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1.38k reviews by:
emilyisoverbooked
Thanks to Atria Books for the gifted ARC!
4,5 stars
"It's an incredible place - the city, The Cloisters. Just don't let it wear you down. Make it sharpen you instead."
The Cloisters is a prime dark academia book and perfect for a Fall read. Taking place in the gothic Met Cloisters in New York City, a group of curators uncovers an ancient tarot deck, hoping they can reveal a missing piece of the ancient history of divination. One of these curators is Ann, a summer intern who goes from curious to obsessed with the people and culture at The Cloisters. Sinister and unsettling, I couldn't put this book down. It's not so much twisty as just very compulsive; I found myself becoming increasingly obsessed with the tarot cards and curators just like Ann. I also loved the narrative on fate versus choice. I did wish there was more of an explanation for some of the tarot readings since I'm not very familiar with them, and wanted more of a certain character in the end -- there was definitely room for some expansion here. But - overall, very good and can't wait to see what Katy Hays comes out with next.
4,5 stars
"It's an incredible place - the city, The Cloisters. Just don't let it wear you down. Make it sharpen you instead."
The Cloisters is a prime dark academia book and perfect for a Fall read. Taking place in the gothic Met Cloisters in New York City, a group of curators uncovers an ancient tarot deck, hoping they can reveal a missing piece of the ancient history of divination. One of these curators is Ann, a summer intern who goes from curious to obsessed with the people and culture at The Cloisters. Sinister and unsettling, I couldn't put this book down. It's not so much twisty as just very compulsive; I found myself becoming increasingly obsessed with the tarot cards and curators just like Ann. I also loved the narrative on fate versus choice. I did wish there was more of an explanation for some of the tarot readings since I'm not very familiar with them, and wanted more of a certain character in the end -- there was definitely room for some expansion here. But - overall, very good and can't wait to see what Katy Hays comes out with next.
Thanks to Inkyard Press for the copy of this ARC!
Kylie Lee Baker can sure write a dark book! I'm here for it, and really enjoyed following Ren's journey in this book - which I did not so patiently await because of that book one cliffhanger. This was similarly dark with scary creatures, but this time, we had to just hope and wait to see if Neven would come back - or at least that's what I did because he's my favorite. I really enjoyed the action and twists toward the end, and was satisfied with how this duology ended.
Kylie Lee Baker can sure write a dark book! I'm here for it, and really enjoyed following Ren's journey in this book - which I did not so patiently await because of that book one cliffhanger. This was similarly dark with scary creatures, but this time, we had to just hope and wait to see if Neven would come back - or at least that's what I did because he's my favorite. I really enjoyed the action and twists toward the end, and was satisfied with how this duology ended.
Thanks to Avid Reader Press for the copy of this ARC.
We Are the Light is a timely epistolary novel centered around a mass shooting in a small town. The main character, Lucas, lost his wife in the shooting and believes that she is still present with him as a guardian angel. He's writing letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl (which is a bit confusing given Carl Jung's name), going over his life since the shooting. Lucas forms a bond with a high school senior named Eli, and together they plan a project to bring healing back into the town where many experienced direct loss due to the shooting. We Are the Light is a really unique narrative on loss, grief, loneliness, and in the end, hope. It shows us the power of being there for a person going through a hard time and how much that can really make a difference.
We Are the Light is a timely epistolary novel centered around a mass shooting in a small town. The main character, Lucas, lost his wife in the shooting and believes that she is still present with him as a guardian angel. He's writing letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl (which is a bit confusing given Carl Jung's name), going over his life since the shooting. Lucas forms a bond with a high school senior named Eli, and together they plan a project to bring healing back into the town where many experienced direct loss due to the shooting. We Are the Light is a really unique narrative on loss, grief, loneliness, and in the end, hope. It shows us the power of being there for a person going through a hard time and how much that can really make a difference.
Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the copy of this book and OrangeSky Audio for the ALC.
I've been very into both the celebrity romance and childhood friends-to-lovers trope this year, and was very excited to see both were in Built to Last, along with home renovation. A combination of so many amazing things, with songs at the start of each chapter creating a perfect playlist to listen to while reading. This was a cute and predictable read and ended up in the middle of the road for me, as it was fine but not something that will stick with me long-term.
I've been very into both the celebrity romance and childhood friends-to-lovers trope this year, and was very excited to see both were in Built to Last, along with home renovation. A combination of so many amazing things, with songs at the start of each chapter creating a perfect playlist to listen to while reading. This was a cute and predictable read and ended up in the middle of the road for me, as it was fine but not something that will stick with me long-term.
