Oof, what a disappoinment. This was so slow, it took getting through 2/3 of the way in for stuff to actually happen and what happened was so poorly written. It wasn't until we were told the drawings of these awful, scary creatures that I felt spooked. And that was also the only time I was spooked. Not a single character (outside of Sadie and the mom) had any redeemable characteristics, they all sucked. The relationships felt forced. The ending? What was that? No solid answers to the bees? Mom and dad? This was just a huge letdown.

This was SO SO SO GOOD. The plot, premise, vibe, writing, world building was all on point. This really made you think as well.

This was so good! The vibes were impeccable! It was eerie, spine chilling, and definitely gave me the creeps everytime I picked it up. It felt refreshing for being a "there's weird stuff in the woods" kind of book and I devoured this.

This was a great eerie and unsettling mystery! The first chapter had me hooked. I love a good gothic murder mystery that may or may not have ghosts haunting the halls of a large manor and nonstop rain when a stranger comes to town. This had me questioning every character, feeling tricked, and then left me in shambles at the ultimate reveal.

I absolutely loved the sun and moon dichotomy, I feel like that really made this stand out even more. What else was great was that we had such a diverse cast of characters! I adored the LGBTQ+ rep. This was a fast paced, high stakes storyline that had a ton of plot twists and political intrigue. The magic system was so ingrained to the story that there was always something happening on the page.

This book had me sobbing! I absolutely loved Percy and Sam, I loved the dual timelines and being able to watch them grow up from awkward teenagers to these amazing adults, and I absolutely loved that there was this nostalgia factor about this story, but I couldn't place what I was feeling nostalgic about. The romance was sweet and heavy and passionate and the last few chapters??? My heart was ripped out.

This was surprisingly darker than I had thought it'd be but I thought it was balanced well by Suraya's kindness and warmth. I loved how Loneliness shifted to friendship and Jealousy shifted to understanding. I could see younger me in Suraya's quietness and she was such a lovable character. The ending was not what I expected but I cried at it nonetheless. 4.5 stars for me.

Drayton is one of the best characters and you can't change my mind. The humor was on point, the tea shop vibes were warm and cozy, and a murder mixed with hot air balloons is definitely one of the more unique mysteries I've read. I loved the clues and twists and I truly wasn't expecting the killer to be who was revealed.