3.5 stars

RTC

★ 3.5 stars ★

rtc

"Today, Blue thought, is the day I stop listening to the future and start living it instead."

Yup, still awesome. I won't lie and say that it's exactly how I remembered it, though honestly I think that just added to the reread appeal. Though now knowing what to pay attention to, I also noticed so many hints and bits of foreshadowing which were delightful.

Somehow I'd forgotten how funny this is: not just witty teenage banter (though there is plenty of that), but also some truly ridiculous scenes that somehow only enhance the story. They get up to some absolutely hilarious shenanigans.

I can't believe Adam used to be my least favorite member of the Gangsey. Or that I had a least favorite member of the Gangsey. I love them all to bits, and they might have ruined me for IRL friendships — because what's the point if you're not spending every spare moment together searching for a mythical Welsh king?

content warnings:

Spoiler

precanon parent death, past & future major character death, grief, slut-shaming, self-harm (picking at scabs), on-page physical & emotional domestic abuse, mention of recreational hunting

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CONVERSION: 14.0 / 15 = 5 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 10 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 10 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 5 / 5
Memorability: 5 / 5
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[2015(?) review]
First things first: Claire made me read it, and I will forever owe her for that. I LOVED the whimsical intrigue and the banter, the fascinating characters and wholehearted embracing of magic. This book just felt magical.

This was a mix of pep talk, here's how I write since everyone does it differently, and pro tips about the publishing industry — more of the first one than I personally would've liked, but there's some solid advice. Ironically, though, there are quite a few typos and grammatical mistakes which inevitably detract from the overall credibility.

★ 2.5 stars ★

Because the passage of time is a thing, I'm sure the author didn't deliberately exclude Gen Z in the introduction, when listing out everyone the program is meant to help — though I do feel like the book may have limited utility for this generation (to which I belong).

The tone is often quite patronizing and makes sweeping assumptions about the reader's financial knowledge and attitudes, which put me off some of the otherwise helpful advice. I liked the emphasis on environmental and global impact, as well as the concrete exercises, but I can't say that this dramatically transformed my relationship with money as is promised repeatedly throughout.

content warnings:

Spoiler

teen death(s), imposter syndrome, classism, racism, model minority myth, bullying, mention of past suicide (jumping off building), drug abuse (unprescribed Adderall), relationships with age gap, student/ teacher relationship, panic attacks, mention of past gang violence, self-harm, suicidal ideation, mentions of child abuse, underage drinking

+ from the author:

Spoiler

depictions of abuse, self-harm, violence, parental neglect, panic attacks, drug use, mental illness, an inappropriate student/ teacher relationship, racism, suicidal thoughts

rep:

Spoiler

Asian American main cast; Chinese American MC [Nancy], WLW Chinese American MC [Jamie], WLW Korean American MC [Krystal], Indian American MC [Akil], brief F/F relationship, diverse secondary & minor characters

In the weeks between finishing this book and writing this review, I found myself frequently thinking about it ... but not in a primarily positive way. Honestly, I don't really consider "murder mystery/thriller with a school backdrop" to be dark academia; although school-related pressure is a major influence on the characters and thus relevant to the plot, dark academia as I understand it usually involves genuine interest and joy in academia, which was definitely not present here. And although the narrative grapples with the model minority myth (Asian Americans aren't "naturally smarter," we have to work for our grades and success like everyone else), it simultaneously perpetuates the stereotypes of tiger parenting and Asian-American fixation on grades and college admissions.

We are told that

Spoiler

the golden trio

has some big secret, which figures somewhat prominently in the plot, but we never find out what it is even though

Spoiler

the protagonist does at the very end

: this is mildly infuriating. On the other hand, the reveals seemed somewhat cliched, and I say this as someone who doesn't read many thrillers because I tend to find them predictable (and because too often mental illness is used as a plot device or to further certain themes; I'm on the fence about whether this is the case with How We Fall Apart). And

Spoiler

the very briefly mentioned F/F relationship

felt like token diversity, since from my own experience

Spoiler

Asian-Americans and our parents often have complex relationships to LGBTQIA+ issues

and there was little to no consideration of its implications or impact; there's a place for casual rep, but I just don't think this was it.

Basically, the premise of Asian-American dark academia was really exciting to me — so perhaps my disappointment was inevitable. But I was not impressed with the execution of either of those major elements, nor with the rest of the book.

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CONVERSION: 5.7 / 15 = 2 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 4 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 1 / 5

I received an advance review copy from St. Martin's Press through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.

We were close to the divine. We touched gods, felt them flow through our veins. Felt lust, envy, greed, quicken our hearts — but for a while, we were truly, spectacularly alive.

There's something dangerous about the boredom of teenage girls is a theme / trope that I have not read about in a good while, but this book exemplifies it: intoxicating (pun fully intended; drugs and drinking are a common component) yet horrifying. While I'm not condemning this book in particular since it's beautifully written — with vivid descriptions of place and mood — it does worry me that this is what we as a society tend to romanticize, and the ending does nothing to assuage that concern.

The beginning and ending are engaging and memorable, a can't-look-away kind of deal. However, I became almost disinterested at parts in the middle — there's still plenty of plot and emotional hooks, but for some reason I just couldn't get invested.

Since the narrative centers on relationships (between girls and their friends, frenemies, romantic partners, parents, teachers, society), we get a lot of exploration in this field. The vast majority of the dynamics portrayed are alarmingly unhealthy; they're also nuanced and totally believable.

content warnings:

Spoiler

toxic friendships, major character death(s), loss of loved ones (parents + younger sister), underage smoking + drinking + drug use, sexual harassment, on-page (non-graphic) rape, homophobic + ableist + fatphobic language, slut-shaming, implied eating disorder (skipping meals) + internalized body-shaming, mentions of abuse by parent, self-harm as part of magic ritual, infidelity, on-page violence + murder

rep:

Spoiler

implied F/F relationship & WLW secondary characters

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CONVERSION: 11.6 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 10 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
Rereadability: 2 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5

3.5 stars

As series finales go, this provides satisfying reveals and explanations. Previous assumptions are challenged, relationships are tested, loose threads from as early as the first few chapters of the first book are finally woven in.

I spent the second half or so thinking that this series would make an awesome miniseries or movie, in part because of the multimedia aspects and in part because of some really striking visuals and in part because I think some of the jokes would play even better in real time. Not that this isn't engaging in book format — I was up long past my bedtime, reading this one until I passed out.

But to be quite honest, I was a little disappointed that the focus seems to shift so overwhelmingly to the ongoing mysteries. The tone of the series doesn't change, and the characters are consistent; compared to the previous two books, though, this one seemed underdeveloped as a whole. Which seems even to me like a weird thing to complain about in a series finale, I'll admit. But that's how I felt.

Oh, one thing did really annoy me:

Spoiler

Stevie and David being endgame, happy ever after, et cetera. As much as I love a charming (fictional) asshole who wields his privilege somewhat for good, he's been such a jerk to Stevie and I didn't feel like that was satisfactorily addressed. Yes, attraction is weird as heck, and yes, his dad is a bigger asshole, but that doesn't give him a free pass

. And honestly, I felt like the whole ending was aggressively cheesy?

All that said, I've really enjoyed this trilogy. I don't know that I'll want to revisit it anytime soon, but it's been a fun time.

rep:

Spoiler

MC with anxiety, F/NB secondary (established) relationship, queer Black major character, nonbinary secondary character (they/them)

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CONVERSION: 9.4 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 4 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: N/A
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 3 / 5