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popthebutterfly 's review for:
Small Favors
by Erin A. Craig
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and then bought a finished copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Small Favors
Author: Erin A. Craig
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Young adult readers, fantasy, thriller, mystery
Genre: YA Fantasy Thriller
Publication Date: July 27, 2021
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 464
Recommended Age: 16+ (Animal death, Animal Gore, Religion, Gore, PTSD, Romance, and Language)
Explanation of CWs: There is SO MUCH animal death in this book from bees to horses and chickens and more. Also lots of detailed gore. There is a couple of small PTSD moments as well as small amounts of language.
Synopsis: Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range--five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.
As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents' deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.
Review: For the most part I thought this book was pretty good. I thought the World building was very well done and the characters were also very well developed. I liked the dynamic between the main character and her twin especially. I also loved The Village/The Witch vibes I got from the story and I liked how ultimately the undoing was simple.
However, things went fairly downhill within the last 150-ish pages. I really did not like the explanation for the big bad of the book. That explanation just came out of complete nowhere and there wasn't any build up to it whatsoever. I also thought that the ending was very rushed and you turn around between a certain character hating our main character and then back to being best friends with them was completely out of left field. I think the book would have been way better if it had kept to a very simple explanation of the events and not have invented a whole new monster.
Verdict: It was good but the best monsters are those that are the simplest.
Book: Small Favors
Author: Erin A. Craig
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: Young adult readers, fantasy, thriller, mystery
Genre: YA Fantasy Thriller
Publication Date: July 27, 2021
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 464
Recommended Age: 16+ (Animal death, Animal Gore, Religion, Gore, PTSD, Romance, and Language)
Explanation of CWs: There is SO MUCH animal death in this book from bees to horses and chickens and more. Also lots of detailed gore. There is a couple of small PTSD moments as well as small amounts of language.
Synopsis: Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range--five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.
As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents' deepest desires, however grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister, and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames.
Review: For the most part I thought this book was pretty good. I thought the World building was very well done and the characters were also very well developed. I liked the dynamic between the main character and her twin especially. I also loved The Village/The Witch vibes I got from the story and I liked how ultimately the undoing was simple.
However, things went fairly downhill within the last 150-ish pages. I really did not like the explanation for the big bad of the book. That explanation just came out of complete nowhere and there wasn't any build up to it whatsoever. I also thought that the ending was very rushed and you turn around between a certain character hating our main character and then back to being best friends with them was completely out of left field. I think the book would have been way better if it had kept to a very simple explanation of the events and not have invented a whole new monster.
Verdict: It was good but the best monsters are those that are the simplest.