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desiree930
This book was a super quick read, and was a follow up to another book I read recently, The Art of Pretending. The male protagonist was a side character in the first book, and gets his own story.
For the most part, I enjoyed this story. The romance was sweet and I liked both the main characters. I also liked that we saw them in the present day and also when they first met each other. One of my favorite tropes (when it's done well) is the 're-connecting first loves' trope. I like it because the characters already have a basis for their relationship. There is a foundation there. They know each other. I felt like this book did a nice job with a concept that isn't exactly unique.
I liked Justin and Peyton, especially Peyton. I liked that she didn't let her illness define her and that she was determined to live a normal life. I liked Justin's backstory, and wish we'd had a little more of that. I wanted a confrontation between him and his dad.
One thing I think could've been stronger were the side characters. Now, a few of them were from the first book, but there were several who were not. We got next to no description of them. One of her supposed best friends, Faith, has all of two scenes in the book, where we learn that she has a fashion vlog on YouTube. And...that's about it. Another friend, Mi-Mi, is mentioned a couple times, but has absolutely zero impact on the story and no personality to speak of. Perhaps they pop up in some of her other books, but here, they may as well be omitted from the book. Also, I felt like Aly spoke in a way that was out of character for her as far as what I recall of the first book. She was throwing around words like 'Y'all' and 'wicked' multiple times and it just sounded off to me. I wish we could've gotten more friendship scenes for both characters throughout this book.
Also, the whole reason for their separation and the way it happened was referred to throughout the book, but I felt like his reasoning behind it was shaky at best, and unrealistic at worst. I get that 15 year-old boys are not the brightest, but his twisted logic felt really forced to me.
The writing itself was fine, but I felt like these characters skewed far older than their actual age based on their dialogue. As I was reading the excerpts from when they were 15, I kept having to remind myself that they are kids, because it read like a couple in their early-to-mid twenties.
All in all, I thought this was a cute book with a cute romance, but I wish it had been a little deeper. It was too surface level for me.
For the most part, I enjoyed this story. The romance was sweet and I liked both the main characters. I also liked that we saw them in the present day and also when they first met each other. One of my favorite tropes (when it's done well) is the 're-connecting first loves' trope. I like it because the characters already have a basis for their relationship. There is a foundation there. They know each other. I felt like this book did a nice job with a concept that isn't exactly unique.
I liked Justin and Peyton, especially Peyton. I liked that she didn't let her illness define her and that she was determined to live a normal life. I liked Justin's backstory, and wish we'd had a little more of that. I wanted a confrontation between him and his dad.
One thing I think could've been stronger were the side characters. Now, a few of them were from the first book, but there were several who were not. We got next to no description of them. One of her supposed best friends, Faith, has all of two scenes in the book, where we learn that she has a fashion vlog on YouTube. And...that's about it. Another friend, Mi-Mi, is mentioned a couple times, but has absolutely zero impact on the story and no personality to speak of. Perhaps they pop up in some of her other books, but here, they may as well be omitted from the book. Also, I felt like Aly spoke in a way that was out of character for her as far as what I recall of the first book. She was throwing around words like 'Y'all' and 'wicked' multiple times and it just sounded off to me. I wish we could've gotten more friendship scenes for both characters throughout this book.
Also, the whole reason for their separation and the way it happened was referred to throughout the book, but I felt like his reasoning behind it was shaky at best, and unrealistic at worst. I get that 15 year-old boys are not the brightest, but his twisted logic felt really forced to me.
The writing itself was fine, but I felt like these characters skewed far older than their actual age based on their dialogue. As I was reading the excerpts from when they were 15, I kept having to remind myself that they are kids, because it read like a couple in their early-to-mid twenties.
All in all, I thought this was a cute book with a cute romance, but I wish it had been a little deeper. It was too surface level for me.
3.5 stars I waited awhile to pick up this book because the hype on it was so overwhelming, and I was nervous that I wouldn't like the book as much as everyone else did. And I guess, technically, I didn't, since most people gave this book 5 stars. But I did really appreciate this book and it's message, and think that it's a really important book to read.
