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desiree930
The cover for this book is stunning. When I learned it took place in 1920's New York City, I was pretty much sold. And there were things I enjoyed about this book. However, there were other aspects I didn't think worked as well.
What I liked:
1. The setting. Again, 1920's New York. It was such an interesting time in our country's history, and it could've been so rich and layered and wonderful.
2. The premise. I liked the idea of seeing this opulent-yet-mysterious world through the eyes of a simple servant. I was hoping for a Downton Abbey-esque story.
3. It was very readable. I read this book very quickly. It's just barely over 300 pages and it took me almost no time to complete.
What I didn't like:
1. Execution. All of the things I said I liked were things that could've made this book amazing -- if the execution hadn't been lacking. The synopsis promises an intriguing mystery, but I never really found myself intrigued. Everything happened in a fairly predictable manner. It wasn't bad. But there was never a moment where I felt any shock or surprise. And some of the character arcs and reveals were more than a little silly.
2. Martha. The most unbelievable thing about this book was that Martha, a young housemaid with only a very basic education, would be able to crack this mystery with just a few clues. I found it very difficult to connect to Martha as a main character. She would go into these long inner monologues about life and society in 1928/29 and it felt like a lot of info-dumping. I also felt like it was completely unrealistic that she would've been able to stay in her job after all of the shenanigans she pulled. A couple of them were covered up by her mother, but others were very public and it was difficult to believe that she wouldn't have been fired in the real world. Also, apparently she is only supposed to be 12 years old. I had no idea that was the case. She did not read that young at all.
3. Lack of focus. In the author's note at the end of the book, she talks about all of the real-life stories she found about this time period that inspired her. She said that she just took all the best bits and mashed them all together into one story. And honestly, that's kind of what it felt like. This story felt like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. There were so many different elements all thrown together that the story ended up lacking cohesion for me.
4. The ending. It was so abrupt and rushed. It almost felt like a place holder that was written until the real ending could be crafted.
5. I didn't realize that this book was middle grade until I began to read other reviews. It does not read like a middle grade book to me. There are subplots involving insider trading, prohibition, and inappropriate relationships that didn't seem like something a 9-13 year old kid would like reading about.
I think the most disappointing thing about this book is that it could've been really good. The same basic premise executed differently could've been a wonderful book.
But that cover is still fantastic.
What I liked:
1. The setting. Again, 1920's New York. It was such an interesting time in our country's history, and it could've been so rich and layered and wonderful.
2. The premise. I liked the idea of seeing this opulent-yet-mysterious world through the eyes of a simple servant. I was hoping for a Downton Abbey-esque story.
3. It was very readable. I read this book very quickly. It's just barely over 300 pages and it took me almost no time to complete.
What I didn't like:
1. Execution. All of the things I said I liked were things that could've made this book amazing -- if the execution hadn't been lacking. The synopsis promises an intriguing mystery, but I never really found myself intrigued. Everything happened in a fairly predictable manner. It wasn't bad. But there was never a moment where I felt any shock or surprise. And some of the character arcs and reveals were more than a little silly.
2. Martha. The most unbelievable thing about this book was that Martha, a young housemaid with only a very basic education, would be able to crack this mystery with just a few clues. I found it very difficult to connect to Martha as a main character. She would go into these long inner monologues about life and society in 1928/29 and it felt like a lot of info-dumping. I also felt like it was completely unrealistic that she would've been able to stay in her job after all of the shenanigans she pulled. A couple of them were covered up by her mother, but others were very public and it was difficult to believe that she wouldn't have been fired in the real world. Also, apparently she is only supposed to be 12 years old. I had no idea that was the case. She did not read that young at all.
3. Lack of focus. In the author's note at the end of the book, she talks about all of the real-life stories she found about this time period that inspired her. She said that she just took all the best bits and mashed them all together into one story. And honestly, that's kind of what it felt like. This story felt like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. There were so many different elements all thrown together that the story ended up lacking cohesion for me.
4. The ending. It was so abrupt and rushed. It almost felt like a place holder that was written until the real ending could be crafted.
5. I didn't realize that this book was middle grade until I began to read other reviews. It does not read like a middle grade book to me. There are subplots involving insider trading, prohibition, and inappropriate relationships that didn't seem like something a 9-13 year old kid would like reading about.
I think the most disappointing thing about this book is that it could've been really good. The same basic premise executed differently could've been a wonderful book.
But that cover is still fantastic.
2.75 stars
Well, I'm done.
While I liked this book more than the second, I feel like the plot in this installment got so convoluted that I found myself confused.
What I liked:
1. (Almost) no love triangle. I didn't mind the love triangle in book one because I felt like both potential couples were intriguing. The second book was almost insufferable with the amount of whiny, mopey melodrama, much of which was related to the love triangle. In this book, it's almost non-existent. Theo isn't in as much of this book as he was the previous two, and when he is, he isn't acting like a lovesick teenager. There is still a lot of relationship angst between Paul and Marguerite, but it's more about their own issues with themselves.
2. New universes. This has been my favorite aspect of this entire series. I can't imagine trying to come up with all of these different universes and make them recognizable but also unique. I think it was definitely the strongest part of the series. That being said, it wasn't perfect, which I will get to in a moment.
What I didn't like:
1. Info-dumping recap. This has been one of my biggest pet peeves with the second and third book.
There is always a huge info-dump of information at the beginning of this book, recapping the previous two books. It shouldn't be necessary if people have read the previous books. I'm not saying that there is never an occasion for a little recap, but this is done very poorly. It's just one big expositional dump of information that everyone should already know if they're picking up the third book.
I almost feel like I could've picked up the third book and read it as a standalone because of all of the information we are given about the first and second books. And it's not just in that first few pages. It's throughout the book. If there was something that wasn't recapped at the beginning of the book that is mentioned, Marguerite will launch into a paragraph or more describing the context of the comment. I wish authors would trust that they created stories memorable enough that they don't need to recap the previous books to such an extent.
