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chronicallybookish's Reviews (1.53k)
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 13/4+
Overall: 4 stars
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
A special thanks to Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
I have yet to meet an Adrienne Young book that I didn’t like. I read Sky and the Deep way back when it first debuted, and when I read the blurb of this most release from Adrienne Young, I knew I had to get my hands on an ARC—and I managed to do so! When I learned that this book takes place in the same world as Fable, and featured characters first introduced in that duology, I decided to read Fable first, just in case. Sometimes, in these sorts of “spin off” books, it will say it’s a standalone and can be read in whatever order, but it contains spoilers for the books that were written first and/or is a bit hard to follow the world building without the prior knowledge obtained from the other books.
This was not the case with The Last Legacy.
The Last Legacy takes place sometime between about 6 months to 2 years (give or take) after Namesake, and there is some crossover between minor characters from Fable who become main characters in this book, and some events from Namesake are referred to in this book, but it is done so in such a vague way that it doesn’t spoil anything. This book really can be read before or after the Fable duology, which is something I really appreciate in these types of novels.
All of that said, I enjoyed this book just as much as I did Fable. I did find the romance lacking. I expected there to be more of it. It plays a big part as a driving force in the later parts of the plot and even gets a significant focus in the blurb, but there are very few romantic scenes in the book. What is there is well written and there’s good chemistry, there just isn’t enough scenes to build the romance into anything deserving of the role it is expected to play. The blurb made it sound like a fantasy romance, it isn’t. It’s a fantasy that has a dash of romance.
I adored the characters and the dynamics of the Roths. I wish there had been more resolution in regards to the family aspect of the book, as well as Brynn’s desire to know more about her parents that is expressed and then never really assuaged or addressed. However I do understand why the book ended the way it did—I even like it—yet there is part of me that wishes it were different.
If you are looking for a fun, morally gray fantasy with gangs and treachery and a little bit of romance The Last Legacy is definitely for you.
Age Rating: 13/4+
Overall: 4 stars
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
A special thanks to Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
I have yet to meet an Adrienne Young book that I didn’t like. I read Sky and the Deep way back when it first debuted, and when I read the blurb of this most release from Adrienne Young, I knew I had to get my hands on an ARC—and I managed to do so! When I learned that this book takes place in the same world as Fable, and featured characters first introduced in that duology, I decided to read Fable first, just in case. Sometimes, in these sorts of “spin off” books, it will say it’s a standalone and can be read in whatever order, but it contains spoilers for the books that were written first and/or is a bit hard to follow the world building without the prior knowledge obtained from the other books.
This was not the case with The Last Legacy.
The Last Legacy takes place sometime between about 6 months to 2 years (give or take) after Namesake, and there is some crossover between minor characters from Fable who become main characters in this book, and some events from Namesake are referred to in this book, but it is done so in such a vague way that it doesn’t spoil anything. This book really can be read before or after the Fable duology, which is something I really appreciate in these types of novels.
All of that said, I enjoyed this book just as much as I did Fable. I did find the romance lacking. I expected there to be more of it. It plays a big part as a driving force in the later parts of the plot and even gets a significant focus in the blurb, but there are very few romantic scenes in the book. What is there is well written and there’s good chemistry, there just isn’t enough scenes to build the romance into anything deserving of the role it is expected to play. The blurb made it sound like a fantasy romance, it isn’t. It’s a fantasy that has a dash of romance.
I adored the characters and the dynamics of the Roths. I wish there had been more resolution in regards to the family aspect of the book, as well as Brynn’s desire to know more about her parents that is expressed and then never really assuaged or addressed. However I do understand why the book ended the way it did—I even like it—yet there is part of me that wishes it were different.
If you are looking for a fun, morally gray fantasy with gangs and treachery and a little bit of romance The Last Legacy is definitely for you.
3.5
Disability rep was good.
Story was meh.
I know nothing about the DC universe soooo take this as you will
Disability rep was good.
Story was meh.
I know nothing about the DC universe soooo take this as you will
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 14+
Overall: 4.5 stars
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Disability Rep: 5/5
A special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Chronic illness & disability rep! And #ownvoices at that! I was so excited to read this book—and it did not disappoint!
I’ve been reading (and watching) a handful of podcast-based mysteries/thrillers lately, and I’m loving this new trope. I could never listen to a true crime podcast (I like my mysteries and thrillers fully fictional) but reading about made up ones is quickly becoming a favorite. Our main character, Dare, is a disabled, queer, blue-haired badass who is starting her own ghost hunting podcast after breaking up with her boyfriend and podcast partner. The scene of this adventure? The Arrington estate, a supposedly haunted mansion in the middle of nowhere that was the site of the suspicious drowning of Atheleen Bell a few decades back. Now, Dare might be a ghost hunter… but she doesn’t actually believe in ghosts. But something happened to Atheleen on this estate, and Dare is determined to figure out what.
