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Fearless #1
Fearless: Fearless; Sam; Run
I am powerful. I am graceful. I am angry. I am pure. I am raw. I am alone. I am Gaia. I am just like you. But I'm not -- I'm Fearless™. NO RULES. NO LIMITS. NO FEAR.
608 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 1999
181 people are currently reading
4793 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,138 books1,831 followersFrancine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
May 8, 2008
I owned like the first 17 books or something ridiculous in this series in high school- I picked up the first one the last time I was home and I had forgotten how HILARIOUS it was; chock full of priceless late 90's pop culture references. I also dig that the main character (Gaia, just like the evil cat! I'd forgotten!) has a BFF in a wheelchair and he is all awesome.
After like book three or maybe around six or seven they stopped being as awesome and apparently I just kept buying them out of blind hope, but isn't that how it goes? There are probably like thirty of these books by now, in successive states of terribleness.
After like book three or maybe around six or seven they stopped being as awesome and apparently I just kept buying them out of blind hope, but isn't that how it goes? There are probably like thirty of these books by now, in successive states of terribleness.
February 9, 2011
A short, fast-paced book unlike any I've ever read before. It was so short and gripping I swallowed the entire thing in about the space of an hour. And when I went to buy the next one, I got parts 2, 3 and 4 at once. This series is seemingly endless but you find yourself praying that it will never end because you are so caught up in a flurry of adventure and excitement and passion... but never fear. Gaia is one of the coolest characters ever, you're immediate perception of her is that she is cold and unfeeling but it doesn't take long to discover the truth behind this. The only thing Gaia doesn't feel is fear, but she has a whole torrent of other emotions swirling about inside of her.
I've seldom found myself pulled in so closely to all the characters, with a desperate need to discover more and more about each. But with 30+ installments, there's a lot to keep going with.
I've seldom found myself pulled in so closely to all the characters, with a desperate need to discover more and more about each. But with 30+ installments, there's a lot to keep going with.
June 5, 2017
Fearless was filled with suspense and mystery. Francine Pascal created a story that is so detailed, the reader feels as if he/she is experiencing the story along side the main character.
July 19, 2015
Who just read the most awkward book of the 90s? *raises hand* This certainly does NOT stand up to the timelessness test.
Yeah, so this was apparently published in 1999. This alone probably made the book more interesting because of all the beautiful pre laptop/Gmail/21st century pop culture references (e.g. I laughed at all the mentions of archaic forms of email). All these little moments of old 90s culture provided a minor form of amusement, but otherwise this book was basically pointless.
Gaia has what I call the "Alex Rider" syndrome: she's this young teenager who's just so perfect at everything she does, whether it's punching a guy in the face or playing chess in the park. She's the perfect human weapon, so she's a hot target for all the evil villains out to get her. But she's also seventeen and apparently too insecure with herself to think she's even remotely pretty (when obviously she is...). The woes of being a teenager are just so hard for these kinds of fictional characters. If this description didn't turn you off, you should be aware that Pascal did no favors for her main protagonist by providing some of Gaia's very, very dramatic first person POV monologues in between chapters.
In terms of the plot, it could've gone way faster. The book is 600 pages long, and only about 1/10th of this is actually related to the evildoing and buttkicking. The other 9/10ths of Fearless involve 1) Gaia lusting over the 90s version of the "unattainable man candy" and 2) Gaia failing at the one thing she isn't perfect at: being a normal teenager. Wow, that should probably be the catchphrase of this book; Gaia, perfect at everything except being a normal teenager. And generally, I think I just cringed a lot more than I should have while reading this book. Case in point, Gaia sends an email (accidentally hitting the "send" instead of "send later"...which is why we now have "draft" as a clearer option, tyvm) explicitly asking for a one night stand with the "unobtainable man candy"...wow.
So yeah. To my sister who doesn't even know I use Goodreads: Thanks for the book, but it was not my cup of tea.
Yeah, so this was apparently published in 1999. This alone probably made the book more interesting because of all the beautiful pre laptop/Gmail/21st century pop culture references (e.g. I laughed at all the mentions of archaic forms of email). All these little moments of old 90s culture provided a minor form of amusement, but otherwise this book was basically pointless.
Gaia has what I call the "Alex Rider" syndrome: she's this young teenager who's just so perfect at everything she does, whether it's punching a guy in the face or playing chess in the park. She's the perfect human weapon, so she's a hot target for all the evil villains out to get her. But she's also seventeen and apparently too insecure with herself to think she's even remotely pretty (when obviously she is...). The woes of being a teenager are just so hard for these kinds of fictional characters. If this description didn't turn you off, you should be aware that Pascal did no favors for her main protagonist by providing some of Gaia's very, very dramatic first person POV monologues in between chapters.
In terms of the plot, it could've gone way faster. The book is 600 pages long, and only about 1/10th of this is actually related to the evildoing and buttkicking. The other 9/10ths of Fearless involve 1) Gaia lusting over the 90s version of the "unattainable man candy" and 2) Gaia failing at the one thing she isn't perfect at: being a normal teenager. Wow, that should probably be the catchphrase of this book; Gaia, perfect at everything except being a normal teenager. And generally, I think I just cringed a lot more than I should have while reading this book. Case in point, Gaia sends an email (accidentally hitting the "send" instead of "send later"...which is why we now have "draft" as a clearer option, tyvm) explicitly asking for a one night stand with the "unobtainable man candy"...wow.
So yeah. To my sister who doesn't even know I use Goodreads: Thanks for the book, but it was not my cup of tea.
January 14, 2020
This book was very good. It was very fast paced and I was definitely hooked the whole entire time. I'm not sure if the next book picks up where it left off but hopefully it goes right into it. I'm surprised at how short this one was and how fast it went. The idea of this book is that the main Character, Gaia is fearless. She doesn't have the fear trait and she attracts a lot of trouble everywhere she goes but she takes up for herself very well. She is faster and stronger than anyone else. She can even take on a gang with like 5 people coming at her and they weren't easy to take on. Gaia tries to hide her ability to do this but she eventually lets one person in. Anyways that was like a short version of describing what the book is about but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 31, 2014
SO
I picked up this book at the library that looked pretty good. The
title? Fearless. Now, as I looked at the back of the book to see that
summary, an unpleasant feeling washed over me. First off, Gaia kind of
seems like a perfect girl. I do not like perfect girls.(
Beautiful...Brilliant... Can break codes in 4 different languages...
Reflex speed that's off the charts. What is this, a one man show of the
Gallanger Girls?. Also, the cliche plot line: Guy(Sam) that's unavailiable, And there, I knew that this was going to be another love traingle, and she has a missing family and to top it off, people wanting her 'skillz'. I hate cliche plot lines.
As I quietly read for the few pages , I genuinely thought that I could get through this book without a putting-it-down-and-never-looking-at-it again-but-reading-it-anyway-for-the-sake-of-goodreads moment. I was wrong.
Now, the version I read had 3 parts to it: 'Fearless', 'Sam' and 'Run'. Fearless was kind of boring and Sam just got disturbing.
