whisperingchapters
Written on May 10, 2019
Zeke Daniels isn't just a douchebag; he's an asshole. A total and complete jerk, Zeke keeps people at a distance. He has no interest in relationships—most assholes don’t. Dating? Being part of a couple? Nope. Not for him. He's never given any thought to what he wants in a girlfriend, because he's never had any intention of having one. Shit, he barely has a relationship with his family, and they're related; his own friends don’t even like him. So why does he keep thinking about Violet DeLuca? Sweet, quiet Violet—his opposite in every sense of the word. The light to his dark, even her damn name sounds like rays of sunshine and happiness and shit. And that pisses him off, too.
- ISBN10 1386374407
- ISBN13 9781386374404
- Publish Date 25 January 2017
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Draft2digital
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 336
- Language English
Reviews
nitzan_schwarz
Written on Feb 13, 2018
So, I'm kind of torn when it comes to this book.
On the one hand; I really did like Zeke and Violet's relationship. I like Zeke's character development and the way he goes from someone who won't let other people like him to someone who people can love and appreciate. I liked how Violet demanded his respect and overcome her fears throughout the novel.
These two were a fun couple to follow, as I truly felt like they made each other better, different as they may be.
That being said. THAT BEING SAID. There were a lot of things I was iffy about.
First of all, I found myself wanting Ney to explore more of the things she set up in this book, same as I did in the first one.
Like the kids. The kids are such a great addition to the story, yet Ney barely uses them at all. They are something clearly added just to allow Violet and Zeke to interact more, and that sucked. Where are the adorable bonding scenes? Where are the small things that make Zeke love his little guy, and the little guy return in kind? They were so few and far between that I barely felt them, and so when the book told me at the end about Kyle and Zeke's relationship, I mostly scratched my head wondering why, again, all those great things apparently happened off page.
Then, I wanted Zeke's "friends" to recognize what is hidden under the surface the way James, an outsider, was able to perceive. I wanted them to realize their mistake about him, and to stop acting like the dude had no soul.
I wanted to hear more of Zeke's and Violet's backgrounds since that was another interesting topic that was barely touched upon, outside of the generic "that's why he/she has issues" bits.
And I wanted to see the outcomes of Zeke's various good deeds, especially Brandon's case.
As you can tell, there is a lot of "want" attached to this book.
An even bigger issue I had is of Ney's definition of friendship because holy hell I feel like Zeke's friends suck. Which is a shame because the biggest sucky of them all is Oz, and I really liked him in book one. Anyways, they pissed me so bad with their bad friendship and the way they somehow shifted the blame solely on Zeke for all of it.
**Profane language included in the following rant because I feel really, really strongly about this**
Like, I literally wanted to choke Oz there at the end. There he is, pressing all of Zeke's buttons. Nettling him and doing it in front of someone Zeke doesn't trust. When he KNOWS Zeke. He knows that his defense mechanism is to become all dismissive and callous since we have seen that happen multiple times throughout the book.
And yet. AND YET. Oz does so anyway, and then Zeke does what Zeke always does and Oz has the gall to act surprised? To reprimand Zeke for it and pretend as if he had absolutely nothing to do with the situation? When he has absolutely no right to act disgusted?
All Oz had to do is fucking leave well enough alone. That's it. Those two would have not only started dating for realzies, but they would have reached the L word all on their own in no time, seeing how close Zeke already was to voice that thought.
Like, seriously, give me a break, motherfucker. Learn to treat yo friends better; real friends help each other succeed, not tear each other down and make them fail!
How is this book praising and hailing Oz as this great friend?? His actions are those of a frienemy at best. It's either that, or he doesn't get Zeke at all, in which case start making a real effort you fucker or take your toxic attitude someplace else.
My god!
Oh, and can I also take a moment to rant about that Coach? Like, why is this person represented as the good role model for these kids? All he says to Zeke is filled with this undercurrent of resenting Zeke's wealth. Well, screw that! The fact someone has money doesn't mean he hasn't experienced hardships, only that his hardships may not have been the same as yours. And Coach knows of Zeke's issues. Knows of them and still acts like that towards him.
