Blackbird

2nd person point of view. Eurgh. I really didn't care about the characters, except for maybe the narrator, but I think I'd have connected to her more if the story had been told in 1st person instead of 2nd person. Still, it kept me reading. I needed to know how it ended, only it didn't. And that, more than 2nd person POV or my inability to connect to the characters, is why I didn't like this book. We get a few answers, but not many, and we don't know if she and her friend get away. I guess I expected something better from Anna Carey, after the Eve trilogy. I guess there is a sequel that finishes this story, though I was thinking it was a standalone.

This book kept my attention but there were too many things that were unexplained.

Wtf! Not only did the audio book not work, it kept skipping chapters and not letting me go back, but the writing was weird! Instead of first person or second person the book said YOU. You are tired and have to get up.... You look around in confusion...etc. This book was a huge disappointment because it actually sounded really interesting. Maybe you get used to the weird writing but I could barely get through half the book. Huge disappointment.

This story was exciting from the moment a nameless girl wakes up on a subway track in Los Angeles right to the sort of hopeful end. The girl has cuts, scars and a tattoo on her wrist. She has a black backpack with a variety of things in it. One of the things is a notebook with a quarter and a phone number in it. Another is a map of the city. Another is a memo to not trust the police. When she calls the number she is directed to an office marked on her map where she is set up for a robbery. Now she really can't go to the police. She has no explanation for what is happening to her. But she has met a boy named Ben who has offered to help her. She goes to him but the people who want her dead are never far behind.While she has no memory of her past, her name, or anything else, she does start to get some flashbacks of being on the run on an island and having a friend to partner with her to get away from the killers. She also gets a flashback of attending a funeral and another of a house and younger brother. None of those memories are particularly helpful for her immediate problem. Gradually she learns that she is being hunted as part of a vast conspiracy where people who want to hunt human game are given targets like her. The story was an intense thriller and it was told in the second person. I thought that seemed a little gimmicky. I never did figure out who the narrator was. There were a few isolated chapters that gave information that our nameless heroine didn't have but not very much information. Fans of suspense will enjoy this one. The ending is unresolved and demands a sequel. I'll be looking forward to it.

Exactly what I was looking for. An interesting story, engaging, fast, and frantic. That defines this duology.

I was captivated by Anna's writing style; the second-person narrative is something new for me, and although in my case it didn’t fully succeed in immersing me in the story, it did manage to keep my complete attention at all times.

Negative points of this first part are that a lot happens in such a short span of days; however, it’s not something I dislike, but it does take a bit of realism away from the novel. Aside from that, excellent story, very original. (Translated from Spanish)

Gripping from the very first moment. The plot doesn’t quite resolve and leaves you wanting more. Highly recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

Captivating from the first moment. The plot doesn't fully resolve and leaves you wanting more. Highly recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

?What would happen if you woke up on the train tracks, knowing absolutely nothing??

?Not knowing who you are, what your name is, or where you come from.?

?And above all, how you got to that place??

?A girl wakes up alone on the train tracks, with only a backpack containing some money, a phone number with a note that says:

"DO NOT CALL THE POLICE"

And with a tattoo on her arm which is the code FNV02198.?

?This story really kept me quite intrigued and in suspense throughout the whole book.?

?It is told in a way that makes you feel a lot of curiosity and intrigue, making it addictive but above all fills you with a thousand questions.?

?This book is very good, although it did decline a little at the end but it is still quite good.?

?Reading Started: July 2, 2019?
?Reading Finished: July 15, 2019?