There was a few lines of 'Sam' that I did find particularly amusing, One of which was when Gaia found out how much she loved Mr. Unavail. "Gaia wasn't afraid. She was never afraid. But she felt the abstract terror of a world without Sam, without the idea or possibilty of Sam, and she didn't want to live there." (168) Here, we find out Miss. Perfect is CLINGY(Or you could say she was in love, but I like clingy a bit better)!
Also, another one of my favourites was when she was going to buy condoms. quite amusing.
I returned it the day I brought it home. Thanks, Francine Pascal, for writing a book that made me want to not play chess.
A few days ago, I saw a girl picking that very same book up and all I thought was: Good luck girl, I wish you the best of luck.
I picked up this book at the library that looked pretty good. The
title? Fearless. Now, as I looked at the back of the book to see that
summary, an unpleasant feeling washed over me. First off, Gaia kind of
seems like a perfect girl. I do not like perfect girls.(
Beautiful...Brilliant... Can break codes in 4 different languages...
Reflex speed that's off the charts. What is this, a one man show of the
Gallanger Girls?. Also, the cliche plot line: Guy(Sam) that's unavailiable, And there, I knew that this was going to be another love traingle, and she has a missing family and to top it off, people wanting her 'skillz'. I hate cliche plot lines.
As I quietly read for the few pages , I genuinely thought that I could get through this book without a putting-it-down-and-never-looking-at-it again-but-reading-it-anyway-for-the-sake-of-goodreads moment. I was wrong.
Now, the version I read had 3 parts to it: 'Fearless', 'Sam' and 'Run'. Fearless was kind of boring and Sam just got disturbing.
There was a few lines of 'Sam' that I did find particularly amusing, One of which was when Gaia found out how much she loved Mr. Unavail. "Gaia wasn't afraid. She was never afraid. But she felt the abstract terror of a world without Sam, without the idea or possibilty of Sam, and she didn't want to live there." (168) Here, we find out Miss. Perfect is CLINGY(Or you could say she was in love, but I like clingy a bit better)!
Also, another one of my favourites was when she was going to buy condoms. quite amusing.
I returned it the day I brought it home. Thanks, Francine Pascal, for writing a book that made me want to not play chess.
A few days ago, I saw a girl picking that very same book up and all I thought was: Good luck girl, I wish you the best of luck.
May 5, 2012
Just because I want to do something different I'm going to write the reviews in a Friends episode format. Enjoy!
Pilot/The One where Gaia Moves to New York
The story starts with a seventeen-year-old inexperienced in everything(except for kicking ass!), Gaia Moore. She is fearless. Literally. She wasn't born with the fear gene. Thanks to that, she was trained in martial arts. Her father, along with George, are in the CIA, and George decides to take Gaia in with him and her wife Ella in New York. On her first day of school, she is considered an outcast and a freak. Despise that, she becomes friends with Ed Fargo, a guy in a wheelchair. And of course, falls in love with Sam Moon(he does too with her). But, there's a big problem: He's the boyfriend of Heather Gannis. Oh, and Ed is in love with Gaia as well.
Life is too complicated.
We are introduced to a very bad-ass heroine with flaws and faults that makes her easy to relate. The story is set up like a TV episode and is simply short, but full of mind-blowing action.
Pilot/The One where Gaia Moves to New York
The story starts with a seventeen-year-old inexperienced in everything(except for kicking ass!), Gaia Moore. She is fearless. Literally. She wasn't born with the fear gene. Thanks to that, she was trained in martial arts. Her father, along with George, are in the CIA, and George decides to take Gaia in with him and her wife Ella in New York. On her first day of school, she is considered an outcast and a freak. Despise that, she becomes friends with Ed Fargo, a guy in a wheelchair. And of course, falls in love with Sam Moon(he does too with her). But, there's a big problem: He's the boyfriend of Heather Gannis. Oh, and Ed is in love with Gaia as well.
Life is too complicated.
We are introduced to a very bad-ass heroine with flaws and faults that makes her easy to relate. The story is set up like a TV episode and is simply short, but full of mind-blowing action.
September 10, 2018
Part of my 2014 rereading list and I loved it all over again.
Latest Reread:
Four years later and I still freaking loved it.
Gaia was born without the Fear gene which basically means that you can find her front and center of any trouble. As an orphan she thinks she has nobody, but unknown to her, there are forces working to keep her safe.
It's short yet it's packed with so much that I really really really want to keep going with the series... but you know... there are 36 and from what I remember it gets so convoluted it'll be hard to stop.
Latest Reread:
Four years later and I still freaking loved it.
Gaia was born without the Fear gene which basically means that you can find her front and center of any trouble. As an orphan she thinks she has nobody, but unknown to her, there are forces working to keep her safe.
It's short yet it's packed with so much that I really really really want to keep going with the series... but you know... there are 36 and from what I remember it gets so convoluted it'll be hard to stop.
July 14, 2013
SPOILERS AHEAD
Once upon a time, there was a girl who was fearless. She walks around beating people up for "the greater good" and dreams of being a waitress. But she. She realizes that she MIGHT just die soon, so she decides that she HAS TO sleep with a guy. The guy she chooses happens to be good looking AND the boyfriend of her enemy. This guy gets kidnapped, the kidnapper makes the girl go through a whole bunch of tests, the guy is saved. End of story.
If you haven't read the book yet, I'm sorry. I just told you the whole story
The author has absolutely no idea what she's doing
When someone tells a story, the best way to do it is by sticking to either first, second, or third person. But in this book, Pascal constantly switches between first and third. One moment, we're following the characters around (third person), and the next the characters are talking TO THE READER!!! And then Pascal has to make sure the reader knows every single detail about what the characters are thinking/plotting/etc, leaving little to no room for surprises. What a downer.
Now lets talk about Gaia. This is how she introduces herself:
"I am seventeen. The good thing about seventeen is that your not sixteen. Sixteen goes with the word sweet, and I am so far from sweet. I've got a black belt-in kung fu and I've trained in karate, judo, jujitsu, and Muay Thai...I'm not bragging..." -7
It's really obvious that Pascal is trying to make Gaia sound tough while also (failing) to trick the reader into thinking that its not bragging. I don't care what anyone says; it's bragging. And being sweet and being able to kick butt are not mutually exclusive.
Gaia also claims that she wants to be able to experience love before she dies. But 1) she might not die in the first place! She could probably survive for quite a while and 2) Doing it doesn't mean that your in love.
Ed and Sam sometimes don't seem quite like guys. Most of times, they pass, but every now and then they will think/say/act unrealistically. And what's up with Ed? It seems to me that he completely changed the way he acts and dresses after he got in his accident. Doesn't seem quite right to me.
SPOILERS END
So in short, I didn't like it. It was a mess.
Once upon a time, there was a girl who was fearless. She walks around beating people up for "the greater good" and dreams of being a waitress. But she. She realizes that she MIGHT just die soon, so she decides that she HAS TO sleep with a guy. The guy she chooses happens to be good looking AND the boyfriend of her enemy. This guy gets kidnapped, the kidnapper makes the girl go through a whole bunch of tests, the guy is saved. End of story.
