Euphoria/Dysphoria by Michelle Browne

Euphoria/Dysphoria Reviews

• 
  Sharon Stevenson

  'Euphoria/Dysphoria' is the story of Christine as she has her life turned upside down by a desperate pregnant girl, Ilsa, who is on the run from the father of her unborn child.
  
  Having read and thoroughly enjoyed previous books by both authors, I was very intrigued to read this collaborative work. It is a cold and violent world these authors have created as a backdrop for their tale of two lost women developing a deep bond as they do what they have to, to survive and protect Ilsa's baby.
  
  I found this dystopian adventure captivating. It was at times gruesome and horrific, but I found myself unable to stop reading, even as the main characters were forced to eat rats to survive. The descriptions of the horrors of this world were graphic and the atmosphere bleak for much of the book, with the only real hints of hope shared between the two main characters as their relationship developed.
  
  All in all this is a gripping dystopian tale and a very well turned out collaborative effort. Highly recommended!
  
  
• 
  Nikki

  Euphoria Dysphoria I'm a bit torn about the review of this book, as I couldn't motivate myself to finish it. The circumstances the main characters find themselves in, running for their lives, through tangled streets, in a futuristic landscape, was exciting and pulled me right in. The world-building was stunning from the start, and the characterizations were mysterious enough to keep me wanting more.
   
  However, approximately halfway through the narrative the tone of the story completely shifted. It was almost as though I started reading a completely different book and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. The character voices sounded different, their reactions were unfamiliar, and I ceased wanting to find out what happened with them. 
• 
  John Dolan

  Let me declare upfront: I am a fan of Michelle Browne. I am not familiar with her co-author, Nicolas Wilson, but I suspect that is about to change.
  
  'Euphoria/Dysphoria' contains Ms. Browne's trademark future landscapes of desolation, ruin and authoritarian regimes. The world is poisoned, toxic, and humanity survives in monstrous concrete tower-cities, circled by deadly clouds - all of which is artfully described. The two main characters, Christine and a heavily-pregnant Ilsa, find themselves on the run from the privileged but ruthless father of Ilsa's baby-to-be. Along the way, they encounter scavenger pirates, a bounty hunter,heaps of unpleasantness, and the full horror of how their dystopian society functions.
  
  There is some fine use of language in this book along with (squeamish reader warning) much rat-eating, violence, and hallucinogenic episodes.
  
  I enjoyed it, but I'm withholding a fifth star because I thought the ending was a little abrupt, the transition from SciFi Quest to action novel too quick, and a number of characters were introduced very late in the story without the opportunity for development (especially the chief baddie). But, that said, 'Euphoria/Dysphoria' is a damn good read and a page-turner to boot.
  
  Bring on the next one!
• 
  T.

  Wonderfully dark and painfully hopeful, chocked to the gills with gore and full to bursting with hilariously violent hallucinations. Little magic here, little friendship there, a damn near perfect read. Full review soon.
• 
  Jen

  s an independent reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock, I rate Euphoria/Dysphoria with 3 fangs.
  
  Euphoria/Dysphoria was about a girl on the run. She is pregnant and afraid of the baby’s father. She links up with another woman and they become travel companions, helping each other and watching each other’s back. Their growing friendship and camaraderie is a key element in this book. I really enjoyed the relationship that transpires between the girls. I enjoyed the dynamics of their different personalities and how they melded into a strong bond to stay safe and keep the baby safe. Christine tries to be so hard but really she just wants to be accepted like everyone else.I didn’t like where this book started. I’m not sure if maybe it is part of a series and I didn’t get the beginning parts but it doesn’t say anywhere that it is. It starts in a harsh desolate world with no explanation as to how the world got to be that way. The actual story was very good and kept my interest but I kept coming back to how the world ended up so destroyed. Due to the sexual tensions, I would advise this to be a book for older readers. The story was enjoyable and I would recommend giving it a try!
• 
  P.A.

  I'm affraid I have to leave this book unfinished at 30%, it just didn't catch my attention for various reasons:
  
  First, there's Christine... I can't even start to understand how she can quit to the little she has to help some unnerving and useless stranger. I mean, seriously, she used to be so worried about going to work, disappearing, keeping a low profile, but as soon as Ilsa kisses her and tells her she needs help. What the freaking fuck??!
  
  Second, Ilsa. She is the most annoying character I have ever had the misfortune to "meet." She kept causing only problems, nearly getting Christine killed several times because of her uselessness. I can't, I simply can't stand her.
  
  And third, the plot. I did not get it. I never understood what was really happening, how the physical setting was or what was the final goal for keeping a child (whose father was doing something unknown to it) away from, well, everyone. Perhaps I would have undertand if I had kept reading, but I simply don't want to.
  I really tried, I swear, but this book just wasn't for me.
• 
  Maria Beltrami

  Honestly I do not know what to say about this book. From the theoretical point of view would have all the elements to please me, and some steps are really good, from the practical point of view, however, is often confused, the characters are not solved, too much meat is put on the fire with the result of not allowing to understand who does what and why, not to mention that many of the characters are of a total and utter stupidity.
  Thank Victory Editing Netgalley and for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
  
  
  Sinceramente non so che cosa dire di questo libro. Dal punto di vista teorico avrebbe tutti gli elementi per piacermi, e alcuni passi sono davvero buoni, dal punto di vista pratico però è spesso confuso, i personaggi non sono risolti, troppa carne viene messa sul fuoco col risultato di non permettere di capire chi fa che cosa e perché, senza contare che molti dei personaggi sono di una totale e assoluta stupidità.
  Ringrazio Victory Editing e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
  
• 
  Lexy

  Well. I finished it. Overall I did sort of enjoy it but the writing wasn't phenomenal and things still weren't finished it seemed. there was one sentence that I stared at for literally five minutes trying to understand then finally made some sort of sense later on. that was irritating. I don't think I would read anything from either author again.
  I gave it three stars to be nice, honestly.
  Wouldn't recommend.
• 
  tyto

  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
  3 1/2 stars
  
  A good dystopian science fiction novel. I was quickly drawn into the story, and overall, it was an enjoyable read. I really loved the world-building, but I felt like it tried to cram too much into the story. I wished certain aspects of the story had been expanded further, but I was pleasantly surprised by this novel.