The film is about a former U. Army soldier, James J. Dresnok , who defected to North Korea on 15 August Crossing the Line , which was narrated by actor Christian Slater , was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the festival. It was first screened in on the BBC. It showed Dresnok in present-day in Pyongyang where he lived to his death , interacting with his North Korean family and friends.
Dresnok spoke exclusively to the filmmakers about his childhood, his desertion, his life in a country completely foreign and quite hostile to his own, his fellow defectors, and his wife and children. Dresnok is shown with fellow defectors, including Charles Robert Jenkins , who returned to Japan to be with his wife, Hitomi Soga a victim of kidnapping by the North Koreans , while filming was taking place.
Dresnok seemed hurt by Jenkins' allegations of physical abuse by Dresnok and the North Korean regime and angrily denied them. Towards the end of Crossing the Line , a North Korean doctor discloses to the BBC that Dresnok is in failing health, mainly due to heavy drinking and smoking.
The movie had mostly positive reception. They are so awkward around each other and act like badasses and independent, but then all of a sudden they are confessing their love for each other. It went from 0 to in a matter of pages, and that wasn't a gradual attraction to each other, but "the world is going to crap and you're here, so let's do this" type of thing. At least for me, anyway. Then all of the different parties involved. It was a bit hard to keep track of it, and then you throw in the Spanish language, where sometimes it wasn't translated that well for non-Spanish speaking readers, and I was confused.
I don't tend to be confused that often because I am so engrossed into the novel that I follow everything to a T, but alas, I was. And, lastly, the ending I really, really do. But I just wish it didn't happen. I needed something more, because even though I didn't connect to the characters, I was still hoping for something more to happen at the end. It was a devastating ending that ended abruptly, and I was not pleased with it at all. I feel like this could have been an amazing novel, but there were too many things I was struggling with.
It breaks my heart that I couldn't get lost in this novel like I usually do, and the fact that I wasn't as emotional about the ending really showed me that I wasn't as invested in this book as I should have been. I am totally a fan of Simone Elkeles, still, and hopefully this is the only dud for me out of her books. I may have to go re-read the Perfect Chemistry series to get this bad feeling out of me and keep her books as a fond memory for me.
I hope I am the only one that feels this way and that all of the other readers who get their hands on this book love it so much. It just wasn't meant to be for me, unfortunately: I am very grateful that I was able to receive an eARC novel of this book and look forward to seeing other readers get lost in the story when it is released! Aug 04, Lauren rated it it was ok Shelves: Simone Elkeles has been one of my auto-buy authors for years. As a teenager, I devoured all her books - the laugh-out-loud-funny How to Ruin series, the smoking hot Perfect Chemistry series, and the raw and heartbreaking Leaving Paradise.
Therefore, when I found out she had a new book coming out, I was beyond excited. Crossing the Line's synopsis gave me Perfect Chemistry vibes, and as someone who loves a good forbidden romance, I was all in. It didn't even faze me that it was getting some incredibly iffy reviews. I should've listened to the iffy reviews because Crossing the Line was not the book for me.
It was insane, and not in a wow-what-a crazy-twist kind of way but in a what-the-heck-did-I-just-read kind of way?! My first big problem with Crossing the Line was the main characters. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing outright terrible about Ryan or Dalila. Ryan's the stereotypical bad boy with a heart of gold while Dalila is the forever good girl looking to be bad. Out of the two, I found Ryan to be the more likable. His love of boxing was one thing I always found enjoyable about the book, and the bond between him and his mentor was the most genuine relationship in the book.
Crossing the Lines by Sulari Gentill
However, when you get down to the nitty gritty, Ryan and Dalila are both characters I've seen time and time again in these kind of books, but unlike other books, there was nothing that made them stand out to me, nothing to make me truly connect with them. I found their POVs to be somewhat lackluster. I wanted more personality, more oomph to their voices and to their actions and a whole a lot less whining. I also wasn't a huge fan of the romance.
It reeked of insta-love, and I felt as if the link between them was superficial. For instance, there's a moment early-ish in the book where Dalila drops the L word, and I felt like it was so incredibly out of place. Honestly, it made me cringe. Now for the plot. I'll admit I liked the original direction of the plot. It was exciting to see Ryan go after his boxing dreams and start to find a home in the process, but as the book continued, it became less about boxing and more about conspiracies and drug cartel related drama.
I'm all for drama, but in this case, the drama was too much. I found so many of the big twists in this book to be not only ridiculous but also out of place. I also couldn't stand how so much of this book was based on assumptions..
What we do
Additionally, there's still so much I'm scratching my head about, wondering why Simone took it in that direction. I've seen other reviews say the ending made the book feel sort of pointless, and I have to agree. Overall, Crossing the Line was not the book for me. It just didn't have the feel of Simone's earlier books. Now for the big question? Will I still read Simone's future books? This one may have not been my speed, but I love her previous books enough to continue on! Usually an escape across the southern border has the person coming north, but Ryan has already made one huge move south, from Chicago to a tiny town in Texas after his alcoholic mom married an overbearing sheriff who can't stand Ryan.
