| Title | : | Négociations et Trahisons (Sentence 13, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 289667845X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9782896678457 |
| Language | : | French |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 448 |
| Publication | : | First published August 16, 2011 |
Négociations et Trahisons (Sentence 13, #3) Reviews
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Bargains and Betrayals- Shannon Delany
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I love the 13 to Life series, but at the end of Secrets and Shadows, I balled my tiny ineffectual fists, threw the book to the ground, and stomped my feet like two year old in the midst of a tantrum. Why, you ask? Well, because I found the ending to be only the most infuriating ending ever! Here’s the good news and the secret, the ending of Secrets and Shadows is worth it because it sets up Bargains and Betrayals brilliantly.
Bargains and Betrayals, in my opinion, is the best in the series so far. The plot moves quickly from danger to action and Jessie shines throughout. Bargains and Betrayals highlights her growth from the initial 13 to Life. The rest of the characters gain more depth as well, in part because of the new perspective provided by Alexi’s point of view. Additionally, the writing is not only fantastic but has moments of such great wit that I actually laughed out loud. (My favorite line hint: Love is like a lobotomy- read it to find out what I mean).
I don’t do plot summary (cause I HATE THAT!), so just trust me on this one—the characters, the plot, the writing will not disappoint. Bargains and Betrayals is worth a read and the wait since its due out this August.
Overall: A
Arc provided gratis -
These books are puzzling to me. I liked
13 to Life, despite its many problems (particularly the problem of Jessie throwing Pietr at Sarah to make Sarah happy...I mean, get real). Regardless, I was able to overcome and enjoy. It was a sweet story, I (for the most part) liked tomboy Jessie, and Pietr's unabashed honesty and puppy-like loyalty was adorable.
I saw trouble coming in the second book,
Secrets and Shadows. The characters seemed somehow less than what they were in the first.
This book brought the reality of the character's changes home and left me with an unsettled, unsatisfied feeling. The inconsistencies were really what got to me, Jessie's in particular. One minute she's a clever, sassy badass, getting done what needs to get done. The next, she's a simpering, whining, guilt-riddled moron who wants to save everyone from themselves. I found myself vacillating far too often between strong like and intense hatred for Jessie. That just shouldn't happen. It was like reading about someone with multiple personality disorder. But at least then the character would have an excuse.
Pietr is even more broody and emoriffic in this installment. I had thought that perhaps now that he and Jessie were truly a couple that we could see Pietr focusing on what needs to get done; saving Jessie from the asylum and saving his mother from the agency. There are times when he focuses on those tasks (sometimes a little too intensely), but throughout it all we're treated to his mood swings and self-loathing.
I don't know why, and maybe it's just me...but I'm really growing tired of reading page after page of self-loathing from these paranormal supermen.
Anyway, this book was so disjointed. There was a definite disconnect between the characters and their actions, and while the first half of the book was kind of slow, the last half was rushed and sloppy. Some things aren't even properly explained, leaving the reader to sort of guess what something means. During a scene towards the end, when everyone is dealing with the fallout of the attack on the agency, Jessie tries to tell Pietr about how Dmitri's second-in-command tried to kill her and Sophie (Jessie managed to kill him instead). She says, "Dmitri's other second..." and Pietr cuts her off with, "Dmitri thought he was with us." Then Jessie says, "With us? I'm still trying to figure out what the hell that meant. My reading comprehension is far from being poor and yet this book managed to confuse me on several occasions. Was there an editor of any kind involved in the creation of this? If so, he/she/they need to be fired.
Now if you'll allow me, I would like to purge my reader rage with a rant (this will contain several spoilers, so continue reading at your own risk).
Why is it that seemingly everyone in this book is suffering from a nearly debilitating case of Derp? It began in
Secrets and Shadows, and my review of that book will reflect what I think of the beginning stages of Derp. It would appear that none of the characters in this series ever learn from their mistakes. After nearly getting Jessie killed by keeping information from her and leaving her alone and unguarded on numerous occasions, the clan is a little too willing, in this book, to leave Amy alone for a few days while she is still avoiding her psychotic ex-boyfriend. Big fucking surprise when the poor girl ends up beaten and raped! Derp Epidemic.
/end rant
Despite all of this (or perhaps in spite of it..?) I'll read the fourth book. Hopefully it gets better. -
Picking up right where Secrets & Shadows ended, Shannon Delany throws readers into a book full of action, emotionally intense scenes and a book that has an edgier, darker feel to it. Strap your seat belt on and hang on for this book's wild ride. Bargains and Betrayals was nothing I was excepting. There's a lot more at stake, a lot of twists, and along with Jessi's point of view, there's another character's pov of who helps in telling a story that is so perfectly fitting for a third book in a series I have really enjoy.