His actions themselves are good, as they are forcing Zeke out of his own head, forcing him to help others, and that in turn helps him slowly let go of some of his issues. But the dialogue. MY GOD, THE DIALOGUE. It had my blood boiling in rage and my hands itching to slap him, long before I even gave a damn about Zeke.
Again, it's the whole concept of someone being mean and egging Zeke instead of showing him that he has someone in his corner who cares, and who won't just give up on him.
Am I the only one who felt this way about these things? Did I imagine it? Am I crazy???
I don't really know, and I don't really care. Everyone in this kind of pissed me off is the moral of this segment.
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Unedited first thoughts
Oops, I forgot to mark this as read! *facepalm*
Okay, so here is the thing; I really enjoyed Zeke and Violet and their relationship. They were a fun couple to follow.
But, as with the first book, I wanted more things explored. I wanted more bonding scenes with the kids (especially because of what Zeke says about Kyle at the end). I wanted more moments where his friends realize what lies beneath the surface and not just James. I wanted to hear more of his background and Violets. I wanted to see the outcome of his good deeds (like Brendon). Things like that.
And then, I want Sara Ney to reexamine her definition of friendships because these don't feel like ones. Like, I feel like the boys are such bad friends. Maybe they shouldn't be, or maybe they need to learn to be better friends. They got me PISSED so bad.
Especially at the end there. What is Oz doing pressing on all of Zeke's buttons, nettling him, doing it in front of someone Zeke doesn't trust. You KNOW your friend. You know his defensive reaction is to become all dismissive and callous. And then, when he does turn to it, you... act surprised? Pretend like you had nothing to do with it and you're disgusted with him? When all you had to do was fucking leave well enough alone and these two would have been not only dating but saying the "L" word all on their own soon after? Give me a break, motherfucker. Learn to treat your friends better, and to help them succeed rather than make them fail. And the book praising Oz as this great friend got on my nerves big time, because I don't consider any of his actions "friend worthy". It's either he doesn't get Zeke at all, in which case make an effort or leave this friendship, or he's not a douchebag just with his girlfriend. My god.
Oh, and can I take a moment to rant about that coach? Why is that presented as a good coach??? All he does the entire book is resent Zeke his upbringing. All his words are tinged with this anger towards Zeke's wealth. Well, screw that! The fact someone has money doesn't mean he hasn't experienced hardship. And then, turns out he knows Zeke's family situation? So why are you acting like this? All his actions are good--forcing Zeke out of his bubble and to help others--but the actual dialogue had my blood boiling and made me want to slap him, long before I had an ounce of care towards Zeke, just because it was so... Again, it's the whole concept of instead of showing Zeke he has someone in his corner, they push and egg him on and then act surprised at the outcome. Like ahhhh so frustrating.
That's it. Got it all off my chest. Phew!
stacey_is_sassy
Written on Aug 18, 2017
Honestly, I really couldn’t tell you before I started this series whether a Douchebag is born or created. A little part of me thought that some people are just born that way. The grain of nastiness is planted, and with a little nurturing and guidance, that grain can grow. Maybe, it’s all nurture? If you live with a douchebag (what’s the female equivalent, or is it gender neutral?), do their traits pass on because you learn from what you see? Then there’s the Douchebag that’s formed because of circumstances. You know, the person who has had a bad experience that has left them emotionally stunted. Or, last but not least, is the egotistical douchebag. Definitely self-absorbed thinks they’re above everyone else and doesn’t have time for other people and their issues. After starting this series, I think a douchebag is created because of all of these things combined. This does not have to be a lifetime affliction, with a little help and guidance, anyone can recover from being a douchebag. The proof is in The Failing Hours
Holy Shamoly!! This guy takes the crown. I have never met such a rude, crude and socially unacceptable character in a long time. You want me to like him? Love him? Want him to find happiness? Pffft…Sara Ney, I think you’re dreaming.
Famous last words.
