It’s time to talk about DUOLOGIES again!
Which is fabulous since last week I reviewed The Girl From Everywhere duology and this week we have the most excitingly fabulous Vicarious & Ferocious duo! As they say: duologies are the new trilogies! (Well, okay fine, they don’t say that. But they could if they wanted to.)
These are actually my first Paula Stokes books and I can definitely say she’s an author I want moooore of. I also stalked researched some more of her books (#because #need) and discovered she writes a TON of different genres. Which is amazing. Go well-rounded authors!
But anyway let us discuss thrillers and sci-fi and muuuuurder.
Thanks to Tor Teen for the review copies!
VICARIOUS BY PAULA STOKES
★★★☆☆
published 2016
Vicarious was a wild ride that’s part thriller, part sci-fi, part DARK SIDE.
I was expecting something with a lot of people jumping off buildings, but it’s actually more of a murder mystery (not a spoiler! it’s in the blurb!) when Winter finds her sister’s been killed and is determined to get revenge. The story is twisty and the finale is GLORY. Although I confess I struggled to really stay invested at the beginning. It may be because I have a cold soul that’s lived in the fridge for 415 years. I should get it out sometime.
The blurb kind of misleads because it made me think I’d be getting wild stunts. Winter’s job is to record adrenaline-seeking acts for this technology called ViSEs, where people can “relive” the thriller stunts (aka skydiving, swimming with sharks, etc.) via technology from home. So like, whoooo you can nearly die from the COMFORT OF YOUR OWN BED. However the story is more about Winter gathering clues about what happened to her sister, Rose.
MY PARKOUR EXPECTATIONS TBH.
I have to admit I was surprised at the heavy themes in the book…and like this is a mixture of good and bad surprise. YOU KNOW ME. I LIKE BOOKS TO BE DARK. But at the same time I felt Vicarious was being super edgy but working so darn hard not to be graphic or explicit that I wondered why it bothered having the backstory it did. Winter was trafficked from Korea and a lot of the book is set against backdrops of clubs, drugs, and prostitution. So like there’s no sexual harassment IN the story. But it’s off page and definitely talked about. And with Winter being 18, it actually didn’t feel super much like YA. So! Anyway! It’s still PG-friendly. I just wonder why bother having such a backdrop while keeping it kid-friendly…like it rings a bit hollow.
- it features sisters who really love each other!
- it really delves into mental health topics and talks about them really well
- there is the cutest not-quite-but-almost relationship between Jesse x Winter
- I SHIP IT…but also appreciate how polite Jesse is and not pushy since Winter is very very very unsure about starting a relationship with her trafficked past
- super cool technology making it a little sci-fi
- fun to put together the clues for the mystery…IS EVERYONE A SECRET KILLER??? I SUSPECT YOU ALL
- unreliable narrators
- the entire cast is super diverse, with Winter and Rose being Korean and Jesse is Mexican
- there is plenty of alternating delicious food including burritos and now I want one
I enjoyed Vicarious a lot but it didn’t quite suck me in like I’d hoped.
I maybe the writing just didn’t hit any feels for me. I always felt severely detached from Winter’s pragmatic narrative. BUT IT MIGHT JUST BE ME. The plot was engaging and the twists thrilling — and that’s what we’re here for, right?! Plenty of burritos and small sharp knives and tears.
SHH YES I PHOTO-MANIPULATED IT. BUT WHATEVER. I AM LOKI AND I DO WHAT I WANT FOR THE #BOOKSTAGRAM REASONS.
FEROCIOUS (VICARIOUS #2)
★★★☆☆
publishes August 15 2017
Ferocious was a super satisfying conclusion to Winter’s story!
And filled with plenty of stress. #nice Although I’m a smudge disappointed how the stakes were waaaaaay lower than in the first book. I mean the first book was “SOLVE SISTER’S MURDER” but this book was like “STEAL BACK TECHNOLOGY” and I am just not that emotionally invested in technology, okay.
