Catherine M. (Catherine1) reviewed on 5/20/2010 + 60 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

I'm very conflicted about my opinion of this book. Did I like it? Did I hate it? I just can't tell; it seems like a bit of both. That's why I went straight down the middle with my rating.

On one hand I really liked how different this book is. I can't think of another book I've read that similar to this, so kudos to the author for originality. I was a bit confused in the beginning about high caps and vein star syndrome and was waiting for the author to explain what exactly was going on. I did, however, kind of like (though I found it frustrating) that the author didn't info dump right in the beginning and let us find out what this world was like as it came up in conversation. On the other hand, I had a real problem with Justine. I constantly found myself wishing that I could reach through the pages and strangle her. Why are you doing these things? You have horrible decision making skills! Ugh!

We meet Justine, who is a hypochondriac, while she's in a relationship with Cubby. He's everything normal she wishes she could be. There comes a moment in the book when Packard gives Justine a very unwanted reality check about her relationship with Cubby. I found every word true and I wish Justine would have eventually realized how right he was. I just have to mention something that really bothered me. I hate the name Cubby. I know it's just a nickname, but it really bothered me. I also didn't like how the story was written in first person present tense. That was weird and kept jarring me out of the story.

Justine becomes involved with Packard and his group of disillusionists and feels like she has finally found a group of friends that she really fits in with. Even though she doesn't get along with all of them equally well she understands them because on the inside they're just as messed up as she is. I liked the look we had at all the other disillusionists. I felt that we didn't really get much depth to them and wanted to know more about them.

As Justine becomes more involved she questions whether they are doing the right thing or not. As she is confronted with a criminal from her past she will have to face some tough questions. Is he the same man? Is what they did to him immoral? Are they now criminals because of their very conduct? Is Packard getting anything else out of this? I found these questions fascinating and wish we got more answers. I'm interested in seeing how it all unfolds in the rest of the trilogy.

I really liked the interaction that Justine and Packard have throughout the book. They fall into a friendship that I wish we were shown more of instead of being told about it. They also have some really nice chemistry together. Unfortunately in the back of my mind her supposed commitment to Cubby always lurked and I couldn't help but be skeezed out by her actions and her justifications for them. I didn't really blame Packard because she left the door open for him and he wasn't the one who was in a relationship with someone.

Packard was my favorite character of the whole story. He's manipulative and out for himself, but he's fascinating while he does it. I can't really blame him for seizing the opportunity presented to him for escape. On the other hand I can't really blame Justine for feeling betrayed by it and no longer wanting to be friends. I do however think she overreacted and was irritated by her refusal to listen to him. I'm not surprised that he would do anything to be free. I felt so bad for him when Justine had something happen to her by one of their marks and he couldn't go to her to see if she was ok. She didn't care enough to return his call and so he was stuck there waiting until she decided to come to him. What kind of hell that would be!

The end of this book was a huge problem for me. That's when I really started to dislike Justine. The decisions she makes and the fact that she's willing to risk all the friends she feels she fits in so well with... I just couldn't respect her. Throughout the book I felt that she was "me, me, me" but at the end she practically screamed it. She put her wants above the safety of her friends and based all this surety in her rightness off of what? I felt so bad when Packard found out that she went to that level with that guy. I'll read the next book because it's a fascinating story, but I really hope that I can find something to like about Justine before it grows too tedious to be in her head.

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