dlrosebyh's Reviews (773)

Friends and relatives encourage Anne Elliot to reject Captain Wentworth's marriage proposal due to his lack of riches and status. When Wentworth returns home from the Navy after more than seven years, Anne realizes she still has deep love for him, but Wentworth only appears to be interested in Anne's friend. 

 

This is my favorite novel by Jane Austen. In so many ways, Anne Elliot is relatable. This novel by Jane Austen stands out among her other works because it is more delicate and honest. Jane Austen truly projected herself through Anne, therefore the characters are much more familiar to me. Anne, like her, is snarky, bright, and energetic. It's a real bad Austen didn't get a man like Wentworth. 

The Avicen, an ancient race of humans with feathers for hair and magic coursing through their veins, live underneath the streets of New York City. Age-old enchantments keep them concealed from all except one human: Echo, a fugitive pickpocket who survives on the black market by selling stolen riches. 

 

Echo's only family is the Avicen, so when a centuries-old battle erupts on her doorstep, she decides it's time to take action. According to legend, in order to end the fight once and for all, Echo must locate the firebird, a mythological monster thought to wield power the world has never seen. It won't be simple, but if Echo's life as a thief has taught her anything, it's how to find what she wants and how to approach it. 

 

I suppose you could say that this book is mediocre at best? It felt like any normal young adult fantasy: snarky dialogue, found family, badass characters, and stunning descriptions. As previously said, this is a knockoff of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so I don't have much to say. This is undoubtedly more diversified than Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but that's about all. 

Liz Buxbaum, a perpetual daydreamer, devoted her heart to Michael a very long time ago. But her cold, distant eternal crush never really caught sight of her before he left. Now that he's back in town, Liz will go to any lengths to catch his attention, possibly secure him as a prom date, and even become friends with Wes Bennet.

It might seem that romantic comedy fantasies are the best place to start with the frustratingly handsome next-door neighbor, but Wes has been a pain in Liz's butt since they were little. Jokes involving frogs and severed lawn gnomes don't make for good boyfriend material. However, Michael and Wes seem to be getting along, thus Wes is Liz's guy.

But Liz is surprised to learn that she likes being around Wes as she and Wes plot to get Michael to notice Liz so she may have her wonderful prom moment. She must reevaluate all she believed she knew about love, as well as her own beliefs of what Happily Ever After should entail, as they continue to become closer.

I wasn't really enjoying the book throughout the first half of it. I was quite hesitant to start reading this book because, in most cases, the term "quirky" is used to denote a main character in a book in a bad light. But fortunately, in this work, eccentricity served as a character development tool.

I personally am not a big fan of love triangles. I find it annoying when someone alters their demeanor or appearance to win someone over. Both of those are such significant elements for this book, however, like I said, if handled well, I won't mind them. Were they completed properly? Yes, to some extent. Although the communication was excellent, which is the book's saving grace, I don't like how Liz led both Wes and Michael on.

The fact that it seems like an authentic romcom without being forced or overly cheesy is another saving grace. I mean, it is cheesy, there's no getting around it, but it knows when to stop. It's evident where this book goes into the romcom category now, I definitely wouldn't have picked it up if you had told me it was one. But romcoms with Taylor Swift? Count me in.