The idea of a ghost hunter who doesn’t believe in ghosts was really interesting to me, especially in the way that Marsh writes it. Dare hunts ghosts, not because she believes in them, not to trick others into believing them for clout, and not even solely to disprove them. She hunts ghosts because she wants to find one, even if she doesn’t actually believe she will. Marsh masterfully expresses the way that chronic illness can force you to face your own mortality at a young age, and the ways that can change you. That added undercurrent to the story, and to Dare’s motivations, sets The Girls Are Never Gone apart from other paranormal mysteries and ghost hunting book. Especially for me, a disabled teen.
The mystery itself was great. It was definitely more on the thriller side of mystery, but in a way that was good for YA and not too scary for me (a certified wimp). More than a sense of whodunnit, the plot was driven by suspense and strange happenings, although, there was of course a mystery to be solved. There was no list of suspects or red yarn maps. I wasn’t focused on trying to figure out the perpetrator, I was simply along for the ride. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, but if you’re looking for a traditional whodunnit mystery, you won’t find that here. There was some twists at the end that required some suspension of disbelief and kind of felt a little out of place to me, compared to the themes and tone of the plot prior, and that’s the main reason I didn’t rate the book 5 stars. However, it wasn’t a severely whip-lashy, just a little bit “meh”.
The only other “complaint” was Waffles (and I put that in quotes because I’m not sure how I feel and also, I’m not a service dog owner/handler). Now, I loved Waffles as a character and, like, a dog. But as service dog representation I felt like he perpetuated some pretty damn harmful stereotypes. Waffles was bad at his job. It’s acknowledged in the text, like, immediately. Dare brought him because he’s her dog, but basically admits that he isn’t actually all that helpful when it comes to alerting her about low blood sugar. In fact, if Waffles were a real service dog… well. He wouldn’t be. He has an accident, he doesn’t come when called or listen to commands, he runs off whenever he feels like it, and he doesn’t even reliably alert. He wouldn’t have passed the certification process to become a SD.
Having Waffles in the story, written the way he was, adds to the idea that service dogs are just pets that can do some extra tricks. Which is not true at all. Service dogs are medical equipment (and pets, of course). They are necessary to the lives of their handlers, and they are well trained, highly specialized, and unobtrusive when they are on the job. Not any dog can be a service dog, and many people and establishments are already unhappy to allow service dogs in because they think they’ll have an accident, or run off, or get in the way—which are all behaviors that Waffles exhibits—but a real service dog wouldn’t do any of those things, and the idea that they’re “just regular pets that people get certified so they can take them places” is an incredibly harmful (not to mention ableist) mindset that Waffle’s portrayal only adds to.
Now, Waffles could have been a regular pet who had been taught to alert at home. He could have played the exact roles he did without using the title “service dog” and simply specified that he wasn’t a real service dog, and there wouldn’t have been an issue. It’s just quite harmful to call Waffles a service dog, when, in reality, he would never have been able to become a service dog, and therefore giving the idea of service dogs a bad name.
All in all,
chronic illness rep? Incredible. Perfection. Spectacular.
The plot, story, romance, etc? Amazing. Enticing. Must read.
Waffles as a service dog? No. Just no.
Regardless, I really hope you read and love this book, just please keep in mind that Waffles is NOT good service dog rep.
Age Rating: 14+
Overall: 4.5 stars
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Disability Rep: 5/5
A special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Chronic illness & disability rep! And #ownvoices at that! I was so excited to read this book—and it did not disappoint!
I’ve been reading (and watching) a handful of podcast-based mysteries/thrillers lately, and I’m loving this new trope. I could never listen to a true crime podcast (I like my mysteries and thrillers fully fictional) but reading about made up ones is quickly becoming a favorite. Our main character, Dare, is a disabled, queer, blue-haired badass who is starting her own ghost hunting podcast after breaking up with her boyfriend and podcast partner. The scene of this adventure? The Arrington estate, a supposedly haunted mansion in the middle of nowhere that was the site of the suspicious drowning of Atheleen Bell a few decades back. Now, Dare might be a ghost hunter… but she doesn’t actually believe in ghosts. But something happened to Atheleen on this estate, and Dare is determined to figure out what.
The idea of a ghost hunter who doesn’t believe in ghosts was really interesting to me, especially in the way that Marsh writes it. Dare hunts ghosts, not because she believes in them, not to trick others into believing them for clout, and not even solely to disprove them. She hunts ghosts because she wants to find one, even if she doesn’t actually believe she will. Marsh masterfully expresses the way that chronic illness can force you to face your own mortality at a young age, and the ways that can change you. That added undercurrent to the story, and to Dare’s motivations, sets The Girls Are Never Gone apart from other paranormal mysteries and ghost hunting book. Especially for me, a disabled teen.
