I was recommended this book quite a while back by a mutual friend, and since then it’s kind of just being sitting there on my tbr waiting for me to pick up.

I want the time back that i spent NOT reading this book because wow!! What a unique and interesting concept!

This sort of reminded me of avatar in a way, that sort of set in a different world vibe where the consciousness of the person is reincarnated into the body of the characters of the universe, but some of these consciousnesses live in dual time lines where in a past life they were alive, and they return as a “ghost” in that world on Earth.

This was an amazing read, it sort of had that finding each other in different lifetimes vibes, the scifi/fantasy aspect was done very well and very different to anything I’ve read. The writing is great, it’s so easy to get lost in this world.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators are phenomenal, capturing the chapters perfectly.

If you’re looking for something different, give this one a go!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio copy of this book for review!

This was a fascinating book. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

This was a crazy ride! Our MFC was killed at the beginning of the book at 18 but is reincarnated as a Pastel Pink on a different plane of existence called Zadok. This book has a heavy caste system where your color decides how you prosper and what areas you can or can not frequent. This is a different concept that kept me engaged in the story; I wanted to know what happened to Ruby/Harlow and how her story would play out. Her character was written in such a way that you became invested in her storyline. There were supporting characters that I wanted to know more about, but their storylines fell super flat. That was disappointing to me; I do not enjoy filler characters that take up space in the story with no real purpose outside of filling the page.

The ending...HOLY CLIFFHANGER!

I had the pleasure of being granted the ALC of this book and thoroughly enjoyed the narrators. They did a phenomenal job of bringing the characters to life and providing intrigue to the story.

I will be continuing this series because I enjoyed the world, and I am hoping to have some questions answered as the series continues.

Thank you to Netgalley, BooksGoSocial Audio, and Nikki Minty for the ALC of this fantastic book

I was delighted to read this book earlier when it first came out. However, when I saw an audiobook coming out I decided to try it out again since audiobooks give off such a different vibe than reading it yourself. And I was not disappointed! I love that there are different voices for the different characters. Ruby/Harlow is the main character in this, she was killed off Earth eighteen years ago and reincarnated on Zadok as a Pastel Zeek - since we get to see things through Ruby's eyes as well I loved that even if this is technically Harlow we have a different voice. This makes it really easy to know when the story is following Harlow and when we are following Ruby.

I will definitely continue on with this series on audiobook, because I am looking forward to knowing what will happen next.

Being killed on earth at the age of 18, Ruby is reborn as a pastel. Her parents are magentas. So straight away she is different.
Her waking moments are filled with picking fruit, her sleeping time she dreams of her human family and her murderer. So the story begins and how they intertwine.
If you love fantasy you will love this, 4 realms different coloured hairs show which one you belong to. Love of a dream man and the complications it leads to.

Something about the color hierarchy gives me strong Homestuck vibes to be honest (if you don't know, please save yourself and don't look it up...) but POV confusion aside this was pretty interesting to read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This was so interesting to read.

It seems like the author had so many ideas for the world that make for an extremely unique and we'll build world, rich with details and descriptions and a cast of characters that will leave you needing more. This is for my fans of more complex fantasy, if sci-fi and good world build witn a lot of adventure is what you're after this is a MUST read.

Rounding up to 4 starts from 3.5. This was a really interesting idea for a book. It was a little chaotic with the different story lines brought together and a lot of information given.

What happens to us after we die on earth? Maybe we are reborn on another planet. Maybe that planet has a color based chaste system and 4 different humanoid species? Maybe some people remember their past lives and maybe some people can revisit earth as ghosts while they are sleeping if they are tied to someone still alive on earth?

This is what happens to Ruby when she's murdered as a teen. She's reborn as a pastel Zeek named Harlow. Pastels are the lowest/weakest of the chaste system on Zadok. She goes back to earth when she dreams to check on her twin sister who is spending more and more time with Ruby's murderer. There she meets the ghost of her murder's twin. And then it gets kind of confusing. There are two different storylines and almost 3 different POVs. There's Harlow's story and Ruby's while they are the same soul? they have different stories that intertwine. The POVs are Ruby's, Harlow's and Harlow's best friends.

