Wicked (A Wicked Trilogy Book 1)

First, the two main reasons that people are going to have issues with this book: the f-bomb and sex.Second, the reason they didn’t relatively impact my rating: the writing was flipping awesome and the characters were consenting adults.Third, the moment I fell in love with this story:“Thick lashes lowered, shielding his eyes, and then his arm shot out. He hooked his fingers through the loop in my jeans and tugged me forward. Balancing the bike with just his legs, he reached up with his other arm and curled his fingers around the nape of my neck.”How many stars do I give this? 4.9721. Because it’s been a long time since I’ve just thoroughly enjoyed a book for no other reason than it was a good read.I always find it more difficult to be critical about a story I like. The flaws versus the strengths; the originality versus the cliché. So I’m going to break it down here and try to address what I personally got out of the book.Let me start out by saying that I haven’t read anything else by Armentrout. I know, blasphemous in this day and age. But I just haven’t had a chance to get around to her—and I feel utterly ridiculous now for putting her off for so long. Additionally, I read a couple of other reviews that suggested this novel was very similar to some other novels out there (The Guardian series and Never-something). I have not read either of these series, so I cannot comment on them. But I will address some of the “tropes” and clichés involved here, so hopefully that will cover that area. Finally, this is an NA (New Adult) novel and I’ll mention some of the things that go along with that.But let’s begin with The Moving And Raunchy Writing.What I enjoyed personally:The easy to read flow of the writing. I felt that the quality was very high and it shows through in how quick a read it was, but also in how easy it was to follow. I think there was one paragraph in the whole book that I had to read twice because it wasn’t very clear. One paragraph in a 300 page book. That’s pretty not bad. I never felt like Armentrout was simply repeating herself or using the same darn words over and over again. It was nice because it means she trusted the reader enough to follow along, rather than beat me over the head with an Info Stick. I also felt that Ivy as a POV was very consistent and I was never just left feeling as though she had a “weird moment” of not being very Ivy-like. That’s important for me. Writing should be—and was—consistent.What I felt was a little questionable:Occasionally, I grew tired of the descriptions. (But not really.) Sometimes I would just read a really intense section—and then there would be a description of the building that I SO did not care for. Not because it wasn’t good, but because it was so hot and intense like two seconds ago and now we’re talking about a house. This happened a couple of times, but not frequently enough that I got irritated with the book. It was just that the writing was so charged that once or twice it was jarring to move from heavy emotion to “this is where they’re standing, isn’t it pretty?” But that’s really my only qualm with the writing. Yes, there was cursing. Yes, there was explicitly sexual scenes (though I would call them “steamy” not “erotica” but some won’t make that distinction). But overall, I didn’t have any real issues with the quality of writing.Moving on to The Nothing’s New Under The Sun Story.What I liked:That Ivy was a fae hunting, independent, save herself, badass. Not that she never got any help, but she did the helping as much as being helped and that’s important. I’ve seen too many stories where the heroine starts off badass, then meets the guy and becomes this wishy-washing piece of used tissue. Um, no. But Ivy stayed strong throughout, even when she needed help at times. I also liked the use of setting. I really felt the heat and humidity, the textures, the sense of New Orleans. It was just a backdrop, so it didn’t overpower the story (which made it a little muted), but it was very effective for where they were, what was going on, and the feelings that were swirling in the air. I liked that there was a little guessing involved in who was good and who was bad. There were enough options for who was the bad guy, that you weren’t sure who it was—even if you had a good guess. And, I’m sorry, but I LOVED the romance. I thought it was hot and actually kind of legitimate. Insta-lust, yes, but not insta-love and I’m okay with that. Lust is normal; love takes time. I appreciated that it took a month before anything real actually set in between them. Also, I liked that the fae were the bad guys. I’m glad that they stayed the bad guys. And I liked that Ivy didn’t falter in her quest to destroy them.What I didn’t like:The ending. And let me clarify, I liked the ending. I liked how it was done, the questions it left, and the turmoil of emotions resulting. But I didn’t like that I guessed it very early on. And I didn’t like that it changed Ivy’s character a little there. I felt that it was too obvious and a little overused in novels these days (even though I often enjoy it in stories, tropey though it may be). I appreciated how Armentrout led the reader around, trying to disguise what was the what, but I kind of wished it hadn’t went down like that. (I’m being vague, I know, but I’m trying to keep this spoiler free.) Additionally, I got a tiny, teensy bit annoyed with her past boyfriend troubles. BUT ONLY A LITTLE. I say that, because I know that some readers were finding Ivy’s lack of boy experience unrealistic. I’m just saying, such is not the case. She didn’t say that she didn’t ever have sex, but rather that she didn’t have a lot of experience with it. Which was realistic, because she only had the one boyfriend. And she was young. Since she wouldn’t let herself get close after that, I didn’t have a problem with this trope used in the story. But it got a little annoying just because she was really hung up on Shaun and then he seemed to fade rather quickly. So I think that some people will have maybe a bigger issue with this than I did.Next, Le Characters.What was good:Ivy’s growth. It was slow, stubborn and sometimes made you beat your head against the wall, but it happened. Eventually. And you appreciated it more for that, because that’s how people are. It isn’t instantaneous, but rather a true struggle. I also appreciated that she was strong, but not impossibly or unmovingly so. She was just doing her best and sometimes she fell short in that endeavor.Tink’s sugar highs. Because he’s a funny little thing—and he had a decent amount of development, too!What was bad:Ren’s lack of development. It wasn’t that he was an undeveloped character so much as an unchanging one, in all fairness. With Ivy, we saw things shift and change. Maybe not a grand change, but it was there. With Ren, however, he was pretty much the same throughout. We learned more about him, but it didn’t affect him as a character in the sense that it brought out no real growth.David as a leader. Sometimes, I felt like he was the “Absentee Parent” trope in YA novels. “Well, we need a parent there, but if they interfere too much there’s no story!” It’s a fairly common thing and I understand why, but it annoyed me here because he was a boss not a parent and Ivy should have gotten into a lot more trouble than she did. I would have preferred he was basically “on a business trip” than present but seemed to have no bite or real control over those within his sect.Finally, a section for Tropes and Other Much Hated Things:Alright, there’s this Sexually Innocent main girl who Falls For Bad Boy and lets him trigger her Sexual Awakening. Yeah, that’s pretty par for the course as far as both NA and YA. Then we have the I’ve Been Hurt Before problem and the Why Do You Love Me? clause. Additionally, there’s the Because You’re So Incredibly Sexy moment coupled with the Am I? I’ve Never Thought Of Myself That Way! I’m So Plain! amendment. Finally, we reach the He Keeps Coming Back and Is So Patient motif, leading to an unrealistic He Worms His Way Into My Heart make-up.And that doesn’t even cover the ending. But you’ll just have to read and accept that one.Are these tropes a little clichéd and annoying? Yeah, they are. But do they work for the purposes of this story? Yes, they do. Are they addicting? Of course, why else would they keep showing up? Could this story have been told in a more engaging way without them? Maybe. But maybe not.I suppose what I’m saying is that this story is not without a certain formulaic response to the other writing that’s out there in these genres (or “age ranges” if you don’t like calling YA/NA genres). But that doesn’t mean that the story isn’t good or worth reading. I would say that if you’ve read a lot recently with this type of formula, then I encourage you to read something else for a little while before venturing forth on this one. That way, you can give it an honest chance and accept it for what it is:An excellent romp, a pretty engaging story, and a little clichéd.Would I recommend this? Yes—if you like YA, but don’t mind sex, because that’s how this reads. A YA novel with sex. But it’s okay, because they’re in their early twenties.