2. Repetition. I feel as if the second and third books could've been one book if it wasn't for the repetitive nature of these books. How many times do I have to read about Marguerite coming to the realization that people aren't the same in every universe? Seriously, it must've happened at least 50 times in the last two books. The most frustrating part is that then she would forget that epiphany and say idiotic things like, "If Wicked (her silly name for the villain version of herself) is a bad person, then a piece of her must live in me." This happens over and over again with all of the characters, as she meets evil versions of all of them. Or good versions of the mostly-villainous characters like Romola and Conley. It got to the point that I would just roll my eyes when we got to one of those scenes. This is only one example of the repetitive nature of this book. Marguerite's inner monologue is so repetitive, I could almost write word for word exactly what she would say when talking about any specific version of herself. That should not be the case.
3. Marguerite. I still didn't like Marguerite. She is too impulsive and selfish. She tries to pretend that she is concerned about the multiverse and saving the different versions of herself, but at the end of the day, she spends far too much of her brain power on her love life. It's so aggravating. She's in a universe that is about to collapse. She is about to become non-existent. Is she trying to think of a way out? No. Is she reflecting on the fact that if her parents had never invented the Firebird that this wouldn't be happening. Nope. In fact, that NEVER is brought up. No, instead, she's lamenting the fact that Paul isn't there with her so she could be with him at the end. She even says something along the lines of, "I know this is not the time to be thinking about this, but I miss Paul. I wish he was here with me." That kind of stuff happens throughout the books. She is not focused on the important things.
4. Plot Hole. There is a 'rule' that two jumpers cannot inhabit the same body at the same time. So when Wicked (I really hate that nickname. Why couldn't they refer to her as 'Meg'?) jumps into a universe and tries to destroy it or put that world's Marguerite in danger, the main character Marguerite has to wait until Wicked leaves to jump and try to right the ship. When she tries to jump, it doesn't work. That is supposed to be one of the 'rules'.
At one point in the book, Marguerite is in a world where her father and sister died in an accident and her mother has fallen into deep depression. She tries to jump out several times, but isn't able to. Finally, she jumps, and finds herself in a world where her parents perfected the cloning process instead of developing inter-dimensional travel. There are six genetically identical versions of her. Wicked is still there, in one of the other clones. The explanation is given that since all of the clones have the same DNA, that is how Marguerite and Wicked ended up in the same place at the same time. But if that is true, why wasn't Marguerite able to jump before? It is established that Wicked had been there for hours, and if Marguerite is able to track her, she wouldn't be able to go to a different universe in between without Marguerite knowing about it. It just doesn't make sense. It seemed like a glaring mistake to me.
5. Confusing Plot/Changing Rules. As this series goes on, the plot becomes more and more convoluted. As much as I enjoyed the different universes, when they start to refer back to them it does start to get a little confusing, especially when all of the MCs are Marguerite, and all her love interests are Paul. Also, it felt like every time they were faced with a crisis, we would randomly learn something new about the world or the science of the Firebirds that would swoop in to save the day at the last possible moment.
6. Audiobook narrator. For the most part, this voice actor did a good job. However, there was one scene that I just couldn't take issue with. Another 'rule' we are told from the first book is that when you jump into another version of yourself, you will take on that version's language/accent. So throughout this series we've heard decent British, mediocre Italian, and annoying Russian accents as Marguerite jumps through the dimensions.
However, apparently that rule was forgotten by the person directing the audiobook and the voice actor because in the scene where all of the different Marguerite's from different dimensions jump into the clone universe so they can all pow-wow, they keep their respective accents. If we are following the rules set up by this series, they should all have American accents, like the Marguerite's they're inhabiting. I understand that this would be difficult to listen to if they all sounded the same, but Wicked and Marguerite sound different in tone and in the things they say, and that should also be true for the other Marguerites. They use different phrases, different inflections...or at least they should. I understand that this isn't necessarily a fault with the actual book, but it was something that hindered my enjoyment of that scene, which I actually think is one of the best scenes in the book.
7. Paul's 'death'. Did anyone actually think Paul was going to stay dead? It wasn't going to happen. So that entire part of the book only annoyed me as she grieved someone who was obviously going to be fine.
8. I wish there had been more of a discussion on the ethics of inter-dimensional travel throughout this series. It is touched on a little with Marguerite's guilt about what she did in the body of the Grand Duchess version of herself, but it doesn't stop her from other questionable decisions as she goes through the multiverse. That is, unless the plot dictates that it should. Occasionally she will talk about how she's not going to take away the choices of the Marguerite she's inhabiting at the time. But isn't taking over someone's body a violation in and of itself? Also, her parents never seem to feel guilty about inventing the technology in the first place. In fact, at the end of the series, after all these terrible things have occurred because of their scientific discoveries, they are still working on different applications for the Firebird and even talking about time travel. Seriously?! Did they not do enough damage to the universe?!
I had high hopes that this series would bounce back with the finale, and while there were scenes I really enjoyed, I was left pretty underwhelmed by this series. It took such an interesting concept and over the course of three books it boiled down to a super-special main character and her lackluster romance.
Well, I'm done.
While I liked this book more than the second, I feel like the plot in this installment got so convoluted that I found myself confused.
What I liked:
1. (Almost) no love triangle. I didn't mind the love triangle in book one because I felt like both potential couples were intriguing. The second book was almost insufferable with the amount of whiny, mopey melodrama, much of which was related to the love triangle. In this book, it's almost non-existent. Theo isn't in as much of this book as he was the previous two, and when he is, he isn't acting like a lovesick teenager. There is still a lot of relationship angst between Paul and Marguerite, but it's more about their own issues with themselves.
2. New universes. This has been my favorite aspect of this entire series. I can't imagine trying to come up with all of these different universes and make them recognizable but also unique. I think it was definitely the strongest part of the series. That being said, it wasn't perfect, which I will get to in a moment.