If you haven't read the book yet, I'm sorry. I just told you the whole story
The author has absolutely no idea what she's doing
When someone tells a story, the best way to do it is by sticking to either first, second, or third person. But in this book, Pascal constantly switches between first and third. One moment, we're following the characters around (third person), and the next the characters are talking TO THE READER!!! And then Pascal has to make sure the reader knows every single detail about what the characters are thinking/plotting/etc, leaving little to no room for surprises. What a downer.
Now lets talk about Gaia. This is how she introduces herself:
"I am seventeen. The good thing about seventeen is that your not sixteen. Sixteen goes with the word sweet, and I am so far from sweet. I've got a black belt-in kung fu and I've trained in karate, judo, jujitsu, and Muay Thai...I'm not bragging..." -7
It's really obvious that Pascal is trying to make Gaia sound tough while also (failing) to trick the reader into thinking that its not bragging. I don't care what anyone says; it's bragging. And being sweet and being able to kick butt are not mutually exclusive.
Gaia also claims that she wants to be able to experience love before she dies. But 1) she might not die in the first place! She could probably survive for quite a while and 2) Doing it doesn't mean that your in love.
Ed and Sam sometimes don't seem quite like guys. Most of times, they pass, but every now and then they will think/say/act unrealistically. And what's up with Ed? It seems to me that he completely changed the way he acts and dresses after he got in his accident. Doesn't seem quite right to me.
SPOILERS END
So in short, I didn't like it. It was a mess.
October 6, 2014
This was such a great book! The book is a trilogy. I finished "Fearless" and now I'm reading "Sam". Right when I had an idea of what was going to happen next, BAMM! I'm always wrong. There are so many surprises in this book and it really keeps you on your toes. I can't wait to finish "Sam".
July 10, 2013
A Quickie Review
Gaia was born without the fear gene, and happens to not only be quite tough, but also insanely brilliant. When a female classmate ends up hospitalized because Gaia, out of disdain, failed to warn her about impending danger, things get very dicey for Miss Fearless. Things are only going to get crazier for her, though.
What could have been a great action/adventure story was ruined by content--see below--and magazine-esque formatting that took up a lot of space, made the novel choppy, and seemed just weird. It's no surprise that the series is apparently sponsored by Alloy, a magazine for teenage girls; I'd expect that teen monthly would read just the same. The core story was actually passable, but everything else made it a struggle to finish.
Content Concerns: Profanity abounds; the s-word and b-word are used at least three or four times each, and other expletives (the d-word, the h-word, the euphemisms "freakin'" and "jeez") all appear once or twice, if not more. God's and Jesus' names are also misused multiple times. Violence includes a young woman being stabbed--as mentioned above--and others being attacked or engaging in melees. Some sexual allusions are made, including Gaia bemoaning the fact that she is a virgin and alluding to her private anatomy.
Score: 1.75/5
Gaia was born without the fear gene, and happens to not only be quite tough, but also insanely brilliant. When a female classmate ends up hospitalized because Gaia, out of disdain, failed to warn her about impending danger, things get very dicey for Miss Fearless. Things are only going to get crazier for her, though.
What could have been a great action/adventure story was ruined by content--see below--and magazine-esque formatting that took up a lot of space, made the novel choppy, and seemed just weird. It's no surprise that the series is apparently sponsored by Alloy, a magazine for teenage girls; I'd expect that teen monthly would read just the same. The core story was actually passable, but everything else made it a struggle to finish.
Content Concerns: Profanity abounds; the s-word and b-word are used at least three or four times each, and other expletives (the d-word, the h-word, the euphemisms "freakin'" and "jeez") all appear once or twice, if not more. God's and Jesus' names are also misused multiple times. Violence includes a young woman being stabbed--as mentioned above--and others being attacked or engaging in melees. Some sexual allusions are made, including Gaia bemoaning the fact that she is a virgin and alluding to her private anatomy.
Score: 1.75/5
February 11, 2024
Read this when I was 13. Still good. Fast-paced chick flick with a surprising turn of events in the end.
June 4, 2015
Rereading this for the sake of reviewing it.
I still remember the plot now even when the last time I read it was around 8 years ago. I remember how I was so fascinated with the - albeit somewhat gimmicky - structure of the book; the different font sizes randomly scattered through out, the "caption/preview" of the chapter, the journal entries between the chapters. I remember how I loved Ed, and Heather (yes, Gaia's nemesis).
And oh, how I remember how I hated Gaia. But, I mean, I should've expected that from Francine Pascal. She tried to shove down "likable" main characters in Sweet Valley (but who just came across as two-dimensional and irritating), and she did the same with Fearless. Hell, Gaia's physical description is even the same with the Wakefield twins: "Eyes that changed colours, from the 'Carribean blue', to the 'azure sky', from eyes that 'soar up into a universe of stars and moons and planets and galaxies...." (I kid you not, this is the exact description from Sam's point of view. If this doesn't repel you, I don't know what does). I hated it. Even back then I was fed up with characters that seemed all bad-ass at the outside, but was such as p****y in the inside. I mean, if I mastered 12 kinds of martial arts (or languages...or whatever), I wouldn't be moaning - all the time! - about how I'd never been kissed, I'm gonna die a virgin Blah blah blah. And believe me, the whining never dies. And yet other characters like Ed continuously described her as "blatantly beautiful". All along when I was reading this I was thinking, Shut up, you whiny b*tch, and stop acting as if being a normal teenager is soooo hard to do. Not only that, I found it hilarious how, on top of her insecurity, she's also very judgemental herself. (i.e. The first thing she thought when she first saw Sam was that she hated "people...like...him. People who look like that.)
And don't get me started on Sam. Although he's worse in Book 2, what with trying to chase after Gaia after he has sex with Heather. What the hell?!
(Of course, you might be wondering why I didn't just chuck the book right there and then. Well, admittedly, Francine Pascal - or is it another ghostwriter? - has such a way with words, that I couldn't help but find myself engrossed in the book. And I loved Ed. The end.)
Rereading this in 2015 coz now I have the full set. Oh yeah. It's self torture I know.
I still remember the plot now even when the last time I read it was around 8 years ago. I remember how I was so fascinated with the - albeit somewhat gimmicky - structure of the book; the different font sizes randomly scattered through out, the "caption/preview" of the chapter, the journal entries between the chapters. I remember how I loved Ed, and Heather (yes, Gaia's nemesis).
And oh, how I remember how I hated Gaia. But, I mean, I should've expected that from Francine Pascal. She tried to shove down "likable" main characters in Sweet Valley (but who just came across as two-dimensional and irritating), and she did the same with Fearless. Hell, Gaia's physical description is even the same with the Wakefield twins: "Eyes that changed colours, from the 'Carribean blue', to the 'azure sky', from eyes that 'soar up into a universe of stars and moons and planets and galaxies...." (I kid you not, this is the exact description from Sam's point of view. If this doesn't repel you, I don't know what does). I hated it. Even back then I was fed up with characters that seemed all bad-ass at the outside, but was such as p****y in the inside. I mean, if I mastered 12 kinds of martial arts (or languages...or whatever), I wouldn't be moaning - all the time! - about how I'd never been kissed, I'm gonna die a virgin Blah blah blah. And believe me, the whining never dies. And yet other characters like Ed continuously described her as "blatantly beautiful". All along when I was reading this I was thinking, Shut up, you whiny b*tch, and stop acting as if being a normal teenager is soooo hard to do. Not only that, I found it hilarious how, on top of her insecurity, she's also very judgemental herself. (i.e. The first thing she thought when she first saw Sam was that she hated "people...like...him. People who look like that.)
