Review for Unrivaled by Alyson Noël!
Quick View Review
Overall Review: ** (2.8/5)
Amazon Rating: *** (3.8/5)
One Sentence Review: A plot that took a turn that shocked me to the core, this novel is one that I found ok, but I think the author should have delved deeper into the emotional topics that were briefly touched upon; I thought it continued to appear relatively surface-level even as the plot became darker.
Full Review
Everyone wants to be someone. Layla Harrison wants to be a reporter. Aster Amirpour wants to be an actress. Tommy Phillips wants to be a guitar hero.
But Madison Brooks took destiny and made it her own a long time ago.
She’s Hollywood’s hottest starlet, and the things she did to become the name on everyone’s lips are merely a stain on the pavement, ground beneath her Louboutin heel.
That is, until Layla, Aster, and Tommy find themselves with a VIP invite to the world of Los Angeles’s nightlife and lured into a competition where Madison Brooks is the target. Just as their hopes begin to gleam like stars through the California smog, Madison Brooks goes missing. . . . And all of their hopes are blacked out in the haze of their lies. (Summary of Unrivaled from amazon.com)
So I’ll admit: when I started this book, I knew next to nothing about it. I had sort of skimmed the summary, but had bought it mainly because I loved the cover and had seen it all over bookstagram.
Because I hadn’t really read the back cover, I expected a fluffy cheesy contemporary about three teens who somehow come together to achieve their dreams of fame and fortune in LA.
Well. I was very, very, very wrong.
The plot of this book is darker than I ever imagined, although a lot of times it was very predictable, cheesy, and cliché. It exposes the ugly and disgusting world of celebrities and Hollywood; it shamelessly talks about the corruption, lies, and cunning that the famous people we “know” use to gain attention and stay on top.
But this book even goes a step further than that. It leaves you completely and utterly shocked, completely flips what you believe upside down, and by the end, your jaw will undoubtedly drop with confusion and bewilderment at what people will do to keep their flawless reputations intact. The message this book attempts to convey reminded me somewhat of the one presented in Only Ever Yours by Louise O’neill, although this message was transmitted in a completely different manner (as the plots of these two novels were not at all similar…)
However, the problem I had with this book was that I felt that because of the tunnel vision the author placed on exposing the dirt of the celebrity world, other important topics that could have made the book even more impactful were lost. Mainly, I felt this issue was present within the character department. I thought that the things that made the characters who they were (their pasts, families, relationships, friendships, etc.) were all just lightly brushed upon and pushed aside, when they should have been a focal point of drawing the reader in, making him or her really feel connected to the characters and what each of them was going through.
Instead, although I was definitely racing to reach the last page (only to find a cliffhanger, of course), I found myself not truly invested into any of the characters introduced.
Finally, the writing. It absolutely drew me in and kept me quickly turning the page, but I didn’t feel it was something that necessarily stood out or an aspect of the story that really made the book better.
Overall, I liked this book, but it wasn’t amazing. Although I feel the message of this story is one that is absolutely essential, I think that the author placed a little too much focus on the one topic, transforming all other important and valuable subjects into nothing but background noise, where they should have been just as emphasized.
Despite my criticism, I do recommend Unrivaled if you’re looking for a quick read and a book that will totally jolt you out of your seat… I know that I can’t wait for the second one, and will be reading it as SOON as it comes out.
Make sure to come back next Wednesday for a new review!
Xoxo,
Jordan