Synopsis (In case you've been living under a rock):
Starr is a young black woman. She lives in a neighborhood that is predominantly African-American. She goes to a private school an hour away where she and her brother constitute about half of the black population in the school.
One night she is at a party when gunshots ring out. She flees the party with her friend, Khalil. They are stopped by a white officer who ends up shooting and killing Khalil in front of Starr. The rest of the book follows her journey in the months after this event.
What I liked:
1. Starr's voice was so strong. This story is told through her perspective in first person, so we really get a sense of who she is. I enjoyed her inner conflicts. She talks about how she feels like she has two different personas: one for home and one for school. As the story goes on, she is able to merge those into one individual, and she is stronger for it.
2. The family dynamic. Now, this family unit wasn't perfect. Starr's brother Seven was the result of a hookup her father had with a local gang leader's girlfriend. Also, her parents argued several times throughout this book about the best way to raise their kids, especially with thoughts to keeping them safe. I found myself really frustrated with her father, who was stubborn and seemingly unyielding for a good chunk of this book. That being said, I loved that it was obvious on every single page that her parents lived for her and her brothers and that they would die for them as well. Other characters didn't have that assurance, and knowing how realistic that actually is in our society is sad.
3. The unapologetic reality. This is not a light and fluffy YA contemporary. There are a few moments here and there that made me smile and laugh, but that is not what this book is about. This book shows the poverty, the despair, the institutionalized oppression. It can be quite uncomfortable to read at times, which just shows how successful it was. It's not supposed to make us feel good. It's supposed to make us stop, think, and act.
4. The message. This book is not cut and dry. The message is not: White people bad, black people good. No one race is this book is glorified, and no one race is vilified. It's simply stating that centuries of systematic oppression has led our society to this violent point and that it is unacceptable.
Things I didn't like:
1. Some of the slang used felt awkward. I think that in 15 years when someone picks up this book, some of the language used will seem dated. I just hope it doesn't take away from the important message this book in trying to convey.
2. Some of the conversations were awkwardly placed. In the middle of a violent riot, Starr and her friends start quizzing her white boyfriend about his likes and dislikes and teasing him when they think his answers are a result of him being a white boy. Now, I'm not going to get into whether or not this constituted 'reverse racism' (I hate that term, by the way. Racism is racism, no matter the recipient), but I do think it was a very strange halt in the action. Like I said, they are literally in the middle of a riot where people are looting about burning down buildings around them, and they're laughing and joking about macaroni and cheese. I feel like it lessened the impact of what was going on in the story. That conversation could've happened at a different time in the story.
3. I wish that Starr's friends (at school and home) were fleshed out a little more. This includes Chris, her boyfriend. I liked them together, and I liked that their relationship forced her father to address his own misconceptions.
I also thought that Hailey's character seemed a little extreme, but I disagree with people saying her reactions were exaggerated. I've seen and heard people who say things just as heinous and then say, "I'm not racist! I've got a black friend!"
All in all, this was a very powerful read. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. It is not an easy story, but it is important.
Black Lives Matter.
Synopsis (In case you've been living under a rock):
Starr is a young black woman. She lives in a neighborhood that is predominantly African-American. She goes to a private school an hour away where she and her brother constitute about half of the black population in the school.
One night she is at a party when gunshots ring out. She flees the party with her friend, Khalil. They are stopped by a white officer who ends up shooting and killing Khalil in front of Starr. The rest of the book follows her journey in the months after this event.
What I liked:
1. Starr's voice was so strong. This story is told through her perspective in first person, so we really get a sense of who she is. I enjoyed her inner conflicts. She talks about how she feels like she has two different personas: one for home and one for school. As the story goes on, she is able to merge those into one individual, and she is stronger for it.
2. The family dynamic. Now, this family unit wasn't perfect. Starr's brother Seven was the result of a hookup her father had with a local gang leader's girlfriend. Also, her parents argued several times throughout this book about the best way to raise their kids, especially with thoughts to keeping them safe. I found myself really frustrated with her father, who was stubborn and seemingly unyielding for a good chunk of this book. That being said, I loved that it was obvious on every single page that her parents lived for her and her brothers and that they would die for them as well. Other characters didn't have that assurance, and knowing how realistic that actually is in our society is sad.