What I didn't like:
1. Info-dumping recap. This has been one of my biggest pet peeves with the second and third book.
There is always a huge info-dump of information at the beginning of this book, recapping the previous two books. It shouldn't be necessary if people have read the previous books. I'm not saying that there is never an occasion for a little recap, but this is done very poorly. It's just one big expositional dump of information that everyone should already know if they're picking up the third book.
I almost feel like I could've picked up the third book and read it as a standalone because of all of the information we are given about the first and second books. And it's not just in that first few pages. It's throughout the book. If there was something that wasn't recapped at the beginning of the book that is mentioned, Marguerite will launch into a paragraph or more describing the context of the comment. I wish authors would trust that they created stories memorable enough that they don't need to recap the previous books to such an extent.
2. Repetition. I feel as if the second and third books could've been one book if it wasn't for the repetitive nature of these books. How many times do I have to read about Marguerite coming to the realization that people aren't the same in every universe? Seriously, it must've happened at least 50 times in the last two books. The most frustrating part is that then she would forget that epiphany and say idiotic things like, "If Wicked (her silly name for the villain version of herself) is a bad person, then a piece of her must live in me." This happens over and over again with all of the characters, as she meets evil versions of all of them. Or good versions of the mostly-villainous characters like Romola and Conley. It got to the point that I would just roll my eyes when we got to one of those scenes. This is only one example of the repetitive nature of this book. Marguerite's inner monologue is so repetitive, I could almost write word for word exactly what she would say when talking about any specific version of herself. That should not be the case.
3. Marguerite. I still didn't like Marguerite. She is too impulsive and selfish. She tries to pretend that she is concerned about the multiverse and saving the different versions of herself, but at the end of the day, she spends far too much of her brain power on her love life. It's so aggravating. She's in a universe that is about to collapse. She is about to become non-existent. Is she trying to think of a way out? No. Is she reflecting on the fact that if her parents had never invented the Firebird that this wouldn't be happening. Nope. In fact, that NEVER is brought up. No, instead, she's lamenting the fact that Paul isn't there with her so she could be with him at the end. She even says something along the lines of, "I know this is not the time to be thinking about this, but I miss Paul. I wish he was here with me." That kind of stuff happens throughout the books. She is not focused on the important things.
4. Plot Hole. There is a 'rule' that two jumpers cannot inhabit the same body at the same time. So when Wicked (I really hate that nickname. Why couldn't they refer to her as 'Meg'?) jumps into a universe and tries to destroy it or put that world's Marguerite in danger, the main character Marguerite has to wait until Wicked leaves to jump and try to right the ship. When she tries to jump, it doesn't work. That is supposed to be one of the 'rules'.
At one point in the book, Marguerite is in a world where her father and sister died in an accident and her mother has fallen into deep depression. She tries to jump out several times, but isn't able to. Finally, she jumps, and finds herself in a world where her parents perfected the cloning process instead of developing inter-dimensional travel. There are six genetically identical versions of her. Wicked is still there, in one of the other clones. The explanation is given that since all of the clones have the same DNA, that is how Marguerite and Wicked ended up in the same place at the same time. But if that is true, why wasn't Marguerite able to jump before? It is established that Wicked had been there for hours, and if Marguerite is able to track her, she wouldn't be able to go to a different universe in between without Marguerite knowing about it. It just doesn't make sense. It seemed like a glaring mistake to me.
5. Confusing Plot/Changing Rules. As this series goes on, the plot becomes more and more convoluted. As much as I enjoyed the different universes, when they start to refer back to them it does start to get a little confusing, especially when all of the MCs are Marguerite, and all her love interests are Paul. Also, it felt like every time they were faced with a crisis, we would randomly learn something new about the world or the science of the Firebirds that would swoop in to save the day at the last possible moment.
6. Audiobook narrator. For the most part, this voice actor did a good job. However, there was one scene that I just couldn't take issue with. Another 'rule' we are told from the first book is that when you jump into another version of yourself, you will take on that version's language/accent. So throughout this series we've heard decent British, mediocre Italian, and annoying Russian accents as Marguerite jumps through the dimensions.
However, apparently that rule was forgotten by the person directing the audiobook and the voice actor because in the scene where all of the different Marguerite's from different dimensions jump into the clone universe so they can all pow-wow, they keep their respective accents. If we are following the rules set up by this series, they should all have American accents, like the Marguerite's they're inhabiting. I understand that this would be difficult to listen to if they all sounded the same, but Wicked and Marguerite sound different in tone and in the things they say, and that should also be true for the other Marguerites. They use different phrases, different inflections...or at least they should. I understand that this isn't necessarily a fault with the actual book, but it was something that hindered my enjoyment of that scene, which I actually think is one of the best scenes in the book.
7. Paul's 'death'. Did anyone actually think Paul was going to stay dead? It wasn't going to happen. So that entire part of the book only annoyed me as she grieved someone who was obviously going to be fine.
8. I wish there had been more of a discussion on the ethics of inter-dimensional travel throughout this series. It is touched on a little with Marguerite's guilt about what she did in the body of the Grand Duchess version of herself, but it doesn't stop her from other questionable decisions as she goes through the multiverse. That is, unless the plot dictates that it should. Occasionally she will talk about how she's not going to take away the choices of the Marguerite she's inhabiting at the time. But isn't taking over someone's body a violation in and of itself? Also, her parents never seem to feel guilty about inventing the technology in the first place. In fact, at the end of the series, after all these terrible things have occurred because of their scientific discoveries, they are still working on different applications for the Firebird and even talking about time travel. Seriously?! Did they not do enough damage to the universe?!
I had high hopes that this series would bounce back with the finale, and while there were scenes I really enjoyed, I was left pretty underwhelmed by this series. It took such an interesting concept and over the course of three books it boiled down to a super-special main character and her lackluster romance.