There's a lot of things I liked about this book and some things I missed, like Max's fabulous one liners. I missed Jessi and Pietr's daily interactions in the beginning of the book, but Shannon more than makes up for that in the second half of the story. I liked the way Shannon threw in a lot of self doubt and gave Pietr's character and journey that takes him to the darker side as he struggles with doing what's right and doing whatever he can to save his Mother and Jessi, even if that means he has to make a bargain with the devil figuratively speaking.
I was pleasantly surprised with the character growth of Jessi. She became such a strong character, as she not only has to stay strong and level headed for her own sanity, but she's the only one who can give Pietr the support he needs. Her love and unyielding faith in him helps him through some of his more darker inner battles. I really felt that Jessi finally grew into the character I had hoped she'd become. It's not that I didn't like her in the first two books, because I did, but I felt that she wasn't the strong character I had hoped she'd become. I really feel she's finally become the stronger character in the series. She's switched roles in a way with Pietr and Max who I always felt were a source of strength, and now they've become the ones who need someone else to rely on to help them through the battle they face emotionally.
With all that happens in Bargains and Betrayals, I like that Shannon isn't afraid to test her characters, and break some of them even more. I like that she doesn't give her story line a fairy tale feel to it and she keeps it raw, and realistic. With everything that happens I'm left wondering how much more Pietr and Jessi can take. There's so much that Shannon throws into this story that I didn't see coming. There's twists and turns, betrayals, and bargains that are made that effect each of the characters in one way or another. Though Shannon wraps up some of the previous story's lose ends in such a wonderful, twisted way, she also leaves me wanting more answers.
The tables have been turned and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Destiny and Deception to find out how everything is going to end. There are some mentions of sex and a very tactfully written scene between two of the characters. I'd definitely recommend this to readers 14 yrs and older. -
Bargains and Betrayals can be pretty much summed up by the main characters own words:
'I know, I know. It sounds like some crazy plot cooked up by a housewife-turned-author.'
The CIA lock Jessie up in a mental asylum to keep her from using her unique blood to cure the Ruskovas of their werewolf nature. Naturally, boyfriend and werewolf Pietr fight to get Jessie out.
-Jessie was boring. She was dumb, self righteous, weak and overly forgiving.
-Pietr held no appeal whatsoever. His mood swings and hissy fits were annoying.
-Jessie and Pietr's romance was too melodramatic, angsty and cheesy. It made me sick.
-The bad guys were flat and had no shades of grey.
-Max and Amy were likeable enough, their romance was far more interesting than Jessie/Pietr's though that's not saying much.
-Jessie's dad was an idiot and a douche.
-The alternating POV's added nothing - it just made the storyline messy.
-The writing was rubbish, there were paragraphs that didn't flow well and dialogue that made no sense.
-The Russian mafia were laughable… somehow they got bested by a bunch of ridiculous teenagers.
-I didn't understand why Pietr's mother was always addressed as Mother rather than mother - it's not like she was everyone's mum.
-There were a number of times when it felt like I was getting lectured on smoking, drinking, sex and forgiveness. I hate it when authors shove their own beliefs and values down readers throats.
All in all a rubbish book. There's a lesson to be learnt her though - never mix stories that involve the Russian mafia and the CIA with high school, werewolves and cheesy teen love. It makes for dull reading. -
I thought this was much better than the first two books, and I liked the first two. I thought the plot was tighter, better developed. It is a character driven story to be sure but this book focused on one main external conflict and had a nice arc to it. I appreciated the way the author used internal thoughts for taglines, for example the name of the speaker in italics. To my brain, it was the narrator making a mental note and flowed well for me. There were several conversations between Jess and Pietr that I needed more taglines for. I read and reread the dialogue trying to figure out who was saying what. On several occasions I couldn't figure it out and had to just move ahead.
Once I started reading it pained me to have to put the book down until I was done. Then I was pained because the end left plenty of tension to keep reader interest. I've never been personally touched by an abusive relationship so I don't know how accurately it was depicted here, but there were moments I got tears in my eyes following that thread. I felt like it helped me see that issue better than I did before.
On pins and needles waiting for book 4. -
Bargains and Betrayals was definitely an improvement on Secrets and Shadows.
Jessie is locked away at Pecan Place, an institute for the mentally unstable, and she quickly learns that Pecan Place is hiding some pretty big secrets when it comes to what they are doing to their patients.