And don't get me started on Sam. Although he's worse in Book 2, what with trying to chase after Gaia after he has sex with Heather. What the hell?!
(Of course, you might be wondering why I didn't just chuck the book right there and then. Well, admittedly, Francine Pascal - or is it another ghostwriter? - has such a way with words, that I couldn't help but find myself engrossed in the book. And I loved Ed. The end.)
Rereading this in 2015 coz now I have the full set. Oh yeah. It's self torture I know.
November 23, 2014
Please note: This is a review on the first three books in the series, Fearless, Sam and Run, as the edition I read published all three books in one, making me view it as one very large book, instead of three separate ones.
Okay, so I don't usually read very thick books - such as this one - because I get very bored, very easily. However, Fearless kept me hooked right until the last few pages, simply because I really, really wanted to know two things: a) would she end up with Sam, and b) would she finally forgive her father? After 583 pages, I was still waiting for the answers to both of these questions, and to be quite honest, I was extremely irritated with the ending. Are you telling me that I struggled through a 586 page book, only to find out that Gaia's EVIL UNCLE manages to convince her that he is good, and saved her from his own evil minions? And then, if that isn't bad enough, her father, who did actually save her, doesn't even get to see her at the end of the book, and tell her that he loves her and beg for her forgiveness. And just to really make me want to commit suicide, after Gaia has spent practically HALF THE FREAKING BOOK trying to save stupid Sam, once she has actually saved him, the imbecile has the audacity to actually think that it was HEATHER who saved him, even though that stupid girl probably doesn't even know how to use a syringe. The whole three books build up to the last few pages, and I really thought that Sam would end up with Gaia, after all he did confess his undying love for her while he was kidnapped.
I honestly cannot believe that I read a 586 page book, only to find out that the story does not resolve itself, but instead there is ANOTHER book, the fourth one in the series, which, being the sucker for happy endings that I am, I am probably going to read anyway. Even though you just spent about two minutes reading this review, thinking I was going to say that there is no way in hell that I'm going to read the next book. Well, ladies and gentlemen, now you understand my feelings of frustration and anger upon finishing these books.
Okay, so I don't usually read very thick books - such as this one - because I get very bored, very easily. However, Fearless kept me hooked right until the last few pages, simply because I really, really wanted to know two things: a) would she end up with Sam, and b) would she finally forgive her father? After 583 pages, I was still waiting for the answers to both of these questions, and to be quite honest, I was extremely irritated with the ending. Are you telling me that I struggled through a 586 page book, only to find out that Gaia's EVIL UNCLE manages to convince her that he is good, and saved her from his own evil minions? And then, if that isn't bad enough, her father, who did actually save her, doesn't even get to see her at the end of the book, and tell her that he loves her and beg for her forgiveness. And just to really make me want to commit suicide, after Gaia has spent practically HALF THE FREAKING BOOK trying to save stupid Sam, once she has actually saved him, the imbecile has the audacity to actually think that it was HEATHER who saved him, even though that stupid girl probably doesn't even know how to use a syringe. The whole three books build up to the last few pages, and I really thought that Sam would end up with Gaia, after all he did confess his undying love for her while he was kidnapped.
I honestly cannot believe that I read a 586 page book, only to find out that the story does not resolve itself, but instead there is ANOTHER book, the fourth one in the series, which, being the sucker for happy endings that I am, I am probably going to read anyway. Even though you just spent about two minutes reading this review, thinking I was going to say that there is no way in hell that I'm going to read the next book. Well, ladies and gentlemen, now you understand my feelings of frustration and anger upon finishing these books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2013
I read the first 3 books I think, all in one volume. The first seemed promising but it all went downhill from there. Gaia rattles off a long list of her skills- and the only one she ever uses in the book is martial arts. I mean, if she's so good at spy tricks, why can't she just pick Sam's lock instead of going through all that trouble to get hold of a key?
Also, the whole thing about having no gene for fear is done really poorly. She's afraid all the time- but "abstractly." so it doesn't count, apparently. Basically she looks and acts exactly like someone who does have the fear gene but is simply overconfident due to strength and total mastery of four types of martial arts, to the point where their palms don't get sweaty and their adrenaline doesn't build up. Big deal. And she curls up in the fetal position when someone is about to shoot her- um, total instinctive fear reaction, her not having those is kinda the whole point!
In my opinion, the thing that makes her the most different from others is her extreme (but not total) indifference to what other people think of her.
Also I liked Ed- great character. He decides to befriend Gaia because he loves how she's mean to him and doesn't treat him with oversensitive pity for being in a wheelchair, unlike everyone else in their school. Which is a weird reason to like someone, but it develops into a real friendship and a fun one to read about.
It was a good escapist read when I needed a distraction for a few hours. But yeah not really worth reading, imho.
Also, the whole thing about having no gene for fear is done really poorly. She's afraid all the time- but "abstractly." so it doesn't count, apparently. Basically she looks and acts exactly like someone who does have the fear gene but is simply overconfident due to strength and total mastery of four types of martial arts, to the point where their palms don't get sweaty and their adrenaline doesn't build up. Big deal. And she curls up in the fetal position when someone is about to shoot her- um, total instinctive fear reaction, her not having those is kinda the whole point!
In my opinion, the thing that makes her the most different from others is her extreme (but not total) indifference to what other people think of her.
Also I liked Ed- great character. He decides to befriend Gaia because he loves how she's mean to him and doesn't treat him with oversensitive pity for being in a wheelchair, unlike everyone else in their school. Which is a weird reason to like someone, but it develops into a real friendship and a fun one to read about.
It was a good escapist read when I needed a distraction for a few hours. But yeah not really worth reading, imho.
March 20, 2012
I was looking forward to reading this book series which I read as I was growing up and promptly forgot about; now I know why. It was an intriguing concept, a girl who could feel no fear. But "Fearless (Fearless, #1)" amaze me in the level of repetitiveness and cliches it contained.
And can you say Mary Sue? Gaia has too many perfect things about her. She's drop dead gorgeous, secretly brilliant at chess, knew how to do complex algebra equations when she was in the third grade, speaks several languages, is extremely powerful, brilliant at martial arts, and is mysterious. Sure she's messed up emotionally, but all those other components make her unrealistic, less believable. If she really was a black belt then she would have learned all of the mental teachings that went with it, like using excessive force only when absolutely necessary, which she never pays attention to.
I'll only read another two from this book series and we'll see if it improves. If not, let me look for the nearest trash bin.
More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie
Book Details:
Title Fearless (Fearless, #1)
Author Francine Pascal
Reviewed By Purplycookie
And can you say Mary Sue? Gaia has too many perfect things about her. She's drop dead gorgeous, secretly brilliant at chess, knew how to do complex algebra equations when she was in the third grade, speaks several languages, is extremely powerful, brilliant at martial arts, and is mysterious. Sure she's messed up emotionally, but all those other components make her unrealistic, less believable. If she really was a black belt then she would have learned all of the mental teachings that went with it, like using excessive force only when absolutely necessary, which she never pays attention to.
