Barbara Rayne

It took me a little longer to start this book than I would have liked but once I did I couldnt put it down! I read the entire book in one evening.
It isn't exactly what I was expecting from the description. Honestly it sounded a bit more dystopian to me. To me it is more of a fantasy novel. I dont normally enjoy fantasy but as I said already I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down.
I found Nette both interesting and relateble. It was nice to see a strong female lead that wasn't too perfect or too dysfunctional to root for. There was some romance but not so much that that becomes the main point of the book.
Honestly I dont knowwhat else to say other than go read it! Trust me you will enjoy it.… (mer)

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

Nette, whose biological makeup defies every rule of the norm, directly experienced the harshness of law and society since the day she was born. Her only crime is existing.

It isn't just her brown eyes that set her apart, however. She was born with great power, as a prophet stated, the power of immortality, whose purpose is to overrule the unjust King Garlid. Because of her differences, no one will accept her. And this, we readers learn, takes a turn for the worst on not only her self-esteem, but also on her morality. Innocent, adventurous Nette goes through hell and high water and soon transforms into a merciless, indestructible Queen.

The journey Nette goes on in order to fulfill her prophecy takes place in an ambitious fantastical world; the adventure is the perfect dangerous blend of suspense, betrayal, and companionship. I loved the plot Rayne creates, but the writing, not so much. The simple, first-person style reads almost in a formal fashion, except it uses contemporary diction. I wouldn't have minded the informal language, considering Nette takes place in the future, but I would have liked the style to match. There is absolutely no showing; the language is all telling—from Nette's irritatingly unworldly and unskilled point of view, at that. This stylistic flaw, along with the countless grammatical mistakes and typographical errors, made Nette a difficult read; I really had to work to comprehend it.

I do like the characters Rayne creates. King Raul, the love interest, in particular, was a pleasant character, though he isn't particularly deep. I wish the author would have elaborated upon the characters better. The good characters are likable and the bad characters dislikable, but that's about as far as characterization goes. Nothing from Nette will be haunting me tomorrow.

The theme of societal brutality and the effect it has on human compassion is especially strong, but again, I wish it had been analyzed more thoughtfully. The overall structure and flow of this book are kind of a mess, but I can tell it has its high points. Albeit, they're rather cloaked by the thick, awkward dialogue and impenetrable narration, but I promise they're there. With a bit of cleaning up, Nette might have potential to be a hit among dystopian thriller aficionados.

Pros: Interesting dystopian premise // Nice love story // Well-depicted characters; protagonists are perfectly lovable while antagonists are detestable // Doesn't lack action and gore // Feelings of frustration and injustice are portrayed well

Cons: Narration is off-key: passive and shows rather than tells // Tone is unfeeling and unmoving // Needs an editor badly // Characters are not explored deeply; I felt detached from them // Dialogue too stilted and actions too fantastical; I couldn't imagine any of this playing out in front of me

Love: "You lost your memory, so you don't know I can kill you with a single move, throw you on the floor..."
"I choose the second option."

Verdict: I didn't hate Nette, but I certainly didn't enjoy reading it either. The dystopian society Rayne immerses readers in is fascinating, and the characterization accurate, but stylistically, this one is terribly unfulfilling. There were aspects I really liked, such as the naturally flowing plot, but can't say I recommend it.

5 hearts: Doesn't particularly light any of my fires; I feel indifferent about this book.… (mer)

This is a book about a girl who was never given the chance to be happy. What little happiness she does find is hard-earned and well deserved. I've always liked this type of storyline. Life is hard and I like it when characters work for their word count. It makes me root for them all the harder, and you defiantly sympathise with Nette in this book. She is good natured, strong willed, and likeable. Though from a very different genre, she reminded me a lot of Scarlett O'Hara in her ability to face disappointment head on, straighten her back, and get on with the difficult task of getting on-to hell with society's (or the nobility's) opinion. I found myself really hoping that the next chapter would bring a lasting happiness, and this kept the pages turning.

It is very easy to fall into pace with Nette, since the story is told in the first person from her point of view. You are never left wondering what she is thinking, as you are in her head every step of the way. The story starts when she is very young. Too young, in fact, to understand what is happening around her. The reader, like Nette, must face the unknown assailants and figure it out. It then follows her amazing and prophecied life.

The story is fast paced and engaging, and there is a colourful cast of supporting charters. I particularly loved Raul. The only thing that kept it from being a 5 stars (other than that I am very chincy with my 5 stars) is that it felt a little rushed at times-I would have liked a little more explanation of the whos, hows and whys-and Rayne has a habit of dropping particles that takes some getting used to. This should in no way discourage readers. It is a fun and imaginative book that is well worth the read. I'll definitely be up for reading another of Rayne's books in the future.… (mer)

First, let me say that "Nette" was a wonderfully imaginative story. It really kills me to not give this book a glowing review because you can tell the author had a ton of passion while writing it. I did find myself wanting to finish to find out what happened, even though i knew what would. The author, Barbara rayne, had a certain message she wanted to get through to people about how hate is bad. Ok. I agree with that. But then why is it fine for Nette to hate and brutally kill those who wronged her? If Rayne wants to teach love and forgiveness it could have been done a bit more tactfully, and with less gore. The gore also makes me tend to think this book is NOT for all ages.

Another thing that bothered me is that it was never explained why Nette had brown eyes or why she was chosen for all of those things. The writing/editing was so bad that I thought they were purposefully making Nette's speech staccato. This was until I realized all of the characters had errors in their speech. It was extremely distracting to me. Also, I was bothered by a couple of the lines in the story. One was when Raul tells his mother to stop speaking to him as if he is "retarded". The story is set 100 years in the future and people still talk like that?

I am giving this book 2 stars because it was lacking in too many areas in my opinion. The story itself saved it from being a total disaster. I know this sounds harsh, but I have to be honest!… (mer)