Jessie matured between Secrets and Shadows and Bargains and Betrayals and although it was only minor it was definitely an improvement, yes she was still pining after Pietr but at least she has a real reason to this time. By the end of Bargains and Betrayals Jessie was actually a likeable character again, putting others with bigger problems before herself and stopping to think about her actions before running after Pietr every ten seconds.
Pietr was still a little annoying being his typical I am seventeen therefore I am a grown-up and can make huge decisions for myself. Uh yeah buddy, no you can’t. Pietr was still irrational and mildly irritating in this book but we didn’t see that much of him compared to the previous two books.
For the first time in this series, the POV was spilt between Jessie and Alexi and I absolutely loved it. Reading from Alexi’s POV was absolutely fascinating and definitely kept the book going, we had a mature outsiders impression of the situation, sure Alexi decided to become a drunk about halfway through for a little while, but his blackouts were reverted back to Jessie’s mind so it didn’t impact too much.
Alexi is a very interesting character, having done everything he can for his family and still being shunned, watching his inner turmoil as he continues fighting for those he loves is amazing. He left the love of his life for his family and it’s only after Cat becomes human again that she really starts to bond with him.
Bargains and Betrayals was definitely much better than the previous two books, I will admit that I was reluctant to pick it up after finishing Secrets and Shadows and it was only because I had a review copy that I read it at all, but I devoured it quickly and it was on my mind from the moment I put it down right up until I dived back in once again.
The story actually moves this time around, it moves quite a bit to be honest, we are still lacking many answers but they are more answers to questions like how can people get away with these evils things they are doing. I think Delany may have shorn off a few plot points a little too abruptly, it was almost like she didn’t want to continue having that bad guy as a problem, so she just killed them, every time a character got too in the way she killed them off which was a little weird, but I suppose you can’t have all these characters antagonising the mains when the mains have making out and devoting themselves to each other to do.
I am interested in this series, and this book has definitely redeemed some of the series more horrible qualities but I am not sure if I will be continuing on. Considering there is another book whose release date hasn’t been announced yet and this series general lack of memorability I will probably end up just as confused as I was when I picked up Secrets and Shadows a year after 13 to Life.
Find this review at storywings.com -
The third book in the "13 to Life" series, "Bargains and Betrayals", did not disappoint (except for the awfully small font in my paperback copy, talk about eye strain!). This entire series is so much more than I initially thought it was going to be. It is not just a "werewolf" story, it is so much more. There are several paranormal aspects/people in this story, including zombies!!! Yes-- I said ZOMBIES! I can't even tell you how delighted I was by this. There's also the mafia, scientists and a secret government agency. Not to mention the author is single-handedly teaching me Russian, due to the amount of the character's usage of the language in the book. I totally dig it! Russian is sexy. ;)
In this book, in addition to the story being told from Jessica's POV, we have Alexi's POV as well. At first, I was slightly annoyed by this only because I felt like things were too back and forth, and unsteady. But eventually it grew on me and I got over it. I see now why his perspective was necessary to the story, and I developed more of a liking for his character. In addition to Alexi, Amy's character was more involved in this book. I liked her from the beginning and I love how good of a friend she is to Jessica.
Pietr's character definitely progresses in this book and he matures while having to make some tough decisions for the sake of Jessica and his family. He is definitely one of my favorite male characters of all time. I like the way Shannon Delany portrays him-- from the many ways she describes his piercing blue eyes to the description of his Russian accent. I also like the dynamic between him and Jessica. This is a couple I want things to work out for. On a side note, let me just say that whoa buddy was there a lot of sexual tension between them in this book! It almost made me uncomfortable......almost. Haha.
I found that this book had some more mature situations in it than the previous ones did. While there were still several funny and sarcastic moments present (which I love, because Jessica's character is quite amusing), this third installment of "13 to Life" provides some pretty serious and sometimes awful situations.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and I am quite excited for the next one. I think that we are going to get to see a lot more of Sophie's character next time around and I look forward to it, because she is awesome! I can only imagine what's going to happen in the next book after reading the dramatic ending of this one. =) -
What a ride!! Bargains and Betrayals jumps right into action where we were left hanging with
Secrets and Shadows left us with this horrible cliffhanger.
Jessi is send to a institution where she left isolated from Pietr and even her dad. But soon Jessi discovers that there is of course something weird going on and finally also her dad realizes that this is not the right place for her. Pietr tries to get her out, but it's too dangerous so the two lovers have to stay apart from each other.