- Lots of action scenes were there is stabbing and shooting and badass girls taking no shennanigans.
- It’s mostly set in Korea this time! I loved the details that really made it pop off the page and just it was written with such care!
- SO MUCH DELICIOUS KOREAN FOOD.
- It really delves deeper into Winter’s mental illness and it was explored really well. I also think it’s 100% awesome that it included a positive and healthy outlook on therapy and getting help.
- Jesse is an adorable little lamb.
- I cannot ship Jesse and Winter enough!! Plus I loved that their relationship (firstly starting as friendship) is built on respect. Jesse knows what Winter has been through and he won’t push or make demands. He’s so sweet. And Winter is so respectful of him too as she figures out if she has room to love. They had SUCH cute moments.
- Character development is A+ and I’m a fan.
- Some witty lines that had me super pleased. MAKE ME LAUGH, SON.
- I struggled to stay engaged with the plot because a lot of it was just stalking around Korea and trying to steal back this tech and I nearly napped. I didn’t feel invested or involved to be honest.
- I often struggled with the writing style and feeling quite detached from the action/pain/emotion happening. Winter would say what she felt, but I wanted to SEE and FEEL it myself. The writing felt a bit too factual and clinical at times. I think this is just a writer-style-preference-thing? So it didn’t really work for me, but that might not be the case for all!
- There was way not enough burritos. I suffer with Jesse.
- I cared 100% about Winter and Jesse and like 2% with what they were actually doing in Korea. I LOVED the fluff scenes vs the action scenes…which is super weird because generally I’m opposite in that regard. Who even am I.
Still GRAND but just not excellent in my withered little heart.
But the ending was super good and I’M HAPPY. I just think the stakes were way too low compared to the first book and there was nothing to tug at my heart strings.
But can we take a moment to say that shade of blue on the cover is FABULOUS.
Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. But they’ve escaped the past and started over in a new place where no one knows who they used to be.
Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities in the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you–for a price.
When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter is devastated. She won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the digital recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her own life in the process.
When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter—finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.
Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?
okay which do you prefer: duologies or trilogies?!? and have you read these or any other Paula Stokes books? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS, I MUST KNOW.
Now I’m torn??? The premise sounds awesome! But then again how much can you really write about software that let’s you spalunk from your couch. WHO CAN KNOW. On the other hand I’m not the BIGGEST fan of mystery-type-books usually?? But the way you describe it sounds so cool and AHH IT’S SET IN KOREA I LOVE THAT. Sooooo the only LOGICAL conclusion is to add this to my TBR and pretend that I will most definitely read it in this lifetime *sobs because giant TBR*
I do get that!😂I struggle with thrillers tbh, but the characters are gorgeous pieces of cinnamon toast SO THERE IS THAT. And yayyyy for books that actually venture outside the US. It’s like there’s a WORLD out there. *gasps* who knew.
I think I actually prefer trilogies, just because they tend to have a bit more narrative….power and momentum, I guess? I don’t know, though. It really depends on the book! I haven’t read these, but I have some other blogging friends who are really into Paula Stokes, so when I don’t have a million books from the library, I will definitely check some of these books out. Action books aren’t my thing so much though, so I might start with a nice quiet contemporary. Thanks for the review!
I really want to try some of her contemporary books, actually, because I reeeeally liked her characters and the relationships over the plot.😂
I don’t know? Duologies are pretty new but trilogies are awesome too? I mean the middle book in trilogy is mosty a little bit disappointing SO I DO NOT KNOW. Are those Sherlock GIFS there just to taunt me, BECAUSE HELLO SHERLCK FAN.
SHERLOCK IS A MARVELLOUS THING.
And I think we should just have both dulogies and trilogies tbh.😂
You can make any book sound so intriguing! How? What are your waysss??? It’s like If YOU mentioned it now I HAVE to read it. Also yey for Korean food, that may also be a factor as to why I am now curious about these books mhmm.
