Bethany Wiggins

Stung

Hannah Yang

When I first picked up Stung in the class library, I had high hopes. The concept was brilliant: having a mark that shows you're deadly, how the lines on the oval show what Level you are, and the idea about the importance of bees in the real world. Of course, I had read some negative reviews of the book beforehand, which made me a teeeensy bit nervous.

I really, really, really wish I didn't force myself to finish the book after reading the reviews. I don't think I've ever been more disappointed in a book.

Throughout Stung, I was confused about each scene. At some points, I didn't even know where the characters were, why they were there, etc. and that's not very impressive. Clear settings are so important for readers to understand a story, and can be very significant. In Stung, I just read about lovesick Dreyden and Fiona running around from one poorly described location to another. And speaking of our lovely protagonists!!

Cheesy romance can be fun! Yes, I know, what a miracle! You know what crosses the line? "I would rather die a thousand times at your hands than to see you captured. Even if you eat my heart. Because you already own it." Come on: no one should speak in such a disgraceful manner. Not to mention the ridiculous, idiotic, moronic, headache-inducing choices Fiona made. Oh wait.. Fotard. Because Dreyden nicknamed her Fotard. That's basically "Fiona the Retard", so I cannot possibly fathom how Fiona found Dreyden attractive.

As for characters, I think I was disappointed by Dreyden the most. From what I could tell, he could have been a very complex, well developed character. His romance with Fiona completely downgraded my view on his potential. Looking back now, I can't remember a single detail about him. It's Fiona that I can remember crystal clearly though - not because she was an incredibly well developed and likable character, but because she wasn't. Maybe "Fotard" was a fitting nickname after all.

Now, Fiona is possibly the least logical character I've encountered in my reading life. I've seen ditsy characters, downright stupid characters, but Fiona invented a whole new level of "what-even" for herself. I understand, she thinks she's 13 but she's actually a woman, she lost her memories and is confused about the new world, she's weak and innocent. That is no excuse for:
 * Fiona staring at Dreyden's lips for hours when she could have, um, escaped. She could have been free by the first few chapters (and freed us readers the horror of reading Dreyden and Fiona's love story) but nooo, of course Fiona just had to watch Dreyden sleep!
 * When you are running and hiding, clothing is important. Fashion is not. You want something that allows for easy movement, something lightweight and comfortable. Probably something black so you can slip into stealth mode whenever you feel like it. Fiona, forever a girly girl, chooses a bright pink sundress to twirl around in. 
 * Fiona doesn't seem to care about her family at all. She simply watches, terrified, as Jonah literally sacrifices himself for her in the pits. She asks to be alone after seeing her sister after who-knows-how many years. I... I'm done. I'm leaving. I'm out. Urgh.
 * She's way too dependent upon Dreyden. If Dreyden didn't love her, she would have died in the first few chapters, and Stung would be a very short book indeed. Yet, that would probably be the better option, because there was basically no reason for Fiona and Dreyden to fall in love.
 * ' "Three minutes," the doctor says over his shoulder, sounding just like a... doctor. ' *cough* Yeah, because he's a doctor. Please, someone, anyone... tell me she didn't say that.

And it's not just Fiona and Dreyden that totally grated my nerves. The governor was power hungry, which is understandable in such poor conditions, but what was the point of killing healthy people to stay in power? Jacoby? More like Jacoboo.

Overall, I honestly can't give this book anything over 1 star. It was not okay at all. I felt like screaming at the characters, ripping out my hair, and crying because of this book (and not in a good way). The only reason I made myself finish this was because I was so intrigued by the blurb. This book doesn't live up to its potential at all and I do not plan on reading the sequel or any other books in this series to come.

Katie

Good plot. Nice outcome. The lack of language surprised me!! Definitely not a norm these days, but it made the book so much more enjoyable!! Not the best book I’ve ever read (maybe needs to help the readers develop a deeper connection to the characters) but overall, it was a very good book. Can’t wait to read the sequel!!

I was mildly entertained while listening to the audio but this book - with it's typical - special-straight-white-girl-saves-the-world-while-falling-in-love coupled with the girls-must-pretend-to-be-guys-because-guys-"can't help the selves" trope - was just yawn-inducing, overdone, and disappointing.

Won't be continuing the series.

Bridget Howard

This was an action packed dystopian novel with a great plot, sweet romance, fun characters, all set in an intriguing world. To read the full review go to Dark Faerie Tales: http://darkfaerietales.com/review-stu...

Stung

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