At the time when Jessi discovers horrible things Pietr and his family try to rescue their mother our of the hands of the CIA (?). Pietr has to make some horrible choices...
Here, we get another POV which was very surprising for me. One part of the story is told from Jessi's POV while the other side is told from Alxis'. Oh and that was a great idea I have to say! I wasn't so fond of him in the first books, but this truly changed here. I eventually felt very sorry for him, he really suffered from the way his brothers and sister treated him ;( It was a very smart move to include his thoughts here!
Jessi is growing stronger and stronger and I liked to see her develop like this. I also loved the faith she has in Pietr and her incredibly love and forgiveness. Even though Pietr tries to push her away (for her own good of course) she never seemed to falter. She stayed true to her love and decision to be with him Pietr.
Also Pietr went through a deep and very disturbing development and it was only Jessi who managed to pull him out of his misery. He loves her deeply but also strongly believes she would be better off without him...
A lot of things happen that will make you gaps and leave room for more development and more story in the future. The book ends again in a cliffhanger and I can't get enough of this rich story! -
Rating 3.5
I was kind of on the fence on what to rate this, 3 or 4 so I guess I'll go inbetween.
Bargains and Betrayals starts off right where Secrets and Shadows ended. Jess is in the intitute torn away from Pietr. Alot going on in this got a little confused about some things. But in the end I caught on. A few different plots going on in this one. Lets see we got Jess in the institute, which come to find out alot of creepy stuff going on in this place, the Rusakovas trying to free there mother, we got the drama of Max/Amy/Marvin, the mafia, CIA whats not to love. The last 100 pages were really good, the action pretty darn good too.
The problem I had with this installment is that I really felt the characters in this were very disconnected. I still love these books and cannot wait to read
.
Oh and what was up with Alexi and Nadezhda I thought it would explain a little bit more about them but Hell after he seen her at the black market it's like she never existed no mention of her nada,zip. Maybe we'll get to know what happens in the next book and see what the story is with that.
I would recommend this book to 14 and up because it does have some sexual content. -
[4.5 GOLD STARS!!]
This book is probably my favorite so far in the series!
There were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming and the writing was flawless for the most part. Very happy with this read!! -
***ALL SPOILER ALERT*** And I may be blurring between book 2 & 3...
So Jessie gets a ticket to the loony bin, where she finds out a bunch of wacko things--like Dr Jones is part of the company. One of the new patients tries to kill her, but fortunately Pietr was in her room and kill the attacker.
Pietr sells his soul to the Mafia to get help breaking mother out. Enter "Uncle" Dmitri.
Jess is released and finds a month away mine as well be a year.
Amy leaves Martin and moves into the Kusakova's basement. She's really digging Max and he her.
They let Dad and Annabel Lee in on the secrete.
A plan is devised to rescue Mother.
Sophie is brought in to unlock the keypads.
Jessie's Mom is able to take over Sophie so she can talk to Jess after the breakout.
Derek & Sarah are at the breakout and mess with Jess & Sophie and Cat.
The cure isn't permanent, cuz Cat changes back to a wolf after her encounter w/Derek.
After all hell broke loose INSIDE the same happens OUTSIDE and Derek toys with the girls until Cat wolfs out and tosses his sorry ass into the greenhouse and kills him.
They get Mother home.
She takes the cure and dies 2 minutes later.
Uncle Dmitri says good riddens and pisses Pietr off so he takes the rest of the cure and shoves some down Max's throat too telling Uncle Dmitri to basically fuck off!
So Cat & Jess are the only ones that know the cure isn't permanent...
Hello book 4... -
I just want to start out by warning you this is a long review but I do not care because I have a lot to say about this wonderful little book. It’s also completely free of spoilers from previous books and this book. And it’s a long review filled with lots of love.
I did not think it was possible for me to love the 13 to Life series anymore than I already did, but Bargains and Betrayals proves I can love it even more. And boy, do I love it. I have previously reviewed both 13 to Life and Secrets and Shadows here on the blog and have confessed my love for them, but Bargains and Betrayals blew me away. Everything about Bargains and Betrayals was spot on: the writing, the characters, the story. Everything.
So initially I was a bit worried about this book because Shannon Delany decided to do something a little different in the third book in this series which was to tell the story from both Jessie’s and Alexi’s point of view. Up until this book, the story had been told only from Jessie’s point of view so this switched worried me a bit. However, as I was reading, I realized this decision worked perfectly. It was really interesting to learn more about Alexi and see a different perspective on the story. There was a lot about Alexi that I did not know about before this book but I learned through his point of view. One thing that Shannon Delany was really good at was deciding when to switch between the point of views of the two characters. Every time the story jumped from Jessie to Alexi or vice versa, it made perfect sense and the story continued to flow as one. I really hope that Shannon Delany continues utilizing multiple point of view in future books in this series because it really adds to the writing and the story. And I would really like a book that has Max’s perspective, but that’s just cause I love Max.