?4.5/5? (Translated from Spanish)

First reading of the year and it turned out to be light, agile but with big gaps from my point of view. A story told in the second person, which should make the story more interesting since YOU are the protagonist of it, but personally, it didn't matter to me that it was this way since I simply could never connect with the story or its characters. It is quite difficult to empathize with them as you never really know who they are, mainly because the protagonist has no memory of her life before appearing on the train tracks and each interaction with the characters that appear feels empty and quick. There is no character development, especially with the main one, since it is very complicated due to her lack of memories and the mechanic that you are the protagonist, so you are given no information about her other than the false name she will use on two or three occasions, and you simply have to fill in the gaps with your own details like a job application. And what can I say about the romance they provide, with which I simply felt not even a bit of affection, nor do I understand how that love was born. The book has everything to be a good story, because the idea is undoubtedly appealing. Just think about it, men hunting humans for the simple pleasure of watching them die, it is undoubtedly an excellent idea, but sadly it feels empty. It feels as if the author really did not develop that idea well and therefore in the end, you feel that there are so many questions and very few answers. (Translated from Spanish)

The second-person narration is what adds a special touch to the book. (Translated from Spanish)

Simply put, I didn't like it.
I bought this book at a plaza, it wasn't in my plans and I hadn't heard of it, and that was my mistake.
It seemed promising, but the story was very shallow, they had a good plot that they didn't take advantage of and focused on other things of lesser value, which I personally didn't like.
I finished both books because I had already bought them, and I don't like leaving something unfinished; I didn't identify with any character, and the editions they chose seemed too silly to me. But that was my personal opinion; maybe there's someone who would like this book and that's respectable.

I do not recommend either this book or the other one. (Translated from Spanish)

Terrible, it was hard for me to finish it and I did it because of that annoying feeling of not completing things.

Had I researched properly and known it was a series, I wouldn't have invested my time and money. (Translated from Spanish)

I liked this book a lot. It has one or two flaws, in my opinion, regarding the story. I felt that the pacing was quick and very light for the plot it deals with. But still, I enjoyed it and it left me wanting to read its sequel. (Translated from Spanish)

2nd person point of view. Eurgh. I really didn't care about the characters, except for maybe the narrator, but I think I'd have connected to her more if the story had been told in 1st person instead of 2nd person. Still, it kept me reading. I needed to know how it ended, only it didn't. And that, more than 2nd person POV or my inability to connect to the characters, is why I didn't like this book. We get a few answers, but not many, and we don't know if she and her friend get away. I guess I expected something better from Anna Carey, after the Eve trilogy. I guess there is a sequel that finishes this story, though I was thinking it was a standalone.

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: My expectations weren’t high, but this suspenseful novel surprised me with its grit and originality.

Opening Sentence: The sun holds the heat of the sun, even an hour after it has sunk beneath the pavement, pushing its way below the sprawling city.

The Review:

I’ll admit that I have been holding off on reading Blackbird. Bad review after bad review rolled through my Twitter feed and the Goodreads page, making me hesitant to even crack the cover. Anyway, it’s less than 300 pages, and I’m adventurous, so I decided to power through so that I could write my review and be done. I was prepared for the absolute worst: shaky narrative, unexplained mysteries, plot holes. Instead, I found myself enjoying the first half. I wondered, will it go downhill from here? But in my mind it got better. It was unique, incredibly creepy, and gave me nightmares (yay!). I couldn’t help but enjoy the main character’s struggle and for me, the second person narrative style actually helped me to connect with the MC. True, I wish she had more depth, but her feelings of fear, angst, and anger are well done, and that’s what she feels the majority of the book. One little tidbit I disliked was that the whole book, she never learned her real name. Like, ever. Mostly the side characters think about her as “the girl” when they get their side chapters. She goes by Sunny a couple times, so I’ll call her Sunny in the review for the sake of convenience.

Ben was the love interest for book one, though it wasn’t a very deep romance. It was more of a fling, something to take up the time where Sunny wasn’t being chased by maniacs with secrets. She liked him for his body, and he said a few cute lines, but in the end it isn’t a relationship built to last. I doubt that they will stay together book two, though I can’t say for sure, after such a Ben-related-twist at the end. There was also the question of the boy in her few memories, the one who was protecting and kissing her. I am positive that book two will delve more into their relationship and I look forward to it with their history. In book two, I also look forward to Sunny getting back more of her memories and learning more about how the Island operates. I actually am excited for the sequel, because there are a couple burning questions I still have.