3. The unapologetic reality. This is not a light and fluffy YA contemporary. There are a few moments here and there that made me smile and laugh, but that is not what this book is about. This book shows the poverty, the despair, the institutionalized oppression. It can be quite uncomfortable to read at times, which just shows how successful it was. It's not supposed to make us feel good. It's supposed to make us stop, think, and act.
4. The message. This book is not cut and dry. The message is not: White people bad, black people good. No one race is this book is glorified, and no one race is vilified. It's simply stating that centuries of systematic oppression has led our society to this violent point and that it is unacceptable.
Things I didn't like:
1. Some of the slang used felt awkward. I think that in 15 years when someone picks up this book, some of the language used will seem dated. I just hope it doesn't take away from the important message this book in trying to convey.
2. Some of the conversations were awkwardly placed. In the middle of a violent riot, Starr and her friends start quizzing her white boyfriend about his likes and dislikes and teasing him when they think his answers are a result of him being a white boy. Now, I'm not going to get into whether or not this constituted 'reverse racism' (I hate that term, by the way. Racism is racism, no matter the recipient), but I do think it was a very strange halt in the action. Like I said, they are literally in the middle of a riot where people are looting about burning down buildings around them, and they're laughing and joking about macaroni and cheese. I feel like it lessened the impact of what was going on in the story. That conversation could've happened at a different time in the story.
3. I wish that Starr's friends (at school and home) were fleshed out a little more. This includes Chris, her boyfriend. I liked them together, and I liked that their relationship forced her father to address his own misconceptions.
I also thought that Hailey's character seemed a little extreme, but I disagree with people saying her reactions were exaggerated. I've seen and heard people who say things just as heinous and then say, "I'm not racist! I've got a black friend!"
All in all, this was a very powerful read. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. It is not an easy story, but it is important.
Black Lives Matter.
***DISCLAIMER***
This book was published in 2009. Being that it's not a newer release, I am not super concerned with hiding spoilers. Read forward at your own risk if you are concerned with being spoiled.
For a good chunk of this book, I thought it would receive a good rating from me. But the ending was so anti-climactic and left far too many questions. Now, if the next books were direct sequels, perhaps I could understand leaving things open. But the sequels take place years later and follow different characters, so instead it was just sloppy storytelling.
What I liked:
1. The concept. Also, the title. When I began reading this book it was giving me flashes of the Razorland series by Ann Aguirre, which is a series I really enjoyed. And that title? Amazing.
2. The present-tense storytelling. I feel like it adds a sense of urgency to a narrative and, when done well, is effective because it raises the tension.
What I didn't like:
1. Mary. I'd read a couple of reviews mentioning that they thought Mary was selfish-bordering-on-psycho. I didn't get it at first. After all, she'd just lost her mother and her brother turned her out. I'd probably be feeling a little sorry for myself too. But as the book went on, I understood and began to agree. Mary is incredibly selfish. Not only selfish, but also unintelligent. She had this overwhelming yearning to go see the ocean, and it overrides any common sense she may possess. She literally gets people killed because she doesn't stop to think about her actions. She acts wholly on the impulse of her own selfish wishes. Now, I could understand if someone had told her that there was a village near the water that was unaffected by zombies...but that's actually the OPPOSITE of what she's told, and it still changes nothing. I had a hard time rooting for her. Then the scene where she puts on the woman's dress and starts obsessing about finding her...🙄🙄🙄
2. The 'romance'. This was painfully bad. Not only was there a love triangle with Mary and two brothers 🙄, but I never felt like we actually had any scenes that established a foundation for a relationship with either brother, but especially Travis. And really, when you know that one side of the triangle has no chance, why even have it in there? It was completely pointless. Even more inexplicable for me was what they possibly could've seen in Mary that they would both fall in love with her and risk damage to their relationship. I won't go so far to say that it was 'insta-love' because these characters had known each other and supposedly been close for years, but it still *felt* like insta-love between Mary and Travis. It just wasn't well-developed at all.