Shannon Delany’s writing in this book was her best yet. I feel like the writing in this book was the strongest it has been in the series. Shannon Delany was able to balance the really serious scenes with some hilarity which I always love. But seriously, this book had so many beautifully written in lines and phrases that I was in love. I actually have a list of them because they were just perfect. One of my favorite quotes in the entire book was “Sometimes are hearts should rule our heads.” It just really describes the feeling of the book for me and was such a great line in the scene. I definitely feel like that as this series has gone on the writing has gotten stronger in each book and truly, the writing was the best in this book so far. It flowed perfectly and had some really heart breaking scenes and lines.
Bargains and Betrayals was one of those books that I was very emotionally invested in. So much, that at points I was yelling at the book because I did not want characters to do something that I knew they were going to do anyways. I was very into this book, so into that I found myself talking to (in a good, not crazy way). Which leads me to the story. The stakes were definitely the highest they have been for Jess and Pietr and the Rusakovas. I’m going to keep this spoiler free for previous books, but if you know what happened in Secrets and Shadows I bet you can figure out why. A lot of what happened in Bargains and Betrayals I seriously did not see coming. I should have know from the title that there would be huge bargains and huge betrayals, but seriously, I did not think some of those bargains would ever occur, nor some of those betrayals. This book changes everything for the characters. A lot of things happen that will have a huge impact on their lives in the following books. I really want to talk about some huge spoilery things in the book, but will hold back because you need to experience them on your own. The story will keep you on the edge of your seat and even have you yelling at some of the character’s choices.
One of my favorite things in this book was the character development. Jessie, Pietr, Alexi, Max, Kat, Amy, Derek, Sarah, Wanda, and Leon have come so far since 13 to Life and there growth is really apparent in this book. Pietr and Jessie have come so far. They are drastically different people because of what occurs in Bargains and Betrayals. I really like the people Jess and Pietr have become. I love how both of them are willing to put those they love first. New depth has been added to the characters in this book. I just want to say, I still love the same characters, like Jessie, Pietr, Max, Kat and Alexi but my hatred for some characters * cough * Derek * cough * grew even more. I felt like some of the decisions the characters made in this book really will define them in coming books and change who they are.
Also, I really need to talk about Pietr and Jess’s relationship in this book. It was perfect. Seriously, this is what their relationship should have been from the beginning. Jess and Pietr truly care for each other and I felt their relationship really shows that. When you see what each of them risks for the other, what they give up for each other, it tugs at your heartstrings. Also, there was a certain scene in this book that was done perfectly and made me extremely happy and you will definitely know what it is when you read it.
Now, I have to sit back and wait until Destiny and Deception comes out. And once again, the wait is going to be torturous because of the ending. Shannon Delany really knows how to write an ending that leaves you wanting more. When I got to the ending of this book, I did not realize there was no more pages left and then burst out “What?” because it just another killer ending. I want Destiny and Deception now to find out what happens next!
Bargains and Betrayals is by far the best book in the 13 to Life series. If you haven’t read this series I HIGHLY recommend you pick it up and read it. Each book gets better and better and I cannot wait to see where Shannon Delany takes the story next in Destiny and Deception. -
I received this ARC from a trade with [email protected]
Everyone knows my obsession with Shannon Delany's 13 to Life! Loved it from cover to finish and I have become fast addicted to the series, so when Cindy at PrincessBookie.com was offering this in an ARC trade I jumped like a madwoman. Or a crazed book reader!
Anyway, Bargains and Betrayals was just amazing! One thing I liked was that instead of just Jessie narrating, Alexi is too! They go back and forth so we get to see what's happening with Jessie at Pecan Place and what's going on in the outside world with Pietr and everyone else! Which once again, a helluva lot happens!!
No loose-end was left unturned from Secrets and Shadows. The problems that were around were pretty much answered. But of course new problems always arise! Pietr is determined to do whatever it takes to get Jessie out of Pecan Place and to save his mother. There are so many problems to handle and so many more pop up as Pietr will do anything to be able to save the girl he loves along with his mother. Anything.
Once again, I can't go into too many details because the more I talk, the more I'll reveal that I shouldn't. The book brings in old enemies as well, so remember who we've met in the past two books as they just might make a return appearance.
