Malice by Pintip Dunn follows Alice, our narrator, who attends a STEM school for geniuses like her older brother Archie and his best friend, Zeke. The reader soon discovers that Alice, who would rather be a photographer than any sort of science genius, is the key to saving the future of the human race. It all starts when she’s forced to tell a popular-yet-nerdy jock, Bandit, that she loves him.

This book has everything: mystery, time travel, action, science, romance, deceit and a brooding, arrogant boy with blue hair. I mean honestly, what more could you ask for? This book has a fast-moving, yet well-developed plot that sucked me in from the very beginning. I love the way that time travel was handled in the story! It wasn’t something I was expecting from the synopsis alone but I thought it was really well done. I don’t want to give away too much about this as it’s an important plot point throughout the timeline of the novel but I truly appreciated Dunn’s inclusion of time travel.

Each character is very dynamic and I loved that the true villain of the story remained a mystery for so much of the book as these morally gray characters kept me guessing as to who was the culprit. The mystery aspect was such an interesting layer to the book and the characterization played such an important role in that. We really get to see the characters shift and change as they react to the world and future changing with them. In addition to the characters I really enjoyed the writing style with it’s amazing descriptions as well as the world building. It was clear that a lot of forethought was put into making this book and creating the idea behind the future tragedy that would rock the world. My one wish is that the end was a bit more flushed-out. It felt rushed to me and like we didn’t reach an exact conclusion as a reader. This is a story that I feel could have used an epilogue to make it fully complete. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book!

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Interested enough that I plan to buy the book

I received a free copy of MALICE by Pintip Dunn on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Entangled Teen and the author.

Five stars and here’s why:

Pintip Dunn does not disappoint – super pacing, amazing writing, excellent plot, and a total page-turner! In fact, I suffered a book hangover – I stayed up all night reading it! MALICE is a YA suspense story with a whole lot of mystery and a dash of romance. If you like Dystopian worlds with a savvy girl in spades, then this story is for you. Highly recommend.

I called who the Maker is fairly early on and it frustrated me at first that the MC didn't figure it out sooner, but it turned out the author is way smarter than I am. The reveal was still satisfying and the twists just kept coming in all the right ways. Totally ordered the hardback as soon as I finished the ARC, this is one I need on my shelves.

Pintip Dunn delivers a fun, twisty, time-travel adventure in her latest novel, MALICE!

Dunn wastes no time jumping right into the story. So buckle in before you pick this one up because you'll be turning pages to find out what's going to happen next. Of course, if you're afraid of the current real-life virus spanning the globe, you may want to wash your hands and wear a mask (not really, just joking!) because this story is a mix of TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger and PANDEMIC by Yvonne Ventresca.

I loved the majority of the story. The only part that rubbed me wrong was the gun handling. As a person from Idaho, where we love our guns, go target shooting, and teach safe gun handling, I felt like the characters were uneducated in the safe handling of and respect for dangerous firearms. It felt too casual, as if no training is necessary and as if taking a life is no big deal. Other than that ;) I enjoyed the book.

Dunn writes, "Because of the virus ... It was manufactured to be highly contagious ..." YIKES! And the main character says, "I refuse to think about the Voice. Because it either means I'm slowly but surely losing my grip on reality...or someone really did hack into my brain and can now force me to do anything she wants." YIKES!

So . . . as you stock up in preparation for the current real-life pandemic, be sure to add MALICE to your stack of books to read while quarantined.

[I received a free copy of MALICE from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]

3.75/5 stars

"Hope must be strongest when hope appears lost."

PLOT
The plot was rather slow, to begin with, but about half-way through the book, it got really intense and fast-paced and threw a whole lot of plot twists in my way. I loved the increased pace as it conveyed the sense of urgency that had been missing from the first half of the story and I like the way in which time-travel was explored in this book. Sure, some parts were pretty far-fetched and unbelievable but somehow it ended up working for me.

CHARACTERS
Honestly, I never really connected with any of the characters, except for maybe the Older Alice and Archie. To me, Alice felt a bit naive and infuriating. The way she talked and acted got under my skin, at least for the first half of the story. I loved Archie from the very beginning, he is such a cutie and I want to hug him and make his world better.

Malice is a young adult time traveling science fiction story by Pintip Dunn. Malice was a fast paced story to try and save the world from a virus that if left unchecked would wipe out two/thirds of the world’s population. Pretty dire stakes, right? I think one of the best parts about Malice was the writing. This book immediately drew me in and captured my attention. I also loved the romance element, and even though I don’t read a ton of novels that feature time travel, I always do seem to be pretty interested in the how of it all. I love seeing how the author is going to work out the mechanics of time travel, and I think that Pintip Dunn did a great job, making the whole thing seem plausible.