After doing a little research, I realized this was this author's debut novel. I do not know if it was traditionally-published or self-published. I'm not sure if that would impact my rating at all, but I did feel like that fact made me appreciate the book a little more. Where I had zero interest in continuing the series, knowing this was a debut made me curious to see how her writing improves.
What I liked:
1. The concept. I am a sucker for a couple of things. One of those is stories about people returning to their hometowns. The other is reuniting first loves. Both of those tropes are present in this book. Add to that the fact that the town Meg comes from is kind of kooky, and sign me up, because another trope I love is the quirky-small-town trope.
2. Josh. He goes to a town where everyone hates him to try to reconnect with the woman he (inexplicably) loves and be a father to a daughter he hasn't met. He takes in a boy who is going through a rough time living on a ranch in a sort of group home for orphaned boys. He lets everyone treat him like garbage and isn't scared off by threats. I really like him.
What I didn't like:
1. The writing. It's not good. First of all, it's incredibly cheesy. As I kept reading this story, I kept thinking it was something I could see being a Lifetime movie (not Hallmark, because of all the pre-marital sex and baby out of wedlock.) because of the cheesy and simple dialogue. There is no depth to the dialogue, the characters, or the descriptions. It is all very surface level, and there were some very cringy moments. I didn't think the sex scenes were terrible, but they weren't anything out of this world either. The villainous characters (there aren't any real villains, just awful people) are extremely one-note and their motivations for their behavior towards Meg just doesn't feel like it matches their vitriol.
2. Slut shaming. There is a lot of that in this book. Several of the female characters are described s sluts and hos and many of the women (even Meg's friend) are described as being flirty as if it's a bad thing. Meg also focuses quite a bit on looks. The two women she has the most issues with are her stepmother and ex-best friend. Both of them have had plastic surgery, which is another thing Meg looks down on. There's just a lot of girl-on-girl hate in this book used to prop up the main character.
3. Meg. I don't get her appeal. I honestly don't see what Josh ever saw in her in the first place. We're told he was in love with her, but I don't get why. She's not a bad person. But her personality is just so lackluster. I just don't get it.
4. The town/townspeople. I was so excited when it looked like this was going to be a quirky town kind of story. Unfortunately, it was mostly just a bunch of jerks throwing their last name around and bullying a guy they don't know anything about because one of their family members (who they also treat poorly for a good chunk of the book) says he's a bad guy. It got real old, real quick. I really disliked her father. He was so one-note and mean just because.
5. Technical issues. It didn't feel like enough research was done into the FBI and their protocols for different situations. None of that seemed accurate at all.
6. The climax/ending. Everything was so rushed at the end, from the revelation of Josh's secret to them ultimately getting back together. I also felt like the whole FBI investigation wasn't handled well. The person who was guilty wasn't given enough of a backstory or motive for me to care that she was guilty or why.
Ultimately, I didn't think the writing did this story any favors, even while I was intrigued by the concept, so I may check out the second book in the series. The subsequent books have higher average ratings, but they also have less ratings altogether, so i'm interested to see what I think.
What I liked:
1. The concept. I am a sucker for a couple of things. One of those is stories about people returning to their hometowns. The other is reuniting first loves. Both of those tropes are present in this book. Add to that the fact that the town Meg comes from is kind of kooky, and sign me up, because another trope I love is the quirky-small-town trope.
2. Josh. He goes to a town where everyone hates him to try to reconnect with the woman he (inexplicably) loves and be a father to a daughter he hasn't met. He takes in a boy who is going through a rough time living on a ranch in a sort of group home for orphaned boys. He lets everyone treat him like garbage and isn't scared off by threats. I really like him.
What I didn't like:
1. The writing. It's not good. First of all, it's incredibly cheesy. As I kept reading this story, I kept thinking it was something I could see being a Lifetime movie (not Hallmark, because of all the pre-marital sex and baby out of wedlock.) because of the cheesy and simple dialogue. There is no depth to the dialogue, the characters, or the descriptions. It is all very surface level, and there were some very cringy moments. I didn't think the sex scenes were terrible, but they weren't anything out of this world either. The villainous characters (there aren't any real villains, just awful people) are extremely one-note and their motivations for their behavior towards Meg just doesn't feel like it matches their vitriol.
2. Slut shaming. There is a lot of that in this book. Several of the female characters are described s sluts and hos and many of the women (even Meg's friend) are described as being flirty as if it's a bad thing. Meg also focuses quite a bit on looks. The two women she has the most issues with are her stepmother and ex-best friend. Both of them have had plastic surgery, which is another thing Meg looks down on. There's just a lot of girl-on-girl hate in this book used to prop up the main character.
3. Meg. I don't get her appeal. I honestly don't see what Josh ever saw in her in the first place. We're told he was in love with her, but I don't get why. She's not a bad person. But her personality is just so lackluster. I just don't get it.
4. The town/townspeople. I was so excited when it looked like this was going to be a quirky town kind of story. Unfortunately, it was mostly just a bunch of jerks throwing their last name around and bullying a guy they don't know anything about because one of their family members (who they also treat poorly for a good chunk of the book) says he's a bad guy. It got real old, real quick. I really disliked her father. He was so one-note and mean just because.
5. Technical issues. It didn't feel like enough research was done into the FBI and their protocols for different situations. None of that seemed accurate at all.
6. The climax/ending. Everything was so rushed at the end, from the revelation of Josh's secret to them ultimately getting back together. I also felt like the whole FBI investigation wasn't handled well. The person who was guilty wasn't given enough of a backstory or motive for me to care that she was guilty or why.
Ultimately, I didn't think the writing did this story any favors, even while I was intrigued by the concept, so I may check out the second book in the series. The subsequent books have higher average ratings, but they also have less ratings altogether, so i'm interested to see what I think.
This was better than the first book in the series. That being said, the writing is still clunky and awkward. The characters are caricatures, the plot is unrealistic. A man kills his unborn child and nearly kills his wife and is placed in a low-security mental hospital? He’s a ‘genius hacker’ but has access to computers?