I'll only read another two from this book series and we'll see if it improves. If not, let me look for the nearest trash bin.
More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie
Book Details:
Title Fearless (Fearless, #1)
Author Francine Pascal
Reviewed By Purplycookie
March 13, 2013
The book was a disappointment at best. I loved the idea of it and thought (at first) that the author was genuinely good. When the main character meets a boy I thought it was just a bit of a crush. However, my hopes for this book were completely shattered when everything turned to the main character, Gaia, and her want--no, the incessant NEED--to lose her virginity. Why, you may ask? Just to get it over with because she didn't want to die without having lost it.
Now, I'll admit, I wasn't extremely surprised by this at first. Many people and books are brazen about these things. So, I kept reading, and crossed my fingers that maybe it would get better. My hopes came to a stop yet again, however, when Gaia decides to tell the boy she has a crush on to sleep with her.
Now there is constant conversation about losing her virginity, what kind of condoms to buy, and to make it worse? She practically stalks the boy she has a crush on! The terrible message this book sent was irrefutable. I am incredibly disappointed in the author, I thought it could have been so much better. I thought it had so much potential. The idea was fantastic, but the author demolished it.
Now, I'll admit, I wasn't extremely surprised by this at first. Many people and books are brazen about these things. So, I kept reading, and crossed my fingers that maybe it would get better. My hopes came to a stop yet again, however, when Gaia decides to tell the boy she has a crush on to sleep with her.
Now there is constant conversation about losing her virginity, what kind of condoms to buy, and to make it worse? She practically stalks the boy she has a crush on! The terrible message this book sent was irrefutable. I am incredibly disappointed in the author, I thought it could have been so much better. I thought it had so much potential. The idea was fantastic, but the author demolished it.
January 24, 2015
The protagonist, Gaia Moore, is dull. Being born without a fear gene must mean you aren't born with a personality either.
I enjoyed Francine Pascal's 'Sweet Valley High' series, but I was disappointed with this book. The only similarity to 'Sweet Valley', is the description of Gaia, blonde hair and perfect figure like the Wakefield twins.
Not that I was expecting 'Sweet Valley High', but that series was engaging and it had less to work with - just identical twin sisters making their way through high school with contrasting personalities and values.
'Fearless' had an intriguing concept, which is why I initially picked it up, who knew that a teenage with no fear, extra strength (for some reason), and proficient in martial arts, could make for a dull read.
To be fair, it could have gotten better, but I just couldn't bring myself to do anything but skim read after the first chapter.
I enjoyed Francine Pascal's 'Sweet Valley High' series, but I was disappointed with this book. The only similarity to 'Sweet Valley', is the description of Gaia, blonde hair and perfect figure like the Wakefield twins.
Not that I was expecting 'Sweet Valley High', but that series was engaging and it had less to work with - just identical twin sisters making their way through high school with contrasting personalities and values.
'Fearless' had an intriguing concept, which is why I initially picked it up, who knew that a teenage with no fear, extra strength (for some reason), and proficient in martial arts, could make for a dull read.
To be fair, it could have gotten better, but I just couldn't bring myself to do anything but skim read after the first chapter.
September 9, 2011
Patience is a virtue...sadly, it's also one I'm lacking severely. The plot was sluggish and it was hard to follow (even with all the fancy font design). Even then, the intrigue of a girl without fear was enough to keep me for about a quarter of the book. I mean, with a name like Gaia, she has to be interesting.
No.
She had all of the elements of Cat from 10 Things I Hate About You (whom I love), but poorly executed. She's supposed to be this hardened bitch or something...but with this softer side or something. I just couldn't connect with her.
I felt there was a plot twist with Ed...but sadly I'll never know if the wheelchair-bound boy was working with the terrorists. Because I just felt he was so stereotypical in that fight scene, it was like he collapsed into a flat character.
I'm sure others would enjoy this book... It just didn't click with me.
No.
She had all of the elements of Cat from 10 Things I Hate About You (whom I love), but poorly executed. She's supposed to be this hardened bitch or something...but with this softer side or something. I just couldn't connect with her.
I felt there was a plot twist with Ed...but sadly I'll never know if the wheelchair-bound boy was working with the terrorists. Because I just felt he was so stereotypical in that fight scene, it was like he collapsed into a flat character.
I'm sure others would enjoy this book... It just didn't click with me.
February 28, 2023
"Fearless" was one of my favorite series as a tween. The first book was published in 1999, when I was eleven years old, and I never forgot it. Last month finally found a set of the first 3 books so I could re-read and re-experience it as adult. I just finished book #1.
So many of the passions and strengths of this book still pull me in:
The strong, smart, loner heroine - a proud, though not always comfortable, outsider.
The two very appealing love interests. (There's the guy best friend and the passionate, burning love.... both soooo cute.)
The gritty seriousness and sophistication of the writing. While, appropriately, the writing in "Fearless" is more simple than the writing in most books aimed at adults, Pascal respects her teen readers. She really respects them, and it shows.
So many of the passions and strengths of this book still pull me in:
The strong, smart, loner heroine - a proud, though not always comfortable, outsider.
The two very appealing love interests. (There's the guy best friend and the passionate, burning love.... both soooo cute.)
The gritty seriousness and sophistication of the writing. While, appropriately, the writing in "Fearless" is more simple than the writing in most books aimed at adults, Pascal respects her teen readers. She really respects them, and it shows.
October 27, 2012
I adored this series at 12/13. I wonder how badly I will cringe when I re-read them.
Edit:
Rating: 2.5
First of all, Gaia should be named Morgan after the goddess, Morrigan. More suitable.
My fave part is Gaia's fearlessness, especially when I was younger being an anxious kid.
I like the premise, but it's lacking something.
Gaia is a sue, I hate to say. She is perfect at everything. She is also judgmental as fuck.
What is it with Francine's fetish for blondes? Just sayin. Lol
It did make me super nostalgic. I see how much I've grown in my taste of literature though.
Edit:
Rating: 2.5
First of all, Gaia should be named Morgan after the goddess, Morrigan. More suitable.
My fave part is Gaia's fearlessness, especially when I was younger being an anxious kid.
I like the premise, but it's lacking something.
Gaia is a sue, I hate to say. She is perfect at everything. She is also judgmental as fuck.
What is it with Francine's fetish for blondes? Just sayin. Lol
It did make me super nostalgic. I see how much I've grown in my taste of literature though.
March 30, 2012
AWESOME
May 26, 2025
I enjoyed Gaia’s character. No fear, total badass. The love triangle is fun to follow and is pretty entertaining! Ordered the second book, now that I finished the first book, I need to know what happens next.
August 16, 2021
i absolutely should have rated this 3 stars at the most but it was just so silly and fun (even though it wasn’t supposed to be)
Read
October 8, 2021Read the first two books in my early high school days, and I LOVED THEM. I suddenly craved to read it again and (omg) there are 36 books in this series.