I have never not enjoyed a JLA book that I have picked up. However, I also try not to pick them up when all of the hype flares up and I stick to her paranormal/supernatural books. Admittedly I picked this one up because the hype for Torn was in the air, and it was on sale. That doesn't mean that I didn't want to sooner, but more it just felt like the right time. This YA read was just what I needed when I picked it up. I guess it's more upper YA, with a little light NA flare. OH, yes this book has something a little different and I enjoyed the ride. Okay, so along with hiding from the hype and not reading the raving reviews, I actually had no idea that this book was about the Fae. Yup... Totally for whatever reason thought Vampires. Not that there is anything wrong with Vampires but it's more I read by what I feel fits at that time and Vamps just weren't it. So when I picked up Wicked and figured out it was about Fae, I was so believably in. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, the pacing... Well, I loved the pacing once it really took off. I had a slower start, despite the fact that the book picked up in action really quickly. I also loved the vibrant setting. It was depicted wonderfully, without going over board and drowning its beauty. By the last page I found that this was a marvellously balanced book. Ivy was not a damsel in distress by any means. She's lost everyone that she loved and spent her life fighting for those she lost. At times I found it a little monotonous, a little predictable. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but I did pick up on this a couple of times. What made me enjoy her was, her snark, her consistency and her strength. Ivy was not a naive little girl or an overly hormonal teenager. She had lived her life training to fight like many others, yet she did work for more. Ivy is focused on her 'job' but wants more in her life and I admired that greatly. She was an anomaly in some ways, and this is what made her original and fun to read. Confusing take I know but I honestly don't know how else to describe Ivy... I think the secondary characters were spectacularly done. Everyone. It's so easy to love Val and Ren. Val because she is quirky, has no filter and is the kind of person you have as you best friend without hesitation. She is not as big of a part of the book as I would have liked, but she definitely added her own something to the pages. Ren was your typical save the day, I'm top secret but will share with you kind of guy. However, I did enjoy what he brought to the table. He did kick up the steam factor and brought a little extra snark and flare into Ivy's life. He was also a lot different than I expected from start to finish. Wicked is not a book that will ride quietly into the night. No it has loudly demanded that I find a way to get a physical copy in my hands, and one of its newest partner Torn. For me Wicked lived up to the hype that was risen because of it (though I didn't read any reviews just saw it everywhere). I will look more into these books and continue to pick them up well after their release date because I think it gives me the chance to enjoy it for my own reasons, not the reason everyone else did or have it flop because of too much hype.

