compelling and riveting YA fantasy read that will leave readers reeling and eagerly awaiting the next installment. Highly recommend for fans of CRAVE, IT ENDS IN FIRE, and VAMPIRE ACADEMY.
Please note that I received an eARC. All opinions are my own.
Convicted of a crime she did not knowingly commit, Natasha feels backed into a corner - a corner that takes the shape of a secretive private school, Gray Wolf Academy, where everyone and everything is a lie. She finds herself without many friends and with more enemies than she would care to have. Braxton, the boy who helped with her recruitment, is someone she feels like could be someone she trusts - but it's clear he is keeping secrets too. As she becomes more entrenched into Gray Wolf, Natasha will have to decide how she is willing to move forward and the terrible things she is willing to do and endure to keep her place there.
What I loved: This was such an atmospheric and intriguing read. The story moves quickly with a plot that keeps the reader guessing and anticipating what could be next. It is easy to become enchanted by the school and mysterious people there, many of whom are full of lies, understanding why Natasha feels and acts the way she does, while also understanding why it is problematic. There are some cult-like elements to the school with the forced separation from past lives, levels of achievement for which different privileges are given, and inner circle/hazing rituals that ensure the inability of the person to want to leave. This journey was particularly fascinating as Natasha evolves during her stay at the Academy.
There are several themes around family, grief/loss, friendship, romance, memory, time, secrets, and morality that added to the intrigue of the story and gave the reader some deeper topics to consider. Family is a particularly challenging one, as Natasha has locked away her father in her grief and has also come to terms with her origin and her relationship with her mother that was broken after the loss with her father and again when she left for the Academy. Memory is a particularly slippery concept in this book, as others frequently lie, hypnosis is used as a tool to alter perspectives, and Natasha experiences what she calls Unraveling in witnessing the memory of something more vague.
The temperamental nature and sensitivity of time adds a sci-fi element to the story, which begins with the riveting prologue. The morality of everything is a fine balance that is frequently re-evaluated over time, as Natasha begins to reconsider some thing that she previously saw as more black-and-white. This was a theme that seems as though it will continue to develop in later books - the good and bad guys seems to change throughout the story and the reader is left wondering where the cards will fall as we learn more.
Natasha is a compelling character, who is ultimately trying to find her own place in the world, while protecting herself and her heart from disappointment. Her effort is expended towards these goals and leads to the situations and predicaments in which she finds herself as well as the ways in which she moves through them. While not all of her actions will be likable, they all seemed understandable in her own context. She is still evolving and growing as a character, and her growth will likely continue along with her knowledge and experience in later books.
Final verdict: STEALING INFINITY is a highly compelling and riveting YA fantasy read that will leave readers reeling and eagerly awaiting the next installment. Highly recommend for fans of CRAVE, IT ENDS IN FIRE, and VAMPIRE ACADEMY.
Please note that I received an eARC. All opinions are my own.
July 7, 2023
Αγαπημένη συγγραφέας!
Πολύ εξυπνη ιστορία και εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσα. Λατρεύω τα ταξίδια στον χρόνο και είναι κάτι που λείπει από την λογοτεχνία. Όταν συνδυάζεται και με Ακαδημία, ακόμα καλύτερα 😍
Ανυπομονώ για το επόμενο!
Πολύ εξυπνη ιστορία και εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσα. Λατρεύω τα ταξίδια στον χρόνο και είναι κάτι που λείπει από την λογοτεχνία. Όταν συνδυάζεται και με Ακαδημία, ακόμα καλύτερα 😍
Ανυπομονώ για το επόμενο!
May 19, 2022
"We are always writing our own stories - all day, every day. It's the ones you choose to play on repeat that determine your destiny. You alone are the alchemist of the reality you create."
My mind is REELING after finishing this book. Alyson Noel has seriously raised the bar. This had history combined with freaking magick and time-travel in one YA story. With the Tripping and the Fade, the exploration of the space-time continuum and masquerade balls at Versailles in 1745, as well as lessons with Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, the history buff in me was celebrating.
As someone who also has an inordinate amount of love of quotes, I found myself constantly highlighting the daily motivational reminders and famous historical quotes scattered throughout the story.
When you can't go back, the only choice left is to move forward.
Plot:
Natasha finds her life turned upside down when she's framed for a crime she didn't commit and shipped off to Gray Wolf Academy, the brain-child of tech trillionaire Arthur Blackstone. Located on a remote island, Gray Wolf itself seems encapsulated in its own world, a mind-bending combination of priceless historical treasures and cutting-edge technology where normal rules don't apply. Secrets abound and I found myself wondering who you really can trust.
Characters:
❦ I liked Natasha Antoinette Clark from the start. She's pretty and smart but uses neither to her advantage since her life is solely focused on her failing home situation since her dad left and her mom relies on her emotionally for dependency. The character development that takes place is amazing as she goes from the confused and understandably terrified girl in a new world to one who's strong and determined to uncover the secrets surrounding her. Arthur challenges her views of the world and her morals but I found myself appreciating the fair way that the author portrayed Natasha's perspective. What was right wasn't so clear and what was wrong wasn't so black and white and Natasha used her own reasoning to justify Arthur's operation.
The girl I was then lacked the courage to even try to shape her own destiny... choosing instead to believe the lie she told herself, that she didn't have the luxury of deciding her fate.
I like this new version of me. I'm stronger. Smarter. Being at Gray Wolf has sparked a flame inside me that's incinerated my apathy and replaced it such with a burning desire to ascend and succeed that I sometimes find it frightening.
❦ I wasn't sure what to think about Braxton at first. First glance makes him seem like the typically dreamy and posh Gray Wolf representative but as time goes on, it becomes less clear what his history and motivations are, while the secrets that he holds so close made me trust him a little less by the end.
❦ Arthur Blackstone gave me the villainous-rule-the-world feeling in the beginning but his motivations also seem shrouded in secrecy. He's a collector of beauty with a passion for history that supersedes any normal person but his genius can't be denied.
Dark and glinting, his gaze reminds me of something I learned about obsidian...
"It's not a stone for amateurs... It's powerful, merciless, allows nothing to remain hidden. It explodes the truth right into the open and can prove overwhelming to a beginning."
❦ Elodie is a different story and her character had me narrowing my eyes in suspicion every time I saw her. Friend or foe, she's a part of Natasha's life and an important part of Gray Wolf Academy. Whether she'll be the one to doom or save Natasha remains unknown but Elodie's challenge to her former friend is clear.
❦ Killian was introduced late in the story but I can't wait to see more of him in the next book. I'm hoping the checkered history between him and Braxton will be revealed and I get the feeling that maybe... just maybe this story will turn into a love triangle.
❦ Lastly, I need to find out what happened to Song. I've got my fingers crossed that the second book will see her return.
While the story might have seemed slow at different points, the complex layering of the plot and the rich setting provided enough information to keep things moving forward at a good pace. This earned an exceptional 4.5 stars and I can't wait for the next book!
Potential Triggers:
Special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating System:
★☆☆☆☆-This is me wishing I could give zero stars
★ ★☆☆☆-Wasn't terrible but won't re-read
★ ★ ★☆☆-It was ok, could be better
★ ★ ★ ★☆-I really enjoyed it, will probably re-read
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ -This was amazing and I've adopted it as one of my favorites
💫 Ratings are subject to change. I will sometimes go back and adjust a book's rating upon further consideration.
August 9, 2023
4⭐️
Now I’m not normally a sci-fi/time-travel reader because it usually bores me to death… but the cover itself made me pick this one up at the library. Then came the promise of a secretive school, a budding romance and the promise of rare artifacts. I HAD to read it at this point… and it didn’t disappoint me!
Once I got it home and looked up the reviews I was a little disappointed that so many people stated it was too over the top for numerology and how it had too much fact dumping in it. But then I breezed through the first 100 pages and was hooked. Honestly, there’s not a bunch of numerology and fact dumping and I was shocked to hear people say that. It’s not like a text book- the author was just giving info on the pieces and it didn’t take away from the story at all for me.
I really enjoyed this book and loved how it left on a cliffhanger - so much that I immediately got the next book. Natasha was a great MC and I loved her relationship with Braxton and all the drama with Elodie. But all these secrets that are just barely exposed but keep you wondering kept me enraptured by this tale. I cannot wait to see how it all connects.
Easily a 4-star read that I would recommend to YA, Fantasy and Sci-Fi readers. It seems this book is severely underrated and doesn’t get the hype it deserves!
Now I’m not normally a sci-fi/time-travel reader because it usually bores me to death… but the cover itself made me pick this one up at the library. Then came the promise of a secretive school, a budding romance and the promise of rare artifacts. I HAD to read it at this point… and it didn’t disappoint me!
Once I got it home and looked up the reviews I was a little disappointed that so many people stated it was too over the top for numerology and how it had too much fact dumping in it. But then I breezed through the first 100 pages and was hooked. Honestly, there’s not a bunch of numerology and fact dumping and I was shocked to hear people say that. It’s not like a text book- the author was just giving info on the pieces and it didn’t take away from the story at all for me.
