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"In a world similar to Earth,"
(In a world similar to Panem)
"there are 12 bloodlines"
(There are 12 districts)
"Each bloodline has a champion between the ages of 13 and 17"
(Each district has a tribute between the ages of 13 and 18)
"And then one day they're called to fight, and all the bloodlines but the winners will be exterminated. They're fighting to be the last race."
(And then one day they're called to fight, and all the tributes but the winners will be exterminated. They're fighting to be the l
"In a world similar to Earth,"
(In a world similar to Panem)
"there are 12 bloodlines"
(There are 12 districts)
"Each bloodline has a champion between the ages of 13 and 17"
(Each district has a tribute between the ages of 13 and 18)
"And then one day they're called to fight, and all the bloodlines but the winners will be exterminated. They're fighting to be the last race."
(And then one day they're called to fight, and all the tributes but the winners will be exterminated. They're fighting to be the last tribute.)
Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victor of the 75th Huge Fucking Rip-off Games!
Edit 12/21/2014:
OKAY. VERY TIRED OF DEALING WITH TROLLS ON THIS REVIEW. I've gone through the comments and deleted QUITE a fair few on both sides of the fence. Some of them attack me, and some of them attack the people who defend the book, and I'm getting mighty sick of seeing notifications for it.
So, please stop posting incendiary comments on this review. If you heartily dislike my review, I'm sorry, but please don't comment. I have the right to my objective literary opinion.
If you heartily dislike the comment someone left on this review, I'm sorry, but please don't attack them. If it's truly nasty, I'll flag or delete.
Final notes:
1) I recognize the summary I'm critiquing above is possibly no longer accurate to the book. I was responding to the very first blurb that appeared on Goodreads, which reviewers are permitted to do. That blurb sounded like a rip off of The Hunger Games to me.
2) I won't be reading Endgame. Ever. Therefore, I will not update this review, meaning I cannot attest to whether or not this book is actually a ripoff of The Hunger Games. And I won't delete this review.
HAVE A LOVELY NON-TROLLY DAY.
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Nevermind. Probably making it up. But I swear, it just sounds so familiar!
Oh, by the way James Frey, purveyor of a "fiction factory" which underpaid authors for their hardwork, a man who lied to my queen Oprah, a man who has
You know, I think I've read this one before. It was about this girl from one of 12 districts who was sent to represent her people in a battle to see which was the best. I think it was called... I can't remember it. Is this that book? I think her name was Katnip. Or Cutlass.Nevermind. Probably making it up. But I swear, it just sounds so familiar!
Oh, by the way James Frey, purveyor of a "fiction factory" which underpaid authors for their hardwork, a man who lied to my queen Oprah, a man who has made a career on being a liar and a bully?
I'm not supporting this book, and not just because someone ripped off the Hunger Games and threw millions of dollars at him for it.
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For those of you concerned about Endgame being constantly compared to The Hunger Games (which has been done primarily from the synopsis alone), after reading it I can see that these two are quite different. This book sets itself apart with the genre, the setting, the format - we follow all of the Players and their journeys, and the plot is a lot more complex than it seems. This book sets up a lot of mystery and intrigu
I received this book for free from Bookworld in exchange for an honest review.For those of you concerned about Endgame being constantly compared to The Hunger Games (which has been done primarily from the synopsis alone), after reading it I can see that these two are quite different. This book sets itself apart with the genre, the setting, the format - we follow all of the Players and their journeys, and the plot is a lot more complex than it seems. This book sets up a lot of mystery and intrigue, which this first instalment starts to explore, but the next books will evidently unravel these and divulge even more secrets as they go.
The novel starts with a bang - the insanity and destruction begins from the get go. However, at the same time it took me a little while to really get involved with the story as we jump from character to character a lot. It took me a little longer to differentiate and really know some characters more than others, but this story does a great job of fleshing out each of them in turn. While the reader is positioned to root for specific Players, you can't help but sympathise with others. Of course, there are those I really detested, but even some of those you developed a bit of empathy.
There is plenty of gore and bloodshed, and the story progresses to an intense finale with plenty of surprises. It left me shocked and horrified at some points, but also really intrigued to see how things unfold! Once things pick up, this story is very gripping and I couldn't put it down.
Disclaimer: I do have a bit of an issue with James Frey and Full Fathom Five, so under normal circumstances I might not have picked this up. I decided to seperate the Art from the Artist in this case - and I am quite glad I did, because this was a good book that seems like it's going to make an impact!
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If you take one thing from this review - let it be that any serious "review" should not be explained and justified in .gifs.