Jessie and Pietr's relationship has to be my fave YA one ever! Sure I like a lot of other ones, but their relationship is just my fave. It's so intense that sometimes I'm forgetting that they're both 17! They have a lot of issues that always come between them and they work through them together. And I love that! I can be a sucker for these kinds of romances! Man, why couldn't Pietr have been at my high school!
In my opinion the book was very well paced. There's so much danger and suspense going on throughout that I almost finished this yesterday when I started it, but had to run an errand. The ending was fantastic! OMG were there some surprises! Now I'm in agony wanting to read the next book in the series! It wasn't too excruciating of a cliffhanger, but still it's a cliffhanger and as we all know, cliffhangers are just pure evil!
Overall rating 5/5 stars! Cannot wait til the next one! Want it now! :)
Bargains and Betrayals releases August 16, 2011
Once again I must give a big shout out and thanks to Cindy! THANKS AGAIN, CINDY!! You do not know how happy you truly made me!! -
Let me preface this review and say that while I read the first book in the series, 13 to Life, I did not read book two, Secrets and Shadows. My mistake. I felt completely lost for the first half of the book and didn’t feel caught up until the last quarter of the book. Ugh!
This book was full, FULL of melodrama and he shall be called Pietr. Pietr was so intense in every scene; his every emotion was at the brink of a breakdown. He was a lot to handle. I mean, I love the thing between Pietr and Jessie, but he was such a force that I can see why Jessie’s dad had issues with him. At a certain point in the story I thought, “dude, calm down I think your making things worse.” But in the end, it’s all about honor, family and protecting the ones you love. *le sigh*
While Pietr was handling the melodrama aspects of the story, Jessie and Alexi handled the comic relief, so to speak. Between Jessie’s random thoughts and at times quick wit and Alexi’s ability to be cool under pressure even though he is no longer alpha, was extremely pleasant. It helped to tone down the whole Pietr intensity.
The shining star moment for me was the relationship between Max and Amy. There was angst and tenderness – the perfect formula for budding romance. I loved his protectiveness, I loved her brokenness. Together they worked. I’m hoping for much more between them in Destiny and Deception.
If you’re a fan of the 13 to Life series, then this is a must read. -
Bargains and Betrayals was a book I was highly anticipating after Secrets and Shadows. I thought everything was set for the ultimate 3rd book, and it would all just go. It was! Bargains and Betrayals was everything I had hoped for and more.
I pretty much read this one in one sitting - I didn't want to put it down. The story was absolutely addicting. Bargains and Betrayals definitely took a different turn from the prior 2 books. There are alternating perspectives - told from both Jessie and Alexi's points of views. At first, I wasn't sure what I thought of this. It turned out to work marvelously, and I really enjoyed getting to know Alexi better, a character that I didn't feel like I knew too well before this book.
The plot was utterly addicting. There was so much going on. It was so much action, and I just kept hoping no one would interrupt me while I was reading so I could continue with my reading, to figure out what would happen next.
I really enjoyed the characters in Bargains and Betrayals. I loved the little bigger of a role Sophie played in this one, I think she is just too fun of a character. I also really love Max! I also liked Jessie a lot more in this book - I thought she really grew a lot throughout the course of the book.
Shannon Delany sure ends with a punch, as Bargains and Betrayals ends with the most painful ending in the series yet. The wait Destiny and Deception will be a long one indeed. This is an absolute must read! -
Spoilers for the earlier books (somewhat).
This picks up where Secrets and Shadows ended. Jessie is in the mental institution and Pietr and his siblings are trying to get their mom out of the CIA's clutches. Pietr thinks he has a way to free her (the mom) but can he and Jessie stay together after she learns about the compromises he's making? And what kind of a mental institution is she in, anyway? Scary things are happening there.
This is such a fun, addictive series (more along the vein of House of Night than, say, The Mortal Instruments, which is to say guilty pleasure---which is not a bad thing necessarily). I think the next book is going to be the last one, so I can't wait to see how they wrap it all up.
This story is getting increasingly insane, too. I'm not sure how they can keep it going with some of the choices they've made. But I'm excited to see what comes next. :) -
After waiting so long for this book, I was disappointed. I felt the story was bland and felt like it was written in a rush. Like a person trying to tell a whole story in detail in a short time. The writing was simple but missed connectivity. There was something missing in the flow of the story.