Yep, I’m back to loving a Douchebag. How does this author do it? I mean, I cried over this guy. He really hurt me…I mean her. EVERY TIME he said something nasty I was devastated. His ability to do it so successfully, with little effort and fully conscious that he’s doing it, surprised me. I know there’s bad stuff in the world, but seeing it through Zeke’s eyes, was different. Zeke is aware of it all, feels some remorse, but not enough to make him stop. That is, until a Pixie and an 11-year-old boy change his world.
I absolutely loved this story. It always feels weird loving a book that makes me cry A LOT! It’s the journey. If you asked me at around the 20% mark, as I’m wiping tears from my eyes AGAIN, if I would love Zeke, I would have been vehemently shaking my head no. By the end, I loved him and all that he had become. It wasn’t just Violet coming into his life that changed him either. His coach, little brother (mentor program) and friends had a lot to do with it too. It really only came good for Zeke once he’d done a little self-reflection and removed the huge chip on his shoulder.
The Failing Hours was bloody brilliant. I was enthralled from the beginning to the end. I couldn’t believe that a character so nasty could ever come good, but I was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen. I can’t wait for more in this series.
Ing Cruz
Written on Apr 18, 2017
thebookdisciple
Written on Mar 18, 2017
The Failing Hours is kind of a twist on Beauty and the Beast in my opinion. Zeke is really a jerk. I mean, he is rude, belligerent, condescending, and self centered. Violet is studying to be a social worker. If you know anyone who is a social worker, you know they are bleeding hearts. You can't go into that career unless you are literally like the most patient, compassionate person on the planet. So, she is probably the only person in the world who would bother to help Zeke when he is such an asshat.
Violet has a job (well she has lots of them) tutoring and is assigned Zeke as a student. It does not go well. Through various other jobs Violet has, she ends up helping Zeke more. Over time, she is starting to make progress in getting him to be less abrasive. Zeke pushes her away every chance he gets (and sometimes, he is totally fucking demeaning to her). Violet is the type of character you want to hug and make happy. This poor girl who has nothing, who is working 3 jobs to live in a shitty house with 2 friends, who is studying to be a social worker where you are over worked and paid worse than teachers, is trying so hard to have a good life when everything is stacked against her. Of course a girl like that would put up with Zeke treating her like shit. But I wanted to swoop in, punch him in the dick, and find her someone worthy. I would like to say I didn't like Zeke...but that would be a huge fucking understatement. His 'poor little rich boy' attitude was annoying as fuck. Oh, poor Zeke, his parents bought him gifts instead of spending time with him. Yes, its sad. It does not give you the right to treat people like shit! He is surrounded by people who don't have 2 nickels to rub together and are barely making it. Treating them like shit on top of their already difficult lives is just shitty.
Zeke, like the Beast, does SLOWLY begin to change. He doesn't like it, and he bitches about it the whole time. But, he does start to see that the world is filled with people who aren't him! Shocking! (my sarcasm is HIGH with Zeke). Now, of course, Violet points all this out to him, and he can't change over night, but there is growth.
In addition to Violet, the biggest compliment I can give The Failing Hour is that I stayed up all night to read it in 1 sitting. I simply had to know!
- POV: dual 1st
- Tears: I did tear up a few times because Violet's life has been tragic!
- Trope: bad boy
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: spoiler
- HEA: spoiler
Luca by Sarah Castille, Clam Jam by RC Boldt, All Played Out by Cora Carmack...then you will probably like The Failing Hours!
See full review on The Book Disciple
funstm
Written on Feb 9, 2017
And I don't know what fking happened. I don't know how it fking happened. Because then I found myself hating him a little less. Liking Violet a little more. She began standing up for herself. He began caring. some of his backstory was shown and it explained things, you know. Explained why he was so messed up, reasoned out why he was such an asshole.
He was still an asshole but he became more of a forgiveable asshole. I just don't know what happened. I really don't.
I also don't know what to rate this. In some ways I loved this book. Most ways. But the start. I hated him so much at the start. Surely I can't rate it higher than 3. Maybe 4. Is it good enough to be 5? I don't know. I'm so confused. I think I'll split the difference. It's probably more 3.7, than an actual 4. I think.