I liked the romance in this book more than book one, but I had some problems with Ryan. He did things that felt very contradictory to me. He gets angry at Tara’s father doing a background check on him when he did the same thing to Tara. The fact that he’s a cop doesn’t mean that he can just go snooping at a person’s background without some sort of reasonable suspicion that they have skeletons in their closet.
I also didn’t like some of his antiquated views on women and sex. Tara calls him out on his misogyny, and he says, “I just don’t like to date that kind of girl.” As if a woman in an intimate relationship with another consenting adult is somehow the worst thing a woman could do.
Then there was the continuation of a trend from Book one where all of the girls the author wants us to dislike are slutty with big fake boobs. She really has an issue with breast augmentation.
The end was, like the first book, rushed and left a bunch of threads hanging.
I liked the romance in this book more than book one, but I had some problems with Ryan. He did things that felt very contradictory to me. He gets angry at Tara’s father doing a background check on him when he did the same thing to Tara. The fact that he’s a cop doesn’t mean that he can just go snooping at a person’s background without some sort of reasonable suspicion that they have skeletons in their closet.
I also didn’t like some of his antiquated views on women and sex. Tara calls him out on his misogyny, and he says, “I just don’t like to date that kind of girl.” As if a woman in an intimate relationship with another consenting adult is somehow the worst thing a woman could do.
Then there was the continuation of a trend from Book one where all of the girls the author wants us to dislike are slutty with big fake boobs. She really has an issue with breast augmentation.
The end was, like the first book, rushed and left a bunch of threads hanging.
I am really glad that I decided to finish reading this book. When I first began reading, I was definitely 'on the fence' (see what I did there? I'll see myself out) about this book. I just didn't like the main character, Charlie (Charlotte). After reading about 80 pages I put the book down and didn't pick it up for two weeks.
Ultimately, I did end up enjoying this story and the romance. It still has some issues, but overall it was a nice piece of contemporary fluff, and Charlie's character grew and learned from her mistakes.
I liked the side characters in this book, although I wished that her brothers and friends had been a little more distinctive. Each of the brothers kind of blended together for me.
The romance was very sweet. Nothing groundbreaking or super unique, but cute nonetheless.
I do wish that there'd been a little more development in this story, both in character and plot. It felt a little surface-level to me. There are a couple of potentially deep and impactful moments in this story that are pretty much glossed over and I wish I'd gotten a little more out of this book.
Overall, this is a pretty quick read and the last third is pretty cute.
I listened to this book on audio, and I think if I pick up any Kasie West books in the future that's how I will consume them. The last three books she's published (Love, Life, and the List, Lucky in Love, and By Your Side) have been really underwhelming for me. I honestly haven't really enjoyed a book by her since I read Pivot Point a year or so ago.
So when I say that this is probably my third favorite book by this author, it's honestly not that high of a bar.
What I liked:
1. The podcast. I actually think it's a fun premise with the podcast being an advice show. I wish she would've gone into more detail about the inner workings of how a podcast is created and produced, but I still thought it was a unique idea. It would've been a fun class to take in high school, even though there was no such thing when I was actually in high school.
2. Victoria. I liked that she was so passionate about the podcast and that the author didn't go the easy route and make her an unlikable nemesis for Kate. Yes, she could be pushy and overbearing, but there was still a vulnerability to her that made her quite endearing. I also liked that she was a plus-size character who had confidence and wasn't defined by her size. Again, I wish we'd gotten more of her. I wish that she and Kate could've developed more of a friendship.
What I didn't like:
The following could probably be said for all Kasie West's books -- definitely her more recent books:
1. Bland romance. These books are supposed to be YA contemporary ROMANCES. At the end of the day, it's about the connection between the main character and the love interest. Diego seemed like a nice enough guy, but wow. He was about as interesting as oatmeal. I didn't feel any romantic chemistry between them at all. If anything, they felt more like friends to me. Also, there was zero tension in their story. True, he was someone her best friend supposedly liked, but it was obvious from the first moment that it wasn't going to happen. Kate and Diego were friendly and flirty all the way through the book and had no real obstacles. Again, I don't really count Alana as an obstacle, because it was obvious where her affections would ultimately lie and that everything would end perfectly with everyone happy tied up in a bow.
2. Kate is like so many other Kasie West protagonists. I feel like you could pretty much swap out the personalities of her heroines into any of her stories and it wouldn't make a difference in the way the story unfolded. Kate does seem to be a bit more snarky, but that doesn't make her more interesting.
3. Lack of depth. This is in reference to not only the characters, but also the writing and plot. It's all very surface-level. The main characters inner conflict is that she wants to spend all her time on the water and her parents want her to cultivate other interests. THOSE MONSTERS!! So she decides to do the podcast so that when she ultimately chooses the water they'll know she tried something else. It's just...not compelling at all. I don't mind fluff, but it can still be impactful, and this isn't.
Again, I actually enjoyed listening to this. It's her least annoying book in awhile. But I wanted more.
So when I say that this is probably my third favorite book by this author, it's honestly not that high of a bar.
What I liked:
1. The podcast. I actually think it's a fun premise with the podcast being an advice show. I wish she would've gone into more detail about the inner workings of how a podcast is created and produced, but I still thought it was a unique idea. It would've been a fun class to take in high school, even though there was no such thing when I was actually in high school.
2. Victoria. I liked that she was so passionate about the podcast and that the author didn't go the easy route and make her an unlikable nemesis for Kate. Yes, she could be pushy and overbearing, but there was still a vulnerability to her that made her quite endearing. I also liked that she was a plus-size character who had confidence and wasn't defined by her size. Again, I wish we'd gotten more of her. I wish that she and Kate could've developed more of a friendship.