October 26, 2018
Fearless is one of the worst books I've ever read. It's so bad it made me rage at several points. How's it bad you might ask? Let's see:
-Gaia. Gaia is possibly the most irritating main character I've had to ever endure. She's everything I hate in a character and more. Not to mention how big of a Mary Sue she is. Gaia is way too talented, has nearly no flaws/weaknesses, has an extremely tragic past as a means for the readers to pity her (but instead comes off as overdone), and is SO smart that learning basic algebra in THIRD GRADE and learning European capitals by three years old is a realistic standard according to this book. In Fact, Gaia is so speshul that even the narrative likes to go on and on about how amazing she is and how much of a great role model she makes despite Gaia being rude to many people including school authority, tries to push people away despite them wanting to be her friend, and many other contradictions. Gaia comes off as an arrogant bitch 9/10 times in Fearless that I endlessly desired punching her face in. Also, what kind of name is Gaia anyway?
-Romance. If it's the last thing I want to read in books, it's anything having to do with love. And as you expect in some other YA lit, it's poorly written here. I could give less of a shit about whether or not Gaia will get the man she so desires. This romantic plot tumor is further drawn out with a pointless love triangle. What is with YA books' obsession with love triangles? They're not needed at all and have been done to the point of cliche.
-The Writing. To put more icing on this rancid cake, there's the writing to top everything else. It's amateur and clumsy at best . Pascal establishes details only to retcon them moments later. For example in the beginning of Fearless, Gaia seems to not know much details regarding her grandparents. But a few chapters after that, Gaia sees a painted Swastika in the park and recounts how her grandparents were apart of the Holocaust and how Gaia has Jewish ancestry DESPITE NONE OF THIS NEVER BEING MENTIONED BEFOREHAND. To make things equally worse, this never gets brought up again. I swear, that paragraph existed to further butter up Gaia's ego and to make this book even longer. The POV switches kill any suspense since it tell you every character's motivations right off the bat. This book should have just went for a third person point of view instead of making me guess at who's telling the story 80% of the time. Also, one minute swear words like bitch, shit, and damn are repeatedly said only for the book to 180 and say words like "dummy" instead.
-Characters. The characters here are all so flat and unrealistic they're basically walking pieces of cardboard. I couldn't care if any of them died at some point in the story. The only ones I consider slightly likeable have to be Ed and Heather, that's saying something in a book this atrocious. Sam is the second worst character in my opinion. He's so boring that my brain tries it's hardest to slog through any chapter that's centered around him. I can't understand why Gaia, who's purportedly smart, is falling for a guy who's willing to leave his faithful girlfriend for a girl he immediately gets infatuated with. Are cheaters supposedly attractive to Gaia? The villains aren't that convincing to me. They're built up as threats, although it's quite obvious that Gaia will always escape and live on for countless sequels. Speaking of which....
-Sequels. Apparently Fearless was so "good" it prompted 36 follow-up books in the series. That alone astounds me. Who's going to fully read every novel and manage to keep up with each plot line that unfolds? Honestly what Francine Pascal should have done was paced the books faster so that the Fearless series would be reduced to half. If the books were as long as some Harry Potter books, the series would be more bearable. I am aware that the first few books in Fearless got released in bundles a few years ago (it was how I initially discovered it after all) but even then it'll take around 12 bundles too many if every three Fearless books got a bundle pack. In fact if you remove a lot of the filler story lines and the nonessential romance, this series would satisfactorily end quicker like it should have.
Everything else including the above are reasons why I utterly loathe this book.
But honestly for all it's bad qualities, it's quite laughable to read through especially if you love reading atrocious literature like me (despite how angry this book made me). In fact out of spite, I plan on reading every novel in the Fearless series, because believe me, it's THAT bad.
0/10
-Gaia. Gaia is possibly the most irritating main character I've had to ever endure. She's everything I hate in a character and more. Not to mention how big of a Mary Sue she is. Gaia is way too talented, has nearly no flaws/weaknesses, has an extremely tragic past as a means for the readers to pity her (but instead comes off as overdone), and is SO smart that learning basic algebra in THIRD GRADE and learning European capitals by three years old is a realistic standard according to this book. In Fact, Gaia is so speshul that even the narrative likes to go on and on about how amazing she is and how much of a great role model she makes despite Gaia being rude to many people including school authority, tries to push people away despite them wanting to be her friend, and many other contradictions. Gaia comes off as an arrogant bitch 9/10 times in Fearless that I endlessly desired punching her face in. Also, what kind of name is Gaia anyway?
-Romance. If it's the last thing I want to read in books, it's anything having to do with love. And as you expect in some other YA lit, it's poorly written here. I could give less of a shit about whether or not Gaia will get the man she so desires. This romantic plot tumor is further drawn out with a pointless love triangle. What is with YA books' obsession with love triangles? They're not needed at all and have been done to the point of cliche.
-The Writing. To put more icing on this rancid cake, there's the writing to top everything else. It's amateur and clumsy at best . Pascal establishes details only to retcon them moments later. For example in the beginning of Fearless, Gaia seems to not know much details regarding her grandparents. But a few chapters after that, Gaia sees a painted Swastika in the park and recounts how her grandparents were apart of the Holocaust and how Gaia has Jewish ancestry DESPITE NONE OF THIS NEVER BEING MENTIONED BEFOREHAND. To make things equally worse, this never gets brought up again. I swear, that paragraph existed to further butter up Gaia's ego and to make this book even longer. The POV switches kill any suspense since it tell you every character's motivations right off the bat. This book should have just went for a third person point of view instead of making me guess at who's telling the story 80% of the time. Also, one minute swear words like bitch, shit, and damn are repeatedly said only for the book to 180 and say words like "dummy" instead.
-Characters. The characters here are all so flat and unrealistic they're basically walking pieces of cardboard. I couldn't care if any of them died at some point in the story. The only ones I consider slightly likeable have to be Ed and Heather, that's saying something in a book this atrocious. Sam is the second worst character in my opinion. He's so boring that my brain tries it's hardest to slog through any chapter that's centered around him. I can't understand why Gaia, who's purportedly smart, is falling for a guy who's willing to leave his faithful girlfriend for a girl he immediately gets infatuated with. Are cheaters supposedly attractive to Gaia? The villains aren't that convincing to me. They're built up as threats, although it's quite obvious that Gaia will always escape and live on for countless sequels. Speaking of which....
-Sequels. Apparently Fearless was so "good" it prompted 36 follow-up books in the series. That alone astounds me. Who's going to fully read every novel and manage to keep up with each plot line that unfolds? Honestly what Francine Pascal should have done was paced the books faster so that the Fearless series would be reduced to half. If the books were as long as some Harry Potter books, the series would be more bearable. I am aware that the first few books in Fearless got released in bundles a few years ago (it was how I initially discovered it after all) but even then it'll take around 12 bundles too many if every three Fearless books got a bundle pack. In fact if you remove a lot of the filler story lines and the nonessential romance, this series would satisfactorily end quicker like it should have.
Everything else including the above are reasons why I utterly loathe this book.