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I know many of you will say, "hold on...no. It's a Hunger Games copy!" And I thought the same thing when I first saw the description. And then I realized that this is WAY more like a super dangerous, super deadly Amazing Race type of story, heavily rooted in aliens and science fiction. The story is told from several different characters POVS, all of which are from all over the world---and all of which are killers, trained so well in not only physical
Honestly one of the BEST books I've ever read.I know many of you will say, "hold on...no. It's a Hunger Games copy!" And I thought the same thing when I first saw the description. And then I realized that this is WAY more like a super dangerous, super deadly Amazing Race type of story, heavily rooted in aliens and science fiction. The story is told from several different characters POVS, all of which are from all over the world---and all of which are killers, trained so well in not only physicality, but puzzles, technology, languages, etc. They makes James Bond look like a little girl.
When a massive asteroid attack happens on planet earth, in several parts of the world, 12 Players (teens who have trained their entire lives for "Endgame", they know that it's their time. They must Play.
Playing means traveling to one location, where an alien being gives them each their own unique clues. The first step to winning Endgame? Find Earth Key. Which can literally be ANYWHERE on the planet. This book is incredibly dark, incredibly twisted, and incredibly UNLIKE anything I've ever read. I went into it thinking I'd hate it, and I actually was floored by how well done it was.
I'm not a big fan of James Frey and the controversies surrounding him, but I must say I was incredibly impressed by the work he and Nils-Johnson Shelton did together. ENDGAME reads like a movie script, present-tense, and incredibly different. Much like UNWIND, you are in the reader's head, but from a 3rd person perspective. It's very very cool--- trust me, you'll be hooked.
I found myself unable to put this book down, and I'm dying for the second one. I also have no idea how to solve the puzzle that goes along with the book, because I'm not a genius. And I think only a genius could solve it! The book is filled with strange clues and phrases and numbers and symbols, which is intriguing in itself. I think it's going to kick butt on the YA market.
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IT HAPPENS, OK? Shiny things distract me!
But after reading - OK, not exactly. A friend of mine stood in the middle of our hotel room and read aloud the preface. I had an open mind here, people. I DID.
And then I realized I had heard this story before.
No, not Hunger Games. I
My issues with James Frey aside (hey, we've all made huge, colossal mistakes, but just avoided being called out by Oprah), I gave this book a chance. Maybe because it was in shiny gold packaging and I was blinded by the pretty.IT HAPPENS, OK? Shiny things distract me!
But after reading - OK, not exactly. A friend of mine stood in the middle of our hotel room and read aloud the preface. I had an open mind here, people. I DID.
And then I realized I had heard this story before.
No, not Hunger Games. I'm taking it way old school. This book was straight up Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. You know, the book Dickens was paid to write by word so it has endless comparisons and metaphors and ... Yeah. So, in the honor of that form of story-telling, here is my review:
It was the worst of books. It was the best of - No, wait. I'm lying.
Let's try this again:
It was confusing, silly, infantile, juvenile (and not in the fun YA-way), wordy, pompous, perplexing, arrogant, bewildering, hopeless, hopeful, brave, weak, and uninspiring.
It is the book that makes me want to forget the English language.
Or any language.
This is a story - one you may have heard before - that has been told better.
But that is all right. Because you will persevere. You will embrace this book and all it holds because you are strong, fearless, timid, scared, blessed, cursed, loved, hated, and-
Seriously. Is anyone still reading this review?
*crickets*
I do urge you to read the prologue/preface/whatever. It will be 3 of the funniest pages you've ever read.
But then run - do not walk - away.
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Anyways.
In a lot of ways, this book was good. Great even. But why only 3 stars?
1. I hate stupid love triangles. The end of the world is coming and you get to think about boys? Or girls? I just don't get why it has to be there.
2. It dragged too long on
Finally, I was able to finish this huge book! It wasn't because it wasn't good, but it was because of the lack of time I have reading this January. Which sucked so bad. I am upset that I couldn't even sit on a book for an hour, or even 30 minutes.Anyways.
In a lot of ways, this book was good. Great even. But why only 3 stars?
1. I hate stupid love triangles. The end of the world is coming and you get to think about boys? Or girls? I just don't get why it has to be there.
2. It dragged too long on some parts while cutting off on some.
3. Too many damn characters.
Inspite of a the annoying stuff in this book, I still felt it was good for the most part, most especially the interactivity that the readers experience while reading the book. It was phenomenal. I wish more books were like this.