There are two more books in the series and I'm interested to see how the story progresses. There is a lot that isn't explained and a lot left up in the air at the end of this book. I feel like there is a good basis for this series, the first book in a series is always tricky because of the info dump/world building and establishing all of the characters. The author did a great job of setting up the series with this book and there is a lot of potential going forward.

Overall I enjoyed the characters, backstory, and world created by the author.

Pleasant narration and experience in audio form.
I still love, love the world of Zadok and wish we were shown more!

The author's imagination and world creation pulled me into the story almost immediately. The author was extremely descriptive and I was able to easily visualize the world. The narrators did an amazing job bringing the characters to life for me. The characters are really interesting, especially seeing the differences between their lives on Earth and their lives after being reborn on Zadok.

The narrators do an amazing job bringing the characters to life. There are three narrators for this audiobook and they all do a fantastic job. Having multiple narrators makes it easier for the listeners to differentiate between characters and pulls the listener into the story.

Pastel Pink is well written and fast paced. The pace does an excellent job making the story a not stop thrill ride that is extremely entertaining. I would highly recommend this book to people who are looking for a new YA series to enjoy with great characters and a vivid new world to explore. Also, the author did not shy away from difficult themes like the fact that the caste system in this new world leads to racism and prejudicial behavior.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I was provided an advanced audio copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Vielen Dank dass ich dieses Hörbuch hören durfte. Dies ist eine unterhaltsame Sifi-Geschichte die mir gut gefallen hat.

Pastel Pink is book 1 of a trilogy by Nikki Minty. It was a 5 ⭐️ read for me. I chose to listen to this book on audio and its narrated by Khristine Hvam, Jodie Harris and James Patrick Cronin.
They were all awesome and I can’t wait to read the next one.
This YA fantasy was written well with unique characters. It took a minute to follow but it’s very interesting and I couldn’t put it down. This was a comfortable cliffhanger that made me even more interested. I can’t say enough good things about this book. I highly recommend it.

Harlow is trying to navigate turning 18 on Zadok, a world in which she is in the lowest class, and feels like an outsider even within her own family. On top of that she has the stigma of remembering her previous life as Ruby on Earth where she was murdered at her 18th birthday party. Her only friend is Xavier who is also of the lowest class, and accepts all of her oddities, including the fact that she doesn't love him like he loves her. After an animal attack on Zadok, Harlow becomes involved with Jax, the son of her people's leader who is trying to protect her, and dismantle the class system. She also starts traveling in her dreams to Earth where her twin sister is in danger, and meets the ghost of her killer's twin brother who has also been reincarnated on Zadok.

I like fantasy, but high world building usually goes over my head. This didn't. As confusing as my description may seem, if any part of it appeals to you, just listen to this audiobook. With one reader for Ruby, one for Harlow, and one for Xavier, all three were really good, and I'm pretty picky about that. The story is incredibly engaging. I will be recommending it to adults and teens who want sci-fi/fantasy with romantic elements. I can't wait for the next installment!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced digital access. All opinions, and bumbling explanations in this review are my own and no fault of any of theirs.

This was a great audiobook. I especially enjoyed the chapters where the narrator had an Australian accent, it was so nice to listen to. The story is so interesting, reincarnated on a different world but still able to remember and eventually visit her past life as a ghost!

The male narrator wasn’t as easy to listen to as the female. He spoke like he never knew what was going on, but the male pov character was also a bit whiny and unsure of himself.

I would have liked there to be a bit more of a climax in Ruby’s current life story, but it was overall an enjoyable listen.

At first, I didn't know what to think of this series. I was a little confused and not sold on it. BUT! It did get better the more I read and I grew to find the premise fascinating.

