Scott BergstromRezensionen

I loved the fast pace mystery. I was not super connected to the main character and i felt the ending was rushed. But it was a fast pace story. I just wanted more info in the end.

I loved the fast pace mystery. I was not super connected to the main character and i felt the ending was rushed. But it was a fast pace story. I just wanted more info in the end.

There wasn't much action in this book, it wasn't really what I was expecting. I feel like most of the book revolved around her love interest and I didn't like that.

I received this book from Book Riot:
The book took me longer than I'd like. But when I finally invested my time to solely focus on reading it, I was floored. While it has the elements of a YA book, this story deviates from the love triangle. It doesn't need a dystopian future because the current world is bleak enough. And the best way to describe this book is to imagine Taken if the daughter went off to save her father. I suppose though that series/franchises are the it thing. That's the only disappointing part of this. That it's not over yet.

I have some mixed feelings about The Cruelty. Going into the first couple chapters, I liked it. I really did. I liked Gwendolyn Bloom in her role at the school, despite the fact that the role was technically still some of the most common YA stereotypes – “orphan” and “outcast” for a couple. But after the first chapter or two, I became less convinced. The beginning felt like a different book, a perceived vision of normality in order to slide the book into the YA genre by benefit of the character’s age and the fact that high school is mentioned, when in fact none of the rest of the book follows that line. It’s disappointing, because there was probably some storytelling potential here and there are definitely not enough spy thrillers in YA… but this isn’t a YA spy thriller. Not really. It’s just a thriller. Barely even spy.

Gwendolyn Bloom is flat as a pancake. The early days of her character development plateau as the story turns into a run around the world. Any vague attempts the writer makes to paint her as a relatable, multidimensional character fade away as he focuses on action instead of development. And you know what? Fine. That’s a choice, and many thrillers go with action over development. Character development isn’t the only victim to this choice – we lose a lot in world building and setting. The reader has no opportunity to become truly immersed in this book because we barely care about Gwendolyn, and each backdrop looks the same. Bergstrom could have taken the opportunity to do a bit of research and bring the unique cities to life, but instead, they all feel like silhouettes of New York. Again, disappointing.

Please keep in mind that I am coming at The Cruelty primarily as a reader of YA, not a thriller reader. I do read some thrillers, but The Cruelty was marketed as YA first, and I am far more versed in that genre.

Bergstrom’s writing isn’t bad – he has some skill. The language he used in writing the book was more nuanced and complicated than what I’m accustomed to reading, and I enjoyed that. That said, it’s another aspect that made The Cruelty seem more like a better read for someone in their twenties or thirties rather than a reader in their teens (the true audience for YA, lest we forget). There’s an imbalance between dialogue and narration, particularly later in the book. While again this isn’t uncommon in a thriller, it’s a choice that leads to less immersion.

Generally… I don’t know. I guess The Cruelty was fine, but it was also forgettable. There were moments that I deeply disliked. For example, in Prague Gwendolyn finds herself with Roman, a Yale-graduate son of a gangster king, and a homosexual. Within 24-hours of meeting him, Roman renounces his sexuality and while the word “gay” is never used in the book, the “f” word was used repeatedly. Roman’s sexuality was completely unrelated to the story and the whole aside felt almost like the author venting his own bigotries.

There are other small unrealities, although less offensive. One we hit about chapter five, I’d entirely forgotten that Gwendolyn was seventeen. She acts more like she’s twenty-five, at least. Plus there’s the whole Krav Maga training montage that takes her from a complete beginner to a trained expert in three weeks. Hair growing a couple of inches in less than a week. The passage of time is unrealistic and the things Gwendolyn accomplishes… if you stop and think about it for just a moment… don’t make sense. The Cruelty relies on the reader to get swept up in the action and not think about the story beyond that.

I don’t think I would particularly recommend The Cruelty? It’s not a world-endingly bad book, but it’s not impressive and there are definitely some cringe moments. As an aside, I guess when this came out Scott Bergstrom did an interview and a bunch of people boycotted the book afterward. In reviewing the article… I mean? He comes off as a pretentious prick who thinks too much of himself. I don’t think that’s enough to boycott a book? But there are the homophobic tones in the Prague section near the end, and there’s a lot of violence, so those are some good reasons to maybe pass this one by.