What I didn't like:
The following could probably be said for all Kasie West's books -- definitely her more recent books:
1. Bland romance. These books are supposed to be YA contemporary ROMANCES. At the end of the day, it's about the connection between the main character and the love interest. Diego seemed like a nice enough guy, but wow. He was about as interesting as oatmeal. I didn't feel any romantic chemistry between them at all. If anything, they felt more like friends to me. Also, there was zero tension in their story. True, he was someone her best friend supposedly liked, but it was obvious from the first moment that it wasn't going to happen. Kate and Diego were friendly and flirty all the way through the book and had no real obstacles. Again, I don't really count Alana as an obstacle, because it was obvious where her affections would ultimately lie and that everything would end perfectly with everyone happy tied up in a bow.
2. Kate is like so many other Kasie West protagonists. I feel like you could pretty much swap out the personalities of her heroines into any of her stories and it wouldn't make a difference in the way the story unfolded. Kate does seem to be a bit more snarky, but that doesn't make her more interesting.
3. Lack of depth. This is in reference to not only the characters, but also the writing and plot. It's all very surface-level. The main characters inner conflict is that she wants to spend all her time on the water and her parents want her to cultivate other interests. THOSE MONSTERS!! So she decides to do the podcast so that when she ultimately chooses the water they'll know she tried something else. It's just...not compelling at all. I don't mind fluff, but it can still be impactful, and this isn't.
Again, I actually enjoyed listening to this. It's her least annoying book in awhile. But I wanted more.
3.5 stars
I was so ready to rate this book two stars at the half-way point. Actually, there were several moments in the first half of the book where I was so bored I considered DNFing this book. When I looked at other reviews I saw that many people had similar issues and that the second half was much better, so I continued with it. For the most part, I'm glad I did.
What I liked:
1. The concept. Anastasia in space? Yes please! I have always been intrigued by the story of Anastasia, and the animated movie has been one of my favorites for years. When I heard what this book was about, I was sold right away.
2. Di. This is specifically the Di in the second half of the book. First of all, did anyone actually think that Di was going to remain 'dead'? Me neither. When he was uploaded into the body and experiencing emotions I felt so much more connected to his character.
3. Diversity. This book has a m/m and a f/f romance. Several of the characters are also POC. I like that their didn't seem to be any prejudice toward those characters for their identities.
4. The ending was fantastic and I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
What I didn't like:
1. The first half of the book was so slow for me. I had a very difficult time connecting to the characters, especially Ana and Di. Their romance didn't make sense to me, although it definitely grew on me as the story went on. It just felt like so little happened and the pacing really suffered. Once they got to the reveal of who Ana was, everything picked up and I found myself interested in what was going to happen. The first half felt like it could've been cut down a little.
2. Insta-love. As cute as Jax and Robb were, there was zero foundation to their relationship. They immediately were obsessing about each other and thinking about being intimate with one another. I would've liked a slower burn with the two of them, or at least a less-intensive start to their relationship.
I'm so happy this book ended up being enjoyable, because the edition I have is gorgeous and I would've hated to un-haul it!
I was so ready to rate this book two stars at the half-way point. Actually, there were several moments in the first half of the book where I was so bored I considered DNFing this book. When I looked at other reviews I saw that many people had similar issues and that the second half was much better, so I continued with it. For the most part, I'm glad I did.
What I liked:
1. The concept. Anastasia in space? Yes please! I have always been intrigued by the story of Anastasia, and the animated movie has been one of my favorites for years. When I heard what this book was about, I was sold right away.
2. Di.
3. Diversity. This book has a m/m and a f/f romance. Several of the characters are also POC. I like that their didn't seem to be any prejudice toward those characters for their identities.
4. The ending was fantastic and I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
What I didn't like:
1. The first half of the book was so slow for me. I had a very difficult time connecting to the characters, especially Ana and Di. Their romance didn't make sense to me, although it definitely grew on me as the story went on. It just felt like so little happened and the pacing really suffered. Once they got to the reveal of who Ana was, everything picked up and I found myself interested in what was going to happen. The first half felt like it could've been cut down a little.
2. Insta-love. As cute as Jax and Robb were, there was zero foundation to their relationship. They immediately were obsessing about each other and thinking about being intimate with one another. I would've liked a slower burn with the two of them, or at least a less-intensive start to their relationship.
I'm so happy this book ended up being enjoyable, because the edition I have is gorgeous and I would've hated to un-haul it!
This book was such a surprise for me. I had heard some mixed things about it, so I went into it a little hesitant. Fortunately, I ended up really enjoying it!
This is by no means a perfect book. There are some elements that were and still are a little confusing to me. There are some characters that are referenced but not seen. There are some relationships that took me a minute to figure out. And there are a lot of characters to keep track of. Also, some of the world-building is a little shaky. It was interesting, but I wanted more.
However, the characters in this book are great. I think that is the one thing I really appreciated about this story. It would've been easy for Blake to make one or more of the sisters unsympathetic for the reader. But each of these women are interesting and flawed. We root for each of them at different points in the story. I do have my favorite, but I genuinely like each of the queens.
To be honest, the first 2/3 (or so) of the book was good, not spectacular. I figured I would give this book a soft 3 star rating. But I flew through the last 150 pages. And it ended with such a punch that I just cannot wait for the second book and I had to bump my rating up another star. It was that good.
I believe this is supposed to be a duology, which I love. I wish more authors would choose to write duologies as opposed to trilogies. So many trilogies suffer from 'second-book slump and I would rather have two strong books as opposed to three okay books.
Anyway, I really ended up loving this book.
This is by no means a perfect book. There are some elements that were and still are a little confusing to me. There are some characters that are referenced but not seen. There are some relationships that took me a minute to figure out. And there are a lot of characters to keep track of. Also, some of the world-building is a little shaky. It was interesting, but I wanted more.
However, the characters in this book are great. I think that is the one thing I really appreciated about this story. It would've been easy for Blake to make one or more of the sisters unsympathetic for the reader. But each of these women are interesting and flawed. We root for each of them at different points in the story. I do have my favorite, but I genuinely like each of the queens.