A lot of people compare it to the hunger games, let me assure you that this book is nothing like the hunger games. There would be similarities, but not as much as people fear it would be. It's not even a big big similarity, just numbers. To be honest, this is not even a dystopian book. It is what is going on before, the world becomes a dystopian book. And this book thoroughly explains how and what is happening. It doesn't let the readers guess what the fuck happened with the world. It lets you in on the secret bit by bit. The world building was just great. I loved it. It was brutal. Lots of the encounters the players had with each other were freakin' brutal. This book is more for older readers I think.
This book is definitely not for everyone. Especially how this book is told, would piss off a lot of the readers. There are a lot of POVs on the third person which could cause confusion at times, but I was good with it. I felt it was necessary.
Soooo. That's all for now. I wish I get my laptop back soon so I could write a more detailed review.
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I read the first chapter of this novel on a whim when the cover was revealed this morning and it made me cringe something fierce. Some choice quotes:
Marcus Loxias Megalos is bored. He cannot remember a time before the boredom. School is boring. Girls are boring. Football is boring. Especially when his team, his favorite team, Fenerbahçe, is losing, as they are now, to Manisaspor.
The first paragraph, ladies and gentlemen. Looks like it'll be well-written, right? Not all tell and stupid shit? No wait, I have it backwards.
Marcus wears baggy black gym shorts and is shirtless. His 24 ribs show through his tanned skin. His arms are sinewy and hard. His breathing is easy. His stomach is taut and his hair is close-cropped and black and his eyes are green.
Really? He has 24 ribs? Scintillating information! Moreover, this is a hilariously sloppy description of a character written in stilted sentences and run-ons.
He smiles. Marcus has trained all of his life for this moment. When he wasn't training, he was dreaming of the Calling. All the visions of destruction that his teenage mind concocted could not touch what Marcus has witnessed tonight. A meteor destroying a soccer stadium and killing 50,000 people. The legends said it would be a grand announcement. For once, the legends have become a beautiful reality.
...A meteor?
Also, some telling wording from the New York Times' short announcement/article about the deal for this novel:
The publisher announced Wednesday that Frey's production company, Full Fathom Five, will turn out three novels and nine novellas.
His production company, Full Fathom Five. Not him. He's still making others do his work and keeping the money for himself.
I hate this book and hope it doesn't get coverage on many book blogs even if 99% of the ones covering it are saying it's a shitty book and people shouldn't read it. That would just fuel sales/publicity. Not quite the same to vent about it on Goodreads.
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This book has been compared to The Hunger Games as though it is a forgery of the legendary dystopian tale. I don't see it. There are factors that link the two, with the main one being the sacrificing of teenagers for the good of the world, but enough about the books are dissimilar to lead this to being a drastically different read.
Twelve players from twelve ancient family lines compete in one puzzle to save themselves from the impending destruction of the world. Alliances are made and bonds are formed but the twelve know that, ultimately, there can only be one winner. Clues and keys to deciphering the cryptic puzzle that will save them are strewn across the globe and the reader is invited into the intrigue and excitement as well-known geography and historical fact is incorporated in amongst the fiction of the tale.
And this is just once facet of the book that actively employs the reader in the tale. A real-world puzzle is also set out with a $500,000 prize for the winner, a mobile game has been made, and a stream of webpages created to involve the reader further into Endgame. The interactive elements of this book are what makes it such an exciting and innovative read.
The actual story is just as intoxicating! It is a whirlwind of insanity, action and riddles. Misleading clues and misguided attempts at conquering the puzzle make the plot's trajectory constantly unguessable and the cryptograms and conundrums were, at least for me, unsolvable.
My only negative was the sensational form of writing that tended to get a little irritating after long periods of reading. However, my enjoyment of every other element of this far outweighed my one small gripe and makes me eager and excited to read the next instalment.
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Well, in this case, really there was no need to separate the author from the book because this book was just the worst. Congratulations, Endgame: The Calling. You get the award for being my first DNF book of 2014.
I think the main problem I had with Endgame is that there are
Before you all go yelling about it in comments, yes, I know about the FFF/James Frey thing. I thought I'd still give this book a go, because I like to separate the author from the book. I did the same thing with Ender's Game.Well, in this case, really there was no need to separate the author from the book because this book was just the worst. Congratulations, Endgame: The Calling. You get the award for being my first DNF book of 2014.
I think the main problem I had with Endgame is that there are way too many points of view. Twelve is just ridiculous, and the author is really just unable to handle them all adequately. Frey switches too quickly between the povs for the reader to really be able to connect with any of them, especially because the characters are so poorly developed.
The entire premise didn't really make sense to me. I feel like things should have been explained in a bit more detail or something, because the whole "twelve lines of humanity" and each having one member to "fight" for the survival of the line? Um, whut. Please explain how, when, why.