3. The loose ends.
Why was the sisterhood so secretive? I didn't feel like an adequate reason was ever given. Is it just supposed to be about them wanting to maintain power? That just doesn't quite track for me.
Why was Gabriella so much faster than the other unconsecrated? This is NEVER explained.
Additionally, why did she breakdown when none of the other unconsecrated seem to?
What the heck happened to Harry, Cass, and Jacob?
Why did Gabriella leave the message for Mary that led them to her overtaken village?
Why were the Roman numerals used on gates not sequential? They seemed to have no rhyme or reason to them which was never explained.
Why was Gabriella's village so superior to Mary's? Was there a time when they were trading partners? Did they have some falling out?
I'm sure there are more that I've forgotten, but as I listened to this on audiobook I wasn't able to make notes like I would normally. My point is, this book left so many loose ends that I doubt will be addressed in the companion novels, considering they follow different characters and take place more than 15 years later.
4. The end. What a mess.
Again, SPOILER WARNING for those looking to avoid them.
You have been warned!
I hated the end of this book. I didn't mind that Travis died. I felt no connection to him or their romance whatsoever, as there was zero development with his character or them as a couple. I also thought it made sense, given the situation in which they found themselves. And I don't even blame Mary necessarily, although it was her lack of ability to calm down and make a plan before jumping into action that got them trapped in the house in the village in the first place.
But then, after seeing what her impulsiveness cost her, she just jumps into obsession with going into the forest; all because she wants to see the ocean. And again, it's not that she thinks that seeing the ocean will be an end of the unconsecrated. She just wants to because her mom told her stories and she told Travis she would. So she goes out into the forest alone surrounded by zombies, and gets her brother killed (we assume, since it was NEVER resolved...) because of her selfishness. And then what happens? Do the unconsecrated get her too? Nope. She lives, waking at the exact right moment to avoid an axe chopping her head off because a guy thought she was a zombie. (Deus *axe* Maquina? I'll see myself out...) Turns out he lives in a lighthouse near a village and it's his job to kill the unconsecrated (he calls them 'mudos') as they wash ashore, especially after big storms. They have a short conversation and that's the end of the book. We learn next to nothing about this new place. It just feels very unfinished, but not like a cliffhanger. It's just...blah.
THAT'S THE END OF THE FLIPPIN' BOOK!!! Nothing is resolved. She actually says something about wondering if Jed and Travis would be proud of her for finding the ocean...I'm pretty sure they'd rather be...you know...ALIVE.
I felt like this book has so much potential. I wanted so much more of the world, and less of the manic obsessions of the unlikable Mary, who I never rooted for. I will NOT continue with the series, which feels strange, as I don't generally begin series that I'm not pretty sure I'm going to finish.
This book was published in 2009. Being that it's not a newer release, I am not super concerned with hiding spoilers. Read forward at your own risk if you are concerned with being spoiled.
For a good chunk of this book, I thought it would receive a good rating from me. But the ending was so anti-climactic and left far too many questions. Now, if the next books were direct sequels, perhaps I could understand leaving things open. But the sequels take place years later and follow different characters, so instead it was just sloppy storytelling.
What I liked:
1. The concept. Also, the title. When I began reading this book it was giving me flashes of the Razorland series by Ann Aguirre, which is a series I really enjoyed. And that title? Amazing.
2. The present-tense storytelling. I feel like it adds a sense of urgency to a narrative and, when done well, is effective because it raises the tension.