Lots of people found the second person narrative style to be hard to read. Instead of, “I put the book down”, or “she put the book down”, it’s “you put the book down.” It’s not easy to get used to, that’s for sure. But once I got past a couple chapters I felt myself sinking more into the perspective and I believe it allowed for more suspense and a closer relationship with the main character. The book was paced well, not too fast, not too slow, never a second of peace. Just when you thought the pace was slowing, bam! Another bomb dropped and you find the chapters of this short novel fly past. At least, for me. I seem to be the black sheep for this novel. Baaaaa.

Altogether, this novel was a lot of fun to read, a whirlwind of suspense and action. I was a little put off by a couple of things, such as the number of questions left unanswered and the lack of much positive emotion. It was a very dark read. The second person style didn’t bother me at all, though many had much more trouble than I did, and the plotline was unique and complex without many plot holes. I do wish the cover was more satisfying: the colors are very powerful but the graphic just isn’t visually appealing to me. Maybe it was my extremely low expectations that made me enjoy it so much more. After all, I expected to have to forge through like a determined soldier rather than enjoy the ride. Either way, I would recommend the book to anyone looking for dark, suspenseful mysterious with a little twist. If you’re the kind of person who is put off by second person, however, skip it; it’s not worth all the angst.

Notable Scene:

It was real, you think, it happened.

But when you turn around the narrow alley is deserted. Not a single car is in the parking garage. There is only that shallow wash of blood and the rush of the freeway above.

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Blackbird. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

I have been wanting to read this book since the Epicreads girls talked about it on one of their Tea Time episodes earlier this year. I haven't read a book in 2nd person POV since those Choose Your Own Adventure books in elementary school.
As great as this book was I think it may have been better had it not been written in 2nd person. This girl, Sunny, obviously has skills, that she doesn't remember having. So I just can't picture myself doing or figuring out all the things that she does. She would be an awesome character based on everything she can do, so its hard to picture that awesome character as me.
This ending really caught me though. It ended so quickly. I turned the page to find that there was nothing left! It is the ultimate cliffhanger. I just hope the next book comes out soon because I wanna know more!

Have you ever read a book written in second person? This is the first for me and it totally worked. But if not, I highly recommend or maybe just beg you to get your hands on Blackbird as soon as possible. It was that good, that entertaining, and oh so mysterious.

There is a sequel to Blackbird coming out and hopefully we can learn exactly what is happening with our mysterious girl and the boy in her dreams. Is Ben really a bad guy and why are these people hunting other people? So many unanswered questions. Blackbird would be one of those edge of your seat kind of movies (wouldn’t that be awesome?). I’m hoping the next book shows us a little more of how this ‘game’ started and how it’s carried out.

I was excited to read another story from Anna Carey. I didn't realize that BLACKBIRD wasn't a paranormal or urban fantasy book but I still ended up enjoying it for the most apart. We are introduced to the main character but considering she has no clue who she is, we follow her on her journey to discover what the heck is going on and who she is.

I did end up having some issues with BLACKBIRD as a whole. I wasn't crazy about the story being told in the 2nd person. It's hard to get into and It made it a bit harder for me to connect to the main character. The character development could have used some work. Things happen at a somewhat slow pace in the middle of the book. The main character is always on the run but some points just slow way down. What is with the lack of answers? I think I have more questions after reading BLACKBIRD than I did when I started.

Now for what I really did enjoy. You never quite know what's going on and I found that part of the story extremely captivating. I really want answers to things so that proves that I liked it enough to want to read more. Ben was interesting. I totally didn't see his role in the story coming. I just FEEL like it will get super better now. I wish the ending events would have happened sooner in the book.

* This book was provided free of charge from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I am mixed on this book. On the one hand I liked it but on the other hand, I thought it was just alright. The second person dialect did not bother me. It was just all the talking. While I can appreciate the author using the second person as the writing style for this book. It did lend some to the mystery of the whole story at the same time unless the character or characters are really strong in the story then this style can come off as more dream like and put the reader like me at an emotional disconnect with the character. So while I find the story interesting, after a while I lost interest and found myself just going through the motions of reading. This is when I skipped to the last chapter to see how it would all end and I was disappointed. Even the romance that the author tried to start up in this story was not enough to keep me interested.