The writing itself is pretty poor quality as well. It has a feeling of almost being more of a script than a novel- it's very overt in stating everything, with complete disregard of the classic "show don't tell". The dialogue seems pretty cliched and cheesy at times, and the plot is very chaotic.
Minor point that annoyed me nonetheless: there's an Australian character, and that character would say "mate" at the end of every phrase. STAHP IT.
Well, shaky premise, terrible world building and poor handling of multiple points of view- I'm certainly not continuing on with this series.
DNF at page 211, i.e. 45%
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I'm fucking shocked; a few years ago I read A Million Little Pieces and absolutely hated it. Wasn't surprised when I found out that "memoir" was all a lie. Now this book is in the process of being released when it's a rip off of the Hunger Games when that's a rip off of Battle Royale... My head hurts.
I'm fucking shocked; a few years ago I read A Million Little Pieces and absolutely hated it. Wasn't surprised when I found out that "memoir" was all a lie. Now this book is in the process of being released when it's a rip off of the Hunger Games when that's a rip off of Battle Royale... My head hurts.
Don't fucking call this a rip-off or a knockoff-read of The Hunger Games or else I'll seriously punch you. Okay, I'm not making a threat here, haha, I'm just kidding. But really, the haters need to back off. Just because the summary makes it sound like there's a game and in order for there to be one winner, everyone has to die, THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, OKAY? This book was honestly fucking amazing—and here i
This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!Don't fucking call this a rip-off or a knockoff-read of The Hunger Games or else I'll seriously punch you. Okay, I'm not making a threat here, haha, I'm just kidding. But really, the haters need to back off. Just because the summary makes it sound like there's a game and in order for there to be one winner, everyone has to die, THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, OKAY? This book was honestly fucking amazing—and here is a long list of reasons why this isn't like THG in any way:
1. This doesn't have ONE protagonist—there's many protagonists, basically one per every Player.
Basically, we don't have a Katniss Everdeen here. There are so many characters here who we get a least a few chapters of thoughts of to really get to know them. It was actually really easy to remember who they were because Frey and Johnson-Shelton created such memorable characters.
2. This wasn't your average dystopian world where everyone's poor and there's Factions or Districts or whatever.
In a way, this is like a present-based atmosphere with the Endgame there to balance the population. In fact for Sarah, she was at her graduating ceremony when the meteor hit, so like, yes this was very believable. Piano lessons and soccer and high school were a thing in this book.
3. It wasn't all about killing everyone and being the last one left.
Here, you have to find the Earth Key and the Sky Key and the keys in order to achieve your winning. And if you die, it's not only your soul that dies—it's every single person in your bloodline. Imagine if you were part of the biggest bloodline in the world and something happens…
And yes, those are just some of the ways how it differs. But it's a completely different novel and I just want to throw my head against the nearest wall when I see people hating on it. Endgame was such a racing and captivating novel that I devoured in one sitting, remembering that it's such a long book.
You see, you'd think that the key idea of this would be really difficult to understand as there's many POVs and locations and everything—but this was my kind of novel. There're puzzles and mysteries and after finishing it, I feel so dumb, especially since there's some repetition pattern and puzzle that the authors want the public to solve for a grand prize of $500,000. Like really, how amazing is that?
So every once in a while when the population is too high for the world to hold or when there's too much war, the Endgame begins. You don't know when, and you never expect it to happen, but there's always people training and getting ready. You're eligible when you're ages 13 to in your twenties, and after that, you can go on with your life living normally. All 12 Players never saw it coming, but they were chosen randomly. There are 12 different bloodlines in the world, and each Player comes from one of them. Die or lose the Endgame, your entire bloodline dies as well. It's as simple as that. And all you need to do is search the world, looking for the keys and solve the puzzle.
"He has a new friend. The beautiful Player of the 233rd. A new friend. Maybe more."
It's been a little over a week since I finished this (as I'm writing this review) and I still can't get my thoughts together. As I'm seeing my friends in school, I feel like all I'm talking about is this book and how they should read it. I even heard that a MOVIE may be coming out for this one? It's already got so much fame in such little time, and I'm clapping my hands rapidly as I feel so proud for that matter hehe.
Okay—so this is such a kick-ass story.You have 12 teenagers who basically get to travel the world to win a game, wherever they'd like to. They all come from different races, countries, cultures, and they meet in China where everything begins. I guess you can say that they all have their own special talents—there's even a bomb maker. Now you can really realize and accept the fact that your talent can help you. ;)
It was so amazing because as you're in the middle half of the book, you sincerely realize that someone will get the Earth Key and you're wondering who it'll be… And the theories begin sprouting up in your mind. I KIND OF SAW IT COMING BUT THEN IT WAS LIKE THEY STOLE IT. They basically ran and grabbed it from someone who sincerely needed it and then they killed that person. AND I LOVED THAT PERSON!