I really enjoyed this book and loved how it left on a cliffhanger - so much that I immediately got the next book. Natasha was a great MC and I loved her relationship with Braxton and all the drama with Elodie. But all these secrets that are just barely exposed but keep you wondering kept me enraptured by this tale. I cannot wait to see how it all connects.
Easily a 4-star read that I would recommend to YA, Fantasy and Sci-Fi readers. It seems this book is severely underrated and doesn’t get the hype it deserves!
July 4, 2022
This was not the worst debut I have ever read, but it wasn't that great either. The book follows Nat, as she is forced to attend Grey Wolf Academy, a school that trains time travellers to steal relics from the past. The overall concept was interesting, but the story was more focused on teenage drama than the actual time travel, the reason I wanted to read this book. I didn't really care about the characters, they were very one dimensional with little to none character growth. The mystery portion left something to be desired; everyone kept secrets from Nat but I wasn't that invested in the story to be interested about that. The jury is still out on whether I will be reading the next installment or not.
I received this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC!
I received this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC!
May 11, 2023
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
What is cooler than a book about time travel? How about a book with a boarding school where the students get trained to become time traveling thieves!
Stealing Infinity is the first book I‘ve read by Alyson Noël, and it did not disappoint. I was immediately intrigued by the premise and concept, and the whole setting felt so unique and original in its execution.
After being framed for a crime, she didn‘t commit, the protagonist Natasha has two choices: face the consequences, or leave the life as she knew it behind and join Grey Wolf Academy. What she doesn‘t know is that instead of Maths and P.E., she will attend classes of history, French, fencing and more. And soon, she discoveres not only are all the famous artworks displayed in the halls of the academy no forges but the originals, but that they were stolen from other students in other time periods. Natasha is to become a time traveling thief as well, and while the idea excites and frightens her, there‘s more to her powers, more to her history and more to the academy than she thinks. And I mean … isn‘t time travel already a lot?
Honestly, I don‘t know how Natasha wasn‘t screaming and running once she kept finding out all these things. I definitely would have. But I guess this is why we keep to the books where protagonists actually face the dangers of their world, while we get to cozy up neatly in our reading spot. This way, I was definitely able to enjoy the world that Alyson Noël created. The concept of time travel was fascinating. I loved to see how the students‘ lives were upheaved in order to help them gain the capability to adjust to any time period they will be visiting. The fact that they need to learn certain languages, know their table manners, and how to behave when they find themselves in a different century. It was thrilling to see Natasha discovering that world, and to join her during her first trip into the past.
Reading Stealing Infinity, I truly enjoyed the story, setting and premise. The school itself was fascinating, the time travels were exciting, and the characters are of that kind where you find yourself questioning their loyality alongside Natasha. (My verdict is that not a single one of them is trustworthy, and isn‘t that the thrill of it?)
However, as much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few aspects that didn‘t wholly work for me. For example, I would have wished to see the nature of the classes more. Since a tiny time jump happens in the plot, we don‘t really see much of Natasha struggling to attain the skills she needs in order to become a time traveling thief before she is being sent off to her first mission. It would have been great to see more of her start at the academy, her experience with fencing or French before she is ready. Another aspect I wished would have taken more time in developing is the romance. While there has been chemistry between the characters from the very beginning, their relationship kicked off pretty quickly. And once again, none of those characters seem trustworthy to me with the exception of one that enters the picture way later, and is promising to bring in chaos in the sequel.
Still, while some aspects could have been fleshed out more, I do think this book is a great start to a series, and I am very curious to see where all the events toward the end of the book will lead us into the sequel. As I mentioned, there‘s one character (that I am very into, hehe) promising some chaos - in more than just one way. And then there‘s so many more secrets that Natasha needs to discover. Ones that are being hidden at the academy, and ones from her very own past.
Overall, Stealing Infinity is an intriguing start of a promising series that has an unique concept, thrilling plot, lots of twists, and interesting characters! I can highly recommend it to fans of books such as the Crave series or those who enjoy a good story set at a magical boarding school with secrets and a cast of intriguing characters.
What is cooler than a book about time travel? How about a book with a boarding school where the students get trained to become time traveling thieves!
Stealing Infinity is the first book I‘ve read by Alyson Noël, and it did not disappoint. I was immediately intrigued by the premise and concept, and the whole setting felt so unique and original in its execution.
After being framed for a crime, she didn‘t commit, the protagonist Natasha has two choices: face the consequences, or leave the life as she knew it behind and join Grey Wolf Academy. What she doesn‘t know is that instead of Maths and P.E., she will attend classes of history, French, fencing and more. And soon, she discoveres not only are all the famous artworks displayed in the halls of the academy no forges but the originals, but that they were stolen from other students in other time periods. Natasha is to become a time traveling thief as well, and while the idea excites and frightens her, there‘s more to her powers, more to her history and more to the academy than she thinks. And I mean … isn‘t time travel already a lot?
Honestly, I don‘t know how Natasha wasn‘t screaming and running once she kept finding out all these things. I definitely would have. But I guess this is why we keep to the books where protagonists actually face the dangers of their world, while we get to cozy up neatly in our reading spot. This way, I was definitely able to enjoy the world that Alyson Noël created. The concept of time travel was fascinating. I loved to see how the students‘ lives were upheaved in order to help them gain the capability to adjust to any time period they will be visiting. The fact that they need to learn certain languages, know their table manners, and how to behave when they find themselves in a different century. It was thrilling to see Natasha discovering that world, and to join her during her first trip into the past.
Reading Stealing Infinity, I truly enjoyed the story, setting and premise. The school itself was fascinating, the time travels were exciting, and the characters are of that kind where you find yourself questioning their loyality alongside Natasha. (My verdict is that not a single one of them is trustworthy, and isn‘t that the thrill of it?)
However, as much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few aspects that didn‘t wholly work for me. For example, I would have wished to see the nature of the classes more. Since a tiny time jump happens in the plot, we don‘t really see much of Natasha struggling to attain the skills she needs in order to become a time traveling thief before she is being sent off to her first mission. It would have been great to see more of her start at the academy, her experience with fencing or French before she is ready. Another aspect I wished would have taken more time in developing is the romance. While there has been chemistry between the characters from the very beginning, their relationship kicked off pretty quickly. And once again, none of those characters seem trustworthy to me with the exception of one that enters the picture way later, and is promising to bring in chaos in the sequel.
Still, while some aspects could have been fleshed out more, I do think this book is a great start to a series, and I am very curious to see where all the events toward the end of the book will lead us into the sequel. As I mentioned, there‘s one character (that I am very into, hehe) promising some chaos - in more than just one way. And then there‘s so many more secrets that Natasha needs to discover. Ones that are being hidden at the academy, and ones from her very own past.
Overall, Stealing Infinity is an intriguing start of a promising series that has an unique concept, thrilling plot, lots of twists, and interesting characters! I can highly recommend it to fans of books such as the Crave series or those who enjoy a good story set at a magical boarding school with secrets and a cast of intriguing characters.
April 13, 2023
Zeitreisen und ein Dark Academia Setting - mein Interesse an dem Buch war sofort geweckt. Und noch dazu dieses wunderschöne Cover mit Farbschnitt, wie kann man da noch nein sagen.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir dann allerdings nicht sonderlich leicht gefallen. Ich war super verwirrt und konnte die ganze Geschichte noch nicht richtig greifen. Ich muss sagen, dass mir anfangs der Schreibstil nicht ganz zugesagt hat. Irgendwie konnte ich nicht richtig in die Geschichte eintauchen. Die Erzählweise war für mich hier nicht ganz rund. Ich hätte mir hier mehr Beschreibungen gewünscht. Und auch die Protagonistin Natasha konnte ich anfangs nicht ganz greifen. Trotzdem hat mich schon von Anfang an die Thematik des Buches neugierig gemacht und es lag schon von Beginn eine gewisse Spannung in der Luft, sodass ich trotz meiner Schwierigkeiten total Lust hatte weiterzulesen und mehr über die ganze Welt zu erfahren. Ab der Hälfte des Buches wurde dann eine richtige Sogwirkung entfacht und die ganze Geschichte hat richtig Fahrt aufgenommen. Die anfänglichen Schwierigkeiten waren verflogen und ich konnte wirklich gar nicht mehr genug von dem Buch bekommen. Ich hätte mir aber trotzdem ein wenig mehr Tiefe bei den Charakteren gewünscht, auch wenn mir Natasha gegen Ende immer sympathischer wurde.