Boxing is his salvation, especially after his dad vanished before he was born and other kids bullied him. Life at home is ugly, what with Mom taking his stepfather's side and his two stepbrothers delighting in making him the scapegoat for everything. After decidin Usually an escape across the southern border has the person coming north, but Ryan has already made one huge move south, from Chicago to a tiny town in Texas after his alcoholic mom married an overbearing sheriff who can't stand Ryan.
After deciding that there's no reason to stick around, Ryan takes what little money he has and hops into his junker car. He heads into Mexico where he believes a retired boxing champion might be his salvation If he can convince the reclusive man to train him. Enter Dalila, daughter of a powerful Mexican lawyer who feels trapped herself, but for different reasons.
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The guy who her family thinks she should be interested in, introduces her to boxing and after she sees Ryan in the gym, the attraction grows until it's so powerful, nothing, not her father, not the jealous would-be boyfriend, not rival Mexican gangs, not even Ryan's evil stepdad, can stop them from colliding. However, there are plenty of roadblocks standing in their way including secrets, corrupt officials and uncertainty about who's trustworthy.
All of it leads to a shocking conclusion that I certainly didn't expect. Simone is one of my favorite authors and she certainly hit the sweet spot with this book. Jun 13, Becky rated it liked it. Not a romance , then. Crossing the Line is a YA suspense novel heavy on the romance elements--though probably heavy on over-the-top insta-lust is more accurate.
Dalila and Ryan went from fairly antagonistic to all-in-love way too fast to be believed--which is probably why Ms. Elkeles felt like she needed to end it the way she did. It probably did add somewhat to the realism of the book which I suppose it needed, that factor being very much in question throughout but very firmly put it in the "not a romance" category.
Fingers crossed that that's not the case. Ryan and Dalila are such great characters- opposites in most ways- Ryan has a mother who has never been there for him and is now married to a bully sheriff who hates Ryan. Dalila lives in Mexico, has lots of money and friends and when she and Ryan meet sparks fly but also anger. Their eventual romance is swoon worthy. The drug cartels are fighting for power, is Dalila's father involved? Dalila is determined to find out the truth, but at what cost?
I love Simone Elkeles books and this book does not hold back about the darker side of life in Mexico. Now the book was great besides that. It took place in Mexico which was new, it had a strong female and male protagonists, it was fast paced and sexy. It also had a pretty twisted and cool storyline. But no it had to be brutally stopped by the unfortunate occurrence at the end. Nov 04, Vona Bowling rated it liked it. This is a solid teen romance. There is a few slight language and sexual situations, but nothing too graphic. He is the traditional bad boy with a good heart, she is the Mexican princess who wants to do good in the world.
They do the usual fight their attraction, and then they get into quite a mess with a variety of Mexican drug cartels. Definitely a twist ending. Sep 14, Silvia rated it did not like it. Aug 26, Bladelor rated it liked it. La fin m'a surprise! Jul 19, Annie rated it did not like it. I wanted a light cute summer read because reading so many Shakespearean tragedies was getting way too depressing, but instead of a light cute novel, I do I get this, a shitty book with a shitty ending that doesn't make sense whatsoever.
I can't believe I wasted my time and money on this book to be cheated like this with that stupid shitty ending that doesn't make sense whatsoever. That ending made the entire book so redundant and utterly pointless. Can't believe I st what the fuck was this? Can't believe I stayed up all night reading this book when I could've studied for my exam.
If I wanted a brutal ending I should've just stuck to all those Shakespearean plays I've been reading for my eng lit class lately.
The storyline is meh and the characters are uninteresting. I think Elkeles was trying to write something similar to Perfect Chemistry, but everything about this book was all wrong. The romance was way too insta-love type of a romance. The only line I liked in the entire novel was, "Don't you have somewhere else to be?
Like building a wall or somethin' like that. I'm so damn disappointed. I was so looking forward to reading something nice and light but alas, that wasn't meant to be: Jun 15, Meganjoy marked it as dnr. For those of you who like to know the ending before you read a book Jun 16, K.
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I had some really high hopes. Jun 08, Julie rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed this romance with a boxer and princess. I loved the friends and romance. The ending I didn't really like but it was a very real ending. Jun 07, Bickering Book Reviews rated it it was ok Shelves: For a more in-depth review watch: This book lacked character development to make the romance believable.
The story felt melodramatic and the use of Spanish felt like a gimmick. We received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Jul 09, Marissa rated it it was ok. I thought I would be getting and angsty read with at least a happy ending but nope! May 18, Becky rated it it was ok Shelves: Ryan Hess has come to Mexico to train to be a boxer and get away from his abusive stepfather. Dalila Sandoval thinks she's living the perfect life but when she starts to question her father's business connections she find herself in danger.
