blewballoon's Reviews (763)

This was fun, some spooky ghost stuff and a little mystery to solve. It felt like a TV pilot episode, where you are getting a lot of exposition and setup and things end on a somewhat open note to leave room for more episodes to go from there. I will probably continue the series, but maybe not right away. (Mostly because I have the series on the Kobo Books app, and it's not as easy to use as Libro.fm or Libby) 

I was disappointed to see how Baz and Simon's relationship, and Simon's mental health, had deteriorated so much since the last book. There was no mention of the therapist Simon had been seeing at the end of the last book, either. I was worried the book was going to drag out the bummer angst, so I checked the reviews and it seemed like that was the case. I'd rather just treat the first as a standalone and assume everyone gets therapy and Baz, Simon, and their friends all live happily.

If you liked Harry Potter (especially if you liked Harry/Draco fanfic) you will probably really enjoy this. You've got a UK magical school, a "chosen one" who is more impulse than strategy, a best friend who is a super competent and intelligent girl, a rival who's family is elitist about bloodlines, a headmaster with dubious intent towards the "chosen one," and an animal-loving figure who lives on the grounds of the magic school who treats the "chosen one" like family. The main characters are older and more diverse, the magic system works differently, and there is some great humor along with the action and drama. (For anyone who has had Harry Potter soured for them after J. K. Rowling's words and actions in recent years, this may be a nice alternative that scratches the itch for a similar story and world.)

I feel like if I were rating this book just for my personal enjoyment of it, I would maybe give it a 2. This book isn't fun. As far as book quality, I don't think this is a bad book, which is why I rated it a little higher. This is a tense, dark, somber reflection on the sort of passive way that the world makes many people suffer and scrabble hopelessly. The whole book is permeated with dread. Even when there are moments of peace, they are fleeting and often wrenched away with tragedy. I will say that the end of the story was better than the one I thought it would have. 

Another great entry in this series. They always manage to balance being funny and touching along with having an engaging mystery to solve.

It's hard to talk about this one without spoiling anything, I tried to avoid even reading the synopsis of these books after I started the first one and I think that's the best way to go into it. I know this isn't the true end of the series, but this book is a good stopping point if you get this far and don't immediately want to continue (which is the case for me). Overall I did enjoy this mystery and the eclectic mix of characters involved. I enjoyed the chapters from the past and then seeing the information there reflected in the present. If you are looking for a YA mystery/thriller with a romance that only kind of gets in the way, I would recommend this. There are some slightly more graphic passages dealing with deaths, especially in the parts of the story that take place in the past, but it's usually from characters describing what they experienced and the reader is just filling in the blanks.

I did figure out who was responsible for the present day deaths, but only a little bit before the reveal. I had considered a variety of suspects and I was actually really glad it wasn't some of the people I thought it might be. I think the ending was satisfying, although I wish the guilty party hadn't gone out the way they did.

I guess I'm along for the ride and these mysteries and cliffhangers are working on me. It's like when you're watching a show and you don't think you love it, but you can't stop watching it. David is driving me nuts though, I'm in agreement with everyone from the first book who was tired of his shenanigans. 

I've been wanting to read this for a long time, but was waiting to get a physical copy. I'm so glad I finally did, it was as sweet and fun as I was hoping for. 

I wasn't sure quite what to expect from this, I knew it was a popular YA thriller and I had been a little disappointed with The Inheritance Games and I thought this might be a little closer to what I wanted from that. I do think that's the case. Stevie is an interesting, flawed protagonist that is still charming and even funny. The cast of surrounding characters at the school provides camaraderie and intrigue. I enjoyed the chapters from the past about the original disappearances at the school as well. The romance felt a little strange and forced, but that's not unusual for YA.

The cliffhanger ending was frustrating, but I did know this was a series so I wasn't entirely unprepared for that.

Edit 8/20/24: Just found out about the controversy surrounding this author! I do not recommend purchasing their books. Removing my rating.