Insgesamt wirklich ein toller Fantasy-Auftakt! Ich mich zwar erst mit dem Buch anfreunden müssen, aber die zweite Hälfte hat mich wirklich überzeugt und lässt mich ungeduldig auf Band 2 warten. Auch gerade die ganze Thematik rund um das Zeitreisen kombiniert mit den Themen der Numerologie/ Astrologie/ Tarot fand ich super spannend ✨ Ich kann das Buch definitiv allen empfehlen, die Lust auf eine düstere Version von „Rubinrot“ haben mit jeder Menge Geheimnissen und Intrigen ❤️
(4,5 ⭐️)
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir dann allerdings nicht sonderlich leicht gefallen. Ich war super verwirrt und konnte die ganze Geschichte noch nicht richtig greifen. Ich muss sagen, dass mir anfangs der Schreibstil nicht ganz zugesagt hat. Irgendwie konnte ich nicht richtig in die Geschichte eintauchen. Die Erzählweise war für mich hier nicht ganz rund. Ich hätte mir hier mehr Beschreibungen gewünscht. Und auch die Protagonistin Natasha konnte ich anfangs nicht ganz greifen. Trotzdem hat mich schon von Anfang an die Thematik des Buches neugierig gemacht und es lag schon von Beginn eine gewisse Spannung in der Luft, sodass ich trotz meiner Schwierigkeiten total Lust hatte weiterzulesen und mehr über die ganze Welt zu erfahren. Ab der Hälfte des Buches wurde dann eine richtige Sogwirkung entfacht und die ganze Geschichte hat richtig Fahrt aufgenommen. Die anfänglichen Schwierigkeiten waren verflogen und ich konnte wirklich gar nicht mehr genug von dem Buch bekommen. Ich hätte mir aber trotzdem ein wenig mehr Tiefe bei den Charakteren gewünscht, auch wenn mir Natasha gegen Ende immer sympathischer wurde.
Insgesamt wirklich ein toller Fantasy-Auftakt! Ich mich zwar erst mit dem Buch anfreunden müssen, aber die zweite Hälfte hat mich wirklich überzeugt und lässt mich ungeduldig auf Band 2 warten. Auch gerade die ganze Thematik rund um das Zeitreisen kombiniert mit den Themen der Numerologie/ Astrologie/ Tarot fand ich super spannend ✨ Ich kann das Buch definitiv allen empfehlen, die Lust auf eine düstere Version von „Rubinrot“ haben mit jeder Menge Geheimnissen und Intrigen ❤️
(4,5 ⭐️)
July 1, 2022
Quick Summary: Dark and disturbing. Utterly enthralling!
My Review: Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel was an interesting mix of sci-fi, mystery, dark secrets, deception, time travel, temporal loops, theft, history, romance, and crazy betrayals.
The Storyline: As a reader, I found SI to be both confusing and captivating. In truth, it was one big question mark. Just as soon as one question was answered, then two more questions would come. Conflict abounded through the entirety of the book. Whispers of truth were dangled and shadows of an underlying darkness were teased on an ongoing basis. It was challenging to see a clear picture of what was really going on.
The Setting: Gray Wolf Academy was not what it appeared to be. It was not a school or a home away from home. Secrecy was paramount there. It came across like a portal to hell on earth. (It reminded me of the Hellmouth from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
The Characters: The SI cast was diverse. They were also strangely purposed. Each character had a specific role to play.
Archetypes:
The Heroine: Natasha - > lead character with a history of abandonment and brokenness; has a weird ability that she doesn't fully understand; flashback images of father who, like her had an ability
The Love Interest: Braxton - > male lead who is drawn to heroine, even before he met her; has secrets and a dark side that is alluded to but not fully explained
The Bad Boy: Killian - > secondary male lead; possible love interest; traveler who presents himself as a bringer of darkness and light (there is more to him than meets the eye)
The Leader: Arthur - > Crazy trillionaire who seemingly kidnaps and brings this band of orphans together to commit crimes in time; he appears to be a psychopath
The Best Friend: Mason - > The heroine's faithful sidekick...until he wasn't???
The Enemy: Elodie - > This female is creepy. She's one of the darkest characters in the story, in my opinion. The contrast we get to see between her GWA presentation and her real world/school presentation is notably different. She doesn't come across as stable. At. All.
The Fellow Cast: Hmm... Many have definitely mastered the art of backstabbing. (Who can you trust, if not your friends???)
Most Memorable Line: "Turning something ugly into something beautiful." (Throughout the story, this line rings true, as it relates to Natasha. She encounters so much ugliness in her life, but she gets to the point where she understands that she gets to determine what is beautiful in each instance.)
My Final Say: This unique story was a fast-paced tale that revolved around an assembly of peculiar characters. It has great potential. Book 1 certainly gave this reader much to think about. Hopefully, book 2 will bring further clarity.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: T to A
Warning: Sexual violence (attempted rape)
Series: Yes
Thanks is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review.
My Review: Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel was an interesting mix of sci-fi, mystery, dark secrets, deception, time travel, temporal loops, theft, history, romance, and crazy betrayals.
The Storyline: As a reader, I found SI to be both confusing and captivating. In truth, it was one big question mark. Just as soon as one question was answered, then two more questions would come. Conflict abounded through the entirety of the book. Whispers of truth were dangled and shadows of an underlying darkness were teased on an ongoing basis. It was challenging to see a clear picture of what was really going on.
The Setting: Gray Wolf Academy was not what it appeared to be. It was not a school or a home away from home. Secrecy was paramount there. It came across like a portal to hell on earth. (It reminded me of the Hellmouth from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
The Characters: The SI cast was diverse. They were also strangely purposed. Each character had a specific role to play.
Archetypes:
The Heroine: Natasha - > lead character with a history of abandonment and brokenness; has a weird ability that she doesn't fully understand; flashback images of father who, like her had an ability
The Love Interest: Braxton - > male lead who is drawn to heroine, even before he met her; has secrets and a dark side that is alluded to but not fully explained
The Bad Boy: Killian - > secondary male lead; possible love interest; traveler who presents himself as a bringer of darkness and light (there is more to him than meets the eye)
The Leader: Arthur - > Crazy trillionaire who seemingly kidnaps and brings this band of orphans together to commit crimes in time; he appears to be a psychopath
The Best Friend: Mason - > The heroine's faithful sidekick...until he wasn't???
The Enemy: Elodie - > This female is creepy. She's one of the darkest characters in the story, in my opinion. The contrast we get to see between her GWA presentation and her real world/school presentation is notably different. She doesn't come across as stable. At. All.
The Fellow Cast: Hmm... Many have definitely mastered the art of backstabbing. (Who can you trust, if not your friends???)
Most Memorable Line: "Turning something ugly into something beautiful." (Throughout the story, this line rings true, as it relates to Natasha. She encounters so much ugliness in her life, but she gets to the point where she understands that she gets to determine what is beautiful in each instance.)
My Final Say: This unique story was a fast-paced tale that revolved around an assembly of peculiar characters. It has great potential. Book 1 certainly gave this reader much to think about. Hopefully, book 2 will bring further clarity.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: T to A
Warning: Sexual violence (attempted rape)
Series: Yes
Thanks is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2022
A fun adventure with time travel (think 1700s), thievery, a secret island academy, the Antikythera Mechanism, magic, and futuristic technology. This is very much a young adult read with both sci-fi and fantasy elements.
WARNINGS: Attempted Rape (the main character is almost raped, but fights the attacker off), kidnapping, parental neglect
It’s the first in a series and while it doesn’t quite end on a cliffhanger, many questions are yet to be answered and many plotlines yet to come to a head. Nothing’s really resolved at the end. This book really wouldn’t work as a stand-alone.
The main character, Natasha, is likeable, intelligent, pragmatic, and a little bit morally grey. Between Natasha and some intriguing mysteries yet to be explained, I’m drawn in enough to want to read book 2 despite the lack of resolution at the end of book 1.
THE PREMISE:
Natasha’s just a (mostly) normal 17 year old. After her father left and never came back years ago, her mother basically checked out and gave up, they’ve been barely getting by, and Natasha basically stopped trying and let her grades plummet. Then, things get weird. Natasha gets framed for theft and extorted into attending a reclusive trillionaire’s mysterious Gray Wolf Academy on an island in the middle of nowhere.
Now, Natasha’s terrifying and seemingly random bouts of seeing through time that her father told her to always keep secret are back, she’s already made one enemy among her classmates, and the Grey Wolf Academy clearly teaches students things far more strange and dangerous than a typical high school curriculum, like sword-fighting, thievery, horseback riding, and the fundamentals of general relativity and space-time. The trillionaire running the school says he expects her to help complete his life’s ambition (no pressure or red flags there). Now, Natasha’s trying to rise up ranks at the academy, deal with a crush on the ever-secretive Braxton, and figure out what the academy is for and what the trillionaire head of the academy is really after.
It’s not all bad. In exchange for joining the academy, her mother is being financially taken care of. The part of her that loves fine art and aesthetics is in heaven with all the art, antiques, fancy clothes, and expensive decor at Gray Wolf Academy. One thing’s for sure, Natasha’s got her ambition and sense of adventure back, because apathy is a luxury she can’t afford at Grey Wolf and she’s starting to get the sense that there aren’t many ways to leave the academy and none of them are good. Failing is no longer an option.