The mystery itself was great. It was definitely more on the thriller side of mystery, but in a way that was good for YA and not too scary for me (a certified wimp). More than a sense of whodunnit, the plot was driven by suspense and strange happenings, although, there was of course a mystery to be solved. There was no list of suspects or red yarn maps. I wasn’t focused on trying to figure out the perpetrator, I was simply along for the ride. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, but if you’re looking for a traditional whodunnit mystery, you won’t find that here. There was some twists at the end that required some suspension of disbelief and kind of felt a little out of place to me, compared to the themes and tone of the plot prior, and that’s the main reason I didn’t rate the book 5 stars. However, it wasn’t a severely whip-lashy, just a little bit “meh”.
The only other “complaint” was Waffles (and I put that in quotes because I’m not sure how I feel and also, I’m not a service dog owner/handler). Now, I loved Waffles as a character and, like, a dog. But as service dog representation I felt like he perpetuated some pretty damn harmful stereotypes. Waffles was bad at his job. It’s acknowledged in the text, like, immediately. Dare brought him because he’s her dog, but basically admits that he isn’t actually all that helpful when it comes to alerting her about low blood sugar. In fact, if Waffles were a real service dog… well. He wouldn’t be. He has an accident, he doesn’t come when called or listen to commands, he runs off whenever he feels like it, and he doesn’t even reliably alert. He wouldn’t have passed the certification process to become a SD.
Having Waffles in the story, written the way he was, adds to the idea that service dogs are just pets that can do some extra tricks. Which is not true at all. Service dogs are medical equipment (and pets, of course). They are necessary to the lives of their handlers, and they are well trained, highly specialized, and unobtrusive when they are on the job. Not any dog can be a service dog, and many people and establishments are already unhappy to allow service dogs in because they think they’ll have an accident, or run off, or get in the way—which are all behaviors that Waffles exhibits—but a real service dog wouldn’t do any of those things, and the idea that they’re “just regular pets that people get certified so they can take them places” is an incredibly harmful (not to mention ableist) mindset that Waffle’s portrayal only adds to.
Now, Waffles could have been a regular pet who had been taught to alert at home. He could have played the exact roles he did without using the title “service dog” and simply specified that he wasn’t a real service dog, and there wouldn’t have been an issue. It’s just quite harmful to call Waffles a service dog, when, in reality, he would never have been able to become a service dog, and therefore giving the idea of service dogs a bad name.
All in all,
chronic illness rep? Incredible. Perfection. Spectacular.
The plot, story, romance, etc? Amazing. Enticing. Must read.
Waffles as a service dog? No. Just no.
Regardless, I really hope you read and love this book, just please keep in mind that Waffles is NOT good service dog rep.
Holy crap that was so good. How can I possibly wait WHOLE YEAR FOR MORE???
It was fine. Cliché. Forgettable. But not bad. The fact that it was written by a 13 year old is really impressive.
Either 4 or 4.5. I enjoyed it a lot, but I did prefer Raybearer a good bit more.
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Quick Stats
Age Rating: 13+
Overall:
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
A special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
It was… fine. I enjoyed the characters and the story. I just couldn’t get invested. I liked Jonah and Max, and I thought they made a cute couple, but a lot of the plot simply felt like things happening to them, and like they had no agency, and then the few times they actually seemed to have a say in the plot, they made the dumbest decisions. I actually cared more about Olivia and Imani than I did Jonah and Max at points.
Many of the characters and plots just felt like they needed fleshing out. Kate, and everything that happened with her, just felt like one huge cliche. She was just a walking stereotype and her existence didn’t play any important role. The book would have been exactly the same without her. Many f Max’s problems with her mom needed more fleshing out as well. They just happened, and Max got upset, and then the story moved on and she just got over it without really dealing.
The pacing, too, dragged at places. It took me quite a while to get through the book because I just didn’t care. If I hadn’t gotten an ARC, I likely would have DNFed the book.
There was nothing inherently bad about the book, per se, I was just bored and didn’t care. I could have set the book down halfway through and never wondered how it ended. It was forgettable.
Age Rating: 13+
Overall:
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
A special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
It was… fine. I enjoyed the characters and the story. I just couldn’t get invested. I liked Jonah and Max, and I thought they made a cute couple, but a lot of the plot simply felt like things happening to them, and like they had no agency, and then the few times they actually seemed to have a say in the plot, they made the dumbest decisions. I actually cared more about Olivia and Imani than I did Jonah and Max at points.