Duologies are the superior trilogies by far (that sentence just does not make sense but I’m sure you understand). I mean they are safe from second-book-slump and prolonged, unnecessary secondary plots. Also they don’t have the obligatory “main couple breaks up for romantic angst purposes” and sparing me a headache is always a win.
I’m glad you enjoyed the review!!😂 It’s probably not my favourite duology, but it was definitely a solid read!! And I kind of DO like how dulogies skip that “middle book blues”?!? IT’S GOOD. ALL BOOKS SHOULD SKIP THOSE BLUES.
I prefer trilogies if the worldbuilding is complex and amazing. It just seems like such a shame to only read two books (or even just one) if you’ve discovered a whole new and wonderful universe! I want to immerse myself in the strange cultures and even stranger people – and two books just don’t give you enough time to do that (in my humble opinion).
The downside to trilogies is, of course, that you have to wait for three books instead of just two… #BookwormProblems
I totally get that! Sometimes I cryyyy because I just want more books! Like Six of Crows was so not enough to stop at 2.😂
I like trilogies! Duologies feel like “HAI I WROTE THIS BOOK! BUT I HAD A WEE BIT MORE HAVE SOME!” Whereas trilogies feel a bit more like “I have this very long well plotted story and I’m giving it to you in bits because I’m horrible and you get to wait several years for it.”…. … …
I am quite stern about IF YOU SAY IT’S A TRILOGY IT’S A TRILOGY YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO STOP WRITING NOW. At least Douglas Adams stayed true to his claim… Or at least, kept the name “trilogy” despite all 6 books (oops?).
Anywho, now I want a delicious chicken burrito, so thanks for that.
TRILOGIES ARE SWEET TORTURE.😂😂 Although by the time the 3rd book comes out I’m like “and what happened again”…because I have no memory.😂
Just one thought: I NEED THAT BERRY-CHOCOLATE DELICIOUSNESS MAJESTY.
I ATE IT ALL THOUGH. THIS IS A PROBLEM.
I usually prefer trilogies because for whatever obscure reason, I’m more motivated to get through them. I love duologies though because they’re much quicker, though?? And I feel like they almost never suffer from any kind of slump in the story like middle books in trilogies do.
I haven’t read any Paula Stokes books but I AM INTRIGUED now!! These sound super engaging and I love books that travel or feature different countries. I’ll definitely have to get the first one eventually. (maybe when my tbr shrinks down to only HALF the size of mt. everest)
I almost prefer duologies because by the time the 3rd book comes out I REMEMBER NOTHING.😂 But then there are *some* duologies I just cry over because 2 books wasn’t enough *stares balefully at Six of Crows*
That chocolate strawberry tart thing just looks so delicious in those photos. I makes me hungry. I’ll take a trilogy over a duology usually, but I’ve read some really good duologies lately so it is hard to choose one over the other. As long as all of the books in a series is well written and the ending is satisfying, I’m happy with whatever the author chooses.
That strawberry tart is making ME HUNGRY and I just ate it. Sheesh who took these torturous photos.😭😂 BUT ALSO AGREEMENT: trilogies and duologies are super good if all the books are really well done!!
Hats off to the well-rounded authors! Pity it didn’t follow through, though. “Solve sister’s murder” is hard to top!
Then there’s that chocolate and strawberry pie. Is it real? Doesn’t matter. Now I’m hungry.
OF COURSE IT’S REAL. It’s also “really gone” and was delicious and there is none left for you. *twirls off into the darkness*
This sounds interesting especially the second book since I’m interested in Korean Culture. I also need to read more thrillers!
I don’t really prefer duologies or trilogies? I haven’t read enough duologies to compare.
I hope you get a chance to try them someday then!! *flails*
I think because of the ~ Magic of 3 ~ inherent in stories — (like, read a fairy tale; they’re ALL ABOUT things happening in threes) — it’s natural to feel that a trilogy is somehow superior to or more complete than a duology. I understand, respect, and feel those feels.