THE WORLD:
It’s set in a part fantasy, part sci-fi world. On a reclusive tech trillionaire’s island, there are holograms and tons of technology that’s way ahead of the rest of the world. There’s also enchantments and time travel of a yet to be revealed and seemingly magical origin. Natasha seems to have the unique magical ability to see through time and glimpse things from other time periods. Although, she doesn’t have any control over it. There also seems to be some significance placed on numerology and tarot cards that I can only assume is supposed to be somehow mystically related to time, magic, fate, or Natasha’s abities.
THE CHARACTERS:
The main character, Natasha, can be a bit naive at times, but in a way that’s pretty realistic for her age. It’s not enough to really make her stupid (for her age) and she’s still fairly pragmatic, suspicious, and quick on her feet. She’s empathetic and likeable, but also pragmatic and a little bit morally gray. She’s not overly-forgiving, but she also bides her time for an opportunity for revenge instead of being a shortsighted hothead or tipping her hand prematurely. She lies when it’s smart to and she makes her fair share of mistakes. She’s not above being tempted or distracted. She doesn’t lose all perspective and spill all her secrets to the first guy she crushes on. She also doesn’t trust him completely. Natasha also undergoes growth, getting her ambition and sense of adventure back.
You don’t really get to the other characters very well yet, with the exception of Elodie, a classic antagonist that is impressive, pitiable, dangerous, diabolical, and never boring. Every character seems to be at least a bit morally grey, including Natasha. Most characters have a dark backstory for how they came to Greg Wolf Academy, like Natasha.
This book really keeps you guessing about who’s trustworthy and what hidden agendas and secrets everyone on the island has. Everyone seems to be hiding things.
THE ROMANCE:
There’s a bit of not exactly insta-love, but insta-attraction with the main love interest. However, it doesn’t completely overwhelm the main character’s good sense or, so I’m okay with it. (Although, I’m hoping for another love interest in Killian or a new character in book two cause I’m not liking Braxton and his whole mysterious, secretive, I-protect-people-by-keeping-them-in-dark-and-giving-vague-warnings, guy-with-a-dark-tortured-past-looking-for-redeption-by-getting-the-girl shtick. I thought it was weird and creepy that he )
THE PLOT & ENDING:
It’s a bit predictable at times, but not enough to spoil the major mysteries too much. There were definitely still surprises. The mysteries were interesting and kept my attention.
At times, I thought the pace was bogged down a bit by descriptions of clothes, picking out clothes, and fancy things. The main character had an interest in fashion/fancy things and sometimes these descriptions were relevant to the plot, so it made sense to include them. I’m not really interested in fashion or general fanciness, so I found those (usually brief) digressions a bit boring.
The only major problem with the plot was that it felt…. unfinished. No major plot arcs are resolved. No short-term plot arcs are resolved to give you closure while a long-term arc remains unfinished. You don’t even know what the main antagonist wants or is planning. Add to that a twist introduced at the end of the book that introduced a new plotline and created a mini cliffhanger.
All in all, this book wouldn’t be a complete story as a standalone.This makes it hard to judge the story on its own. It all depends on Book 2 in this series.
I received a free digital advanced reader copy via NetGalley. I am writing this review completely honestly and voluntarily.
WARNINGS: Attempted Rape (the main character is almost raped, but fights the attacker off), kidnapping, parental neglect
It’s the first in a series and while it doesn’t quite end on a cliffhanger, many questions are yet to be answered and many plotlines yet to come to a head. Nothing’s really resolved at the end. This book really wouldn’t work as a stand-alone.
The main character, Natasha, is likeable, intelligent, pragmatic, and a little bit morally grey. Between Natasha and some intriguing mysteries yet to be explained, I’m drawn in enough to want to read book 2 despite the lack of resolution at the end of book 1.
THE PREMISE:
Natasha’s just a (mostly) normal 17 year old. After her father left and never came back years ago, her mother basically checked out and gave up, they’ve been barely getting by, and Natasha basically stopped trying and let her grades plummet. Then, things get weird. Natasha gets framed for theft and extorted into attending a reclusive trillionaire’s mysterious Gray Wolf Academy on an island in the middle of nowhere.
Now, Natasha’s terrifying and seemingly random bouts of seeing through time that her father told her to always keep secret are back, she’s already made one enemy among her classmates, and the Grey Wolf Academy clearly teaches students things far more strange and dangerous than a typical high school curriculum, like sword-fighting, thievery, horseback riding, and the fundamentals of general relativity and space-time. The trillionaire running the school says he expects her to help complete his life’s ambition (no pressure or red flags there). Now, Natasha’s trying to rise up ranks at the academy, deal with a crush on the ever-secretive Braxton, and figure out what the academy is for and what the trillionaire head of the academy is really after.
It’s not all bad. In exchange for joining the academy, her mother is being financially taken care of. The part of her that loves fine art and aesthetics is in heaven with all the art, antiques, fancy clothes, and expensive decor at Gray Wolf Academy. One thing’s for sure, Natasha’s got her ambition and sense of adventure back, because apathy is a luxury she can’t afford at Grey Wolf and she’s starting to get the sense that there aren’t many ways to leave the academy and none of them are good. Failing is no longer an option.
THE WORLD:
It’s set in a part fantasy, part sci-fi world. On a reclusive tech trillionaire’s island, there are holograms and tons of technology that’s way ahead of the rest of the world. There’s also enchantments and time travel of a yet to be revealed and seemingly magical origin. Natasha seems to have the unique magical ability to see through time and glimpse things from other time periods. Although, she doesn’t have any control over it. There also seems to be some significance placed on numerology and tarot cards that I can only assume is supposed to be somehow mystically related to time, magic, fate, or Natasha’s abities.
THE CHARACTERS:
The main character, Natasha, can be a bit naive at times, but in a way that’s pretty realistic for her age. It’s not enough to really make her stupid (for her age) and she’s still fairly pragmatic, suspicious, and quick on her feet. She’s empathetic and likeable, but also pragmatic and a little bit morally gray. She’s not overly-forgiving, but she also bides her time for an opportunity for revenge instead of being a shortsighted hothead or tipping her hand prematurely. She lies when it’s smart to and she makes her fair share of mistakes. She’s not above being tempted or distracted. She doesn’t lose all perspective and spill all her secrets to the first guy she crushes on. She also doesn’t trust him completely. Natasha also undergoes growth, getting her ambition and sense of adventure back.
You don’t really get to the other characters very well yet, with the exception of Elodie, a classic antagonist that is impressive, pitiable, dangerous, diabolical, and never boring. Every character seems to be at least a bit morally grey, including Natasha. Most characters have a dark backstory for how they came to Greg Wolf Academy, like Natasha.
This book really keeps you guessing about who’s trustworthy and what hidden agendas and secrets everyone on the island has. Everyone seems to be hiding things.
THE ROMANCE:
There’s a bit of not exactly insta-love, but insta-attraction with the main love interest. However, it doesn’t completely overwhelm the main character’s good sense or, so I’m okay with it. (Although, I’m hoping for another love interest in Killian or a new character in book two cause I’m not liking Braxton and his whole mysterious, secretive, I-protect-people-by-keeping-them-in-dark-and-giving-vague-warnings, guy-with-a-dark-tortured-past-looking-for-redeption-by-getting-the-girl shtick. I thought it was weird and creepy that he )
THE PLOT & ENDING:
It’s a bit predictable at times, but not enough to spoil the major mysteries too much. There were definitely still surprises. The mysteries were interesting and kept my attention.
At times, I thought the pace was bogged down a bit by descriptions of clothes, picking out clothes, and fancy things. The main character had an interest in fashion/fancy things and sometimes these descriptions were relevant to the plot, so it made sense to include them. I’m not really interested in fashion or general fanciness, so I found those (usually brief) digressions a bit boring.
The only major problem with the plot was that it felt…. unfinished. No major plot arcs are resolved. No short-term plot arcs are resolved to give you closure while a long-term arc remains unfinished. You don’t even know what the main antagonist wants or is planning. Add to that a twist introduced at the end of the book that introduced a new plotline and created a mini cliffhanger.
All in all, this book wouldn’t be a complete story as a standalone.This makes it hard to judge the story on its own. It all depends on Book 2 in this series.
I received a free digital advanced reader copy via NetGalley. I am writing this review completely honestly and voluntarily.
June 12, 2023
arc copy provided in exchange for an honest review. this in no way changes my rating or review.
3.5 stars
this was definitely a really interesting read, i'm glad i gave it a try!!
the characters were interesting and well-developed, each seemed to have a unique personality (though i honestly couldn't decide whether i liked a single one of those personalities) and the storyline was fascinating. time-travel combined with heists combined with a deep underlying mystery about our MCs missing father... this book definitely kept me hooked.
i will say that sometimes i honestly had no idea what was happening, and i did want to scream at the main character a few times (i swear to god these characters were not as bright as we were supposed to believe). but crazily enough i actually didn't mind the almost-insta-love too much, which is revolutionary! i don't particularly ship them, but i don't hate the romance, which is a point in the author's favour.
definitely interested in seeing where this storyline goes... and while this book did have flaws (why did no-one question her father's sudden disappearance???) i truly enjoyed it.
thank you so much to the author, publisher and netgalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review!!