Loved this book 👍

This started a bit slow, but ended up being really awesome. I fell in love with Ivy and Ren and Tink, with the story and unsurprisingly with JLA (again).Ivy isn't a character for everyone. She makes stupid decisions, doesn't really want help from anyone, but it's what, for me, made her endearing. You can feel how hurt she is.I thought all the characters had really good chemistry and this book worked very well.You can see the cliffhanger coming from the beginning, but like with FBAA and the Dark Elements, it's not really a big deal and doesn't impact the story in any way. It's kind of funny seeing the characters so clueless when you know what's coming.Will definitely pick up the rest of the series

Oh my goodness! I'm so in love with Jennifer L. Armentrout's book! Wicked is such an amazing book! It's about Ivy, who is part of the Order and fights non-human creators to safe the world. When Ren becomes her hunting partner nothing is the same anymore and life gets more complicated. Both of them have secrets, but both of them want to get closer to one another. And something bad is happening and the world is in danger.I was blown away by this book! Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing style is something else. Everything is so realistic. Lots of things her characters say are sassy and sarcastic, and that's something I really like. It feels so real, even though it is a fantasy book. I don't even know what to write. I'm kind of mesmerized. You can't stop reading once you started.Ivy is such a badass girl. She fights for what is important and fights for the people she loves. For me she was such a real character. She made my heart break and laugh. I wanted to hug her and hit her. I just got all feelings reading this book. When Ren entered the book, he caught my heart within seconds. Every girl should have a Ren in her live. He is caring and accepts Ivy as she is. I was amazed how caring he was towards women. He didn't push anything and told Ivy exactly what he wanted. He accepted her decisions and fought for her. Oh, he is such an amazing character! Tink, the little brownie, is the most hilarious character in this book. His love for Ivy is endless and he wants to keep her safe even though he can't really do anything, because he is just too small. I can't wait for him in the other books!I don't know what to write about this book. All I can say is that I love it with all my heart and enjoyed it so much. I wanted to read a good fantasy book for a long time now and I haven't found one for a long time. And now finally, I've found a good book again! I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the next one! What a wonderful story.

I loved everything about this book!Ivy is an amazing character - she is a tough chick but at the same time wants to be more than a hunter. She wants to do more with her life. She has a big heart that gets her into trouble but she tries to keep it closed off from everyone else. She can't lose anyone else that she loves. She's also sassy and funny. I loved her inner-thoughts!Ren - the sexy, hot alpha. Oh how this man went from annoying to swoon worthy! His character development in this book was pure gold! He's a hunter but not just any hunter, he's an Elite! He has a greater purpose which I loved learning about.Tink - I loved that little guy! His character had me laughing all through the book!This book seriously got more and more interesting as the story progressed. The plot line is intriguing and keeps you guessing all the way through!I can't wait to read the next book! Well done Ms Armentrout!

Entretenido, aunque un poco cliché y predecible. En mi opinión es tan bueno (o malo) como otras series populares (Crepúsculo y Los Juegos del Hambre).