Icons Buddy Read

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

Jen and I are starting a buddy read for this new dystopian series starting Monday, May 27.

This buddy read is open to everyone who would like to join us!! There are no set chapters per day, we just read at our own paces and start each post with how far along you are, i.e., Chapter #, %, or page #, using spoilers where needed. Have fun!

[Karen’s Library]

Oh! I may join you! I'll see where I'm at with City of Bones!

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

That would rock, Karen! It was sort of a last minute buddy read lol!

[Karen’s Library]

I started tonight as it's almost midnight and past midnight for you gals so technically I didn't cheat! Hahahah... Plus with you two speed readers, I need all the help I can get to stay caught up to you!

11% in and I'm still a bit confused. I do know that it's (view spoiler)[an alien takeover with an apocalyptic/dystopian world so, yup! My kind of book!! Wonder what's going on with Dol? (hide spoiler)]

[Jen]

I was up last night till about 4am finishing COB - woke up this morning to a car alarm that sounded like a turkey gobbling - lovely. Not. Idiots! Anyway, I think I may have to head to Raleigh today (about an 1 1/2 hrs each way) to do some shopping just so I can catch up to you, Karen!

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

A turkey gobbling car alarm--that's a new one! LOL
I'll start a little later, after hubby leaves for awhile, he is starting to drive me nuts! Its because its been raining or storming the last 3 days, and we've been home, and he doesn't like sitting still for very long! The sun is actually out today, so I hope we get a much nicer day!

[Karen’s Library]

I'm 23% in and having a hard time following. The writing is very cryptic and hard to follow. Hope it comes together soon. (view spoiler)[Why would Dol not read the book the Padre gave her? I'm not sure who the Sympas are. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

I'm at the same place, Karen! (view spoiler)[ I'm really enjoying it so far, although I don't understand everything. It seems to me the Sympas are soldiers of the Establishment, so Dol's peoples' enemies. I'm really interested to hear more about who the Icon Children are, and what they mean. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen’s Library]

Jenny wrote: "A turkey gobbling car alarm--that's a new one! LOL
I'll start a little later, after hubby leaves for awhile, he is starting to drive me nuts! Its because its been raining or storming the last 3 d..."

You are starting to get good weather and this is about when our bad weather starts with the heat. I can take the dog to the park and walk this evening but this may be the last weekend for that. Then we're forced indoors for the next 4 months from the heat. ;-)

[Karen’s Library]

Jenny wrote: "I'm at the same place, Karen! [spoilers removed]"

I think once my questions are answered I'll enjoy it more. I like the overall concept.

[Karen’s Library]

53% (view spoiler)[I'm glad to see the 4 of them working together now. Still lots of questions. Wonder what the Merc is going to do next? And I'm enjoying Doc most of all. I don't feel a connection yet to anyone else. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

I'm at the same place again, Karen! lol (view spoiler)[ Yeah, I really like Doc, too! I'm feeling the most connection with Tima at this point. Starting to learn a little more about the Icon children, but we still don't how how they were created. (hide spoiler)]

[Jen]

I've just started in, but I'm about 25% in. The world building is very good but vague so far. I like the idea of the aliens. I'm interested to see where this goes because of the flashbacks. She was smart to tell the story this way - it certainly keeps you reading! Karen & Jenny - I agree! (view spoiler)[ Why didn't she read the book, and what the heck! This is a bit hard to follow. (hide spoiler)]

[Jen]

I should also note that I drove to Wilmington, NC early yesterday to spend time with 2 of my daughters there. I couldn't believe that I only had downloaded part 2 of Icons! But I got through and after fixing the download problem, got through a good chunk of Icons tonight on the way back. Talk about a change of genre - good grief! Also, I find I really have to pay attention to Icons where TFINOS was easier. It's ok, though. It's good enough to keep going, wondering where this story is going. It reminds me a bit of .

[Karen’s Library]

I'm finally getting to a point where it's making sense. It's the writing style I think.

You're reading completely opposite books, Jen! I'm listening to which is another sort of similar dystopian/apocalyptic story so its not helping me to figure out what's going on. Now I'm finding myself mixing the two up. Ha!!

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

I'm now 73% of the way in. (view spoiler)[ I'm actually starting to like Lucas more, still not real fond of our MC, Dol. Or Ro. I'm really intrigued now to know more about Doc. The Icon itself--that was weird, and almost gives us more questions. (hide spoiler)]

[Jen]

OK now we're rolling. Things are getting interesting. The writing style here is so different; I think I really like it.