3.5 stars
this was definitely a really interesting read, i'm glad i gave it a try!!
the characters were interesting and well-developed, each seemed to have a unique personality (though i honestly couldn't decide whether i liked a single one of those personalities) and the storyline was fascinating. time-travel combined with heists combined with a deep underlying mystery about our MCs missing father... this book definitely kept me hooked.
i will say that sometimes i honestly had no idea what was happening, and i did want to scream at the main character a few times (i swear to god these characters were not as bright as we were supposed to believe). but crazily enough i actually didn't mind the almost-insta-love too much, which is revolutionary! i don't particularly ship them, but i don't hate the romance, which is a point in the author's favour.
definitely interested in seeing where this storyline goes... and while this book did have flaws (why did no-one question her father's sudden disappearance???) i truly enjoyed it.
thank you so much to the author, publisher and netgalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review!!
July 4, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
Oh, this was fun! I am a fan of stories involving time travel so I was really eager to give this book a try. I was hooked by this one right away and liked Natasha a lot. I was never quite sure who could be trusted and I just couldn’t seem to put the book down because I had to know what would happen next. This turned out to be an incredibly entertaining and exciting story.
Natasha is a high school student just doing the minimum amount necessary to get through her day. Ever since her father left, her mother doesn’t seem to care and has become an empty shell. When Natasha meets a new girl at school, she is drawn to her and eager to go along with any of her ideas. When she gets in trouble, she is whisked away to Gray Wolf Academy which is a totally different learning environment. She grows close to Braxton and a couple of other students as she works to try to fit in. Things ramp up as she learns about the real mission of the academy.
This book was so hard to put down. There were quite a few surprises worked into the story and I loved the fact anything could really happen at any time. I loved the way that time travel was worked into the story and I enjoyed the fact that there were a few puzzles to solve along the way. This book really had a little bit of all of the things that I hoped for and I am looking forward to reading more of this series just as soon as I can get my hands on it.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Entangled Teen.
Oh, this was fun! I am a fan of stories involving time travel so I was really eager to give this book a try. I was hooked by this one right away and liked Natasha a lot. I was never quite sure who could be trusted and I just couldn’t seem to put the book down because I had to know what would happen next. This turned out to be an incredibly entertaining and exciting story.
Natasha is a high school student just doing the minimum amount necessary to get through her day. Ever since her father left, her mother doesn’t seem to care and has become an empty shell. When Natasha meets a new girl at school, she is drawn to her and eager to go along with any of her ideas. When she gets in trouble, she is whisked away to Gray Wolf Academy which is a totally different learning environment. She grows close to Braxton and a couple of other students as she works to try to fit in. Things ramp up as she learns about the real mission of the academy.
This book was so hard to put down. There were quite a few surprises worked into the story and I loved the fact anything could really happen at any time. I loved the way that time travel was worked into the story and I enjoyed the fact that there were a few puzzles to solve along the way. This book really had a little bit of all of the things that I hoped for and I am looking forward to reading more of this series just as soon as I can get my hands on it.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Entangled Teen.
June 9, 2022
"It's a game of emotional archeology and I'm one trowel jab away from unearthing his truth."
This book had me loving and hating it which is why I ended up with a 3.5 star rating. But let's get into the specifics.
The first third of this book was straight fire. I was intrigued, I was interested, and I was plowing right through it. There's a bit of mystery to the plot which is part of what made it so intriguing. It was like Noel was giving me just enough answers to string me along even though a million others questions were simultaneously being created. I just loved it so much!
Then at about the halfway mark, I started to get bored. Things were happening but it didn't really feel like the plot was advancing? Or maybe the action just wasn't enough for me? I'm not sure, but either way, it took a lot of effort for me to keep reading. Things picked up more after this but I had already lost some interest so it was hard to get excited about it again.
Now onto the characters of the story. Natasha is our main character and, again, I liked her at the beginning and slowly grew to dislike her. At first, she was awesome! All these crazy and, sometimes, inexplicable things were happening to her and she had to look out for herself. I feel like so many times in similar books where the main character is in a similar situation, the main character has the attitude of 'fine, I'll go along with it but I'm not going to like it.' However, Natasha was different! She wasn't just going along with things because she felt like she didn't have a choice. She was actively trying to figure things out, wasn't trusting anyone, and was actually using her head. I loved it!
But, as I mentioned, my opinion of her started to go downhill the further into the story I got. She started to have a bit of a wishy-washy attitude toward things, especially Braxton, the love interest. I really hate that my good opinion of her soiled and never really recovered.
Overall, this was book was interesting and had a lot of unique aspects, it just didn't keep up a consistent pace or interest level for me.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This book had me loving and hating it which is why I ended up with a 3.5 star rating. But let's get into the specifics.
The first third of this book was straight fire. I was intrigued, I was interested, and I was plowing right through it. There's a bit of mystery to the plot which is part of what made it so intriguing. It was like Noel was giving me just enough answers to string me along even though a million others questions were simultaneously being created. I just loved it so much!
Then at about the halfway mark, I started to get bored. Things were happening but it didn't really feel like the plot was advancing? Or maybe the action just wasn't enough for me? I'm not sure, but either way, it took a lot of effort for me to keep reading. Things picked up more after this but I had already lost some interest so it was hard to get excited about it again.
Now onto the characters of the story. Natasha is our main character and, again, I liked her at the beginning and slowly grew to dislike her. At first, she was awesome! All these crazy and, sometimes, inexplicable things were happening to her and she had to look out for herself. I feel like so many times in similar books where the main character is in a similar situation, the main character has the attitude of 'fine, I'll go along with it but I'm not going to like it.' However, Natasha was different! She wasn't just going along with things because she felt like she didn't have a choice. She was actively trying to figure things out, wasn't trusting anyone, and was actually using her head. I loved it!
But, as I mentioned, my opinion of her started to go downhill the further into the story I got. She started to have a bit of a wishy-washy attitude toward things, especially Braxton, the love interest. I really hate that my good opinion of her soiled and never really recovered.
Overall, this was book was interesting and had a lot of unique aspects, it just didn't keep up a consistent pace or interest level for me.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Shelved as 'dnf'
May 6, 2022DNF @ 36%
I was intrigued by the time travel aspect of this book, but sadly not much else. It is EXTREMELY generic in every other aspect but the core of time travel, and at more than 1/3 of the way through barely anything had happened (and no time travel). The characters are all flat and bland, and almost everything about it just felt like a story I've read before. It's also a little too far on the juvenile side of YA for me. Everything happening was very shallow and high school-esque. Who cares what color your sweatshirt is?! The constant harping over the fact that she had to wear green and was the ONLY one wearing green because she was new drove me bonkers. It's a sweatshirt, for crying out loud. I also despised the start of the romance. They barely knew each other so it was too instalovey and cheesy for me, and not in a good way. They had no chemistry and the love interest has the personality of a wet rag?? How am I supposed to be interested in that? Every time Nat would think about the dude in a romantic way I rolled my eyes.
The pacing was awful too. There was a lot that could have been omitted in the beginning - I'm cool with slower pace if the character development and writing are phenomenal, but they were not in this book. At 36% time travel had JUST been introduced, with zero action, and we had yet to actually SEE said time travel. The time travel aspect was just not enough to keep me pushing through when I couldn't stand anything else about the book.
I was intrigued by the time travel aspect of this book, but sadly not much else. It is EXTREMELY generic in every other aspect but the core of time travel, and at more than 1/3 of the way through barely anything had happened (and no time travel). The characters are all flat and bland, and almost everything about it just felt like a story I've read before. It's also a little too far on the juvenile side of YA for me. Everything happening was very shallow and high school-esque. Who cares what color your sweatshirt is?! The constant harping over the fact that she had to wear green and was the ONLY one wearing green because she was new drove me bonkers. It's a sweatshirt, for crying out loud. I also despised the start of the romance. They barely knew each other so it was too instalovey and cheesy for me, and not in a good way. They had no chemistry and the love interest has the personality of a wet rag?? How am I supposed to be interested in that? Every time Nat would think about the dude in a romantic way I rolled my eyes.
The pacing was awful too. There was a lot that could have been omitted in the beginning - I'm cool with slower pace if the character development and writing are phenomenal, but they were not in this book. At 36% time travel had JUST been introduced, with zero action, and we had yet to actually SEE said time travel. The time travel aspect was just not enough to keep me pushing through when I couldn't stand anything else about the book.
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January 30, 2023I loved how short the chapters were. It made the story skip along at a great pace. And what a fun story it was. With lots of intrigue, angst, and a slow burn romance.
May 26, 2023
Meinung:
Vollkomme Dunkelheit empfängt mich, als ich erwache, und die kalte, scharfe Spitze eines Dolches, die in meine gefesselten Handgelenke sticht.
