Love this book too

Another great book by Jason Pargin, looking forward to part 3. Very different to the John dies at the End series, but a very good listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Great second part to the Zoey Ash series

Really enjoyed the audio book after all, as bonkers as it gets but with a coherent story and plot. Voice actor generally great but some of the accents a little grating. Overall very fun to listen to though!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Futuristic Fun

A fun take of tackling neck-bearded incels and mobsters in Americas' "Dubai" with future tech.

What more do you want for escapism? David Wong (Jason Pargin) makes another fun book to blast through to forget the dumpster fire that is year 2020. The blank slate city of Tabula-rasa founded by Zoey's gangster father is a great setting where anything goes if you've got the money/power or balls to pull it off.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Zoe does it Again!

and outstanding sequel to Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits with Zoe and her 'suits' going head to head with a new 'villain' and the same patronising sexist attitudes that women the world over have to deal with on an almost daily basis.
This time, the battle is fought in the physical world and an mmorpg with the lines blurred.
through all of this, Zoe is still trying to come to terms with her father's criminal legacy and how to make things right and life better for as many people as she can.
This series is definitely worth a read/listen. Wong has built a believable near future world where lives are lived and livestreamed through Blink and nearly everyone has at least a drone following them around so they don't miss their 'photo or it didn't happen moments' and their chance to be a viral sensation. Be sure to start with the first book, you won't regret it!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Perfect follow-up.

If you liked the first book and thought it could not get better or more insane, this is for you.
What more can I say?

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fun

Okay so it's not a true 5* story but it's fun and I like the concept a lot. I also like the author a lot and am looking forward to more crazy, hilarious ideas and books. Just the thought that there's someone out there thinking these things is worth a ton of stars.

What went just slightly off was this. Usually these books are just a crazy mix of irreverence and comedy. This time, Wong worked on character development and made Zoey 3d. He also went all out and put in some even crazier ideas like decency and idealism and whatnot. As a Trekkie, I'm all for that. But in the context of Wong's worlds, adding the human dimension somehow subtracts from the show. It's much harder to laugh at characters who live and hurt, I guess.

For much the same reason (working on character development), the plot was a bit slower, and--idk.... flatter? A bit samey? Like it's there in support of the character rather than the other way around.

But stars are free of charge so Zoey gets again 5*.

The narration is also perfectly serviceable, with nothing to make it grating or whatever.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Good seaquill

Great performance good world building would recommend can't wait for the next one thanks

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Makes you want to punch Zoe in the face

Struggling to finish this one despite the wonderful vocal performance. The world and premise are great but I'm starting to think there's some deep seated misogyny going on. All the female characters are 2D and very, very annoying. Echo - a 2D gorgeous trained mercenary has 2D lesbian thief background story possibly written by a 13 year old boy and an inexplicable loyalty to Zoe. Melissa - oh boy where to start - milf by numbers? Inexplicably Zoe adores despite creating a childhood full of neglect and abuse for her daughter.

And Zoe. Oh dear. Anyone who behaved like this after therapy wants a full refund at least. Most annoying of all is her relationship with her Cat. So far half the book seems to be devoted to rescuing a cat that I'm pretty sure will be found safe and sound at some point. She's literally finding out people have children and then blithely risking their lives for said cat. Risking hundred of childrens' lives in the Screw for said cat. It's just kind of awful. None of the funny details make up for how unlikable Zoe is due to her absurd swlf centerdness, lack of ambition and vision and just general rubbishness.

Plus all the women in Tabla Rasa are naked, immoral or both. It's just kinda tiring.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Not as interesting as the first one

I really liked Futuristic Violence and Suits, it was funny, dark and interesting. This story, second in the series, was a more obvious ‘hey, look at this crazy thing we’ve done’ funny. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. It didn’t feel purposeful. It felt like the middle book in a series, just a filler to connect the first and last book. Which was particularly noticeable in how this book ended, compared to the first book which felt like a good stand alone. I liked the development of the relationship between Zoey and Echo. The narrator was good, although I did prefer the voice of ‘Will Blackwater’ in the first book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

So disappointed

After loving the first one couldn’t wait to listen to this.

The change of Narrator was the first disappointment. Not that they did a bad job but it was very different from the first one - especially Will - every time he spoke it grated on me.

The story starts about a year after the first and the major concern in TR is Zoe’s weight. The level of hatred felt towards her due to this seemed excessive and was thrown in your face at every opportunity.

The rest of the book is her ignoring the advice of her staff/friends while making the worst decision she could in every scenario.

Not going to post any spoilers but my journey finished 15 minutes before the book did and I’ve never finished it.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!