After I finished reading, I originally thought of this to be a 4.5 star rating for me as there were some dull moments in the middle, but then I thought about how the ending made up for it and how much I really adored and became obsessed with the book. This is probably going to be one of the best books of the year coming from me.
My favourite character was Chiyoko. She was so kick-ass and worked so well on her own, not needing Sarah or some other guy with her. (BUT HER LOVE WITH AN-LIU, THOUGH!) Really, Frey and Johnson-Shelton both created amazing character-development and even KILLED OFF SUCH AMAZING CHARACTERS LIKE IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. But that's a little better, because we never saw it coming, unlike THG.
"As she says that, a part of Sarah hopes it isn't true. She hopes this is just a wild teenage whim and that she's no actually falling for Jago. Falling in love with a rival would be about the worst thing that could happen. But then they kiss. And kiss. And kiss. And Sarah forgets."
AHH OMG SARAH AND JAGO WERE SO CUTE. And remember that checking scene and Sarah blushing and wanting to see more? I began fanning myself. Too bad she had an obsessive addicted psychopath guy at her shoulders stalking her because she left him for good and he loves her too much. Some people have to let go, no?
So this book was perfect and gorgeous and fast-paced and I was left shocked at the end of every chapter. Frey and Johnson-Shelton are such amazing writers, and I'd pay a million dollars to get a peek at the sequel, because I just can't wait. 2015 is going to be an amazing year for great books, I can already tell. I'LL BE AT THE MOVIE PREMIERE ON THE RED CARPET, PEOPLE.
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Rating: 5/5 Stars.
Synopsis: for readers of Battle Royal type books (The Hunger Games) and lover of world stories with a diverse cast (sense8.) Endgame tells the story of children aged from 13 to 18, charged with the heavy purpose of choosing the fate of Humanity as we know it. All of them are legacies of the 'original' lines, raised in certain traditions and beliefs. Some hoped for the Endgame, others dreaded a
"Endgame is the reason of life, the reason of death. Play on, what will be, will be."Rating: 5/5 Stars.
Synopsis: for readers of Battle Royal type books (The Hunger Games) and lover of world stories with a diverse cast (sense8.) Endgame tells the story of children aged from 13 to 18, charged with the heavy purpose of choosing the fate of Humanity as we know it. All of them are legacies of the 'original' lines, raised in certain traditions and beliefs. Some hoped for the Endgame, others dreaded and denied its existence. But after a meteor shower, Endgame is announced and the children must unravel the Keys that will save one line of humanity, while all of the others, including the remaining players, will die.
"-Why do we believe in these figures -the Christ, Mohamed, Budha- when we have seen the true forces that shape life and knowledge?
-Because we believe one person can make a difference."
Review: I was surprised when I added this book to my Goodreads account because it wasn't as popular as I thought it was. I've read it at first in my native language when I was 15, and it was very popular in France for some reason, quite as popular if I dare say, as Divergent.
The problem when you read a book as a child out of pure enjoyment, you dread the time when you'd come back to this book, desperately hoping that it feels you with the same emotions as it once did. Which is why it took me so long to get back into this book, but I've read it twice now, and I can assure you, that Endgame is pure genius.
The idea is fantastic, forcing a group of children raised from all over the world, so different from one another, to connect, to love, to loathe, to die, by each other's side... It reminded me of The Hunger Games, but less focused on the politics and more of the religion, and of what was at the core of our existence.
The characters are well-crafted, there's no real main character in this story, no character that feels more important than the next, anyone could die at any given point, which keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. The fear that we all have when we read a book with more than 10+ characters is that some will be neglected and won't have an interesting character arc because they're just here to 'fill some space' or because they're useful during 'one key plot point.' But Endgame #1 keeps its promises and offers not only a great and diverse cast of characters but also unbelievable character development. The first time I read it, I was shocked at some decision because they seemed out of character, but as I read it for the second time, I could see them evolving, growing up.
I feel like I need to mention the fact that you don't get the character who's overly dramatic and emotional about everything, who's like 'but I need to save this one person no matter the consequences.' Yes, that character who makes you roll your eyes until they get stuck on the ceiling, they're not here. In this book, every character thinks twice before doing anything, thinking about the pros and cons, is it really worth it? Is the end worth the meaning? We are gifted with a cast of trained assassins and scholars, and it feels like they truly are as smart and mature as they appear. So yesss please??? Give me more introspective characters???