Das Cover gefällt mir unglaublich gut, allerdings hätte ich mir hier eher einen Steampunk Roman erwartet und nicht reine Fantasy, aber das ist ok. Ich finde es nur etwas irreführend.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist wirklich sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig, da sie oft sehr kurze Sätze verwendet. Außerdem wirkte der Stil oft sehr kindlich auf mich, so als würde ein Schüler manche Passagen schreiben, das hat mich immer etwas rausgebracht. Mit der Zeit gewöhnt man sich daran, aber ich würde den Schreibstil nicht unbedingt loben.
Zu Beginn lernt man Natasha kennen, die von ihrer Freundin Elodie zum Schwänzen angestiftet wird. Sie gehen shoppen und in einen Club, aber da wird Natasha ohnmächtig. Damit beginnt eine ganz neue Reise für sie, denn sie wird danach an eine Academy auf einer Insel geschickt, muss aber ihr altes Leben komplett hinter sich lassen. Doch wem kann sie dort vertrauen und was ist eigentlich das Ziel?
Der Einstieg in das Buch war sehr gut, der Prolog war echt spannend und danach wusste man schon, dass es um Zeitreisen gehen wird. Danach kommt der typische Teenie-Kram und man lernt erst einmal Elodie, Natasha und Mason kennen. Hier hat mir der Schreibstil schon ein paar Schwierigkeiten bereitet, aber irgendwann ging es dann doch.
Natasha finde ich, wie alle anderen Charaktere, schwierig. Sie lässt sich von Markenkleidung bestechen und tut einfach alles, was man ihr sagt. Ich hatte nie das Gefühl, dass sie an der Akademie irgendwas hinterfragt oder sich wirklich bemüht Antworten zu kriegen. Diese passive Haltung hat mich gestört, denn so erfährt man als Leser natürlich auch nicht wirklich viel.
Elodie mochte ich schon von Anfang an nicht. Sie ist herablassend und denkt die ganze Welt dreht sich nur um sie. In jeder anderen Person sieht sie sehr schnell einen Konkurrenten und damit macht sie sich auch nicht beliebter. Zwar tut Elodie immer nett, aber eigentlich ist sie hinterlistig und das merkt man sehr in dem Buch. Wieso Natasha es immer wieder mit ihr versucht hat verstehe ich gar nicht.
Dann haben wir noch Braxton, der ebenfalls eine größere Rolle einnimmt. Man weiß nichts über ihn. Und damit meine ich nichts. Hin und wieder kommen Schuldgefühle durch, aber für was genau erfährt man nicht und daher blieb er für mich eigentlich sehr blass.
Ich hatte mehrere Probleme mit dem Buch. Erstmal kommt null Akademie-Feeling auf. Damit meine ich wirklich gar keines. Natasha bekommt ihren Stundenplan, aber man liest von keiner einzigen Unterrichtseinheit und auch von den anderen Schülern liest man nichts. Nur die Personen, die für die Handlung irgendwie bedeutend sind kommen vor und das sind insgesamt fünf Schüler. Wo ist der Rest? Das hätte genauso gut eine Schule nur für die sechs Leute sein können. Oder gar keine Schule, denn alles schulische wurde komplett weggelassen.
Zweitens dreht sich viel um Teenie-Drama. In der Leserunde kamen öfter Aussagen, dass sich die Leute mehr Handlung und weniger Drama wünschen. Es geht um Kleider, Liebe und Zickenkrieg, dass Natasha zuerst ausgeschlossen wurde, weil sie die Neue war und lauter solcher Kram. Auf fast 600 Seiten passiert einfach so wenig, wenn das Buch 200 Seiten kürzer gewesen wäre, hätte es genauso gut funktioniert.
Dritten ist die Liebesgeschichte komplett komisch. Natasha weiß nichts über Braxton und trotzdem verlieben sie sich. Warum? Weil er der einzige Mensch an der Akadmie ist, der sie beachtet und nett zu ihr ist. So schnell wie sie sich verlieben so schnell wurden sie auch für den anderen sterben, denn es ist doch die große Liebe. Immer wieder weisen andere Leute Natasha darauf hin, dass sie Braxton nicht wirklich kennt und dass er etwas verheimlicht, aber sie ignoriert das alles, bis sie selbst auf die Schnauze fällt. Gegen Ende hat sich dann sogar eine Dreiecksbeziehung angebahnt und da ich mir ungefähr vorstellen kann wie das ausgeht, habe ich keine Lust mehr auf das ganze Drama in Band zwei.
Damit kommen wir zu meinem letzten Kritikpunkt. Viertens, es wird nichts beantwortet. Die Handlung plätschert so vor sich hin, es gibt keinen roten Faden, kein großes Mysterium oder sonst was. Natasha lebt in den Tag, dann haben wir Zeitsprünge von über vier Wochen und plötzlich kann sie alles aus dem Unterricht. Man hatte als Leser so viele Fragen und gar keine wurde beantwortet. Warum es die Schule gibt und was das eigentliche Ziel ist wurde nur so halb erklärt und wenn das alles ist bin ich wirklich enttäuscht. Erst gegen Ende wurde es besser und spannender, wobei hier auch nicht alles gepasst hat. Das Buch endet mit einem Cliffhanger, den ich persönlich aber nicht so schlimm empfinde. Ehrlich, ich hätte mitten im Buch aufhören können und hätte kein Bedürfnis gehabt weiter zu lesen, weil es nichts Interessantes gab.
Aber es war nicht alles komplett schlecht. Manche Dinge fand ich gut, wie etwa alles mit den Zeitreisen und den Erklärungen dazu. Die Geschichten, die sich die Schüler erzählen fand ich manchmal auch ganz lustig und es geht auch viel um Kunst, was irgendwie interessant war. Dennoch überwiegen die negativen Punkte bei weitem.
Fazit:
Das Buch lässt sich sehr schnell und leicht lesen, aber man sollte nicht zu viel erwarten. Es passiert sehr wenig und es scheint keinen roten Faden zu geben. Erst gegen Ende wird es besser und spannender, aber das kann den Rest auch nicht retten. Von mir gibt es dafür leider nur zwei Sterne.
Vollkomme Dunkelheit empfängt mich, als ich erwache, und die kalte, scharfe Spitze eines Dolches, die in meine gefesselten Handgelenke sticht.
Das Cover gefällt mir unglaublich gut, allerdings hätte ich mir hier eher einen Steampunk Roman erwartet und nicht reine Fantasy, aber das ist ok. Ich finde es nur etwas irreführend.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist wirklich sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig, da sie oft sehr kurze Sätze verwendet. Außerdem wirkte der Stil oft sehr kindlich auf mich, so als würde ein Schüler manche Passagen schreiben, das hat mich immer etwas rausgebracht. Mit der Zeit gewöhnt man sich daran, aber ich würde den Schreibstil nicht unbedingt loben.
Zu Beginn lernt man Natasha kennen, die von ihrer Freundin Elodie zum Schwänzen angestiftet wird. Sie gehen shoppen und in einen Club, aber da wird Natasha ohnmächtig. Damit beginnt eine ganz neue Reise für sie, denn sie wird danach an eine Academy auf einer Insel geschickt, muss aber ihr altes Leben komplett hinter sich lassen. Doch wem kann sie dort vertrauen und was ist eigentlich das Ziel?
Der Einstieg in das Buch war sehr gut, der Prolog war echt spannend und danach wusste man schon, dass es um Zeitreisen gehen wird. Danach kommt der typische Teenie-Kram und man lernt erst einmal Elodie, Natasha und Mason kennen. Hier hat mir der Schreibstil schon ein paar Schwierigkeiten bereitet, aber irgendwann ging es dann doch.
Natasha finde ich, wie alle anderen Charaktere, schwierig. Sie lässt sich von Markenkleidung bestechen und tut einfach alles, was man ihr sagt. Ich hatte nie das Gefühl, dass sie an der Akademie irgendwas hinterfragt oder sich wirklich bemüht Antworten zu kriegen. Diese passive Haltung hat mich gestört, denn so erfährt man als Leser natürlich auch nicht wirklich viel.
Elodie mochte ich schon von Anfang an nicht. Sie ist herablassend und denkt die ganze Welt dreht sich nur um sie. In jeder anderen Person sieht sie sehr schnell einen Konkurrenten und damit macht sie sich auch nicht beliebter. Zwar tut Elodie immer nett, aber eigentlich ist sie hinterlistig und das merkt man sehr in dem Buch. Wieso Natasha es immer wieder mit ihr versucht hat verstehe ich gar nicht.
Dann haben wir noch Braxton, der ebenfalls eine größere Rolle einnimmt. Man weiß nichts über ihn. Und damit meine ich nichts. Hin und wieder kommen Schuldgefühle durch, aber für was genau erfährt man nicht und daher blieb er für mich eigentlich sehr blass.