To be honest, the first 2/3 (or so) of the book was good, not spectacular. I figured I would give this book a soft 3 star rating. But I flew through the last 150 pages. And it ended with such a punch that I just cannot wait for the second book and I had to bump my rating up another star. It was that good.
I believe this is supposed to be a duology, which I love. I wish more authors would choose to write duologies as opposed to trilogies. So many trilogies suffer from 'second-book slump and I would rather have two strong books as opposed to three okay books.
Anyway, I really ended up loving this book.
I waited quite a long time to read this book. I actually considered quitting the series altogether. I enjoyed Three Dark Crowns (it also got 4 stars from me) but I didn't remember a lot of the details and knew I would have to re-read it to get to this one and I wasn't sure if I wanted to do that.
This series is so interesting to me, as far as fan reaction goes. Readers seem very divided. Some absolutely love it, some can't stand it. I feel like the people who don't like it prefer their fantasy series with more external plot. And I get it. The first book is very slow to start while we are introduced to character after character and the world is being established. It's not an up-tempo series by any means.
However, I feel like there is something very unique about this world and this story that keeps me intrigued.
What I liked:
1. Political intrigue. This is really where this story shines. Each Queen's camp is trying to gain the advantage against the other two and has no problem double crossing allies when it suits their purposes. I found that for me that helped to build up tension because I was never quite sure what any of the characters was going to do.
2. Billy. I just love the fact that he loves Arsinoe, even though she's never been 'the pretty one' and that her scars dont faze him in the slightest. I was afraid at first that they were going to go in a different way with his character, but for now I'm completely satisfied with his arc.
3. Jules and her arc. I don't want to spoil anything, but I really enjoy her arc in this book and I'm excited to see what they do with her character in the next book. I like that she is just as powerful as any of the three queens, if not more so.
What I didn't like:
1. Lack of explanation. This is specifically aimed at Katharine and what was going on with her. At the end of book one (spoilers, I guess, for people who haven't read book one...what are you doing here?) she is thrown down this endless pit and shows up a few days later no worse for wear but with a completely different personality. I felt like it took way too long in the book to acknowledge what happened to her, and honestly, I'm not sure it was even explained in a satisfactory manner. I get the gist of what happened, I guess, but unless I missed something (which is possible if my mind wandered I guess) it's never clarified in a way that I could explain it to someone else and discuss it.
2. The ending. I was waiting for a big twist or crazy thing to happen at the end, and I felt a little let down. I mean, there were a couple things I didn't predict, but I wanted something to shock me, and instead each thing that happened felt kind of like I should've expected it. The good news is that it doesn't really end on a cliffhanger, for those people who hate cliffhangers. It's not wrapped up neatly, but we aren't left completely destroyed for months until the next book comes out.
I really enjoy this series and I'm so glad I decided to re-read the first book and pick up this installment. I would recommend this series to anyone who doesn't mind a slower-paced, character-driven story.
This series is so interesting to me, as far as fan reaction goes. Readers seem very divided. Some absolutely love it, some can't stand it. I feel like the people who don't like it prefer their fantasy series with more external plot. And I get it. The first book is very slow to start while we are introduced to character after character and the world is being established. It's not an up-tempo series by any means.
However, I feel like there is something very unique about this world and this story that keeps me intrigued.
What I liked:
1. Political intrigue. This is really where this story shines. Each Queen's camp is trying to gain the advantage against the other two and has no problem double crossing allies when it suits their purposes. I found that for me that helped to build up tension because I was never quite sure what any of the characters was going to do.
2. Billy. I just love the fact that he loves Arsinoe, even though she's never been 'the pretty one' and that her scars dont faze him in the slightest. I was afraid at first that they were going to go in a different way with his character, but for now I'm completely satisfied with his arc.
3. Jules and her arc. I don't want to spoil anything, but I really enjoy her arc in this book and I'm excited to see what they do with her character in the next book. I like that she is just as powerful as any of the three queens, if not more so.
What I didn't like:
1. Lack of explanation. This is specifically aimed at Katharine and what was going on with her. At the end of book one (spoilers, I guess, for people who haven't read book one...what are you doing here?) she is thrown down this endless pit and shows up a few days later no worse for wear but with a completely different personality. I felt like it took way too long in the book to acknowledge what happened to her, and honestly, I'm not sure it was even explained in a satisfactory manner. I get the gist of what happened, I guess, but unless I missed something (which is possible if my mind wandered I guess) it's never clarified in a way that I could explain it to someone else and discuss it.
2. The ending. I was waiting for a big twist or crazy thing to happen at the end, and I felt a little let down. I mean, there were a couple things I didn't predict, but I wanted something to shock me, and instead each thing that happened felt kind of like I should've expected it. The good news is that it doesn't really end on a cliffhanger, for those people who hate cliffhangers. It's not wrapped up neatly, but we aren't left completely destroyed for months until the next book comes out.
I really enjoy this series and I'm so glad I decided to re-read the first book and pick up this installment. I would recommend this series to anyone who doesn't mind a slower-paced, character-driven story.
You know when you read a book you love and you don't understand how anyone could hate it? That is not the case with this book. I totally understand that this isn't going to appeal to everyone. Whether it's the writing, the story, the abrupt shift in tone, I get that it won't be everyone's cup of tea.
I put off reading this book for quite awhile because I kept hearing really mixed things. People seemed to either really love it, or really not like it.
I loved it.
What I liked:
1. It's weird. I don't feel like I read a lot of books that are strange or weird. This one definitely qualifies for me. It's quirky, but in a macabre, bluntly graphic way. If you are going into this book expecting a light, fun world full of mischievous but ultimately good characters, think again. The Hazel Wood is full of stories so dark it makes the Brother's Grimm look lighthearted. I personally went into this book with zero expectations, so I think I was able to accept this world pretty easily.