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

I also love the style, Jen!

[Karen’s Library]

I'm not sure about the style. It keeps pulling me out of the book. :( I can't seem to get lost in it like I do with our other favorites like Clockwork Princess or any of David's books.

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

For me, it got better about halfway in, and the ending was really good!

I finished it! (view spoiler)[ I loved the ending! How Dol used that piece of the Icon to make the people resistant like the icon children were-genius! I don't know how Lucas and Tima survived, but I was really glad!
Dol changed a lot by the end of the book, and I think Lucas did, too. They all look like they have a chance of being friend now, except for maybe the boys. Two girls, and they both fall for the same one! lol
1 Icon down, 12 to go! (hide spoiler)]

[Karen’s Library]

Finished!! It was ok and got better halfway in like you said, Jenny. (view spoiler)[Did Tima save Lucas with her power somehow? I'm not quite sure how all their powers work except for what Dol did at the end. Tima pushed Ro and Lucas apart without touching them during their fight so I assume that's how she saved herself and Lucas in the blast. And how was Brutus able to survive in the Icon field?

My favorites were Doc and Fortis. Dol grew on me at the end. Tima too. Still haven't warmed to Ro or Lucas yet. And what's with Tima's stitching herself? That was weird! (hide spoiler)]

Apparently they're making a movie of this book?

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

Karen (view spoiler)[ I also liked Doc and Fortis. That makes sense about Tima at the end, I forgot about her pushing apart the boys. No idea about Brutus! (hide spoiler)]

I'll have to look that up about a movie, that was quick!

[Karen’s Library]

She mentions "the film" in her acknowledgements at the end of the book. :)

[Jen]

Finished. Hmmm. My thoughts -
The good:
1. The writing style. I liked it a lot.
2. (view spoiler)[The idea of using that wrist bonding thing as a substitute for having sex. Genius idea on the part of the author when appealing to a younger audience. (hide spoiler)]
3. (view spoiler)[Finally Dol gets some self-esteem at the end and saves the world. About time! (hide spoiler)]
4. The suspense. I still want to know who those aliens are.
The bad:
1. The pacing.
2. The romance (view spoiler)[which had a resolution that came out of nowhere. Huh? When did that happen? Suddenly Dol and Lucas are a thing and not friends? Seemed kind of sudden. (hide spoiler)]
4. The idea. It's been done better, honestly, even if this was entertaining.
5. The whole focus on world peace and unity and all that crap at the end. Really? Am I reading Requiem again?

If there's a sequel, I'll read it - but otherwise, this was just ok. It didn't knock my socks off.

[Jen]

Jenny wrote: "For me, it got better about halfway in, and the ending was really good!

I finished it! I loved the ending! "

Yes - (view spoiler)[I didn't like how some things just came out of nowhere with no explanation. How DID Lucas and Tima survive? Sometimes you can invent a plot element with no explanation, but this sort of thing needs one -- (hide spoiler)]

[Jen]

Karen wrote: "I'm not sure about the style. It keeps pulling me out of the book. :( I can't seem to get lost in it like I do with our other favorites like Clockwork Princess or any of David's books."

I liked the style but I agree - it didn't grab me. I was interested enough in the plot to keep going, so I suppose that's saying something. This book is such a study in contradictions.

[Karen’s Library]

See Jen. You are also asking questions I couldn't figure out. Because of the writing style, it didn't flow for me. Things would happen,(view spoiler)[ like Dol and Lucas and I would have no idea how and think I had missed something.

And I completely missed the substitute for sex. Yikes. I just thought they were boosting each other with energy but yea, that could definitely be a sex substitute. Well in a couple of cases Ro sort of pushed it onto an unwilling Dol, which is kind of like rape. Ugh. (hide spoiler)]

Seriously, the writing was too cryptic at times so Jenny's review is what helped me understand more about this book. Ha ha!!

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

Jen wrote: "Jenny wrote: "For me, it got better about halfway in, and the ending was really good!

I finished it! I loved the ending! "

Yes - [spoilers removed]"

Karen pointed out that (view spoiler)[ they survived because of Tima's power--she was able to push the boys apart when they were fighting earlier, so she must have done the same king of thing in the explosion. I missed that, too. (hide spoiler)]

Agreed, Jen, I agree with you almost completely. I will read the sequel, but I was a little disappointed. I was expecting much more!