The writing is minimalist, analytical borderline clinical which completely fits the story because I assume that this story follows the POV of the people behind Endgame as they watch it unfold.
In overall, if you're looking for a strong story, with strong character and incredible foreshadowing, Endgame is the story for you.
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Edited@10/02/2016:
I found out the questionable things James Frey and his infamous publish house had done in the past (including but not limited to publishing I Am Number. 4, which is a huge crime in my eyes), so no, I'm not going to read it. No need to read a Hunger Games clone.
The Chinese translation is out there, to read or not to read?Edited@10/02/2016:
I found out the questionable things James Frey and his infamous publish house had done in the past (including but not limited to publishing I Am Number. 4, which is a huge crime in my eyes), so no, I'm not going to read it. No need to read a Hunger Games clone.
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REVIEW TIME!
"This is Endgame, bitch. Best get used to it."
Oh, ma
First of all, a big thank you to my lovely boyfriend Matt for picking this book out and for being willing to read it with me. Being able to hear your thoughts as you read, seeing who you liked first hand as I formed my own opinions and finishing the book within ten minutes of you just proves all over again that I'm lucky to have found you. Thank you for being willing to put up with my craziness and doing a buddy read with me. (:REVIEW TIME!
"This is Endgame, bitch. Best get used to it."
Oh, man. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Despite there being periods of time I didn't touch it at all, picking it back up I was always thoroughly immersed in the story and the characters and everything else that was going on. This one hooked me from the first page and kept me hooked until the very end.
Given the premise and everything, I definitely anticipated enjoying this book, but I didn't realize how much I would enjoy it.
One qualm I'd have, given the premise, is that there really wasn't enough death. Albeit, the deaths that did occur were quite brutal and I felt like that was true to the aim of the book, but I'm anticipating a lot more death in the future books or I'll be quite sad.... sounds weird, I know. But it's a book about the impending doom of the planet and I can count the number of deaths we witnessed on one hand- aside from one exception.
I don't want to give too much away because this book was like a puzzle at times and I loved being fed little bits of information at a time. It really did make me want to continue reading. I absolutely cannot wait to pick the next book in this series up!!
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I loved Christopher a lot! And it made me sad he had to go that way...
Chiyoko - the silent one - was my favorite female in this book. I would've never guessed she would fall in love...
Kala's death was like a knife in the back. I wanted her to continue the game. But those stupid boys (Baitsakhan and Maccabee Adlai) ruined everything.
I hope Sarah and Jago end up together. Just l This book was different. I've never read a book like this one and it's been a blessing to read something so original.
I loved Christopher a lot! And it made me sad he had to go that way...
Chiyoko - the silent one - was my favorite female in this book. I would've never guessed she would fall in love...
Kala's death was like a knife in the back. I wanted her to continue the game. But those stupid boys (Baitsakhan and Maccabee Adlai) ruined everything.
I hope Sarah and Jago end up together. Just like Katniss and Peeta (which seems quite impossible).
I have a feeling Shari will be the most important character in the second book of this series. Which I can't wait to read!
Until then, "what will be, will be". ...more
Endgame is one of Harper's biggest titles of the year, but it's also a novel by James Frey (a.k.a. that guy who lied to Oprah and capitalized off his deceit). I didn't want to support Frey due to his Fiction Factory, but I decided to give this book a shot because I was curious. Endgame appeared to be a derivative of The Hunger Games but I discovered few similarities once I actually began reading. I read 60 pages of Endgame and it was incredibly repetitive, poorly written a Seen at Bookish Antics!
Endgame is one of Harper's biggest titles of the year, but it's also a novel by James Frey (a.k.a. that guy who lied to Oprah and capitalized off his deceit). I didn't want to support Frey due to his Fiction Factory, but I decided to give this book a shot because I was curious. Endgame appeared to be a derivative of The Hunger Games but I discovered few similarities once I actually began reading. I read 60 pages of Endgame and it was incredibly repetitive, poorly written and there were way too many point-of-views. In about 60 pages, I read the same event multiple times from over 5 point of views — most of which blended together in my mind. In addition, the writing in this book is extremely choppy and a decent amount of the sentences are run-ons. I can't bear to read over 400 pages of this non-sense and I'd definitely recommend skipping this one.
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Also, I just enjoy anything James Frey writes...regardless of controversy...he's a very talented writer.
I haven't been this excited about a book since the last Harry Potter novel was announced. I love the concept and the fact that it involves a real prize/treasure. Love the style and the different characters.Also, I just enjoy anything James Frey writes...regardless of controversy...he's a very talented writer.