Ich hatte mehrere Probleme mit dem Buch. Erstmal kommt null Akademie-Feeling auf. Damit meine ich wirklich gar keines. Natasha bekommt ihren Stundenplan, aber man liest von keiner einzigen Unterrichtseinheit und auch von den anderen Schülern liest man nichts. Nur die Personen, die für die Handlung irgendwie bedeutend sind kommen vor und das sind insgesamt fünf Schüler. Wo ist der Rest? Das hätte genauso gut eine Schule nur für die sechs Leute sein können. Oder gar keine Schule, denn alles schulische wurde komplett weggelassen.
Zweitens dreht sich viel um Teenie-Drama. In der Leserunde kamen öfter Aussagen, dass sich die Leute mehr Handlung und weniger Drama wünschen. Es geht um Kleider, Liebe und Zickenkrieg, dass Natasha zuerst ausgeschlossen wurde, weil sie die Neue war und lauter solcher Kram. Auf fast 600 Seiten passiert einfach so wenig, wenn das Buch 200 Seiten kürzer gewesen wäre, hätte es genauso gut funktioniert.
Dritten ist die Liebesgeschichte komplett komisch. Natasha weiß nichts über Braxton und trotzdem verlieben sie sich. Warum? Weil er der einzige Mensch an der Akadmie ist, der sie beachtet und nett zu ihr ist. So schnell wie sie sich verlieben so schnell wurden sie auch für den anderen sterben, denn es ist doch die große Liebe. Immer wieder weisen andere Leute Natasha darauf hin, dass sie Braxton nicht wirklich kennt und dass er etwas verheimlicht, aber sie ignoriert das alles, bis sie selbst auf die Schnauze fällt. Gegen Ende hat sich dann sogar eine Dreiecksbeziehung angebahnt und da ich mir ungefähr vorstellen kann wie das ausgeht, habe ich keine Lust mehr auf das ganze Drama in Band zwei.
Damit kommen wir zu meinem letzten Kritikpunkt. Viertens, es wird nichts beantwortet. Die Handlung plätschert so vor sich hin, es gibt keinen roten Faden, kein großes Mysterium oder sonst was. Natasha lebt in den Tag, dann haben wir Zeitsprünge von über vier Wochen und plötzlich kann sie alles aus dem Unterricht. Man hatte als Leser so viele Fragen und gar keine wurde beantwortet. Warum es die Schule gibt und was das eigentliche Ziel ist wurde nur so halb erklärt und wenn das alles ist bin ich wirklich enttäuscht. Erst gegen Ende wurde es besser und spannender, wobei hier auch nicht alles gepasst hat. Das Buch endet mit einem Cliffhanger, den ich persönlich aber nicht so schlimm empfinde. Ehrlich, ich hätte mitten im Buch aufhören können und hätte kein Bedürfnis gehabt weiter zu lesen, weil es nichts Interessantes gab.
Aber es war nicht alles komplett schlecht. Manche Dinge fand ich gut, wie etwa alles mit den Zeitreisen und den Erklärungen dazu. Die Geschichten, die sich die Schüler erzählen fand ich manchmal auch ganz lustig und es geht auch viel um Kunst, was irgendwie interessant war. Dennoch überwiegen die negativen Punkte bei weitem.
Fazit:
Das Buch lässt sich sehr schnell und leicht lesen, aber man sollte nicht zu viel erwarten. Es passiert sehr wenig und es scheint keinen roten Faden zu geben. Erst gegen Ende wird es besser und spannender, aber das kann den Rest auch nicht retten. Von mir gibt es dafür leider nur zwei Sterne.
July 3, 2022
Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel
Stolen Beauty series book 1. YA/NA fantasy. Time travel. Cliffhanger.
Natasha’s home and school life has taken a turn for the worst. She follows a friend, cutting school and ends up on a remote island boarding school training for the unimaginable. Nat must travel back in history and steal a specific item and make it back to the door before is closes and she’s stuck.
School type cliques and isolation. A friendly boy you fear has an ulterior agenda. A strict father figure that cares only about the end results. Stealing priceless items from history. Threats and manipulative behaviors.
The story starts slowly and becomes interesting after 25% and more intense as it progresses.
But bottom line I do not like the premise of approved stealing. Even when its cloaked in subterfuge and possibly altruistic sharing.
The writing does flow and keeps the reader immersed in the second half with twists and turns.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
Stolen Beauty series book 1. YA/NA fantasy. Time travel. Cliffhanger.
Natasha’s home and school life has taken a turn for the worst. She follows a friend, cutting school and ends up on a remote island boarding school training for the unimaginable. Nat must travel back in history and steal a specific item and make it back to the door before is closes and she’s stuck.
School type cliques and isolation. A friendly boy you fear has an ulterior agenda. A strict father figure that cares only about the end results. Stealing priceless items from history. Threats and manipulative behaviors.
The story starts slowly and becomes interesting after 25% and more intense as it progresses.
But bottom line I do not like the premise of approved stealing. Even when its cloaked in subterfuge and possibly altruistic sharing.
The writing does flow and keeps the reader immersed in the second half with twists and turns.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
June 23, 2023
"Stealing Infinity" ist für mich das erste Buch von Alyson Noël aber es wird definitiv nicht das letzte gewesen sein. Die Geschichte ist ein vielversprechender Auftakt der Gray Wolf Academy Reihe mit düsterem Academy-Setting und einer spannenden Handlung über Zeitreisen.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist flüssig und fesselnd, sodass ich das Buch nur schwer aus der Hand legen konnte. Direkt der Prolog hat mich sehr neugierig gemacht und viele Fragen aufgeworfen.
Die Geschichte dreht sich um Natasha Clarke und wie sich ihr Leben plötzlich komplett ändert. Früher war sie eine gute Schülerin und beliebt, doch seit ihr Vater nicht mehr da ist, gibt sich Natasha kaum noch Mühe in der Schule. Doch dann treten Elodie und Braxton in Natashas Leben und sie erhält die Chance neu anzufangen. Sie wird an der Gray Wolf Academy aufgenommen, doch dafür muss Natasha alles und jeden zurücklassen.
Natasha wurde mir mit jedem Kapitel immer sympathischer. Sie hinterfragt so gut wie alles, was an der Academy vor sich geht aber bleibt trotzdem vorsichtig. Denn sie hat plötzlich immer mehr Erinnerungen an ihre Vergangenheit und ihren Vater, die Natasha lieber für sich behält. Ich habe die ganze Zeit mit ihr mit gerätselt.
Braxton ist ein geheimnisvoller Typ, von dem Natasha direkt fasziniert ist. Braxton ist für sie da und hilft ihr sich an der Gray Wolf Academy einzuleben. Obwohl man auch Braxton im Laufe der Geschichte besser kennenlernt, ist er immer noch voller Geheimnisse.
Die Handlung ist durchgehend spannend und besonders das letzte Drittel hatte mich völlig gepackt. Es gab immer mehr neue Erkenntnisse, Charaktere und Erinnerungen, wodurch ich nur noch mehr Fragen hatte. Insbesondere welche Rolle werden Nataschas Erinnerungen noch spielen? Und wem kann man wirklich vertrauen?
Die Beziehung zwischen Natasha und Braxton entwickelt sich langsam und gleichzeitig irgendwie schnell. Da Natascha auch immer wieder sagt, dass sie Braxton nicht wirklich kennt, konnte ich die Gefühle der beiden nicht ganz nachvollziehen. Mir hat ein wenig die Tiefe der Charaktere gefehlt und bei der Liebesgeschichte hätte ich mir Emotionen gewünscht. Doch da es sich um Band 1 einer Reihe handelt, hoffe ich auf mehr in den nächsten Teilen.
Fazit: "Stealing Infinity" von Alyson Noël ist ein starker und gelungener Auftakt der Gray Wolf Academy Reihe. Ich mochte die Mischung aus dem düsteren Academy-Setting und den Zeitreise-Elementen richtig gerne. Die Handlung wurde mit jedem Kapitel spannender und ich habe noch so viele Fragen. Ich bin sehr gespannt auf den nächsten Band!
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist flüssig und fesselnd, sodass ich das Buch nur schwer aus der Hand legen konnte. Direkt der Prolog hat mich sehr neugierig gemacht und viele Fragen aufgeworfen.
Die Geschichte dreht sich um Natasha Clarke und wie sich ihr Leben plötzlich komplett ändert. Früher war sie eine gute Schülerin und beliebt, doch seit ihr Vater nicht mehr da ist, gibt sich Natasha kaum noch Mühe in der Schule. Doch dann treten Elodie und Braxton in Natashas Leben und sie erhält die Chance neu anzufangen. Sie wird an der Gray Wolf Academy aufgenommen, doch dafür muss Natasha alles und jeden zurücklassen.
Natasha wurde mir mit jedem Kapitel immer sympathischer. Sie hinterfragt so gut wie alles, was an der Academy vor sich geht aber bleibt trotzdem vorsichtig. Denn sie hat plötzlich immer mehr Erinnerungen an ihre Vergangenheit und ihren Vater, die Natasha lieber für sich behält. Ich habe die ganze Zeit mit ihr mit gerätselt.