This is set in a futuristic society. Humans were the great, great descendants from which this new world was built and a few can still recall their humanity and past selves, but it is rare. This is a society built on colors: purples being the top rulers, magenta solid middle and upper class and pastels as the lower class. There are different tribes with different structures as well.

Harlow still dreams of being Ruby - her human past self who was brutally murdered at 18 by a friend who got away with the crime and now be ingratiating himself with her twin sister. When she's not dreaming, Harlow is a pastel pink living amid magentas because while she was born a pastel, her twin sister was born a magenta - something that had never happened before or after their birth.

The novel alternates between Ruby's story and Harlow's stories. It gets complicated when Ruby meets Alex who also was murdered and lives a duel life. You do get a few other POV, but they are limited.

While I didn't fall in love with any of the characters or the world building, I do appreciate the concepts and the plot lines that were woven together as well as the social commentary. And the ending was the epitome of a cliff hanger.

Many thanks to BooksGoSocial Audio and Nikki Minty for the advanced audiobook copy of Pastel Pink via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review.

Pastel Pink is a Sci Fi-Fantasy tale featuring death, reincarnation, and astral travel, right from the off.
The story itself definitely suits readers who have an interest in Science Fiction as well as Fantasy, due to the names, planets, and caste descriptions. These may all feel like a bit ‘too much’ for a Fantasy genre, and, to me, fall more into a SciFi theme.

It was refreshing to read something in the genre from an Australian perspective, as most works tend to be from the USA and UK. It was a shame that only one of the narrators was Australian.

The narrators overall were pleasant to listen to, although some of the attempted accents were a bit cringey.

There were a few obvious issues within the story which can be seen as problematic, depending on how much you want to superimpose them on to a ‘human’ society. The use of dreadlocks, caste systems, skin colours, etc. However, taken purely as a work of science-fantasy fiction, I think this was well-written and imaginative.

Moods: adventurous
Pace: medium
Character development: weak-medium
Plot or character driven: plot
Diversity: medium
Trigger warnings: Abusive relationship, Alcohol abuse, Cheating, Death, Death of a family member, Drugs, Mental Illness, Murder, Racism

Rating: 4/5

The reviews on this had me hesitant after I had already selected Pastel Pink.
But after listening to it as an audiobook, I find that I really enjoyed it.

We follow Harlow as she navigates two worlds. One where she is a ghost, the other she a pastel. Both are “invisible” as her color means she bottom wrung on the social ladder, and well on earth she’s a ghost.

Somehow this girl becomes intwined with so many big changes, drawing in the affection of several men , one on both realms.

This has a lot going on, but the author manages to keep everything flowing, and I found myself rooting for Harlow and her future.

I cannot wait for the next book.

I read the Zadok Series on my Kindle last year and absolutely loved it, so when I saw there was a Pastel Pink audiobook version available I just had to check it out.

The word “brilliant” doesn’t even begin to cover the quality of this audio production. The narrators did a remarkable job at bringing Nikki Minty’s unique and loveable characters to life.
Also, I thought the choice of using different accents for the Zadonians and Humans was a stroke of genius. It made it easy to differentiate between the two seperate world settings.

I can certainly see why this audiobook has won so many awards. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

The story was interesting a fresh twist. A little convoluted at times but easy enough to follow. The character was likeable though I liked her human self better than her zeek self.. the pace was good and I enjoyed it but it was a little confusing at times.

Oh my goodness what a unique and fascinating book! Even taking place on two worlds, I wasn't confused. The story is expertly written with obvious links to racism, sexism and bigotry but in a world of pink, purple, red and more. Possible triggers: violence against women, stalking, neglect, child abuse, death. Racism.

I can't wait to read the next book.

If you like reading books by Leigh Bardugo or Holly Black this is a great series to read. I received the audio book and the narrators are fantastic. The story line grabbed me right away, and I felt like I was watching everything happen not just hearing it.