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The story itself is actually quite simple. There are 12 players belonging to 12 different lines (each line has its own name, sign and history, which makes it even more interesting) of humankind (some sort of ancient tribes) in a game that takes place just before the end of the world, and the player who manages to win the game is the one whose line survives the apocalypse. The game is managed and supervised by those who created us, the Anunnaki; they are the ones who helped us build all our civilization, those who decided when to push the button and bring humanity back to square one and also those who determine when the game takes place and what the rules are. The 12 players are between 13 and 20 years old, and they have been trained all their life (short life in some cases) for the purpose of winning Endgame and for the survival of their line.
A little bit about the personal opinions now… It is very interesting to see the psychology behind each of the 12 characters. Unfortunately, in this first volume not all the characters were equally well-developed, this leading to the reader liking someone more just because maybe someone else wasn't given enough space and time to grow in this book and will do so in the next one maybe. This was a disadvantage from my point of view, but I can also understand that it is hard to develop equally 12 characters and give them all subtle nuances. The plot is also also exciting because when you come to think about it our characters are basically children or teenagers that have been trained their whole life to survive a pretty murderous game and saving their line (a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, if you ask me); and there will always be a moment in the book when their childish/teenager nature will surface and despite their maturity they will make reckless choices.
I really enjoyed this book, even if it is quite an easy read (you can finish it in a couple of hours) and maybe the idea is not the most original ever but I still decided to give it 4 stars : because the action is nicely built, there are some notably awesome characters, it's definitely a page turner and even if some parts are predictable there is still a lot of unknown stuff going on there. I would recommend it if you're into young-adult literature and also if you're a fan of dystopia, but I believe that anyone can actually read this book and enjoy it and it is a nice break from really complicated literature.
For a full review: http://chapter26.net/2016/08/30/the-c...
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I was happy to see that this book is actually told as a fictional story surrounding 12 individuals from around the world, who have all been trained to participate in the Endgame whic This book was quite an adventure around the world! When I first received the book, I didn't know what to think of this concept: The reader is told to read "Endgame" and then participate in the international search for the gold. What gold? I was a little bit confused but also intrigued to see what this was all about.
I was happy to see that this book is actually told as a fictional story surrounding 12 individuals from around the world, who have all been trained to participate in the Endgame which will conclude in the end of the world. We follow these individuals and their search, and we get some hints along the way as to how to solve the big mystery (I didn't get any of the hints, though - I'm so bad at these kinds of things :-) ).
I liked this original concept, even though I wasn't really an active participant myself. I enjoyed reading about the adventure and following the characters around the world. This was an enjoyable read, but to me it wasn't anything spectacular; both when it comes to the writing and the story itself - therefore my rating. ...more
For those who may ask why.
Edit:
Haha, a few disgruntled trolls decided to message me on how I can't judge a novel from where it's published. Screw that. So I decided to take initiative and read the first chapter and good grief, my eyes. I swear that my Harry Potter fan fiction has better writing that this.
"Marcus Loxias Megalos is bored. He cannot reI shall never ever touch this book in my life, and will advice my school librarian to do so as well. (The single star is simply for shit and giggles)
For those who may ask why.
Edit:
Haha, a few disgruntled trolls decided to message me on how I can't judge a novel from where it's published. Screw that. So I decided to take initiative and read the first chapter and good grief, my eyes. I swear that my Harry Potter fan fiction has better writing that this.
"Marcus Loxias Megalos is bored. He cannot remember a time before the boredom. School is boring. Girls are boring. Football is boring."See here, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. This is the opening sentence of the novel. Note the spectacular eloquence as the coauthors convey Marcus' feelings. Such marvellous writing; compared, Catherynne M. Valente has plenty to catch up on terms of prose.
"Marcus wears baggy black gym shorts and is shirtless. His 24 ribs show through his tanned skin. His arms are sinewy and hard. His breathing is easy. His stomach is taut and his hair is close-cropped and black and his eyes are green. A bead of sweat rolls down the tip of his nose. All of Istanbul simmers on this night, and Marcus is no different."Ooh, is that what I think it is? Why, I must be mistaken! Surely the authors couldn't have conformed to using the pseudo-literary device of going against "show, don't tell" at such an early stage of the chapter, let alone novel? (This is the third paragraph.) Well, I suppose showing is a technique rarely employed by brilliant writers nowadays, or heaven forbid, expected. I must have words with my 7th grade English teacher.
"But immediately afterward in terror and confusion—deep, true, and profound terror and confusion"Clever of the authors to correctly guess I didn't catch 'terror and confusion' the first time.