What I didn't like:
1. Mary. I'd read a couple of reviews mentioning that they thought Mary was selfish-bordering-on-psycho. I didn't get it at first. After all, she'd just lost her mother and her brother turned her out. I'd probably be feeling a little sorry for myself too. But as the book went on, I understood and began to agree. Mary is incredibly selfish. Not only selfish, but also unintelligent. She had this overwhelming yearning to go see the ocean, and it overrides any common sense she may possess. She literally gets people killed because she doesn't stop to think about her actions. She acts wholly on the impulse of her own selfish wishes. Now, I could understand if someone had told her that there was a village near the water that was unaffected by zombies...but that's actually the OPPOSITE of what she's told, and it still changes nothing. I had a hard time rooting for her. Then the scene where she puts on the woman's dress and starts obsessing about finding her...🙄🙄🙄
2. The 'romance'. This was painfully bad. Not only was there a love triangle with Mary and two brothers 🙄, but I never felt like we actually had any scenes that established a foundation for a relationship with either brother, but especially Travis. And really, when you know that one side of the triangle has no chance, why even have it in there? It was completely pointless. Even more inexplicable for me was what they possibly could've seen in Mary that they would both fall in love with her and risk damage to their relationship. I won't go so far to say that it was 'insta-love' because these characters had known each other and supposedly been close for years, but it still *felt* like insta-love between Mary and Travis. It just wasn't well-developed at all.
3. The loose ends.
Why was the sisterhood so secretive? I didn't feel like an adequate reason was ever given. Is it just supposed to be about them wanting to maintain power? That just doesn't quite track for me.
Why was Gabriella so much faster than the other unconsecrated? This is NEVER explained.
Additionally, why did she breakdown when none of the other unconsecrated seem to?
What the heck happened to Harry, Cass, and Jacob?
Why did Gabriella leave the message for Mary that led them to her overtaken village?
Why were the Roman numerals used on gates not sequential? They seemed to have no rhyme or reason to them which was never explained.
Why was Gabriella's village so superior to Mary's? Was there a time when they were trading partners? Did they have some falling out?
I'm sure there are more that I've forgotten, but as I listened to this on audiobook I wasn't able to make notes like I would normally. My point is, this book left so many loose ends that I doubt will be addressed in the companion novels, considering they follow different characters and take place more than 15 years later.
4. The end. What a mess.
Again, SPOILER WARNING for those looking to avoid them.
You have been warned!
I hated the end of this book. I didn't mind that Travis died. I felt no connection to him or their romance whatsoever, as there was zero development with his character or them as a couple. I also thought it made sense, given the situation in which they found themselves. And I don't even blame Mary necessarily, although it was her lack of ability to calm down and make a plan before jumping into action that got them trapped in the house in the village in the first place.
But then, after seeing what her impulsiveness cost her, she just jumps into obsession with going into the forest; all because she wants to see the ocean. And again, it's not that she thinks that seeing the ocean will be an end of the unconsecrated. She just wants to because her mom told her stories and she told Travis she would. So she goes out into the forest alone surrounded by zombies, and gets her brother killed (we assume, since it was NEVER resolved...) because of her selfishness. And then what happens? Do the unconsecrated get her too? Nope. She lives, waking at the exact right moment to avoid an axe chopping her head off because a guy thought she was a zombie. (Deus *axe* Maquina? I'll see myself out...) Turns out he lives in a lighthouse near a village and it's his job to kill the unconsecrated (he calls them 'mudos') as they wash ashore, especially after big storms. They have a short conversation and that's the end of the book. We learn next to nothing about this new place. It just feels very unfinished, but not like a cliffhanger. It's just...blah.
THAT'S THE END OF THE FLIPPIN' BOOK!!! Nothing is resolved. She actually says something about wondering if Jed and Travis would be proud of her for finding the ocean...I'm pretty sure they'd rather be...you know...ALIVE.
I felt like this book has so much potential. I wanted so much more of the world, and less of the manic obsessions of the unlikable Mary, who I never rooted for. I will NOT continue with the series, which feels strange, as I don't generally begin series that I'm not pretty sure I'm going to finish.
-Some minor SPOILERS ahead. I say minor because these things occur at the very beginning of the book.
Trigger Warnings:
Suicidal thoughts, self-harm, bullying.
I listened to this on audiobook. I had no idea what this book was about. I remember it being mentioned before on YouTube, but couldn't remember anything about it and didn't read a synopsis before turning it on.