I love that Malice is unlike most of the books I typically read about. It made the plot feel extra fresh, unique and exciting to me. A race to save the world from an unknown threat, voices in your head from the future. All of it felt very mysterious. In Malice we meet our main characters, Alice and Bandit. I loved Alice. I loved how close and protective she was of her brother, and I loved watching the bantering interactions between her and Bandit. Alice first hears a voice in her head at school, and the voice tells her to go over to popular boy, Bandit and profess her love for him. She reluctantly does it and it sets off a chain of events that lead her to her main quest. Bandit made me smile right from their first texting interaction. I was very interested in the romance element of the book. (I know, shocker!) Sometimes even more interested in the romance, than in the race to save the world.

I will say that I figured out who the person was almost immediately, but the plot had plenty of twists, turns and surprises to keep me really interested and invested in finding out how everything comes together. I really enjoyed the journey and ride that this book took me on. I could easily see this turning into a movie or TV series. The book wrapped up nicely, but I could totally see another book set in this world, with either these characters or new ones. If you are a fan of mysterious, fast paced novels with a high stakes adventure and great writing, then Malice is a book that you should definitely check out. I really enjoyed it!

Malice by Pintip Dunn is a stand alone novel at the moment. I've seen rumors that this will be a series, but I don't have concrete information yet. This one is a keeper, folks. Sure, there are a couple plot holes and moments of unbelievability, but everything else more than makes up for it. Call me crazy, but the reasoning behind how they time traveled makes sense to me. I mean, some memories are so vivid, it really feels like you could travel back there. Anyway, I found that whole aspect to be pretty unique and interesting. If this does end up being a series, I'll be anxious to get my hands on that next book!

Thank you netgally for this arc to review. What a treat this was! I went in blind as this isn't my usual genre, but I was so blown away. First of all I loved the world building, I love how this whole process was explained in a way that I could imagine living it. Alice was superb everything you want in a main character. I loved the romantic elements with Bandit and their relationship. I felt like everyone was so likeable and you didn't know who you loved more. Also GREAT TWISTS! So thoroughly enjoyed this, will be buying a copy for sure!

Malice follows the story of a girl named Alice. One day a voice appears in Alice’s head, claiming to be her from the future. The voice tells her that someone she loves will create a virus that wipes out most of the world and now she must find a way to stop the person responsible.

This was a fast paced, high action, science fiction novel that left me so curious as to what was going to happen next. All the characters were well drawn out and complex and the world building was unique and . I do wish some parts of the world were elaborated on more(mainly the time travel aspects) We’ve got time travel, some romance, mysteries, and lots of action. I thought some parts were predictable but it was an overall riveting read.

I love this! The mystery... the scifi… the characters. And the fast moment of the story! Good Job Pintip I will read of her books in the future!

Have you ever wished to hear a gentle, inner voice that advises you on what to do, what to say, or where to go?


Imagine that one day this wish gets granted. However, this voice is a far cry from the kind voice of your imagination. Instead, this voice demands your complete compliance to their wishes and you find yourself doing the unthinkable like betraying your best friend from childhood and professing your love to a stranger. According to the voice, all these actions will change the course of the future.


A future where two-thirds of the human population were wiped out because of a virus someone in your school has made.


With the fate of humanity in your hands, would you be willing to kill for the future?


In her latest work, Malice, Pintip Dunn wove a stellar narrative where the past and future of a young girl collide on a mission to save humanity from a lethal virus. Alice was a wonderful individual who melts your heart in how she tries to keep her brother and father as a family unit after their mother abandons them. After a few chapters readers are bound to find her sweet nature and love of food photography (even though she is capable of burning water) absolutely endearing. The voice of the future is sharp as a wire with the knowledge that a slip from the past can spiral the future into its current chaos.


Both Alice and the voice from the future are putting everything on the line to save what they hold dear...even if it means sacrificing parts of themselves. The manner in which Dunn placed readers in Alice's first person narrative was absolutely gripping where the twists and turns put readers on a thrilling rollercoaster.


If you enjoy time traveling adventures, this is definitely the read for you!

Pintip Dunn is the queen of dystopian writing. I really enjoyed this addictive suspenseful romance about a virus that could wipe out millions. I enjoyed the premise of the story and the writing was solid and really kept my attention. Alice is a well written character and the plot was unique and creative. I really enjoyed the science fiction, futuristic thriller theme of this story. This made it a very enjoyable read.

Malice is one crazy time jumping ride.

The plot is really unique and and really a cool concept. There are all these crazy different thread of stories and as we go hurtling towards the end. We find there are things happening all around that we are not even aware of. Get a group of kid Science geniuses together and they just might be able to destroy and save the world at the same time.

Alice is just living her life when she is suddenly invaded by a voice. One that has a very specific agenda for saving the future world. As Alice is forced into situations where she struggles with control with the voice, we find out different things about the characters around her.