OMG I just re-read that article and it mentions that Gwendolyn is Jewish. She is, it’s mentioned a little in the beginning, and it 100% comes off as a diversity drop and is not good rep, or really any rep. So yeah. Don’t be fooled.

Also. 98% of all the women in this book are prostitutes. … Okay, I’m done.½

Literary Merit: Very Good
Characterization: Very Good
Recommendations: 10-12/ Adult due to adult situations, violence, language, torture
Reading Level: 10-12/Adult

The Greed is book 2 in the series. I had not read the first book, and I know I missed out on several aspects of the book. In book 2, Gwendolyn has a new identity and life. She is stealing money and material belongings from tourists in order to survive. She also has new passports and is on the run from spies. Her father was taken in book one and she wants revenge. Her main goal seems to be to seek revenge on those that hurt her in book 1. Gwendolyn is being hunted as she searches for the truth.

I would definitely recommend this book for older readers, possibly grades 10-12 to adult. The book contains some explicit situations as she revisits a past love. There is some language/torture in this book as well. I thought the book was written well, and it makes me want to go back and read the first book to see how the main character got into this situation in the first place.

Listened to audio & loved it -10* fave!

It took me a while to get into The Cruelty. It is a watered down version of Stieg Larsson but still intriguing. I struggled with Gwendolyn being a teenage girl however once she takes on her new role and embarks on her mission she becomes more believable.

Hmm what to say about this book... I received it from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and I agreed to read it before I found out about all of the controversy surrounding this author and his comments about YA. When an author writes a YA novel and proceeds to throw the entire genre under the bus, it's hard to not take that personal as a reader who loves YA. Despite this, I tried to go in with an open mind. The premise sounded intriguing and reminded me of a reverse Taken. That being said... This book was just blah. Everything felt extremely flat, especially when it came to the main character, Gwendolyn. The author portrays her as the plain Jane who thinks she is unattractive, but as she begins her quest, she gets fit and fierce. The dangerous scenarios that Gwendolyn finds herself in resolve themselves quickly and easily. Certain events and settings were overexplained, while others left me wondering what the heck was going on.
There are just too many things working against this book, including the fact that it's just not a good book.

Although this certainly isn't a book suitable for middle school due to the use of profanity and the mentions of drug and sex, a small part of me wishes it was because Gwendolyn Bloom is such a tough, hardened female character. When the story starts she's weak and insecure but then a few Krav Maga lessons and she becomes one tough cookie. I like reading books where characters are their own heroes and rescue themselves out of impossible situations.
Definitely too mature for middle school though.

A page-turner but not for the faint of heart. Gwendolyn's father is kidnapped and she goes on an international quest full of criminals and allies (which are which?) to find him.½

Gwendolyn's father is a diplomat - or so she thinks. But when he disappears on a trip to France, Gwendolyn discovers that he is actually working for the CIA as a spy. No one in the CIA seems be particularly interested in finding him so Gwendolyn decides that she will. After intensive combat training in France she is ready to take on anyone - or is she and at what cost to herself?
This is a gripping thriller that plunges Gwendolyn into the criminal underbelly of Europe. Murder, torture and people trafficking are everyday activities for the people Gwendolyn must befriend in order to find her father. Gwendolyn starts off as a everyday teenage girl but as circumstances change her, we experience her moral dilemma. This is a gripping read for older teens and adults.

Gwendolyn Bloom is seventeen. She lost her mother when she was young. It is only her father and her. Gwen is very bright. She can speak in five different languages. This is thanks to her father's job at the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. However there is also a down side to Gwen's father's job and that is danger as Gwen learns. Two agents come to the door to inform Gwen that her father is missing. Gwen is not the type of person to just sit back and wait. She springs into action racing to Paris to find her father.

I really like Gwen. She is a no-nonsense type of gal. She is very independent and someone that will be a real force to watch out for as she gets older. This book is a quick read due to all the action and good characters. I liked that this book was told in the first person. It brought me in more into the story and helped bring me closer to Gwen. The love she has for her father is very clear as she fights hard to find him. She takes on some of the most dangerous people. You better grab your passport as you go jet setting all over the world from New York, to Paris, Berlin, and Prague.