I'm honestly not sure exactly what I feel about this book. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars.
What I liked:
1. The musical aspect of this book. Elise is a withdrawn, bullied girl who hides from the world and escapes into her headphones. At first, her complete dismissal of anything modern (like top-40) felt a little pretentious. At the same time, I loved the DJ stuff and Char's lessons teaching her how to create a set.
2. The message about bullying. I was never bullied to the extent that I didn't have friends (actually, I count myself lucky that I am still great friends with the friends I had in high school.) but there were definitely aspects of this that hit home for me. It felt personal, and it felt authentic. Oh, and kids can be huge assholes.
3. The secret night club, Start. I wanna go!
What I was iffy on:
1. Elise. Now, hear me out. I didn't *hate* Elise. And to be fair, this may have more to do with the audiobook than the actual text of the book. But, since I experienced this story through audio, I am critiquing it thusly. The story is told through Elise's perspective. And she is very candid in the way she imparts this story to the reader. When she makes the decision at the beginning of the book to commit suicide, it is said in a very flippant way. She says, "I decided to kill myself." in the same way someone might say, "I decided to make spaghetti for dinner." It's a little strange. Now, I understand that this is a girl who is depressed. She borders on obsessive in her quest to be accepted by her shitty peers. But we don't get any sense of that in the text or the narrator's tone. I could also understand if she just sounded resigned to her fate, like she'd just given up. But she doesn't, or at least, the narration doesn't.
Also, she wasn't exactly a likable character. As much as I sympathized with her, I felt angry with her as well, especially with what she did to her younger sister. Now, I get that she's doing it out of some misguided sense of wanting to protect her sister from the same bullying she'd endured, but in reality she became a bully in that moment.
Also, for someone who was so desperate for attention that she cut herself to get it, she spends the majority of the book judging everyone around her.
2. The relationship with Elise and Char. I didn't like him through the entire book, and I felt like her 'hooking up' (still not quite sure what that meant. Did they have sex? I couldn't tell if we were supposed to assume they did or didn't.) with him after him telling her that he slept with Pippa because "she's hot" shows how truly desperate she really was for any kind of positive attention. Now, even though I put this in the list of things I wasn't fond of, that doesn't actually mean it made the book worse for me. In reality it felt completely authentic. When a person has no self-esteem they will gravitate toward any shred of light they can find. And unfortunately, there are other people who like to take advantage of low self-esteem. They seek it out and exploit it, which is exactly what Char did. I kind of wish the author had kept them just friends, because I liked the scenes where he taught her how to DJ, but this was authentic.
3. I wish we'd gotten more of her recovery process. They went from suicidal to DJ in no time and I would've preferred if they'd focused more on her initial recovery.
4. Speaking of DJs, the idea that she would become an amazing, sought-after, genius of a DJ after a month or two was ridiculous. And how can someone so socially awkward 'read a room' like she claims? That part did not feel authentic to me at all.
All in all, I liked this book, but I wish that the tone in the audiobook had matched the intensity of the subject matter and wish the main character's development had been a little tighter.
2.5 stars, bumped up to three because I think it had potential.
So there were things about this book that I thought were quite intriguing. Ultimately, I didn't feel like it quite lived up to the potential it had as it was weighed down by cheesy tropes and iffy writing.
Things I liked:
1. The concept. I liked the dimension-jumping aspect of this and the idea that there are thousands of different dimensions that are similar but also very different from our own.
2. The magic system. I thought it was a unique idea that the food you ingest can be turned into magical energy. The author obviously put a lot of thought into how different food would affect the body and abilities and why. It kind of reminded me of the magic system in the Mistborn series, where they ingest metals to give them different heightened senses.
What I didn't like:
1. THE TROPES! Let's review:
A. "Mary-Sue, super special, not-like-other-girls trope." Lily starts out the book as this sickly, allergy-prone, whiny girl who has a crush on her best guy friend even though she's seen him act like a piece of shit toward other girls. Once she discovers her abilities in the other world, she turns into this amazing, goddess-like witch who is able to discuss tactical strategy with a bunch of experienced rebels. I did like that the book took place over several weeks, but even then, it seemed a little fast.
