The Gender Lie (The Gender Game Series, book 3)

By Bella Forrest

Blurb: 
After discovering the shocking secret buried deep within The Green, Violet has a grave decision to make. 
Trust the woman who saved her, or not?

So far, everything about the woman has taken Violet by surprise. Her behavior has been honest and upfront - a refreshing change for Violet. Besides, with one of her loved ones hanging on life support, and the other close to falling completely out of reach, Violet doesn't exactly have a lot of choice.  

Her only way forward is to embark on a dicey excursion. For this, she knows she needs the Liberators' help - and must be prepared to take whatever risks that comes with. 

But what neither she, nor any of her new Liberator comrades can prepare for, is just how deep the lies of their homelands run...

Review: 
Once again this book started straight after another heart stopping ending in book 2. We are straight into Violet's point of view where she is sat with Viggo, while he is in an induced coma because of his vain attempt of trying to save her at the end of book 2. Violet is currently going through some tough moments with her brother, Ms.Dale and coming to terms with Desmond. She isn't used to people caring for her and her friends but she is worried what she will need to do to repay Desmond for the help she is receiving. 

At the start of the book I could feel myself going into another reading slump, hence why it has took me longer than usual to read the book, so this review may be more critical than others because of the slump.

At the start of the book Violet is still the main character and is trying to help her 'boyfriend' get the laser technology that is required to help with the tears that he has experienced to his heart from sticking too many adrenaline patches on himself. So she ends up going on a mission again with new characters, the ones that have helped her, to get the equipment that is required for his surgery.

The mission experiences a few hiccups and Violet struggles with trusting new people that are supposedly trying to help them. The mission itself was quite interesting to read but afterwards was when I had actually decided that I really started to hate Violet. There is a quote I have highlighted at this moment, I won't include it in this section but if anyone wants to know it's mentioned within the spoilers section below the rating.

So gathering all this information together I'd say that it was a good book, great amount of detail, plenty of scene changes, and another cliff hanger ending. I'm loving the scene changes and the twists that missions have, but I'm actually getting a bit bored of going into the green and something bad happening, and then something having a huge twist and then it gets resolved and the book to end on a cliff hanger. Just eurgh stop doing it there's another 4 books left, change something!

I may only have this opinion because I have definitely got into a reading slump throughout this book, and I can't really decide on a star rating as I have mixed emotions with it. I'm wanting to give it 4 because generally it's a good book, but it is really similar to the other 2 books in the series so I'm wanting to give it 3. This is because I'm actually starting to get sick of the same layout just different events but they're so similar.

Favourite Character: Viggo
Read: 18/07/18 - 23/07/18

3 stars out of 5

Check out book 4: The Gender War

*SPOILERS*

From this point on it will contain spoilers, I will be explaining who my favourite character is and why and will explain why I have started to hate Violet. So if you are not wanting to know any spoilers DON’T read on!! Sorry it has become a lot more informal too, but I’m just expressing how I feel.

Right so to start of with I will explain why I no longer like Violet. 

“Owen, you aren’t even a blip on my radar,”

Why is she so stuck up? Why does she think she’s so perfect. I’m getting quite sick of her to be honest, why does she have to let men do these things to her. I understand Lee was her first boyfriend but surely everyone knows that you only stick with one person and if you don’t like them finish it! 

I understand to have a sort of love triangle in most young adult books now a days but she is just so confusing she lets Owen kiss her when she should really push him away, and to then say that I think it’s quite two faced. 

Throughout the book she starts to get quite big headed and think that she is better than everyone else too and twists people around her little finger and makes other characters quite jealous which I really hate!

Okay so that’s the semi-rant over about Violet, now to explain why Viggo has became my favourite character.

So once Viggo’s operation was done he was obviously on the road to recovery,  I felt like I could relate to Viggo with how he was feeling knowing that Violet was still getting on with her life, while he struggled to get himself back on his feet and she didn’t really consider how he felt. Which is another reason why I hate Violet now. I felt like I could relate with the frustration he was feeling at having Violet around with his physiotherapy sessions because he felt ashamed that he couldn’t do the basic of tasks and having her around made him feel quite self conscious and he felt like he could progress better without her watching his every move.

Once he had fully recovered and was nearly back to his usual strength I felt like I liked him even more as a character because he took it in his hands to try and train the boys and give them a second chance. He went out of his way to ensure that they were treat like humans and not like test subjects anymore. He always seemed to put himself in great danger to save the people he liked too. 

Viggo’s emotions throughout the book were quite strong and I related to them quite well and I understood why he was feeling these emotions at times, hence why he has become my favourite character.

written by Sammie