When the two meet the form an instant connection but can they overcome their family issues to survive? I really wanted to like this book but it just didn't happen. I found the story to b For a more in-depth review watch: I found the story to be more melodramatic than of realistic drama. The characters never felt developed enough to feel real. Plus, their insta-love didn't feel believable. I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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To view it, click here. Just when I thought everything was going to be ok, that a HEA was going to happen Simone Elkeles swoops in, laughs maniacally and then goes nope Overall, this book was a great read Aug 12, Eliza rated it liked it Recommends it for: I loved the beginning of Crossing the Line because I was able to sympathize with Ryan hard life. I felt that Dalila's character was trying too hard to convince the readers that she was strong and independent.
I find that this happens most often with female characters, but I have also seen this with male characters. When a character has to tell the readers over and over again, sometimes in different words, that their strong and independent because their unwilling to listen to anything that anyone I loved the beginning of Crossing the Line because I was able to sympathize with Ryan hard life. When a character has to tell the readers over and over again, sometimes in different words, that their strong and independent because their unwilling to listen to anything that anyone is saying, is not strength to me.
Just because you're "independent" does not mean that your an island. You should get off your high horse and realize that you don't know everything. To be strong is to live through hardship and still be able to get back up. To be strong, is to cry when you're sad and to allow yourself to be vulnerable. To be willing to learn from those around you! Excuse my tangent, but I often just wanted Delila to stop acting as if crying and having emotions are weakness. Putting aside the fact that men always say that about women they work with, I'll get straight to the point: I do bring it into my work.
It's what motivates me It makes me a better agent. Also who the real bad guy was wasn't a surprise to me. I can't believe Simone did that. I thought he was going to wake up in a hospital and have to go through physical therapy, but I never expected him to die! And Delila, who not only lost her older brother whom she was exceptionally close to, but now Ryan. He Officer Trieger shrugged. Why don't I hold on to that blade for a little while, Ryan?
It'd be a shame if you accidentally cut yourself waitin' for things to get better. I'm not going higher with my rating because the writing wasn't very good for most of the book. If you like West Side Story you may enjoy this book. I didn't want to write this review straight after finishing this book because not gonna lie I'm a little heated. I picked this up because it had a Latinx protagonist and I'm trying to read more books that feature latinx peoples.
The plot sounded a bit like a telenovela to me but I still decided to give it a chance. My gut kept telling me to drop this book because I knew I was only going to be disappointed but I stuck by it. Now before I get into the reason why this book was frustrating I want ex I didn't want to write this review straight after finishing this book because not gonna lie I'm a little heated. Now before I get into the reason why this book was frustrating I want express the things I liked about it. Dalila es una mujer fuerte.
Dalila is a strong woman she wants to be independent she rebells against her father trying to shelter her. There were even hints of sexism that she shoots down and that was super relatable. The wealth was juxtaposed with the poverty and Dalila acknowledges the privilege she has as the daughter of a lawyer. Okay now for the things that felt off and were not my fave. The spanish felt off. There is one instant where one of the characters refers to Dalila's house as a Ranchero. I think the author meant to write Rancho as that is the name for a ranch while ranchero refers to the person who works the land on said ranch.
Ryan is a boxer. His dream is to go pro and while he gets trained those scenes are pretty few. Not to mention he's kind of read to give it all up in order to be with Dalila. Which wasn't romantic at all to me. I mentioned that I loved Dalila's independence but then Dalila starts telling Ryan to save her and to be her hero and that just had me confused.
Either she was trying to be Romantic or I don't think she was as independent as I thought. Ryan grows up in a border town. Pablo is his best friend so how does he not know any spanish. It felt rushed like everything was happening very fast. And then Ryan dies and honestly so does my patience with this book. In the end I felt as the though this book was trying to be a Romeo and Juliet retelling as both of the family's are technically on opposite sides of the drug war.
However that was revealed quite late and I think this book could have been better if that was all known from the beginning. Aug 12, Jamie Wilson rated it it was amazing Shelves: I never thought I needed a hero, until I met Ryan Hess. The romantic rags to riches saga is always a joy for me. Ryan Hess redefined the standard for the bad boy genre. He was open and vulnerable without being whiny or annoying. His journey from troubled teen to respectable man was just the right pace.
Five stars for this young man alone! Dalila also broke the mold, for me, as far as the spoiled, damsel in distress stereotype goes. She was strong and willing to admit when things were wrong in her royal, designer world. The novel was more moving than I had expected. And I thoroughly enjoyed joining Ryan and Dalila on their journey. My only critique, is all the Spanish. Jul 28, Aliaa El-Nashar rated it liked it. Dalila is a Mexican girl who's so sheltered from the typical lives of the less than fortunate people because of her father's wealth.
Though she's starting to question her father's loyalties. Ryan is a boy who was raised on the wrong side of the tracks. His stepfather is a crooked cop, his mother is a drunk, and his life is less than ideal. The only thing making his life worth living is boxing. When he sees a chance to be trained by the one and only Juan Camache, he's willing to do anything, incl Dalila is a Mexican girl who's so sheltered from the typical lives of the less than fortunate people because of her father's wealth. When he sees a chance to be trained by the one and only Juan Camache, he's willing to do anything, including crossing the bored to Mexico to make it happen.