Emotionally I liked this a lot more in the moment but it doesn't stand up to any distance. I really think that we don't need the third act. I also think that if you are going to write a book like this now, you have to commit to the violence that comes with the set up and I think it cops out in the end. Collins tried to turn Snow into Snape (he's my least fave from that cancelled series) and it doesn't work. If you don't need a book about white supremacy and white wealth doing its thing, I would avoid this.

I’m not rating this book because it’s not for me but I don’t think it’s bad or mediocre or anything. It would be weird to give it a 4/5 and wild to give it a 2/3. I see the humour. I think she’s hilarious but I don’t really enjoy it for a long time. This is one of those books that I know I will recommend tons because it is sharp and brutal and hilarious but it’s also not one I think I will personally pick up again.

Emotionally right now: 5/5
Really: 3/5
Construction 2/5

This has lovely queer content but content note for depictions of homophobic and transphobic abuse (including hate language). Disappointingly, the book is just not brilliantly written. There’s So Much covered in short sections and then quite long stretches of nothing. I did laugh and smile. I thought the action scenes worked well. Just be warned that the writing is patchhhy.

A 3.5 for me but I rounded up. Sensual and evocative but sometimes the images felt a bit too familiar. Especially connected with the representations of marks on skin. Loved the last poem on found poetry.

I love this series. It’s absolute fluff and the classist rich vs. Urchin dimension is not my fave but I love Cassandra like I loved Pandora and I enjoyed that the third act peril was less ludicrous than in some of the others. It’s silly and light and fun. The jibes at Jane Austen and Jules Verne are also hilarious.

This book is clearly great. It’s brilliantly written. It just didn’t hold me. I drifted off and got distracted. Middle road stars because I had to slog to progress through it and I don’t slog through books very often.

Lays out the basics clearly but didn’t really inspire or galvanise me. Not bad but not exciting.