Title: The Raging Ones (The Raging Ones #1)
Author: Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie
Genre: Young Adult | Science Fiction | Romance
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: August 14, 2018
Source: Publisher
Format: e-ARC
In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds.
Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.
Until the day she does.
Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.
Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.
With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do (goodreads).
I am confused and unimpressed.
Plot: The Raging Ones attracted me because of its unique premise but it completely failed at execution. What made this such a hard read was that there was no introduction to the characters or their situation. Backstories were explained slowly throughout the book, but it was frustrating trying to understand previous relationships while following the new plotline of testing for a space mission. After a while, I just got bored and started skimming the end. The ending had a fun little plot twist, but not intriguing enough to make me pick up the second book.
Characters: This novel is told from the perspectives of Franny, Mykal, and Court and all three of their perspectives blended to me. There wasn't anything really definitive to tell the voices apart. The one aspect I did like was how intrusive the shared bond was and how each character reacted to it. I was expecting a more emotional romance because of that level of intimacy but found it lacking.
Worldbuilding: The Raging Ones took place on a planet that was slowly icing over which was a neat backdrop. I was disappointed that the authors waited so long to explain some key aspects of the world (family dynamics, religion, etc) which made it difficult for me to understand.
Short N Sweet: The Raging Ones was a disappointment because it didn't properly prepare the reader to enjoy the world, nor were the characters interesting.
Labels: 2 stars, becca ritchie, book review, krista ritchie, review, wednesday books
