Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Belladonna 

 

Author: Adalyn Grace 

 

Book Series: Belladonna Book 1 

 

Rating: 4/5 

 

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, romance, gothic, paranormal, thriller, mystery 

 

Publication Date: August 30, 2022 

 

Genre: YA Fantasy Romance 

 

Age Relevance: 15+ (parental death, death, violence, gore, illness, child neglect, attempted suicide, self harm, romance, sexual content, grooming?) 

 

Explanation of Above: There is some parental death mentions and there is death shown in the book. There is some violence with poisoning and vomit and blood gore. Illness is also shown. There is some child neglect shown in the book. There is an attempted suicide mentioned and some self harm mentions as well. There is some romance and slight sexual content. The relationship between the MC and  the LI is a bit weird in that it’s a young child and an immortal being who saw her as a child, which gives off a slight grooming/predatory vibe. 

 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

 

Pages: 416 

 

Synopsis: Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer. 

 

However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine. 

 

Review: This is a beautifully written read. The book is very flowy and poetic. There are a ton of gothic vibes in it and it’s wonderfully atmospheric. For the most par the book is well written and the character development and world building are very strong. The book is probably one of those that will be on classic/future YA to read lists for a long time. 

 

However, I thought that the twists were very easy to see coming and the book ended weird. It felt like it set up a sequel but it feels like a standalone? I also had issue with the relationship in the book. The MC is a young child and the LI is an immortal being. While there are a ton of YA books that are like that, I have always felt a bit ick about it and I do for this relationship as well, especially when you consider that the LI has been watching the MC since she was a young child? It might be other’s cup of tea, but it’s not mine. 

 

Verdict: It’s good!