"Unlike Odysseus, war will never find Marcus. There will be no grand journey.... He holds a 9,000-year-old knife, made of a single piece of bronze forged in the fires of Knossos..."Grand allusions to Greek mythology! How terribly well-read the authors must be, as they reveal their exemplary knowledge to us, the mere
(view spoiler)[ "For once, the legends have become a beautiful reality." Okay, fuck you so hard, James Frey of the literary fiction sweatshops. How dare you compare the goddamn epic of The Iliad/The Odyssey to the plot of your shitty rip off from The 39 Clues Set and The Hunger Games. With inexplicably, aliens. The Odyssey is about base human emotions, not heroic ideals. Odysseus of metis is beautifully complex. He is most definitely not a pathetic boy that lies around watching television, poorly written as a cardboard caricature attempted to represent "the villain" archetype. (hide spoiler)]
"He has slept with it under his pillow since he was six. He has killed chickens, rats, dogs, cats, pigs, horses, hawks, and lambs with it. He has killed 11 people with it. He is 16, in his prime for Playing."Lists, I'm sure as you know, are proofs of flawless prose. Why, I can just feel the angst and terribly deep anger inside Marcus. I'm sure that he'll make the ultimate love interest for those female heroines in YA supernatural novels.
Yep, and that's chapter one. Reading anymore would most likely result in either tossing myself out of the window or the novel itself. Because, you know, it's just so so terribly good and I am unworthy of reading another chapter, let alone having the novel within a one mile radius. How awfully sad that would be.
God. It seems my storage of sarcasm has ran out for the day. *goes off to write fan fiction*
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i hate to compare novels with other novels, but i couldn't help but think of it like the hunger games. the plot is something along the lines of: twelve teenage representatives fight to the death in an epic end-of-the-world type of games. the circumstances are different, but the main gist of things are the similar.
the story is told from an omniscient (kinda) third-person
reading this book was slow and slightly painful. it wasn't the worst book i've ever read, but it most certainly wasn't the best.i hate to compare novels with other novels, but i couldn't help but think of it like the hunger games. the plot is something along the lines of: twelve teenage representatives fight to the death in an epic end-of-the-world type of games. the circumstances are different, but the main gist of things are the similar.
the story is told from an omniscient (kinda) third-person pov. at the start of every chapter, it'll tell you who's pov you'll be viewing from. it would be weird because there would be some chapters where you would feel omniscient, but others it would feel like third-person. it was awfully confusing to me because it would seem like the story was more focused on the plot, and not a certain character. however, in the end it still seemed focused on a character.. sorta. um… what?
i liked how the characters were diverse and distinct. each player was from a "line" in history, so they were all from different races and places. (rhyming~) it made me curious about history and how our civilizations were built. we travel the globe, stopping at places that aren't popular in books, which i enjoyed.
however, i couldn't connect with any of the characters. the players of the game were heartless, sadistic, irrational, and sometimes annoying. it wasn't until the last two pages that there was some emotion shown through. before that, i was convinced the feelings were fleeting, or they were trying to use each other one way or another. there was also a love triangle going on.. *groan* as i mentioned earlier, it would feel like the story was focused on the plot, but randomly throughout the novel, there would an implying love triangle thrown in. the relationships were artificial and forced; i couldn't sense any chemistry between any of the characters. i think it would've been better if the romance was gone altogether. it was there, but not there.
my favorite part of the novel was the concept. although it was similar to the hunger games, the differences were clear and made it unique. there would be clues and other hints dropped throughout the novel: certain capital letters, spaces between words, symbols and photos here and there. it was interesting because it would feel like you were solving a mystery. i was hoping it would all be explained at the end, but it turns out you were supposed to figure it out yourself.
overall, i did not enjoy this book. i thought it was quite interesting at first, but it eventually got really slow and it wasn't enough to keep me going for it. the characters were unstable; the relationships were dry. i was confused on what was going on, and i didn't particularly like the writing style. i'm curious to know what happens next, but i don't think i'll actually pick up the next book.
FULL REVIEW HERE!
– alexandra
...moreJames Frey now
James Christopher Frey is an American author and entrepreneur. After battling with alcohol addiction and spending time in rehab, he wrote A Million Little Pieces which was published in 2003 in America and the following year in the UK to critical acclaim. He wrote the sequel, My Friend Leonard about life after rehab, which was published in 2005 in the US and the year after in the UK.James Frey now lives in New York with his wife, daughter and dog. He is still writing. Most recently he has published Bright Shiny Morning, and his new book The Final Testament of the Holy Bible will publish on 12 April and is available for pre-order now.
He is also one of the authors that share the pseudonym Pittacus Lore, author of the Lorien Legacies.
Books coming out of James Frey's YA book packaging company Full Fathom Five: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
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