But honestly for all it's bad qualities, it's quite laughable to read through especially if you love reading atrocious literature like me (despite how angry this book made me). In fact out of spite, I plan on reading every novel in the Fearless series, because believe me, it's THAT bad.
0/10
May 21, 2015
I absolutely abhorred this book. It was given to me by my local librarian for a teen book club. I was told that many of the other teens "just couldn't put it down." Well neither could I, but because I was trying to get it over with.
First of all, Gaia may be the least interesting heroine I have ever read. Her insecurities combined with her overall bitchy-ness make her first person chapters almost unreadable. She is the epitome of a stereotypical YA heroine. She's impossibly beautiful, even with out makeup! (So shocking!) she hates everyone because of her tortured childhood. (So sad!) She wants to be popular and have lots of friends, but she doesn't. (Maybe because she's impossibly mean and rude to anyone who shows her any kindness.) I don't know if this type of writing is just out of style, since it was published in 1999, but that's not an excuse.
Second of all, my goooodddd, the unnecessary, undeveloped love triangle. I'm not sure if its just because I only read the first book, but I say if you're going to do a love triangle, do it right! Pascal almost completely forgets about Ed in the second half of the book, which is a crying shame because he's the most likable character in the whole book. The whole book is basically Gaia periodically beating people up, while moaning about how Sam doesn't like her. The clique lines that pascal uses to build up the love story are almost shockingly cheesy. "Gaia wasn't afraid. She was never afraid. But she felt the abstract terror of a world without Sam, without the idea or possibility of Sam, and she didn't want to live there." (163) I MEAN COME ON!! Give me a break will you? And what happened to the "no fear gene" thing? Which brings me to my next point.
The concept of this book is so promising. Pascal has the opportunity to explore themes like, good versus evil, hero or villain, her struggling to get along in the world without the capacity to fear, or how her lack of fear gets her in bad situations. But no! Pascal doesn't do any of these things and, as far as I can tell, the book has no strong themes whatsoever. Gaia just hangs out in dangerous places, hoping to beat people up for her own enjoyment. And Pascal only uses the no-fear thing when it's convenient for her. Gaia should be radically different from her peers, but she isn't! It's so frustrating! I liked where she was going with the vague and menacing threat that was spying on her, and I'm sure that is expanded upon in later books, but why didn't she just do it I this book? There wasn't anything important going on! The character development consisted of about a half a page at the beginning, but that was it! There was so much unnecessary "plot" that could've easily been used to develop that storyline.
All in all, this book was a poorly written, stereotypical, vaguely sci-fi, YA novel that was the worst book I've read this year.
First of all, Gaia may be the least interesting heroine I have ever read. Her insecurities combined with her overall bitchy-ness make her first person chapters almost unreadable. She is the epitome of a stereotypical YA heroine. She's impossibly beautiful, even with out makeup! (So shocking!) she hates everyone because of her tortured childhood. (So sad!) She wants to be popular and have lots of friends, but she doesn't. (Maybe because she's impossibly mean and rude to anyone who shows her any kindness.) I don't know if this type of writing is just out of style, since it was published in 1999, but that's not an excuse.
Second of all, my goooodddd, the unnecessary, undeveloped love triangle. I'm not sure if its just because I only read the first book, but I say if you're going to do a love triangle, do it right! Pascal almost completely forgets about Ed in the second half of the book, which is a crying shame because he's the most likable character in the whole book. The whole book is basically Gaia periodically beating people up, while moaning about how Sam doesn't like her. The clique lines that pascal uses to build up the love story are almost shockingly cheesy. "Gaia wasn't afraid. She was never afraid. But she felt the abstract terror of a world without Sam, without the idea or possibility of Sam, and she didn't want to live there." (163) I MEAN COME ON!! Give me a break will you? And what happened to the "no fear gene" thing? Which brings me to my next point.
The concept of this book is so promising. Pascal has the opportunity to explore themes like, good versus evil, hero or villain, her struggling to get along in the world without the capacity to fear, or how her lack of fear gets her in bad situations. But no! Pascal doesn't do any of these things and, as far as I can tell, the book has no strong themes whatsoever. Gaia just hangs out in dangerous places, hoping to beat people up for her own enjoyment. And Pascal only uses the no-fear thing when it's convenient for her. Gaia should be radically different from her peers, but she isn't! It's so frustrating! I liked where she was going with the vague and menacing threat that was spying on her, and I'm sure that is expanded upon in later books, but why didn't she just do it I this book? There wasn't anything important going on! The character development consisted of about a half a page at the beginning, but that was it! There was so much unnecessary "plot" that could've easily been used to develop that storyline.
All in all, this book was a poorly written, stereotypical, vaguely sci-fi, YA novel that was the worst book I've read this year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2022
Fearless follows 17 year-old Gaia Moore as she starts junior year after moving to New York… but Gaia is anything but your typical teen. Gaia was born without the gene that produces fear, leaving her unafraid of anything. Her father took her abilities and honed her into a weapon: Gaia is a master of martial arts, with strength and reflexes off the charts. But since his disappearance, Gaia has been transplanted to New York, to live with a family friend.
You could say Gaia has a bit of an anger problem. She’s quick to a spiteful remark, and she doesn’t make friends easily. But she finds solace in Washington Square Park. There, at the chess tables, she finds other misfits like herself, and a place where she can find a modicum of peace— away from the judgmental high school cliques and, and away from the trauma of her past. But when that peace is threatened by a growing Neo-Nazi gang using the park as their hunting grounds, Gaia decides to play vigilante.
During the day Gaia goes to high school, and finds herself unexpectedly friends with Ed Fargo, and enemies with the popular and perfect Heather Gannis. In the afternoons Gaia frequents the chess tables, and where she meets Sam Moon, an NYU student that she feels a magnetic pull to. And by night, Gaia waits in the shadows of Washington Park, ready to fight any Neo-Nazi she comes across. But as the novel progresses her separate spaces start to bleed over into each other. And as Gaia navigates her new life in New York, someone else is watching her, taking notes on everything she does.
I was obsessed with this series when I was younger, and I’m so glad that it really held up! This book was first published in 1999, so it’s true that there are some cliché tropes (“not like other girls” & “popular girl vs misfit” to name a few) but I was surprised by just how engaging and interesting this story still is. Fearless really sets the stage for an epic 30+ book series, and I can’t wait to re-explore the rest of them! If you’re looking for a fun YA-thriller with all the late-90’s and early 2000’s vibes, I highly recommend checking this out!
You could say Gaia has a bit of an anger problem. She’s quick to a spiteful remark, and she doesn’t make friends easily. But she finds solace in Washington Square Park. There, at the chess tables, she finds other misfits like herself, and a place where she can find a modicum of peace— away from the judgmental high school cliques and, and away from the trauma of her past. But when that peace is threatened by a growing Neo-Nazi gang using the park as their hunting grounds, Gaia decides to play vigilante.
During the day Gaia goes to high school, and finds herself unexpectedly friends with Ed Fargo, and enemies with the popular and perfect Heather Gannis. In the afternoons Gaia frequents the chess tables, and where she meets Sam Moon, an NYU student that she feels a magnetic pull to. And by night, Gaia waits in the shadows of Washington Park, ready to fight any Neo-Nazi she comes across. But as the novel progresses her separate spaces start to bleed over into each other. And as Gaia navigates her new life in New York, someone else is watching her, taking notes on everything she does.