What was Delany thinking? Jessie. !!!!! She cried and begged Pietr not to kill Christian and almost hated him for turning into a mafia, but then She kills someone herself. Delany seemed to be in a hurry to turn Jessie from a naive person to a killer without much reason and emotions. It felt like reading an amateur writing. The story was good but the way she developed it was bad. The romance between Jessie and Pietr was rushed and bland though Delany tried to make it emotional but it was not enough... I m convinced i m not going to read the next part. I hate it when she ends every book with a tragedy . Took me a month to finish this book :( -
Even though this wasn't the book I like the most from the series it's still good. But some of the parts are kind of hurrying..? I don't know but it's just probably me. Mhmm, and sometimes I don't get it. Confusing...?
Anyway, Jessica and Pietr are still strong characters. Still love them and think they are perfect couples but I don't get it...They had sex. I mean, sex. I know a lot of teenage books have those moments. But Shannon Delany made Pietr sound like he is a inappropriate pedo ass. Who thinks of having sex with someone every 7 minutes. Yeah...don't think so(even if there is it's pretty wrong)...They aren't to young for those but come on. Yeah, not my favorite book in the series. But it's just one moment of those...There really isn't much to say to this book, really...
Overall, I still like it but just weird. Not all the books have to talk about sex...I guess, she just wants more pages on her book. What ever. It's cool... -
This started out slow, with Jessie confined at Pecan Place and Pietr thinking of ways to help his Mother and Jess escape. Surprisingly, it is told in Jessie and Alexi's POV (which I don't understand) since I was waiting for a big secret coming from Alexi. But I still enjoyed reading it. Well, it is paranormal since we have werewolves, ghosts, zombies and yep "vampirelike" qualities in this series but the thing that makes it more interesting is along with the paranormal stuff bring into the mix Russian Mafia and CIA which for me is brilliant.
Lemme just say that ending......on to book 4. -
Wow, I didn't hate Jess this time around, that is a nice surprise!
Kept me interested enough throughout...Am going straight onto the next. -
I can't tell you how many times I had to put this book down and actually get my work done. Absolutely devoured it! Amazing! Can't wait till my hands are on the next book! :)
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I was so excited to get this book. Getting back into this series was so easy. I devoured Bargains and Betrayals the same as I did with the previous two books in this amazing series! There was a lot of action in this book, not to mention a lot of weird stuff went down! At times, yes, I could tell it was written for YA, but you can't really knock a YA book for sounding YA can you?!
The tension and romance between Jessie and Pietr only gets better. I really enjoyed the different Point of views in this book. You got to be so many different places at once. As always, the writing is good and the pacing was excellent. It kept me glued to the book, excited to see how everything would turn out.
This one ends on a cliff hanger as well as the other two. I think I'm kind of expecting that kind of thing out of YA books; they all seem to be doing it now days.
Anyway, if you haven't read the first two, you must. If you have read the first two, you must read this one. Werewolves, teens in love, bad guys and ancient science experiments bound to ruin that love? I could never get enough!!! -
Me gusto mas este tercer libro de la saga "13 To Life" , aquí en este tercer libro se nota más el amor que siente Jessie y Piert el uno por el otro y como vencen las dificultades y los obstáculos que se le aparece por el camino los cuales le impiden estar juntos como ellos quisieran, y como junto con ayuda de la familia Rusakova planean el rescate de la mama de los Rusakovas para que pueda estar con su famila, este tercer libro tiene de la saga tiene un poca de drama, peligro, y como un poco de romance, es un buen libro recomiendo leerlo como toda la saga.
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I haven't reread this since it came out until now, but it's a wild ride every time. I love Shannon Delaney as a human and also as an author.
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I won't give it away but I will say I did not see the ending of this book coming. Holy cow!!
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3.5 Pietr was annoying for too much of the book. 😐
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This is the third installment of the 13 to Life series. Jessie is locked up at Pecan Place - “a place where nuts gather” aka the local asylum. This book starts out reiterating the end of Secrets and Shadows, where Jessie is taken and Pietr fights to keep that from happening. Jessie is afraid that the guards had hurt or killed Pietr and at the beginning of the book, she is trying to find that out. She learns the ins and outs of Pecan Place and how to prevent herself from getting on restriction. She also learns more about Dr. Jones, her guards and what is happening in Junction to the missing students. Meanwhile, Pietr is getting antsy about freeing Jessie and also freeing his mother. He is focused on those two things. He understands that in order to get his mother out of the cell that she is being kept in, the Rusakova family will need help. In between his secret visits to see Jessie at Pecan Place, he figures out a plan on how to get the extra help that they need in order to free his mother.
