I love this series so much. I really hope that there will be more. The characters are so cute and there is such great exploration into the world and human nature. I love the gentle inclusivity and how well current cultural topics are woven into the plot for evaluation. Such a great content of moral lessons and such an inspirational story. Beautiful writing and just the absolute best construction. Incredibly cozy and heartwarming.

A good premise and an excellent twist, but this just didn't work for me. The plot was interesting, but repetitive and quite slow moving. A good psychological exploration that had a lot of potential. There just wasn't enough movement in the plot to keep me hooked, thus making it feel like the story went on for too long. There is a lot of rambling movement and there are frequent flashbacks that made things feel a little overly disjointed. This makes sense given the sense of confusion that the protagonist experiences, but joined with the slow pace it just made things a bit of a slog. Good concept, just not the execution I was looking for.

A slightly different approach than We Were Liars, this prequel gives us a glimpse into the lives of the earlier generation from that book. Rather than the intense and suspenseful premise of it's predecessor, this novel is a good introspective study into the lives of this wealthy family and their skewed value system. I found the story quite intriguing and enjoyed the character work, though I will admit that it doesn't pack the same punch. This family is a disaster and I am totally here for it. The characters are all flawed and unlikable, which is a testament to Lockhart's writing as creating a story readers like while simultaneously utilizing solely despicable characters can be quite a feat to accomplish. The vibe to this read is at haunting and sad, but also just made me shake my head at the entitlement and the ridiculous expectations of these people. Caroline is quite the interesting mess of a girl/woman.

3.5 stars. Not the worst read, but definitely not my favorite from Melissa Albert. A dual perspective, dual timeline witchy read whose construction worked against it for me. I loved the basis for the story and the historical timeline was what really caught my attention, but there just wasn't enough of it. The more modern storyline felt a little too underwhelming and I guess I just expected something different. The pacing can be a little slow, so that may also have caused me some issues as I like my reads to have a bit more of a clip unless they're a more literary style read. Definitely dark and I agree with the comparisions to The Craft as the female witchiness was really a great focus and well done. The writing was solid and the atmosphere came through really well, I was just underwhelmed.

The first installment in this series was a gripping read that blew me out of the water, but I will admit that Fevered Star did seem to suffer a bit from second book syndrome. The story is still interesting, the world is just a gorgeously described as before, and the characters are richly created, but the plot doesn't move very much. Be prepared for a bit of a deep-diving expedition into the inner workings of the characters. Roanhorse is great at creating a world and there is so much that is unique about this series. The world-building is incredibly complex and the political tension is deftly woven. I'm hoping for a bit more of a moving and shaking conclusion to the trilogy, but Fevered Star did draw me back into this fabulous world and reminded me how much I want from this series.

A super fun and cozy historical mystery read with great banter and a fiesty, fun female protagonist. A little bit of Sherlock Holmes flavor and Agatha Christie charm mixed with botany. Set in the 1920s London, this novel is wonderfully atmospheric. The plot starts off quite strong and has some wonderful description, plus a lot of plant-based knowledge. It does have a bit of a slow pace in the middle, but it's worth pushing through. A fun read, plus a gorgeous cover.

Funny, tongue-in-cheek, middle grade read that is short and sweet. The middle grade voice really comes through and I can definitely see why this has been a popular series. Greg is a great character and definitely has the naivety of a middle schooler, so it was fun to read his (mis)adventures. As an adult, it's easy to see where he goes wrong and how he isn't always the best at making smart decisions. I do question how much of this is observed by middle grade readers, but have to assume they are savvy enough to catch most of Kinney's witty writing. A great middle grade entry level read and a series I will be continuing as well as recommend.

3.5 stars. A cute follow-up sequel, but a bit more predictable than the initial installment. The characters are fun and whimsical and there is a more exploration into the world of Enchantasia, but the development is not as meticulous as in Flunked. The friend group is fun and the teacher characters are interesting, I just wish there would have been a bit of a faster pace, higher stakes, and a more complex story line. Even as a middle grade read, this does tend to come off a bit young in the intricacy of the plot. Still, I had a good time reading and I will continue the series.