I was obsessed with this series when I was younger, and I’m so glad that it really held up! This book was first published in 1999, so it’s true that there are some cliché tropes (“not like other girls” & “popular girl vs misfit” to name a few) but I was surprised by just how engaging and interesting this story still is. Fearless really sets the stage for an epic 30+ book series, and I can’t wait to re-explore the rest of them! If you’re looking for a fun YA-thriller with all the late-90’s and early 2000’s vibes, I highly recommend checking this out!
July 6, 2025
Gaia Moore is a seventeen year old girl. She seems normal, but she's far from it. Her dad had her trained in most all the self defense things you can think of. She has a black belt in almost everything as well.
She hasn't seen her dad since she was twelve years old. Her mom was murdered at about the same time and she has bounced around a lot from one home to the next. She is now living with a CIA mentor of her dad's named George and his wife Ella. Gaia and Ella do not like each other.
Gaia is great no, amazing at chess and plays at the park with Zolov, Renny and once Sam. She doesn't have any friends besides Zolov and Ed. Renny was a friend, but might still be, but you'll have to draw your own conclusion on that by the way the book ended.
Ed Fargo has gotten under Gaia's skin and gotten into her heart a place nobody ever gets. She made a deal with him after they saved each other that they wouldn't ask questions. Ed likes Gaia because she isn't nice to him just because of his disability. He is tired of everybody being nice to him just because of that. I wish that it had been revealed in this book why he was, but it didn't.
Zolov is an elderly man in the park that Gaia plays chess with. He has Alzheimer's and doesn't remember her name most days, but she doesn't care. She brings him a sub that they split sometimes. When she saw he was attacked she went after the guy she thought did it.
Sam is a complicated person to explain not in a bad kind of way, but they are back and forth with their love and hate dynamic the entire way through the book. I like how Francine described him because he is not what he seems to be at first.
Gaia is fearless, she was born without the gene and this book has her taking on things that most people wouldn't attempt even with back up. I like her and Ed too their friendship is sweet. Neither one of them need more than they are giving.
There is a mystery person through out the book sending emails to a person back and forth. I guessed who it was before the book was even half over. I wasn't a fan of Ella, George's wife just like Gaia wasn't. She I felt was always up to something the entire time. I found out at the end just how much she was involved.
This my 4th time reading this. First was in high school. Still love it.
She hasn't seen her dad since she was twelve years old. Her mom was murdered at about the same time and she has bounced around a lot from one home to the next. She is now living with a CIA mentor of her dad's named George and his wife Ella. Gaia and Ella do not like each other.
Gaia is great no, amazing at chess and plays at the park with Zolov, Renny and once Sam. She doesn't have any friends besides Zolov and Ed. Renny was a friend, but might still be, but you'll have to draw your own conclusion on that by the way the book ended.
Ed Fargo has gotten under Gaia's skin and gotten into her heart a place nobody ever gets. She made a deal with him after they saved each other that they wouldn't ask questions. Ed likes Gaia because she isn't nice to him just because of his disability. He is tired of everybody being nice to him just because of that. I wish that it had been revealed in this book why he was, but it didn't.
Zolov is an elderly man in the park that Gaia plays chess with. He has Alzheimer's and doesn't remember her name most days, but she doesn't care. She brings him a sub that they split sometimes. When she saw he was attacked she went after the guy she thought did it.
Sam is a complicated person to explain not in a bad kind of way, but they are back and forth with their love and hate dynamic the entire way through the book. I like how Francine described him because he is not what he seems to be at first.
Gaia is fearless, she was born without the gene and this book has her taking on things that most people wouldn't attempt even with back up. I like her and Ed too their friendship is sweet. Neither one of them need more than they are giving.
There is a mystery person through out the book sending emails to a person back and forth. I guessed who it was before the book was even half over. I wasn't a fan of Ella, George's wife just like Gaia wasn't. She I felt was always up to something the entire time. I found out at the end just how much she was involved.
This my 4th time reading this. First was in high school. Still love it.
January 21, 2014
SPOILERS AHEAD, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK
I would have thought Fearless was going to be a thrilling read. I admit the whole aura of the book, from the cover, to the title combined with the awesome font raised my expectations quite a bit. In the end, disappointment does not even begin to cover it.
The plot, at first, had me really hooked. Gaia sounded like such and engaging character. The fear gene was removed from her, parents are gone, master in spy stuff and martial arts, etc. That would have made an excellent starting point for the story's progression, but sadly, it was a downward spiral from there.
The entire book pretty much resembled the Sweet Valley High series the author is famous for. Gaia, this fearless, amazing, skilled, beautiful girl was reduced to your standard high school chick who had an awesome guy best friend doting on her but instead she falls for an incredibly hot college guy (who is portrayed as smart with his super chess skills but makes tragically wrong choices for the whole duration of the book)who, surprise, surprise! is dating the most popular girl in school who also happens to be Gaia's nemesis.
I gotta give some credit to Francine Pascal for at least trying to inject a little suspense the plot offered. Gaia fights the occasional street fight, has a secret enemy stalking her, her dad is mysteriously unable to communicate with her and has an evil twin brother (give me a break) and she has to save her one true love from kidnappers. However, instead of working to the plots advantage, it completely backfired and ruined the book further. The plot resembled every spy movie ever made, except Gaia's aforementioned spy skills were completely forgotten Nice try, though.
Needless to say, I pretty much despised this book. Some of you might not agree with me, but to those who havent read this, I suggest you take a look and see for yourself.
I would have thought Fearless was going to be a thrilling read. I admit the whole aura of the book, from the cover, to the title combined with the awesome font raised my expectations quite a bit. In the end, disappointment does not even begin to cover it.
The plot, at first, had me really hooked. Gaia sounded like such and engaging character. The fear gene was removed from her, parents are gone, master in spy stuff and martial arts, etc. That would have made an excellent starting point for the story's progression, but sadly, it was a downward spiral from there.
The entire book pretty much resembled the Sweet Valley High series the author is famous for. Gaia, this fearless, amazing, skilled, beautiful girl was reduced to your standard high school chick who had an awesome guy best friend doting on her but instead she falls for an incredibly hot college guy (who is portrayed as smart with his super chess skills but makes tragically wrong choices for the whole duration of the book)who, surprise, surprise! is dating the most popular girl in school who also happens to be Gaia's nemesis.
I gotta give some credit to Francine Pascal for at least trying to inject a little suspense the plot offered. Gaia fights the occasional street fight, has a secret enemy stalking her, her dad is mysteriously unable to communicate with her and has an evil twin brother (give me a break) and she has to save her one true love from kidnappers. However, instead of working to the plots advantage, it completely backfired and ruined the book further. The plot resembled every spy movie ever made, except Gaia's aforementioned spy skills were completely forgotten Nice try, though.
Needless to say, I pretty much despised this book. Some of you might not agree with me, but to those who havent read this, I suggest you take a look and see for yourself.
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