Take a photo of a barcode or cover
chronicallybookish 's review for:
Midnight Strikes
by Zeba Shahnaz
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
<b>Quick Stats</b>
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
<i>Special thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.</i>
This was a really interesting book. I’ve always loved the idea of time loop books, but rarely do I enjoy the execution of them. It’s hard to write the same day over and over and over again without the plot becoming repetitive. Though this book did drag in a couple of places near the middle due to the inherent repetitive nature of a time loop olot, it was one of the strongest and most continually engaging time loop books I’ve ever read. Zeba Shahnaz has incredible skill, she is able to make each day feel distinct, unique, engaging, while still taking place within a very specific set of parameters.
I absolutely adored Anais as a character and narrator. She was the perfect amount of driven and unsure, distinctly voicy and relatable. The side characters, too, were compelling and easy to love. Leo, of course has my heart. I loved getting to know him more throughout the novel. However, I didn’t like the romance. It felt far too much like insta-love. Because Leo never remembered what had happened during the previous deaths, there was never an ability for a true romance to foster between him and Anais. So I never felt any real connection or chemistry to make Anais’s declarations of love hold any weight. It seemed shallow and unfounded. I enjoyed the light flirtation and crush, in the beginning, but I felt the disconnect was too severe as soon as Anais’s feelings supposedly progressed beyond that. It never felt believable to me. I honestly don’t think that a time loop novel can have a successful romance unless both characters are stuck in the loop together, or they have a strong history prior to the loop, and the MC is more <i>realizing</i> her existing feelings, not developing new ones.
Despite that, I really enjoyed this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read a time loop in a second world fantasy. I’m impressed by the execution of that aspect, and it made it easier to suspend the disbelief that can sometimes come with a time loop plotline. I definitely recommend this book, and I think Zeba Shahnaz is an author to watch. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
<i>Special thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.</i>
This was a really interesting book. I’ve always loved the idea of time loop books, but rarely do I enjoy the execution of them. It’s hard to write the same day over and over and over again without the plot becoming repetitive. Though this book did drag in a couple of places near the middle due to the inherent repetitive nature of a time loop olot, it was one of the strongest and most continually engaging time loop books I’ve ever read. Zeba Shahnaz has incredible skill, she is able to make each day feel distinct, unique, engaging, while still taking place within a very specific set of parameters.
I absolutely adored Anais as a character and narrator. She was the perfect amount of driven and unsure, distinctly voicy and relatable. The side characters, too, were compelling and easy to love. Leo, of course has my heart. I loved getting to know him more throughout the novel. However, I didn’t like the romance. It felt far too much like insta-love. Because Leo never remembered what had happened during the previous deaths, there was never an ability for a true romance to foster between him and Anais. So I never felt any real connection or chemistry to make Anais’s declarations of love hold any weight. It seemed shallow and unfounded. I enjoyed the light flirtation and crush, in the beginning, but I felt the disconnect was too severe as soon as Anais’s feelings supposedly progressed beyond that. It never felt believable to me. I honestly don’t think that a time loop novel can have a successful romance unless both characters are stuck in the loop together, or they have a strong history prior to the loop, and the MC is more <i>realizing</i> her existing feelings, not developing new ones.
Despite that, I really enjoyed this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read a time loop in a second world fantasy. I’m impressed by the execution of that aspect, and it made it easier to suspend the disbelief that can sometimes come with a time loop plotline. I definitely recommend this book, and I think Zeba Shahnaz is an author to watch. I can’t wait to see what she does next.