B. Love triangle (rectangle?) trope.
So Lily has a crush on Tristan in her world. Then she goes to the other dimension and meets another Tristan and a moody boy named Rowan...can you guess what happens? I don't mind love-triangles when they're well-written; when there is actually a chance that the MC could pick either love interest. But there was no mystery as to who she was going to pick.
C. Misunderstandings-that-could-be-solved-with-two-seconds-of-conversation-but-they-refuse-to-talk-to-each-other-because-reasons trope.
This is prevalent in this novel, and I freaking hate it. It's one of my biggest pet peeves.
D. Moustache-twirling villain. I get the sense that there is more to the Lillian story that we don't know...but again, this goes back to misunderstandings for the sake of misunderstandings and it's annoying and one-note.
2. The writing was super cheesy and overtly sexual, but not in a sexy way. I listened to this on audiobook, and I don't even know how many times Lily "grabbed Rowan's willstones." After the first couple of times, it just sounds completely sexual, but corny. It's described as being a very intimate thing to touch someone else stones, and there is a pleasure akin to arousal that accompanies fondling said stones. It's just...no.
3. The audiobook. The narrator on the audiobook had an annoying voice. It was nasally and not very pleasant to listen to. Also, she made virtually no attempt at different voices for the different characters. And her 'acting' was mediocre at best.
I don't know if I will continue with this story. I am curious to see where it goes from her, but don't know if I want to really commit to reading the rest of the series right now.
So there were things about this book that I thought were quite intriguing. Ultimately, I didn't feel like it quite lived up to the potential it had as it was weighed down by cheesy tropes and iffy writing.
Things I liked:
1. The concept. I liked the dimension-jumping aspect of this and the idea that there are thousands of different dimensions that are similar but also very different from our own.
2. The magic system. I thought it was a unique idea that the food you ingest can be turned into magical energy. The author obviously put a lot of thought into how different food would affect the body and abilities and why. It kind of reminded me of the magic system in the Mistborn series, where they ingest metals to give them different heightened senses.
What I didn't like:
1. THE TROPES! Let's review:
A. "Mary-Sue, super special, not-like-other-girls trope." Lily starts out the book as this sickly, allergy-prone, whiny girl who has a crush on her best guy friend even though she's seen him act like a piece of shit toward other girls. Once she discovers her abilities in the other world, she turns into this amazing, goddess-like witch who is able to discuss tactical strategy with a bunch of experienced rebels. I did like that the book took place over several weeks, but even then, it seemed a little fast.
B. Love triangle (rectangle?) trope.
So Lily has a crush on Tristan in her world. Then she goes to the other dimension and meets another Tristan and a moody boy named Rowan...can you guess what happens? I don't mind love-triangles when they're well-written; when there is actually a chance that the MC could pick either love interest. But there was no mystery as to who she was going to pick.
C. Misunderstandings-that-could-be-solved-with-two-seconds-of-conversation-but-they-refuse-to-talk-to-each-other-because-reasons trope.
This is prevalent in this novel, and I freaking hate it. It's one of my biggest pet peeves.
D. Moustache-twirling villain. I get the sense that there is more to the Lillian story that we don't know...but again, this goes back to misunderstandings for the sake of misunderstandings and it's annoying and one-note.
2. The writing was super cheesy and overtly sexual, but not in a sexy way. I listened to this on audiobook, and I don't even know how many times Lily "grabbed Rowan's willstones." After the first couple of times, it just sounds completely sexual, but corny. It's described as being a very intimate thing to touch someone else stones, and there is a pleasure akin to arousal that accompanies fondling said stones. It's just...no.
3. The audiobook. The narrator on the audiobook had an annoying voice. It was nasally and not very pleasant to listen to. Also, she made virtually no attempt at different voices for the different characters. And her 'acting' was mediocre at best.
I don't know if I will continue with this story. I am curious to see where it goes from her, but don't know if I want to really commit to reading the rest of the series right now.