I had been anticipating this book ever since I read Secrets and Shadows. I am addicted to this series. The way that Delany writes about the werewolves or oborots is different than anything I’ve read before. It is refreshing to have a new spin on an old idea. Yes, there is chaos, trouble and romance, but what young adult novel doesn’t have those? The premise that the werewolves lives are dwindling down and they die at an early age is what I like about this series. Pietr is fighting because he knows that his time is short and he wants to spend them with people he loves. As cheesy as that sounds, that is the basic plot. I am interested to see how this series ends up and cannot wait for Destiny and Deception to be released.
I like:
*Jessie. She is self-sacrificing. She is willing to go to Pecan Place so that Pietr will stop fighting with the guards which got him hurt. She also doesn’t want Pietr to get hurt while she is in Pecan Place and asks him not to visit.
*Pietr. He is so loyal, even more so in this book than the others. Even though he is in love with Jessie and wants her out of Pecan Place, he puts her first. He is also self-sacrificing in his own way.
*Alexi. In Secrets and Shadows, you learn that Alexi is not a blood relative but was “adopted” by the Rusakovas. In this book, he takes a lot of flak from Pietr, Max and Cat because he had lied to them for a long time. Even though all of this, he is adamant that he is their “brother” and does not fail them.
*Amy. I like how Delany throws this little side story about abuse in there. Amy is classic. The transformation that she goes through in this book and the strength that she shows is amazing. You really have to read between the lines to catch it.
I Did Not Like:
*Marvin….
*There was a part in the book where Pietr and Alexi were talking on the phone and Russian was spoken and unless you speak it, you have no idea what they said. You get the general gist of it through the writing, but it makes you want to go and find an online translator and figure it out. Granted, this was only one or two times, but I was so intrigued by the story, that I wanted to know everything.
*Derek. He’s kind of creepy the way he sees things through Jessica. Paranormal-stalker-creepy.
*The Mafia. I guess they are not supposed to be liked, only feared. -
By Shannon Delany, #3 of the 13 to Life Series. Grade B
Well I’ve been reading this book for quite some days now, and now it’s over. Finally!
Locked away at Pecan Place, Jessie finds her situation to be even more dangerous than she feared. While she struggles to maintain her sanity and discover answers about the group that seems less and less like any legitimate government agency, Pietr fights to keep their relationship alive. But very aware that his mother’s time is running out, Pietr makes a deal he doesn’t dare tell Jessie about. Because the deal Pietr’s made could mean the death of far more than his tenuous relationship with the girl he loves.
The book begins with a small precap of what happened last in Shadows and Secrets. Jess is taken as a patient to Pecan Place saying that her father isn’t strong enough, emotionally, to take care of her. Pietr tries hard to save her, nearly dying doing so. But, to save Pietr from revealing his true form in front of Dr. Jones, who has come to take her away, Jess agrees to go with them. Pietr is really heart-broken after Jess leaves. He knows that he has to do something to save the two most important people in his life- his mother and Jess.
Pietr tries to visit Jess at Pecan Place from outside her window, not bothered with the huge security the place has. Jess tries to maintain her sanity, believing that she’ll get out the place safely, without getting Pietr into trouble. But soon Jess starts seeing weird things around Pecan Place and the nurses keep taking away little amount of her blood, for an unknown reason (to Jess).
Pietr gets help from Jess’s father, Leon and manages to save Jess after making some kind of deal with Dmitri of the Russian Mafia. Pietr especially requires Jess to be free as to get his mother cured. After this the story focuses completely to their mission to save Tatiana Rusakova. The focus shifts to Amy and Max and their relationship. Annabelle Lee, Jess’s sister, gets to know what Pietr is and her reaction is quite surprising. This book becomes a bit fast paced after this part… and reveals great secrets rapidly. The end is quite sudden and surprising.
This book varies a little from the previous two in the series. The most noticeable change is the shift in POV. The prequels were narrated from Jess’s POV in the first person, but this one includes Alexi’s as well, which was not all that interesting to read. As you might have guessed, the focus shifts a little and we get to know much more of Alexi’s life, especially what happened before he came to Junction.
This series is not very good. Other reviews on similar websites have actually been quite discouraging. I have been reading it probably because it is a series, and I don’t like to leave a series incomplete. Even so, there were times in this book I tended to lose focus, which was irritating. While the first chapters were quite, midway through the book, I was back to losing focus. Fortunately, the pace was picked up again in the last few chapters, which compensated.
New readers would probably be hesitant about picking up the first two books in the series after reading this one, but ardent fans of the paranormal and YA genre may find it intriguing. Not a very good book, but still somewhat readable.
Originally reviewed at
www.vaultofbooks.com