2. The writing. I found the writing descriptive without being over-the-top, which I definitely appreciate. Knowing that this is a debut novel, I'm even more impressed, as her prose is evocative and intriguing. The first half of the book actually built up a lot of tension. I wanted to know what the heck was going on. Where was Ella? Was the Hazel Wood real? Was Finch a good guy?
3. The Hazel Wood. It's a 'fairy tale' world with no happy endings. The stories are dark and twisted, as are the characters within them.
4. The ending. I liked that everything wasn't tied up in a little bow. Things that I thought were going to happen didn't, and I was happy for that. We see a little into Alice's frame of mind as far as what she's going through coming home after being gone for two years. It reminded me of stories I've heard from veterans who come home after serving. The world has gone on around them while a big part of their life has been on hold. It changes you irrevocably.
5. The 'story' chapters. There are a few chapters that read as fairy tales from Alice's grandmother's book, and I loved them. They are dark and twisted and creepy. I feel like my enjoyment of them was even greater because I listened to this on audiobook and the voice actor did a wonderful job. I would read an actual fairy tale book written by Melissa Albert (kind of like Language of Thorns or Tales from the Peculiar).
What I didn't like:
1. The reveals weren't shocking for me. I didn't necessarily guess them all, but as the story unfolded I thought to myself, "Yeah, that makes sense." There was a lot of tension and mystery built up in the first half of the book that I felt fizzled a bit once we got into the Hazel Wood with Alice.
2. Pacing. I attribute this to the fact that this is a debut novel. The second half of the book feels very rushed to me. The first half has a lot of action, but I never felt rushed. In the second half, there is a lot of time covered in a very short length of book. There is a part where someone is talking to Alice and tells her all about the wonders of the Hazel Wood and how it isn't all bad. But we never really get to experience that. We see Alice's story and that's about it. I guess I just wish the parts in the Hazel Wood were a little more developed, because it's such an interesting world.
Other odds and ends:
1. I still don't quite get the difference between the Hinterlands and the Hazel Wood. Is the Hinterlands a place? A person or group of people? Is there an actual boundary to this area? I don't know that it is adequately explained.
2. Many people seemed to dislike the abrupt shift in writing tone and style in the first half and second half of the book, but I think it actually works really well. In the first half, we are getting all of Alice's thoughts, and she is someone whose emotions are right on the surface, so there is a sense of danger and tension throughout that part of the book. Then, we get into the Hazel Wood, and things become stranger and stranger and Alice becomes more and more detached until we are reading her story from a distance instead of being in her head. I actually thought it was really well done on the author's part. But again, I totally understand that not everyone is going to enjoy it.
I am so happy I didn't just go by the Goodreads average ratings and chose to pick this up anyway because I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience with this book and can't wait for the author's next book.
I put off reading this book for quite awhile because I kept hearing really mixed things. People seemed to either really love it, or really not like it.
I loved it.
What I liked:
1. It's weird. I don't feel like I read a lot of books that are strange or weird. This one definitely qualifies for me. It's quirky, but in a macabre, bluntly graphic way. If you are going into this book expecting a light, fun world full of mischievous but ultimately good characters, think again. The Hazel Wood is full of stories so dark it makes the Brother's Grimm look lighthearted. I personally went into this book with zero expectations, so I think I was able to accept this world pretty easily.
2. The writing. I found the writing descriptive without being over-the-top, which I definitely appreciate. Knowing that this is a debut novel, I'm even more impressed, as her prose is evocative and intriguing. The first half of the book actually built up a lot of tension. I wanted to know what the heck was going on. Where was Ella? Was the Hazel Wood real? Was Finch a good guy?
3. The Hazel Wood. It's a 'fairy tale' world with no happy endings. The stories are dark and twisted, as are the characters within them.
4. The ending. I liked that everything wasn't tied up in a little bow. Things that I thought were going to happen didn't, and I was happy for that. We see a little into Alice's frame of mind as far as what she's going through coming home after
5. The 'story' chapters. There are a few chapters that read as fairy tales from Alice's grandmother's book, and I loved them. They are dark and twisted and creepy. I feel like my enjoyment of them was even greater because I listened to this on audiobook and the voice actor did a wonderful job. I would read an actual fairy tale book written by Melissa Albert (kind of like Language of Thorns or Tales from the Peculiar).
What I didn't like:
1. The reveals weren't shocking for me. I didn't necessarily guess them all, but as the story unfolded I thought to myself, "Yeah, that makes sense." There was a lot of tension and mystery built up in the first half of the book that I felt fizzled a bit once we got into the Hazel Wood with Alice.
2. Pacing. I attribute this to the fact that this is a debut novel. The second half of the book feels very rushed to me. The first half has a lot of action, but I never felt rushed. In the second half, there is a lot of time covered in a very short length of book. There is a part where someone is talking to Alice and tells her all about the wonders of the Hazel Wood and how it isn't all bad. But we never really get to experience that. We see Alice's story and that's about it. I guess I just wish the parts in the Hazel Wood were a little more developed, because it's such an interesting world.
Other odds and ends:
1. I still don't quite get the difference between the Hinterlands and the Hazel Wood. Is the Hinterlands a place? A person or group of people? Is there an actual boundary to this area? I don't know that it is adequately explained.
2. Many people seemed to dislike the abrupt shift in writing tone and style in the first half and second half of the book, but I think it actually works really well. In the first half, we are getting all of Alice's thoughts, and she is someone whose emotions are right on the surface, so there is a sense of danger and tension throughout that part of the book. Then, we get into the Hazel Wood, and things become stranger and stranger and Alice becomes more and more detached until we are reading her story from a distance instead of being in her head. I actually thought it was really well done on the author's part. But again, I totally understand that not everyone is going to enjoy it.
I am so happy I didn't just go by the Goodreads average ratings and chose to pick this up anyway because I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience with this book and can't wait for the author's next book.