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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
In this sequel to Sekret, Yulia and Valentin have escaped from communist Russia to the United States with the help of Yulia’s father and are working with the CIA using their psychic abilities in an attempt to thwart the plans of General Rostov. Although she wants to stop Rostov, Yulia is worried about her mother’s continued involvement with his program and doesn’t want to do anything that could hurt her. Her father embraces American culture, and seems like a different man from the father she grew up with. Yulia knows that the Americans only want her because of her abilities and feels like an outsider except when she’s with Valentin, who is still struggling with memories of a past he won’t talk about. When Yulia receives a psychic communication from Rostov’s son, she realizes that they haven’t fully escaped his control, and she must decide how much to reveal to the Americans who don’t care if her mother lives or dies.
I really liked the blending of historical fiction with an element of the supernatural. There’s not a lot of YA fiction that is set during the Cold War, and the historical details were interwoven in a way that readers wouldn’t have to know much about it going in but could gain some insights about the time period as they read. Though the novel had a promising premise, the execution fell flat at times. It just did not have the page turning intensity of a spy thriller which is what it is set up to be. Yulia and Valentin didn’t have the spark and chemistry that I wanted them to. Though the stakes were high throughout the book, it just didn’t have intensity to make me want to keep turning the pages. Optional purchase where historical fiction is popular.
I really liked the blending of historical fiction with an element of the supernatural. There’s not a lot of YA fiction that is set during the Cold War, and the historical details were interwoven in a way that readers wouldn’t have to know much about it going in but could gain some insights about the time period as they read. Though the novel had a promising premise, the execution fell flat at times. It just did not have the page turning intensity of a spy thriller which is what it is set up to be. Yulia and Valentin didn’t have the spark and chemistry that I wanted them to. Though the stakes were high throughout the book, it just didn’t have intensity to make me want to keep turning the pages. Optional purchase where historical fiction is popular.
SO BORING
There was no character development (or characterization in any way... nothing stands out about Yulia) and I didn't care about the context at all. So glad to be done with it!
There was no character development (or characterization in any way... nothing stands out about Yulia) and I didn't care about the context at all. So glad to be done with it!
“But when I look past the rainbow landscape, the shops with overflowing shelves, the rattle and hiss of daily life that spills from every mouth and machine, I can see the difference. It's an absence — an absence of guards, of bindings, of rabid fear to comply. And in that absence, human will and creativity and resourcefulness have grown, unchecked, filling every possible crevice like some tenacious, lovely weed. These people refuse to be stopped. There is nothing to stop me here.”
Mmm. Lindsay Smith's writing is good for the souuuul.
Add in some Cold War, cover operations, and psychic abilities and you have a match made in heaven.
Although I did see every twist coming in this, and you know how I feel about predictability in books. Skandal's plot wasn't quite as riveting as Sekret's, but this was still a solid 3.5 stars.
Mmm. Lindsay Smith's writing is good for the souuuul.
Add in some Cold War, cover operations, and psychic abilities and you have a match made in heaven.
Although I did see every twist coming in this, and you know how I feel about predictability in books. Skandal's plot wasn't quite as riveting as Sekret's, but this was still a solid 3.5 stars.
Didn't like quite as much as the first book but enjoyable nonetheless. No love triangle at all, thankfully. Settled end, but opened enough for another installment, if there was one. Full review to come.
Really enjoyed the last third. First two thirds took some diligence to continue forward.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just some thoughts, it was an ok book:
Our protagonist Yulia is learning English, correct? Well then why is she using complex words?? I feel like her learning of English just kinda ~went away~ after the first 20 pages. English is a hard language to learn, so why is it portrayed as easy in the book?
Also, the plot was very slow in the middle and then suddenly everything is tied up neatly in the last 15 pages, which was annoying. (Confession: i didn't finish the first one! Which really didn't matter because Yulia monologued a brief summary of the entire last book.) So, uh... thanks I guess?
That's about it, other than the cringy romance with a Brooding, Suffering Artiste, TM.
Our protagonist Yulia is learning English, correct? Well then why is she using complex words?? I feel like her learning of English just kinda ~went away~ after the first 20 pages. English is a hard language to learn, so why is it portrayed as easy in the book?
Also, the plot was very slow in the middle and then suddenly everything is tied up neatly in the last 15 pages, which was annoying. (Confession: i didn't finish the first one! Which really didn't matter because Yulia monologued a brief summary of the entire last book.) So, uh... thanks I guess?
That's about it, other than the cringy romance with a Brooding, Suffering Artiste, TM.
Lindsay Smith adds closure to her first novel, Sekret. Readers return to a paranormal historic setting as Yulia begins her life in the United States after escaping her life in the KGB. She now finds it necessary to prove herself to the Americans not because of her wants, but because nobody will trust a girl from the KGB.
There she is reunited with her father and continues her relationship with Valya. A series of new characters bring a better life to the sequel. I personally was not a fan of the first novel. While I enjoyed the concept that developed their psychic abilities, the plot fell flat. As well as the characters.
Here Yulia develops in her attempt to control her abilities. While she is anxious, she becomes more interesting as she attempts to bring people around her down with her.
Each moment felt well calculated plot wise. I found the streets of Washington DC more interesting then that of Russia or Berlin in the first. It was a fun read until the end. The stakes rose yet the writing did not seem to match them. I do not want to provide any spoilers though.
One last thing: For fans of X-Men: First Class?
The entire time I thought of that film.
There she is reunited with her father and continues her relationship with Valya. A series of new characters bring a better life to the sequel. I personally was not a fan of the first novel. While I enjoyed the concept that developed their psychic abilities, the plot fell flat. As well as the characters.
Here Yulia develops in her attempt to control her abilities. While she is anxious, she becomes more interesting as she attempts to bring people around her down with her.
Each moment felt well calculated plot wise. I found the streets of Washington DC more interesting then that of Russia or Berlin in the first. It was a fun read until the end. The stakes rose yet the writing did not seem to match them. I do not want to provide any spoilers though.
One last thing: For fans of X-Men: First Class?
The entire time I thought of that film.