I don’t want to give too much away about how time traveling works or even what exactly the voice wants Alice to do. The story is a bit of a mystery as Alice races to find the answers she needs before she makes a decision she can’t take back.

I loved Bandit. Her developing relationship with him is just so cute and so sweet. Most of the time anyway. They do hit some very big bumps in the road but you find you really want to root for them. Of course things don’t always get to go your way.

Malice was a fun read and I loved all the Sci-fineness of it. If you enjoy that little thriller aspect that comes with a high stakes sci-fi this is the perfect for you.

This book completely took me by surprise! I read it because the synopsis interested me, because it seemed promising, and it was all of that and so much more. I had not expected to find this story so addicting, hadn't expected to be so attached to the characters (especially Alice, who tries her best to do what's right)! It's the first book I've read by Pintip Dunn, and it's certainly isn't the last!

I wanted to thank Netgalley, Pintip Dunn and Entangled for giving me the chance to read this book for an honest review...

First off WOW! Ms Dunn certainly outdid herself this time...this book has a mystery about it...The main character gets visited by her older self and has to go about doing things that really aren't making sense to her in the beginning, as the book goes she realizes that what her older self has been making her do is really all out of order and in the end figures out what she has to really do. It isn't always as easy as it seems and saving the many isn't always something you can do.

Thank you again for giving me the chance to read this. I LOVED it!

My head is straight up spinning after reading Malice!

Did I like it? Yes! Yes, I did!
Did it confuse me? Yes, in a few spots I was like "Wait, what?!".

That being said, this book was extremely interesting. I loved the plot and how everything was built up in the book. Then, things got a bit weird, well weirder, and it took it to a level I was left very confused about. The characters were extremely diverse based on intelligence and nationality and highly relatable, you cannot help but to root for Alice in her struggle to figure out what is happening.

All in all, this book was definitely attention grabbing and kept me entertained, but there were a few outliers that drew it to points that I was not a fan of. So, I give Malice book 4 stars and recommend reading it with a completely blank slate, expect the weird and just flow with it, you will definitely enjoy it!

PS: Thank you to Pintip Dunn, Entangled Publishing, and Inkslinger PR for allowing me an advanced copy of the book to read and review honestly!

* We received a free copy of this book in exchange fro an honest review. All opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the publisher or author.

Quick Take: One fateful morning, Alice hears a voice in her head claiming to be from the future and telling her that she has to figure out which boy in her school will grow up to create a world-ending virus. She only has so much time to do it and her one rule: she can’t fall in love with the boy who she believes will eventually destroy the world.

What I Loved: There is so much that I loved about this book. Alice as a narrator is strong, confident and her acerbic humor had me laughing on numerous occasions. When I first dove in I worried that the time travel elements would become confusing and overwhelming but Dunn does a fantastic job explaining everything clearly and succinctly while keeping the reader invested and engaged. The love story in the book was also sweet and felt natural, which isn’t always the case and is typically the reason I avoid romance tropes in YA. Overall, fantastic and would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi romance.

What I Didn’t Love: If I had one critique it would be that some of the characters seemed a bit one-dimensional and stereotypical. However, the other characters and fast moving plot more than made up for this short coming. I really enjoyed every other aspect of this book and don’t have anything further to say that’s negative so I’ll just stop gushing now.

This was such a fascinating and unique read. If you are looking for a book full of suspense and that has plenty of twists and turns than look no further. I really enjoyed the writing and characters. I thought they were both well written. This was a wonderful read and I can't wait to read book two!

Wow, this one really affected me. I mean it even gave me nightmares for which I can’t ever get that sleep back. As you will learn from all my friends, sleep is the most important thing for me. I’d sleep all the time if everyone let me. Unfortunately, I have to work and keep up with my family.

Back to the book. This is so inventive and such a slow psychological thriller, that you sucked in before you realize it. It was great to see a very different kind of world epidemic thought up and executed well. An allergy to the sun is so unique that it makes me wonder what that world would look like. Anyway, she also has this psychological part down pat. She makes Alice decide between the two most important people in her life, but somehow she twists it again just when you think you know who she will choose. If you read the afterward, the research she did and the assistance she got from others is probably what made the difference in this one. I don’t normally have nightmares about dystopian novels except this one felt very real.

Time travel is one of my favorite tropes so this one got me right away. The stream of consciousness she uses in the time travel element is very cool. It reminds me of seeing your life in pictures flash before your eyes just before death, only this is in a forward direction instead of back. Finally the romance is so angsty that I was on pins and needles as to which one was her soul mate. The ending was a very good surprise. Alice as a character shows so much internal emotion and the demonstration of what it paranoia must feel like is uncanny.

I’m giving this a 5 of 5 and it will probably make my top 10 for 2020. I would be interested to see Pintip do another book in this dystopian world, I think she has a lot more to explore in it. This is definitely worth your time and money to read. You won’t be disappointed.