Braxton ist ein geheimnisvoller Typ, von dem Natasha direkt fasziniert ist. Braxton ist für sie da und hilft ihr sich an der Gray Wolf Academy einzuleben. Obwohl man auch Braxton im Laufe der Geschichte besser kennenlernt, ist er immer noch voller Geheimnisse.
Die Handlung ist durchgehend spannend und besonders das letzte Drittel hatte mich völlig gepackt. Es gab immer mehr neue Erkenntnisse, Charaktere und Erinnerungen, wodurch ich nur noch mehr Fragen hatte. Insbesondere welche Rolle werden Nataschas Erinnerungen noch spielen? Und wem kann man wirklich vertrauen?
Die Beziehung zwischen Natasha und Braxton entwickelt sich langsam und gleichzeitig irgendwie schnell. Da Natascha auch immer wieder sagt, dass sie Braxton nicht wirklich kennt, konnte ich die Gefühle der beiden nicht ganz nachvollziehen. Mir hat ein wenig die Tiefe der Charaktere gefehlt und bei der Liebesgeschichte hätte ich mir Emotionen gewünscht. Doch da es sich um Band 1 einer Reihe handelt, hoffe ich auf mehr in den nächsten Teilen.
Fazit: "Stealing Infinity" von Alyson Noël ist ein starker und gelungener Auftakt der Gray Wolf Academy Reihe. Ich mochte die Mischung aus dem düsteren Academy-Setting und den Zeitreise-Elementen richtig gerne. Die Handlung wurde mit jedem Kapitel spannender und ich habe noch so viele Fragen. Ich bin sehr gespannt auf den nächsten Band!
June 1, 2022
Lol changing my rating from 3 to 2 stars because the more I think about it, the more I feel annoyed by this book.
I was super pumped to get an ARC of this one because it sounded like my jam. Time travel? Historical Fantasy? Elite boarding school? Sign me up!
STEALING INFINITY started out strong enough for me. The prologue was super intriguing and from the writing of that I expected greatness. But this was a classic case of a hyped book that fell way beneath my expectations.
I liked the initial premise well enough and was super interested to see where Natasha's story would end up. I also really enjoyed Braxton as a love interest for Natasha and thought he was pretty swoony. I am not normally a fan of insta-love, but the way that Noel does it with these two was really cute.
That is where my enjoyment of this book pretty much ended. I was reminded of my experience reading Crave (which I also didn't like) and honestly there were times where the similarities between the two books got on my nerves. I didn't buy the feel of Gray Wolf Academy at all. It read of privileged excess which didn't rub me the right way at all. And all of the characters at the school are horrible to Natasha! So much manipulation. It annoys me because Natasha, by the end of the novel, predictably views these people as her "family" and the school and her experience with it making it her ideal self, but I don't get it. Every student and I guess faculty member were horrible to her. What a message to send to young readers. Yeesh. And honestly I kept waiting for Natasha to have a personality of her own but she just read like a cliche female MC with no personality of her own. All of the characters just felt one dimensional and under-developed to me. I would have been more interested in seeing more of the side characters but they were just kept at the periphery in favor of the more insufferable main characters. The plot had its good moments but the more I read the more it dragged. No one's more disappointed than me about how I felt about this one, but the things I mentioned (especially the bullying and manipulation that Natasha faces as she tries to integrate herself into the school) just rubbed me the wrong way.
I also really hated the use of super short chapters. It made no sense and made the book feel even choppier.
I was super pumped to get an ARC of this one because it sounded like my jam. Time travel? Historical Fantasy? Elite boarding school? Sign me up!
STEALING INFINITY started out strong enough for me. The prologue was super intriguing and from the writing of that I expected greatness. But this was a classic case of a hyped book that fell way beneath my expectations.
I liked the initial premise well enough and was super interested to see where Natasha's story would end up. I also really enjoyed Braxton as a love interest for Natasha and thought he was pretty swoony. I am not normally a fan of insta-love, but the way that Noel does it with these two was really cute.
That is where my enjoyment of this book pretty much ended. I was reminded of my experience reading Crave (which I also didn't like) and honestly there were times where the similarities between the two books got on my nerves. I didn't buy the feel of Gray Wolf Academy at all. It read of privileged excess which didn't rub me the right way at all. And all of the characters at the school are horrible to Natasha! So much manipulation. It annoys me because Natasha, by the end of the novel, predictably views these people as her "family" and the school and her experience with it making it her ideal self, but I don't get it. Every student and I guess faculty member were horrible to her. What a message to send to young readers. Yeesh. And honestly I kept waiting for Natasha to have a personality of her own but she just read like a cliche female MC with no personality of her own. All of the characters just felt one dimensional and under-developed to me. I would have been more interested in seeing more of the side characters but they were just kept at the periphery in favor of the more insufferable main characters. The plot had its good moments but the more I read the more it dragged. No one's more disappointed than me about how I felt about this one, but the things I mentioned (especially the bullying and manipulation that Natasha faces as she tries to integrate herself into the school) just rubbed me the wrong way.
I also really hated the use of super short chapters. It made no sense and made the book feel even choppier.
September 10, 2023
Ένα αρκετά ενδιαφέρον νεανικό μυθιστόρημα φαντασίας με ταξίδια στον χρόνο που πραγματικά μου άρεσε πολύ.
Νομίζω ότι δεν συναντάμε συχνά αυτή τη θεματική, ειδικά στη νεανική λογοτεχνία, και εγώ προσωπικά δεν είχα ξαναδιαβάσει κάτι παρόμοιο. Από την αρχή μου κέντρισε το ενδιαφέρον και διάβαζα κάθε σελίδα με μεγάλη προσοχή για να μην χάσω τίποτα.
Υπέροχη γραφή με πρωτοπρόσωπη αφήγηση από την οπτική της πρωταγωνίστριας, Νατάσα, που ξαφνικά αλλάζει όλη η ζωή της και βρίσκεται σε μια ακαδημία όπου ειδικεύεται στα ταξίδια στον χρόνο και προσπαθεί με κάθε κόστος να προσαρμοστεί και να ταιριάξει με τους υπόλοιπους.
Λάτρεψα τα dark academia vibes και το romance που εξελίχθηκε. Πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα πλοκή με ένα ωραίο μυστήριο που έκανε ακόμα πιο ατμοσφαιρικό το βιβλίο. Μου άφησε κάποιες απορίες βέβαια αλλά ελπίζω να λυθούν όλα στο επόμενο βιβλίο. Ανυπομονώ τόσο για την συνέχεια..🦊
Νομίζω ότι δεν συναντάμε συχνά αυτή τη θεματική, ειδικά στη νεανική λογοτεχνία, και εγώ προσωπικά δεν είχα ξαναδιαβάσει κάτι παρόμοιο. Από την αρχή μου κέντρισε το ενδιαφέρον και διάβαζα κάθε σελίδα με μεγάλη προσοχή για να μην χάσω τίποτα.
Υπέροχη γραφή με πρωτοπρόσωπη αφήγηση από την οπτική της πρωταγωνίστριας, Νατάσα, που ξαφνικά αλλάζει όλη η ζωή της και βρίσκεται σε μια ακαδημία όπου ειδικεύεται στα ταξίδια στον χρόνο και προσπαθεί με κάθε κόστος να προσαρμοστεί και να ταιριάξει με τους υπόλοιπους.
Λάτρεψα τα dark academia vibes και το romance που εξελίχθηκε. Πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα πλοκή με ένα ωραίο μυστήριο που έκανε ακόμα πιο ατμοσφαιρικό το βιβλίο. Μου άφησε κάποιες απορίες βέβαια αλλά ελπίζω να λυθούν όλα στο επόμενο βιβλίο. Ανυπομονώ τόσο για την συνέχεια..🦊
September 2, 2022
I picked this one up just because I loved the cover and I went into it totally blind.
I could not put it down! I tend to really like dark academia so I was excited that this was centered around Gray Wolf Academy.
I loved that this school is centered around time and the students are time travelers. I loved they call it Tripping.
I really liked all the costuming and the rare artifacts and art. I enjoyed all the Shakesperian quotes and how they played into the chapters. I really loved the chapters around Versailles.
The book is filled with puzzles and secrets and shadows. You're never quite sure who you can and should trust.
I'm very much looking forward to wherever book 2 takes us.
I could not put it down! I tend to really like dark academia so I was excited that this was centered around Gray Wolf Academy.
I loved that this school is centered around time and the students are time travelers. I loved they call it Tripping.
I really liked all the costuming and the rare artifacts and art. I enjoyed all the Shakesperian quotes and how they played into the chapters. I really loved the chapters around Versailles.
The book is filled with puzzles and secrets and shadows. You're never quite sure who you can and should trust.
I'm very much looking forward to wherever book 2 takes us.
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