Many of the characters and plots just felt like they needed fleshing out. Kate, and everything that happened with her, just felt like one huge cliche. She was just a walking stereotype and her existence didn’t play any important role. The book would have been exactly the same without her. Many f Max’s problems with her mom needed more fleshing out as well. They just happened, and Max got upset, and then the story moved on and she just got over it without really dealing.
The pacing, too, dragged at places. It took me quite a while to get through the book because I just didn’t care. If I hadn’t gotten an ARC, I likely would have DNFed the book.
There was nothing inherently bad about the book, per se, I was just bored and didn’t care. I could have set the book down halfway through and never wondered how it ended. It was forgettable.
Quick Stats:
Overall: 1.5 ish stars
Characters: 1/5
Plot: 1/5
Setting: 2.5/5
Writing: 1/5
This was a huge disappointment. Wow.
Marketed as a feminist historical thriller in the vein of Stalking Jack the Ripper, it quickly became one of my most anticipated releases. SJtR is one of my favorite series of all time! And while this book did have a similar premise (girl who does autopsies while trying to solve a crime in the 1800s), it did not live up to its comp title.
There was no character development or growth—not even with Molly Greene, the main character. No one had any personality. Molly was simply a vessel with a goal shoved into her and nothing else and the side characters were NPCs that slooooooooooooowly helped her towards (or in some cases hindered) her progress towards that goal. This book was PAINFUL to get through, and I definitely would have DNFed if not for the fact that it was an ARC and I didn’t want to lower my NetGalley percentage.
Now, I mentioned that Molly had no characterization outside of her goal—finding Kitty’s killer—so you’d think that, at least, would be something that the novel cohesively builds towards, right? Wrong. Molly gets distracted by being a doctor. Molly gets distracted by being a brat to everyone who cares. The plot points happen, but none of them move the story any closer to the resolution. If you took the first two chapters and the last 2-3 chapters and just pasted them together, the story would stay the same, because even though there’s like 2-300 pages in between, nothing of substance happens.
Instead of the plot actually going anywhere, the author relied on shock factors every couple chapters that didn’t always even fit in with the story. Grisly murders and body horror, a brothel, and Molly became a sex worker for an hour??? Nothing fit cohesively. Nothing happened. And half the things that occurred barely made sense in the context of the story.
And then we get to the end. We finally find out who the serial killer is. It’s not the red herring that literally didn’t fool anyone (shocker). And I’ll be honest. The conclusion wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. It was only like 75% what I thought it would be. But I wasn’t shocked, and even after reading the entire book, I really couldn’t have cared less. I was just happy it was over.
So, moral of the story? It isn’t worth it. Maybe you’ll like it. Everyone has different taste. But in my opinion, you’re better off just rereading Stalking Jack the Ripper.
Overall: 1.5 ish stars
Characters: 1/5
Plot: 1/5
Setting: 2.5/5
Writing: 1/5
This was a huge disappointment. Wow.
Marketed as a feminist historical thriller in the vein of Stalking Jack the Ripper, it quickly became one of my most anticipated releases. SJtR is one of my favorite series of all time! And while this book did have a similar premise (girl who does autopsies while trying to solve a crime in the 1800s), it did not live up to its comp title.
There was no character development or growth—not even with Molly Greene, the main character. No one had any personality. Molly was simply a vessel with a goal shoved into her and nothing else and the side characters were NPCs that slooooooooooooowly helped her towards (or in some cases hindered) her progress towards that goal. This book was PAINFUL to get through, and I definitely would have DNFed if not for the fact that it was an ARC and I didn’t want to lower my NetGalley percentage.
Now, I mentioned that Molly had no characterization outside of her goal—finding Kitty’s killer—so you’d think that, at least, would be something that the novel cohesively builds towards, right? Wrong. Molly gets distracted by being a doctor. Molly gets distracted by being a brat to everyone who cares. The plot points happen, but none of them move the story any closer to the resolution. If you took the first two chapters and the last 2-3 chapters and just pasted them together, the story would stay the same, because even though there’s like 2-300 pages in between, nothing of substance happens.
Instead of the plot actually going anywhere, the author relied on shock factors every couple chapters that didn’t always even fit in with the story. Grisly murders and body horror, a brothel, and Molly became a sex worker for an hour??? Nothing fit cohesively. Nothing happened. And half the things that occurred barely made sense in the context of the story.
And then we get to the end. We finally find out who the serial killer is. It’s not the red herring that literally didn’t fool anyone (shocker). And I’ll be honest. The conclusion wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. It was only like 75% what I thought it would be. But I wasn’t shocked, and even after reading the entire book, I really couldn’t have cared less. I was just happy it was over.
So, moral of the story? It isn’t worth it. Maybe you’ll like it. Everyone has different taste. But in my opinion, you’re better off just rereading Stalking Jack the Ripper.