That being said, I’m also STRONGLY against stringing a story along just for the sake of calling it a 3-parter. If a story is better/more concisely told in two parts, don’t waste words trying to break it into three. That way lies nonsense — and, too often, filler Book 2s where there’s not much going on besides characters killing time with unnecessary waffling.
…I get waffle points for using “waffling” in my comment, yes?
Absolutely! Basically books should just stay true to how long the story should be.😂 ALL THE WAFFLES FOR YOU.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a duology. But this does sound interesting even if the last book could be underwhelming. XD But I’d give it a shot for the characters.
It was definitely interesting! Not my favourite duology ever.😂 But I did love the setting and the ship!!
This question of duologies versus trilogies is tough. Because like, it of course depends on the series? But there are some trilogies that really needed to just be duologies, so maybe it needs to be more of a ‘thing”. I have read two of Paula’s books (Liars, Inc and This is How it Happened) and I liked them both a lot! I have the first book in this series (and actually, ALL of Paula’s other books, save Ferocious) and need to get on it! And dude. I would be pissed if there weren’t enough burritos too! Great reviews 🙂
I really want to read some of her contemporaries since I actually preferred the relationships/characters to the plot.😂😂 BUT IT’S TRUE…some books aren’t enough as duologies and some trilogies die in the middle soooo.😂
Great reviews. I definitely want to give these a shot soon. 🙂
THANKS, LAUREN. YOU’RE KIND.
Omg I loved the serious rep & the super-cool premise of this duology. It sounds so fun and badass and sisterhood and there’s food. By the way, what is that awesome chocolate-strawberry tart in your second-to-last photo? It looks deelish, oh my. I’m tempted to jump on Amazon, just to search for these books now. AND I’m craving burritos. 🙁
It is an awesome chocolate-strawberry tart, that’s what it is 😉 😂 IT WAS SO DELICIOUS BUT THERE IS NONE LEFT, PEACH. IT’S ALL GONE.
I’m a huge Paula Stokes fan so I’m sad to see you were meh about this duology Cait. 🙁 I’m definitely going to still give it a try because the premise sounds super intriguing, but considering our twinning tendencies I might readjust my expectations just a bit. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! <3
P.S. Have you read her book Girl Against the Universe? One of my favorite books of 2015, and I have a feeling you especially would love it. It’s definitely a Cait book if you ever end up checking it out.
I really really want to read Girl Against the Universe!! I’m going to try and library it soon. 😜
This question hurts me, Cait. It hurts me.
My ever growing TBR prefers duologies because then I only add TWO books instead of THREE.
But my soul craves the number 3. Always.
I CANNOT CHOSE BETWIXT THE TWO. nope nope nope.
THE NUMBER 3 IS VERY AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND VERY COMFORTABLE. I agree, I am a monster for asking this.
Ahh this sounds really interesting! I hadn’t heard of this before, but I’m really curious now. I’m definitely going to check these out
Ah, it’s a shame these ones didn’t blow you away! Although there were quite a few things it looks like you enjoyed, so I guess they were worth it? Especially the relationship between Winter and Jesse, which you have 100% sold me on, haha.
I have yet to read a Paula Stokes novel, but Vicarious is on the TBR because it sounds really awesome. It even made it through the culling yesterday, which is a big deal because I culled A LOT of books, and some of those were even mystery/thrillers *gasp* But they were mainly “this person was missing and now they’re back”. I had no idea there were SO MANY of those books around.
As for duologies vs trilogies. You know, I’d SAY duologies, but whenever I read one I finish it and I’m like: WHERE IS BOOK THREE, GIMME BOOK THREE DAMMIT. So I guess trilogies? XD
Still worth it for sure! I actually really want to try the author’s contemporary books since I liked her characters/relationships best in this one.😂 So that’s a win! Omg and I saw you were culling books on twitter and GOOD FOR YOU, I ADMIRE YOUR BRAVERY. I need to do that but honestly I’m a bit lazy.😂